Blossom Beauty

Isn't this card absolutely gorgeous?  No, I am not tooting my own horn and being prideful.  This card was made by the fabulous Nancy F.  She sent it as part of a swap and I think it is SO perfect.  The colors, the layout, and the embellishments all make for a beautiful card.

Fast and Flashy

With a quick snip and rip of the Sweet Stitches Designer Series fabric you can make a fast accent/focal piece for a greeting card.  My added bit a interest is a trio of Build a Brad brads.  Using the Sale-A-Bration So Happy for You stamp set I customized my brads to coordinate with the fabric.

There are just a few days left of Sale-A-Bration.  It end on March 31st! 

A Wish For Sunshine

There has been so many cloudy gloomy days that it would be nice to see some blue skies.  While I am so grateful for the rain I am wishing for the heat of the sun rays.

For my garland I cut the Greenhouse Gala pieces of DSP using the Pennant Bigz XL Die.   It may be hard to tell, but it is little.  I positioned my paper on the smaller pennant and I didn't even use the full size.  It is super cute but most of all it's bright, sunny, and warm.  Just what I need for a rainy day.

All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Papers:  Greenhouse Gala DSP, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, & Real Red Cardstocks

Accessories:  Pennant Bigz XL Die, Alphabet Simple Bigz Dies, Boho Blossoms, 1 3/8" Circle, & Scallop Circle Punches, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Brights Brads, Marina Mist 1/8" Tafetta Ribbon

Flower Scraps

Every now and then there are just the right amount of leftovers to make one more card.  It is cool how all the odds and ends that pile up on my table will work together to make a simple card. 

For the flower I used leftover Fun Flower pieces in Very Vanilla Cardstock and First Edition DSP.  To soften and add dimension I crinkled and sponged each flower layer of the Very Vanilla.  For the First Edition DSP I just sponged the edges.  An Antique Brad holds the entire flower together which I think gives a solid foundation to the card.  The last simple detail I included was a series of Basic Pearls.  I put the very smallest size on the largest flower and the medium sized pearls on the smaller flower.  I was in the mood for mixing it up a bit as normally I would put the small on the small and the big on the bigger ;0)

The banner from the Petal Cone Die was yet another scrap sitting on my table so I stamped it with a greeting from the Level 2 hostess set called Something to Celebrate using Not Quite Navy ink.  The floral printed background paper is from Springtime Vintage which is layered on Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy.  The last touch is a wrinkled ribbon made from a scrap of Crumb Cake Seam Binding.

A Suite Combination

All of the products in Sew Suite line are super sweet.  The mix and match perfectly.  I think my favorite item is the Pattern Pieces background image.  For my card's focal point I paper pieced the dress forms for an easy added bit of color, texture, and interest.  Every layer of paper or cardstock was gently sponged for added depth and color.

All Supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Sew Suite, Pattern Pieces, You're a Gem

Inks: Crumb Cake Classic Ink Pad & Jet Black Staz On

Paper: Ivory Naturals & Crumb Cake Cardstocks, Springtime Vintage & First Edition DSP

Accessories: Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding, Basic Rhinestones, 1" and 3/4" Circle Punches, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Scallop Ribbon Punch, and the Tulip Frame Embossing Folder

Headliner

I got a fun email message letting me know I was the Headliner over at the Paper Players.  You can visit their blog and see lots of REALLY amazing cards.  

The Paper Players

I Have a Sweet Tooth

Yes, that is right I have a sweet tooth for anything...candy, cakes, cookies, Cokes, but also cards with a sweet layout and subject matter.  For this easy layout and clean card the colors were selected to match the Ice Cream Parlor buttons and ribbon.  By the way if you have not got these two awesome accessories call me and I'll hook you up.

All Supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Create a Cupcake

Ink: Soft Suede and Melon Mambo Classic Ink Pads

Paper: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Melon Mambo,

and Whisper White Cardstocks

Accessories: Build a Cupcake and Decorative Label Punches, Ice Cream Parlor Buttons and Ribbon, Brights Brads, and

Square Punch (to make a perfect "v" notch in the banner)

Totally Stitchin' the Sequel

The Paper Players color challenge

Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge

I was inspired by the Sweet Sunday layout and the awesome color combination over at Paper Players for my card.

For me the three colors are soft and calming, however my card turned out way different than what I had been thinking.  It's way busier and foofy than my usual look, but I guess you have to try new things.

All supplies from Stampin' Up! 

Stamps: Sew Suite, Pattern Pieces, So Happy for You
Inks: Blushing Bride & Early Espresso Classic Ink Pads
Paper:  Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake Cardstocks, Nursery Suite & Springtime (scrap) DSPs

Accessories: Scallop Circle, 

1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Moonlight Smooch Paint, Sweet Stitches Fabric Brads, Blushing Bride Ribbon, Basic Pearls, Subtle Brads, & Linen Thread

The sewing machine on the card was paper pieced using a scrap of Springtime Vintage DSP and Crumb Cake cardstock.  Then I added the Moonlight Smooch Paint to give it a metal finish.

The miniature sewing machine toy was given to me when I was little.  It belonged to a friend of our family's who had all boys, so she gave it to me to play with.  It can actually sew.  You crank the handle on the right and away it goes.

Totally Stitchin'

Are you on the fence about getting the Sweet Stitches stamp set by Stampin' Up!?  Jump off and get it--it is AWESOME.  It seems like everything I see made with the set and coordinating products is too cute. I am sharing a simple card today using the Sweet Stitches set and the Springtime Vintage Designer Series Papers. 

For a quick added bit of interest I "paper pieced" the spool of thread.  And who says there isn't any polka dot thread out there?  In my own world there is.  Look closely at the two flowers and you will see that I punched them out from the same piece of DSP that I used for the bottom layer.  I positioned the punch right over the center of the dark pink flowers and popped out a finished cutie.

Punch Bunch is Perfect for a Page...

A scrapbook page that is!  I just love the Punch Bunch set on this page.  It is subtle and adds just the right amount of embellishment to enhance the layout. 

If you look at the full page you will see a cut line right through the main photo.  What I did was I layered the left side of the picture on a sheet of Marina Mist cardstock and adhered it to the page with Stampin' Dimensionals.  My intention was to create a subtle yet added interest to the page.  The added woodsheet layer was just enough texture to remind me of the colors of sand, which is where the photo was taken.  I took the pictures of my one and only and MOST favorite niece at San Clemente Beach.

Quilting in San Jose CA

For all those quilters and crafters in the San Jose Bay area there is a class coming your way!  My friend Julie C. is hosting a quilt class that sounds like a super fun time.  Check out the details below. 

Dates:  Sat. March 12 from 10 - 12, OR Thurs. March 17, 10 - 12
Place:  The Granary Quilt Shop, (Sunnyvale) 408-735-9830; www.thegranaryquilts.com
Cost:  $20
Hostess/Demonstrator:  Julie Cefalu, julie_cefalu@att.net

She will be sharing a recipe and sample to go a long with your tea and sharing these ideas and projects:  Free table runner pattern for layer cakes; heart sachet/pin cushion; how to make pinwheels using charm squares; spring table decorations; St. Patrick's Day wreath from fabric scraps; my favorite cutting gadgets; a pillow case dress tutorial and donation suggestion; how to make fabric-covered buttons; how to make a one-seam flying geese unit and more... You don't need to bring anything but a pencil and paper for notes and perhaps a camera to take pictures of the projects. 

Cute Blue Box

How cute is this?  I made a Pacific Point box bottom with few scores on a square piece of cardstock and a Whisper White lid using the Square Scallop Bigz Die.  Using the So Happy for You stamp set and a couple markers I stamped the lid before I cut and folded it together.  The bow is skinny strips of DSP accented with the Ice Cream Parlor and 1/8" Certainly Celery taffetta ribbon.  Wouldn't these be adorable on a table set for a fun birthday party?

All Supplies are from Stampin Up!

Stamps: So Happy for You

Inks: Melon Mambo & Pacific Point Stampin' Write Markers

Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, & Old Olive Cardstock, Brights Designer Series Paper Stack

Accessories: Scallop Square Bigz Die, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, and 1" Circle Punches, Ice Cream Parlor & 1/8" Certainly Celery Taffetta Ribbons, Bright Brads

Doin' Christmas Stuff

Yes, I know it is March, but this past week included Christmas shopping, wrapping of gifts, and heading to the post office to mail them off. Tuesday I went to a showroom to do the last of our holiday purchasing for Christmas 2011. It is a bit crazy but the buying starts right around the New Year. On Monday I finally mailed a box of Christmas presents to my brother's family.

In the box I enclosed a "very merry" St. Patrick's Day card.  Just a simple and quick card which carried out my color palette that I used for their gift tags.  Inside the card I included a bit of poetry.  I should probably leave the prose to the pros.  This is how it went. (It's better if you read it with an Irish accent.  Just think Lucky Charms tv commercials).

I know that Christmas has come and past,

for all us Price's it flew by too fast.

Have the season with you after twelve twenty-five,

with presents for each of you to keep the spirit alive.

Why not celebrate another green holiday,

with well wishes of good luck the old Irish way.

We hope your day includes bag-pipes and corned beef,

rainbows not reindeer and four clovers of leaf.

So Merry Christmas this March seventeen,

you Salisbury's we'll party by wearin' some green.

It is a long standing tradition in our family to add fun and fancy bows to presents.  We use wire edged ribbon for everything.  A long long time ago my mom sent off a box to my brother and included a note to "fluff the bows."  Ever since then the kids love to open the box, fluff all the bows on the presents, and then arrange them under the tree.  Well these were not fancy gifts and the tree is dead and gone, but none the less I hope they fluffed their bows.  I used all Stampin' Up! supplies for the gift tags and card to make the everything tie together for a fun presence to their present.

Deck the Halls with Fun Flowers!

I am so happy to have found Mary Jo’s sketch challenges.  I really like this one with all details; I found it quite inspiring. Here is the sketch and my spin on it.

Do you recognize the fabric?  It is the Deck the Halls Designer Series Fabric from Stampin’ Up!’s past Holiday Mini Catalog.  Who says it has to be used only for Christmas?  I think it looks great with the Bliss stamp set and the First Edition DSP.

I had a few small pieces of the Deck the Halls fabric left which was just enough for a fun flower. So, using the Fun Flowers Bigz L Die I cut several of all the sizes of flowers from the fabric and some from the First Edition DSP.  For the fabric flowers I got them all wet with spray starch, I wadded them and crinkled them all up, and then I opened them to dry.  For the DSP flowers I crinkled and sponged al the edges.  To assemble the flower I used a Glimmer Brad.  You can push the brad right through one or two layers at a time.

All supplies are from Stampin’ Up!

Stamps: Bliss

Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, and Soft Suede

Papers: Always Artichoke & Sahara Sand Cardstocks, First Edition DSP

Accessories: Deck the Halls Designer Series Fabric, Fun Flowers Bigz L Die, Vintage Trinkets, Linen Thread, Inkworks Air Gun, Decorative Label Punch, Smooch Paint (mixed & spritzed with rubbing alcohol)

Sweet Summer Goes Clean & Easy

Happy Wednesday or should I say Happy Wishes?  I love the look of this card for it's relaxing color combination and use of Very Vanilla cardstock layers.  I practically never layer vanilla on vanilla but I liked it in this situation.  I believe that's what keeps this card so carefree and clean.  I do love lots of gooey pretty layers but, there is something to be said for "white/negative space."  What do you think about the two ribbons?  I kind of thought it was fun to use the two ribbons in celery with the white edges.