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?

 

 

Shoebox Swap Cards

Here are some more of the cards I made at the Shoebox Swap at Allison's (who likes to see her name on my blog!!) shoebox swap.  I have been sharing them this week with my Stamp Club gals.  It's great to have these cards to share .... that way I don't have to buy all the sets!  (I try to anyway though!)

I'm not sure if I remember who did which card but I am going to try.  (Allison - let me know if I get one wrong.)

Good color blocking and using different embossing folders on Sharon Measmer's card.

Using the Chevron Punch and Expressions Thinlits Dies (pg 36 - holiday mini) Belinda made this colorful card.

Creative way to make a wreath - Sharon Measner used the flower from Betsy's Blossoms (pg 87)!  Great card!

A great fall card by Allison.  She used Pretty Prints embossing folder, Expressions Thinlits and that great burlap ribbon.

I think this was one of Allison's cards (??)  Great use of the single stamp on pg. 23, O Holy Night.

Love this punch art bat!!  Kathryn made this great Halloween card.

Perfect Blend, MDS style

I have been seeing such great cards made with Perfect Blend stamp set.  But I don't drink coffee so thought that would be an odd one for me to purchase.  I know lots of people who are big coffee drinkers - my mom and my sisters - but not me or Sonny.  And I don't think either of my children drink it either - I know Ashley doesn't but not so sure about Jeff.  Anyway, off the subject!!  I know you could always use the cups in the stamp set for tea drinkers but the sayings are also about coffee.  So I was really happy that SU offered Perfect Blend last week in the weekly downloads.  Now I can print the cups out and use them any time I want as well as create a card in MDS with them - like I did for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge this week.

Another great download last week was Burlap Ribbon.  How do you like those burlap ribbon flowers?  I recolored them to try and better match the brown on the cups.

  Background
     Color = SOFT SUEDE 
Embellishments
    Burlap Ribbon\Burlap Ribbon - flower (re-colored)
    Burlap Ribbon\Burlap Ribbon - flower (re-colored)
    Grosgrain Ribbon\Crumb Cake Grosgrain Ribbon (re-colored)
    Grosgrain Ribbon - knot\Crumb Cake Grosgrain Ribbon - knot (re-colored)
    Baker's Twine\Baker's Twine - Crumb Cake
    Baker's Twine\Baker's Twine - Crumb Cake bow

Stamps
    Friend by Definition\Friend by Definition, Color = BAKED BROWN SUGAR 
    Splatters\Ink Splatters\Ink Splatter 4, Color = CRUMB CAKE
   Splatters\Ink Splatters\Ink Splatter 4, Color = VERY VANILLA 
    Perfect Blend\Perfect Blend - cup
    Perfect Blend\Perfect Blend - coffee & friends
Punches
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color = CRUMB CAKE
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color = VERY VANILLA 

So, what do you like to drink in the morning?  Coffee or Tea???

Customized Ribbon

Stampin' Up's 7/8" Cotton Ribbon is so versatile. You can use it straight out of the package, dye it by spritzing it with Classic Stampin’ Ink Refill and a Stampin' Spritzer, or customize it with our Stampin’ Write Markers  — which is what I am going to show you today.








Since Stampin’ Write Markers come in our exclusive colors, you can customize your ribbon with whatever color you need to coordinate with your project. (The colors featured here are Midnight Muse, Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay.










Here are some fun and easy patterns for custom ribbon. I used the brush tip for all three designs. As you can see, the ribbon picked up the ink color really well. (If you look closely, you’ll see that my free-hand lines and polka dots aren’t perfect. And that’s okay—the imperfections give projects a handmade look and feel!) 
So pull out your cotton ribbon and markers today and start designing your own custom ribbon!

by  Robyn P. / Stampin' Up Sr. Concept Artist

Winning Shoebox Cards

I have a few cards to share with you today!  Marianne and I went to a Shoebox Card Swap last week at Allison Barber's home.  We had a great time visiting with the gals and making the cards.  Everyone did 3 shoe box swaps so we got a lot of new ideas.

My swaps hit all the upcoming holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!  I have already shared my Halloween card so here are my other two:

This card is very simple to make but it packs a "wow."   For the Christmas card, I used the stamp set, Joyful Christmas from the mini catalog.  I embossed the poinsetta on the Vanilla card stock with Cherry Cobbler embossing powder.  I stamped a second poinsetta and cut out the middle part of the flower and attached it to the embossed flower with a dimensional.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  But my favorite part is the Frosted Finishes Embellishments in the center of the flower (pg. 28 from Holiday Catalog).  They are gorgeous rhinestone embellishments!! 

My Thanksgiving card has lots of textures to it.  I embossed the Crushed Curry card stock with Stripes Embossing Folder in both directions to create the plaid embossed effect.  The DSP on the bottom is from Sweater Weather with a small strip of Cajun Craze to separate the two pieces.  They are layered on a Chocolate Chip card.  I stamped a Vanilla rectangle with the background from Truly Grateful (after stamping off once.)  Then I stamped the wheat in Chocolate Chip and used different markers - Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Choc. Chip to color in the wheat.  I matted this piece onto Chocolate Chip and Cajun Craze.  I stamped the "Happy Thanksgiving" (Tags 4 You) in Choc. Chip ink onto Crushed Curry card stock and cut it out.  (There is a punch for this set but I haven't purchased it yet.)  The final touch was to add a little of Gold Glitter to the wheat using my Two-Way Glue Pen.

Allison asked her neighbor to come over and judge our cards and pick a winner.  Well, guess what???  My Thanksgiving card was her choice!  I was totally surprised!  Allison gave me a super prize that I want to CASE.

Isn't this a great decorated note pad and pen?  I don't want to use it and have to mess up that stamped front page!

This is a coaster.  She covered a tile with Eastern Elegance DSP.  It is really cool!

Parisian Jewelry

Woo hoo! The Magnetic Platform is back!  Stampin' Up! has received a full shipment of Magnetic Platforms (Item #130658, $39.95)! They are pleased to announce that the great wait is over and they can start filling new orders on September 12 (today!) 

Why not place an order for the magnetic platform, and add the new Envelope Punch Board (Item #133774, $19.95)?

My oldest granddaughter had a birthday recently.  I made her a few jewelry items and packaged them up in a little tin for her.


Here is the card I made for her using Gorgeous Grunge and Tape It stamp sets.  It's not my usual style but thought it was appropriate for a teenager.

Torri and Darcie (my daughter in law) took a European trip for Torri's high school graduation this summer.  They enjoyed Paris and the Eiffel Tower so I thought these items were perfect!

I got this bracelet and paper last year at CKC.  I used my hole punch to punch the circles out and glued them on with Crystal Effects. 

This is a little key chain with the Eiffel Tower and a jewel on it.  This stamp set is retired but it is great for these soda top items.  I really was surprised that Stampin' Up took these out of the catalog this year! 

This is the necklace I made for Torri.  Again, with the Parisian theme.

Here is everything inside the small tin.  I put a piece of DSP (non SU) in the bottom of the tin.

Challenging Card Sketch

Here's a sketch that will make you put your thinking cap on!



There are lots of layers and shapes in this sketch.  But it was fun to play around with.  I used the paper that was in last week's MDS download, Etcetera.  I really love all the soft colors in the collection.   The saying is from a calendar download.  I copied it a few times, cropped it and changed the colors.  It turned out pretty cool if I do say so myself!

 

Check out what the other Paper Craft Crew members came up with HERE.  I especially like Pam's easel card.

Let's see what you can do with the sketch this week.

In Remembrance of 9-11

Our lives changed forever on the morning of September 11, 2001.  So many people were impacted by those terrorist attacks, whether they had a friend or loved one in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, or in the Pentagon, or on Flight 93 which made a crash-landing on the fields near Shanksville, PA. Twelve years later or a hundred years later, we will never forget the 2,997 people who lost their lives that day, and we will never forget the changes that have impacted the United States and the world since that fateful day.  Since September 11, 2011, countless troops have died in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war zones around the world.

Where were you on 9/11?

Cruise Tee with MDS

When Ashley came to visit, one of the things on our "to do" list was to design and make a tee shirt to wear on one of our theme nights on our upcoming cruise.  The theme for one night is "Back to the Bowery with Alabama".  Alabama is celebrating their 40th year together and they started their singing career at the Bowery in Myrtle Beach.  So with our trusty My Digital Studio, these are the shirts we came up with:

We got a deal on the shirts - nice white tees at Belk's for less than $10 - Sale!!    On the front are flip flops from Holiday Blitz stamp set (MDS).  We added a text box and typed:   Alabama and Friends Festival At Sea and the dates of the cruise.  On the back, we took a picture that I had taken at the beach of my feet in the sand and put the stamp from Summer Possibilities (dance barefoot) on top.

 

 

Luckily, Ashley had done these tees before so she remembered that we had to print them onto the transfer sheets in mirror image so it would turn out right on the tees.  I probably would have ruined my transfer paper before I realized it!! 

 

They were really quite easy to do.  We designed our pictures and printed them onto Iron On Transfer paper.  I bought my transfer paper at Staples but you could also get it at craft stores.  Then just follow the directions on the transfer paper and iron it onto your shirt or whatever you are making.

They were fun to make.  We didn't figure Sonny would want to  wear these so we found some great sales - again at Belk's on tropical tees and shirts for him to wear!

Envelope Punch Board

The latest cool tool from Stampin’ Up is available NOW!  It’s called the Envelope Punch board.  I have one here in my stamp room but with everything I have had going on the past week, I haven't gotten to play with a whole lot.  I did make one envelope last week when Ashley was here.  But this week I plan to play with it a lot more.  I was thinking I wouldn’t need it with my diagonal score board but this is much easier and I LOVE that it punches the notches out so nicely. It’s also more compact and with at least 66 sizes, that’s pretty cool!

Envelope Punch Board  Item #133774  $19.95 

More Details:

• It creates totally customizable envelopes in up to 66 different sizes (not to mention a million different color and pattern options depending on the paper you want to use). Even tried and true envelope sizes will only take you moments to create!
• It’s small and lightweight; this makes it easy for you to take it on the go!  Portable and easy to store.
• It even has a slick scoring tool as well as a punch that lets you create rounded corners on your envelopes.
• It’s easy to keep it all together; the stylus storage compartment and two punches are designed into the tool so you don’t have a bunch of little pieces to keep track of (even the instructions are printed right on the tool so you won’t lose them!).
• The price is terrific-especially for a tool that does so much!
• It will be in next year’s annual catalog, so it’s here to stay.

Envelope Punch Board Projects

I am having such fun with the Envelope Punch Board.  Not only can you make all sizes of envelopes but I've also made tags and file folder cards with the board. 



I watched a video on Patty Bennett's blog for the file folder cards.  Here is a card I made for a friend's birthday next week.  I used a SU DSP stack that is retired.  The "happy birthday" is a die that I have had for a long time.  Believe me, it is not as easy to use as Stampin' Up's thinlits!!

I used my new Wetlands stamp set for the birds.  Love it!  I stamped the little birds in Baked Brown Sugar.  I think this was the first time I used this color.  I tend to go to Soft Suede automatically and forgot all about Baked Brown Sugar.

Today I also made these cute tags using the Envelope Punch Board.  I found a U Tube tutorial that I had pinned to Pinterest.  Check it out HERE if you want to make these little tags.

This is the tag and a little tag holder that I made

Everything on this project was made with the Punch Board.  It is a handy little tool!

Woot! Woot! Be Awesome!

Woot!  Woot!  (Seriously .... do you use this slogan?  I don't think I've said it!)  But it looks cute on this card.  This is my interpretation of the Paper Craft Sketch this week.  Most all of the pieces on this card came from the digital pocket card set, Happy Together.  I decided to do a square card this week.  I don't usually make square cards because of having to spend extra postage to mail it, but hey - this is digital - I probably won't print it out and mail it anyway!

This week's sketch had a lot of of bits and pieces on it.  It was definitely a challenge to do this week.

We had a great time in Greenville and arrived back home around 4 yesterday.  It was good to see our friends again and Greenville was the perfect spot.  I was pretty wiped out last night and had planned on doing absolutely nothing today.  But, I looked at my calendar last night and realized my Newcomers coffee was this morning.  We had a nice fashion show at the coffee.  Afterwards a group (of 21!!) went to lunch at Oh Charley's.  The waiter and waitress did a good job taking our orders and getting our food to us in a timely matter but paying the check was another story!  We waited 35 minutes for him to return with our change / credit cards!  I really think the manager should have stepped up and helped him out.

Shelli

As I told you last week, Shelli was in a really bad accident.  Her husband posted all the details in Shelli's blog on Saturday.  If you are interested in reading it, click HERE.   Sounds like she is one lucky lady!

Friends in Low Places

We've had a nice visit with our good friends (in low places) Sharon and Don.  They flew to Atlanta from Dallas to spend time with a sick friend and we met then in Greenville, SC.  It's great to spend quality time with friends and reminiscence about the good old days! 

Greenville is a really cool city - very pedestrian friendly and walkable with shops, bars and restaurants over a 5-6 block area of downtown.  We saw lots of families with small children and a bunch of people walking their dogs through town.  Scattered throughout are receptacles with pet bags in them to clean up after your pet.  It is a very clean city.  Sonny and I lived in Greenville 40 years ago and I worked downtown.  But it was not the downtown that I saw on this trip - far from it!!  I am not sure when the revitalization began but they really did a great job of planning out this area.  There is an area right outside our hotel called Falls Park on the Reedy River that is just gorgeous!  It is an oasis within the city with waterfalls, benches, places for children to play and splash in the water as well as art studios, a few restaurants, statues and the Reedy River running through.

Miss U

We had a great visit with Ashley last week but it went way too fast!   Here is the card I snuck (is that a word???) in her bag yesterday before we took her to the airport.




I used the Label Thinlits for almost everything on the card - to cut the card itself and the white label, arrow and heart also come in the thinlit packet. 

Took this one day on the boat - not so great picture of me (too many chins!!)

I took this picture Saturday night while we were watching tv (well, some of us were watching!)  Ashley watched through closed eyelids!

Bowz

Shelli Gardner, the owner of Stampin' Up had an accident this week. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  Here is what her daughter wrote on her blog:

Hi, everyone, this is Sara, taking liberty with my mom's blog.

I just wanted you to know that yesterday my mom was involved in a riding accident in southern Utah; the horse she was riding stumbled. She was taken to the Kanab hospital where X-rays were taken, and she was diagnosed with a fractured wrist, pelvis, and collarbone. She flew by plane to Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, where she will likely be for a few days.

Obviously, she is in a great deal of pain but wants you all to know she is fine and is grateful it wasn't worse. Thank you for your concern, well wishes, and prayers! I suspect she'll blog herself as soon a she feels up to it. . . .

 Ashley is leaving later today.  This week has just flown by!  I sure will miss her.  Saturday was a low key day.  We played with MDS working on designing our tee shirts for one of the theme nights on our cruise.  Later in the day, we went to the movies and saw The Millers.  It was really funny.  Ashley and I made Hatch Pepper Quesadillas for dinner - yum!  Sonny and I are heading to Greenville, SC after dropping Ashley off at the airport.  Some good friends of ours from Dallas are flying to Atlanta Sunday to see a sick friend.  They are going to drive up to Greenville, SC and we are going to meet them for a visit for a couple of days.

I've just ordered the Bowz Die from the Holiday Mini catalog.  It arrived on Thursday and I've been so busy I haven't been able to share my bows with you.  Maybe next week!!  I made a cute gift this weekend for one of my granddaughter's birthday and topped it with one of the bows.  It was so easy!!  Instead, I'm sharing a couple of bow ideas from convention.





 

Butterfly Bundle

 We have been seeing a lot of butterflies around our yard this summer.  Guess Stampin' Up has too - now you can as well!!  Stampin’ Up! announced a new bundle - it’s available starting NOW and through September.  While they were at it, the little elves over at Stampin’ Up! also released their September Best of…set a little early.

Click HERE to see the details on the flier.
 

While you are snatching up this bundle offer, you can pick up September’s Best of stamp set … Best of Autumn.  It's a really good one this month.  For just $14.95, you don’t want to miss this deal.  Click HERE to see the images of this month’s set:

PAPER PUMPKIN $10 DEAL ENDS SATURDAY!

There's still time to sign up for Paper Pumpkin for just $10 a month!  You just have until Saturday to get this deal.

What a deal!!  It's a surprise each month—anticipation for the surprise is seriously half the fun! No worries, though, you'll have everything you need to complete the project: paper, stamps, ink, accessories, and more! (You will need adhesive.) 

You can cancel it any time - no questions asked.  So give it a try - the first two months will only cost you $10 so it's a "win-win"!!  After 2 months the price will return to $19.95 a month (with the option to cancel your subscription). 

To start your Paper Pumpkin subscription, click on PAPER PUMPKINS SUBSCRIPTION at the top of this blog post.  Go to the bottom of that page and click on Join Here.  

BE SURE TO USE THE PROMO CODE PUMPKINDEAL in order to get the $10 deal.
 

I'm Paper Pumpkin . . . a Stampin' Up! Monthly Kit Program

I come to your door each month (a fully decked-out creativity carriage). I'll help you to escape your life with some paper fun, perfect for a beginner or those short on time!

I come in a sweet box, but you'll really love what you find on the inside:

All the stamps, ink, paper, and accessories to create pinable projects. Create stuff like cards, journals, décor, and more!

What are you waiting on?  Quite blog surfing and join up!!