Vivid Vases

I am again using the Vivid Vases stamp set.  It is a single stamp and is really versatile.  I haven't used it yet as a single vase but I'll be trying that soon.

For this card, I stamped the vases in Memento Black.  I masked the sentiment so I would just get the vases in my stamping.  Next I colored them using my Aqua Painter and the ink from the lid of the stamp pads.  I love to color this way.  You get just a wash of color and not real dark. I painted a little bit of blue below the vases.  Next I took a ruler and a thin Sharpie to make the straight line across the bottom of the card.  Next I masked the Vases and stamped the sentiment on the left bottom of the card.  

I'm going back to the eye doctor Friday to see how well my cataract surgery went.  I'm also going to talk to him about doing my right eye.  I'd like both of my eyes to work together!!  

Paper Craft Crew Challenge

It's time for another Paper Craft Crew Challenge.  I made a card (with MDS) this time using Sale-a-Bration products.  This would be an easy one to reproduce (or CASE) and you wouldn't have to use MDS.

Sketch 

So, what do you think??

Take Ten Magazine - Spring 2014

I had a nice surprise last week.  Sonny brought in the mail and gave me a package that I was not expecting.  When I opened it up, it was the Spring 2014 issue of Take Ten magazine.  No, I don't subscribe to this magazine.  But in the past, I have sent cards to the magazine in hopes of having them published in the book.  I have not submitted any cards to them in a couple of years at least.  So I was quite surprised to receive this letter from them with the magazine.

Guess they hold on to submissions for a long time!

Cover of the magazine

 I was especially surprised to find out that not only had they published one of my cards, but THREE cards taking up all of page 66 in their monthly "Variation on a Theme."  The challenge is to create a set of cards that share a theme- color, layout, stamp set, etc. while using a different stamped image on each card.

 The stamp set that I used is a retired Stampin' Up set - Awash With Flowers.  It is a beautiful two-step stamp set.

So, that is my claim to fame for today!!

Accordian Fold Tag Card

We had a fun weekend - what about you?

Friday Sonny and I went to the Social Security Office prepared to wait for an hour or so.  Surprisingly, when we arrived there were only 3 people in the office so our wait was not long at all!!  After that little trip, Sonny took me to one of his favorite restaurants that the guys visit on his skeet shooting days.  He has been raving about their chicken to me for a long time.  I have to agree, it was very good as was the fried squash and mashed potatoes and gravy that I had!!  Needless to say, we didn't eat any dinner that night still being full from lunch!

Saturday we met Marianne and Greg and drove to Greensboro to the RV Show.  It was fun to see all the different RVs.  Marianne and Greg were dreaming about their next RV while Sonny and I were just along for the ride.  If I could talk him into it, I would love to have a camper to travel around the US.  We used to have such good times as a family camping in our Pop Up Camper.  But Sonny says "no way" so guess camping is not in our future.  After the RV Show, we had some time to kill so we decided to try and find the apartment complex where Sonny and I met 43 years ago.  We couldn't remember the name of the street but Marianne did!  She remembered as a kid, coming to visit me in the apartment.  She would have been about 10 years old!   She says she remembers that we went over to Sonny's apartment for dinner and I made pork chops!  Her memory is sure better than mine!  Anyway, we found the apartments and they didn't look so bad.  There used to be a swimming pool in the middle of the courtyard but it is gone and there are a lot more apartments now than there used to be.  The complex is now called Smoketree Apartments.  When we lived there, it was Spanish Arms Apartments.  It was a brand new apartment complex for Singles Only.  I was probably one of the first 10 or so people to move in.  Sonny moved in later in the year.  In order to attract new tenants, they provided a keg of beer three nights a week in the clubhouse.  But we couldn't drink the whole keg in one night, so there was beer in the clubhouse every night of the week!!  It was a fun place and we both have good memories of our three years there.  We had hoped to eat at a restaurant that Sonny and I used to go to when we were dating, Cellar Anton's, but sadly, it closed last year after 53 years in business.  So we found another good Italian restaurant that Marianne and I had visited when we attended a Quarterly meeting last year.

During the snow week, I made this Accordian Fold Tag Card:

Front of card

Inside

Accordian Tag opened

The card was made using the Two Tags Die which (sob) is retired.  I think this is one of my favorite dies and I will continue to use it.

Measurements:

• 3-1/2 x 12″ piece of cardstock   
• Score at 3″, 4-1/2″, 6″, 7-1/2″, and 9″
• Panels for decorating the inside are 1-3/8″ x 2-5/8″ 
• Outside panel is 1-1/2″ x 2-5/8″ 

To make the topper for the tag, fold the 3 1/2" x 12" card stock accordian style and place the folds of Tag Die above the score line before die cutting.

Today I made this card using the same directions but using the new Scallop Tag Topper in the Occasions Catalog.  It is smaller (width wise) but it works.

Card open - I used Fresh Prints DSP stack

Card front - tag closed

Close up of opened tag.

Card In a Box

As promised, here is the Card in a Box instructions.  There are a lot of YouTube videos on the web but most of them use 12 x 12 card stock.  This one uses a piece of 4 1/4" x 11" card stock so you can two from one sheet of card stock.  They are a lot of fun to make and fold flat to fit into a regular envelope.

·        Start with 4 ¼” x 11” cardstock.

·        SCORE @ 2 5/8”   /  5 ¼”  /   7 7/8”  /  10 ½”

·        Turn cardstock to the left so the 4 ¼” side is at the top of the score board.  SCORE 1 ¾”

·        With the 1 ¾” (vertical) fold line on your left, Cut on the fold lines – STOPPING at the 1 ¾” fold lines.  (you will be cutting into the smaller rectangles)

·        Cut the small tab at the top completely off.

·        Fold all VERTICAL score lines

·        From the Tab, fold the THREE smaller flaps down.

·        DO NOT FOLD the 4^th small flap.  This is the back of the box.

·         Designer Paper for decorating:

·        Three pieces cut @ 2 ¼” x 1 ½” – for top flaps

·        One piece cut @ 2 ¼” x 4” – for back of box

·        Four pieces cut @ 2 ¼” x 2 ¼” (square) for bottom flaps.

Put box together with Red Line Sticky Tape for best results.

For inside of box:

·        Cut 2 pieces 1” x 4 1/8” – score @ ¾” from each end (for inside of box)

·        Fold the tabs on score lines on the inside pieces

·        Secure the tabs inside the box (dividing the box into thirds)

Card in a Box with Cupcakes and Balloons

Card in a Box with Party Owls and Balloons

Stamp Club Cards for February

This week is my Stamp Club.  We made a Card in a Box project and 2 easy cards.  The Card in a Box was a rather lengthy project so I made sure to make the other two cards easy and quick.  I will share the Card in a Box tomorrow with directions.

The other two cards used items from the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  I wanted to use the Good As Gold kit so the gals could see what was included and how easy it would be to put together a card but that you could also amp up the card with things you have in your arsenal.

This is the card I made from the Sale-a-Bration Gold kit.  I used one of the banners that is written in another language and stamped the "hello" hexagon and put it over the foreign language greeting.  So you can use everything in the kit!  The kit comes with an envelope and a gold liner.  I cut a portion of the liner off the bottom to use it on my card.  Once you put the liner in the envelope, you can't tell that I cut any of it off.  I backed the polka dot card with a piece of Island Indigo cardstock BUT later discovered that by adding the additional card stock, it won't fit in the envelopes provided.  The note cards and envelopes are smaller than our standard cards.

The second card we did was about a 10 minute card!  

This is my Washi Tape Card.  Washi Tape is growing on me.  This is the Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape that is in the Occasions Catalog.  There are three rolls of tape in gold - stripes, plain and dots.  We just took strips of tape and put them in the center of the Naturals White card stock.  Stamp a sentiment from See Ya Later (Sale-a-bration) in Versamark and emboss with gold embossing powder.  Use dimensionals to pop up the sentiment in the center of the card.  Adhere the whole thing to a Naturals White card.  Easy Peasy!!

Just a Quick Note

Just a quick note to let you know I had my cataract surgery today.  It went great.  I was in and out of surgery in about 15 minutes.  I think I was #15 for him today and there were 3-4 after me!  After the surgery, Sonny and I grabbed some lunch before heading over to the doctor's office for him to check my eye.  I looked real cute with the clear plastic eye shield on!!  They took the  eye shield off.  I'm to wear it just at night for a week so I don't rub or scratch my eye.  It's really strange to be watching tv or reading with no glasses on!  I am still pretty blurry and my eye is scratchy but I am sure it will get better every day.  The worst part is, as one of my readers commented yesterday, the "regime of eye drops" I have to put in every day.  I have 3 little bottles of drops that I have to put in my eye 4 times a day.  And I can't put them in all at one time.  I have to wait 5 minutes between each one.  I go back to the doctor next week and I will talk to him then about doing my other eye!  Seems dumb to have to get new glasses now and then have the second eye done down the road and have to pay for another set of glasses .... if I even need them then.  I'm hoping for just needing "readers."

Well - time to go put my eye shield on and lay my head down on my pillow!

Good night!

Baby Welcome to the World

My nephew and his wife had a boy Monday morning!  Lincoln Morse arrived at 6:42 a.m. Monday morning weighing 7 pounds 2 oz.  Katrina had to have a "C" section but all reports are that she is doing well.  Isn't that cool - a baby named Lincoln born on Presidents Day!!

Here is the card I made for them last week and have just been waiting for the big day to get it in the mail.

I used a lot of retired items in this card - Stocking Punch, stamp set, Bashful Blue card stock but I don't think Lincoln will mind!!

We have been watching the Olympics night and day.  I'm really enjoying the ice dancing, luge and snow boarding.  Even Sammie is enjoying watching the Olympics!

I am having my cataract surgery Tuesday.  Wish me luck!!  Can't wait to be able to see sharper.

SU Card Kits - What A Deal!

I want to tell you about a few card kits that I think are a GREAT deal!!  If you want to order any of these kits, visit my online store (see tab at top of blog) and use the Hostess Code MFPFTVG4.

Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit for $19.95

The HIP HIP HOORAY card kit gives you 20 cards at your fingertips.  The kit contains everything you need (minus scissors) to create 20 beautiful cards for a variety of occasions.  The kit is excellent for beginner crafters but advanced crafters could also use the kit and use your skills to "jazz" it up.

The Hip Hip Hooray Kit includes:

• cardstock and envelopes for 20 cards
• twine, clips and adhesive die-cut embellishments
• three-piece Hip hip Hooray Stamp Set PLUS a clear block
• dimensionals
• Basic Gray Stampin' Spot
• Full color instructional brochure

Everyday Occasions Card Kit sells for $29.95

The Everyday Occasions Cardmaking Kit puts birthday, graduation, wedding, gratitude cards at your fingertips.  This kit contains everything you need (minus scissors and adhesive) to create 20 cards PLUS it comes with a beautiful box to store your cards in.

The Kit includes:

• cardstock and envelopes for 20 cards
• twine, buttons and clips
• pre-cut paper embellishments
• Stampin' Spots
• Seven-piece Occasions Stamp Set AND a clear block
• full color Tips and Tricks brochure
• A storable, giftable box

The Happenings Simply Created Kit in the Occasions Catalog is a wonderful way to make some quick and easy cards.  The kit comes with everything you need to make 15 notecards except adhesive and sentiment.  When I first saw this kit, I have to confess I wasn't too impressed.  But after seeing all the cards you can make with it, I have changed my mind.  The actual cards are really cute.  It's the perfect way to make some quick thank you and "thinking of you" cards!

Includes pieces for making 15 cards: 
■ 15 card bases: finished card size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2"
■ 15 sheets of single-sided, printed designer paper backgrounds, 5 ea. of 3 designs
■ 15 die-cut accents, 5 ea. of 3 designs
■ 15 Silver glitter banners
■ 15 White banners
■ 15 pieces of Baker’s Twine, 10" ea.
■ 15 buttons

Humpty Dumpty Snowman

I told you yesterday about my problems with building a snowman.  Well, guess it wasn't my fault Frosty didn't want to stay standing up in my yard!  (see this post)  Well today I decided to make a card in honor of my snowman.

I used the stamp set Snow Day to make this snowman with all his parts and pieces scattered in th snow.  It was fun to make.

Do you have a stamp set in your collection that you will never get rid of?  Well, I have a few of those.  Garden Collage is one of my all time favorite sets and I have not used it in several years.  It is one of the first Stampin' Up sets that I bought when I became a demonstrator.  Today I pulled it out and created a card using one of the Saleabration stamps too- Banner Blast..  I used my Prismacolor colored pencils with Gamsol - a technique I have not done in a couple of years.  I actually had forgotten about my pencils and watercolors that I have in my bottom desk drawer.  Maybe tomorrow I will dust off the watercolor crayons!

We saw sunshine today!!  Sonny couldn't get his truck out of the driveway so he ended up walking down to where we have our boat stored in the neighborhood so he could brush the snow off the boat.

Our boat is under that snow!

When he got back, he decided to shovel off the driveway and was able to get my car out.  Maybe tomorrow we can go somewhere.  I have been ok and stayed busy being crafty and reading.  Sonny on the other hand is going stir crazy!!

Another Snowy Card making Day

Wow!  Can you say S*N*O*W??  We sure had it this morning.  It was slinging it down when I got up this morning - big, fat, wet flakes.  It snowed until about lunch time.  We guessed about an inch an hour.  I think we got about 7"!!  Sonny and I went out walking in the snow around 2.  The sun was trying to come out and the snow was melting fast from the trees.  It was actually a lot warmer than what we expected.  I took my scarf, gloves and jacket off and was just walking in my sweater (with my long johns on).  When we got back I made a snowman but he didn't last too long.  Guess we Southerners aren't good snowmen makers!

Lake in snow

My cute snowman

Wipe Out!!  He didn't stay standing for long

I tried to revive him!!

Sonny was pretty bundled up!

 I made a bunch of cards today.  I'm getting some made for club and for an All Occasion Class I am going to be offering soon.  Plus our family is on baby watch.  My nephew's wife is expecting her second any day now.  She has been in early labor for 2 weeks. If she doesn't go into labor before Tuesday I think her doctor is going to induce her.  I'll share her card in a few days after I mail it so I don't spoil the surprise in case she looks at my blog.

I played around with the Hexagon Hive framelit from the Occasions catalog.  It's a fun look.  I CASE'd a couple of cards from Pinterest.  This first card I cut the Hexagon hive from Daffodil Delight card stock and stamped randomly with one of the floral stamps in Secret Garden.  I made my own background to put behind the framelit.  I stamped two flowers from Petal Parade and popped them up.  The sentiment is from Perfect Pennants - one of my favorite stamps in the occasions catalog!

This is the background I stamped.  I used the watercolor "blob" from Happy Watercolor and the floral stamp from Secret Garden.  It looks kind of sloppy but when you put the Hexagon Hive in front of it, only a portion shows through.

The second card I made using the Hexagon Hive is this one:

I used Pink Pirouette for the Hexagon Hive this time.  The key to using this framelit is to use a piece of wax paper in the "sandwich."  If not, you will have a tough time getting the card stock off the framelit.  (ask me how I know!!)  On this one, I stamped a flower (Secret Garden) in white and again in Pink Pirouette onto the Hexagon hive piece.  I embossed several of the hexagons with the Dotted embossing folder and adhered them to the hexagons.   The sentiment and little floral stamped strip is from You're Lovely, a Saleabration stamp set.

Lovely As A Tree in the Snow!

I got up this morning looking for a yard full of snow BUT .... none!  All morning all that was on TV was weather reports about the big storm that we were supposed to get.  The governor gave a press conference this morning and had the National Guard, Dept. of Transportation, and I don't remember who else but it was crazy!!  Charlotte started getting the snow around 9 or 10:00.  I was still looking for it.  Finally around 1:00 pm it started and it snowed for hours.  Actually it is still coming down as I am writing this (10:30 pm) with sleet mixed in.  I'm going to try and talk Sonny in taking a walk with me tomorrow.  He wouldn't today - said it was too cold!!  It is really beautiful.  The last time I measured it was 4"  It is supposed to snow/sleet all night tapering off tomorrow afternoon.

Snow after about an hour

My footsteps down the driveway checking for mail at 4:30 - no delivery! 

Still coming down (4:30 pm)

4" at 4 pm after 3 hours of snow

So what is a gal to do when she is snowed in?  Make a few cards and that is just what I did.  I had fun playing with some of my stamps and dies from Saleabration and the Occasions catalog that I had not had time to play with yet.  I'll be sharing those with you in the next few days.

But first I pulled out "old faithful," Lovely As A Tree.  This is such a great stamp set.  It has been around since I started with SU 9 years ago and Shelli told us at convention last summer that it would probably never retire!  I have a real good friend that is going through some major health issues and is having to do chemo this week.  I made this card for her.

I taped off the middle area and sponged Soft Sky at the top, Old Olive in the middle and Always Artichoke at the bottom.  Next I stamped the trees in Old Olive and Always Artichoke.  Finally I stamped the trees in Memento Black.  The card is matted with Always Artichoke and finally matted onto River Rock card stock.

Vivid Vases

Well, we are still waiting for the BIG storm!!  We got nothing today where I live.  I think Charlotte got an inch or two which was mostly melted by late afternoon.  But our big storm (named PAX) is supposed to hit tomorrow. (When did they start naming winter storms???)  The prediction is for heavy accumulation of snow, sleet and freezing rain Wednesday.  By heavy, the prediction is for 8-12 inches.  I can't imagine us having that much but guess that is why they are calling it "the storm of the century."  Seeing will be believing!!  Charlotte even had a press conference today about the storm!!  The predicted storm has already messed up my plans.  First thing this morning I got a call from my dentist to reschedule Wednesday's cleaning.  Shortly after that call, I got the call from my opthamologist canceling my cataract surgery that was scheduled for Thursday.  I've been rescheduled for next Tuesday which was actually my stamp club day but I am going to reschedule them in order to get this surgery done!  I guess I will be doing some stamping the next couple of days.

I love the single stamp in the Occasions catalog, Vivid Vases. It's a sweet little stamp ideal for quick and pretty cards. Here are two cards I made using the stamp.

 For this one, I used the watercolor "blob" stamp from Hello Watercolor stamp set (one of my favorites from the Occasions catty) in Strawberry Slush for the background. You could also achieve a similar look by using the clear blocks.  I used different stamps on the vases, cut them out and glued them on - popping a few of them up with dimensionals and leaving a few of them flat.  I added a couple of pearls for accent.

On this card, I paper pieced the vases by stamping them onto DSP, cutting them out and adhering them to the vases I had stamped onto the white card stock.  I used the Naturals Ribbon on the side although I think I would like to try and die that ribbon lightly.  I dry embossed a few dashes down the side of the Wisteria Wonder card.

Happy Watercoloring

I've been playing around with the Happy Watercolor set from the Occasions catalog.  It is such a great set.  There is also Designer Series Paper that is gorgeous.  I have not used any of it yet - just drooled over the papers!  You can create a beautiful card with this set that looks like you have watercolored it.  This is such an easy, yet elegant card that you can put together in 5-10 minutes.

Products used:
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Pistachio Pudding
Ink:  Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Crushed Curry, Momento Black Ink
Stamp:  Happy Watercolor

Following along the same layout, I created another watercolor card.  Using the watercolor "blob" stamp makes it easy to look like you have brushed paint on watercolor paper.  For this card I used different colors but the kept the card the same (Pistachio Pudding).  I also used a couple of floral stamp sets - Secret Garden stamp and framelits and Petal Parade stamp and punch.  I embossed the flowers in white and popped them up with dimensionals.

Supplies:

Cardstock:  Whisper White, Pistachio Pudding, Pool Party, Cantelope

Ink:  Pool Party, Cantelope, Pistachio Pudding, Versanark

Stamp:  Happy Watercolor, Secret Garden, Petal parade

A winter storm watch is in effect for my area this week.  It is supposed to start snowing tomorrow with not much accumulation but another front will be coming in tomorrow night and Charlotte is predicted to have about 3" by Wednesday.  I know, I know - 3" doesn't sound like much but believe me, it can cripple this area!  I am supposed to take my sister and my mom to the doctor tomorrow.  We are just going to "wait and see"!!  Wednesday I am supposed to go to the dentist and Thursday is my cataract surgery so not a good time for this winter storm!!

Merge Like a Zip!

Hope your weekend was a good one.  As I am typing this, I am watching the Beatles special.  Wow!  It is great.  Hard to believe it was 50 years ago that they made their American debut on Ed Sullivan.  I remember sitting on the floor at my grandmother's house watching them on tv.   The Beatles belong to our lives I think because not only do they mean so much to us now but they meant so much to us during our youth.  Tonight hearing so many great bands and singers sing their songs was just amazing.

Want to see a few more of my New Zealand pictures?  Here are a few of the signs we saw that were interesting.

We didn't drink many sodas while there!!

A trundler is the grocery cart!

Don't YIELD - GIVE WAY!!

These were the cutest signs.  They were all over the North Island.

Other highway signs with the owl that we saw were:

• Wise Drivers Drive Sober
• Speed Kills (in this one, the kiwi has his hand over his eye)
• Never Drive Tired
• Never Drive Drugged
• NVR Txt N Dvr
• Foggy?  Slow Down
• Wise Drivers Belt Up

Building Block Love You More

I took my sister to the hospital this morning for her surgery.  Don't know why they have you come to the hospital so early just to sit and wait.  We had to be there at 8:15 for a 10:50 surgery.  I think we went back to the pre-op room around 9:30 where they prepped her for surgery.  They rolled her out pretty much on time.  I returned to the waiting room, took a trip to the restroom and got a beverage and within a few minutes, the doctor came out to say they were done.  The surgery lasted about 15 minutes!  Pretty quick to cut open the foot, insert a screw in the bone and sew it back up.  We left the hospital around 1, stopped at Arby's and got some sandwiches to go and then back home.  She opted not to use crutches, feeling more comfortable using Mom's walker.  She's going to develop some arm strength in the next few weeks that's for sure!  All in all, I think she is doing well - wasn't in any pain when I left her this afternoon.

Sunrise this morning - I don't get to see this too often!!

Checking out Splitcoast Stampers used to part of my daily routine.  In my earlier stamping days, Splitcoast was our answer to Pinterest.  It's still a great site and has some good challenges.  My favorite was always the color challenge.  Nowadays I get the weekly newsletter from Splitcoast with a project tutorial.  I usually have good intentions for doing them but don't always get it done.  Well, this week I did!  This week's challenge was to make a Building Block Card.  (Here is the link to the tutorial.)  This was a fun card to make.

I used the Valentine stamp set, Love You More and the DSP stack (from occasions catalog).  I love this stack of paper!