The sad story of the un-Christmas

Hello Stamping Friends!
Welcome back to The Classic Card and thanks for stopping by this fine Monday!  I hope you all enjoyed a very happy and cozy Christmas with those you love.

Later today I'll be joining some of my customers for a fun afternoon of stamping at Symposium Coffee in Old Town Sherwood.  We'll be making two cute Valentines, chatting, and enjoying a delicious latte or other yummy drink.  Wish you could join us!

Before we get to the card, let me relate the sad story of the un-Christmas.  Oh, I guess it's not really THAT sad. Suffice it to say that the Awtreys, who were supposed to come down from Seattle for Christmas on the 22nd were not able to travel to Portland until the 28th.  One by one, they all came down with the very nasty norovirus bug.  Then once that was over, Emma succumbed to a secondary viral infection and had a very high fever for several days.  Ugh!  It was the first Christmas John and I had spent without children since 1976, the year before Amy was born.  We were definitely at loose ends that day!  No presents were opened, although I did cook a nice dinner.  It was just a very strange day.  We finally opened gifts yesterday.  With three children in the family, I guess a sick Christmas had to happen sooner or later.  We are hoping for a germ-free Christmas next year.

I'm sure I already mentioned that demonstrators get to pre-order stamp sets and goodies from the new catalogs before the catalog goes "live."  This is so we can experiment with the new sets, designer papers, and accessories. So since the Awtreys were a whole week late in arriving, I've been doing quite a bit of playing around with some of the new products.  I'm also in the process of making about 50 swap cards to take with me on my upcoming trip to Stampin'Up!'s Leadership meeting in Houston on Jan 8th-12th.

Here's one of my Leadership swaps.  I hope you'll find it inspiring!

                  
Let's see... there are three new products that I used to create this Spring-y card:

the new Decorative Dots embossing folder and two new stamp sets, Petal Parade ( a free Sale-a-bration set) and Happy Watercolor on page 22 of the Occasions catalog.
The colors are Calypso Coral, Pool Party, and So Saffron.

You can get this pretty new flowery set free with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration (Jan. 28th to
March 31st, 2014.

I'm off to pack the car for SOS (Stamp out Stress) now!  Enjoy your day!
Susan

Clean and simple

Hello Stampin' Friends!

Can you believe that it's December 20th??? Where did this month go?  I guess the busier we get, the faster the time flies!  And I think it speeds up the older we get as well.  Remember how it seemed to take forever for Christmas to arrive when you were a kid?  Remember how a summer could stretch on and on with seemingly no end in sight?  Ah, those were the days!  Remember how a birthday was something you looked forward to with great excitement and anticipation?  I think those feelings stop sometime in our twenties, when we no longer look forward to being older.  But like it or not, if we're lucky enough to be alive, we're going to have birthdays.  And of course our friends will have them as well.  So we might as well be prepared with some birthday cards that are ready to send.

Today's card is perfect for a friend of a certain age... someone who might not be too thrilled to be another year older.  This aging stuff gets scary after a while!  I love the sentiment, which reads "I don't believe that it's your birthday.  You don't look any older than you did last year."   A teenager certainly wouldn't appreciate that thought, but all of my friends would adore a card like this.  Here, let me show you the card...

The sentiment is from a fun stamp set called See Ya Later and you can get it FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration (Jan. 28-March 31st).  The other items you can earn with a $50 purchase are the new dotted embossing folder called Decorative Dots and the Sweet Sorbet designer paper.  The striped paper in the background is part of the Sweet Sorbet collection as well.

I'd like to interrupt this blog post for a couple of important announcements....
First, I'm going to be taking a week off from blogging, so I won't be here on Dec. 23, 25, or 27th and you shouldn't be either.  You need a break too!   I plan to be back on Monday, Dec. 30 with another classic card for your stamping inspiration.
Secondly, please mark your calendars for a big Sale-a-bration Open House on Saturday, January 25th from 11-3 at my house.  There'll be displays, make-and-takes, lots of door prizes and yummy food. You'll be receiving an evite after the first of the year.  If you don't have your Sale-a-bration party booked, why not do that soon, while there are good dates open?  Please drop me a quick email at sjrstamps@gmail.com and we'll find a date that works for you.
Lastly, thank you for journeying with me throughout 2013!  Thank you for being my faithful readers and keeping me company here at The Classic Card.  I appreciate each one of you and I look forward to sharing more stamping ideas with you in 2014.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Susan

A Fun Gift

Hello Stampers and Happy Wednesday to all!

I don't know if you remember this, but on Monday I said I'd have a great gift idea for you today.  This fun gift is fairly inexpensive to make, yet it is something that most women would love to have.  These are all over Pinterest... they are very popular right now.

Here's the photo for you so you can see what I'm talking about...

This display board would look great over a desk, in the kitchen, or just about anywhere.  You can use it to display cards, notes, invitations, photos, artwork... you get the idea!  Here are the steps to making a display board.  First purchase a wood frame with an open back.  All you need is the frame... no matting, no glass.   I got this one at Michael's and then sprayed it black.You could also use an old frame that you already have or shop for one at a thrift store.  Next, I cut some chicken wire (purchased in a small roll at Home Depot) using a pair of sturdy scissors to fit inside the frame.  The next step was stapling the chicken wire to the frame.  That's all there is to it!  Of course I had fun embellishing it with some pretty cards, a three-dimensional flower, and a cute tag.  I made this as a gift for one of the stampers in our Stamp2gether group, a group of StampinUp! demonstrators who get together monthly for dinner, stamping, and sharing ideas.

Here's a close-up of the two cards...

What stamper wouldn't love to have a board like this for displaying their cards?  Now that I have one display board under my belt, I think I'd like to make a few more. Wouldn't it be a great Mother's Day gift, complete with some sweet photos of the kiddos?  If you start right after Christmas, I'm sure you could finish by Mother's Day :)

OK, my friends!  That's it for today. Thanks for stopping in to check out my blog.  I know you are busy this very crazy time of year.   Please come back on Friday when I'll have another gift item to show you.  Meanwhile, try to "keep calm and carry on."  The world won't come to an end if you don't finish every last task on your list!

Hugs to all!
Susan

More new goodies, as promised

Hello stampers!
Oh my goodness... here we are at Monday again.  The days are going by too quickly.  Christmas is only 10 days away now.  Hopefully you are steaming ahead with all of your preparations and you'll arrive at Christmas with the most important things checked off.  I had a busy weekend, but it wasn't busy work, it was busy fun, which was a nice change!  I hope you had a great weekend as well, full of Christmas spirit .I know I mentioned on Friday that I would have more new stampin' stuff to show you, so let's get right to it, shall we?

There are several new products here, so let me list them for you.  All of the products I'm showing you today were featured in a Valentine flyer with the title "a whole lot of love."  I sent it out to my customers a couple of weeks ago.

First, there's the new single stamp, Flowerfull Heart.  It only comes in wood mount and sells for $9.95  I stamped it on Whisper White card stock in Real Red and then cut it out with one of the hearts from the Heart Collection Framelit Dies.  I stamped the sentiment "Love you more" (from the Love you More stamp set which is $16.95 in clear mount) onto one of the Sweet Sayings cards.  I then stretched some stitched grosgrain ribbon in real red around the card.  The ends are glued down under the heart and then the heart is popped up on some dimensionals.  These cute pre-printed cards and color coordinated envelopes are $5.95 for 12 cards and 12 envelopes.  You get 4 Pool Party envelopes, 4 Real Red, and 4 Crisp Cantaloupe).  These are notecard size ( 3 1/2 by 5), so they can be mailed.  What a quick, easy, and fun way to make some great Valentines for friends and relatives!  If you'd like to see the flyer again, send me a quick email at sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll re-mail it to you.

Thanks for checking in with me today.  Please come back on Wednesday when I'll have a neat gift idea for you.  I hope Monday will go smoothly and quickly and get your week off to a great start!
Susan

Life doesn't have to be perfect...

Hello Stamping People!

Oh boy!  The weekend is almost here!  I've got lots of Christmas-y Holiday events on my calendar and I hope you do too.  There are so many ways to make the most of this season... going out to a party, meeting friends for dinner, shopping and wrapping, or just staying home in a cozy house to bake cookies. Whatever you do is special, because it's Christmastime!  Put on some holiday tunes, wear red, hang some mistletoe and kick up your heels!

OK... enough holly-jollying... let's get back to the reason you're here... THE CARD!

The minute I saw this stamp set, called Perfect Pennants,I knew that I had to have it.  It is in the new Occasions catalog ( page 27) and it has a set of framelits to go with it called Banners Framelit Dies.
I heartily agree with this thought.  Life is pretty wonderful, even ordinary everyday life of the non-holiday variety.  Let's not wait until life is perfect to start enjoying it!  Life will never be perfect, but it is wonderful nonetheless.

This jolt of hot color is just what I needed to remind me that warmer weather lies ahead.  OK, waaayyy ahead, but still it's coming.  This fun paper is called Retro Fresh and the colors in the collection are Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, So Saffron, and Tangerine Tango.  I punched the flowers out with the Pansy Punch.  A new flower punch, the Petite Petals Punch, was used to punch out the next layer and then the center of the flower was done with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (page 180 of the annual catalog).
I stamped the sentiment in Baked Brown Sugar.  The fun new washi tape is called Retro Fresh This and That Washi Tape and it's on the same page (p. 19) as the Retro Fresh designer paper.

I'm hoping that you can hardly wait to see the new Occasions catalog, now that I've shown you some of the pretty products that you'll soon be able to play with.  Have a great weekend, everyone!  I'll see you back here on Monday, when I'll have more new goodies to inspire you.
Susan

A Breath of Fresh Air

Hi there stampers!  Happy Wednesday!

The days are just rolling by and it is somewhat daunting to note that there are only 14 days left until Christmas!  Does that strike fear into your heart like it does mine??  My job for today... right after I complete this post... is to address a whole lot of envelopes for Christmas cards that should have gone out at least a week ago.  I'm ruining my reputation for early Christmas cards, but sometimes other things get in the way.

Anyway, let me stop lamenting all the things that need checking off of my list and get to the card.  I know you didn't come here to hear me whine. In case you missed it, we are now officially finished with Christmas. After several months of  focusing on the holidays, it is so refreshing to use some of the new products that you can earn with every $50 you spend during Sale-a-bration (Jan. 28th-March 31st).  So, my friends, check out this card, which I think is like a breath of fresh springtime air...

Let me list the products that I used here...
The stamp set is called Happy Watercolor and you'll be able to find this on page 22 of the new Occasions catalog, which should be showing up in your mailbox in the next week or so.  I used some of the Sale-a-bration  designer paper called Sweet Sorbet for the banner and butterflies. I just love the light and pretty colors in this collection!  I used the new Decorative Dots embossing folder to give some cute texture to the Pool Party background. This is another one of the Sale-a-bration items you can earn with a $50 purchase.

Isn't it nice to know that you have some fun new products to look forward to after the holidays are over?
January, February, and March can be pretty dreary here in the Northwest, but with all kinds of Sale-a-bration events on the horizon, it doesn't need to be that way.  My plan is to keep you so busy with stamping fun that you won't even notice the weather!

Before I leave you today, I want to remind you to check the Clearance Rack.  Stampin'Up! did a big re-load and there are tons of new goodies that you need!  Some have already sold out, but most of it is still available.  Go to www.susanrodgers.stampinup.net and click on the shop button.  Then choose Clearance Rack Blitz from the menu to see all of the amazing products on sale for up to 80% off!

Thanks for stopping by and please come back on Friday for more stamping inspiration.
Hugs,
Susan

Shiny New Toys

Hello stampers and a happy Monday to all!

Thanks for stopping in at The Classic Card to see what I have for you today.  As promised last Friday, we are moving on from Christmas and holiday cards, as I have shown you a boatload the last few weeks.  To be honest, I'm kind of tired of Christmas cards.  I've been making them since October and it's now nearly mid-December so I hope you can understand why I want to have a change of scenery, so to speak.

No, Santa did not come early and bring me lots of shiny new toys.  However, I'm sure you remember the extreme excitement you felt as a child when Christmas drew near and you were so excited for Santa to arrive that you were nearly beside yourself with wild anticipation.  Well, it's sort of like that with me when I'm waiting for an order of new stamping goodies to arrive.  And arrive they did!  Last Thursday to be exact.  As demonstrators, we're allowed to pre-order from the new Occasions catalog that will be available on January 3rd.  We were also able to earn some of the Sale-a-bration items with our order from the Occasions catalog.  Because I was so busy this weekend with a class and a party, I haven't had much time to really get into the groove with these new products, but I will be working on that later this week.

Today's card is a little sneaky-peeky of some of the new products you can earn when you make a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration (January 28th-March 31st).  First, I'll show you the card and then I'll tell you a bit about the products.

Isn't this card just like a breath of spring?  We could use a little bit of springtime warmth right now, couldn't we??  This Designer Series Paper is called Sweet Sorbet and the colors in the collection are Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Summer Starfruit, and a touch here and there of Basic Black.  You are going to love this paper!
The sentiment  "You make me happy when skies are gray" is from a fun set called See Ya Later that  you'll want to add to your collection.  It is also free with a $50 purchase.

I'm already taking reservations for Sale-a-bration stamping parties, so if you'd like to be a hostess and get more freebies than ever, Sale-a-bration is the best time of year to host.  There are a finite number of Saturday and Sundays between January 28th and March 31st, so please book your party early to avoid disappointment.

Hope your weekend was fun and busy!  There's so much to do at this festive time of year that it is easy to become overwhelmed with all that needs to be accomplished.  Pace yourself and make time for the really important things.  I've learned the hard way that simple is better than over-the-top.   Your decorations don't have to rival those in Martha Stewart Living and it won't be the end of the world if you don't have 8 different kinds of home-made cookies.  Instead of a long list of chores, make a list of fun things you want to do, like going out for breakfast, meeting a friend for coffee, exploring the shops in a new area of town, or maybe just  settling down to watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel (my favorite!).  OK, I'll let you get busy planning some fun things!  Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration.
Happy Stamping!
Susan

Yippee! It's Friday!

Welcome once again to The Classic Card!

We've survived the first week of December and now the weekend is here!  I'm going to be stampin' like crazy this weekend, first at my class on Saturday and then at Lisa's party on Sunday afternoon.  Then I'll be finished with stamping until January 25th, 2014 when I'll be hosting my annual Sale-a-bration Open House.  Mark your calendars for this fun event!

So at last we come to the end of the Christmas projects I wanted to show you.  On Monday, we'll be moving on and I'm hoping to be able to show you some birthday, thank you, and thinking of you cards... the kinds of cards we need for everyday occasions.  I'll be receiving my new goodies from the new Occasions catalog soon and I'm planning on squeezing in some creative time so I can show you some of the great products that are in store for you once the Occasions catalog goes "live" on January 3rd.

Here's the fifth and final Santa's Workshop project...

This great box is called the Tag a Bag Gift Box and can be found on page 158 of the Annual Catalog.  It is 6 7/8 inches long,  2 1/2 inches wide and 2 1/8 inches tall.  This versatile box would be great for all sorts of occasions, which is why it is in the Annual Catalog and not in the Holiday Catalog.  Of course here I've gussied it up for the holidays, but it would be equally pretty decorated for Valentine's Day (with yummy Dove chocolates), or for Easter filled with Cadbury Eggs, marshmallow peeps, or jelly beans.  The Annual Catalog shows it filled with golf balls and tees and another photo shows it as a baby gift with a rolled up onesie inside.  Again, let your imagination and your bank account be your guide (keys to a new car?  Airline tickets to Paris?  A diamond bracelet?)  Or, more realistically, how about a row of yummy cookies?
Once again, I used some of the Season of Style Designer Paper (page 23 of the Holiday Catalog to wrap around the clear sleeve that slides over the box.  I added a Cherry Cobbler bow made with the Gift Bow Die on page 37 of the Holiday Catalog.

Thank you for sticking with me through the 5 days of Santa's Workshop.  Please come back on Monday for a breath of fresh air as we take a look at a non-holiday project.  Meanwhile, have a holly jolly weekend filled with Christmas season fun (shopping, wrapping, baking, and tree-decorating)!
Susan

Give Santa a Hand...

Hi there Stampers!
Thanks for coming here this fine Wednesday to read my blog.  I appreciate each and every one of you!

Only a couple of days 'til the weekend and that means my Santa's Workshop class is almost here.  I'll be showing you one more project today and then winding things up on Friday with the last of the 5 projects.  After that, I think I might give you a break from Christmas projects and show you some non-Christmas cards.  After all, life goes on in December and people have babies and birthdays and anniversaries and weddings and all sorts of other life events.  Besides, I'm beginning to think ahead to Sale-a-bration (have  you booked your party yet?) and the new Occasions catalog that will be coming out soon.  I've ordered lots of new paper, stamp sets, and accessories and while I cannot show you the products, I can show you things I've made with the new products.  So as soon as I receive my order, I'll start creating some fun new projects.... I can't wait!

OK, let's get to today's project.  Here it is...

This Decorative Window Gift Box can be found on page 36 of the Holiday Catalog.  It is 1 1/2 inches high and is 4 inches by 4 inches square. You get 6 of these for $4.95. The clear window reveals the contents of the box, or not.  I've opted to partially cover the circular window with a belly band of the Season of Style Designer Paper and a Cherry Cobbler bow cut with the Gift Bow Bigz L Die on page 37 of the Holiday Catalog.  This size box would be great for some homemade fudge, divinity, or other decadent candy.  I also thought it would be fun to fill it with some gift tags.  Wouldn't this make a nice hostess gift?  Who wouldn't love to get some nice gift tags?  The band slides off easily, allowing the box to be re-used by the recipient.
If you come to my Santa's Workshop class, you'll get this cute box and three gift tags.  If you were giving this as a gift, you'd probably want to make at least 6 tags.

I hope you're not sick of these class projects yet.  If you are, take heart.  I've only got one more to show you on Friday and then we're done!  I hope that seeing what we're going to be making has inspired you to sign up for the class.  Thanks for hanging out with me today!
Susan

Making a list, checking it twice!

Wow... November passed in a blur, didn't it?  And now, ready or not, we've arrived at December, the month of list-making!  I'm really into making lists, so in December I'm happy because there are so many lists to make!  There's the Christmas card list, the gift list, the endless grocery lists, the list of cookies to make, the menus to plan, the "to-do" list of household chores that need to be done...the lists just go on and on! Should I make a list of my lists?  Luckily, I've armed myself with so many list pads that I will never run out and I can go on making lists for years, if not eternity.

I hope you've checked your email for the Cyber Monday specials and I'm hoping that you'll see something you just have to order!  Now let's get down to business, shall we?  Here's another project that you'll be making at my Santa's workshop class this coming Saturday, Dec. 7th...

Canning jars are so "in" right now.  If you don't believe me, check Pinterest and you'll see hundreds of ideas for canning jars.  This jar is so much nicer than the run-of-the-mill Mason jars.  It has a nice rubber gasket and a strong clamping  mechanism so that the contents of the jar will stay super-fresh. I decorated the top of the jar with a large circle cut from Old Olive card stock with one of the Circle Framelit Dies (page 186 of the Annual Catalog).  I then topped it with a window frame cut from Cherry Cobbler card stock with one of the Window Frame Framelit dies (also on page 186 of the Annual Catalog).  Last, I stamped "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" from the Tags 4 You stamp set (page 37 of the Holiday Catalog) and punched it out with the new Artisan Label Punch (also on page 37).  I added some Cherry Cobbler Chevron Ribbon (page 173 of the Annual Catalog) for an extra pretty touch.

This fun jar could hold all sorts of goodies, from mulling spices, to tea, a special coffee blend, candy of all kinds, cookies, home-made toffee, hot cocoa mix, nuts, dried fruit... the possibilities are endless.  You could also fill it with non-edibles such as money, cosmetics, jewelry,concert tickets, gift certificates... whatever you can dream up.  

Well friends, I've got to run!  I've got lists to make!  

Thanks for reading my blog!  

Susan

That old Santa... he's still in his workshop!

Hello Stamping Friends!
Happy "Black Friday" to all.  Just in case you don't feel like facing a mob of shoppers, don't forget that the big Stampin'Up! Holiday Sale is still going on through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2nd.  In fact, there are going to be some Cyber Monday specials... I'm just giving you a heads-up.  I don't know what the items will be, just that there will be some extra special prices on selected items to wind up the Holiday Sale with a bang.

So, how was your Thanksgiving?  I hope it was all you hoped for!  And now for the very best part... leftovers!  Turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and cold stuffing!  Leftover mashed potatoes and gravy! I almost think the leftovers are better than the TG Day dinner.

Just as I promised, I've got another Santa's Workshop project to show you today and here it is...

This cute mini muslin bag is from the Holiday Catalog, page 36.  You get 8 stampable 100% cotton bags for $9.95.  These are just the right size for a couple of lumps of coal for that naughty person on your Christmas list.  You could also fill this little bag with something yummy for the nice people on your list.  Some Hershey's nuggets or kisses would be a sweet treat!   I stamped the bag with the Wonderful Wreath stamp (page 34 of the Holiday catalog) in Old Olive.  I made a fun tag using some Old Olive card stock and one of the Oval Framelits (page 186 of the Annual Catalog).  I stamped the "naughty/nice" tag from the Very Merry Tags set (page 33 of the Holiday Catalog) in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White card stock and punched it out with the Decorative Label punch (page 181 of the Annual Catalog). Some of the beautiful Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain ribbon on page 22 of the Holiday Catalog finishes this little treat bag off perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Enjoy your weekend and please come back on Monday when  I'll reveal another project from Santa's Workshop.  When Monday rolls around, please check your email inbox for the Cyber Monday specials!
Happy leftovers to all!
Susan

Santa's in his workshop...

Hello Stampers and happy day-before-Thanksgiving!

Are your pies baked?  Is the turkey brined?  Are you busily ironing the tablecloth and napkins or maybe polishing the silver?  For the first time in many, many years (I'm guessing about 43 years) I'm not doing all that.  My daughter is hosting Thanksgiving this year.  I'm pretty sure I'll get to peel a few potatoes and/or wash a few dishes.  What is Thanksgiving without the work?  I don't think I know how to just sit and enjoy a day like Thanksgiving, when there is SO MUCH to do!  I'll admit that I'm a workaholic.  I like to "get things done," " move forward," and accomplish things.  It's a sickness, I know.  I'm guessing that your thoughts are not on stamping, nor should they be on the day before a big national holiday like Thanksgiving.  But being a workaholic, I feel obligated to stick to my blogging schedule, just in case there's someone out there who might glance at my blog today.

So.... moving right along.... Thanksgiving is all but over so I thought I'd show you some of the cute projects you'll be making if you come to my Santa's workshop class on Saturday Dec. 7th at 10:30 am at my house.
First, you'll eat a yummy brunch of fruit, a delicious "Breakfast Bake" with hash browns, sausage, cheese, and eggs and to top it all off, some heavenly cinnamon rolls.  After you are fortified with plenty of energy-giving foods, you'll tackle 5 fun projects all designed for Christmas giving.  Here's just one of them...

This is a fun and fast flat gift bag that can hold all sort of holiday gifts, like a CD, cash, a gift card, jewelry, cookies, candy, a small book, a magazine subscription, or a note directing the recipient to a location where they'll find another hint.  To put this cute gift bag together I used a flat kraft bag and decorated it with some Season of Style DSP.  I used the Label Framelit dies to cut out a white label and the slightly larger Cherry Cobbler label.  I stamped the sentiment (from the Christmas Messages stamp set)  in Cherry Cobbler.  The fun bow is created with Cherry Cobbler card stock and the Gift Bow Die that's in the Holiday Catalog.

May Thanksgiving be a day of true thankfulness for the many blessings we enjoy... good health, our dear families, our treasured friends, the roof over our heads, the food on our table... I could go on and on.  And I'm sure you could too.  Please come back on "Black Friday" for another fun project from my Santa's Workshop class.  By the way, I still have 4 spots left if you'd like to join us.  You'll get 5 great projects, plus brunch, all for just $15 or the class is free with a $40 purchase.  This will be the last class of 2013, so don't miss the fun!  Just email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com if you'd like me to save you a spot.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Oh, and please.... don't "gobble 'til you wobble."  That's downright unhealthy!
Susan

Baby, it's Cold Outside....

Hello stampers!  Happy Monday!

Are you cold?  Buy a new stamp set!
You'll still be cold, but you'll have new stamps!  Yay!

Seriously, though, there's no reason not to buy some new goodies, especially since Stampin'Up! is running their online sale.  If you're not a cyber-shopper, just email your order to me and I'll submit it today (Monday, Nov. 25th).  You have until December 2nd to take advantage of the sale.  I'll be submitting one more group order on December 1st, so if you'd like to save money on shipping, be sure to get your order to me.

So.... how are those Christmas cards coming along???  Have you finalized your design and ordered your supplies?  Or are you still casting about for a design or a color scheme?  If you haven't quite made up your mind yet, I've got a cool card for you today.

Don't the various shades of blue along with the silver card stock and ribbon just send a little shiver down your back??  This beautiful and mailable( no lumps or bumps anywhere!)  card is the work of one of our talented Stamp2gether demonstrators, Shannon Carrier.  The stamp set she used is called Warmth and Wonder.  You can see it on page 39 of the Holiday Catalog.  It is one of the exclusive sets that hostesses can get FREE!  The colors Shannon used are Island Indigo for the base of the card, with the second layer being the Silver Foil sheets featured on page 28 of the Holiday Catalog.  The DSP is from the Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper, which can be found on page 29 of the Holiday Catalog.  Shannon stamped the tree in Island Indigo ink, then stamped the little Christmas lights in Metallic Silver Encore ink.  Some of the pretty silver 3/8 inch ribbon ( page 28 of the Holiday Catalog) adds a perfect horizontal  accent to this otherwise vertical card.

Do you feel inspired to finally get started on your cards? I hope so!
 Please don't forget to come back on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration.
Warm hugs

Oh, Happy Day!

Hey there stampin' peeps!  I'm excited that Friday is here... bring on the weekend!

 I hope you've taken a few minutes to read over the complete Holiday Sale flyer that I sent to your email inbox, as there are some seriously great buys.  The way I go through ribbon, you can be sure I'll be ordering some of the stitched satin ribbon in Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals, Gumball Green, and Raspberry Ripple for just 5.37 a roll.

I've been working like a beaver all week and I'm now prepared for several upcoming events, so I think I might "play" a little this weekend.  As in--- stay out of my stamping room---, as in relax and read a book.  I also have a new stamp set that has yet to be inked up, so I'm hoping to play with it as well. You knew I couldn't stay out of my stamp room for a whole weekend, didn't you?  You might be wondering why I'm not going into high gear with grocery shopping, tablecloth ironing, and all the usual pre-Thanksgiving tasks.  Well, for the first time in probably 35 years, I'm not doing the cooking!  Shocking, isn't it?  Somehow I think I'll survive!

If you've never attended one of my SOS (Stamp Out Stress) meetings, then I encourage you to attend on Monday, November 25th at 1 pm at Symposium Coffee in Old Town Sherwood.  We'll be making two cards, envelopes included, for just $5.  One of the cards is a flip card, with the center panel that flips over when you open the card.  And here's the other card we'll be making that day...

I can't wait to show you how easy it is to make this cool panel that resembles a quilt.  It is super easy!  I first saw this technique on Susan Itel's blog  "simple stampin," but I'm pretty sure this idea has been around for a while.   I love how clean and crisp this looks on a white dotted background!  I used the Season of Style DSP from page 23 of the Holiday Catalog and the sentiment is from the carry-over set More Merry Messages.  If you'd like to join our happy group of stampers on the 25th, please send me a message at
sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll save you a spot at the table.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Susan

                                           

Holiday Sale Starts Today!

Hello stampers and happy Wednesday to all!

Today Stampin'Up! starts their annual Holiday Sale (formerly called the Online Extravaganza)!  They are kicking it off with 3 great specials only available for 24 hours:

126889  Stampin' Trimmer, regularly 29.95 is now available for 20.97, save $10

125586  Diagonal Plate for the Simply Scored Scoring Tool, regularly $11.95, now 8.37

131264  Many Marvelous Markers regularly 109.95, now 76.97, save $33

There are many other great items on sale for up to 50% off.  Check your email inbox for the complete list of sale items.  

I know you didn't come here to hear about a sale, but I want to make sure that everyone hears the news!  Here's today's card for your stamping inspiration

Recognize this?  This is another version of my classic blue and white card that I showed you last Friday.  This one is done in Raspberry Ripple and I changed the embossing folder to Beautifully Baroque for a more elegant look.  I used the largest shape from the Apothecary Accents Framelits to cut out the sentiment.  

I don't want to keep you too long here!  You definitely need to go check out the sale!  To order, simply click on the "promotions" button at the top of my blog.  This will take you to my site.  Then click on the "shop" button under my name in the upper right-hand corner.

Happy sale-ing everyone!
Susan

Simply simple

Hello there stampers and happy Monday!

How was your weekend?  Did you do something relaxing and enjoyable?  I had fun yesterday with some very nice women who came to my Festive Flurry ornament class.  Everyone was successful in making three beautiful sparkly ornaments using the Festive Flurry stamp set, matching framelits, and the beautiful Winter Frost designer paper.  I also enjoyed watching a Christmas movie on the Hallmark Channel.  Yes, I'll confess that I'm a a big Hallmark Channel fan and I love watching their holiday movies, the sappier the better.

With Christmas just a few weeks away ( 5 weeks and a couple of days, to be exact), there's never been a better time to start... and finish!... your Christmas cards.  In case you're like me and don't even have an idea for your cards, maybe I can help you out today with a very simple yet sophisticated design that will wow your friends and relatives.  Check this out and you'll see what I mean...

This fun card is the work of Kathy Milano, one of the demonstrators who attends our monthly Stamp2gether meetings.  Kathy's cards are always favorites with our demo group and this one was no exception.
She used the delicious colors Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler, along with the Season of Style DSP which you can find on page 23 of the holiday catalog.  The sentiment is from the Joy to the World stamp set, page 14 of the holiday catalog.  The Christmas trees are just elongated triangles of the designer paper layered under the torn paper "hill."  A candy dot on one of the trees adds a bit of dimension, but is flat enough to go through the mail without tearing the envelope, as pearls sometimes do.  You could make quite a few of these in no time!  Just cut the triangle trees, stamp on the "hill" and then assemble the cards while watching a fun and romantic holiday movie on the Hallmark Channel.  And while you're doing that, you can feel very smug that you aren't spending big bucks buying Hallmark cards!

OK, my friends... I'm off to conquer my ever-lengthening  "to-do" list.  Please come back on Wednesday when I'll have another classic card for your stamping inspiration.
Have a great Monday!
Susan

Classic Colors for a Classic Card

Hello stampers!

Here I am at my computer in my stamp room, writing to my faithful readers.  It has been a busy day full of stamping and prepping for the Festive Flurry class on Sunday at 1:30 at my house.  I still have a couple of spots left, so if you'd like to attend, I promise you'll enjoy yourself and go home with 3 gorgeous snowflake ornaments.  And if you've ever been to one of my classes, you probably know that I do a lot of the work for you, while still trying to teach you a few tricks.  This class is no exception.  You'll be a bit pampered as I have done quite a bit of the work for you.  I want you to feel relaxed and happy... not harried and stressed!  I think you'll be quite impressed when you are finished with the projects.  I'm happy that the weekend is almost here, because around here that means that I'm going to see some of my very favorite people, my stamping customers.  I love being a Stampin'Up! demonstrator because I get to share creativity, pretty designs, beautiful colors, and lots of laughter with some very fun people.

When I named this blog, my thought was to showcase cards that are clean and classic.... nothing overly "frou-frou."  And today that's just what I have for you.  In addition to the clean and classic design, I've used one of the most classic color combinations ever, blue and white.  Or to be more specific, Midnight Muse and Very Vanilla.  Is there anything more crisp than a dark blue paired with white?  I think of the blue and white china that is collected by so many people and all of the rugs, pillows, upholstery fabrics, and other home accessories in this beautiful color combination.

Here's the card so you can see for yourself

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

Stamps:  O Holy Night, page 33 of the holiday catalog
              Simply Stars, page 124 of the annual catalog
Ink:  Midnight Muse
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Midnight Muse
Accessories:  Stitched Satin ribbon in Midnight Muse, page 173 of the annual catalog
Linen Thread, also page 173, Very Vintage Designer Buttons, page 169, Apothecary Accents Framelit, page 187, Square Lattice embossing folder page 191, dimensionals.

I hope I've inspired you to get out some blue and white paper and create something pretty!  May your weekend be whatever you want it to be... action-packed and busy or relaxed and laid-back.
Happy week-ending everyone!
Susan

Very Vintage

Hey there, stampers!  Thanks for coming back for a visit today!

I know it is only mid-November, but in the words of the song "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"
I made a run to the mall today to pick up a Christmas gift for one of my daughters because Macy's was having a big sale.  I seldom go to the mall (too busy stamping!) and I was so very surprised to find that Christmas is in full swing at Macy's.  The decorations are up, the shelves are packed, and of course Christmas music was wafting through the store.  I hate to admit it, but it made me feel a bit panicky for a moment when I thought about all the shopping I still have to accomplish, which I'm sure was part of their evil plan.  Buy now, and buy even more later!  I have found that if I shop too early, then I always end up going back for more when I really don't need to do that.  So now I wait and do most of the shopping in December. Do you fall into any holiday traps?  I think the best way to avoid over-consumption is to make a list of what people want and then stick to it!  I don't know how it happened, but we are blessed with daughters who don't have a lot of wants.  They encourage me not to go overboard on gifts and I really appreciate that.  Almost everyone I know doesn't need more "stuff,"  unless we're talking about stampin' stuff... you can never have too much of that!

OK... enough chatter... let's get to the card

The inspiration for this card was found in the magazine that demonstrators receive from Stampin'Up! every couple of months, called Stampin' Success.   I love receiving it because there are so many great stamping ideas in each issue.  The vintage-y card they showed in the magazine featured the very old-fashioned Santa from the Santa's List stamp set (page 31 of the holiday catalog).  Since I don't own that set, I decided to substitute the ornaments from Christmas Collectibles (page 35 of the holiday catalog).  I stamped them in Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is from the fabulous sentiment set called Christmas Messages ( page 34 of the holiday catalog).  I stamped it in Always Artichoke as well.  The stamp is from the Postage Due stamp set, page 103 of the annual catalog.  I punched it out with the Postage Stamp punch, page 180 of the annual catalog and then popped it up with a dimensional. I used the Post Card background stamp on page 102 of the annual catalog.  I stamped on Very Vanilla with Crumb Cake and sponged the edges quite heavily so that my card would look like I found it in a musty old trunk in the attic.  If I'd thought of it, I would have used the spots from Gorgeous Grunge ( page 109) to age the card even more.

I must run now!  I'm preparing for my Festive Flurry Ornament class on Sunday, November 17th at 1:30
I wish you'd join me!
Happy Stamping,
Susan

Snow?? In November???

Hello stamping friends!

We're back from our trip to California to see our newest grandchild... a sweet girl named Lindsay Ruth.  She's a petite little thing with a full head of dark hair. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 1 oz, she's smaller than either of my girls were so she looked very tiny to me.  After a week of being Oma, I'm getting back into the swing of stamping again and I'm busily gearing up for my Festive Flurry ornament class that's coming up next Sunday, November 17th at 1:30 at my house.  So, yes!  It will be snowing in November... at least at my house.  The cost for the class is just $10, which is quite a bargain if you compare it to the cost of classes at stamp stores and paper stores and the class can be free if you make a $35 purchase.  You'll also enjoy some delicious snacks and some nice door prizes, as well as chatting and creating during a pleasant football-free afternoon!

We'll be making three different ornaments.  I posted one on The Classic Card facebook page and I'll show you the other two in just a moment.  First, though, let me say that these don't have to hang from a Christmas tree.  They would make great tie-ons for a special gift and they'd make a very pretty table favor for your Christmas dinner guests to take home.  Or maybe you have your friends over for a special Christmas tea. These would be wonderful favors for such an event as well. They'd also make a nice small gift for a co-worker. They don't have to be made in the blue and silver color scheme.  You could try Cherry Cobbler and some Gold Shimmer Paper for a completely different look.  One thing is for certain, once you start making these, it is hard to stop.  They are just that pretty!  OK, so let's take a look...

Here's the second one

 I'm not going to go into a lengthy description of the steps involved in creating each ornament, but I will say that I used the Festive Frost DSP on page 29 of the Holiday catalog, along with the Festive Flurry stamps and framelits on page 30.  I used the silver 1/8 inch ribbon on page 28 for hanging loops and also used the Frosted Finishes Embellishments on page 28.  Silver Glimmer paper, page 156 of the annual catalog adds a frosty, sparkly glow.  I used the colors Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, and Soft Sky to stamp the snowflakes.  Really, there is no "wrong" way to make these.  Just stamp some snowflakes, cut them out with the matching framelits, and then start layering them with some snowflakes cut from the Silver Glimmer Paper.  You can make them as simple or as complex as you like.

Have I convinced you to come to my class?  I hope so!  Thanks for stopping by today and be sure and come back on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration;
Happy Stamping!
Susan

A Pause to Give Thanks

Hello again, Stampin' Peeps!

Woo Hoo... it's Friday!  What is on your schedule for the weekend?  I'm going to be stamping with Kristine and Amy and their friends tomorrow, November 9th, at 1 pm.  If you're free and would like to join us, just send me a quick email and I'll be sure to have enough paper cut for you!

I know I've been concentrating on Christmas lately, but today I want to take a break from that and show you a Thanksgiving card.  I know I wrote an earlier post about sending Thanksgiving cards.  I think most people would be surprised and delighted to receive a Thanksgiving card.  I know I would!  Why not make a few for the most special friends and family?

Here it is in all its leafy, fall-colored glory...

I stared out with a card base of Very Vanilla.  On top of that is a panel of Baked Brown Sugar.  Next is the leafy layer.  It measures 3 1/2 by 4 3/4, which is smaller than usual, but I wanted more of the Baked Brown Sugar panel to show.  I stamped the leaves with the Gently Falling stamp set (page 65 of the annual catalog), in Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Baked Brown Sugar, and Crushed Curry. Then I stamped over the leaves with the Woodgrain background stamp ( page 75) in Crumb Cake. I cut a Window Frame in Baked Brown Sugar with the Window Frames Collection framelits, and adhered it over a flagged piece of the new 1 1/4 inch Burlap Ribbon ( page 18 of the holiday catalog). Last, I stamped the sentiment in Pumpkin Pie, using the Tags 4 You stamp set on page 37 of the holiday catalog. I punched it out with the Label Bracket Punch, also on page 37 and popped it up on dimensionals.  I love how this turned out... simple and full of fall flavor!  Best of all, it is fairly flat so mailing it to surprise far-away friends and family on Thanksgiving won't be a problem... not a bump, lump, or pearl in sight!

Happy Friday to all!
Susan

All is Calm

Hi there!  Thanks for coming back to see the Wednesday card!  I hope you're experiencing smooth sailing today.  Days go so much better when all is calm and drama-free, don't you agree?

In the spirit of calmness, I have another card for you made with the very popular Calm Christmas stamp set.
I have to admit that I've probably never experienced a calm Christmas.  There's always plenty going on at our house and since the arrival of grandchildren, Christmas is anything but calm.  There's chaos and crying, there's toys strewn about, there's someone in "time out."  Maybe someday when I'm ancient and living in the Shady Pines retirement home (I'll be going there with my friend Rhonda) I'll have a calm Christmas and I bet it won't be half as much fun as the crazy Christmas I have now.

Check out my card today, all calm and cool and blue...

Here's a list of the products:

Stamps:  Calm Christmas
Ink:  Island Indigo
Paper:  Island Indigo, Whisper White, and Soft Sky card stock
Accessories:  Northern Flurry Embossing Folder, Winter Frost DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Old Olive Marker, Silver 1/8 inch ribbon, sponge, dimensionals

Have a calm Wednesday, everyone!
Hugs,
Susan

A Holly Jolly project

Hi there, stampers!
Happy Monday!
Did you enjoy the "fall back" time change?  I know I did... it is great to gain an hour!  I wish we could gain one more often, as most of the time there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I'd like to check off my list.  Now that we are into November, it is time to give serious thought to Christmas preparations.  We really cannot put it off much longer, because ready or not, Christmas will be here sooner than we think.  Is this the year for you to simplify your holiday chores?  Maybe scale back on decorating the house just a bit?  Perhaps scale back a tad on the outdoor lights?  It really isn't necessary to outdo yourself every year.  Maybe reading a good book by the fireplace would be more satisfying than engaging in a frenzy of decorating, baking, and shopping.  Don't get me wrong... I love decorating, baking, and shopping but I just plan to do a little less of it, in hopes I'll have a few quiet moments to contemplate the meaning of Christmas.

One great way of simplifying Christmas is giving the ever-popular gift card. You can pick them up at the grocery store, so there's no running around town.  Just about everyone (except tiny children) loves getting a gift card.  It is a gift of possibility and half the fun of getting one is daydreaming about the things you might purchase with that magical card.  If giving a gift card seems a little cold to you, here's a way to warm it up.  Give it in a hand-stamped, hand-crafted gift card holder, like this....

I just love how easy these are to make.  You can crank out a lot of these in very little time, using Stampin'Up!'s Envelope Liner Framelits ( page 37 of the holiday catalog).  This cute holder is made using the middle-sized envelope liner.  Simple cut two liners from Double Sided Designer Paper (I used Season of Style, page 23 of the holiday catalog).  Score one of the liners and fold down the flap.  I used some Crumb Cake Seam Binding to stretch around the folded-down liner and sealed the ends inside.  Then I just tied on a  separate piece of seam binding for the knot.   I used the Tags 4 You stamp set (page 37 of the holiday catalog) for the sentiment, stamping it in Cherry Cobbler and cutting it out with the Label Bracket Punch, also on page 37. I popped the cute label up on some dimensionals.  Because DSP is lighter in weight that regular card stock, you can easily cut two of these at a time.  Just make sure to choose patterns that go well together.  By the way, I first saw these on Patty Bennett's blog, so I want to give her credit.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope your week is off to a good start!  Please come back on Wednesday, when I'll have another classic card for your stamping inspiration!
Hugs,
Susan

Clean and Classic Christmas

Hello there stamping friends!

Let's hear a little cheer.... YAY for Friday!  I hope your Halloween went smoothly and uneventfully.  We're always mobbed with kiddies in our neighborhood, but that's OK... it isn't too difficult for me to get into the spirit of a holiday that revolves around candy.  Now if I could just figure out a way to filch some of those Milky Way bars out of their bags :)  It is a little shocking to see that we've arrived at November already. Daylight Savings Time ends on Saturday night (or actually Sunday in the wee hours) and from now until December 25th  it will seem like time is passing at warp speed as we zoom towards Christmas.  

Speaking of Christmas, have you started making your cards yet?  If not, there's still plenty of time, especially if you choose a clean and classic design like the one I'm going to show you right now.  This is one of the cards we'll be making tomorrow at my Soup-er Saturday "pamper-the-stamper" event.  Have a peek...

You can't get much cleaner and more classic than this!  Let me quickly go through the steps of creating this card.  I started with a base of Very Vanilla.  The next layer is a panel of Cherry Cobbler embossed with the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder.  The Christmas tree is from the stamp set Special Season (page 29 of the holiday catalog).  I stamped it in metallic gold using the gold Encore pad on page 28 of the holiday catalog and then cut it out with one of the oval framelits.  I adhered it to a slightly larger oval, cut from some gorgeous Brushed Gold card stock (page 156 of the annual catalog).  The sentiment is from the same stamp set, stamped in Cherry Cobbler on a strip of Very Vanilla.  I flagged the end of the strip with scissors, but you could also use a square punch to accomplish the same thing.  The top of the tree is accented with a pearl and there are tiny pearls here and there on the tree.  If you are mailing your cards instead of handing them out, then it might be best to leave off the pearls.  The card looks beautiful even without them.  

I hope I've inspired you to get started on your cards right away.  Think how smug you will feel when they're all finished and ready to put in the mail on December first.  Then you can turn your attention to the thousand and one other things on your to-do list.

Have a great weekend and enjoy that extra hour we lost in the spring!  I love the "fall back" change ... how about you?  Happy week-ending everyone!
Hugs,
Susan

The Mighty Oak

Hey there, stampers!
Happy Wednesday!

As I mentioned on Monday, I'm going to show you a masculine card today to balance out the girly card I showed you on Monday.  This is one of the cards we made at our SOS gathering on Monday at Symposium Coffee in Old Town Sherwood.  If you've never been there before, you really should join us sometime.  Symposium Coffee is Sherwood's gathering spot.  It is in an old two-story house and we meet in the largest room upstairs, which was probably the master bedroom originally, but now it's called the conference room.
They serve Stumptown Coffee and they have some very interesting beverages, including a Lavender Latte.  I haven't tried one yet, but it's on my list.

Wednesday's card du jour showcases the mighty oak from the ever-popular Lovely As a Tree stamp set, by far the oldest stamp set in the Stampin'Up!catalog.  If you don't already own this classic set, be sure to get it before it retires, which it is bound to do someday.  Here's the card...

While the sentiment on this card says Happy Thanksgiving, you could use almost any sentiment from
Teeny Tiny Wishes (they all fit in the Word Window punch I used here).  It could be a birthday card, a congratulations card, a sympathy card... really, just about anything you'd like it to be EXCEPT a card to welcome a sweet little girl.
Here's a quick list of the products:

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree (p 78), Teeny Tiny Wishes (p. 44)
Ink:  Early Espresso for the tree and sentiment, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, and So Saffron for the sponged background
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Accessories:  Sponges, Dimensionals, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Stitched Grosgrain ribbon in Early Espresso

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to read my blog!  Please share it with a friend, as I'm in need of more readers. May your Wednesday fly by quickly, leaving you only two more days 'til the weekend.  Hope you'll find some time to stamp something pretty today!
Susan

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

Hello stamping friends!

The big new at our house is that Lindsay Ruth Boxeth arrived yesterday... right on her due date.  What a prompt little girl!  She is 7 lbs. and 1 oz. of sugar and spice and everything nice.  Mother and baby are doing just fine. Katie and Tim arrived at the hospital at 5:15 am and Lindsay was born at 5:30.  We are so thankful that they got to the hospital in time for the birth!

I had planned to show you the second card that we'll be making today at SOS (Stamp Out Stress) at 1 pm at Symposium Coffee in Sherwood, but in honor of Lindsay's arrival I think a pink card would be appropriate, don't you?  So here it is...

This feminine card uses a lot of my favorite things, including the wonderful set Betsy's Blossoms.  By the way, it is one of the stamp sets that's on sale for 25% off, through 11 pm tonight.  You can see this fun set on page 87 of the annual catalog.  It normally sells for 21.95 in clear mount, but the sale price is 16.46.  I used my Oval Framelit Dies (page 186) to cut the two sizes of ovals.  The ink colors are Blushing Bride, So Saffron, and Pistachio Pudding. The card stock colors are Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Pistachio Pudding, and So Saffron. The sentiment is from the set Million & One, page 63 of the annual catalog.  I stamped it in Basic Gray.  The three-dimensional  flower is made with the Pansy Punch, page 183 of the annual catalog and the Boho Blossoms Punch, also on page 183.  The Whisper White panel is embossed with the Fancy Fan embossing folder and some of the gorgeous Chevron Ribbon in Blushing Bride completes the card.  I don't know about you, but I just love the look of a sentiment stamped over a background of flowers.  Do you have a special friend who'd love to receive a card telling her she's fabulous?  Really, what woman wouldn't like a card like this?

Thanks for stopping in and reading my blog today.  I appreciate each one of you, my faithful readers!  Be sure to come back on Wednesday, when I'll keep everything in balance by showing you a masculine card.
May your work week be off to a smooth start!

If you would like to order anything from the 25% off sale, be sure to email me your list.  I will get right back to you with your total and you can either send me a check or give me your credit card info over the phone.

Hugs,
Susan

Finally Friday!

Hello there stamping friends!

Woot woot!  Friday has arrived and I know all of you "worker bees" are rejoicing.  Even though I'm officially retired, I'm still buzzing around like a little worker bee myself.    The thing to think about when considering retirement is that you can say "yes" to all of the things that you used to say "no" to.  Then what happens is that you suddenly find yourself busier than ever... sigh!  No rocking on the front porch for me! I don't think I'm going to take up knitting anytime soon and reading is done between 11pm and midnight when the book falls from my hands.  I'm not complaining, though.  I'm having lots of fun as your happy and busy Stampin'Up! demonstrator!

Continuing on with our Christmas theme, I'm going to be showing you another frosty Christmas card today.
Here it is...

We're going to be making this at our Stamp Out Stress (SOS) group meeting on Monday, Oct. 28th at 1pm at Symposium Coffee in Old Town Sherwood.  If you are free, we'd love to have you join us for coffee, cards, and creativity!  The cost is just $5 for two cards and envelopes.  We meet upstairs in the conference room.
The stamp set I used for this card is called Lovely as a Tree and it has been in the catalog as long as I've been a demonstrator... almost 13 years!  It continues to be a best-seller and I can see why.  The images are just wonderful... especially these bare trees.  The sentiment is from a set in last year's holiday catalog, called More Merry Messages.  It is not in the current catalog, but can still be ordered, so let me know if you'd like to add a great set of 10 holiday greetings to your collection.

Here's a quick list of the products I used to make this card.

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree and More Merry Messages
Ink:  Marina Mist, Pool Party, and Soft Sky in for the sponged background behind the trees, Jet Black Staz-On ink for the trees, Basic Gray ink for the sentiment.
Paper: Whisper White for the card base, Soft Sky for the embossed panel
Accessories:  Pretty Print embossing folder, page 24 of the holiday catalog, 1/8 inch silver ribbon, page 28 of the holiday catalog.

May you all enjoy a wonderful fall weekend... isn't this weather just the best ever? I hope you can relax. recharge, and maybe even squeeze in a little time to stamp.
Don't forget to come back on Monday, when I'll have more stamping inspiration for you!
Hugs,
Susan

Not so traditional...

Hi there!
So glad you came back on this beautiful Wednesday to see the classic card I have for you today!  While everyone will agree that red, green, and white are the traditional colors of Christmas, there are quite a few folks out there who are more inspired by the cool and frosty blues of a winter landscape.  Stampin'Up! has made a lot of people very happy with their new Winter Frost Designer Series Paper, which features the gorgeous blues of Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Island Indigo, and Pool Party.  While the names sound tropical, these colors combined with silver accents and snowflake patterns just make me say "Brrrr!"  So for those of you who are into the blues...

Here's a quick list of what I used to create this frosty card:

Stamps:  Festive Flurry (p. 30 of the holiday catalog)
              More Merry Messages (a carry-over stamp set that is still available, even though it's not in the current catalog)
Ink:  Coastal Cabana, Soft Sky, Smoky Slate (for the snowflake layers), Bermuda Bay (for the sentiment)
Paper:  Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana
Accessories:  Frosted Finishes Embellishments, p. 28 of the holiday catalog), Festive Flurry Framelits (p. 30 of the holiday catalog), Winter Frost Paper Stack, page 29 of the holiday catalog, Fancy Fan embossing folder, page 191 of the annual catalog.

I love, love, love how the Magnetic Platform for the Big Shot holds the framelits right over the stamped snowflakes!  No more post-it notes needed to hold them in place!  The Magnetic Platform is now in stock, so order soon if you don't already have yours... item number 130658, 39.95 and worth every penny!

Thanks for stopping in for a visit.  I'll look forward to seeing you again on Friday!
Only 2 more days 'til the weekend!
Susan

A Calm Christmas???

Hello stampers!
I'm glad you came back for a visit this wonderful Monday!
Hasn't our weather just been the best?  You know me... I love the sunshine and this lovely Indian Summer weather really makes me happy!

As you know,  a few posts ago I promised to concentrate on Christmas cards for a while, then I promptly turned around and we viewed a couple of Thanksgiving projects.  But today, we're back on track with Christmas cards.  I'm planning to continue with Christmas the rest of the week, then we'll probably take a little break as I've got some non-holiday cards I'd like you to see.

So, here we go again,  onward toward Christmas!  Before I show you the card, which was made with a great new stamp set in the holiday catalog called "Calm Christmas" I just want to pose the question.... is there such a thing as a calm Christmas??  I'm not sure I've celebrated one of those, ever.  But I'd like to someday! Christmas, for most of us, is anything but calm.  There's so much to do, and the days fly by and before we know it, Christmas arrives and we count ourselves lucky if we managed to get the gifts wrapped before midnight!

The first card I'm going to show you is one we made today at my "Head Start on the Holidays" class.
Here it is...

I used Very Vanilla card stock for the base of the card and the focal panel.  Then Crumb Cake and Midnight Muse is layered on top.  The Midnight Muse panel is embossed with the Pretty Print embossing folder on page 24 of the holiday catalog.  The dove is stamped in Midnight Muse ink over a background made with the World Map background stamp on page 23 of the annual catalog.  The sentiment comes with the Calm Christmas set.  It is stamped on Very Vanilla with Midnight Muse ink and then punched out with the Large Oval punch.  Some Crumb Cake seam binding ( page 173 of the annual catalog) makes a nice finishing touch.  I sponged everything with the Crumb Cake ink to give the card a more vintage feel.

Since I used this card at two different events this past weekend, for many of you this is "old hat."  So here's another card using this same set so you'll have something new to inspire you.

This great card is the work of Janet Jones, one of the talented stampers in my group.  Here's a quick list of what she used:
Stamps:  Calm Christmas
Ink:  Raspberry Ripple, Island Indigo, Old Olive
Paper:  Island Indigo, Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White, In-Color Designer Series Paper Stack, Silver Glimmer Paper
Accessories:  Apothecary Accents Framelits, p. 187 of the annual catalog, silver 1/8 inch ribbon, page 28 of the holiday catalog, Northern Flurry embossing folder (p. 191 of the annual catalog)

I hope you agree... Calm Christmas is a wonderful stamp set  and at just $14.95, it's a great bargain as well.

I hope your new week is off to a great start!  The forecast says we're going to continue with the sunny weather for a bit longer, so that's a happy thing to look forward to!

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for another Classic Card.
Hugs,
Susan

Gratitude

Hello there, stamping enthusiasts!  Please excuse me while I give a loud  Yippie... it's Friday!  
OK, I feel better now.   What are your plans for the weekend?  I'm excited to say that I'll be a stampin' fool this weekend, with a stamping party at my house on Saturday and my fun "Head Start on the Holidays" Christmas card class on Sunday.  I've baked some yummy Christmas cookies and I've got some holiday tunes ready to go on the CD player, the paper is cut and the stamps are ready!  Now for the fun!

Did you remember that on Wednesday we put our stampin' sedan in reverse and backtracked to Thanksgiving for a while?  Today we're going to put it in park and talk a little more about Thanksgiving.  To set the scene, I've got a little quotation on gratitude that I'd like to share.  I'm sure you've probably run across this quote at some point...
   
      "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."  Melody Beattie

To those thoughts, I'd just like to add that when you are feeling grateful, you are noticing and thinking about all that is right in your life.  When you focus on what is right, what is going well, you just naturally feel happiness.  So, if you'd like to be happier, practice gratitude.  Oh, and maybe stamp more too.  Stamping always makes me happy.... how about you???

Here's a fun project for Thanksgiving that would be a great addition to each place at your Thanksgiving table.  This is called a treat tent and you can fill it with all sorts of goodies, from spicy glazed nuts, to mints, chocolate kisses, or whatever you'd like.  Just fill a small cello bag and stuff it inside the tent and you're good to go. You could also add a small tag at the top so it could serve as both a take-away favor and a place card.

Oh, I guess I'd better show you what it looks like...

Sorry I didn't take a photo showing the side view, but this is just a strip of Early Espresso card stock that measures 3 1/2 inches wide by 8 1/2 inches long.  It is scored crosswise at 3 1/2 and 5 inches.  I embossed both the front and the back of the tent with the Square Lattice embossing folder, but left the bottom plain.  The stamps are from the Harvest of Thanks stamp set on page 19 of the holiday catalog.  I stamped Mr. Turk in Cajun Craze and then stamped again in  Early Espresso.  I stamped the word "gratitude" in Crushed Curry, to match the Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon on page 173 of the annual catalog.  I punched out the turkey with the 1 3/8 inch circle punch.  The tag shape was cut with the Deco Labels framelits and the gratitude banner was cut with the Bitty Banner Framelits.  Of course the turkey and the little banner are popped up on dimensionals.

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend!  I encourage you to set some of your weekend chores aside and spend a few minutes stamping.  I promise it will make you happier.  See you on Monday!
Happy week-ending, relaxing, and recharging everyone!
Susan

Shifting Gears...

Hi there, stampers!
Thanks for stopping by for some Wednesday stamping inspiration!

As you know, lately we've been traveling toward Christmas, but I think it might be time to stop, shift into reverse, and focus on Thanksgiving for a few days.  As many of you know, I'm a "magazine-a-holic" and in my reading recently, I've discovered that Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of many women.  At first I thought to myself    "Hmmm, I wonder why women would pick a holiday that requires them to cook all day," but as I read their reasons, it began to make a lot of sense.  First of all, you don't have to decorate the entire house (inside AND out) for Thanksgiving.  There are no exhausting lists of gifts to be purchased, wrapped, and mailed, nor does anyone really expect to receive a Thanksgiving card.  Thanksgiving is limited to one day, so there's no Thanksgiving season where you are expected to entertain friends, neighbors, and relatives with parties, brunches, or other festive gatherings.  No baking endless piles of cookies, (pick up one of those mammoth pumpkin pies from COSTCO and you're set!), no fudge for the neighbors... I'm thinking Thanksgiving just might be my new favorite holiday as well!

While we're contemplating the joys of Thanksgiving, here's an idea that might appeal to some of you.... instead of sending Christmas cards this year, send Thanksgiving cards!  Most people are pretty much expecting a Christmas card, but think of how special it would be to get an unexpected hand-stamped card in the mail for Thanksgiving, when people have time to look at it and appreciate it instead of tossing it in a basket along with tons of other cards.  Have I convinced you?  If so, here's an easy card that still has a bit of a "wow" factor....

I apologize for the neon-yellow look in this photo.  The cardstock is actually Summer Starfruit, which matches the stitched satin ribbon.  Some colors just don't photograph well, I guess.
Here's a product list for you.
Stamps:  Harvest of Thanks, page 19 of the holiday catalog
Ink:  Early Espresso marker, Cajun Craze Marker
Paper:  Very Vanilla card stock for card base.  Early Espresso, Summer Starfruit
Accessories:  Woodgrain embossing folder, Beautifully Baroque embossing folder, Apothecary Accents framelits (page 187 of the annual catalog), Stitched Satin ribbon in Summer Starfruit, and of course, the ever- popular Dimensionals. I cannot make a card without Dimensionals and I bet you can't either!

OK, stampers!  That's a wrap for my Wednesday post!  Thanks for reading and please come back on Friday for more stamping fun.
Hugs to all,
Susan