Out with the Old, In with the New

Wow! There is a lot happening in the stamping world this month! We are celebrating National Scrapbooking Month and saying goodbye to retiring stamps and accessories. If you haven’t checked all the goodies off your wish list yet, you’ll want to order quickly!  Retiring stamps are only available through the end of May and retiring accessories, including Stampin’ Around Wheels and Décor Elements, are only available while supplies last! 

June 1st we will unveil our exciting new Annual Catalog!  Stampin’ Up! fans across the country are clamoring to see all of the inspiring new products and project ideas. Contact me to find out how you can be one of the first to get your hands on it!

I have a card to share with you that uses one of my favorite stamp sets that is retiring, Awash With Flowers.  This is another one that I will hold on to and use in the future.  I mixed the old with the new on this card - new In Colors and three retiring stamp sets.

Stamps:  Best Friends Forever, Awash With Flowers, Peace Within (sentiment)
Card Stock:  Primrose Petals, Gumball Green, Whisper White
Ink:  Primrose Petals, Gumball Green, Basic Black
Accessories:  Framelets Labels, Big Shot, Gumball Green Ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals

I have been trying to pack for our Alaska trip.  I keep putting things in my suitcase and then taking them out.  I'm not too sure what to take.  We are not doing a cruise but are doing a driving tour.  I am putting in lots of layers - long sleeve tees, quilted sleeveless jackets, sweaters, socks, long underwear, short boots, tennies.  My son and daughter-in-law are going on a Disney cruise to Alaska at the end of the month.  She blogged today (Such the Spot) about some of the outfits that would be appropriate to pack.  Really cute - but I'm not going out and buy all new stuff to take with me!  Wish I could look that fashionable!

 I am so excited about our trip!!  We leave tomorrow .... 6 a.m. flight - ugh, so early!!  We'll have to leave home by 4 a.m. or before so not much sleep.  Hopefully, we can sleep on the flight because we will be on the go once we get there.  We will be meeting Ashley at the airport - her flight arrives about 30 minutes after ours in Seattle.  We are planning on taking a taxi over to one of our favorite Irish pubs in Seattle, The Owl and the Thistle for lunch.  Then we are walking a couple of blocks to the ferry to take us over to Bremerton where our ex-neighbors will pick us up and take us to their home for the weekend.  Ashley is staying with some of her Army buds there.  Our friends (and ex-neighbors) have had a child since we moved so we are anxious to meet little Joey.  We are going to a Cider Tasting Farm on Saturday and Sunday, Ashley's friends are having us all over for a cook out.  Monday, we are headed back to the airport for our flight to Anchorage. 

Stamp Club for April

I had my Stamp Club at my house last Thursday.  One of the gals had requested a baby card so we made the Baby Dresser card that I learned to do at Quarterly a few weeks ago.  A couple made the baby dresser card while a few more made an Easter dresser card and another couple did Mother's Day dresser cards.  It was one of the first times my club has used their own creativity on the cards so it was a good thing (as Martha would say!).

I just love these cards!  They are such fun to make.  If you are interested in making one, you can find the tutorial HERE.

The other two cards that we made are these:

 This card uses one of my favorite stamp sets, Awash With Flowers.  It also uses one of my favorite techniques - Two Step Stamping.  It also uses the Sneak Peak set, Four Frames.  You can purchase it now (until the end of April) with any $20 order.

  Another fun card!  The "pink button card" is from My Digital Studio.  The two buttons on the card are stamped with the Button, Button set (pg 34 of Occasions Mini) and popped up with dimensionals.  We also used the Button, Button set to stamp all over the white cardstock which we then matted onto the colored card stock pieces and ran through the Big Shot (using a lot of muscle power!).  Inside the card is the saying, "Sew Glad We Are Friends".  Cute, huh?  That saying is from the set, Puns From the Past (pg 130 in the big catty) but I bought it through My Digital Studio and just printed the saying out.

Monday Mailers from this week

Didn't get much card making today.  Sonny and I went out to breakfast this morning.  I talked him into going to a restaurant I have recently discovered in Mooresville called Gail's Cafe.  I have been there a couple of times for lunch and it is delicious!  They serve home cooking - good veggies, biscuits, gravy, etc.  All those good Southern things.  Well, my husband being the Yankee that he is, doesn't like Southern cooking.  He's a meat & potatoes man and boy, does that get boring!!  Well, I figured he'd be ok with breakfast - eggs are eggs, etc.  Well, I wasn't as impressed with their breakfast as I am with their lunches.  It wasn't bad or anything but I like some of the other places we go better for breakfast.  My main complaint was that they used American cheese in my omelet instead of Cheddar!  But my biscuit was yummy!!  After breakfast, I even convinced him to go to Belk's with me .... shopping!!  I need to get something to wear to two weddings in Texas Memorial Day weekend.  One of them will be more casual.  It is an outside wedding with a carnaval theme!   Different, huh??  The other one will be dressy since it is an evening wedding.  I ended up buying a dressy pair of capris and a top, but now I'm not sure - it may be too casual!  I'm going to take pictures and send to my fashion expert, Ashley!!  After shopping, we went to the movies and saw Date Night.  It was a really cute show.  It's not going to win a Oscar but it was entertaining.  Then, we headed to BJ's and Target!  Whew - a long day! 

I don't think I shared my Monday Mailers from this week.  So without further ado .....

This is the card I made and sent.  I used the Vintage Vogue wheel (from the Occassions Mini Catalog).  I also used the Butterfly Embosslits die that I finally got (it was on backorder) and the Scallop Trim Corner Punch.  The paper is Rich Razzleberry and Pretty in Pin,

The Occasions Mini Catalog ends April 30, BUT the following items will be available for purchase after April 30!  Wippeee!!

Item # Description Price

116519 Charming stamp set $19.95
118598 Vintage Vogue  $17.95
118091 Tiny Tags  $22.95
117535 Decor Elements F IS FOR FOX CHOCOLATE $4.95
117536 DE G IS FOR GIRAFFE CHOC $4.95
117529 DE "IS FOR" BLACK $4.95
117541 DE L IS FOR LION CHOCOLATE $4.95
117542 DE M IS FOR MONKEY CHOC $4.95
117544 DE O IS FOR OWL CHOCOLATE $4.95
117528 DE SCALLOP FRAME BLACK $6.95
117549 DE T IS FOR TURTLE CHOCOLATE $4.95
117552 DE W IS FOR WHALE CHOCOLATE $4.95
118072 PINKING HEARTS Corner Punch $9.95
118870 SCALLOP TRIM Corner Punch $9.95
117191 LG 2 STEP BIRD Punch $15.95
118073 LG FANCY FLOWER Punch $15.95
117649 PINKING HEARTS Border Punch $15.95
117190 MED JEWELRY TAG Punch $10.95
117193 SMALL HEART Punch $5.95
117310 BIGZ L MINI MILK CARTON $32.95
118138 BEAUTIFUL WINGS Embosslit $11.95
117332 SCALLOPED HEART OF HEARTS Embosslit $11.95
117335 PERFECT POLKA DOTS Folder $7.95

Here is the card I received from my Monday Mailer partner:

She used the Awash With Flowers set.  This is a sneak preview stamp that will be available in the new catalog coming out this summer.  I love this stamp and need to get it out and stamp with it tomorrow!!

Hope your weekend is great!