Baby cards

I have had a few people ask me about Evernote since I mentioned it in yesterday's post.   Evernote is a site where you can store things and get your things organized - like dies, stamps, recipes, etc.   It is a great place to organize your stamps, tag them with key words, sort them into categories (like Current Stamps, Retired Stamps, Sale-a-Bration, etc.) and include a picture of the stamps in the set.  I use the Basic Plan which is free.  The free version limits how many notes you can add each month but it works for me.  I finished inputting my current stamps today.  I'm going to start on my Paper Pumpkin stamps next! 

Ok - enough business!  Here are a few cards I've made during the lock down!!

My nephew and his wife are expecting a little girl in early May.  I went to a baby shower for her a couple of weeks ago.  These are the cards I made to go with my gift and one to go on Ashley's gift since she was unable to attend.

This card is one of the reasons I've started using Evernote again.  I searched and searched for a stamp to use for a baby and was coming up empty.  Finally I found this cute kangaroo among my Paper Pumpkin stamps!   The hearts are from Stitched Be Mine dies - one of my favorites!!

I don't know what this fold is called - maybe just a fancy fold!

In searching for baby stamps, I remembered  the Owl Punch!  These little dresses are punched from it.  Then I added little straps to hang them on the pink twine!  If you own this punch, don't ever give it away!!  There are so many things you can make with it - it's a shame it is retired.

STAY SAFE!

April Stamp Club

This week is my Stamp Club week - we moved it a week after we normally have it because of spring break.  Many of the gals were visiting family last week.   I am concentrating on retired stamp this month.  Here are the cards we will be making:

I think everyone will miss the Owl Punch!  I know I will.  So I thought I'd dress my owls up ready for the beach .... or maybe they'll go with me to Hawaii!  I'm sure Ashley wouldn't mind having them visit for a few days.  the "happy birthday" sentiment is from Watercolor Words - a good selection of sentiments plus I love the font!  The DSP is from Party Animal in the Occasions catalog.

My next card uses Grateful Bunch and the coordinating Blossom Punch which punches 3 flowers at once.  I love the convenience of using a punch.  Don't get me wrong - I like the thinlits too but at Club, it is much easier to just pass the punch around instead of waiting in line for the Big Shot and thinlits.  I love this color combination of Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla and Blushing Bride.  I think this is the first time I used the lace trim stamp from the set!

This card is my favorite this month!  For the small panel, I sponged Pool Party at the top and Crumb Cake at the bottom, blending the two together in the middle.  Then I used Gorgeous Grunge (oh, how I will miss this stamp set!!!) and stamped it is Versamark ink in the middle.  I heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  Does it give you the impression of the frothy white of the waves?  The background of the main card is made with the Marbeling Technique - using shaving cream!  I have not done this technique in probably 10 years so decided to revisit it and teach it to my club gals.  I stamped the starfish (Picture Perfect stamp set) with Crushed Curry and Soft Suede ink onto Crumb Cake card stock.  After adhering it with dimensionals, I painted clear Wink of Stella on it.

Last but not least is our May calendar page.  I actually copied this from a calendar page my sister made for me!  Made it a little easier.  I stamped the set from Flourishing Phrases with VersaMark onto Vanilla card stock and heat embossed it with Copper powder.  The stamp set is not retiring but the card stock and ribbon I used are retired.

February Stamp Club Cards

I just realized I never shared my February club cards.  So ..... here they are!

I love the new embossing folders - celebrate and Happy.  They deboss the cardstock and when you put ink on top of the debossed letters, they appear like magic!  For this card, we used some retired DSP from a birthday stack.  (I have lots!)

Everyone enjoyed making this lighthouse scene and were amazed that it really wasn't that difficult.  The lighthouse was stamped with Cherry Cobbler and Smoky Slate and then masked to stamp the water and sand.  You know, I love this lighthouse stamp!

For this card, I used the Stylish Stems Framelits Dies (pg 42 of Occasions catalog) and put a 2 1/2" square of Falling in Love DSP behind the flower.  We stamped the scallops on the side in Mint Macaron and Blushing Bride with the Sale-a-Bration set, Delicate Details.

And we did 2 calendar pages this month - for February and March.

The background on the February calendar are the hearts from Perpetual Birthday Calendar (stamped in Red) as well as a single heart from Work of Art (stamped in Blushing Bride).

The March calendar uses the Owl Punch - which I have not used in a long time!  I made his "arms" by punching out a small heart and cutting it in half.  I could not find a branch stamp, so I drew my own!

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

Lost in the Maize Maze!

The Newcomer's monthly outing was to the Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze on Friday.  The Maze is the largest one in the southeast - a seven acre corn maize with over two miles of interconnecting paths.  Many of the paths were dead ends and we found ourselves going around in circles many times!  It was a lot of fun though.  There were nine of us so we decided to split up into three teams and see who finished first. (guess whose team that was!!!!)  We were given a game board and had to find 12 mailboxes that held map pieces in the maze and tape them to our board.   As you find more mailboxes you slowly build your map and find the way out. It took us an hour and 45 minutes and we walked almost 3 miles!!




The group - hot and tired!

We sorta cheated - we couldn't figure out how to get to the path we wanted to so we cut through the corn!!

Ahhh - the path to get out .... we think!

My team members - Toni and Joanne

Wednesday was Jeff and Darcie's my (son and daughter in law) ninth wedding anniversary.  I can't believe it's been nine years!!  The day they got married we woke up to rain in the morning but shortly before they said their vows in an outdoor ceremony, we saw the most beautiful rainbow.  I'm sure they've had moments that weren't rainbow moments over the years but their love has grown stronger and they are happy.  That's all that matters.  Rainy wedding days are supposed to be good luck.  Guess it was for Sonny and I since it poured on our day .... 40 years ago!  Wednesday was not a rainbow type of day though for Jeff and Darcie.  The night before the water softener that was in their garage exploded as Jeff was trying to add salt to it and dumped gallons of water in the garage and into their kitchen.  It ended up costing them an unexpected $2,000.  Sometimes you get rainbows; sometimes not!  This is the card I made for them using that great Owl Punch.   How do you like it?

 

 

Fun Weekend

My leprechaun owl - I put him in my customer's orders this month.

Happy St Patrick's Day!  We didn't go anywhere today - decided to forego the green beer or listening to bagpipes.  I was too tired and had too much to do to get ready for club next week.  I went to Quarterly this weekend in Lenoir.  Marianne, Debbie and I went together and had a great time!  We were up until midnight working on our shoebox swaps.  I was proud of Marianne - she had been awake since 3:30 AM and by midnight, I was having to hold her up!  But when we got back to the hotel, I gave her a good laugh.  I always take my shower at night so I got ready to get in the shower when I realized I didn't have a shower cap.  What's a girl to do?  Improvise!  I took the plastic bag for laundry and put it on my head!  Marianne had to take a picture and send it to Ashley who sent her a text back to tell her that was an emergency and we'd better head for home.  Saturday morning we hit the decks running.   It was a full fast paced day with lots of laughter, sharing and learning new tricks with our stamps.  I have lots of pictures I'll be sharing with you of our swaps and cards.  Saturday was also Marianne's birthday.  I gave her the MDS photobook I made for her of our trip to Texas last March.  I've been dying to give it to her and was glad her birthday finally came so I could.  She loved it!
 

Birthday Card I made for Marianne - flower is made from the Heart Punch

Here is the card I made for my shoebox swap:

I embossed the Daffodil Delight with the Honeycomb Folder and mounted it on a black card.  I embossed a few hexagons from black cardstock, cut them out and glued them to the daffodil card.  Then I stamped the little bee from Collage Curios (in the spring mini).  I smashed the bottle cap with the Big Shot.  I punched the script from the Collage Curios with the 1" punch; punched the daffodil circle with the 3/4" circle and the bee with the 1/2" circle.  After putting them all together, I put Crystal Effects over the top and adhered it to the card with a tad of Crystal Effects.

Double Duty for Your Punches

This month for my clubs, we concentrated on Halloween and Thanksgiving cards and treats.  Plus I showed the ladies some different ways to use the Cupcake and Owl  punches other than the obvious way.   I won some Halloween DSP and matching ribbon by SEI at the CKC show this summer.  So I decided to use it for the Halloween cards.  I don't usually use non-SU stuff, but I knew I wouldn't use the 2 packs of DSP and ribbon and it was so cute!  So everyone got a different piece of DSP and their choice of ribbon.



Supplies Used:
Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Tangerine Tango, Basic Gray, White, Black, non SU DSP
Stamps:  Out On A Limb, Wicked Cool, Warmest of Wishes (hostess)
Accessories:  Nestabilities Circles, Markers, Owl Punch

I put a little bit of Platinum Shimmer Paint on a cotton ball and rubbed it over the spider web after running it through the Big Shot - a little bit goes a long way.

Supplies Used:

Paper:  Black, White, Cajun Craze, non SU DSP

Stamp:  Gift Givers (Holiday Mini)

Accessories:  Web Embossing Folder, non SU ribbon, markers, Platinum Shimmer Paint

I used the cupcake punch on this card .... can you tell?  The basket is the bottom of the cupcake and the apples are the cherries on the punch! 

Supplies Used:

Paper:  White, Old Olive, More Mustard, So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler

Ink:  More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Soft Suede,

Stamps:  Season of Friendship

Access:  Embossing Folder (for basket); Cupcake Punch

These Cellophane Bags in the Holiday Mini are a deal - 50 for $2.50!!  They are not just for Halloween either - I can see them with red and green M&Ms at Christmas or with a long peppermint candy inside.  Or for Thanksgiving ... fill them with the Autum Candy Corn and put one at each person's place setting at dinner.

Another use for the Owl Punch - make a ghost!  Punch the owl out, turn him upside down and cut feet off.


Supplies Used:

Paper:  Tangerine Tango, Lucky Limeade, White, Black

Stamps:  Wicked Cool

Accessories:  stapler, Scallop Punch, Owl Punch, markers, Circle Punch, Cellophane Treat Bags (holiday mini)

I edited my Christmas Stamp a Stack post (above) today.  I added a few details about the cards.  Let me know if you can attend so I will know how much supplies to order.

Graduation Owl

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days.  Thursday I had my club ladies over and that night Sonny and I went out for pizza.  We go to a pizza buffet restaurant in Denver that has the most delicious dessert pizza!!  That's the main reason I go there.  I don't usually eat the pizza ... they have great chicken wings on the buffet that I eat along with salad.  Then I go for the Chocolate Chip Pizza!  Yum!!  Sometimes they put chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on them - warm with cream cheese!!  My fav!  I'd like a slice right now!! 

Saturday we went out on our boat.  It was a beautiful day with temps in the high 80s - one of the nicest week-end day we've had in a while.  Usually when we take the boat out, we drive around for a short while and then find a quiet cove and drop the anchor.  We both enjoy reading so that's what we do .... plus, it's usually a good opportunity for me to nap.  I'm reading a good book at the moment that Ashley read and sent to me - "The Help."  It is a tale of what it was like to be a black maid during the civil rights movement of the 1960s in racially conflicted Mississippi. There is such deep history in the black/white relationship and this story beautifully shows the complex spectrum, not only the hate, abuse, mistrust, but the love, attachment, dependence.   My family had black maids when I was growing up so I can relate to this story.  My grandmother and later my Mom had one maid from the time I was a small child until I went away to college.  Bertha was like a member of our family and even came to our wedding and is in some of my wedding pictures.  Anyway, after reading this book all day on Saturday, I was craving some good ole' Southern cooking - like Bertha used to cook for us.  I am not nearly the cook that she was but I came home and made biscuits (that were kinda flat!) and took some pork chops out.  I soaked those chops in buttermilk and then floured them real good and fried them up.  Sonny came in the kitchen and asked me what the occasion was!  I usually cook as little as possible.  But it was good.  Guess I'm just on a roll.  Wednesday night I got the crepe maker out that I got when we first got married and we had chicken crepes.  Of course, later that night we used those crepes for ice cream and strawberries!!

So I've also been making a few cards along with cooking.  I needed to make a graduation card.  We received a high school graduation invitation from Jeff's high school English teacher's son.  Jeff graduated from high school 14 years ago (can't believe it!!) and this little boy was just 4!   We were good friends with his teacher and used to dog-sit for her when they went out of town.  Jeff had her as a gifted/talented teacher all four years of high school so they had a pretty special relationship.  Anyway, I saw this card on Sandy Hancock's blog.  Isn't it the cutest?

 This is the card opened.  I used the Owl Punch and made a little graduation hat for him. 
Supplies:  Cardstock:  Brillant Blue, Black, Whisper White
Stamps:  Curly Cue, Word Play


Card Closed



Today I got together with a few friends for a monthly stamp get-together.  Connie is so good about organizing these get togethers in town.  We try out different products and help each other perfect them!  Today we were working with Flower Soft.  I have several pots of Flower Soft and have used it before but it is not a favorite product of mine.  So, it was fun to see what others have done with it.  Connie did some beautiful cards with the stuff.  Here is one that I did:

Great News and a few cards too!

Imagine my surprise today when I was checking my e-mail and had an e-mail from my daughter in Iraq!!!  She is doing good - tired and ready to rest - but she arrived at Camp Buehring in Kuwait around 6 a.m. this morning.  Her major complaint is the heat.  The showers are basically in a trailer with 8 stalls which by the time they were in there at 10:00 was  a sauna and miserably hot.  She said it  made the outside air temp (which must have been in the 100s by then) feel cool when they walked outside!  Then a few hours later, I received a phone call from Ashley!  Wow!  I didn't think I'd hear from her for a couple of weeks - not the very day she arrived.   Sonny was not home at the time so she tried to call him on his cell phone.  I think she taught him a lesson though.  He didn't recognize the number on his phone so didn't answer!  

OK - now a few cards.  My Texas friend, Margaret, was here a few hours today.  She & Graham are babysitting their grandson in Charlotte.  When they took him to school, they came out to visit.  Gra went skeet shooting with Sonny and Margaret & I visited and made a few cards.  She worked on the cards from club last month and I made a couple of Christmas cards.

Here are the cards my club will be making on Thursday:

This cutie is the new Owl Punch and the Greenhouse Gala DSP.  I used the little pearls for his eyes.

This is a simple card using Funky Forest wheel and the luscious Pear In Color!  I wheeled the trees in green and used my brown marker to make the tree trunks.

This is the Halloween card they will make using Wicked Cool stamp set.  The card is Rich Razzleberry with Old Olive spider web made with the embossing folder from the Summer Mini.  I rubbed a little Glimmer Mist over the web.  The pumpkin is also a die cut.

Old and New Stampin' Friends

I had some friends - old and new - over this morning for a little stampin' fun.  I designed three cards for them to make and I believe they were a big hit.  I used some of my new goodies - stamps, paper, ribbon .... no more hoarding for me.  That is my resolution this year!  Let's see if I can do it.

This card uses the new in color, Peach Parfait.   The stamp sets used are Wildflower Trio (pg 16 of Summer Mini) and Word Play (pg 147).  I used my handy Color Coach to pick the coordinating colors for this card which are Pear Pizzaz and Not Quite Navy.

You should consider getting this color coach.  It's great for having all the colors right in front of you and on the back of each card, it lists coordinating color suggestions.

This card uses that yummy DSP, Greenhouse Gala.  It was so simple to make.  We just used the 1 1/4" Square Punch to punch out 4 squares of the DSP and mounted them on a 3" square of Whisper White.  We stamped the friends saying on a scrap of white and used the Curly Label Punch.  Then just make the little dotted lines all around the edges.  The saying is from the Friendly Words Wheel (pg 138) that I cut apart.  By cutting apart that wheel, I got about 12 small stamps .... all for $8.50!!    I am thinking about doing the same thing with the Hero Wheel.  Also the Bright Blessings Wheel would be another good one for this trick.  I used the Boho Blossoms Punch for the flower.  I just love the new twill ribbon!!

This owl punch is "da bomb"!!  I love it.  And, yes, I'm one of those people who were really "into" owls back in the 60's & 70's when they were the Thing!  Remember the macramed owl hangings?  Don't think I had one of those but I did love to macrame!   Anyway, back to the card ... I used some new DSP - Elegant Soiree which is perfect paired with the owl.  I also used the fabulous Baja Breeze, Vanilla and Crumb Cake.  The scallops on the side are made by punching out 7-8 3/4" half circles and glueing them under the DSP.  The Baja Blue large scallop is a new punch - 2 3/8" Extra Large!  The sentiment is from an old standby, Sincere Salutations (p 155).  Unfortunately, the ribbon is not available anymore.  I am really surprised that there is not any Baja Blue ribbon available in the catalog - what's up with that?

Even though these cards were great and a hit, the biggest hit of the day was this:

This is a great tool that everyone should have.  I got this several years ago in a swap.  I need to update mine - haven't included all the new punches that have come out in the past couple of years.  Each card has a punch out on it (along with a sample) so you can just hold it up to an image in the catalog to see if it will fit.

If there is enough interest, maybe I will consider making a few and offering them for sale.  Would you be interested?  Mine are enclosed in an acrylic holder.  I found these at Wal Mart a few years ago.  They are for holding baseball cards.  But I have looked the past year for them again and cannot find them anywhere.  But, it should be easy to get them laminated.