Thinking of You

Hello Dear Friends! I hope you are all doing well! Have you found springtime yet?! We're working on it...it's supposed to be beautiful tomorrow...here's to hoping!! So, I love this little Forrest Friends stamp set!(Avaliable from the occasions mini starting April 1st!) I think they are really cute little images! My kids also really love it...and are excited to get to make cards with it.

Speaking of kids...my sweet little Ruby just deleted my post...I was all finished and somehow before I could select publish, she had selected the whole post and then deleted it...isn't that lovely!? I don't know how she did it so fast...5 seconds MAX!

So, to the card I wanted to share today. I had some scraps on my desk and they were sitting just "so" and this card was the result! I love So Saffron--one of the best neutral colors around in my opinon! So, my card base is So Saffron. I added as strip of Chocolate Chip dsp, and then a strip of Pink Passion c/s. Before adding the Pink Passion, I ran it through my Big Shot with my polka-dot background texture plate...SO fun! (I know it's hard to see in the photo...I'll try to get better at that!)

I stamped my little deer with Chocoalte Chip ink and then ran it through my Big Shot with my oval nestabilites. I ran a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock through my Big Shot with my scallop oval nestabilites for a perfect frame for my deer. I attached the deer to my card with some dimensionals, for a bit of a boost.

I stamped my sentiment, which is from the Trendy Trees stamp set, in Chocolate Chip ink onto some So Saffron paper. My Word Window Punch went to work giving me a lovely addition to my card! The last bit of work for me was to tie everything together with some delicious 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain!

Tomorrow the packers come and start packing everything that is left in our house...so today I'm packing up our suitcases and getting ready to check into the hotel for a few days! We're really moving!! I'll hopefully be able to stop by tomorrow....Thanks so much for stopping by!! I appreciate it so much!! Have a wonderful day!

Sending you love

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We sure did! We've had a great time spending quality time with some of our good friends that we'll miss SO much when we move! We ate delicous food, laughed, played games...it was great!:) I've only really got to finish the laundry today--before someone comes to buy our washer/dryer and then pack suitcases...not too much!:)

I think you all know how much I love this retired SU paper...I'm just about finished with my stash of it! I wanted to make a litle card to send a to one friend in particular...I'm going to miss her like crazy! Germany and Seattle are very far apart! Oops, if I start talking like that I get all teary...so onto the card!:)

This card was inspired by Kristina's A Year in Cards Class. This is one of the sketches for the March class. This card was actually my first attempt at my ribbon bunching...and it turned out well, so I carried on! I think it's a great fun way to show your great ribbon!

So, Tempting Turquoise was the choice of card base. I used just one set of dsp, but used 3 differnet patterns from that set...(love 2 sided paper!). I used my scallop edge punch for my little scallop edge and then my 5/8" regal rose grosgrain ribbon and stapler. My sentiment is from the "So Much Love" set by LAD. The "sending you" and the "Love" are two different stamps-so I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line them up just right and then stamped them with old olive and regal rose ink. I punched the sentiment out with my large oval punch and then mounted it on a wide oval of my polka dot paper--punched out with my wide oval punch. My three little flowers are prima flowers that I've had forever...and I was so happy to use them! I added some saffron brads and then attached them to my card with mini glue dots.

I hope you have a great day...oh my, I just noticed that my little blog counter has passed 90,000 hits! Thank you all so much for stopping by. It's so fun to have friends in blogger land! I'll be doing some blog candy, but will have to wait until next week to get that posted! Thanks so much! Have a great one and thanks for stopping by!:)

Caardvarks Hero Challenge

Hey all! I'm really loving getting to participate in several challenges lately...so fun! This card was made using a sketch from the Caardvark's "did you ever know that you're my hero" Challenge. I think the sketch is super fun, and is one that could be used over and over again! I told you I loved the new butterflies from the Occasions Mini...avaliable for ordering April 1st!

I love this retired SU paper...I love everything about it! I've only got a couple of sheets left and wanted to see if I could get a few more uses out of them! I started with an Old Olive card base. The main panel is a strip of dsp, layered on tempting turquoise cardstock. I had some FUN with my new Circle Scissor Plus(CSP)...more to come on that later! I cut some circles-the white, the artichoke, and the tempting turquoise circle outline with my new CSP and that was delightful! I stamped the little "label" outline(from the good friends stamp set...soon friends, very soon!!) with old olive ink in my white circle and attached it and the turquoise outline on my card. I then stamped the little "label" outline again with old olive, then added the friend sentiment stamped with tempting turquoise and cut it out with scissors. I mounted it on the almost artichoke circle-and then came the butterflies! I stamped two olive and one turquoise butterflies. I added glitter from my supernova glitter packs--olive and aqua. I just used my 2 way glue pen to add the glitter, then attached my butterflies with dimensionals to my card!

We're really counting down the days now...only 7 more "sleeps" in Germany! It will be sad to leave all the people we love here, but going home and being closer to our family will be great!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!! I'll do my best to be back Monday!:) Have a great day!!

Scrapbook Challenge

Hey friends! Today is a sad day...I've got to pack up my studio! How sad is that!? I've got to say "air shipment" or "sea shipment". The air shipment will be packed tomorrow, which is great, that means that VERY shortly after we arrive in Seattle, we'll receive this shipment. However, that means that I'm having so say goodbye to them all today! I can't bring everything I'd like in the air shipment, so I'm having to choose...how difficult! It's almost like choosing children! (Maybe not THAT extreme, but you catch my wave?!)

So, I've got some things that hopefully I'll be able to share this next week, if everything goes according to my plans! Today, I'm sharing this scrapbook page of me and my sweet little Ruby. I wanted to participate in Jennifer Buck's Clean and Simple Scrapbook(CAS) Challenge. I loved her sketch...so thought I'd hurry and play along!
This photo of Ruby and I has been sitting at my desk for a few weeks-as I've been organizing photos and I love it! She is so big now, walking all over, eating everything, cutting molars, just growing up! Anyway, here is my take on Jennifer's Challenge.

My supplies are all SU. Vanilla(although looks washed out white) cardstock for my background page. I used mounted my photo on basic black, then added an old olive scallop edge. I mounted that all on Real Red cs. The black polk-a-dot flowers are rubons are from "A Perfect Day"(as are all the rub-ons on this page), that I rubbed onto vanilla cs and punched out with my 5 petal punch. I added some red rhinestones and added them with dimensionals. The Real Red bloom is from the die cut bloom set. I used another rub-on(too cute for words), used my 1 3/8" cirlce punch to punch it out, and then mounted it on an old olive scallop circle punch.

Thans for the challenge Jennifer! It was a fun one!:) Thanks for stopping by friends! I hope that you are all enjoying spring weather...our weather can't seem to make up it's mind! Snow, sun, rain, sun, snow, sun...all in one day!:) Have a great day and thanks so much for your visit!

Raspberry Suite Challenge

Hi friends! Things are getting slightly crazy with us getting ready to move right now...you know how that goes right!? I've got to finalize the things I want to have packed into our "air shipment" and then our suitcases--then try to orgaznize everything that will come to the staes in our "sea shipment." Happy days!

I am a huge fan of Dawn McVey and her fantastic style! So, I was really excited when she posted her first ever "Raspberry Suite" Color Challenge. Here is my offering using some fun new Stampin' Up! stamps! This set will be avaliable from the new Occasions Mini that will be avaliable April 1st.

My translation of the colors included, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pink Passion, Whisper White, and Pumpkin Pie.

My card stared with a pink passion base. I sure do miss that color-it's been quite a while! My layers are so saffron, chocolate chip and then whisper white. My ribbon is the great saffron you can earn as part of the ribbon bundle during SAB. For my ribbon, I tied myslef a bow with the end of my ribbon--then just didn't cut it off the spool. I used the long piece and wrapped it around the saffron/chocolate chip/ww layer.

I was a bit flustered as I can't find my pink passion ink pad...strange...but luckily I have my trusty Stampin' write markers, so they filled it just fine! I added my sentiment-stamped in chocoalte chip and then started adding my butterflies! My butterflies were stamped with pumpkin pie, pink passion and so saffron. I cut the saffron one from a scrap of ww and cut it out. I added dimensionals to the saffron one, so he has a bit of dimension.

I'm off to do a bit of arranging work...wish me luck!(And a bit of sanity!) Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for stopping by!!

Plane Fun!

Ok, I might be a whole week late on getting this posted...it was for last weeks Lizzie Anne Sketch Challenge, but better late than never right?! I think this little plane and "plane" fun sentiment are so fun! These stamps are from the 'Things that Go' stamp set. Fun, Fun, Fun.
I think this is a great layout-very versatile indeed! I like to take part in Kristina Werner's 'A Year in Cards' over at 2peas. I love the way she inspired me to staple my ribbon! I'm not normally a ribbon stapler...or stapler on cards for that matter-but it's fun to try something new! I think that class is super fun, check it out if you haven't!

Onto the card at hand! I started with a saffron card--such a delicious color! I used some scalloped scissors to make the choclate chip scallop border and then attached it to my card. This designer paper is American Crafts-isn't it fun!? I attached my designer paper, then started my ribbon fun! The ribbon is part of SU! sale-a-bration ribbon bundle. It is a wonderful 5/8" saffron grosgrain...LOVE it! After I finished my ribbon (Kristina shows you just how to do your ribbon like this in her class), I attached a sliver of bashful blue cardstock to the top of the AC paper. I stamped my plane image with palette brown ink-and colored it in with a saffron SU marker. I made the window chocolate chip with my SU marker too. I used my wide oval punch to punch the plane out and then layered it with a scallop made with my nestabilities/big shot/chocolate chip paper. I stamped the cute sentiment in palette ink as well, and then glitifed my plane. 2 way glue and dazzling diamonds make glitter super quick! So, there you have it friends!

We're starting the real process of moving...selling stuff we can't/don't need to take home...and will have the shipment that will go by air packed this Friday!! I can't believe it! I'm hoping to stop by daily...it makes me feel somewhat "normal" to keep sharing!! Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great one!:)

You're absolutely fabulous!

Let's be honest friends, Stampin' Up!'s new "Pink Flamingo" designer paper...is FAB! I am so in love! The colors are fantastic-very fresh! But the designs are also shamshing!! So, here is a fun card I made with my pink flamingo paper, new sweet sticky cuts and beautiful new aqua glitter!:) I chose to start with a real red card-it is one of my all time favorite colors!:) I did a quick summer sun scalloped edge-with my scallop edge punch-then layered my piece of pink flamingo paper over the scallop. Red 5/8" ribbon=delicoius! *I used my hobby blade to slice the paper right in the fold, so my ribbon would have a track to go through. I stamped the absolutely fabulous sentiment from the Absolutely Fabulous stamp set in real red ink on a strip of whipser white cardstock and attached it to the top of my flamingo paper. I put one of my sticky cut flowers--on a piece of tempting turquoise cardstock. **Don't take all the sticky off at once! Just stick the "sticker" to your desired cardstock, then peel the red lining off and apply the glitter or whatever else you are going to apply** After applying my glitter, from the super nova set, I cut my flower out. I used the build a brad to make the perfect summer sun center! Just punch out a 1/2" circle of designer paper-and you've got perfect matching brads!

I have to run..I hope you have a fantastic--or absolutely fabulous is more like it--day! Have a gerat weekend too! Thanks for stopping by!:)

Butterflies

I've had this card in my head for months now. I saw a cover of a martha stewart magazine-I believe it was a wedding issue-and I loved it(and if it was one I saw, it has to be a while ago!)! I think it was a white wedding cake with flowers going up the cake...it was beautiful! I had this idea pop into my head and hasn't left since! So, I decided to get the idea on paper...and here it is!
I started by punching a bunch of butterflies from my new Stampin' Up! pink flamingo designer paper. Aren't those colors delicious!? You will soon see how much I LOVE this paper! So, I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch to punch all these beauties out. I added a little glitter to each one, for more definition of their "body". I used my great new glitters from stampin' up and a two way glue pen for the giltter fun. When I attached them to the card, I used mini glue dots right in the center of them, so their wings could come forward.

My card is tempting turquoise, a layer of basic black, and then a layer of whisper white that had fun running through the Big Shot with my swiss dots embossing folder. The sentiment is from the Note of Thanks mini card set, also Stampin' Up. I stamped the sentiment in black ink and then punched it out with my large oval punch. My wide oval punch went to work with some Basic Black cardstock to make a mat for the sentiment...and there you have it!:)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm hoping these little butterflies will help our weather turn more spring-like...are any of you experiencing spring weather?! Have a wonderful day!!

Teacher Gift

So you all know that we are getting ready to move back to the States from Germany. We'll be leaving on April 4th...wow, it's coming so fast!! I have LOVED the teachers my kids have had at school. The wonderful teachers we've had have made our experience so wonderful!! I really start to tear up if I think about how much they have influenced my sweet little ones! We love them, and I've been trying to think of a nice little gift to give them...and I found it today!!

I was looking at Dawn Easton's blog today and got so excited when I saw her teacher gift set! The set includes a card(that tells about the jar/journal), a journal and a jar full of questions about your teacher's career, etc. I think it is so fun! I marched right to my desk and made the first of 4 sets I'll be making this week! Isn't it a great idea!? She gave a link to Nichole Heady's Blog as reference for her inspiration and for a pdf file of questions for the journal jar! Here is the link to Nichole's Blog for some great teacher questions!
I used some Dill Blossom paper from SEI. Aren't these colors delicious!? I made some funky hand cut flowers, added some buttons and ribbon...and some More Mustard cardstock!

For covering composition books this is my method:

1. cut a 12x12 paper in half. I use half for the front and then half for the back

2. line the edges of your front cover with scor-tape or sticky strip

3. lay your paper on the cover so you have a little overlaping, open the cover flat and cut off excess paper with a hobby blade

4. turn the notebook over and do the same to the back cover

5. for the spine, I like to cut about a 4" strip and gently fold it in half-then after placing my scor tape along the spine, I gently fold the paper I've prepared and attach to cover the spine.

For the "teacher" title on this book, I used some American Crafts Rub-ons. The teacher sentiment is from LAD School Days stamp set. I mounted my very vanilla paper on some more mustard, and then gave it a little scallop with my scallop edge punch. 5/8" chocoalte chip ribbon made a great little bow and band for the title plate!
This card was made from left overs after trimming the paper off the cover. I just slipped the strip of Dill Blossom paper on top of a chocoalte chip scalloped edge. The sentiment is stamped in chocolate chip ink. 1/4" chocolate chip grosgrain come next. Then came my flowers. You've seen all sorts of hand cut flowers lately, haven't you!? I've noticed them all over and decided to try my hand at them...yes, they are a bit more "shabby" than I usually am comfortable with, but I think with this great paper..they are great! Just cut a circle and the wad it up so you've got great wrinkles! I layered a couple pieces of paper and then attached a button and attached them with diminsionals.

I found these jars at Ikea. I've used them for many things, but this one was empty today...but no longer! I wrapped a two pieces of coordinating paper from the Dill Blossom set, around it, and then attache my teacher bit again. I made these flowers a bit differently. After I got the great "shabby" wadding done, I started to kind of gather the center of the flower-from the back. It was almost as if I were going to tie it off...there is a little "tuft" of paper behind that I just smooshed flat and then attached the flowers with glue dots. I decided that I really love these flowers...more to come I'm sure!! The buttons, one is from SU, the other is just from some extra button set I'm sure!:)

Oh, for the papers inside, I printed the questions from Nichole's Blog, then cut them out and followed the advice she gave and "curled" each of the questions with the back of my scissors-just like you curl ribbon. Didn't they turn out cute!?

I'm excited to have one of these sets finished. I've got 4 more to make...so I'll be busy! Thanks for stopping by!! Have a great day!!

B is for Birthday!

Hello fiends! We're back from our fun weekend trip-and I've just finished one of my two card classes this week. I wanted to offer a few more "masculine" cards to my friends, and this is one of the ones we made. I always need masculine cards--and they are always a bit more tricky for me to accomplish! So, here is a quick masculine card! To me, the color of this retired Su paper works great for boy birthday!:)

I started with a kiwi kiss card and layered a strip of designer paper accross the upper third of the card. The stamped images are from the Stampin' Up! set "Party Hearty!" I love that sentiment, so much fun! So I stamped the "b" with chocolate chip in, onto whisper white cardstock. I layered it onto a piece of tangerine tango paper and then pulled out the paper piercing tool(yea!). The kiwi kiss ribbon is folded in half, it's only about a 2" piece of ribbon. It was placed right were I wanted it then I pierced through my two layers of paper and then two layers of ribbon-so I had a hole for my brad. The brad helps keep the ribbon right where it should be. I didn't have any kiwi brads, but old olive worked just fine! So, after the ribbon was attached, I attached my panel to my card with dimensionals. For the party hat, I just inked one of the cute party hats from the party hearty set, with tangerine tango ink. **I love that stampin' up ink pads have a "raised" ink bed, it makes it easy to just ink one image at a time.** I used the 1" hole punch for the layer of my hat, the 1 1/4" circle punch for the chocolate chip layer, and the 1 3/8" circle punch for the kiwi layer. I simply attached hat to the "b" layer and then moved right on to the sentiment! The sentiment was stamped with chocolate chip ink and with the help of my stamp-a-ma-jig, it was stamped perfectly!

It was so fun to watch my friends start to understand how WONDERFUL the stamp-a-ma-jig is! It is really a tool that I use almost daily. Once I "got it" and understood how much easier it is to stamp with it...I've fallen, hook, line and sinker!

I hope you have a great day! Thanks so much for stopping by!

I Heart You!

I am so in love with the new Stampin' Up! designer papers! They are just beautiful! Today, I'm sharing a fresh and edgy design from the Goodmorning Sunshine set. I love this combination of color--and I might not have know without some help from this fun paper!:) Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip and Kiwi Kiss make this pattern just pop! I haven't used my Summer Sun for quite sometime, so yea for paper that makes me branch out!
This card is featuring the LAD stamp set So Much Love, as was my post yesterday. It does have valentine sentiments, but I have many a person in mind that I feel "I heart you" would tell them how I feel!

I started by stamping my birds with brown palette ink. I colored the birds with a summer sun and chocolate chip marker--giving the little girl brid a few white polkas with my white gel pen. The other bird was colored with a blender pen and kiwi ink pad. (I just noticed that the kiwi bird looks a little "off" -in real life he doesn't--). The birds are both embossed with clear embossing powder and are super shiney! I used my versamarker (love, love, love it!) to add versamark to the birds. I used my Big Shot and my oval nestabilites to cut the birds and their scallop frame out. The sentiment was stampe with chocolate chip ink on whisper white paper, and then punched out with the small oval punch. I layered the sentiment on a large summer sun oval, and then on a wide oval of kiwi kiss. I wanted to add a few little hearts-thanks to the heart to heart punch!

To construct the card, I layered my Goodmorning Sunshine paper onto a layer of chocolate chip, and then mounted on my summer sun card. I tied a chocolate 5/8" grosgrain bow around the card and was reminded how much "I heart you" 5/8" grosgrain!! I used dimensionals to add my bird image to the card and then added my sentiment. The last touch was adding a couple of little hearts!

We're off to Frankfurt today...we've got to get in a couple more stops before we move! I hope you have a great weekend! I'll be back Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well! I'm still working on getting over my cold, why in the WORLD is it lingering so long! I've had a fun day today. I'm working on some assignments and just about ready to start a baby book from my son's teacher that is expecting a baby boy.

My card to share for today is using the So Much Love stamp set from Lizzie Anne. It is among my favorites. I love the images!! This little vase with flowers is so fun! I love the polka dots (of course!).
Like yesterday's post, I started with a Kiwi card base and Kiwi designer paper...I can't help it...I'm SO loving that color!! I used my scallop edge punch to make a little chocolate chip scallop-attached it to my Kiwi card, and then tied my beautiful Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon around. I then stamped my little vase on white cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using my rectangle nestabilites. I used my scalloped rectangle nestabilites also, ran some regal rose through the Big Shot, and there I have a lovely mat for my flower vase!) Just a side note: good tools make the creating process SO much easier!! I love my Big Shot! Ok, so back to the card. I colored the vase with kiwi ink and a blender pen. Next I used one of my favorite things...my versamarker! I inked the vase with my versamarker and then dumped some clear embossing powder and heat set it. I love the way clear embossing powder makes things shine! I lined the stems with kiwis ink little too. I punched out a regal rose flower, from the three flower punch, and gave my little brown brad a fun home. I attached the vase to my card with dimensionals--and THEN used some rose stickles to give my flowers some pizzaz! My sentiment was stamped in Chocoalte Chip ink, and punched out with a 1" circle punch, then layered on a 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches.

Thanks a bundle for stopping by today! Hope you have a great one!!

Bloom

Several years ago-I think it was right after I got married and moved for the first time-I was at my sister's house and we were talking about how hard it is to move and get "into" the new groove and being comfortable. While at her house we made a little frame with some cute flower pots and put the sentiment "bloom where you're planted" on the little canvas. That little frame has stayed in my kitchen window over many a move. I have had the blessing of being planted in many different "gardens." I'm thankful for that, really I am. It is hard to uproot and leave the friends and life that I've come to love, but it is also exciting to know that I'll make new friends and that my life will enriched through new things!

When my mom was here, she brought me some of her old magazines. She knows I love them and don't get many that I can read here! I loved the cover of Good Housekeeping's February issue! Those flowers were calling my name today and inspired me to make this card today!

I made this card-and am thinking I need to go grab a frame I love and make myself a new reminder for my kitchen!

I started my process today with running some cardstock through the Big Shot with my Dasies "2 die cut. I love the three sizes..they are so good together! The colors were inspired by the flowers on the cover--regal rose, rose red, pumpkin pie, pink pirouette, summer sun and kiwi kiss. I used all three of most of the flowers. I used some of my new clear rhinestone brads for the centers of the flowers. After I had my flowers all constructed, I ran a piece of whisper white cardstock through the Big Shot with my top note diecut. My card base is a kiwi kiss cardstock and layer of designer paper. I attached my top note to the card with dimensionals and then started adding my flowers. I used dimensionals for the pink pirouette and kiwi kiss flowers. After I had all the flowers placed, I chose my sentiment. I used a rub-on from the "A perfect day"set. I cut the words apart, so I could make the image look like it does now, "stacked" instead of lined up in two lines. *Rub-ons are SO versatile...I'm sure you can't ever have enough of them!*

So, there you have it my friends. Remember to bloom where you're planted...it makes life so exciting and wonderful!! Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!!

You Float My Boat!

Happy Tuesday friends! Let's be honest, I say many a phrase having to do with boats! "Whatever floats your boat" and "That floats my boat!". I was very happy to have a sentiment for "You float my boat!" I think this sentiment, from the Things That Go stamp set is just one for the greats in this fun LAD set!

I mentioned that I'm making things to gift for my friends when we move...and I have many a friend that "float my boat" so I'm sure I'll bust out a few more of these! I used the paper-piecing "technique" (if it can be considered a technique) to make my boat very girl-like.
My card started with a pumpkin pie piece of cardstock. I used some "sweet always" designer paper, (one of my ALL time favorite sets of paper!) for a backdrop for my boat image. The ribbon is regal rose 5/8" grosgrain. I love this width of ribbon, it is SO perfect! I've found myself using this width more than the 1/4" lately...I wish I could get it in every color!

I stamped my boat image in brown hybrid palette ink on whisper white cardstock. I then stamped the boat 2 more times on 2 different pieces of pink paper-also from sweet always. I cut out the pieces of the boat and then attached them to my boat on the whisper white cardstock. I wanted some type of waves-I finally settled on using my scallop edge punch, and just pieced two "lengths" that are the "waste" from punching a scallop edge. This same effect could be achieved using a circle punch also.

I mounted the boat on regal rose and then chocolate chip cardstock and attached it to my card with dimensionals. I added some little rhinestones for a little bling where the windows of the boat are. Thus, adding to the girl-like boat!

The sentiment was also stamped in brown ink, on pink pirouette cardstock and then punched out with my handy dandy word window punch. I sure do love that punch!!

I hope you are having a great day!! We're having a VERY windy day today...I think wind might be one of my favorite things ever! So much fun! Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Monday

Hi Friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We had a very exciting one, with my parents being in town! We took a quick trip to Prague...it is one of our favorite places and this trip didn't disappoint!! After a day in Prague, we drove to Poland,(Boleslawiec,--where all the polish pottery is made!) to shop for some polish pottery! It was SO much fun! For those of you familiar with polish pottery...it was just heaven! We got home last night, just enough time to pack my parents' suitcases and send them off to bed. They left early this morning...it sure was a fun 2 weeks!!

We're getting down to the last few weeks here, in Germany, and I'm adding more and more people to my list that I want to give a little something to before we leave. I've made some wonderful friends and I'll miss them so much!! So, I'll be on that brain wave for a few!

In my stash of new Stampin' Up! items, I've got this great Big Shot die cut...Flower Dasies #2. So fun! I busted it out, and also opened my new package of Pink Flamingo paper...oh my! That package of paper is 100% happy dance material!! I love it!
My card is tempting turquoise-haven't used that color in a while! It is layered with some pink flamingo paper. I ran a piece of whisper white paper through my big shot with the top note die-for a home for my flower and sentiment. On my top note die, first I taped down a piece of 1/4" turquoise grosgrain ribbon. I ran some real red paper through the big shot with the daises #2 die for this great red flower! (This is the largest of 3 dasies that you can cut with this die.) I attached my red flower to the top note, then punched a 1" circle of some coordinating paper for the center of the flower and taped it down. I covered the 1" circle with a clear button...using some mini glue dots to keep it in place. I then covered the center of the button with a 1/2" circle of real red, that had been punched with my 1/2" circle punch. The last step on the top note was the sentiment-stamped in real red classic ink--it is from the Note of Thanks-Mini Note Kit from SU. These are SO fun! I loved this sentiment and HAD to have it! I think I'm going to make a little box of treats to go along with this...fun, fun, fun!

I've gotta run, thanks so much for stopping by!! I appreciate you all so much! Have a great one!!

Happy Dance!

Hey all, I just wanted to stop in and say hello! I was so excited today when I opened my mailbox! I finally received my March issue of CARDS! I was super excited because this issue contains my very first published card! I am really doing a happy dance today!! Now that the magazine is in print, I can post the photo again.

Thanks for letting me share my happy news with you all!! Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day!!

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend! We've been running like crazy...enjoying every minute with my parents! We've been on a "have as much fun as possible" schedule, but today is a little bit of laundry, cleaning, kids back to school, etc., which feels good doesn't it!? But we'll do a bit of playing without the kids, which will be fun too!!

I made this card with one of my new LAD stamp sets called Tutti Fruiti, you can see it here if you haven't seen it yet! It's a super fun set! I just love this pear! I got my color inspiration from a few scraps of SEI paper that I used last week on a couple of notebooks. Pumpkin Pie, Barely Bananna, Regal Rose...SO delicious!
My card is a regal rose base, then a layer of barely banana. My pumpkin pie layer has been tied with a beautiful dose of 5/8" regal rose ribbon. I used my scallop edge punch to create a little scallop border for the bottom of my pumpkin pie layer. My pear was stamped in pumpkin pie ink on WW cardstock. I ran it through my Big Shot with my oval nestabilites to create the oval shape. I then ran some of my striped paper through the Big Shot with my scallop oval nestabilies for the scalloped frame. I attached the pear to the pumpkin pie layer with dimensionals to give it a little "lift". The sentiment was stamped in pumpkin pie ink, and punch out of ww cardstock with my word window punch. The last few pieces of this card were the flowers! I finally broke into a bottle of fun pink petals from Prima! I gave the flowers each a brad for their center, and attached them with mini glue dots!

I'm finding myself just basking in these great bright colors...I think I'm getting ready for WARMER weather! Thanks so much for stopping by!! Hope you have a wonderful day!!