Birthday Blooms

This card was made for a 4 year old girl and I’d been told that her favorite colors were purple and pink. I had to work a bit to come up with the right combination. The contrast was almost too much for me but I figured this was for a 4 year old and I know how they like flash and dash. After I’d finished the card, it still didn’t look right so that’s when I added a little bit more "flash," meaning the stickles.

The card was made with Pixie Pink as the base. The Lovely Lilac front was cut a half inch shorter than the width of the card and then punched using the Fiskars scallop punch. I have both the Fiskars and Stampin’ Up! scalloped punches but wanted the holes so saved myself the extra steps by using the Fiskars one.

The flower and the leaves were stamped on Whisper White CS. The flower was stamped again on Pixie Pink and cut out. It was attached to the white with a rhinestone brad, and this was layered on to a mat of Pixie Pink and Mello Moss which was then attached to the card base.

This card was pretty simple and could be used for a number of different occasions simply by changing up the colors and sentiments.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Friendship Blooms, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Pixie Pink, Mello Moss, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White
Ink: Pixie Pink, Mello Moss, Lovely Lilac
Accessories: Scalloped Punch (Fiskars), Purple Rhinestone Brad, Fruit Pumch Stickles (could also use Crystal)

Winter Wonderland in Blue

Here's some food for thought.....if you have a stamp set that you haven’t used at all or maybe just one time and it's been retired but you still REALLY LIKE it, don’t sell it or give it away, keep it somewhere out of sight so you can’t see that you still have it. Then when a catalog comes out that has a set similar (I’m convinced that they discontinue stuff so they can bring it back in a couple years "changed" just a little bit), get your hidden set out and you’ll be set! Then you can use the money that you saved by not buying another similar set, to buy something else that you really need/want.

I was inspired to make this card because of the Sleigh Bells Ring set that was in the Fall/Winter catalog. I KNEW I had a set similar to that one but couldn't remember if I still had it. Fortunately, I DID.

This color/paper combination seemed to lend itself well for a masculine card. It’s hard to see but I used the crystal Stickles on part of the skating rink and also on the road. I SO like how it turned out!

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Winter Wonderland
Paper: Four Seasons DSP (ret.), Night of Navy, Whisper White
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Navy grosgrain ribbon from Michael’s, crystal Stickles

Winter Wonderland in Red

Have you ever had a stamp set that you bought because you really liked a sample that you saw made with it, but when you got the set you couldn't find the sample and you couldn't figure out what else to do with it? Or else the sample didn't look as good as it did the first time you saw it? You let the stamp set sit around forever, and then decided you were going to try to sell it?

Well, that's what went on with this set, except that I wasn't able to sell it. Boy am I glad I didn't!

In the Fall/Winter catalog I saw the Sleigh Bells Ring set but didn't buy it. Had too many other things on my list that I wanted first. But I still liked that set. Then I got to thinking "Oh, Oh, Oh! I HAVE a similar set somewhere, now where the heck did I hide it??" So, I went looking and DID find it!

I really like how this card turned out. The Ski Slope Designer Series paper really added a nice touch, and we do need bright cheery cards in this drab, dreary winter, don't we? I started out with a Riding Hood Red card base (because I was out of Real Red which is actually the color in the designer paper) and the Whisper White as a mat, then the designer paper. The image is stamped on WW in Riding Hood Red, and matted on Riding Hood Red. It’s hard to see in the picture but I used the crystal Stickles on some of the snow around the skating rink and along the road. The seam of the two papers is covered by the ribbon.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Winter Wonderland
Paper: Ski Slope DP, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Blue Bayou double stitched ribbon, crystal Stickles

I'm Back.....sort of

Dear Friends,

I could not BELIEVE it when I checked this blog and it's been almost THREE MONTHS since I posted something! I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get to this for a while, but wow. I don't know what happened to November, and then we were out of town twice in December for extended periods, and I've been dealing with year end financial stuff at my church because I'm Financial Secretary.

I have several cards to share, but it takes time to write up the directions and the recipe, plus posting them on SCS so that folks have a link back here.

I apologize to those of you who have been checking back in hopes of seeing something new. I'll try to get something posted here very soon. We had snow here this morning so I've been inside. As good an excuse as any for getting something posted here, huh?

Thanks for checking in!
Kathy