My Jewelry Tree

I did something a little different today.  I was creative but with jewelry!  Remember THIS post at Christmas?  Well, today the Newcomers Garden Club had the gal who created the Jewelry Trees come and help us each make one with our own special jewelry.  My Aunt Love had so much jewelry that I thought I would have no problems making one or two of my own .... except Mom has gotten rid of a lot of her jewelry.  So I scavenged through Mom's jewelry box, my jewelry box and even found some pretty cuff links in Sonny's box!  I had bought some velvet fabric a few weeks ago when I was in Pittsburgh.  Now all I have to do is find a pretty frame for my creation.

I wasn't going to do a tree shape because I was afraid it would look too Christmas-y and I want to hang it year round.  But, I changed my mind and I really like it!  Most of the jewelry are old pieces that were my aunt's - some shoe clips, pins and brooches.  But there are some pieces that are mine - like the spoon pin, Texas rhinestone pin, my name that came from a necklace I had when I was a teen, an earring that my kids gave me when they were young ...  What fun to look at something and remember when!

It was fairly easy to make.  We just glued the velvet to cardboard (hot glue); cut the backs off the jewelry with wire clippers; made the arrangement and hot-glued them down.

Eat Chocolate

Do you love chocolate?  I can't say that I'm a choc-o-holic but I do enjoy chocolate once in a while - chocolate eclairs, Dove milk chocolate, my grandmom's chocolate cake, Hershey bars (with almonds please!) .... you get the picture!  Sonny is a big chocolate eater - more so than me.  In fact, I have to hide the chocolate morsels in my house or he will eat them all!  My son used to love Butterfingers - not sure if he eats much chocolate now or not.  The strange one in our family is Ashley.  She doesn't like chocolate!  What's with that?  I have run into a few people like her who don't like chocolate but it does seem strange.   Chocolate is found in so many things.  I even saw some chocolate wine the other day!  Not sure about that but I'd like to give it a try!

I recently ordered the Eat Chocolate set from the Occasions Mini and have made a few cards with it.  It's a fun set and I really like the sentiments in it.

I made this card for a friend's birthday. It uses some retired SU DSP.  The card base is Pretty in Pink.  The tag is Chocolate Chip that I ran through the Big Shot with the Two Tags Die.  I used Extra Thick Embossing Powder for the chocolate at the top.  The button and pink bling are non SU.

Don't you love these bright colors - Marina Mist and Pretty in Pink DSP.  I used Rich Razzleberry behind the cupcake saying.  I guess these could be cupcakes or candies - take your pick!  The ribbon is also SU (retired).  Simple but cute!

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.

Club Projects for February

My club meets today.  I always have a hard time deciding what to make - I just want to do it all!  I keep having to remind myself that they are pretty novice stampers so I need to keep it simple but also knock their socks off!  Hope this does it!

You can make a dogwood with the Blossom Petals Punch from the Occasions Mini catalog!!  I punched the petals out and then using a 3/4" circle punch, I punched the ends and used a brown marker to darken them.  The colors used on the card are Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizazz and white. The sentiment is from Oval All.

Close up of dogwood flowers

 This is another card using the Blossoms Punch.  I had several people that bought this punch so I wanted to make sure they knew how to use it!  I have found the easiest way to use this punch is cut a strip of paper about 1 1/2" and punch from it.  That way, you don't waste a lot of cardstock.

 This card and the next one are super easy!  Everyone will do a different one.  I cut my basic card (5 1/2" x 8 1/2"); DSP AND Vellum (5 1/2 x 4 1/4").  Emboss the vellum and adhere it to one side of the DSP that is adhered to the card.  The ribbon will cover up the tape.  Stamp a sentiment in an area that is not embossed.

This is a good way to use up some DSP and makes an elegant card.

This card is probably my favorite but again it is fairly simple.  I used the DSP, Springtime Vintage that is just gorgeous!!  It is on page 15 in the mini catalog.  The rose on the bottom of the flower is cut from the paper and glued down.  The stamp set I used is Baby Blossoms - a set I really wasn't going to order but I am loving it!  The colors of the card are River Rock and Not Quite Navy.  The "thinking of you" part is stamped three times - once in Not Quite Navy on NQN cardstock; once in Rose Red; and once in NQN on white and punched out with the large oval punch.  The seam binding ribbon in Baja Blue tops it off.

Have a Spot of Tea?

I made this darling tea holder on Sunday.  I got the directions from Andrea Walford.  She and her sister do a monthly newsletter called Sunny Stamping Project Ideas.  They have a great talent and I have learned a lot from her tutorials over the years.  Unfortunately, she recently got in trouble with Stampin' Up because of the newsletter and had to resign from selling SU.  She really offered a great resource to demonstrators.  Hopefully, she will continue to share her creative ideas with us.

Here is the teabag holder that I made:

 I used some sei DSP that I got at CK Convention last summer.  I colored the pearls with my Copics and on the sides, I put little dots of silver Stickles.

 Here's a view from the top.  I found some silk flowers and added a pearl to the center.

This stamp is a clear stamp from My Fav. Things that I colored with Copics.

I wanted to send this to Ashley to put on her desk.  She is a big tea drinker.  But, I was afraid it would get messed up in the mail.  So, I sent her the pieces so she could put one together herself! 

Obsessions and Forgiveness

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!  I played bridge at a friend's house and afterwards, met Sonny at the movies.  We went to see a "chick flick" (Just Go With It) which he doesn't usually agree to do!  But, since it was Valentine's .... ain't that sweet??? I actually think I guilted him into it!  He brought me a beautiful card and a heart shaped pretzel!  Yep, the spark is still there!!  The movie was cute and made for an enjoyable evening.

As you can see, I was busy today working on a new blog look.  The title at the top was designed with the help of My Digital Studio.  I have such fun designing something different every few months. (The shamrocks on the sides were a pre-made background from Blogger.)

I have been pondering what to write on my post all day.  I have a few things I want to say and to get off my chest but I am trying to decide the best way to do that.  It started yesterday when I was playing bridge.  One of the gals there is a little (a lot) abrasive.  Shortly after I'd arrived, she turned to me and said "I'm glad the Steelers lost the Super Bowl."  I understand that everyone has a right to his/her opinion but where did that come from?   We weren't even talking football!   I was there to play bridge and didn't even have any black and gold on!!  The season is over and it's time to get on with other things.  She later made a comment that she didn't understand why all the Steeler fans live in Mooresville - everywhere she looks, there they are! Little did she know that the gal whose house we were at lived in Pittsburgh and is a fan of the Steelers as was another gal who was there.  I told her it wasn't just Mooresville.  We have lived in Texas and Washington and there were huge followers of the Steelers there as well.  We have been to Tucson and to other cities across the country and found Steeler bars there as well that were full of the black and gold supporters.  Get over it people .... the Steeler Nation is everywhere!!   I have had someone recently refer to me as being obsessed with the Steelers.  I enjoy the game, support my chosen team and love the rivalry with other teams during the season.  But when the season is over, it's on to something else until August rolls around again.  To me an obsession is when your thoughts and actions are dominated by something 24/7.  So ... maybe I'm obsessed with my stamping?  That's what it says in my blog header - Stampin' 24/7!!   There are a lot of things in this world to be obsessed with - looking pretty, Disney, gambling, revenge, drugs, work, etc. but I'll take stampin' and football any day!

This woman at bridge didn't stop with the football talk.  At lunch, we had an interesting conversation about Northerners and Southerners.  Of the 8 ladies who were there, we were probably split between northerners and southerners.  I have lived in the south my whole life but I do not have a problem with most people from the north.  Heck, I've been married to a Yankee for 37 years and my mom still calls him a "damn yankee."  I'll agree that there are some "yankees" who have moved down south that I wish would go back to New York or New Jersey.  But anywhere you live, you are going to have to deal with ornery people - the South has them, the North has them, the West and the East and probably Europe too!  We all have to live together in this world and it would be so much nicer if we could all just get along and learn to accept each other's faults.  I wish everyone would learn to forgive each other for whatever they perceive to be wrong. Everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another before. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness and even vengeance — but if you don't practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy.   Letting go of grudges and bitterness makes way for compassion, kindness and peace.  The Bible instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us:

Colossians 3:13  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Matthew 6:14-16  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

OK - I'm stepping down off my soap box.  Tomorrow I will be playing mahjong at a friend's house.  Let's hope things go better and I'll be back to sharing stamping projects with you!  Have a happy day!

Hello Baby

I made a baby card with the final stamp that I hadn't used from A Slice of Life.  Remember, I told you in this post that I would make a card with the onesie stamp and share it. 

 I had a piece of this beautiful lace trim left over from Christmas so I threaded a piece of pink grosgrain through the top and adhered it to the card.  This is a pretty simple card.  I'm stuck using pink and green I think!  That is one of my favorite color combos.

Here's a picture of my friends at our luncheon on Thursday.  We had such a good visit.  We met at noon and didn't leave the restaurant until 2 pm!  We were all on the Newcomer's Board 2 years ago and got along so well plus we got things done in the Club.  I was the only crazy one who stayed another year.  What a difference the past year's Board members were versus the six of us!  Just suffice it to say, I'm glad I'm done!

Sharon, our president; Ellen, Treasurer, Cathy, Rec. Secretary

Kathy, VP, Judy, VP, and me, Corr. Secretary/Newsletter

Monday Mailers for February

Last week started a new month of Monday Mailers.  My partner this month is Beth - I am sending to her and she is sending to me.  Beth is a very talented stamper as well as a busy mom and teacher.  But, she got my card to me in record time!  I received it last Monday or Tuesday!  Unfortunately, I was not so swift this time.  With being out of town, I did not get her card made and mailed until Wednesday.  But it is one of my favorite cards that I have ever made.

 I used my SU butterfly punch to make the pansy flowers.  I punched Shimmery White cardstock (2 per flower).  With my Pretty in Pink marker I colored the edges of the butterflies and used So Saffron for the centers.  Then I sprayed them really good with water and crumpled them all up.  Then flatten them out and let them dry.  Glue the two together and put a little Chunky Glitter in the center.  I used the 5-Flower Punch for the leaves (Certainly Celery).  I used the Tulip Die on the white card.  And the finishing touch is the wide grosgrain ribbon in Celery and Pink!  Really spring like, don't you think?

I just love all the different elements in this vintage looking card!

A Slice of Life

A Slice of Life is a Hostess gift stamp set featured in the Occasions Mini that I earned last month.  It is a cute set that can be used all through the year for birthday wishes, congratulations, welcome to a new baby, etc.  So, if you book a workshop, you too can earn this set for FREE!!  I made a card with all the stamps in the set except one which is a baby onesies' stamp.  I will use it later and share with you.

 This card is one I will be using soon for a birthday card to a special friend in Texas.  I cut the cake out separately, paper-pieced it and raised it up with dimensionals.
Cardstock:  Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink Bashful Blue, Whisper White, scraps of various SU DSP; Accessories:  2 1/2" Circle Punch; Black Marker; Sizzix Flower Fold Die; Big Shot; SU Markers; Sizzix Tasteful Trim Die.

 I haven't decided the sentiment to use with this card but I will stamp it in the right corner when I do.  I paper-pieced the vase.
Cardstock:  Pear Pizazz; Bashful Blue; Whisper White; SU DSP; Accessories:  Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon; SU Scallop Punch; SU Markers (Pr. in Pink & Concord Crush).

My upcoming trip to Ireland was the inspiration for this card!  I don't drink coffee but I may develop a fondness for Irish coffee soon!  I used a lot of punches on this one!
Cardstock:  Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Pear Pizazz, SU DSP, Chocolate Chip / Accessories:  Photo Corner Punch; Boho Blossoms Punch; green brads; Modern Label Punch, Large Oval Punch; Scallop Edge Punch; 1 3/4" Circle Punch; 2 3/8" Scallop Punch; Stamps:  A Slice of Life and Occasional Quotes.

Take A Spin

Before I went out of town, I received some new goodies from Stampin' Up.  I didn't have a lot of time to play with them and that's what I'm hoping to do today (before or after cleaning house????)  I did make one card and as is par for the course for me, I adhered it to the base card backwards.  I can't even count the number of times I do that!  Luckily, for this card, it really didn't matter!

Here is how it was supposed to look like but the fold is at the bottom of the card:

But this is how it actually is (with the fold at the top):

Pretty neat that you can just turn it around and it still works!

I think this set will be an easy one to work with for birthdays, congrats, etc.  The set is in the Occasions Mini and is called Take A Spin.  I punched the white circle piece out with the new 2 1/2" Circle Punch (pg 11).  I colored the white circle piece with my markers.  The DSP is from the Sale-A-Bration catalog as are the ribbon and buttons .... free is always good!  The spinners are ordered separately - for $4 you get 12 spinners.  Isn't this a cheerful card?