Parade for Baby

The images in the Picnic Parade set are so adorable and just perfect for a baby card! This set is only available to hostesses from the Occasions Mini. Hard to believe that in only a couple weeks that catalog comes to an end! Where does the time go?

I stamped my little scene in Black Stazon on Whisper White card stock and thencolored it with my Aqua Painter and various Classic Inks. I stamped the little flag twice and used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to add the word baby from the Fancy Flexible Phrases (retired) set. Then I cut out the banner and popped up the end to make it look like it was blowing in the breeze.

Speaking of breezes...have I told you I'm loving me some Baja Breeze once again! I used that for my base and embossed it with the Perfect Polka Dots folder. On the Wild Wasabi layer I used the Scallop Trim Border punch. If you didn't get it for free during SAB, don't worry...it will be available again soon when the new IB&C comes out in July.

Thanks for stopping by today...Have a great weekend!

A New Look!

For quite some time now I've been wanting to update the look of my blog using My Digital Studio. The announcement of the Color Renovation was the push I needed to take some time and give my little web space a renovation as well.

We will soon be saying goodbye to my beloved Mellow Moss, the primary color of my blog before my renovation, and hello to two of my favorite returning In Colors...Baja Breeze & Riding Hood Red. I combined those two colors along with favorite green (besides Mellow Moss ;-)...Certainly Celery.

I hope you like my new updated look! I'd love to know what you think. With the lack of comments lately I wonder if anyone even looks at my blog?

ETA: Thank you for the nice comments regarding my new look! Sorry I sounded a little whiney/needy yesterday when posting about wondering if anyone even looks at my blog lately. lol With all the time I spend on this stuff, I just hate the thought that it may be time wasted. I guess sometimes we all just need a little encouragement...so thanks!

A few asked if updating the blog was complicated? Well, I'm still do some tweaking and trying to get things to look right. To me this is the hardest part, because my HTML knowledge is very limited. The actual designing of the banner and buttons was fun & easy using MDS. The hardest part there was trying to decide which elements to use!  

Doin' the Fifth Avenue Wasabi Mambo

Oh what fun to pull out a few of my favorite past In Colors...Baja Breeze and Wild Wasabi! I mixed them with one of my favorite In Colors from this year...Melon Mambo. The result is a fresh and springy color combo that I'm sure I'll be using again since these colors will soon be regulars in the upcoming new Color Collections.

The sketch I used is this weeks sketch over at Mojo Monday. The challange over at Stamp Something this week is to stitch something...so I did that too!

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral & Baroque Motifs
Card stock: Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi Textured, Baja Breeze, Whisper White & Razzleberry Lemonade DP
Ink: VersaMark, Wild Wasabi & various to watercolor
Accessories: White EP, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing tool, White Gel pen, Dew Drops & Baja Breeze Striped grosgrain

The Fifth Avenue Floral set is part of Stampin' Up!'s Two-Step into Spring Special. This month you can get 20% off this and four other 2-Step stampin' sets including a brand new sneak peek set from the upcoming IB&C called Awash With Flowers. (shown above)

Have a wonderful evening!

Hello and Goodbye

When the new Idea Book & Catalog comes out in July we will be saying hello to some new colors and goodbye to many of the colors we have known and loved for a long time. I will be sad to see some of them go, but on the other hand I am excited to have some of my favorite past In Colors back...like Baja Breeze & Riding Hood Red! I was already starting to dread the retirement of my luscious Rich Razzleberry and the fun color of Melon Mambo...but those are going to join the new Color Collections!

Of course there are several colors I'll be very sad to see leave...such as Mellow Moss (guess I'll need to change my blog banner and background now, huh? ;-) Here's a card I made that uses a color combo of a few of my fav colors leaving, along with one of the present In Colors that gets to stay.

Stamps: Season of Friendship and Hello Again
Card stock: Melon Mambo (staying!!!) Sage Shadow (leaving :-( and Whisper White
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow and Close to Cocoa (how I will miss thee!)
Accessories: Large, Small & Scalloped Oval Punches, Top Note Die, Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder, White Organza Ribbon

Here is a list of all the colors that will be leaving us at the end of June. (click to enlarge)

I'm sure if you are like me, there are certain colors you are really going to miss, I suggest that you purchase reinkers for your ink pads and any card stock and accessories you think you will need for future projects. That is what I plan to do. Here are the gorgeous new Color Collections. (click to enlarge)

Aren't the new collections gorgeous? I can't wait to see and create with the brand new colors...Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist & Early Espresso in real life!

Woo Hoo! 50 & Fabulous!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! We had a very nice day. All three of my guys managed to get off of work and we enjoyed a nice brunch here with family and lots of yummy food. Everyone loved the little milk carton totes filled with candy that I made for them. On Saturday night we went to a surprise birthday party for my SIL. We had a great time! This is the card I made for her.

I was inspired to use the owl from Fox & Friends along with a greeting using the Billboard Alphabet from  this adorable card made by my talented friend Renee. Of course Lori wasn't really woo hoo-ing about turning 50, but she did love the card. Here's a peek at the inside...

I'm sure this sentiment made her feel better! ;-) I originally had created a really cute panel for the inside using MDS, but when I went to print it, our colored ink cartridge was so low that it printed out an awful yellowy green. So I had to resort to printing it in black ink. Here is how I wrapped her gift.

I used some retired DP paper that I had, I think the pack was called Walk in the Park. Using the Daisies #2 die I made the flower and then added a large rhinestone to the center. I thought it turned out pretty cute and it saved me from running to the store when I realized I had forgotten to buy wrapping.

Thanks for stopping by...enjoy your day!

Easter Milk Carton Totes

I love it!!! Again today we are blessed with a gorgeous, warm, sunny day! I can't wait to get outside and enjoy it! First, I had to finish up these projects so they would be ready for my Easter Brunch on Sunday. Before I run outside to work in my garden, I want to share them here with you because I think they turned out so cute. I just LOVE that Mini Milk Carton Die!

Each little tote holds four Mini Milk Cartons. I used my favorite wheel...Always in Bloom to decorate the milk cartons and the handle of the tote before assembling. I choose the pretty Spring colors - Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron & Lavendar Lace, based on the candy that would be inside. Here's a closer look of the individual totes.

Isn't that little bunny just adorable? He is from the Level 2 Hostess set in the Occasions Mini called Picnic Parade. I used patterned paper from the Sweet Pea pack to wrap around the base of the totes. One of my other fav new dies for the Big Shot is the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die, and I used that here to embellish the handle of the tote.

I swapped out the blue for pink on this set, and also embellished the handle a bit differently. I used a few different stamps sets - Boho Backgrounds, Always, and You Make Me Happy (retired) to create the flower and leaf embellishment. To close each of the cartons, I punched two holes using my Crop-A-Dile and ran White Grosgrain thru one way, criss-crossed it in the back and fed it back thru. This closes the top nicely but still allows the milk carton to open at one side to get to the treats inside. Here is another cute option to close the milk carton.

For this carton I punched a window using the 1-1/4" Circle Punch, and adhered a window sheet inside. I closed it with one of the adorable little Library Clips. I didn't put windows in the cartons inside the tote, because you only would see a small portion of the window once they are placed inside the tote. About now, you may now be wondering how to make this adorable tote...I found this wonderful tutorial on another blog I like to visit. Thanks Kathleen for sharing how to make this adorable project!

Besides the obvious changes I made to my milk carton tote (colors, stamps, etc...) I did make one structural change as well. Since I was loading it down with lots of candy and it would become quite heavy, I decided to double up on the handle layer to make it a little sturdier. I just cut two handles, punched and glued together.

Enjoy your day and have a wonderful Easter!

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!