Swallowtail Beauties

I guess I've complained about the cold enough!  We are starting to warm up.  Sunday, noon and it is 30 degrees with the sun shining.  By Tuesday or Wednesday, it is supposed to be in the 60s!!  Whoooo Whooo!!  Sonny is obsessed since our trip to Alaska with their weather this time of year.  Every day he tells me what the temps are going to be in Fairbanks.  Today I think he told me the high was supposed to be something like minus 40 degrees. I can't even imagine what that feels like.  Guess I won't complain about NC's highs and lows!

Despite the cold outside, I have been warm inside and working away with my new toys!  One of the stamp sets I didn't think I would get was the huge Swallowtail Butterfly single stamp.  I kept seeing some really pretty samples using it so I caved.  I am so glad I did.  I just love the cards I made with it this weekend.  What do you think?  Which one is your favorite? 

This one I stamped the butterfly on Whisper White card stock with Versamark and then sprinkled Melon Mambo embossing folder all over and heated it up.  Just gorgeous!  The little "thank you" uses the stamp, Pretty Petites and the small Label Punch (both items FREE in the Sale-a-bration catalog!

This butterfly was stamped on Naturals Ivory card stock with Versamark.  I sprinkled Classy Copper (retired) embossing powder over the little guy and heated him up.  Then I used my daubers to daub Baja Breeze and More Mustard on the wings.  Just daub the ink on lightly - you can always go back and add more.  Very lightly, in the background, I stamped the swirl stamp from Everything Eleanor.  (I'm not sure if "daub" is a word but you know what I mean!)

My final beauty is this black and white Swallowtail.  Make sure you remember to wipe the cardstock with the Embossing Buddy before stamping!!  I stamped the butterfly with Whisper White Craft ink (which is now retired BUT you can use Versamark and get the same effect.)  Next I sprinkled White embossing powder all over and heat set it.  I don't know if you can see it, but I used the Needlepoint Border embossing folder from the Spring Mini (pg. 5) on the Pool Party card stock.  The sentiment comes from one of my favorite sets, Word Play.

Last night Sonny and I went to the movies.  You've probably figured out by now that going to the movies is one of our favorite things to do.  Sonny had not seen Lincoln and I have been wanting to see Silver Lining Playbook and knew that was not his kind of movie.  So my movie stated at 7:05 and his at 7:15 so it worked out completely - except we couldn't share popcorn, which we don't do anyway!!  Truth be told, I usually pop my popcorn at home and take it in with me in my purse - much less calories!!  I really enjoyed my movie.  I wasn't too sure at first - it started rather slow and was kind of bizarre at first, but by the end I had a big smile on my face and was rooting for Bradley Cooper.  I don't think it will win the Academy Award but it was entertaining. 

Day Trip

I took a day trip today with some ladies from Newcomers to Winston Salem.  We toured the Reynolda House which was built in 1917 as the home of Katherine and R J Reynolds, the founder of R J Reynolds Tobacco Company.  The property originally consisted of over 1,000+ acres but is now a little over 100 acres having donated a large portion in the late 1940s to Wake Forest University to move from their location in eastern NC to Winston Salem.  In the late 60s, the home and outbuildings were opened to the public as an institution dedicated to arts and education.  It is renowed for its extensive American art work.  Today we heard a presentation about Audobon's work and saw several of his pieces.  We also wandered around in the Historic Village that houses very expensive shops!  I went in a couple of dress shops and everything I saw was in 3 figures!!  Too rich for my blood!

Here is one of the cards that will be an option for my stamp clubbers this month.  Simple but great!

• Cardstock is Rose Red with a white card stock layer.
• Emboss white layer across the middle with the Adorning Accents Textured Embossing Folder (mini catalog, pg 7) and the Big Shot
• Wrap Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon around white cardstock and adhere to card.
• Stamp “Remember When” from Word Play stamp set on bottom right of card.
• On a scrap of Wisteria Wonder cardstock, stamp the heart w/girl & boy on bike (Take It To Heart set) in White Craft Ink. Cover with white embossing powder and heat emboss.
• Use Hearts Framelits Die to cut out the embossed heart and adhere to card front with dimensionals.

Take A Guess!

Posting three days in a row!  Don't know what's gotten in to me other than I've been stamping a little more than before!  I have been making flowers lately with different materials.  I've made them out of fabric, paper and ... can you guess what this one is made of???

Here are the flowers all by themselves to give you a little closer look.  Leave a comment with your guess.  The first correct answer will receive the card above!

Supplies used to make the card:  Pink Pirouette and Old Olive cardstock, Retired DSP, SU Adorning Accents Edgelits, Adorning Accents Embossing Folder, rick-rack, Little Leaves die, Big Shot, Glimmer Brad and the mystery matter!

I went to the "Y" today and did a swim class.  I really felt like I got a work out!  When we first joined the "Y", Sonny and I did water exercise 2-3 times a week but I probably haven't done the water exercise in over a year.  I never really felt like I had worked out.  Don't know what was different today - either I put more "oomph" into it, it was a different instructor, or I'm just getting older and we know that's not the case!!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

More Summer Mini Cards!

I played mahjong today and actually got embaressed because I kept winning!  We only play with $2.00 so when you're out of money, you don't pay.  By lunchtime, I had won every game and the other gals at my table didn't have any money left!!  Usually if I start out hot like that, after lunch I never win a game but that wasn't the case today.  I didn't win them all, but I did win half of the remainder games!  My winning streak has been going on for several months and the gals tease me that they won't sit at my table!  I told them I gave them a break while we were on our trip.

I made this card yesterday and I just love it!  I used my markers (Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry) to color the Flower Garden Embossing Folder (the debossed side) and then I ran my Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot.  Such a simple but lovely card!

This is another new technique that I discovered yesterday.  I stamped the Fabulous Florets with White Craft Ink on the Crumb Cake card stock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  Then, I used my Versamark Pen (never used before!) and colored in the flower petals for a fabulous tone-on-tone.  Topped a few of the flowers with some purple rhinestones that I found in my stash and voila .... another simple but pretty card!!

I Made A Quilt!!

Well .... a Quilt Card!  My sister is the quilt maker in the family.  I followed a tutorial over on Splitcoast Stampers for making a quilted card and was quite pleased with the end result!

I used pieces of DSP from the Saleabration catalog and Tangerine Tango, Pink Passion (retired) and Tempting Turquoise cardstock.  The ribbon is also from Saleabration.  After putting the "quilt" together, I ran it through the Big Shot with the Finial Press embossing folder.

Here is a picture of my fishermen!  They went out on Lake Norman on our boat on Friday but didn't even get a bite so they didn't have any fish on their lines to show you!

I got a call yesterday from the Red Cross about going to Alabama  for two weeks to help out with the storm damage.  They need about 80 people to be case workers.  They wanted me to leave on Wednesday (today) for two weeks.  I have an obligation on Saturday at Stampers Alley so I was not able to leave that soon.  I told them I could be available on Sunday so we will see if they need me or not.  I would really love to be able to help.  There are so many people that were affected by those tornadoes.  Our Red Cross office here in Lake Norman was already deployed to the eastern part of NC from the tornadoes that we had here a couple of weeks ago.

Retired Darling Dots

I've been making a few more cards to sell and using some of my retired SU stamp sets.  I love this stamp set - Darling Dots.  I think it was a Saleabration set from a few years ago but I have held on to it because I really like it!  It's really versatile with hearts, flowers, leaves, stars, etc.

 On this card, I used the Scallop Square punch along with the 1 1/4" Square Punch.  The card base is Crumb Cake and the Chocolate Chip ribbon is Stampin' Up.

 Just about everything on this card is retired!  The cardbase is Dusty Durango and the piece across the middle is Kiwi Kiss.  The DSP is also retired from SU.

I ran this card base through the Dotted Swiss embossing folder.  The DSP is from our recent Saleabration.  The rest of the cardstock is Daffodil and Pacific Point.  I should have used the Stampamajig for the sentiment!

Final Feb Monday Mailers

I am going to be sad not to receive Monday Mailers from Beth Fox any more.  She sent me some wonderful cards!  The card she sent me this week uses my favorite color combo - pink, green, blue.  I'll be CASE'ing it soon - maybe even for my club this month.

 

Beth sent me a note telling me her 7 year old daughter added the bling on the photo corners while she wasn't looking!  A future stamper in the making!  The stampset is the single stamp - Elizabeth

 

 This is the card I sent to Beth.  I love these colors together (Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point and Poppy Parade ribbon).  I stamped the image from Bliss in white on the blue and embossed it.  The bird is stamped in Pacific Point on white paper.  I used the Beveled Windowpanes to frame the bird.  The Daffodil piece is scallop punched and embossed with Elegant Lines die and the Big Shot.

I got a big shipment this week and I have to share the boxes Stampin' Up is using for Sale-a-bration!  

 

What a beautiful day!

Oh, what a beautiful day!!  We have had wonderful weather the past couple of days and the sun is shining brightly now!   I will probably be helping Sonny do a little yard work later today, but hopefully, will also have time to do some stamping.  I have a "chocolate" stamp that I am itching to use!!  Unfortunately, right now I am sitting with a heating pad wrapped around my neck!  I was talking to Ashley this a.m. via Skype and leaned back in my chair and this pain ran down the left side of my neck.  Ouch!!  I think it is muscle spasms just on that side of my neck.  I have been rubbing and massaging it and am now trying heat.  My mom had this last week and ended up going to the hospital and the doctor.  She was in pain for a week and was taking pain tablets as well as muscle relaxers.  I may be getting one of her muscle relaxers this weekend.  I don't know what has caused me to all of a sudden, get this!

I have received a couple of knock out cards this week that I want to share with you.  The first one is a Valentine.  Other than the one my hubbie bought me, this was the only Valentine I received and it is gorgeous!

 Margaret used Greeting Card Kids for this Valentine.  Isn't the pink and black just gorgeous?  I usually pair pink with brown but I'll be using black more now - Just love it!   Thanks friend!

Close up of the little girl.

This is the Monday Mailer that I received from Beth this week.  Can't get over how real those spools of thread look!  This is a set from the Occasions Mini (pg 6) that did not interest me in the least .... until I saw this card!  Beth said she went clean and simple this week and it is great!  She used SU's Color Coach (on pg. 165) to get started with the colors and the SU markers.  The Color Coach is a great tool!  I use it all the time.

 This is the card that I sent to Beth for my Monday Mailer.  I used the Color Coach to arrive at these colors - Peach Parfait, Not Quite Navy and Pear Pizazz.  The stamp set is from the Occ. Mini Baby Blossoms (pg 18). Lots of punches and dies again - I punched the bird and leaves out with the Bird Punch; used Heart Scallop punch on edges; Large Oval punch for "friends" and Tulip embossing folder & Square Lattice embossing folder.