Stamping In My Neighborhood

No matches, just chocolate.

Here are some cute, little treat boxes that I made for some of my friends for Valentine's Day.  I used the Matchbox die for the Big Shot and my Heart to Heart punch.  I just love the color combination (not done justice by the picture) of Basic Gray, Real Red, Whisper White and Red Glimmer.

These boxes took almost no time to make, which was good because I made them last-minute.  I had been thinking about making them for at least a week because I knew I'd be meeting with our friends on Valentine's Day, and these particular friends are near and dear to our hearts...we've known each other for almost 15 years!

Anyway, these little matchboxes hold four Hershey's Nuggets or two Ghirardelli squares.  I went with the Ghirardelli squares this time.  Next week I'll show you a couple more matchboxes...but I can't tell you why just yet because the recipients follow my blog!  

Is It Spring Yet?

I know I've been MIA again.  The flu hit my house pretty hard.  My younger son had two bouts...between that and a week's vacation, he only went to school twice in three weeks!  My older son was sick for a couple days.  My husband is currently on Day 11 of it. It's really been hard on him, he hasn't even been able to get out of bed.  So, needless to say, posting has been kind of low on the priority list.  

I wanted to show you a card I received from my dear friend Sandy.  She used the heart treat cups, glittered some cardstock green and then used some hearts from the Red Glimmer paper.  You'll notice she also textured the white layer with the Petals-A-Plenty impressions folder for the Big Shot.  Thanks, Sandy.  I love that you thought of me and I love you!

This actually makes me want to get out my circle cups (don't have any heart ones) and make some springtime flowers...'cuz Baby, I'm READY FOR SPRING!

More Sepia and an Announcement

Here's the sepia-toned card that I shared at my North Country team meeting.  It features the Inspired by Nature stamp set.  The flowers were stamped in Soft Suede and the grass was stamped in Crumb Cake, although you could've stamped that in Soft Suede as well and achieved a very similar look just by "stamping off" first.  I sponged around the edges with Soft Suede and added the greeting, using the Large Oval and Scallop Oval punches.  The colors are much more complementary in person.  What a great card for someone going through a difficult time.

I'm very excited to announce that I'm working on an autism fundraiser for late April.  My church (Curtis Lake, in Sanford) has a ministry called My Place, which is a environment for special needs children.  It's a fun environment staffed with great people; an environment that accepts children as they are and allows their parents to attend a Sunday morning service.  I can tell you that My Place has a made a huge difference for my family.  Recently we've been discussing the creation of a community event that would be a social opportunity targeted at kids with autism and other developmental delays.  It might involve game nights and dances...things that pre-teens and teens love to do but where special needs kids don't always fit in.  Children will be able to attend these regular events with their parents or aides and be able to practice their social skills and have fun with people who understand and accept them for who they are.  There are similar programs doing this but are 40-45 minutes away.  We think we can fill a need and are moving to that end.  So I'd like this fundraiser to specifically benefit that program.

I'm still toying on the format.  I know that I have a scrapbook option.  I'm considering a second project or card-making time as well.  There will be prizes and give-aways.  If you have something you'd like to see me offer, please email me and I'll consider it.

I'm back!

Phew, that was a big time out, huh?  My son got pretty sick for a time and then we went away for the start of vacation.  We're home, he's better and I've got a bunch of things to post.  And I'm going to start with a picture of my clean stamp room.  It was a wreck, but I had a couple ladies here this morning chatting about wedding invitations so I KNEW I had to have my room in order.  I've since worked on some other wedding invitations I have going and some little gifts for my downline who are attending the regional event next month with me and it's STILL clean.  Better circle this date on your calendar!

While I was away, I had a gathering of my team members from northern NH.  I met one for the first time and of course it was nice to see the other two who've been with me for several years (3 and 5, to be exact).  We shared some of the projects we'd been working on, as well as did a "shoebox swap"...basically we brought a project for everyone to make.

This card was one I brought as a show-and-tell.  I had been playing around with the idea of sepia-toned projects ever since I made my father's birthday card.  I love how simple yet elegant this card is.  It was created with the Friends 24-7 stamp set, Very Vanilla and Soft Suede cardstock, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon and an antique brad.

Pretty in Pink

Or, more accurately, I should say "Marvelous in Mambo"!  This monochromatic card took a maximum of two minutes to create.  I used the poppy stamp in Melon Mambo ink from the Sale-A-Bration-exclusive set Punch Bunch.  I added a rhinestone from our Basic Rhinestones package as a little extra touch.  

A strip of paper from the Ice Cream Parlor assortment that I have been showing for the last week adorns the bottom and it is topped with a strip of Whisper White taffeta ribbon.  The stamped image was punched using the Scallop Circle punch and affixed to the card (Melon Mambo) using two Stampin' Dimensionals.  

Actually, I used the scraps from the Stampin' Dimensionals package...that outside edge that is left after you've used the inside dimensionals.  I certainly hope you are making the most of your supplies by using scraps whenever possible as well!  Most of the images I stamp with the Punch Bunch set are stamped on scraps before punching out.  That's one of the things I love about punches...I seem to get a lot of use from my scraps!

A sophisticated baby card

Who said a baby card needs to be soft and sweet and babyish?  This card is a great design for many occasions, but the sentiment makes it clear it is to celebrate a baby's birth.  And it's in the pink family, so obviously it's for a baby girl and her family.  I realized that I had not sent a congratulatory card to a family who had their first baby girl a few weeks ago.  I think about the cards I have to make all the time...it sometimes just takes me a little while to get to doing them.

The top portion was stamped in Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo using the Fifth Avenue Florals stamp set.  I apologize that the Pretty in Pink images don't show up well.  It's hard to photograph when there are such contrasts...especially since I have not gotten around to making my new lightbox yet.  I have the box, I just need to cut out holes, cover with tissue paper, etc.  Hey, if I can't get the cards made in time, does it surprise you that I'm having trouble making the box?

Anyway, I punched a small oval in the Designer Series Paper (yes, from the Ice Cream Parlor assortment again), layered a piece of Whisper White underneath and then stamped the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes through the window.  I added a piece of Whisper White taffeta ribbon and mounted everything to a Melon Mambo card.

I did manage to work a little "cute" in on the inside.  The sentiment is from the God's Blessings stamp set and the adorable little deer (perfect for baby cards) is from the Forest Friends set.

So, who are you going to make a card for today?

Owls are so in!

I made this thank you card for a gentleman who participated in a volunteer video that we are shooting at church.  Owls are in and they are certainly more manly than flowers, so I got out my owl punch and some cardstock scraps and put him together.  His eyes are made from real googly eyes...they jiggle as you move the card.

Yes, that's more Designer Series Paper from Sale-A-Bration's Ice Cream Parlor assortment, with a piece of coordinating Old Olive grosgrain ribbon on top.  Did you notice I used a piece of the DSP on the owl?  So many possibilities!

The sentiment is another thank you stamp from the Thank You Kindly set.  If you regularly need to send thank you cards, that is a GREAT set to have.  Four different stamps with varying fonts and expressions.

Upsy Daisy Warmth...Is it Spring Yet?

Another super easy card that used very few supplies.  This is more Designer Series Paper from my SAB package.  I still have not used even 2 whole sheets of that paper!

For the daisies, I inked up the image in Melon Mambo and then "rock and rolled" it in Pumpkin Pie.  It adds just  a little depth and warmth to the image.  I then stamped the sentiment in Melon Mambo.

Sale-A-Bration is a great time to stock up on basic supplies.  Whisper White or Very Vanilla cardstock and matching envelopes, adhesive, ink refills, ribbon.  Not only will you be able to replenish those necessities, but every $50 worth of merchandise earns you a free SAB selection.  You might select the Ice Cream Parlor DSP and die cut assortment or you might get stamps, or ribbon and buttons, or downloads for My Digital Studio, or... 

Contact me today to place your order or schedule an in-home workshop, where you can earn even more benefits as the hostess!

Another Top Note

In the interest of full disclosure, this is not one of my favorite cards.  I really would've preferred to move the sentiment piece (from Cute & Curly on Daffodil Delight, punched with Curvy Label punch) on top of the Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, but I was trying to cover up a boo-boo.  Remember, there are no mistakes, just creative opportunities.  It was late and that was as creative as I could get.

To create the Pacific Point/patterned Top Note piece, I first took a piece of Pacific Point that I'd previously run through my Big Shot using the Backgrounds 1 Texturz plates and adhered a piece of patterened paper from the Ice Cream Parlor set that I'd earned through Sale-A-Bration.  I then added a strip of Old Olive grosgrain ribbon.  I carefully placed it on top of my Top Note die and ran it through.  It cut through everything, including the ribbon, very easily.  I then added my sentiment piece (the flower on it is two of the dies from the Ice Cream Parlor collection) and mounted it all on a Whisper White card.

Top Note Quilt

I decided that while I had the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper and Die Cut package (Sale-A-Bration exclusive) I should probably make a few more cards.  This one uses a dozen squares I punched out using the 1 1/4" square punch.  I tacked them down to a piece of Whisper White cardstock (although I wish I had used Peach Parfait or Melon Mambo) and then ran it through the Big Shot using my Top Note die.  I hadn't used that in a long while...I forgot how much I like it!

I added a piece of Whisper White taffeta and a Basic Black sentiment from Thank You Kindly.  I affixed it to a Whisper White card and was done.  Very easy.