Simply Sophisticated

Hello stamping friends!  Hurrah for Friday and Labor Day Weekend!

I hate to admit it, but we have absolutely nothing planned for this holiday weekend.  The Seattle troops are back at home, preparing for a busy school year and we are going to just "veg."  I'm hoping to find time to sit on the porch and read, maybe do a bit of gardening, and think about how I don't need to be in a mad rush to get my ironing done so I can be back at school on Tuesday looking freshly pressed and ready for a new school year.  Those days are over now.  They were enjoyable and productive years and now I've moved on to the enjoyable and productive business of being a Stampin'Up! demonstrator, where I can work in my pj's if I want to... definitely a low-stress job.   And talk about fun!  Every time I go to work I end up at a party!

I've got a pretty card for you today that I just love.  I can see this card made in many other color combinations, but today it's the simple sophistication of Basic Black and Very Vanilla.  I would have used black and white, but the DSP I used---Modern Medley (page 154 of the annual catalog) uses Very Vanilla so I needed to use Very Vanilla on my card as well.

Here it is...

This simple layout would look great with almost any DSP (Designer Series Paper).  There's really very little stamping on this card... just the sentiment which is from the Label Love stamp set (page 33 of the annual catalog).  I stamped in Basic Black on Very Vanilla card stock and then punched the sentiment out with the coordinating Artisan Label Punch on page 181. I embossed the Very Vanilla panel with the new Modern Mosaic embossing folder ( page 191).  Look how well it coordinates with the mosaic patterned black and vanilla panel.  The flowers were punched out of the same Modern Medley collection of paper with the new Pansy Punch (page 183). The centers of the flowers are accented with a 1/2 inch circle punch and a pearl.
I used the pretty Victoria crochet trim (page 173) as the finishing touch.

I hope you'll have a few minutes sometime this weekend to get out some of your designer series paper and try making a card like this.  I think you'll love how easy it is to put together!

Happy stamping and happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone!
Susan

Truly Grateful

Hello Stampers and  happy Wednesday to all!

Sorry I missed chatting with you on Monday, but our Seattle daughter and family stopped by on Sunday night on their way to the coast and instead of blogging, I read bedtime stories.  I thought of you, though!  But there are only a few times a year that I get to read bedtime stories to the little ones and soon enough they won't be little anymore and won't want me to read to them.  No worries.... I'm back now and will resume my regular schedule.

I have to say that I haven't minded the rain we've been having recently.  It has been a nice change from the heat we had earlier.  I'm truly grateful that we had a nice summer this year and I don't think the nice weather is over quite yet.  Usually we get some really warm and sunny days in early fall, and I'm looking forward to those too.  Speaking of fall and being truly grateful, I have a card for you today that I think you'll love.  Take a peek...

I used the new Truly Grateful stamp set ( page 19 of the Holiday Catalog).  I just love the herringbone wood background pattern in this set, as well as the acorn, slice of a tree trunk, and bundle of wheat.  I inked the wheat in Early Espresso, then colored the twine that binds it together with a Pumpkin Pie marker.I used the Woodgrain embossing folder to texture the Very Vanilla panel that is then adhered to a Crumb Cake base.
The DSP I used is called Sweater Weather ( page 18 of the Holiday Catalog). I sponged around each element of this card with Soft Suede ink and the sentiment is also stamped in Soft Suede.

Thanks for checking in with me today!  Don't forget to come back on Friday for another Classic Card and some stamping inspiration.
Just 2 more days 'til the long weekend!  Hope you have some fun plans for it!
Susan

Just Around the Corner...

Hi there!  Thanks for coming for a visit this fine Friday!

Have you looked at your calendar lately?  Or are you like me... not looking at it because you know that there's only one week of August left?  We can stick our heads in the sand all we want, but it won't change the fact that time is marching on, and that just around the corner is September.  As much as I love summer, I guess I'd have to say that fall is my second favorite season.  There are many things to love about autumn.  I used to think that the falling leaves were sort of romantic, but that was before our red maples grew to an alarming height.  The romance has definitely gone out of the picture now, as we are raking, raking, raking for weeks on end!  The cooler, but still sunny days, the beautiful colors of the changing leaves, pulling out the sweaters and fall clothes, getting out the fall and Halloween decorations.... it's all good stuff!

Speaking of Halloween, I've got a great Halloween class coming up on Saturday, September 7th at 1 o'clock.  You'll be making all sorts of cute Halloween goodies.  Here's a fun card that we'll be making that day...

Of course, it's another flip card.  Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I just cannot stop making these fun cards.  The inside sentiment on this card is "bats about you."  This one has an extra flap on the right-hand side and when you open it up, it provides a nice space to write a message, such as "Ten Reasons I'm Bats About You."  If you can only come up with three reasons, just write larger!

I'll be showing a few more of the projects for this class in upcoming posts.  I hope you'll join me for some stamping fun!  Look for an evite in your inbox soon!

Have a great weekend, everyone and be sure to come back on Monday for more stamping ideas.
Hugs to all,
Susan

A Golden Summer Afternoon

Welcome to Wednesday at The Classic Card!

Thanks so much for joining me today.  I appreciate each one of you who take the time to read my rambling thoughts and look at my cards.  I'm wondering if you would do me a big favor and share my blog address with a friend or fellow stamper.  I could sure use a few more readers!

The card I have to show you today was one that we made at Shirley's house on Sunday.  I thought that since summer is beginning to swing toward fall, that it might be fun to make a card that says "late summer afternoon."  So I picked Crushed Curry for its warm golden tones and upped the heat a notch or two with the hot hues of Calypso Coral.  Some Early Espresso accents hint of fall as well.  Take a look and see if this doesn't say "summer afternoon" to you too.

Here's the quick list of supplies...
Stamps:  Too Kind, Sassy Salutations, Papillon Potpourri
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso
Paper:  Crushed Curry, Whisper White
Accessories:  Stitched Grosgrain ribbon in Early Espresso, Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder, Bitty Butterfly punch.

What's on your to-do list for Wednesday?  I'm working like a little beaver to get everything ready for two stamping parties on the same day--- one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  I'll let you know how that works out after I've survived the day.  Don't forget to come back on Friday for more stamping ideas and inspiration.  Meanwhile... stamp something pretty today!
Hugs,
Susan

Flip flops aren't just for feet!

Hello there stampin' enthusiasts!

Here we are on another summer Monday!  I'm hoping that you enjoyed a weekend that was full of your favorite things!  John and I spent a couple of relaxing days at the coast last week to celebrate anniversary #43, and do I even need to say what the weather was like???  It poured buckets on Wednesday, was cloudy on Thursday, and then Friday-- the day we packed up to come home-- the day dawned bright and clear.  Ugh!  So typical!

Well, now it's onward and upward to more positive thoughts, such as card-making, being creative, and the enjoyment I get from sharing my ideas with you.  Pardon me while I'm on my current flip-flop card kick.  I'm having so much fun experimenting with my new "toy" and I just can't seem to stop making cards with it.
Here's another card that we'll be making on Tuesday night at my last summer evening event for 2013.  If you'd like to join us, drop me a quick email and I'll save a spot for you.  I've only got 2 open spots, so please let me know quickly (sjrstamps@gmail.com).

OK, guess I better show you the card....

I'm so proud of myself.... I actually remembered to take a photo of the card showing what it looks like when it is opened!

Here's a quick list of the ingredients:

Stamps:  Mixed Bunch (page 89)
              Yippee-Skippie!  (page 37)  The saying on this card is "You can never have too much happy."
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pool Party
Paper:  Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Accessories:  Large Pearl, 3/4 inch circle punch (page 182), Blossom Punch (page 183), 2  3/8 inch scallop circle punch (page 182), Thinlet Circle Card Die for the Big Shot, Daffodil Delight Ribbon, page 173.
(Note:  the ribbon shown on the card is discontinued.  You could substitute some  1/4 inch stitched grosgrain in Daffodil Delight for this discontinued ribbon.)

Thanks for stopping by The Classic Card today.  I'll look forward to Wednesday, when I hope you'll come back for more stamping ideas and inspiration.

Hugs and Happy Monday,
Susan

This Flip is No Flop!

Hi there stampers!

August 16th is a significant day in my life... the day I became a grandmother to twin boys!  I can hardly believe that my sweet Luke and Ben are already four years old.  Yikes... that means I'm 4 years older as well.  Happy Birthday, Luke and Ben!
And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Yay!  It's Friday and the start of another summer weekend.  Just in case you haven't checked the calendar lately, there aren't too many of them left, I'm sad to say.  So get out there and have an awesome time doing what we Northwesterners do in the summer... outdoor concerts, picnics, wine-tasting, going to the beach, camping, hiking, and all that other fun stuff that sunshiny days make possible.

But before you go off to do all that, stay here a few minutes longer and take a peek at my sunshiny "flip" card that is cut with the Thinlits Circle Card Die from Stampin'Up!. It's called a flip card because the circular focal panel flips over when the card is opened.   Pretty fun stuff, huh?

Here's what the front of the card looks like.  Then when you pull on the left-hand side of the card, the round panel in the center flips over to reveal the sentiment, which on this card is "hello." Sorry, but I didn't take a photo of the card with the panel flipped.  You'll just have to trust me on this.

Here's a quick list of the supplies I used:

Stamps:  Polka Dot Pieces, Four You
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point
Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Old Olive, Whisper White
Accessories:  Fancy Fan embossing folder (for the Old Olive scalloped circle, Pacific Point stitched grosgrain ribbon, candy dot (for center of  flower),2 3/8 inch scallop circle punch,  1 3/4 inch scallop circle punch, 1 1/4 inch scallop circle punch, tiny flower punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.
Thinlit Circle Card Die ( too new to be in the catalog, item # 13348).

We'll be making this sunny card at the last Summer Night Stampin' event on Tuesday, August 20th.  I'm looking forward to showing you a couple of great tips to make this die even more versatile than it already is.

Have a  relaxing weekend and I hope you'll find a few minutes to stamp something pretty!
Hugs,
Susan

Awash in Washi

Helloooo stampers!

Welcome to the Wednesday post at The Classic Card!

Have you had a chance to try the new Washi Tape from Stampin'Up! yet?*  I've been playing with mine and I have to say I love it!  It is so forgiving.  If  your strip looks a little crooked on your card, just peel it up and reposition it... no worries.  You can reposition the tape many times and it doesn't lose its stickiness.  The whole idea of washi tape is to have it look casual... as in torn edges and placed at odd angles, but that look is so not "me."  I'm one of the ancient ones who still irons her clothes, so a sloppy torn-edge look is really not my style.  I like crisp and precise, so anything that is easy to re-do if it isn't quite perfect makes me a happy camper indeed!

*Note:  washi tape is not a new crafting item... it has been around for years. It is just new to Stampin'Up!}

Stampin'Up! also came out with a fun stamp set called Tape It (page 127) which mimics the look of washi tape.  When I saw this set I knew I wanted it, because this way I can create my own washi tape look in any color I want.  Check out today's card...

I bought this set in clear mount and because I can see where I'm stamping, it is fairly easy to line up the strips so they are straight.  I used Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, and Old Olive ink.  The flowers are from the Polka Dot Pieces set (page 85).  After stamping I punched them out with the 1 1/4 inch scallop circle punch
( page 182), then cut between each petal with my Paper Snips (page 177) so I could fluff them up and give them a little more dimension.  Some Candy Dots (page 171) make a cute accent for the flower centers.  The sentiment is found in the Four You stamp set (page 22).  I love this set because the sentiments are on the larger side. When you have a larger space to fill, a large sentiment is just what is needed.

As usual, I've got to run... many things are on my list for today.  I've got the most fun cards to share at my Tuesday night class (Tuesday, August 20th)  so I'm getting all of my ducks in a row for that.  Thanks for paying me a visit today and I'll look forward to seeing you on Friday for more stamping inspiration.
Hugs,
Susan

Still Riding my Bike

Hi Stampers!  It's Monday and I'm still on my bicycle kick.

Hope you had a grand ol' weekend!  Mine was spent stampin', stampin', and stampin' some more!  I've been busy with parties and also working on cards for upcoming events.  Later in the week I'll be showing you some of the cool flip cards we'll be making on August 20th at my last Sketch-of-the-Month class.  The new Stampin'Up! Thinlit Circle Card die is one amazing tool that cuts and scores a card with a panel that flips over when you open the card--- super impressive and super easy!

But for now, I'm going to show you another bicycle card to go with the one I featured in Friday's blog post.
Check it out...

This stamp set, Postage Due, is one of my all-time favorite stamp sets--- one that I'll keep even after it is retired.  You may remember that I'm a big fan of collages, and this collage is ready-made.  No worries about where to place each element, as it is just one big stamp.  You just ink and you're good to go.  I stamped the collage image in Versamark ink on glossy white card stock, then heat embossed the image with white embossing powder.  Next, I sponged on some Coastal Cabana ink.  The glossy surface of the card stock takes the ink so smoothly.  You just sort of glide the ink onto the surface and it turns out looking very evenly inked.  Unfortunately, Stampin'Up! recently discontinued their Glossy White card stock.  I'll be looking for another source so that I can continue to use this technique, which is called "emboss resist."  You can also use plain Whisper White card stock for this technique, but the ink doesn't glide on smoothly, the way it does with Glossy White card stock.

I stamped the postage stamps in Crisp Cantaloupe and Baked Brown Sugar, then punched them out with the
Postage Stamp punch and adhered them with dimensionals.  I embossed the Coastal Cabana panel with the  Fancy Fan embossing folder and added a girly touch with the Ruffle Stretch Trim in Crisp Cantaloupe.

Do these bicycle cards make you want to get on a bike and RIDE??    I'm seriously thinking of buying a bicycle, but by the time I get around to it, the rain will be back.  Maybe I should just wait until next summer.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to read these random ramblings.... I appreciate my readers!
Hope your week is off to a good start!
Hugs to all,
Susan

A Bike for Your Birthday

Hi stampers and happy Friday!

If you are a worker bee, you are most definitely a happy one since today is the end of your work week and the beginning of a sunny summer weekend.  What are your plans for your days off?  I hope you'll  try to squeeze in a little time for some creative stamping fun!

Today's card takes me back to the year I turned 7.  In my family, 7 was the magic number... the year you got your two-wheeler!  I can still remember that birthday and how excited I was to have a two-tone green bicycle. Of course it had the fat white-wall tires... so cool!   I've got a photo of me with my new bicycle and it looks like I'm way too short for such a big bike.  But I rode it just fine and without a helmet, too.  Of course there were some skinned knees along the way, but I was a kid with perpetual scabs on both knees anyway, so it was no big deal.  No little bikes with training wheels coddled us along.  We got the real deal when we turned 7 and our dad helped us a little until we got over the wobblies, and then we were off riding through the neighborhood!  Such freedom!  Saturdays were a mad scramble to see how quickly we could get our chores done so we could ride off to a friend's house to escape any further jobs our mom might dream up.  Those were the days!

OK... enough reminiscing.... it's time to show you the card

I knew I wanted to use this fun new stamp set, called Cycle Celebration (page 10 of the annual catalog) and it was a no-brainer to use the coordinating DSP called Birthday Basics (page 153).  Choosing the colors was pretty easy too, as I just selected colors that are in the designer paper. Lucky for us that Stampin'Up!'s color-coordinated products make creating a great card so simple!  What stumped me was the layout for the card.  Have you ever had a creative block where you just can't come up with a pleasing layout for a card?  Usually that doesn't happen to me, but when it happened today, I knew just what to do.  I went to a sketch challenge blog.  These types of blogs give a card sketch, or layout, and then challenge their readers to create a card using that sketch.  So today I turned to one of my favorite sketch challenge blogs, Mojo Monday (www.mojomonday.blogspot.com).  I picked this week's sketch (# 305) and turned it on its side to accomodate the bicycle image.

Here's a quick list of the other supplies I used in creating this fun birthday card:

Soft Sky, Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Raspberry Ripple card stock
Raspberry Ripple ink
Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon
Tiny flower punch from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (page 180)
Candy dots for the center of the flower in Wild Wasabi (page 171)
Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder (page 191)

Thanks for stopping by to read my post.  I'm wishing you a happy weekend full of summer fun... camping, walking along the beach, or maybe even riding your two-wheeler and pretending you're seven years old again!
Enjoy!
Susan

Making Room for Joy....

Hello Stampin' friends and a happy Wednesday to all!

How's your week going so far?  Mine has been busy, busy, busy and I'm pretty sure that your week has been that way too.  I'm sure that's true for most people.  We get so busy with the details of life..., our jobs, the laundry, the grocery shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, doing errands,  that we sometimes forget to leave room for what really matters.

I ran across a quotation a few days ago that resonated with me and I'd like to share it with you.
"Always leave room enough in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, or even joyous."
 Paul Hawken

I'm taking this as a little reminder that I need to spend some time in my stamp room, stamping with no particular goal in mind, because I always feel happy, satisfied, and joyous when I've been able to spend some creative time just stamping for the fun of it... not because I have to come up with cards for the next class, the next stamping party, or the next event.

So I'm encouraging you to just get out your stampin' stuff and mess around.  I can guarantee that you'll enjoy it a lot more than racing into your creative space with the goal of creating a birthday card that you need right now this very minute.  That seems a lot like work and probably won't lead to feelings of happiness, satisfaction or joy.  So goof off a little... it is good for you!

OK, I know.  I've been goofing off for four paragraphs and you're probably wondering if I have a card to show you today.  Yes, I do, and here it is...

This is one of the cards that we'll be making at Debbie's party this coming Saturday, August 10th at 1 pm at my house.  These colors and images just say "warm summer afternoon" to me.  Even though I miss More Mustard, I have to admit that I'm loving having Crushed Curry back... it's so bright and warm.  And I guess you probably already know that I adore this Summer Silhouettes stamp set  (page 127).  I stamped with Pistachio Pudding (leaves), Crushed Curry (flowers) and Early Espresso (stems, flower center, butterfly, and sentiment.  The sentiment is from the Trust God set (page 78).  The tiny pearls I added to the flowers won't cause too much of a bump in an envelope, but you could leave them off and the card would still be pretty.

Thanks for stopping in for a visit today.  Now that Wednesday is here, we're definitely "over the hump" and I'm hoping that your week will slide smoothly into a relaxing weekend.  Don't forget to make some time in your life to be creative.
Hugs to all,
Susan

I survived!

Hello Stampers and Happy Monday!

I survived the weekend and I'm happy to be starting a fresh new week!  I've got loads of cleaning and laundry to do, but that's OK.  We had a great weekend with our girls and their families and the cousins all had so much fun with each other.  That made the chaos of 3 toddlers plus a seven-year-old all worthwhile.

I'm really excited about the new thinlit dies that make a "moveable" card so very easy.  These amazing dies cut and score the card with one pass through the Big Shot.  My order is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday by the end of the day, so if the man in the big brown truck comes through, I'll be able to demonstrate this great new product on Tuesday night at my Sketch-of-the-Month class.  I'll also be showing this fun new tool at my last summer weeknight class on Tuesday, August 20th, where we'll use it to create three fun flipping cards.



Can you believe that our fleeting northwest summer is about halfway over?  How did it get to be August already?  Before summer 2013 is just a memory, let me share a pretty summery card with you...

I just love this Too Kind set from the new annual catalog  (page 71).  I used some Epic Day This and That Designer Paper (page 154) and card stock in Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, and Daffodil Delight.  The flowers were stamped in Daffodil Delight ink, then overstamped with the second image in Tangerine Tango.  

Gumball Green ink was used for the stems.  I pulled all the colors directly from the designer paper... an easy way to get a very coordinated-looking card.  I love how the stitched satin ribbon in Gumball Green adds a nice horizontal element to this fun layout.  The Chevron embossing folder (page 191) I used to add texture to the Daffodil Delight layer echoes the zig-zag pattern in the designer paper.  The sentiment (K is for kindness) is from the new A Round Array set ( page 126) and was punchedn out with the 7/8 " and 1 1/4 " scallop circle punches  (page 182),

Thanks for stopping by today.  May the week ahead be filled with sunshine, happy days, and lots of time to stamp.  The laundry will wait... stamping can raise your spirits better than a basket full of clean laundry, so I hereby give you permission to go for the fun!  

Please meet me back here on Wednesday, when I'll have more stamping inspiration to share!

Susan