Cheery Friend Card

I used the With All My Heart set quite a bit around Valentines Day, but it's so much more than a Valentine set. By choosing a different color scheme or sentiment this set is quite versatile.

Stamps: With All My Heart
Card stock: Certainly Celery, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo & Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo & Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Bermuda Bay Polka Dotted Grosgrain, Scalloped Oval & Scallop Trim Border punches, Movers & Shapers Scalloped Oval die, Soft Subtle Brad

Thanks for all the nice comments and emails regarding my vacation to Hawaii (last post). You all are so nice! Enjoy your day!

It's paradise!

We have returned home safely from our Hawaiian vacation. We had the BEST time!!! It truly is like paradise! Gorgeous scenery everywhere you look...lush green vegetation, colorful flowers, all the beautiful shades of blue of the ocean were amazing...and the people...soooo nice! I already want to go back! Especially coming home to Michigan, when right now everything is drab...not a green leaf in sight, unless I count pine trees, but you know what I mean. Now I am really looking forward to spring when everything will come back to life and seem to turn green over night. Hurry spring!!! I don't have any new stamped creations, but I do have a few photos to share. I took almost 800 photos while we were there! These are a few of my favorites.

Sunset on Poipu Beach, Kauai

Rainbow over Wiamea Canyon, or the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" in Kauai

Wanini Beach, near Hanalei, Kauai

Kilauea Point Lighthouse

Me at the beach ;-) Actually this is a Hawaiian Monk Seal on Poipu Beach...they come up to rest during the day. We saw several of them while we were there.

We saw so many whales while we were there...it was so cool!

We saw lots of dolphins too...they are so cute and fun to watch!

Beautiful lava rock formations and arches...somewhere along the Road to Hana in Maui.

Me & my wonderful hubby on our lanai before we went to a luau. This trip was to celebrate our upcoming 25th wedding anniversary. (which isn't til August, but we wanted to go while we were having bad weather in Michigan.) With the 6 hour time difference between Michigan and Hawaii, I'm just getting back into my regular routine...boy that's been tough! In the next couple days I should have something stamped to share with you. Thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Medallion Trio

Here is another trio of cards we made at my last card class. This set uses one of my favorite stamps...the Medallion Background.

Creating a beautiful card with the Medallion stamp is so easy. Combine it with the Vintage Label set available during SAB and the Very Vintage Jumbo wheel from the Occasions Mini for a winning combo. Its shown here in three different color combos: Perfect Plum & Vanilla, Close to Cocoa & Pretty in Pink and Sage Shadow and Blush Blossom.

Enjoy your day!

Fox & Friends Trio

Here's another set of cards we made at my card class last Sunday using the adorable new set Fox and Friends stamp set and Sweet Pea papers.

The ice cream & cake sentiment is from the Birthday Bliss which is a FREE selection during SAB. These cards are perfect for a childs birthday or to welcome a new baby. Images were stamped and punched out using the 1-3/8" Square and the 1-1/4" Circle punches.

Thanks for stopping by!

Balmy Breeze Travel Journal

Today is the big day! We are leaving on our long journey to Hawaii! I am not crazy about the idea of such a LONG flight, but I am sure it will be worth it! I made this little journal so I could keep track of where we go and things we do while we are on vacation.

I started with a little notebook I bought at Target a while back. (not sure if they still have these?) I used one of my favorite old retired sets, Balmy Breezes. I stamped the palm tree image using Basic Brown ink and watercolored it. Then I added a few more images, also stamped in Basic Brown, for a collage type feel. I inked the edges and then inked the whole thing in VersaMark. I embossed it with Glassy Glaze, and repeated this two more times to do the cracked glass technique. Once it has been embossed with the Glassy Glaze, stick it in the freezer for about 5-10 min. After your image has been chilled, remove from freezer and quickly bend your image until it cracks the glaze. You may need to chill and repeat to get the desired effect.

I like using this technique on 3D items that I know will be handled quite a bit because it protects the image and it looks really cool besides. Inside the Antique Brass Hodge Podge Hardware label (retired), I used the "journey" stamp from the Define Your Life set. I used a couple coats of Glassy Glaze over this as well, but did not crack this piece. On the background of my book I used French Script and more images from Balmy Breezes, and then inked the edges of my book for an aged look. I attached my finished pieces with Sticky Strip so they will hold well.

Aloha!

A Trio of Flowers for All Seasons

Yesterday I had one of my All Occasion Card Classes and it was so much fun! Thanks to everyone who came...I enjoyed seeing you all! At my All Occasion Card Classes we do twelve cards - 3 each of 4 different designs. I try to change up the colors or stamps a bit for each set so that there is a nice variety. Participants can choose which sentiment stamps they want so that they walk away with cards perfectly suited for their needs. My next All Occasion Card Class will be on March 28th, so if you missed out on this one, maybe I'll see you at the next one! I'm also considering offering it as a Class by mail, so let me know if you are interested. Here is the first set of cards.

I just love these sweet little images from A Flower for All Seasons set. (available FREE during SAB!) They punch out perfectly using the 1-3/4" Circle Punch. I paired this up with a couple of my fav new Big Shot accessories available from the Occasions Mini...the Perfect Polka Dot Textured Folder and the Beautiful Wings Embosslit. Sentiments stamped in a coordinating ink using Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched out with Word Window punch and matted on the Modern Label complete this first set of cards.

I'll be sharing more cards we made at my class in the next couple of weeks while I am gone on vacation. Being that I scheduled these posts in advance, I will not be able to answer any questions until I am back home. Thanks for stopping by!