There's a New Nurse in the Family

Our daughter graduated for nursing school, Long Island University, and now holds a BSN.  Tom and I are so proud of her for all her hard work and dedication.  We're heading to New York to celebrate with her and her husband, and it's supposed to be a beautiful day, so we're looking forward to it.

I made two cards for her:  one, a pretty floral card congratulating her, and another one, which has an owl nurse on the front.  I couldn't resist.  Want to see them ... sure you do.  Here they are:

And now for the nurse card:

That's all for now ... stay turned for some more cards from the holiday catalog.  I'm having a great time with those.

Ciao for now.

For All Things, Fall Fest

I thought I would try something with a Fall flair this time.  I love pumpkins, so I tried a couple different designs and came up with this one.  I'm not super happy with it - but it's what I had in mind.  Maybe the next one will capture it just a bit better.  I don't know ... but for now, here's my pumpkins, just in time for Fall.

Recipe
Paper:  very vanilla, mossy meadow

Ink:  baked brown sugar, soft sky. bermuda bay, blackberry bliss, mossy meadow, hello honey, tangerine twist

Stamp Sets:  for all things, fall fest

I have some ideas for some other cards I want to make, so stay tuned.  

Thanks for stopping by!

By The Tide Thank You

My husband is the Commodore of his Hobie Cat Club and he asked me to make him a thank you card for a team mate that helped him with their regatta weekend.  I asked him if he wanted a nautical card, or a thank you that was generic.  He said he didn't have anything in mind, and left it up to me to come up with something.

I pondered about whether or not to make a card with a sailboat on it, but then thought it might look a bit masculine.  I didn't want to make something that looked too much like the seashore either, and lo and behold, I found a card that Dina Kowal of Impression Obsession made and I fell in love with it.  So, I CASED it, but changed it up a bit and I absolutely love it.  Here's the card I made.

Recipe

Paper:  very vanilla

Ink:  baked brown sugar, crisp cantaloupe, coastal cabana, bermuda bay

Stamp Set:  by the tide, teeny tiny wishes

Accessories:  beautifully baroque EF,  labels collection framelits, simply scored scoring tool, dazzling diamonds glitter, vanilla shear ribbon (non SU)

Well, what do you think?  I'm happy with the outcome, and I sure do hope that Tom's team mate likes it too.

Ciao for now.

Coloring Down the Lines - Flower Patch

Welcome back to our weekly blog hop.  This week's challenge's color pallet leans more toward nautical, in my mind, but since last week I used a nautical theme, I didn't want to use one this week.

So, I took the colors and put them together and this is what I finally ended up going with.  I love flowers, and I particularly love the Flower Patch stamp set and framelits, so what better way to use it than in this week's creation.  I hope you enjoy our blog hops, and if you haven't visited Carol's blog yet, please click back to see what she made for you this week.  And Joni, well, skip ahead to see her card.  You won't be disappointed.

Here is the photograph we used for our inspiration.  Don't you think it leans toward nautical?  Yes, it was a dead giveaway with the life saving ring, right?

This is how I used the color combination in my card.  I'm not in love with it, but it turned out ok.  Hope you like it.

Recipe

Paper:  night of navy, crisp cantaloupe, whisper white

Ink:  soft sky, marina mist, pacific point, night of navy, real red, crisp cantaloupe

Stamp Sets:  flower patch, gorgeous grunge

Accessories:  flower flair framelits, basic rhinestones

Please stop by next week and see what our color challenge will be.  It's always a surprise.

Cheers!

How About a White Christmas?

I don't know if you are even thinking of a White Christmas now or not, but wouldn't it be nice if it did snow for Christmas this year?  Now having that said, I'm sure you're not looking forward to another Winter like we had last year .... TOO MUCH of the white stuff, and COLD!

I bought this stamp set from the new Stampin' Up Holiday  Catalog 2014 and just love it.  So I had to make a card using it, and I wanted to share it with you.  I know, I shouldn't be teasing you with all the sneak peeks, but it's so hard not to.  As soon as my boxes came with all my goodies, you know I just had to dig right in.

Hope you like it ...

I also used the Festival of Trees stamp set too for the tree in the front.  I embossed the garland in silver and used dazzling details in cherry cobbler for the balls on the tree.  Love, Love, Love.

See you tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by.

SpARKling Diva Day - Another Festival of Trees Card

I was invited to my upline's upline's SpARKling Diva Day this past Sunday, and each of us had to make a shoebox swap to make and share.  This is the card I chose to make for the swap.  It was easy, and really cute too.

I also used the new stamp set, "endless wishes" for the sentiment.  There's a new 3/8" satin woven ribbon in real red too, which you will see on the card.  On the bottom of the card, I used the stylish stripes embossing folder for an added touch of texture.  In addition, you can't see it very well in the picture, but I used dazzling diamonds on the snowflakes, and added some rhinestones in the center for some bling.

I bet you can't wait to get your hands on the new holiday catalog, right?  Please message me if you'd like one and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Festival of Trees Wrapped in Gold (Sneak Peek)

I just couldn't resist showing you another fun stamp set from the new holiday catalog.  I have been finding fun ways to use this stamp set, and I know you will too.  Check it out ..

For this card, I also used "wonderful wreaths" framelits for the "noel" and I cut it out in gold.  I also used gold embossing for the garland on the one tree in the front.  It really looks cute in person.  I hope you like it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Bauble (sneak peek)

Just one more week until the new Holiday Catalog is released, and I thought you might like to get a glimpse of one of the beauties in it.  I really love this stamp.  You can do a whole lot with it, and so I tried something fun and gold embossed it, then used the aqua painter to color in the holly and design on the bauble.  I used the gold marker to fill in the rest.  Take a peek:

I also used the filigree frame embossing folder on this card, and yes, that's in the new catalog as well.  Stay tuned for some more sneak peeks.  I just love it!

Can You Say, More 3x3?

Yes, there's more to come, everyone.  As I promised earlier, I would post the 3x3's I received at Convention this past year for you can enjoy.

Take a peek:

Thanks for stopping by.

Coloring Down the Lines - Serene Kindness

Well, this week, I decided to do something entirely different - out of my comfort zone.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, but I thought I would give it a whirl.  When I saw the inspiration photo, I wanted to recreate something that looked like it.  It reminds me of a misty evening sunset, or it could even be a misty morning sunrise.  Either way, the sun and sea is what I was aiming for.

Did you like what Carol did with these colors for the hop this week?  I do.  It's always fun seeing what everyone comes up with.  don't forget to hop on over to Joni's blog after you visit me and she will surely surprise you, I'm sure.

Below is the photograph we used for our inspiration.  The colors  are:  Wisteria Wonder, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Soft Suede, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Blushing Bride.

So based on this inspiration, here is my creation for this week.  I hope you like it.  I'm still thinking about it.

Recipe

Paper:  very vanilla

Ink:  wisteria wonder, perfect plum, elegant eggplant, soft suede, crisp cantaloupe, blushing bride

Stamp Sets:  by the sea, kinda eclectic

Accessories:  gold embossing powder

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope to have some more fun stuff for you later in the week.

Cheers!

Painting with a Twist

I'm sure you've all heard about the new painting craze by now ... each town has it's own name for it, but the one I went to in Skippack is called "Painting with a Twist".  My friend, Jessica, hosted a wine and paint party this past weekend and we all painted the same image, but as you will see, everyone's looks just a little different, which makes all the masterpieces so special.  We had such a blast painting these canvas beauties, and I will definitely try my hand at it again, hopefully, soon.

Hope you like it.

Who knew I could paint something like this?  I sure didn't.  Now, here's the picture of all the wonderful artists ...

That's me in the front row on the right.  Don't we all look so proud of our work?  You bet we are.
Thanks to my friend, Jessica, for a wonderful time and great fun.

Ciao for now.

3x3 Card Mania

Yes, I promised to show you more 3x3's that I received at Convention 2014.  Throughout the month of August, I'll share them until you see them all.  So, here's another installment of 3x3 beauties ...

Stay tuned ....

More 3x3 swap goodies from Convention

Here's the next installment of the 3x3 cards I received at Convention this year.  What fun ... and hope you find inspiration in some of the cards you'll see over the next couple days.

I wish you could see some of these close up.  They are just pretty.

Coloring Down the Lines - Pick a Bunch of Flowers

We had a difficult challenge trying to match up the Stampin' Up colors this week, but we managed to do so.  We'll see what everyone comes up with.  I took Lizzy's lead on the "pool party", and I rather like the way my card turned out.

Did you hop on over here from Carol's blog?  What did you think?  And don't forget to check out Joni's creation, as she always has something different.  I loved the photograph, and the colors were just so pretty and blended together well.  See what you think...

So the colors we chose from above are:  blushing bride, pear pizzazz, blackberry bliss, (mossy meadow), lost lagoon, and (pool party).  The colors I have in parenthesis are the ones that were in question.  We all went our own way on this one.

So here's my creation for the challenge.  Hope you like it.

Recipe
Paper:  lost lagoon, pool party, whisper white

Ink:  lost lagoon, blushing bride, blackberry bliss, mossy meadow, pear pizzazz, pool party

Stamp Sets:  good greetings (hostess), for all things (new holiday catty), pictogram punches

Accessories:  itty bitty accent punches, oval framelits, decorative dots EF, basic rhinestones

I used pool party and sponged it in the background behind the flowers and stems.  I think it gave the background some interest, and incorporated the pool party into the design.  That way, it didn't look too stark on a plain, white background.

Hope you like it.  Thanks for always taking time to join us each week on our blog hop.  We love seeing you, and especially receiving your comments.  

Ciao!

Convention Swaps: 3x3's

This was my second year participating in the 3x3 swaps at convention.  I just love this swap the best.  The cards I receive in return are so nice, and they certainly give me a ton of inspiration.  So, here's the first round of 3x3's I got back in return for mine.  

This is my 3x3 swap.  I made 81 of these ... and you can imagine how I felt when I completed the 81st one!  ACCOMPLISHMENT!  

Stay tuned ... there's more to follow.

Swap Card from My Dear Friend, Ruthie

At my very first SU Convention I attended, I met this sweet lady named Ruthie.  We bumped into each other in the registration area in the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  That was three years ago, and we just hit it off as friends.  Last year, I found Ruthie again and we exchanged swap cards again.   This year, I didn't see Ruthie, despite looking all over the convention center for her.  I was a bit worried that perhaps she was ill or something and I just couldn't bear that thought.  Lo and behold, a week after I returned from convention, I received a swap card in the mail from Ruthie.  She couldn't attend this year for health reasons, but still, she thought of me and sent me a card.  I welled up with tears when I opened the card.  Most of all, I was so happy to know that she was alright and perhaps when she comes to Pennsylvania to visit her son, I can get to see her.  You see, Stampin' Up just isn't a company that provides us with great quality products and excellent customer service, it's an opportunity to meet some of the most sweetest, talented, and kindest women from all over the country.  I've met so many women that I can call my friends from all over.  I couldn't ask for anything better than that.  

So I wanted to share Ruthie's swap card with you.  Of course, I sent her one back, right away, with a nice note, thanking her for remembering me and letting me know she was fine.  Thank you, my dear friend!

And isn't Ruthie right on using the blendabilities on this card?  Oh yes, she is.

Have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday, Marion

I work with a very nice young man, Marion, who also has a birthday in August.  He always remembers our birthdays and I thought I would make him a card, along with a box to hold some goodies in.  I used the July My Paper Pumpkin kit for this card and love the way it turned out.  See what you think:

 Recipe:

Paper:  whisper white cardstock from My Paper Pumpkin; blackberry bliss, hello honey, moonlight DSP, sahara sand

Ink:  None

Stamp Set:  perfect print alphabet

Accessories:  zigzag EF, My Paper Pumpkin silver stars, basic rhinestones

And here's the box I made too ... 

I know Marion will love getting the goodies and card.  I can't wait to see his face when I give it to him tomorrow on his birthday.

Ciao for now.

Nautical Birthday

While I was creating my husband's birthday card, I saw a card from Margaret Raburn of funstampin that I liked and thought I would CASE it.  My card is slightly different than hers, but I just loved how she put this card together and had to CASE it.  See what you think.

Recipe

Paper:  soft sky, hello honey, blue lagoon, moonlight DSP

Ink:  blue lagoon, blackberry bliss

Stamp Sets:  by the seashore, four you

Accessories:  large polka dot EF, basic pearls, gold baker's twine

Isn't it cute?  It was just too cute not to share ... 

Thanks for stopping by.

Tom's Birthday Card

Today is my husband, Tom's birthday, and since he loves everything nautical, I thought I would try my hand at some sponging and see what I come up with.  First of all, he loves boating, both power and hobie cat sailing.  Since Stampin' Up had a sailboat stamp (retired), I thought I would use that for his card.

I love to brayer and really have to practice my hand at it, but for this card, I thought I would just sponge it because I liked the way it came out better.

You can't see in the picture that the water, where I used gorgeous grunge, has glitter on it, so I took a close up view so you could see it.  It's very hard to get just the right angle to see it ... so this is the best I could do.

Can you see them now?  It reminds me of the sparkling sunshine that looks like diamonds dancing across the water.  Somehow, it's just soothing and comforting.  I love it too.

Recipe:

Paper:  basic black, marina mist, whisper white

Ink:  marina mist, coastal cabana, memento black, real red, so saffron, daffodil delight, tangerine tango

Stamp Sets:  sail away (retired), gorgeus grunge, petite pairs

Accessories:  sponge, iridescent ice glitter

Happy Birthday, Tom.  Hope your day is everything you want it to be!!!

Coloring Down the Lines - Pictogram Punches

It's that time again ... blog hop!  This week's color pallet calls for very vanilla, crisp cantaloupe, basic black, garden green, wild wasabi, and pistachio pudding.  I used all the colors expect garden green this time.  I actually just forgot about the color - and just can't imagine what I was thinking.

My spot in the lineup follows Carol, of course, and then jumps over to Joni  They're a hard act to follow and precede, but I try and keep up.

Anyway, below is our inspiration for this week's submission, followed by my card.  Hope you like it.

Recipe:

Paper:  basic black, very vanilla, pistachio pudding

Ink:  memento black, wild wasabi, crisp cantaloupe

Stamp Sets:  pictogram punches, good greetings (hostess)

Accessories:  itty bitty accents punch pack, project life cards & labels framelits, lovely lace EF, basic pearls, very vanilla 1/8" taffeta ribbon

I used wild wasabi to sponge over the lovely lace embossing to give it a little dimension.  I like the way it looks.  I really like the pictogram punches stamp set .. it's so cute.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you enjoyed the hop this week.

Sympathy for a Friend

Last week, the wife of a friend of mine passed away after a long battle with breast cancer.  How awful.  She was a year older than me, and I couldn't imagine being on my own at this stage in my life.  Lynn was a wonderful wife, mother, and full of life.  She loved the blues, and she was a Rolling Stones fan.  I got to meet her two daughters at the viewing, and their youngest just got married.  How nice that her mother was still here to enjoy the wedding.

At times like these, it makes you reflect back on your own life.  What can you do better, and though we can't go back in time to change the things we would like to, we can move forward and make those subtle changes that make us better people.

I made this card for Rick and his family, and I do hope it blesses them just to know that there are many friends, and family, who care so much.  I pray they will find peace and comfort in the days to come, just knowing that Lynn led a happy life and everyone around them are much better for her being in it.  God Bless!

Thank you for stopping by.

July My Paper Pumpkin with a Twist

I was tickled pink when My Paper Pumpkin arrived for July.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the kit this month.  There are cute boxes, ribbon, tags, and of course, cards this month.  I made the card that came with the kit, then I ventured out and made some other ones too.  I thought I would share them with you.

There's one other card I made, but I used it for a birthday card for a co-worker of mine.  I will show that to you a little later in the week, as his birthday isn't until the following week.  I embellished the card and added designer series paper, and I'm quite pleased how it turned out.  Stay tuned for that.

Now for the cute box that came with the Paper Pumpkin kit .. enough to make 6.  Whoo hoo.  So cute.

Hope you like it, and if you don't already subscribe to My Paper Pumpkin, maybe this will sway you to try it.  Let me know if you're interested.  I'd love to sign you up.

Until tomorrow ...

My Convention Swap - for the Admins

We had a facebook page called Convention Bound, and the Administrators of the site wanted to have a swap for them, so I participated in that as well.  This swap was a full card, and lots of layers.  I love this one, and hope you do too.

I'm loving the baby carriage.  This was a lot of fun to make.