Friday, November 30, 2012

Finally Friday!

Hello stampers and welcome back!

Yay, it is finally Friday!  I have been working like crazy all week, getting ready for my class on Saturday.  It is going to be GREAT... 5 fun projects just perfect for the holiday season ahead.

Let me show you just one of them .....


 
 
This cute box is one of the items we're making at my annual Santa's Workshop class.  It is decorated with the Candlelight Christmas DSP, which you can find on page 4 of the Holiday catalog.  The bow is also made with DSP. 
 
Check your email later today for an instruction sheet on how to create a fun bow using double sided paper.  It is easy and fun.. you'll love it! 
 
 
Sorry this is such a short post, but I've got cookies in the oven that need my attention right NOW!
 
Happy stamping!
Susan

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Cool and Cute

Hello Stampers and happy Wednesday!

Today is the last day of the Online Extravaganza and I hope you took advantage of some of the great price reductions on some fun stampin' stuff.  If not, you still have until midnight tonight ... really 11pm our time... (11-28-12) to put your order in.  If you want to, you can call or email me with your order until 8pm.  Then I'll submit all of the orders together so that you won't each pay the $6.95 minimum shipping charge. 

I'm sure you've noticed how cold it has become the last few days.  We went out grocery shopping last night and we needed our heavy coats and hoods to keep from freezing.  I wonder if there's any snow in store for us this winter.   I've always thought of myself as a summertime girl, but for someone who loves the warmth and sunshine, it seems a little strange to admit that I get a little snow-crazy in winter.  Do you love snow like I do... from inside a warm house?  It's just so pretty!  I have no desire to build a snowman or shovel a sidewalk, although in the big snow of 2008 I did get out and shovel the driveway.  I guess that's what "cabin fever" will do to a person who's not accustomed to being house-bound.

For all you snow-lovers out there, here's a card that might float your boat...



If you are one of those procrastinating types and haven't started your cards yet, this would be a super-easy and quick card to produce in quantity.  This card is the work of talented demonstrator Sharon Dungan of Crestwood Kentucky and I received it in a swap at the Stampin'Up! convention last July.

Here's a quick list of what Sharon used to make this fun card:

Stamps:  Frosty Friends (page 9 of the Holiday catalog)
               Petite Pairs ( for the greeting, page 134 of the Annual catalog)
Ink:  Jet Black Staz-On
Paper:  Pacific Point and Whisper White card stock
Accessories:  Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Assorted markers, Two-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Glue Dots, Real Red Stitched Grosgrain ribbon.

She stamped the greeting first, then applied the two-way glue in a zig-zag motion over the bottom half of the card, going right over the greeting.  Even thought there's glitter on top of the sentiment, it can still be seen.  She also added touches of the Two-Way glue pen on the snowmen and then added glitter to them as well, for a sparkly shiny snowy card. 

I'm going to run now and I'm sure you have things you need to get done as well.  Let's meet back here on Friday for another Classic Card, OK? 
See you then!
Susan

Monday, November 26, 2012

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Hello Stamping People!  Happy Monday!

Thanks for coming back for a visit after the Thanksgiving weekend. And what a weekend it was!  With 10 people in the house, the dishwasher and the washer and dryer were in constant motion... not to mention the mom and grandma (that would be me).  I was in constant motion too and now I'm ready to just sit in a corner and read or maybe zone out in front of the television watching sappy holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel.  But it is Monday and the start of a busy week, so I don't think I'll be doing either of those things. 

During a brief break in the rain, we took the kiddos out for a short walk on my favorite walking path that goes through a forested area and I suddenly realized that we're really into wintery weather.  It's time to look through the closets and drawers and finds those hats, gloves, and scarves because.... BRRRR!  It's cold out there! 

If you're thinking I might be showing you a BRRR-ish card today, you are absolutely correct.  Check this one out.



I thought you might want to get busy and make a few cards like this, place them in one of the easy card boxes that we've made at several of my events, and then give them as a great Christmas gift.  We all need thank-you notes after Christmas, so we can take care of thanking all of the people who remembered us with thoughtful and generous gifts, not to mention the hosts and hostesses who entertained us at holiday parties, and the nice neighbors who brought over a plate of cookies and fudge.

This card is super-easy to make, as it primarily uses just one stamp... the new Bold Snowflake stamp that's being offered as a single stamp for a limited time.  The item number for this great snowflake is 132338 and it sells for only $5.95 through January 2nd.  What a great price for such a versatile stamp!  It would also make a great Christmas card or New Year's card.  And another great thing about this super snowflake is that it coordinates with the Blossom Punch (#125603, 16.95) found on page 185 of the annual catalog.  For the sentiment, I used Sassy Salutations (#126317, 17.95) on page 143 of the annual catalog.  I just love that fun font, don't you?  The colors of ink I used were Baja Breeze and Marina Mist.

For a little extra pizzazz, I textured the Baja Breeze background with the Square Lattice embossing folder, then added a strip of the ultra-sparkly Silver Glimmer Paper (#124005, 4.95, p. 160), and topped it off with a snowflake punched out with the Blossom Punch. The Basic Rhinestone (#119246, 4.95)  added to the center of the snowflake adds a bit more frosty shine. The snowflake panel and the punched out snowflake were given extra sparkle with a spritz of Frost White Shimmer Paint (#116854, 5.95)  mixed with a little rubbing alcohol.  Just combine a few drops of paint in a small spray bottle with enough rubbing alcohol bottle to make a milky-looking liquid. Shake well and spray.  The paper will curl slightly when the paint/alcohol mixture hits it, but as the paint dries, the paper will relax and lie flat again.  Hmmm, relax and lie flat.... that sounds kind of good right now, but no naps for me today!  I'm off to Symposium Coffee in Old Town Sherwood for a fun afternoon of stamping with my SOS (Stamp Out Stress) group.  You could join us sometime!  It is only $3 for two cards plus envelopes... what a deal!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I'll look forward to seeing you again on Wednesday!
Susan

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Magic of Papercrafting

Hello Stampers and welcome to Wednesday!

Oh my goodness... here it is the day before Thanksgiving and if you're like me, you have a to-do list that's grown to a frightening length!  Last night before I went to bed, I wrote down everything that I need to get done today.  I find that when I have a lot to do, that really helps me sleep.  Then I don't lie there going over and over everything in my mind.  If you're one who has trouble sleeping, try it.  Making a list might help you as well.

As I mentioned on Monday, I thought I'd show you the ornaments we made at Ornament Class #1 last Saturday.  I was a bit concerned about leading 12 people through the multiple steps involved in making the Christmas ornament that is shown on the front cover of the Holiday catalog, but my customers are so crafty that they took to ornament-making like ducks to water.  They came, they cut, they scored, they glued, they assembled, they hot-glued and in no time at all, everyone had crafted a gorgeous ornament.

Take a look at some of their creations...


 
 
 
 
 
Aren't these great?  I won't show you all twelve, but I'm sure you can see that they turned out beautifully!  These will make a wonderful tie-on for a special package, and of course they'd also look great on a Christmas tree, but I think they'd also make a wonderful "neighbor" gift or a gift for a co-worker.  Once you've made one, you'll see how easy they are. 
 
If you'd like to make an ornament like this, sign up for my Ornament Class #2, coming up on Saturday, December 8th at 1 pm at my house in Sherwood.  Send me a quick email at sjrstamps@gmail.com or give me a call.  My contact info is shown at the top of my blog page.  After you've enjoyed an afternoon of paper-crafting, cookies, hot cider, holiday music, and door prizes, I promise you'll go home with not only a beautiful ornament, but also a happy holiday mood!
I hope you'll come and join the fun!  The cost is only $10, or free with a $30 purchase.
 
Well, friends, I'm off to tackle that list now!  I hope you'll accomplish your list in record time and have a bit of time to relax tonight before the big day tomorrow.  We'll have a house-full, but thankfully the adults still outnumber the children so there's a good chance we'll all survive.
 
I'm thankful for YOU, my wonderful customers and blog readers!  May you have a great Thanksgiving Day tomorrow!
Hugs,
Susan

 

Monday, November 19, 2012

A Patchwork Christmas

Hello Stampers and happy Monday! 

Well, wasn't that a wet and windy weekend?  A couple of times a gust of wind hit my stamp room window with such force that the window rattled and shook.  Yikes!   But as I've said before, it's good stamping weather!  I had a lot of fun with the stampers at my ornament class on Saturday and again on Sunday with a group from Hillsboro/Beaverton.  I'm happy to be so busy!

Speaking of the ornament class... I'm thinking there may be more people who'd like to learn how to make the ornament on the front cover of the Holiday catalog, so I'm adding another class, which will be on Sunday, December 9th at 2pm.  Just send me a quick email and I'll save a spot for you.  The cost is only $10 or free with a $30 purchase.  The ornaments turned out great on Saturday!  Everyone's was a little different, due to the different colors of DSP used, but all were beautiful.  I'll show you those later in the week.  The process is not complicated and once you make one, you'll want to go home and make a bunch.  They make gorgeous tie-ons for packages and would also be a great gift for neighbors, co-workers, and people you like to remember with "a little something."

Well, let's get to the card I have for you today, shall we?   Check it out right now...



This great card is the work of Shannon Carrier, one of the talented demonstrators who attends our monthly Stamp2gether meetings.  I love how the ornament looks like a patchwork quilt.  Here is a list of the supplies used to create this fun card:

Stamps:  Sassy Salutations
Ink:  Early Espresso
Paper:  Champagne Glimmer paper ( p. 18 of the Holiday Catalog)
            Snow Festival Designer Paper ( p. 10 of the Holiday Catalog)
            Cherry Cobbler Card Stock
            Soft Suede Card Stock
Accessories:   Holiday Ornament Framelits  ( p. 3 of Holiday Catalog)

This technique is great for using up small strips and scraps of DSP, so don't ever throw any of it away. Start by glueing a strip of the DSP diagonally, then randomly add other strips (you can vary the width of the strips), butting the strips tightly together.  I think it might be easiest to work with a 5 1/2 by 4 1/4 inch piece of card stock, which will easily fit into the Big Shot.  Once you have the whole sheet covered, then you can cut out several ornaments out of the same piece of paper, using the round ornament framelit in the Holiday Ornaments Framelit set.  I love the Sassy Salutations set... what a fun and contemporary font!  The Champagne Glimmer paper gives just the right amount of shimmer and shine. 

Don't forget the great Online Extravaganza sale that starts today (actually, it started last night at midnight) and runs through November 28th.  For every $25 you spend on the Online Extravaganza, I will enter your name into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate.  To shop, go to my business site at www.susanrodgers.stampinup.net.  You can also click on the shop now button at the top of my blog.  Over the weekend I emailed you a flyer showing all of the discounted products... there are some fabulous bargains!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope your happy Monday will be just the start of a great week for you. 
Hugs,
Susan



    

Friday, November 16, 2012

The Last of the Leaves

Hello stampin' people!

Happy Friday and welcome to the (almost!) weekend.  Wasn't yesterday just the most glorious sunny day?  I had planned to stay home all day and work on many different stamping projects, including my upcoming Santa's Workshop class and a couple of stamping parties, but it was such a pretty day that I just couldn't bring myself to stay indoors all day.  I played hookey in the afternoon, but by evening I was back at work.  I hope that you had a chance to get outdoors as well. 

Yard Man has now filled 17 large black bags with leaves and is looking forward to dumping them on Saturday at our town's leaf dispoal event.  I think we've almost seen the last of the leaves, and you who read my blog are about to see the last of the leaves here as well, as it is time to turn from fall and embrace the wintery look with cards that feature snowy scenes, bare trees, snowmen, and all things Christmasy.  Just so we don't become bored with winter, I'll throw a birthday card, a baby card, and other assorted cards into the mix occasionally. 

So for today, here's one of my "last of the leaves" cards for you...




I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that this is another Hilton Head swap.  I love the bright saturated colors and the way that the maple leaft was crumpled and sponged to make it look more realistic.   This pretty card was created by Cat Power, a demonstrator from New York. 
Here's a quick list of the products, in case you'd like to copy this card.

Stamps:  Day of Gratitude
              Gently Falling
Ink:  Cajun Craze
         More Mustard
         Cherry Cobbler
         Early Espresso
Paper:  More Mustard, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Autumn Accents Die for the Big Shot
                      Stitched Satin ribbon in Midnight Muse

Stay tuned to your email inbox, as Stampin'Up! will be announcing the details of their Online Extravaganza to demonstrators today, with discounts up to 50%.  As soon as I have the details, I'll send you a quick email so you can take advantage of some great savings. 

Thanks for being my customers and blog readers and sharing this Stampin'Up! journey with me.  All of you are greatly appreciated.
Hugs,
Susan


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

For the Troops, part 2

Hello stampers and welcome back to the Classic Card!

On Monday I spent a little over four hours at Curves in Sherwood, teaching the ladies how to make cards.  I'm grateful to everyone who stopped by my table and took a few minutes out of their busy day to make a card for our troops overseas.  We made a total of 35 cards and while that might not seem like a big thing, it will definitely make a difference to a solider who is able to send a card home to his/her spouse or child. And think of how that card will be treasured by the wife, husband, or child who receives it. 

As promised, here are the three cards we made that day.  I won't apologize that they aren't the most thrilling designs I've ever done.  I deliberately kept them very simple as I realized that many of the ladies have never stamped before. Also, most people who work out at Curves are on the run, literally.
They have a small window of time for their workout and then they need to return to work, pick up a child from school, etc.  So I knew that the cards would need to be not only simple to stamp, but very quick to assemble.  Take a look...




These are the three most-requested types of cards--- Love You, Miss You, and Happy Birthday.  The birthday card is pretty much gender-neutral, as is the Miss You card.  I admit that the Melon Mambo and Tangerine Tango "love you" card is pretty girly.  No one in their right mind would ever send a card like that to a guy.  Each of these cards is easily stamped and assembled in under 5 minutes, so that's a real plus for people like us who tend to over-schedule ourselves. 

Thank you, Curves friends, for your time and willingness to thank our troops in this important way. I would especially like to thank Cheri, Kelsey, Carol, and Leslie, some of my stampin' "regulars" who took time out of their day to make several cards with me.  You are the best!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Be sure to come back on Friday when I'll have another card for you.
Susan

Monday, November 12, 2012

For Our Troops

Hello Stampers and happy Monday!

I hope your weekend was more relaxing than mine!  Oh, yes, I had a lot of fun stamping with some very nice ladies on Saturday and Sunday, but now that Monday is here, I feel like I'd like to stay in my jammies all day and read.  However, I'm not going to be doing that!  I'm well aware that the official Veteran's Day was yesterday, but today is the day that I'm doing my "For Our Troops" event at my local Curves (in Sherwood, Oregon).  If our troops regularly put their lives on the line for us, I think the least we can do is to get up, dress up, and show up to do something for them. 

So today, from 9 am to noon, I will be at Curves in Sherwood, helping the generous and loving ladies there make cards for our troops.  We have three different cards we'll be making and I'm sorry to say that you'll have to wait until Wednesday to see them, as I left my display board at Curves in hopes that more people will join us when they see these fun cards.  One is a birthday card, one is a "love you" card and the third one is a "miss you" card.  These are the three most-requested types of cards.

Here's how it works.  After we create the cards, we'll package them up (along with an envelope) in a clear cello bag and we'll send them to an organization called From Our Hearts.  The Stampin'Up! demonstrators who run it have military contacts in Afghanistan and Iraq and they send the cards to the Chaplains of various units.  Then when a soldier wants to send a card home to his wife, son, daughter, mom, dad, etc., he or she can look through the cards and pick one to send.  This is a great morale booster, knowing that a loved-one will be receiving a hand-stamped card. 

If you have any cards you'd like to contribute to the troops, please bring them the next time you come to one of my classes, events, or parties.  I'd be happy to send them on to From Our Hearts.

I know I cannot get away with a post that doesn't show a card... that would be just so, so WRONG!  I hope this card will provide a little inspiration to get you going on a rainy Monday---


 

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, my time to show you leafy fall cards is limited.  So in the next few days, I'll be finishing up with fall and we'll move into more holiday cards.  Believe it or not, this is another swap card I received on the Hilton Head trip.  Let me give you some info on the products used to create it.  First and foremost, the name of the demonstrator who made this pretty card is Janice Urke.  She didn't print a "recipe" on the back, so I'll do my best to list the products.
Stamp Sets:
                  Gently Falling
                  Itty Bitty Banners
Ink:  More Mustard, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, and More Mustard card stock
Extras:  Comfort Cafe Designer Paper, Scallop Border punch, Bitty Banners Framelit Dies, Argyle Embossing Folder, Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Regals Brads, Dimensionals

I must run now, stampers, but before I do I want to remind you to come back on Wednesday for more classic cards.  Thanks for visiting me today!
Susan

Friday, November 9, 2012

A Cup of Comfort

Hello stamping friends and welcome back!

 Hurray for Friday and the upcoming weekend! I've got a whole lotta stampin' going on and I hope you have some fun things on your horizon as well!

Have you noticed how the weather has turned a bit colder lately?  Yard Man has coiled and stowed the hoses and covered the faucets with those styrofoam covers, but he still needs to close all the vents under the house... then we'll be all buttoned up for the coming winter.  Once old man winter arrives, one of my favorite things to do is to stay in my jammies a little longer than usual and drink hot cocoa while gazing out at a frosty wintery scene, and if that scene includes falling snow, well then that makes it perfect!  Are you a snow fanatic like me?  I fondly remember "snow days" when I was working in school libraries and how exciting it was to have a whole day off just to putter around the house, make cookies with the girls, and just generally slow down.  We could all use a few more days like that!  Well, we're not quite to snow season yet, but we could break out the hot cocoa, couldn't we?  Here, take a look at this and maybe you'll get in a hot cocoa mood...



This fun card was cased from fellow demonstrator Kathy Milano.  I changed the colors, but the idea and the layout are hers.  If you'd like to make this cute and Christmasy card, all you need to do is come to Kelsey's stamping party this Saturday at my house, as this is one of the cards we'll be making.

Here's a quick list of the "ingredients."

Stamps:  Scentsational Season
               Greetings of the Season  (both sets are in the Holiday catalog)
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green
Paper:  Whisper White and Gumball Green card stock
           Designer paper is Be of Good Cheer ( in the annual catalog)
           Silver Glimmer Paper ( for the snowflake)
Accessories:  Snow Flurry Bigz Die for the Big Shot (Holiday catalog)
                       Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder  (annual catalog)
                       Holiday Collection Framelits (Holiday catalog) to cut out the mug and "steam"

I'd love to stay and chat some more, but must run now, as I have about a ba-jillion things to do today.
Have a great weekend, everyone, and don't forget to come back on Monday!
Hugs,
Susan



Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Pale Blue Dot

Hello Stampers and Happy Wednesday!

When I first saw today's card, I knew I had to re-create it for you!  It is the work of super-stamper and fellow demonstrator Debbie McNeill.  I love its simplicity and also its message.  Check it out right now...



Isn't that just a great card?  Thanks go to Debbie for sharing it with me! The earth (from the stamp set The Open Sea, p. 104 of the Annual catalog), stamped in Baja Breeze reminded me of noted astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan's well-known comments on photos of the earth taken from deep space.  In case you aren't familiar with his book Pale Blue Dot here is an excerpt:

"We succeeded in taking that picture from deep space and, if you look at it, you see a dot.  That's here. That's home. That's us.  On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives.  The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.
The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.  Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.  Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot.  How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.  Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe are challenged by this point of pale light.  Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.  In our obscurity-- in all this vastness-- there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.  It is up to us.  To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.  To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." 

I'm writing this on Tuesday afternoon and I've purposely tuned out election returns so I have no idea who is ahead or behind, but I'll just say that if you find yourself on the losing side of things, take heart.  Because if you give the state of our world any serious thought, you'll realize that we're all pretty much losers.  Until we can suspend our proud, self-satisfied, and judgemental views and take action for the good of all, until no children go hungry, until no young women are forced into the sex trade, until we can learn to use our brains instead of guns to solve problems, until we can learn to put people before profits, until we can respect the earth, and the issues go on and on ... yep... we're all losers.  So we've all got a LOT of company and no one needs to feel left out today!

OK,stampers, I'll get down off my soapbox now and get back to stamping--- a very teensy, weensy
thing that happens on the pale blue dot, but one that gives joy and happiness. 

Don't forget to come back on Friday for another classic card.
Susan

Monday, November 5, 2012

Super Simple Sympathy


Hello there stamping friends!
Happy Monday to all!

I have a very quick post for you today, as I'm running in all directions like a chicken with its head cut off.  Well, maybe not quite that frantically, but almost!  Why did I ever think retirement would be relaxing?  Silly me!

I had a great weekend and got to stamp with 10 fun stampers on Saturday at my Soup-er Saturday class.  Then I had more fun on Sunday with a great group of 12 stampers, mostly from the Hillsboro area.  We did a lot of stamping and laughing!  And since laughter is supposed to be healthy, I'm sure we're all healthier today than we were yesterday... a great side benefit of stamping!

Today's card is one of those cards that is so simple, yet so pretty.  I received a similar card at convention made by "jillibling" (don't have her full name) and thought it would make a perfect sympathy card, so I just changed the sentiment and here it is...




We made this card at a recent party, but for most of you, this will be something new.
The base of the card is Very Vanilla, embossed with the new Lacy Brocade embossing folder that's in the Holiday catalog.   The stamped panel is first stamped with the Hello Doily background stamp (p. 129) in Crumb Cake and then the Flowering Flouishes stamp (p. 121)  is stamped over it in Early Espresso.

The sentiment is from Loving Thoughts (p. 136) and it is also stamped in Early Espresso. Then I just added a pearl on three of the flowers for a bit of dimension.  This whole card can be done, start to finish in under 10 minutes... a lot less time than it would take to drive to the store and pick out a card.
And you get to have the fun of being creative!

My suggestion is to pull out some stamps and stamp up a few sympathy cards in advance.  Then when you need one, you'll be able to quickly get it in the mail.  I've got to run now, so I'll look forward to seeing you again on Wednesday, when I'll have more stamping inspiration for you. 
Thanks for stopping by today!  I appreciate all of you, my faithful readers!
Hugs,
Susan 

Friday, November 2, 2012

Stand up and say "Happy Birthday!"

Hi there, stampers!  Yippee, it's Friday again and that means the weekend is almost here!

And what a weekend I have planned....packed with stamping on Saturday AND Sunday!  But that's the way I like my weekends to look, so that makes me happy.  I'm hoping that you've got some fun things planned as well.

Today turned out to be my day to babysit the adorable Miss Allie, so this post is going to be super quick!  This fun stand-up card is something I don't think we've made at any of my parties or classes, but if you'd like to learn how, I'd love to teach you.  It really isn't as complicated as it looks.  One of my demonstrator friends, Shannon Carrier, showed us how to make this at one of our Stamp2gethers, where demonstrators get together to share business tips, stamping ideas, and mutual support.  We all made one as a make-and-take so we'd have an example to show our customers.  Here it is...




Isn't this just great? Believe it or not, this little beauty folds flat so you can stick it into an envelope and mail it.  The directions are a little too complicated to go into here, but I'd be happy to include this as one of the projects at your Stampin'Up! party. Just give me a call or send me an email and we'll get a date on my calendar.  It isn't too early to book a party for Sale-a-bration... that wonderful time of year when you get a free stamp set for every $50 you spend (this year it starts on January 22nd and goes until March 22nd).  The paper is from Floral District (it's on page 163 of the Annual Catalog).  The base of the card is Tangerine Tango and the ribbon is Lucky Limeaid (page 172 of the Annual Catalog).  Floral District is one of my favorite designer papers in the big catalog... just love its cheerful saturated colors that bring to mind sunny skies and summer days (remember those?)  The sentiment is from a great hostess-only set called Wacky Wishes ( p. 204) and the flowers are from Bordering on Romance (page 120).

Thanks for stopping in today.  Thank you for being my faithful readers and my loyal customers!  I
appreciate each one of you.  Have a relaxing weekend everyone!
Hugs,
Susan