Easter Cards

I've been busy working on Easter cards and I need to get them in the mail soon!  Thought I'd share a few of them with you.

I just love this bunny!  (non SU)  I tore the green for the grass and sponged a little Very Vanilla ink on it.

This is a clear set that I picked up a few years ago at Wal Mart.  I stamped the sentiment (Teeny Tiny Wishes) on SU vellum. 

These Easter eggs are from a retired set (boo hoo) from last year, Easter Blossoms.  I was so hoping it would have made it into the catalog.  The DSP is from the In Color Paper Stack.  I stamped the eggs in Wisteria Wonder, Blushing Bride and Pool Party and used the Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon.

I had to make a flowery card!  Love this stamp set - Field Flowers.  I stamped the leaves and stems directly onto the cardstock,  cut out the flowers and popped them up with dimensionals.  I used a "nestie" to cut the oval.  The DSP in the back is from Twitterpated.  I stamped the sentiment on both sides so you can view it through the window from either side.

This is a square card which I don't usually make (don't want to pay the extra postage!)  But, I wanted to use the round nestie for the image and it fit best this way.  I colored the image with Copics and cut the lilies out and popped them out.  The purple background paper is really recycled!  It is an old Hallmark card that I had saved!!  

How do you like my new blog background and banner?  I made them using My Digital Studio.  It was time for a spring change.

Sonny and Jack are still on their big adventure in DC.  They have been gone a whole week now!  Today they were going to the National Cathedral and then to one of our favorite restaurants - The Original Pancake House - before they hit the highway again. Sonny had called me yesterday to tell me they were heading home today but last night he called back to say there was a change of plans.  So, I found a hotel for them (on line) and they are headed to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  I was glad because I know Jack will really enjoy seeing the battlefield there.   I am happy they are having fun but I do believe this is the longest we have been apart (if you count in the week I was in Texas).  But he will be back in time for our anniversary on Saturday.  39 years!!  Wow - hard to believe!

I've been busy!

I've been staying pretty busy while Sonny and Jack are gone fishing!  They called last night and told me they caught 6 pretty good sized catfish.  Guess what we'll be doing when they come home???  Yep, a good ole' fish fry with hush puppies and catfish!!   Yum!!  (Marianne - you better get home soon!)

In the meantime, I've been doing a little organizing.  Ashley told me she thinks I move my stamps around more than I stamp!  They were outgrowing their home .... again!  So, I just spread them out a little better.  Today I took out all my desk drawers and cleaned them out and tried to get them a little bit more organized.  All the excess junk that was in the drawers that I don't use much I am going to put into my storage area that is just off my stamp room.  (Right now, it is all sitting around me on the desk and floor - I got tired and had to take a rest!)  I was so industrious today that I even went for a 30 minute walk this morning after I ate my breakfast!!

Plus, I have been stamping.  One of the gals that signed up for Monday Mailers this month has not received any of her cards.  I have e-mailed the gal who is supposed to be sending them with no response.  So, since I am not participating in the Monday Mailers this month (since I was gone during sign-ups), I decided to make Beth some cards.  The theme this month was masculine and I wanted the challenge anyway.  So here are the cards I sent her yesterday:

 I hope this Loads of Love stamp set never retires.  It is such a good masculine one.  I used Crumb Cake, Red, and Night of Navy cardstock.  I watercolored the truck.  The "ribbon" is the twill tape and Hodgepodge Hardware.

 This Medallion stamp was sooo popular when it was first released and now everyone has forgotten about it.  But, I thought it met the masculine challenge stamped in Cajun Craze with the Jumbo Brad in the center.

 This is a another stamp set that I had to rescue from the back of the shelf.  I only seem to use it in the fall (maybe because it is called Autumn Days), but it makes a lovely card.  The DSP is Elegant Soiree with Espresso grosgrain ribbon and a little piece of Marina Mist satin ribbon tucked into the knot.

My Digital Studio came into play with this card with the "wish big hand".  I printed it onto white card stock in Night of Navy and used brads in the corner.  The DSP is from Celebrations.

I forgot to share the little Easter baskets I made to put at everyone's place for Easter dinner.  I put chocolates in them.  Jack and Sonny forgot to take them with them  .... good luck on having any left when they return!

Mom and Angela brought me this lily.

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.

Happy Easter!

All I need to know

I learned from the Easter Bunny!

 

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There's no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans.

Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.

To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

May the joy of the season fill your heart.

AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU! 

 

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise.  ~Carl Knudsen

I hope you have a joyous Easter and enjoy the day with loved ones.  My mom and sister will be coming to my house to enjoy an Easter lunch.  My brother in law arrived yesterday from Texas so we will be celebrating the day with family.   I'm hoping we will be able to get  in touch with Ashley via Skype to complete our day!  Sonny and Jack will leave after lunch for their fishing trip to South Carolina.  Let's hope they come back with a bunch of fish!! 

Easter Cards plus bummed about the Idol Results

Easter will be here before you know it.  Have you made all your Easter cards?  I decided today that I better get cracking and get mine made so I can get them in the mail.  There are a couple of cute little boys in Texas that I will be sending these cards to!

These are not Stampin' Up stamps but some other stamps that I bought locally last year.  I just think these bunnies are so cute!  I used my Copics to color them.  It felt good to just make some fun cards today!

I'm bummed!!  I just finished watching the results show for American Idol and Paul was voted off.  He was my favorite!!  He was an ultimate performer in my opinion.  But he closed the show with one of my favorite songs .... Maggie May!  Love me some Rod Stewart!

Easter using MDS

I really love My Digital Studio.  I recently downloaded a few stamp sets that I didn't own.  I printed them out on card stock and made a few cards with them.  That is one of the greatest things I love.  You don't have to have MDS to purchase the downloads.  You can purchase the download and save it. What I do is open a Word document and insert a picture (my download picture).  Then you can print it out on cardstock and voila!! Here's a link to tell you a little more about MDS.   AND SU has recently printed a MDS catalog so you can keep up with your downloads.  Here are a couple I printed out yesterday and made into cards.

These are the little girls from Easter Blossoms (Occasions Mini).  I just love her!

This is a single stamp that is not offered anymore so MDS is perfect in that you can buy retired stamps.

 

 Here is the card that I made with Chocolate Bunny.  I also used Beveled Windowpanes that I recently bought.  The butterflies are an embosslet.

Close up of Beveled Windowpane.  These are sturdy acrylic frames.  You get 12 in a package in three different sizes.

This card uses Easter Blossoms.  The cardstock is Very Vanilla and Springtime Vintage DSP.  The little tags are from Tiny Tags stamp set and punched out the Tiny Tag punch.  I tied them onto the Vanilla ribbon with .....dental floss!!

Close up of my bow and tags.

Easter Baskets - Hope your Easter was good

I hope your Easter was wonderful.  We had a beautiful day here in North Carolina.  My mom and sister, Angela, came over about noon.  We sat outside on the deck visiting and enjoying the day while our ham was cooking.  We had a nice lunch  and the Easter Bunny visited everyone (but me!)  I made little baskets for everyone with candy inside. 

I kinda miss dyeing Easter eggs.  That was always a tradition with me and my kids.  They had so much fun using the wax crayons and rub-ons that would come with the Paas dye packs.  We would do the eggs the day before Easter.  Then, they would leave the eggs out for the Easter Bunny to hide for them the next morning.  After we came home from church, I would make up some reason to stall them in the house while Sonny scurried around in the yard hiding the eggs (or vice versa.)  What great memories of them running around finding all the hiding places ... and of us counting the ones they found to make sure none were hidden too well!!

This is the basket I made for my friend Judy.  I used the Scallop Envelope Sixxiz Die and the retired DSP, Night & Day.

Here is the basket I made for Sonny.  I used some retired SU DSP also and a template for the Rounded Box that I found on Splitcoast Stampers.

Mom's basket uses the So Saffron Pattern Pack paper from a retired stack and the chick from "The Good Egg"

On Angela's basket, I made a crumpled paper flower along with Easter paper that I bought locally.

Happy Easter

Have a wonderful Easter!

Last March Monday Mailer

I received my final March Monday Mailer today and wow, is it cute!  I now have an Easter bonnet to wear!!  (Ha)

Isn't this sooo cute?! 

And here is the card I sent my Monday Mailer for her last one this month:

I made her a flower pin that she can remove from the card and wear! 

Here's the inside view.

Easter Cards .... finished!

Well, I've finished my Easter cards and they are in the mail!  Now on the other things.  But first, I will share the cards with you.  I don't think I've shared these cards with you yet, but if I have you can have a second look!!

This one uses Fifth Avenue Floral - one of my favorite stamps.

This one uses Eastern Blooms - love those flowers!

What kid doesn't like Big Bird?  Hope Jayce does because this card is going to him!

I went to the eye specialist on Friday.  He examined my eyes and saw no evidence of tearing of the retina.  But he said it still could happen - you are not "scot free" until three months after you see the symptoms.  I am supposed to go see him again in a month.  BUT, I totally did not like this doctor.  He was just a tad too full of himself and his importance.  He bustled into the room & after a brief handshake, sat down at his laptop and spent about five minutes looking at something on the computer - don't know if it was my records or his previous patient.  Then he argued with me about a previous eye problem I had a couple of years ago (one which he saw me for but didn't diagnose it correctly.)  I am going to try and see another specialist in Charlotte (the one who did diagnose me correctly last time.)  I don't doubt this dr's diagnosis, but in case I do have a problem down the road, I would rather not see him!!

Easter Blessings

Here's one of the Easter cards I made.  Again, I used a challenge to give me some inspiration.  This was done for the color challenge on Picture Perfect Creations.  I did a card for this earlier - this is my second one.  I don't think I have used this stamp from the set, Peace Within!  Not sure why though.

I love the bird and basket of flowers!  It reminds me a lot of one of the stamps in the set, "Flower for All Season" which I have just ordered (FREE from Saleabration!!).  I also used the FREE Saleabration Scallop Trim Border.

Recipe:  Stamp:  Peace Within, Abundent Blessings

Cardstock:  Pretty In Pink, So Saffron, Elegant Eggplant, Watercolor paper

Ink:  Black & Watercolor Crayons

Acces:  Aqua Painter, Modern Label Punch, Photo Corner Punch, Scallop Trim Border, Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Pewter Jumbo Eyelet;  Crop-a-dile; Dotted Texturz Plate, Big Shot

For My 14-Carrot Friend Challenge Card

I'm still working on my Easter cards but I think I'm almost done!  I took advantage of some of the challenges out there in Blog Land when I was running out of ideas for my cards today.  Here's one I did for the challenge on Stamping 411.  The sketch was a very easy one today.

Here's my take on the sketch:

Isn't that bunny the cutest?  He's in a clear set that I have from Inky Antics.  I colored him with my Copics and my Spica Glitter Pen (pink & orange).  The paper is from Stampin' Up.  I ran the orange piece through the Big Shot using an texture plate that I have had about 10 years from Fiskars.  The punch on the pink cardstock is the heart border punch from the Occasions Mini.   

Sweet Treat Easter Cards

I've been working on Easter cards lately.  I've been trying to come up with different ideas for 3 cute little boys in my life - my neice's two boys and my grandson - using the Sweet Treats Cups.  They are such fun to work with.  I don't know why I have let them sit on my desk for about 4 months without doing something with them!!  One problem I have though is I keep eating all the candy that I buy to go in them!!   I had some yummy Starburst Jelly Beans and some gummy rabbits but .... they're all gone!  So this weekend I bought some regular ole jelly beans at Big Lots and they are not near as tasty to me so I think they will be safe!!   Anyhow ... on to my cards!

This little fellow is made from punches.  Isn't he cute??

And who can resist Big Bird at Easter???  Plus, I love the red and yellow combo. 

Hope these give you some inspiration for your Easter cards!

Easter Projects

So, are you going to watch the Oscars tonight?  I think that's all I've heard lately on TV - mostly Oprah, The View, Rachel Ray ....  With the addition of 10 movies up for Best Picture, it should be interesting!  I'm pulling for Sandra Bullock to win Best Actress, Jeff Bridges for Best Actor and Maggie Gyllenhaal for Supporting Actress.  As much as we go to the movies, those are the only two I've seen of all the nominated movies.  I really want to see Precious, Julie & Julia, A Single Man, Up in the Air, Invictus and Hurt Locker.  We were going to go see Hurt Locker today (it's still playing at Concord Mills) but the weather was so beautiful, we opted not to sit in a dark theatre.   We actually took a walk this afternoon around the neighborhood and saw a lot of our neighbors out enjoying the sunshine.

You can call me the Chicken Lady this weekend!  I cooked about 25 POUNDS of chicken Friday!  I am in charge of the team cooking for the local Soup Kitchen next Tuesday and we are going to make Chicken Spaghetti.  I didn't think we'd have time to cook the chicken, chop it up and put it in the casserole which has to cook for 45 minutes by the time we have to serve (11 am), so my partner and I decided to divide up the chicken and cook it at home.  That way all we have to do Tuesday is cook the spaghetti and put the casserole together on Tuesday.  My house smelled like Chicken all weekend!!  I'm having steak for dinner tonight!!

I have been busy being creative this weekend also.  I made a cute Easter frog card for my grandson.  When I finished it, I decided to do a couple of Board Books for two of my granddaughters that I had picked up at Target's Dollar Spot.  They turned out really cute and I think the girls will like them.

I'm getting good with the punches!!   I did the tree free hand in Chocolate Chip and stamped the Weathered Background over it in black.  The weeds in the background is Inspired by Nature and the dragonfly is from Unfrogetable.  I used the Sweet Treat Cup with green jelly beans for the face. 

Here's  the punches I used:

Large Oval - stomach

Small Oval - legs, face and inside of stomach

BoHo Blossom - feet

1/2" Circle - eyes

1/4" Circle - inside of eyes

Here's one of the Board Books.  This one is for Kennedy. 

I used a couple of Prima Flowers with an orange brad, inked the edges in Pumpkin Pie, and inked the "k" with Pumpkin Pie Craft ink and embossed it with Hologram Embossing Powder.

The "girlfriend" was cut from a piece of Basic Gray paper I had.

These pages have SU Felt Flowers and a rub-on (laughter) that I found in my stash.

This one has another Felt Flower, rub on (forever) and FRIENDS is cut from some DSP that I used on the cover and back of the book.

More rub-ons and ribbon.

This is the back of the book.

So, what are you making for Easter???

Snow, Snow Go Away! Plus A Punchy Bunny

I took this picture yesterday about noon.  The snow was coming down fast and furious.  All day, we would have snow for about an hour and then nothing for a few hours, then the snow would start back up.  When I went to bed, it was just raining.  Luckily, there was nothing this morning in our yard so I was able to get out and drive today.

This is the card I made for my Monday Mailer this week:

Isn't he cute?  He was fun to make but I don't know that I will make another one!!  I found this bunny on another blog - sorry don't remember who's!!  But, thanks for the inspiration!!

Stamps- A Good Egg

Punches:  
Ears-Small Oval
Head-Heart
Nose - 1/4" circle
Eyes, Paws -Two-Step Bird  
Overalls-Slot and Small Tag
Body-Curly Label
Fence-Jewelery Tag

I used the flowers from the Sizzix Die, Little Leaves for the foilage.  The DSP for the fence is from the Hostess set, Patterns Pack III  and the cloud background is from the Good Neighbors pack in the Saleabration catalog.  I used the Scallop Trim Border punch (free from Saleabration) on the cloud paper.