Rain, rain, go away!

Happy Wednesday, stampin' peeps!

Are you one of those Oregonians who love the rain?   After living here for almost 23 years, I have to say that I don't mind it as much as I did at first, but the words "love" and "rain" have never been spoken in the same sentence... at least not by me.

The famous poet Langston Hughes wrote these lines,,,
 
   The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
   The rain makes running pools in the gutter
   The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
   And I love the rain.

So maybe if you think of the rain as playing a little "sleep song" on the roof, perhaps that will help you feel more positive about the rain.  It's worth a try!  Here's another thought I had about making rainy days more fun--- get a bright, cheery, FUN umbrella.  I know, I know... real Oregonians don't use umbrellas.  I'm OK with that.  Since I'm not a real Oregonian anyway, I guess I can get a neon pink umbrella and maybe even twirl it around as I sing loudly about how much I love rain.  Or maybe not.

Speaking of bright and cheery umbrellas, check this out!

This fun card was made with the new Rain or Shine stamp set (page 30 of the Spring catalog).  I used the 2011-2013 In Colors Calypso Coral, Pool Party, and Wisteria Wonder. You could jazz this card up with some rhinestones on the top of the umbrellas and perhaps a bow tied on to the ribbon.  The downside to jazzing it up would be two lumps and a bump which makes mailing the card a bit iffy.  If you don't have to mail it, those would be great additions.  These great colors are going away at the end of May, so let's enjoy them for a few more months before we are forced to say a fond farewell.  Since Stampin'Up! will give you a free Sale-a-bration item for every $50 you spend until March 22nd when Sale-a-bration ends, why not stock up on these beautiful colors and get a supply of ink, card stock, ink refills, brads, ribbon, and Designer Paper before they are gone forever?  You'll be rewarded with some great  freebies of your choice from the Sale-a-bration brochure.

We'll be making this cute card at Leslie's party this Friday, February 1st at 6:30 pm at my house.  If you'd like to attend, email me (my contact info is shown on my blog header). We'll serve you a yummy pizza and salad dinner and since it is Leslie's birthday there'll also be a decadent chocolate cake to help her celebrate.
What a fun way to start the weekend!

I must run along now, as I have lots of little "to-do's" on my list today.  Please come back for another visit on Friday when I'll have another classic card for you.  Thanks for stopping in today!

Hugs,
Susan

A Heart-y Happy Monday to You!

Hello my stamping friends!  It's Monday here at The Classic Card, and I'm gearing up for a busy week.
How about you... do you have a lot on your "to do" list this week like I do??   I will be busy getting all of my ducks lined up in a nice neat row, as there's a lot of stamping going on here now that it is Sale-a-bration!

On the last Monday of each month at 1 pm I meet for a "crafternoon" stamping session with a nice group of ladies at the Symposium Coffee House in Old Town Sherwood.  Symposium is in an old house and the upstairs rooms are available for meetings.  We meet in the conference room, which is the largest upstairs room and you'll not only enjoy chatting and drinking coffee, but you'll go home with 2 cards and envelopes for only $3 total.  The Symposium people appreciate it very much  if we purchase a coffee, tea, or other beverage since they allow us to use the room free of charge.  It is a warm and friendly way to spend a cold and gray afternoon and we're usually finished around 2:30.

If you'd like to join us next month, just send me a quick email and I'll add your name to the list.  Here's the cute Valentine we're making today...

The card starts out as a folded piece of white card stock and then it's cut with the Scallop Square Bigz Clear die (page 192 of the annual catalog) and embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder (page 189 of the annual catalog).  Then I just layered on some Real Red card stock and another smaller piece of white card stock which I stamped all over with hearts from the Hearts Aflutter set (page 11 of the Spring catalog).
The teeny tiny heart is from another set, Lovely Little Labels (page 105 of the annual catalog). The colors I used to stamp the hearts are Real Red, Pretty in Pink and Wisteria Wonder.  The sentiment is from the Delightful Dozen set of sayings (page 140 of the annual catalog) and I stamped it in Real Red and punched it out with the Scallop Oval punch (page 184 of the annual catalog).  It's a quick, simple, and classic Valentine and would be perfect for just about anyone.  If you wanted to give it a more masculine look, you could change out the pink and use Crumb Cake instead and maybe take away the Wisteria Wonder and add Early Espresso.  When you're stamping randomly like this, there's almost no way to make a mistake, which is a happy thing indeed!

Must run now, but I so appreciate your stopping by The Classic Card today.  I hope your Monday will glide by smoothly and that your whole week will be great.  Please come back on Wednesday when I'll have another classic card for you!

Hugs,
Susan

Blue on Blue

Hello there stampers and a happy Friday to you!

I'm feeling a little blue that our sunshine has disappeared and that we're back to rain again.  But I'm so busy getting ready for all sorts of Sale-a-bration events that I really don't have time to dwell on the gloomy gray just outside my window.  Maybe if we all ignore it, it will just go away.

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again.  I'm just not a blue person.  I know it sounds almost un-American to say that I'm not a fan of blue.  I know that lots of you say that blue is your favorite color.  I'm sorry, but blue just doesn't do it for me.  Every once in a while, though, I'll go over to the blue side and that's what I've done today.

When I saw this new Sycamore Street designer paper in the Sale-a-bration brochure, I could see that it was going to be a very popular paper assortment, because it has something for everyone.  There are bold graphic patterns, smaller flowery patterns, as well as vintage-y prints.  The tile pattern that I used on today's card really caught my eye.  I've seen lots of this pattern in rugs, pillows, and other home furnishings, so I guess I'm not surprised that it showed up in Stampin'Up!'s designer paper as well.  Here, take a look...

I know... I used the Bloomin' Marvelous set again.  I promise I'll switch to a different set in my next post, but I'm really liking this set!  The colors here are Island Indigo, Whisper White, Lucky Limeaid, and Basic Black for the sentiment.  I hate to remind you, but Island Indigo and Lucky Limeaid will G-O-N-E after May 31st.  Won't that be a tragedy?!

Maybe it would be a good idea to stock up on these retiring In-Colors during Sale-a-bration, when you can get some free goodies!  You'll need a stamp pad, a refill (or two) and some card stock... one or two packages.  Then your mind will be at ease, knowing that you can stamp far into the future with these fabulous colors.

You may have forgotten how to get two or maybe three colors out of each of your stamp pads.  The answer is just to stamp without re-inking in between.  The darkest blue is the first impression using Island Indigo.  The lighter flower is the second impression, and I could have done one more, for a very very light shade of Island Indigo.  I forget to do this myself, but it does make each of your stamp pads so much more versatile.

I could have added ribbon, brads, pearls, or rhinestones to this card, but I didn't.  In the true spirit of "clean and simple," I left them off, which makes this card super mailable.  There'll be no shredded envelope here, due to getting a bump (a pearl) or a lump (knotted ribbon) caught in the postal equipment.

I've still got room for you in my Open House this Saturday, January 26th.  The morning session goes from 10:30 to 12:30 and the afternoon session starts at 1:30 and ends at 3:30.  There'll be great cards, great food, fun door prizes and good company--- the perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday morning or afternoon! Oh, and it's free!

Hope you all have some plans for the weekend!  We all owe it to ourselves to have a little fun!
Thanks for stopping by today and I'll see you back here on Monday!
Hugs,
Susan

Bloomin' Marvelous

Hello stampin' people and welcome to Wednesday at The Classic Card!

"Bloomin' marvelous" could describe a lot of things... like the great sunshine we've been enjoying lately! It could also describe my feelings now that Sale-a-bration is finally here!  It might describe your feelings after you host a Sale-a-bration stamping party and see all of the free goodies you got for hosting!  Oh, and it's also the name of one of my favorite Sale-a-bration stamp sets that you can get free with a $50 purchase.

The images are great, but the sayings in this set are even better!  In addition to "bloomin' marvelous," you also get " so glad we're here for each other," "oh happy day," and "miracles happen."  These are sayings that work for non-occasions... just to let a friend know you're thinking of her or that you are happy to hear her good news. Remember, you can send cards any old time... not just for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas.  And really, an unexpected card is almost better than one you know you'll receive, such as a birthday card.

I posted a card using this set on my Facebook page today and now here's another one using the Bloomin' Marvelous set....

This card was super-fast and super-simple to create, using punches.  I stamped each of the 4 images in the set on scrap paper, then punched them out with the 1 1/4 inch square punch.  Then I adhered each image to matching card stock punched with the Scallop Square punch (page 183 of the annual catalog). The ink colors are Soft Suede for the hummingbird, Lucky Limeaid for the leaves, Daffodil Delight for the butterfly, and Regal Rose for the flower.  I embossed the white mat with the Fancy Fan embossing folder and adhered it to a Daffodil Delight square, then adhered the whole thing to a Regal Rose card.  The button is threaded with Daffodil Delight seam binding and adhered to the center of the card with glue dots.  The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso.

What a day-brightener this would make for a friend and it took under 10 minutes to make... maybe more like 5 minutes!  I hope you'll be able to attend one or more of the many stamping events that I'll be hosting now that Sale-a-bration is finally here.  Now's the time to stock up on adhesives, card stock, and other consumable supplies and get a free stamp set.  Now wouldn't that be bloomin' marvelous?

Thanks for visiting today and don't forget to come back on Friday when I'll have another classic card for you!
Hugs,
Susan

A Ton of Cute...

Hello and Happy Monday to all of you stampers out there!

Did you enjoy the sunny (but cold) weekend?  I was surprised to find out that Sherwood is in a bit of a sun-belt, compared to Wilsonville and some of the surrounding areas.  On Saturday, I left Sherwood to make a Costco run to Wilsonville.  It was sunny here with blue skies, but when I went "over the hill" it was like entering an alternate reality.  It was completely fogged in with a freezing fog... not one bit of blue sky, not one bit of sun and every tree, branch, twig, and blade of grass was frosted in white.  The trees in the parking lot looked like they were blooming with white flowers, but it was just the heavy frost.  The tall Douglas firs looked white enough to make me wonder if it had snowed. It was really quite beautiful.  When I returned home, it was back into the sunshine again.  Weird!

Here's a cute card to get your week started off on the right foot.... a ton of cute to be exact.  Take a peek...

I made this fun card at a demonstrator event I attended recently. It combines two great stamp sets from the new Spring Mini catalog  "Oh, Whale" (page 29) and "Rain or Shine" (page 30).  The colors are Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Bashful Blue, Lucky Limeaid, and Whisper White.  The yellow square was made by inking up a clear block directly on the Daffodil Delight stamp pad and then stamping on the card front.  Check out the "Oh, Whale" set in your Spring catalog and see all of the fun accessory stamps you get with Ms. Whale.

The "Rain or Shine" set is a must for anyone living in the rainy state of Oregon.  It has been said that true Oregonians don't use umbrellas and that seems to be mostly true when it is just the usual light drizzle.  However, I've seen plenty of people using umbrellas in a downpour... otherwise a person could be soaked to the skin in under a minute.  Take a look at the "Rain or Shine" set and let me know what you think.  It has three different umbrellas, two different handles and the sayings "Bridal Shower," "Baby shower," and "Thoughts of you, rain or shine."  It can be raining drops, like it is on this card, or it can be raining hearts... fun!

I've got another busy week ahead.... this time getting ready for my Sale-a-bration Open House on Saturday, January 26th.  I've got room in both the morning session (10:30 to 12:30) and in the afternoon session (1:30-3:30), so if you'd like to attend, just send me a quick email.  You'll make two springtime cards and I'm feeding you some new and different treats as well.  Oh, and there'll be extra door prizes at each session too. This event is free, so RSVP to me at sjrstamps@gmail.com  right now while you're thinking of it.  You will have fun, I promise!                                      

Have a great Monday and a happy week!  Please come back for another visit on Wednesday!
Hugs,
Susan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Sisters

Hi there stamping friends!

Are you happy we've finally reached Friday?  It's been quite a week around here and I'm glad the weekend is in sight. Wasn't yesterday's sunshine just glorious?  I loved every minute of it!  Oh, and I'm soooo excited to get back to stamping with you on Sunday at my Valentine-making event, the Heart-y Party.  The cards are designed, the paper is cut, the card stock is scored and folded, and the ribbon is ready to go too!  We're going to stamp, eat chocolate, chat, laugh, enjoy some treats, and stamp some more!  It's going to be one fun afternoon!

Are you one of those women who is lucky enough to have a sister?  If so, you will enjoy today's card.  If you don't have a sister, you can still enjoy today's card.... just change the word "sister" to read daughter, niece, or granddaughter.  Having a sister is a special blessing, especially when you are older.  I can remember days when I wasn't thrilled to have a sister.  I once put a line of masking tape down the center of the floor of our shared bedroom and told my sister to keep all her junk on her side.  Since that day, I'm happy to report that my "people skills" have improved. While my own daughters didn't do a lot of fighting,  there's a certain amount of drama that goes on with two teenage girls under one roof.  Thankfully, those days don't last long.  I can remember telling my girls "Someday you'll be best friends," and getting the eye roll and a pitying look that said I was lacking in intelligence.  But today they are the best of friends and I'm so glad they have each other.  No one understands you quite like a sister!  Why not pull out your stamping stuff and surprise your sister with a cute card like this?

I made this fun card at the demonstrator event that I've mentioned in earlier posts.  Isn't that dress form with the pretty pink dress the best?  There's a whole collection of "dress-up" goodies on page 32 of the Spring catalog.  There's a dress form pop-up die, some framelits that cut the form and 2 dresses, plus a stamp set.  To create this card, you just need the Framelit Dies.

The dress form was cut from Basic Black card stock.  The dress is Melon Mambo and the skirt is embossed  with the Lacy Brocade embossing folder.  The flowers at the waist of the dress were punched from silver glimmer paper with the flower from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (p. 183 of the Annual catalog). The card base is Pretty in Pink, layered onto Basic Black.  The "sister" sentiment is from the Family Reunion stamp set (page 138 of the Annual catalog). I stamped it in Basic Black, punched it out with the 1 1/4 inch scallop circle punch and then popped up on a Melon Mambo circle punched with the 1 3/8 inch circle punch.  Some  Basic Black Scallop Dots ribbon (page 172 of the Annual catalog) adds the perfect finishing touch.

I've got a lot of things on my list today, so I'd better get busy!  I hope your Friday will just fly by and that you'll enjoy a weekend full of relaxation, family, friends, and sunshine!  Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,
Susan

A Winter Warm-Up...

Hi there!  Welcome to Wednesday at The Classic Card!

Today I've got a treat for you... the recipe for the Lasagna Soup I served at my Soup-er Saturday event.  I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post this.  I appreciate your patience!

Without further ado, here it is! 

Lasagna Soup

Makes 8 cups (obviously, I doubled the recipe for Soup-er Saturday)

1 pound mild Italian sausage (the bulk kind)
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
1 can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (14 -15 oz)
1 cup rotini pasta ( I threw in a little extra)
2 cups baby spinach

Garnishes:
one cup provolone or fresh mozzarella, diced
shredded parmesan and thinly sliced fresh basil, for serving

Brown the sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to break it up into small pieces.  When beginning to brown, add onions and carrots and saute about 3 minutes.  Stir in mushrooms and garlic and saute another 3 minutes.

Add broth and tomatoes (I added extra broth to make it more "soup-y," but if you want a stew-like soup, don't add extra broth) and bring to a boil.  Stir in the pasta (add more if you want) and simmer until the pasta is just cooked.  Add the spinach and cook about 1 minute more, until the spinach is wilted.  Taste and correct the seasonings.  You may want to add some salt and a bit of pepper.

To serve, place some cubed provolone in each bowl, ladle the hot soup over it, and then allow each person to garnish their bowl with the shredded parmesan and fresh basil.  A crusty loaf of garlic french bread is just perfect with this!

This recipe is from Splendid Soups and Spectacular Sides from Cuisine at Home.

OK, now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about card-making!  There's lots of news from Stampin'Up! and I will just briefly mention it here.  First of all, Stampin'Up! is coming out with a special collection of stamps to celebrate their 25th Anniversary.  It's called the "Best of 25 Years."
Each month, beginning right now and going all year, there will be a different theme.  January 2013 is "The Best of Birthdays" and the set features one new image and 5 popular stamp images from the past.  Each set will sell for $14.95.  When you receive your set, peel off the 25-year proof of purchase sticker and place it on your Best of 25 years collector's card (I will have these for you!) When you have 6 stickers, you can send your card in for a free stamp set of your choice valued up to $14.95.  When you collect an additional 6 stickers you can redeem them for another free stamp set ($14.95 or less).  You can see January's Best of Birthdays set on the Stampin'Up! web site www.stampinup.com  Click on the "shop" button at the top of the page and you'll see a menu down the left-hand side.  Choose "Best of 25 Years."

I recently emailed you with two new single stamp assortments that Stampin'Up! just came out with. 
There are some amazing images in these sets... I've got quite a wish list going.  You can check out these new stamps on the Stampin'Up! web site www.stampinup.com  Just click on the "shop" button and when you see the menu on the left-hand side of the page, click on "new arrivals."

The other announcement from Stampin'Up! is that they are coming out with a subscription to a crafting kit each month.  It's called "My Paper Pumpkin."  You are Cinderella, slaving away over a hot stove, or washer and dryer.  Your life is so routine and mundane.  Then along comes your own personal pumpkin ( magic carriage!) and sweeps you into another world...the world of creativity and crafting fun.  For all the details go to www.mypaperpumpkin.com.  Each kit will be different and will be a surprise.  You can try it out for one month if you want.  If your kits start to pile up, you can opt to skip a month or two.  Actually, I think it sounds quite fun, especially if you love surprises. 

Before I leave you, I feel obligated to post a card for you.  After all, I know that's why you come here, so here it is...

 
Isn't this a warm and sunny card?  This is another card I made at the demonstrator event I attended recently. It is supposed to make you feel like you're enjoying a warm, sunny day but it's not working for me! I guess if you really want to warm up, you'll have to try the Lasagna Soup!  This card  features the new stamp sets "Oh, Hello" (page 4 of the Spring catalog) and "Secret Garden" (page 17).

Thanks for stopping by today friends!
Don't forget to come back on Friday for another classic card.
Hugs,
Susan

A Work of Heart

Hello there Stampers! 

Here we are, back at Monday again as the weeks just keep rolling by.  Have you noticed that it is staying light longer these days?  In December it was already fairly dark at 4:30 and now it is light until almost 5 o'clock.  Yes, the days are definitely getting longer and brighter days are ahead.  But until spring arrives, we've got stamping to help us get through these wintery days and I'm very thankful for that!  How lucky we are to have an artistic and creative activity that gives us so much happiness and then allows us to share our art and our heart with others!

I've been busy in my stamp room for the past few days, gearing up for a fun afternoon of Valentine-making next Sunday at 1:30 at my house.  I'm working on getting a head start for Sale-a-bration parties as well, so there's been a whole lotta stamping going on!

The card I'm showing you today was made at a recent event for demonstrators.  I'm not sure who designed the card, but I enjoyed using a lot of new products to re-create it.  Here it is....

  

Let me list some of the NEW goodies used to make this card.  First, the scalloped heart is from the new Specialty DSP called More Amore (page 10 of the new Spring catalog).  You get 2 sheets of hearts that are connected... one sheet of red hearts and one of pink.  Each sheet has 16 hearts and you simply cut them apart.  The reverse side of the hearts is white, so you get three color choices!  The zig-zag patterned DSP is also from the same More Amore collection.  The row of little x's across the bottom was done with the new  Needlepoint Border embossing folder (page 5 of the Spring catalog) .  The Very Vanilla heart was stamped in Pool Party ink with one of the stamps in the new Hearts a Flutter set (page 11 of the Spring catalog), then overstamped in Real Red with the "Be my Valentine" sentiment from the Delightful Dozen set (page 140 of the Annual catalog).  It was punched with the Full Heart punch (page 182 of the Annual catalog).  

The card stock colors are Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals, and Pool Party.

  By changing the colors a bit and subtracting the rhinestone, this could easily be made into a masculine card and by adding some ribbon, lace, and pearls it could become super-feminine.  Why not take a few minutes in the next couple of days and use this basic layout, but change the colors, the DSP, and the accessories and come up with your own "work of heart???   I'd love to see what you come up with!     

I hope your week is off to a smooth start and that you'll make time this week to give yourself a creative break and stamp something pretty!

Hugs,

Susan                          

The best things in life...

Hello Stampers!  Hurray for Friday! 

Friday is definitely one of the best things in life!  Right along with chocolate, caffeine-free Diet Coke, and _________________ (insert your favorite food in the blank).

But as the saying goes, "The best things in life aren't things," and I totally agree with that.  The very best that life offers is so much more important than mere things.  Family, good health, and good friends come to mind.  If we allow them to, "things" can take over our lives.  And I'm not talking about hoarders here.  I'm talking about spending too much time worrying over, working toward, maintaining, cleaning, and keeping track of our things, our possessions.  Almost all of us have too many things and lately I've been working on down-sizing and re-organizing, and getting rid of some of my excess things.  January just seems like the right time to do this annual clean-up and of course all of the stores help us along by having all sorts of organizing and storage "things" on sale. 

I'm sure you're wondering how I'm going to work this into a blog about stamping, but never fear--- I've got a plan.   Just check out the card I have for you today and you'll see how this all comes together.

I just love this new set, called Feel Goods, which you can see on page 21 of the new Spring catalog.  The Designer Paper is called Parker's Patterns and is found on page 20.  I love the colors and patterns in this new paper.  It is bold, bright, and graphic!  The little hot-air balloon in the lower right is from the Collage Curios set, page 24 of the Spring catalog.  I added some of the new Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon for a little extra texture and interest.  The colors of card stock are:  Crumb Cake for the card base, Marina Mist for the
Chevron textured panel, then a panel of Early Espresso behind the Parker's Patterns DSP.  The Very Vanilla panel for the sentiment was cut with the Window Frames Collection Framelits, page 36 of the Spring catalog, was stamped in Early Espresso.  A little sponging in Early Espresso and a few dimensionals give it some "pop."

I hope your weekend will be relaxing and allow you to rest and recharge for another busy week. Don't forget to leave a little time free to be creative.  Art (and yes, stamping is an art!) feeds the soul and makes life so much richer and more enjoyable.

Thank you for stopping by... I appreciate all of you!
Hugs,
Susan

Real Mail

Hi there stampin' peeps!  Hope your Wednesday is off to a good start!

 Well, if Wednesday has not gotten off to a good start, here are some ways to remedy that little problem.  Step one:  take a deep breath and think of all the good in your life.  Most of us are so very fortunate and have so many blessings that it could take a very long time to mentally enumerate them.  Step two:  drink a cup of something hot and comforting.  If you are a java junky, then a good hot cup of strong coffee might just be the reset button that your day needs.  If not, tea or hot chocolate might give you the same little jolt.  Step three:  spread a little kindness around, compliment someone, smile. Step four:  If absolutely necessary, have some chocolate.  By now, you should be feeling a lot better!

One thing that always gives my day a lift is getting real mail, and by that I don't mean bills, although some of them are all too real! No, what I mean is a real communication from a friend or relative... something written especially to me!  Who doesn't love to open the mailbox and find a card or letter?  I've found that if you want to get real mail, then you have to send real mail.  And who is in a better position to send real mail than us, the stampers of the world?  We don't take the easy way out and go with a mass-produced card.  No, we sit down at our stamping table, pull out stamps, paper, and ink and proceed to design and stamp a one-of-kind card which is made specifically for the recipient.  Aren't we awesome???                                            

On Monday, I showed you the amazing Tri-fold Shutter Card that we're going to make at my Heart-y Party on Sunday, January 20th at 1:30 pm at my house.  Today I'm going to show you the other two cards.

This one is an Easel card... very easy to make, but something different from an ordinary card.  This card uses Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler for a crisp and clean look.  The flowery heart is from the "You are Loved" stamp set ( p. 24 of the Annual Catalog).  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and is stamped onto the dotted image in the Four Frames set, ( p. 124 of the Annual Catalog).

This is the masculine card I promised you.  The colors here are Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, and Early Espresso.  Please note that there are no ribbons, buttons, bows, rhinestones, or pearls--- just a bit of baker's twine.  It was super-easy to stamp all of the banners with the new Hearts a Flutter set, then just cut them out with the matching Hearts a Flutter framelit dies.  Both the stamps and the framelits can be found on page 11 of the Spring catalog and of course, you get a price break when you buy the stamps and framelits together in a bundle.   The sentiment is from the set Delightful Dozen ( page 140 of the Annual catalog).

I hope by now you feel inspired to email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com and let me know that you are planning to attend my Heart-y Party on January 20th.  I promise you'll enjoy yourself!  And, as a bonus, you'll have three pieces of  real mail that you can address and stamp and send on their way to a deserving friend or family member.  Who knows, you might even receive some real mail in return!      

I hope to see you on January 20th for some good stamping fun!
Hugs,
Susan                                                                                          

I {heart} Valentine's Day!

Hello stampin' people!

Hope you had a relaxing weekend.  If you are one of my customers who is headed back to work today, I'm sure that this is probably not your favorite day of the week.  When faced with a rainy and gray Monday, I've found that it is best to just jump in and get it over with!  Then when you get home this afternoon, treat yourself to something soothing like a cup of hot tea or a big glass of wine and tell yourself that the worst is over.  Every day after Monday gets a little bit better.... at least that's what I recall from my working days.  Of course now all I do is play in my stamp room and eat bon-bons (I wish!).

Here's a little something that might add a bit of cheer to your day... an amazing-looking Valentine that is really a lot easier to make than it looks.  You can wow people with this and they'll never have to know how easy it was to create.  I don't know about you, but I'm a real Valentine's Day enthusiast.  It might be because red is my all-time favorite color, or maybe it's because there's a lot of yummy treats that seem to surface around Valentine's day--- goodies like chocolate, cupcakes, and other bad-for-you stuff.  But whatever the reason, I just love Valentine's Day and making and sending Valentines is certainly part of the fun.  This old world could use a lot more people spreading love, acceptance, and kindness around, that's for sure.  So do your part and get into the spirit of the day.  Here's the card, officially called a Tri-Fold Shutter Card...

This is what it looks like closed (thank goodness I got a manicure on Thursday!)

And here is what it looks like in all its three-dimensional glory when you open it up.  I used a sheet of 12 x 12 paper to create the base of the card, then embellished it with panels of DSP cut from the Amore Specialty DSP on page 10 of the new Spring catalog.  The sentiments are from the "You are Loved" stamp set on page 24 of the big annual catalog.  Some sparkly red hearts punched from Red Glimmer Paper (page 160) with the Small Heart Punch (page 183) add a bit of bling.  I won't go into the cutting and scoring directions here.... it's a little too complicated to spell out in a blog post.

Don't you know someone (mom, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, niece, neighbor, friend) who'd love receiving an amazing card like this?  This is just one of the cards you'll make at my Heart-y Party on Sunday January 20th at 1:30 at my house.  I'll be showing the other two cards in the next couple of posts, so stay tuned.  If you'd like to join the fun, please respond to the evite that I sent out last week.  As always, space is limited, so let me know asap so I can save a spot at the stamping table for you.  As I mentioned, this is a lot easier to make than it looks.  And you know me, I always pamper you by having everything cut and scored in advance. Oh, and speaking of pampering, you'll be enjoying some of those yummy treats I mentioned earlier as well!

You'll go home with the complete directions so you can make more of these great cards for all sorts of occasions... Mother's Day, Easter, Birthdays, Weddings, etc. As far as cards with "fun folds" go, I don't know of a more impressive card design than this!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  May your Monday glide by quickly and painlessly!  Don't forget to come back on Wednesday when I'll show you another fun Valentine.
Hugs,
Susan

Fresh and New

Hello stampin' friends!  Hurray, it's Friday! 

Are you feeling like you want to get back to stamping?  It seems strange to me that I haven't had a stamping event here since December 9th.  Are you missing stamping too?  Stay tuned to your email inbox... I may have a Valentine party here on January 12th so we can make Valentines ahead of time and be ready when Valentine's Day rolls around on February 14th. 

Today I've got another fresh, spring-like card for you.  I realize that the bitter cold we're experiencing here in the Northwest is anything but spring-like, but in a couple of months, Old Man Winter will loosen his grip on us and until then, we need all of the flowery cards we can get, just to keep our dreams of springtime alive.

Let me tell you a little bit about the new products I used to create this card---

The stamp set is called Secret Garden and you can find it on page 17 of the new Spring catalog which, by the way, went "live" today!  The fun thing about this set, aside from the great images, is that is has a coordinating set of framelits to go with it.  I stamped the images onto colored card stock and then cut them out with the matching framelits to make the 3-D flower and leaves.

The colors I used were Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie, and Certainly Celery.  The saying "Happy Day" is from the new set called Ciao, Baby! on page 16 of the Spring catalog.  The saying was cut out with the new Petite Curly Label punch, which is one of the Sale-a-bration items you can get FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration (which starts on Jan. 22nd).  Then I adhered it to a larger curly label punched from Certainly Celery card stock.  Some pretty ruffled Pool Party ribbon adds a nice feminine touch.  No, this is definitely not a "guy card!"

As you can see, this is an easel card and if you don't already know how to make one, I'll be more than happy to show you.  We'll be making several easel cards during Sale-a-bration... they are fun, easy to make, and take just one sheet of card stock.  I chose white for the card base because white is so fresh and clean looking.

I'm hoping that you received my e-vite for the Sale-a-bration Open House that I'm having on Saturday, January 26th.  There are two sessions...the morning session starts at 10:30 and the afternoon session starts at 1:30.  When you RSVP, please leave a comment stating which session you'd like to attend.  There will be some demos of new products, a new Spring catalog and Sale-a-bration display board, lots of door prizes, 2 free make-and-takes, plus some "specials" for you and yummy treats too.  Don't miss the fun!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please come back on Monday when I'll have yet another Classic Card for you showcasing NEW products!
Hugs,
Susan

A Shiny Bright New Year!

Hello stampers!

Thanks for joining me today on this second day of our bright and shiny new year!  Wasn't yesterday just the sunniest start ever to a new year?  I thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and I hope that you were able to get outside for a few minutes too, just to soak up some of those rays.  It was really c-c-c-cold, but I'll put up with the cold for some sunshine any day.

Well, now that New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have come and gone, it really is time to leave the holidays behind.  Take one last fond look in the rear-view mirror, and then let's resolve to let 2012 go and focus on all the fun and excitement that are just ahead of us in 2013. 

As promised, I have another card for you today featuring new stamps and accessories from the Spring catalog, which goes "live" tomorrow, January 3rd.  I've been upstairs in my stamp room the past couple of days and I've had fun using some of the new things I pre-ordered from the Spring catalog.  Here is one of my favorite new cards....

I was going for a super-fresh, clean look for this card and I've found that the best way to achieve a clean and crisp look for a card is to leave lots of white space.  The colors here are Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, and Basic Black which combine for a nice contemporary look. 

You'll find the stamp set, called "Oh, Hello" on page 4 of the new Spring catalog.  I stamped the "friend" tag with the Tiny Tags stamp set (page 124 of the annual catalog) and then punched it out with the Jewelry Tag punch (page 183 of the annual catalog).  The 1/16th inch hand-held circle punch (page 184 of the annual catalog) is just right for punching the tiny hole in the tiny tag!  The rose is punched out using the  Extra-Large Oval punch (page 184 again).

While I could have added more elements to this card, I deliberately kept it clean and simple.  In fact, keeping it clean and simple sounds like a great way to start a new year. 

Thanks for stopping by today and don't forget to check back on Friday when I'll have another new card for you!

Happy New Year and keep stamping!
Susan