I HATE CANCER!!!

Good morning all!  I am sharing the type of card this morning that I hate making but they are unfortunately necessary in life - a sympathy card.   We found out over the weekend that Tony's Uncle was very ill - he had been in remission from brain cancer but unfortunately, he started being dizzy and not feeling well again and it has come back 10x worse and he will probably not make it through this weekend :-(  We are heartbroken over this - he is a kind, gentle, man who has a great sense of humor and would do anything for anyone.  We drove down to where they live yesterday to visit and say our goodbyes and it just makes my heart ache for his Aunt.  I hate cancer - it comes in and just destroys without a thought in the world which is why I am so involved with the American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life events - I really want them to cure all types of cancer once and for all!!!!!  I made this card and will mail it out today so that they know we are thinking of them and are here if they need anything.  It is a simple card, but full of love!  I used the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set, which as the most beautiful sentiments that really say what you are feeling!  I paired the stamps with the Botanical Gazette patterned paper; the soft muted colors are perfect for this card!  I did a lot of sponging on this card to keep it soft, and added some Early Espresso taffeta ribbon and basic pearls to make it beautiful.  I know that Tony's Aunt and family members will appreciate it and I can take some comfort in the fact that I can bring that small happiness into their lives when they need it most.  Thank goodness I don't need these types of cards often - I don't like to make them.  But, life doesn't always give us happy moments so we have to try and make enough happiness in our lives to minimize the sad things - that is what I try to do anyways.  On that note, I am going to spend the afternoon stamping and making cards for special peeps in my life to let them know I love them and I am so glad they are a part of my life - I think this is a great way to spend the day, don't you??!  In the words of my very good friend Roxy, hug someone you love today - and everyday, and let them know how much you care!!! Have a wonderful day, I will be back tomorrow with a sneak peek of my upcoming mini book class that I will also be selling as a kit!  Until then, happy stampin'!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Early Espresso, Very Vanilla card stock, Botanical Gazette designer series paper
Inks - Early Espresso, River Rock stampin' write markers and stamp pads
Stamps - Thoughts and Prayers
Tools - Scalloped Edge border punch
Accessories - Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, Basic Pearls

VALENTINE HEARTS

Hi all!! I had a wonderful birthday yesterday - thanks to all of you for the sweet birthday wishes, you really made me feel special :-)  And, my sweet, sweet husband made my whole day soooo nice - he made me dinner, a cake, a wonderful card, and he bought me a Keurig!!!!!  I am soooo excited, I have wanted one forever but did not want to spend the money, and now I have one - I love that man!!!! He is very special! Speaking of special, here is another card I made for him to let him know how much I love him.  It's a simple card but I just love this stamp called Be My Valentine(item 122045) from the Occasions Mini! I just love a La Carte stamps, sooo fun to be able to have some single stamps to play with!  I stamped it twice, once in Riding Hood Red Craft ink(item 119717, part of the stampin' spots regals collection) and once in Basic Black Craft ink(102192), covered them with clear embossing powder(item (109130), and used my heat gun(100005) to make them beautiful.  Then, I trimmed the banner out from the black image and popped it up with dimensionals(item 104430) over the red one - sooooo purdy!!!!   Here is a close-up of the image so you can see how pretty it looks all embossed!!!

 I paired the image with Love Letter Designer series paper(item 117162), which can be found in the main catty! I just love this - I recently had a vintage mini book class and we made a whole book with this paper and it turned out gorgeous!! I guess I should share some pics of THAT, lol!!!!  I did use some ribbon too - the Basic Black Satin(item 117285) and Very Vanilla satin(item 117291) look great together and just really add to this one! I topped off the card by adding a little Rhinestone bling(item 119246) to the image and lots of  basic pearls(item 119247) everywhere else!!  I mean, you get 150 of these beautiful embellies in every pack, and they come in three different sizes, all for $4.95 so you can use as many as you want, right??!!   Like I said, very simple to put together but I love how it looks, and I know he will too! Not too foofy, but still has that elegant feel that I think a Valentines card should have *wink*  I am loving all of our products for this season - just so much fun to play with!! And, if you feel the same way and want to have some of these in YOUR mailbox, then you can shop online in my online store or email me and I can put your order in as well!  Now, I am off to get my hair and nails done - it seems like it is harder and harder to keep up with things like that during these busy months, but hey, gotta look beautiful right, LOL??!!!  Have a wonderful day and I will be back tomorrow with something special to share with you! Until then, happy stampin'!

Card Recipe:
Paper - Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla card stock, Love Letter Designer Series Paper
Inks - Riding Hood Red and Basic Black Craft Inks
Stamps - Be My Valentine
Tools - Scallop Trim border punch, Heat Gun, Clear Embossing powder
Accessories - Basic Rhinestones, Basic Pearls, Basic Black and Very Vanilla satin ribbons

HUGS AND KISSES

Happy Monday to everyone!!!! Today is not allowed to be a bad day since it is my birthday :-)  Yep, another year, another wrinkle, lol!!! Nothing big planned for today, I am going to spend some quiet time stamping for my upcoming classes and then have a nice dinner with the fam.  But first, I am going to share with you another Valentine I made for my husband.  He gets his first one today and then one everyday until the actual day, lol! I just think one day is not enough to tell him how much I love him :-)  Sooo, you may be seeing a few more of these Valentine cards this week, heehee!  I had fun making this one - I used one of the new sets from the Occasions mini because I just love all the cute stamps in this set! It is called  XOXO(clear item 121973) which is perfect because I want to shower my man with hugs and kisses :-)  I paired the stamp set with the Love Impressions Designer paper (item 121780) also from the mini - love this paper! It has textured sheets, embossed detail, and yummy colors - I would use this for all kinds of projects, not just for Valentines Day, it is just too stinkin' cute not to!!!  I have been getting a lot of use out of my Pinking Hearts border punch(item 117649) lately as well - it is PERFECT for adding that pretty detail to all your valentine cards, anniversary cards, your just because cards....well, you get it, lol! And, I could not help but add some little punched out hearts using my small heart punch(item 117193)  from the Glimmer paper(item 121790) in the mini - can you say YUMMO??!!  It is soooooo pretty, it makes me giggle :-) I did a lot of embossing on this one - I just love my Big Shot(item 113439) and all the cool embossing folders we have! The one I used here is called Perfect Polka Dots(item 117335)  - I like this one for embossing over my images because it really makes them pop! And, no card is complete without bling so I added some Basic Rhinestones as well! (item 119246 ).  Lots of layering and lots of texture, make me happy!!!  And of course, you have to add ribbon so I used the thin taffeta Real Red ribbon (item 119251) which added just the right touch to the card!  I had fun making this since it was for my  honey - those are the best cards to make, aren't they??!!  And, I plan on making several more today as I am going to stamp the day away :-)  Enjoy your Monday, I plan to *wink* And, if you see products on this card that you love and NEED to have, you can shop in my online store or email me and I will help you put your order in! Now is the time to do this - with Sale-a-Bration going on, you get FREE stuff with every $50 worth of product purchased!  Did I mention FREE, lol??!!!  So, don't miss out because it won't last forever :-)  Now, I am off to stamp, but I will be back tomorrow to share another fun project with you! Until then, Happy Stampin'!!!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Crumb Cake, Going Gray, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White card stock, Love Impressions Designer Series Paper, Glimmer Paper
Inks - Pink Pirouette, Real Red classic inks
Stamps - XOXO
Tools - Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Pinking Hearts border punch, Small Heart punch, Large Oval Punch, Curly Label punch, Modern label punch, 1 3/8 inch and 1 1/4 inch circle punches
Accessories - Real Red thin taffeta ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME......

WHOOHOOO!! It is Friday!!! I am excited because tomorrow is the start of my scrappin' retreat right here in my house!! They all start arriving at 10am tomorrow morning and will not be leaving until 5pm on Sunday - stampin', scrappin, wine, friends, good food, lots of laughing, oh, and did I mention stamping and scrapping, LOL!!!! You see, my birthday is on Monday and this is wanted I wanted for my birthday - so the kids are going over to their friends' houses and my dear, sweet husband is going over to hang out with his parents! How cool is that??!! I plan on making tons of cards as I have a whole list of peeps I want to send them too and I also want to get some scrappin' done - whoohooooo!!!! Soooo, let me get on with sharing this card with you so I can get to preppin' :-)  This card has already winged it's way to a friend of mine - I am trying to do better by sending out cards each month so as I make them, I decide who they are going to, and get them ready to mail out! Remember my card from yesterday?  Well, I decided to make a similar card with the Crumb Cake card stock (item 121029) base and the Crumb Cake circles adhered to give the card some cool texture - I like it! I sponged over the whole card with Crumb Cake classic ink(item 121030) too so that it softened up the card a bit.  And, I played with the Clearly For You stamp set(clear item 121976) out of the Occasions Mini - just look at those sweet, adorable little birdies!!!  They are just soooo stinkin' CUTE!!!!  I stamped them on Whisper White card stock(item 100730), punched it out with my 1 3/4 inch circle punch(item 119850), and then ran it through my Big Shot(item 113439) using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder(item 117335).  I then layered my image on a Not Quite Navy scalloped circle cut using my Extra Large Scallop Circle punch(item 119854), a Rose Red Circle cut using the 2 3/8 inch Circle punch(item 118874), and then cut out a piece of Springtime Vintage Designer Series paper(Occasions Mini item 121782) Big Shot 3 inch circle die (Occasions Mini item 122125).  I snipped the edges of the DSP circle to give it a fun, distressed look and I love it!  And, what card is complete without ribbon?  Not mine, LOL!  I used the Pretty in Pink wide striped grosgrain ribbon(item 119775) - sooooo yummy!!! Love the width of this ribbon and all the pretty colors it comes in! It just really adds pop to any project you are doing! Speaking of pop, that is what the Melon Mambo button(item 122302) does for this card!  It's from the new button mix in the Occasions Mini with lots of fun, bright colors that are perfect for brightening up your cards or layouts or whatever you are making *wink*  It's not an exact match for the Rose Red, but it actually works really well with it!  The Baha Breeze card stock(item 111352) has been punched using the Scalloped Trim border punch(item 118402), then softly sponged with the same color ink! Add the sentiment (and some bling, heehee!) and you are DONE!! A happy card - at least it makes me happy, lol! I hope it makes my friend happy too! I am really enjoying making and sending out cards, I don't know why I didn't do more of it before now! I am glad that was one onf my New Year goals because it makes me feel good to send something handmade to the special people in my life - and yes, most of you reading this are in that category! You are all wonderful, and have made this crazy craft passion that much better - soooo, don't be surprised if you open your mailbox one day and BAM! something from ME!!!  So, if there are any items I used here that you are ready to have RIGHT NOW (heehee, I KNOW it's not just me) you can order from my online store or you can email me and I will be happy to help you put your order in! And, don't forget - it's SALE-A-BRATION time, so with every $50 order you place, you get something FREE out of the SAB catalog - I love it!!!!! Now, off to get ready - full day ahead of me prepping for the weekend! I hope to share some fun things tomorrow while we are scrappin' so watch for the updates :-) Have a fabulous weekend and make sure you fit some time in for stampin'!!!!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Crumb Cake, Baha Breeze, Rose Red, Whisper White card stock, Springtime Vintage Designer series paper
Inks- Baha Breeze, Crumb Cake classic inks
Stamps - Clearly for You, Your a Gem (sentiment)
Tools - Scalloped Trim border punch, 1 inch circle punch, 1 3/8 inch circle punch, 1 3/4 inch scallop circle punch, 2 3/8 inch scallop circle punch, 1 3/4 inch circle punch, 3 inch Big Shot circle die, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder
Accessories - Designer Big Buttons, Pretty in Pink wide striped grosgrain ribbon, twine, basic rhinestones

BABY BLOSSOMS

Good morning - or at least I think it is, I have not been up long enough to tell yet, LOL!! Did not sleep well last night - I have a head cold so breathing has become quite the challenge :-)  I did stamp yesterday though, which always makes me feel better! I played with some of my new stuff from the Occasions Mini  - there is sooo much in this catalog that I love it was easier to make a list of what I would NOT be ordering, heeheee! I have been making some cards to mail out to some of my favorite peeps since this was one of my goals for the New Year! I love getting happy mail so I want to return that favor to others :-)  This card I am sharing today is made using the Baby Blossom stamp set (clear item 122000) which I had to have for that cute little frame, lol! The sentiment is actually from the Bold Blossom set(clear item 122232), which is also one of my faves! And, now that I have stamped with it, I love the little flowers, there is soooo much you can do with them!  My base is one of my faves - Crumb Cake card stock(item 120953)!!! And, I punched out small hearts of the same color and used those to make my background - love the texture this makes!  I wanted this card to have a soft look so I sponged the background with Crumb Cake ink(item 121029) and used Baha Breeze card stock(item111352) and Regal Rose card stock(item 105130) as my accent colors.  Lots of texturing going on here - I distressed the edges, ran the Regal Rose layer through my Big Shot(item 113439) with the Square Lattice embossing folder(item 119976), and then sponged all three with Regal Rose classic ink(item 105211).  And, that yummy ribbon going down the center of my Springtime Vintage DSP (item 121782) is the new Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon(item 122332) - this ribbon IS good enough to eat, I love all the colors it comes in, and it is soooo fun to play with!  Check them out, they are in the Occasions Mini and come in lots of fun colors! Oooh, and look at those purdy flowers!! I stamped the, trimmed around them, and popped them up on dimensionals and it looks like a little bouquet!!! I used some bling on this one too - lots of little pearls(item 119247) and rhinestones(item 119246) to pretty it up :-)  And, it is winging its way across the US right now, hopefully to bring a smile to someones face very soon!  I have been really enjoying making cards for others, what a great feeling!  I definitely plan on doing this more often - it makes me smile!! If there are products here that you see that you HAVE to have (how can there not be??  heeehee - I had to have it ALL!) you can order them in my online store or send me an email and I will be happy to put your order in for you!! So, today is a very busy day for me because I am getting ready for my birthday scrap weekend here at my house, so I need to go and get all the yummy snacks and such we will need to make it through :-) I will be back tomorrow with another fun card to share that is also on its way to someone near and dear to me - until then, happy stampin'!!!!
Card Recipe:
Paper - Crumb Cake, Baha Breeze, Very Vanilla, Regal Rose card stock, Springtime Vintage designer series paper
Inks - Crumb Cake, Baha Breeze, Regal Rose classic inks
Stamps - Baby Blossom, Bold Blossom (sentiment)
Tools - Pinking Hearts border punch, Modern Label punch, Large Oval punch, Small Heart punch, distresser tool
Accessories - Chantilly lace ribbon, Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon, basic pearls, basic rhinestones

TEN REASONS

Good morning all!! WOW! The weather is beautiful here in California today and is supposed to get into the 70s for the rest of the week, which is really strange since February is usually really cold and really rainy for us! Hey, I will take it -  I am ready for Spring, LOL!  Love is in the air and Spring weather makes it all the better :-)  So, I just had my Club gals here a few weekends ago and we did a fun layout for Valentines or for any occasion involving love really.  I wanted to share with you one of the layouts they got to do - they always get two double layouts, and we have a blast!  It is always difficult to get a really good pic of the double layouts so I have taken some detail shots of this one so you can see some of it up close!! We used all kinds of fun things on this layout and my Big Shot got a workout cutting all those letters ahead of time, heehee, but the end result was worth it, I think!

The title is cut out of the yummy Red Glimmer paper (item 121790) found in the Occasions Mini - I have to tell ya, I am addicted to this paper, I just loooovvvve how it sparkles :-) I used the Serif Essentials Alphabet (item 113464) with my Big Shot - oh, how I love these big letters! I thought it would be fun to also use the negative of the letters - you know, the piece that is left that shows the outline?  So, that is what the Ten is spelled out with - and then, you get double alphabet letters out of each letter that you cut! Plus, it looks cool :-)  The Designers series paper is also from the Occasions Mini and it is called Love Impressions(item 121780) - soooo fabulous!!!! I love all the different textures on this paper plus it is so versatile you can use it for lots of different occasions, not just Valentines Day! The cute little envie is cut from the Scallop Envelope Big Shot Die (item 113462) - isn't it cute??!! We filled it with ten loose hearts punched with the Full Heart Punch (item 119883) - these are for the ten reasons or whatever they want to journal on

them! Here is a closeup shot of the envie so you can see it better!  The patterned hearts are actually adhered down to the back of the envie but the rest can be pulled out for writing on, adding small pics, or they can be left just the way they are :-)  To add to the cuteness, we used the new Occasions Mini stamp set called Valentine Defined(clear item 123057), which I originally purchased for these adorable little flamingos, but of course I have now fallen in love with all of the images, lol! We stamped these fun lovebirds on Whisper White card stock, then ran them through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder (item 117335) and then mounted the image on two circles cut with the new dies in the Occasions Mini:  the 3 inch circle die(item 122125) and the 3 1/2 inch circle die(item 121811). 

 I love how all the circles and scallops we have nest together - just makes layering that much more fun!!  And, if you look at these circles, you will notice that the larger circle has also been run through the Big Shot and embossed, this time using the Square Lattice embossing folder(119976).  The smaller circle has been stamped on using the XOXO stamp from the XOXOX stamp set (clear item 121973) also found in the Occasions Mini - super cute and fun!!  I really had a good time designing this fun layout, and judging from the squeals and smiles I got from my Club gals, they loved it too!! They are such a fun bunch, I really look forward to seeing them each and every month - it is definitely a highlight for me!!! Today I am going to spending lots of time in my stamp room prepping for my February classes, which are now posted on my website - if you want to take any of these classes, or sign up for a workshop, contact me now and we can get you all set up! And, if any(or all, lol!) of the items used in today's project share are on your have to have list, you can order them online in my online store!  Thanks for stopping by, I will be back tomorrow with another fun project to share so until then, happy stampin'!!!

Layout Recipe:

Paper - Real Red, Going Gray, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink card stock, Love Impressions Designer Series Paper

Inks - Real Red classic stampin' pad

Stamps - XOXO, Valentine Defined

Tools - Scalloped Square Bigz Die, 3 and 3 /12 inch Circle Dies, Serif Essentials Dies, Scalloped Envelope die, Scalloped Edge punch, Small Heart punch, Large Heart Punch, 2 3/8 inch Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 inch circle punches, corner rounder punch

Accessories - Whisper White satin ribbon, Basic Black thin ribbon, silver glitter brads

PURDY FLOWERS

Good morning!! Here it is, Monday again - it sure does seem to come around fast, doesn't it LOL??!!  We had a very busy weekend here and it seemed like it just flew by! I did get to stamp some which is always nice :-)  I played with some new stamp sets, which always makes me happy! Today's card is the result of one of those new ones - it's called Bold Blossom(clear item 122232), and it's in the new Occasions Mini. I think it is a really fun set and I see myself using this one a lot!  I paired it with some more of the yummy Springtime Vintage DSP(item 121782) - I just love this paper, I think it is soooo purdy!!! I kept the card fairly simple as I am making several to mail out to some wonderful peeps so it came together pretty quickly.  I love the soft colors that are in it though - and the pop of Rose Red makes me smile because I think it just makes it look even that much purdier!!!  I have a lot on the agenda today so this is a short post, but if you are interested in any of the items you see here, you can order them online in my online store or email me directly with your order and I will be happy to help you with it!  I have to get ready for our new addition - we adopted a rescue from the dachshund rescue organization and she will be arriving today! I will share pics tomorrow!! We are excited but this will have to be the last one as she is number four, lol!!! Have a wonderful day and until tomorrow, happy stampin'!!!

Card Recipe:

Paper - Baha Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Rose Red, Whisper White card stock, Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper

Inks - Always Artichoke, Rose Red, Baha Breeze, Not Quite Navy classic inks

Stamps - Bold Blossom

Accessories - Basic Rhinestones, Very Vanilla thin ribbon

Tools - Large Oval punch, Scalloped Edge border punch, 3/4 inch Circle punch, Curly Label punch, Ticket Corner punch