Who Named this Stamp Set???

Hello there, stampin' buds!
What a gorgeous day this is shaping up to be!  Break out the sandals, the capris, and the sunglasses!  Not to mention the sunscreen!

As I mentioned on Monday, I'm going to be doing a little series here on favorite retiring stamp sets... ones that I'm going to have a hard time putting in my garage sale.  Here's another one that may not find its way into the garage sale pile, which has already grown to alarming proportions...

Ah, yes!  The lovely, yet strangely named Papaya Collage stamp set, found on page 62 of the annual catalog.  I will agree that this stamp sets makes great collage-style cards, but where in tarnation is the papaya?
Oh, unless the bird is a papaya bird???  Silly me, I always thought that a papaya was a tropical fruit.
I just "googled" Papaya Collage and found a set on eBay for 99.95.  I'm not joking, people.  This is what happens when stamps retire.  That was for a new set in clear mount.  The price in the Stampin'Up! catalog is $23.95 for the clear-mount set.  If you are a lover of "artsy" cards, a lover of collage cards, a lover of vintage-style cards, or even a lover of birds, this set should be calling out your name!  Again, this is a set of images that I love, from the ornate frame, to the butterfly, to the fern frond, to the rose, to the bird... it all works together so beautifully.  There's even a vintage party had to dress up the bird if you wish.
I hope I've convinced you that you cannot live without this amazing stamp set.

Enjoy your Wednesday, everyone.  Get out there in those golden rays and make some vitamin D the old-fashioned way!  But don't get so distracted by the sunshine that you forget to come back on Friday.  I've got more retirees for you to meet!
Hugs and Happy Stamping!
Susan

Farewell, Old Friends!

Hello stampers and Happy Monday!

Where has the month of April gone?  It's hard to believe that today is the 28th and that there are just a few more days left in the month.  But time marches on and we need to try to keep up.  I'm so excited that the weather guy says we are going to have some warm and sunny days this week.  Are you ready for some 80 degree days??  I'm certainly ready... thinking of porch time with a tall glass of iced tea, or maybe coffee on the back patio under the umbrella.  Nothing is more beautiful than Oregon in the sunshine!
Now that May is almost here, it means it's time to say goodbye to some old friends... retiring stamp sets from past catalogs. .  I know that I can keep all of my retired stamps if I want to, but then we'd have to add on more storage space to make room for them.  So keeping retired stamps is really not an option.  I must be strong and bid a fond farewell to many stamp sets that I love.  Each year I allow myself to keep one or two very favorite sets, and this year I might just keep this one...

Betsy's Blossoms is one of my all-time favorite sets. I love the flowers, the leaves, and the bird.  This set (page 87 of the annual catalog) makes the cutest cards!  I loved this square scalloped die for the Big Shot as well, but it retired last year. If  Betsy and her blossoms don't already reside at your house, you might want to consider inviting her over to live with you before she is gone forever.  Once stamps retire, the only way to get them is to try to snag them on ebay, an expensive proposition indeed.

Over the next few days I'm going to introduce you to more of my retiring faves. Giving these sets a moment in the spotlight is the least we can do, as soon they will drive off into the sunset, retired forever!
Hope your week is off to a great start!  Enjoy the sunshine and please come back on Wednesday, when I'll have more stamping inspiration for you.
Hugs and happy stamping!
Susan

Inspiration is everywhere!

Welcome back to The Classic Card!
I don't know about you, but I'm happy it is Friday!  I'm always ready for the weekend, even though I'm retired!  I just wish the weather report was a little more encouraging, (insert big sigh here!).  I would love to sit out in the back yard or on the porch in the sun with a good book, but any reading I do this weekend will have to be done indoors, I'm afraid.

Are you excited that we are moving on from the online class of the last couple of weeks?  Did anyone follow along?  Send me a quick email (sjrstamps@gmail.com) with an attached photo of your masterboard cards and I'll put your name into a drawing for some fun SU merchandise!

Last night at our demonstrator meeting, the challenge for our swap card was to find an 'inspiration piece" and then use it to create a card.  Some of the inspiration pieces that people found to base their card on were:
a flowered umbrella, a paint advertisement, a Ritz Cracker ad, a Talbot ad, and some art that was in the Grandin Road catalog.  If you've never seen the Grandin Road catalog, I encourage you to check it out.  I usually find more than one item that inspires a card idea in this home-furnishings catalog.  There are all sorts of pillows, rugs, and art pieces that are easy to turn into a card.

Here's a photo of the art that inspired my card

and here's the card

The colors I chose are a little more vivid than the colors in the artwork, but I wanted a brighter look.
I used some post-it paper to mask off my card stock, then I used sponge daubers to apply Soft Sky ink to the top of the paper.  For the ocean, I used Bermuda Bay ink.  The wheat stalks (from the Wetlands stamp set) are stamped in Baked Brown Sugar... such a warm brown!  The sentiment is also from the Wetland set (so happy this set is not going away!).  For texture, I used the Square Lattice embossing folder, one of my very favorites that is, unhappily, being retired.  If you don't already own this fabulous folder, order it before it's too late, as it is only available "while supplies last," and who knows how long that will be???

As you are out and about this weekend, look around for card-making inspiration.  You might see a pretty print blouse, a leather belt with silver trim, a rug, or towel, or pillow that could be an inspiration piece for a great card. If the rain keeps you indoors, page through some catalogs or magazines looking for color combinations and objects that inspire you.  Once you start looking, you'll find card-making inspiration everywhere!

Happy Friday and happy weekending everyone!
Reminder... Friday is the last day for FREE SHIPPING from Stampin'Up!  Your order needs to be finalized before 10:59 pm, our time, as Stampin'Up! is located in the Mountain Time Zone that is one hour ahead of us!
Susan

The end!

Hello stampers and a happy Wednesday to all!

If you have been following the Masterboard class, you are probably very happy that this is the last installment and that we'll be moving on to something different on Friday.  I hope that a few of you followed this all the way through and that you have some nice cards to show for your efforts.  The simple layouts that I used for the cards will work with lots of different stamp sets, so keep them in mind when you are stumped for a card design.

Before we go any further, though, I need to clarify.  Friday's post showed a little 3 by 3 gift card.  That is made with the 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 square which is labeled card #6.  Sorry for the mixup!  So today's card really is the last card, but it is card #4 on the cutting diagram (a panel that is 3 by 3)

OK, the last of the 6 cards I made with my masterboard...

The completed size of this card is 4 by 4 inches.  The card base is 4 inches by 8 inches, folded in half to make a 4 inch square card. The Real Red panel is 3 1/4 by 3 1/4.  The masterboard panel is 3 by 3.  I cut a strip of card stock 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 and flagged the end with my hexagon punch.  I stamped the saying from A Dozen Thoughts ( page 59 of the annual catalog) in Real Red, then added a Tangerine Tango button with a piece of Real Red 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon threaded through the holes.  I'm happy to say that A Dozen Thoughts, the buttons, and the ribbon will be in the new catalog!  Yay... finally some things that are NOT being discontinued!  As you can see, I used the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to emboss both the white card base and the masterboard panel.  If  you've taken a close look at the discontinued list, you'll see that this great embossing folder will not be in the new catalog.  Sooo sad to see it go... it was definitely one of my favorites.  I'm hoping for an equally versatile folder in the new catalog.

Thanks for stopping in to read today's post.  I'm grateful for the few, the proud, and the brave (no, I'm not talking about the Marines) who are my blog readers.  If you know any stampers, please share my blog with them.  I could sure use about 2-3 thousand more readers!

Have you taken advantage of the free shipping offer yet?  Only a few of my customers have.  I encourage you to take a look at the list of discontinuing stamps and accessories and place your order, as everything is on a "while supplies last" basis this year and the free shipping offer is only good until Friday at 10:59 our time.

When you come back on Friday, I'll have a card with a whole different look for you... no more reds, yellows and oranges!  That will be a nice change!  See you on Friday!
Susan

We're almost there... card #5 in the Masterboard Class

Hello Stampers and Happy Monday to all!
Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter yesterday!
Today is an exciting day in the world of stamping.   First of all, Stampin'Up! has released the list of discontinued stamps today! Be sure to check your inbox for an email from me,which will have the list attached.  This year is a bit different, so be sure you understand that all discontinued stamps are on a "while supplies last" basis.  In previous years, Stampin'Up! guaranteed that all discontinued stamp sets would be available until the last day of the Stampin'Up! year... May 31st.  This year, that is not happening, so please order anything you'd love to have as soon as possible, because if you wait you could very well be disappointed.

Here's a second exciting announcement from Stampin'Up!

Yes, you read that correctly!  From today (Monday April 21st until Friday April 25th at 10:59 pm our time, shipping is free!! No worries about paying the minimum shipping charge of $6.95 when you place a small order.  You can order several times during this week and there will be no charge!  Your goodies will arrive right at your door via UPS.   To order, go to the "shop" button at the top of my blog or go to my business site at www.susanrodgers.stampinup.net.  You can also add Clearance Rack items to your order.  Be sure to order the outgoing In-Color items ( Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green and Midnight Muse) before they are sold out.  Ink refills in Raspberry Ripple are already gone.  If you aren't comfortable ordering online, please give me a call and I will put your order in for you!

OK, with those details out of the way, let's get to card #5 in our ongoing masterboard class.  For those of you who are sick, sick, sick of this--- please hang in there for one more day!  On Wednesday we'll be finished with the class and we'll be moving on to new territory on Friday.   Here is card #5...

This panel is cut from very bottom of the masterboard sheet and measures 5 1/4 by 2 1/4.
Check out the cutting diagram again to see where this panel is cut...

See it there in the lower-left corner?  
I started out with a half sheet of white card stock folded to make a card base.  On top of that I layered a Crushed Curry panel measuring 5 1/4 by 4.  I stamped this panel all over with the daisy in the Simple Stems set in Crushed Curry.  I then layered the masterboard panel onto a strip of Real Red card stock measuring 5
1/4 by 2 1/2.  Next, I stamped the saying from Really Good Greetings (page 38 of the annual catalog) in Real Red in the bottom right-hand corner of the Crushed Curry panel.  Last, I adhered the stamped panel to the Crushed Curry panel to the white card base.  Quick and easy and bright and sunny... a perfect card for a busy Monday!

I hope that one or two of you are playing along with me!  Once you get into the groove of making cards this way, you'll go back to this method again and again.  It is a great way to create a coordinated set of cards. Thanks so much for stopping in today!  I appreciate you!
Susan

More masterboarding coming right up!

Hello stampers and welcome back to the Classic Card!

Today we're on day 5 of our Masterboard class and today I'm going to show you card #4.  I hope you aren't getting sick of looking at the masterboard you created.  I love the bright flowers on my masterboard, so I'm not tired of looking at them yet.  When you're going to create 6 cards out of the same stamped paper, it helps if you love the colors and images to start with.  So I guess that's rule number one.  If you don't love your initial attempt, trash it and start over.  It is only one piece of card stock, not a yard of expensive fabric.

Are you ready for today's card?  It is a tiny little 3 by 3 gift card, just perfect for attaching to a wrapped gift. I can remember buying little cards like this back in the day at the Hallmark store for 50 cents (make that waaaay back in the day).  Do they even sell these anymore?  I guess it doesn't really matter, since they are so very easy to make.  Here's the card...

And here's the diagram of the bottom half of your masterboard, showing where card #4 is cut

OK, now that we have that out of the way, here's what to do next.

Start with a card base that is 3 inches by 6 inches.  Fold it in half to make a 3 by 3 card.

Next, cut a piece of solid card stock that is 2 3/4 by 2 3/4 and adhere it to the base.  Then cut the masterboard piece down to 2  1/2 by 2 1/2.  Run it through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder.  Wrap some Real Red Stitched Grosgrain ribbon around the textured panel and adhere it to the Real Red panel.  Stamp the sentiment (from Bring on the Cake, page 14 of the annual catalog) on a scrap of white card stock in Real Red and punch out with the 1 1/4 circle punch and layer it onto a Real Red circle punched out with the 1 3/8 inch circle punch.  Adhere the sentiment to the card with dimensionals. Voila!  You are finished!  

If you have the fabulous Envelope Punch Board, you can make a cute little envelope for your cute little card.  But if not, Stampin'Up! sells envelopes that are perfectly sized for these tiny cards.  You can find them on page 162 of the annual catalog and you get 40 of them for $7.50 (item # 107309).  

That's a wrap for today, stampers!  

May you enjoy a wonderful Easter with family and friends!  

Susan

Movin' right along... card #3

Hello there, stamping friends!

Here we are at Wednesday and it's time for another card using the masterboard you created.  Cards 1 and 2 used the top half of your masterboard and now we are going to make 4 cards out of the bottom half of it.
Before we go any farther, let me refresh your memory with a photo showing the cutting lines for the bottom half of your sheet.

So, as you can see, card #3 uses a panel that is 3 inches by 5 inches.  

And now, here's the very easy card that you can create with this panel.

Again, start with a half sheet of white cardstock, folded in the middle to create a card base that is 5 1/2 by 4 1/4.

Cut a strip of Tangerine Tango cardstock that is 5 1/4 inches long and about 1 1/2 inches wide.  Glue it under the right-hand edge of the masterboard panel, so that the whole thing is 4 inches wide.  Wrap this finished panel with some Chevron ribbon in Crushed Curry and adhere it to the card base.  I created the flower using Real Red, Tangerine Tango, and Crushed Curry cardstock and the following punches:

Blossom Punch Pansy Punch, Boho Blossom Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  After punching out the flowers, I used the Square Lattice embossing folder to add some texture and interest to the flower.  I used glue dots to assemble the flower.  Those things really hold.  I stamped the sentiment (from Lots of T\hanks on page 29 of the annual catalog) on a strip of white card stock and adhered it to the ribbon with glue dots.  

Again, please don't think your card has to look like mine.  If you leave off the sentiment, you'll be able to 

see that pretty chevron ribbon better and you'll have a card that is ready to send for any occasion or "just because."  

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you are still playing along with me.  This masterboard method is so versatile that you can use it for any season.  Wouldn't some fall cards using a masterboard of fall leaves in rich autumn tones be fun to make?  Or how about some wintry cards with snowflakes stamped in several shades of blue with some silver accents?  Think of the pretty Valentines you could make with hearts and flowers in several shades of pink.  Oh, the possibilities are endless!  I hope I've inspired you to create more masterboards.  

Please come back on Friday for card #4.  It's another very easy card, I promise!

Happy masterboarding!

Susan 

Onward to masterboard card #2

Welcome back, stampers!
Hope your Monday and your week is off to a smooth and happy start.  If not, maybe more coffee would help.

Hope you all enjoyed a relaxing and restorative weekend.  I'm also hoping you took a little time to make card #1... the center-opening card, and that you are ready to move on to card #2.
Before I start giving you the measurements for this super-easy card, I'll show you a photo.  This one could not be any easier.

For this card, you'll use the other panel from the top section of your masterboard.  Cards #3 through 6 use the bottom half of your board.

The card base for this card is a half sheet of white cardstock ( 5 1/2 by 8 1/2, folded to make the standard-sized card that is 5 1/2 by 4 1/4.  On top of that, I've layered a panel of Real Red card stock that is 5 1/4 by 4.  Next, I added the masterboard panel, which I cut down to 5 by 3 3/4.  I cut some strips of card stock in Crushed Curry, Real Red, and Tangerine Tango and flagged the ends with scissors.  I added a white label shape (cut with the Label Collection Framelits on top of the banners and decorated it with tiny butterflies cut with the Bitty Butterfly punch (page 83 of the big catalog). I ran the butterflies through the Big Shot, using the Square Lattice embossing folder and blinged them up (I don't think "blinged" is a real word, so please forgive me) with some rhinestones.

Once again, choose a shape that will accomodate the sentiment you want to use.  It doesn't have to be the label shape.  Depending on what you'd like to say, you could use a circle, an oval, a square, a deco label, or even a heart.  There are so many framelits to choose from (pages 186-187 of the big catalog).  The sentiment on my card is from Remembering your Birthday on page 16 of the annual catalog.  I love this birthday set because it has paired sayings.... one for the outside of the card and a coordinating saying for the inside.

Okey dokey, stampers!  That's card #2.... so very easy, yet so colorful!  Now it's your turn to make it!
Have fun and please come back on Wednesday for card #3... another easy-peasy card!

Happy Stamping!
Susan

Masterboard class, Day 2!

Hello Stampers and Happy Friday to everyone!

I hope you are following along with this series of posts. On Wednesday I showed you what my masterboard looked like.  There were two photos.  The first one showed you my masterboard with just the main images on it.  The second photo showed you how it looked with all of the white spaces filled in.  If you haven't stamped your sheet of card stock yet, go ahead and do it.  It shouldn't take that long to stamp a full sheet of 8 1/2 by 11 card stock.  Choose 3-4 colors that you like together and use a bold image stamp set, such as Simple Stems on page 33 of the Occasions catalog.  Betsy's Blossoms on page 87 of the big catalog would also work well. , as would Polka Dot Pieces on page 85 of the big catalog.

Now, let's start chopping up our masterboard to make 6 different cards, shall we?

Here is card #1.  After you take a look at it, I'll give you the measurements of all of the pieces so you can re-create it yourself.

As you can see, this card opens in the center.  To get the two panels for the front of the card, first cut your masterboard across the center, so that you have two pieces that are 5 1/2 by 8 1/2. Then cut one of those pieces again at 4 1/4 .  Cards #1 and #2 each use 1/4 of the masterboard.  To help you visualize the cuts you'll be making, here are some pictures of the sizes you'll be cutting.

This photo shows that you've cut the top half off of your masterboard.  Each of these cards uses a 5 1/2 by 4 1/4 panel.  Then you'll cut these down slightly to make them the correct size for the cards.

This photo shows the bottom half of your masterboard, with the measurements of the panels.  You'll have just a few strips of your masterboard left over.

OK, so back to card #1...

To make this card, start with a piece of neutral card stock that coordinates with the colors you've chosen.  

This will be the base of your card and should measure 5 1/2 by  8 1/2.  Lay it across your scoring board and score it at 2 1/8 and 6 3/8.  Fold the panels in toward the center to make a center-opening card.  Now all that is left is to add some colored  cardstock to the front panels and then layer on the printed masterboard panels.  The solid cardstock panels should measure 2 1/8 by 5 1/2.  Adhere these to the side panels.  Now

trim the masterboard piece to make 2 panels measuring 5 1/4 by 1 7/8.  Adhere these on top of the solid colored card stock.    Here is the card again...

To decorate the front, I cut a white label shape and a slightly larger Real Red label shape, using the Label Framelits.  It is glued to the left hand side of the card only, so that the card can be opened in the center.  I punched out some flowers with the pansy punch, put them through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and then adhered them to the card with several glue dots for extra holding power.  You really cannot beat glue dots when you want to make sure that an embellishment really sticks.  

Of course, your card doesn't need to look like mine.  Maybe you'd like a different shape to bridge across the center opening.  You could use a circle, square or rectangle... whatever fits the sentiment that you have chosen. Please let me know if you are having trouble following along.  This is the most difficult card.  The rest are very straightforward and super easy to put together.  

Please come back on Monday when we'll chop up more of your masterboard to make card #2!

Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend, everyone!  Enjoy the sunshine!

Hugs to all,

Susan

Masterboard cards... play along with me!

Hello stampers!

So glad you came back today, because I have a little challenge for you and I'm hoping you'll want to play along.  I know I've done a class or two like this, but I've never featured a class on my blog until now.  If you follow along each day, you'll end up with six great cards.

The first step in this process is to find a color combination that you like.  You'll need at least three to four colors that coordinate well.  You can choose pastel colors from the Subtles color family, or you can choose some brighter, warmer colors like I did from the Brights and Regals color families.  I wanted a "hot" color palette, so I chose Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry, and Daffodil Delight.  You can't get a much hotter color combo than that!

The second step is to choose a stamp set with bold images, where there are large areas of solid color, instead of "coloring book" stamp sets with images that are outlines to be filled in with markers or ink. The set I chose is the Simple Stems set on page 33 of the Occasions catalog.  An example of a "coloring book" stamp set can be found on the facing page, page 32 (the So Very Grateful set).

Now that you've chosen your colors and stamps, it is time to get busy.  You'll need one sheet of white or vanilla card stock.  When you are trying for a randomly stamped look, it is best to start in the upper left and work diagonally across the paper, from upper left to lower right.  Start with the largest image, then the next largest in a different color, then the third largest in a third color.  Here is what my sheet of paper looked like after I stamped my three images on it.

The last step in creating your masterboard is to fill in all of the white spaces between the images.  I decided to use the daisy-like image in the Simple Stems set.  I didn't want it to compete with the stronger colors I had already stamped, so I chose Daffodil Delight, a lighter yellow than the Crushed Curry that I had already used.  This is how my paper looked after I filled in all the white space.  Don't worry if some of the images overlap.  That is OK.

Notice how almost all of the white space is now covered.

OK, I'll take a break here and let you pick your colors, your stamp set, and then stamp your 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of card stock.  When I come back on Friday, I'll start showing you the six cards you can make from this one sheet of card stock.  I think you're going to be amazed!

Please come back on Friday for the continuation of this blog-based class!
Happy stamping!
Susan

Fun and Foxy

Hey there stampers!
Happy sunny Monday!

Will we reach 70+ degrees today?  Or not?  The 7 day forecast from KGW says that we'll get all the way up to 72 today!  Time to break out the capris and sandals!  Or, as you well know, the forecast could change in an instant.

What a fun card I have for you today!  It is the creation of Janet Jones, one of the demonstrators in my group.  I love Janet's clean and classic style.  When it comes to cards, we think alike.  Check out this foxy little guy...

This cute fox, along with his other forest friends (mouse, raccoon, hedgehog, and bunny) can be found on page 21 of the Occasions catalog.  The name of the stamp set is Life in the Forest.  The outlined images are just begging to be colored.  Janet stamped the fox in Jet Black Staz-on ink on watercolor paper and then used some Baked Brown Sugar ink and her aqua painter to color the fox.  The Coastal Cabana panel was embossed using the Woodgrain embossing folder, which gives a nice woodsy feel to the card.  The designer paper is from the Fresh Prints Designer Paper Stacks on page 33 of the Occasions catalog.  You get a nice thick stack (48 sheets) of coordinating prints in a 4 1/2 by 6 1/2 inch size for only 6.95.  The banners were cut with the new Banners Framelit Dies on page 27 of the Occasions catalog.  The fun saying is from the Just Sayin' stamp set on page 36 of the Occasions catalog, which coordinates with the Word Bubble Framelits on the same page.  Some linen thread tied around the top of the banners adds another rustic touch to this cute card.  Thanks, Janet, for allowing me to share your card today!

Just a word of advice.... I would suggest sending this sentiment only to those in the under 40's crowd.  As we age, those of us in the upper age brackets tend not to appreciate the focus being on our age, but instead prefer people to acknowledge our positive attributes, such as our superior card-making skills, our great color sense, our culinary genius, our ability to wrangle grandchildren, or our gardening skills.  There's so much more that can be said when birthdays roll around.  Why focus on something that can't be changed, like age?
Little kids, on the other hand, love being reminded of how old they're getting!  So send a greeting like this to a five-year-old and it will make his day.  Your 75-year-old aunt, not so much!

Hope you can all get out there and enjoy the sunshine!
Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for another classic card!
Be happy!
Susan

Finally Friday!

Yippee, it's Friday!  Too bad the sun isn't shining, but at least the weekend is almost here, and for those of  you working peeps, I'm sure you're excited about having a little down time over the next couple of days.

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I'll wind up the week with the final card and the box that we'll be making on Saturday at my Spring in a Box class.  I've still got a few spots open, so send me a quick email if you'd like to join in the fun.

So.... let's get right to the card, OK?

The box is casting a bit of a shadow over the card, but I think you can still see it.  This is the fifth and final card in the set.  Of course we're still using the Polka Dot Pieces stamp set and the Polka Dot Parade designer paper that I mentioned on Monday and Wednesday.  The colors today are Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, and Rich Razzleberry.  I loved this color combination so much that I decided to use it on the "belly band" for the gift box as well. I used the Blossom Punch and the Pansy Punch, as well as the 1/2 inch circle punch to create the flower.  Before I glued the layers together, I sent them through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder to add a bit of interesting texture.  The front panels on the box were embossed with the Decorative Dots embossing folder from Sale-a-bration.  

How are you spending your Friday?  I'm going to be working in the kitchen, preparing some yummy snacks for the class on Saturday.  Whatever you've got on your agenda, I hope your Friday goes smoothly and that you'll enjoy a relaxing and restorative weekend.  On Monday, I promise that there will be no more polka dots for a while.  I think we've seen enough of them to last a long time!

Be happy!

Susan 

Seeing Spots...

Hello Stampers and happy Wednesday to all!

I hope your week is going smoothly, despite the gloomy weather.  It's all downhill to the weekend after today, so that's something to be happy about.  Oh, and the weather man says that it is possible that we might reach 70 degrees on Tuesday.  Let's hold a positive thought for a sunny and warm Tuesday, shall we?  It would be a most welcome change!

I hope you are ready for more Polka Dots today, because here are the second and third cards we'll be making at my Spring in a Box class this coming Saturday, April 5th at 1 in the afternoon at my house.

I realize that my photo quality is not all that great, but I think you can still see the cards.  I'm not trying to win an award for my amazing skill at photography.  My skills are almost nil, yet I'm hoping you can see enough to be able to reproduce what I post if you like the cards.  That's all I'm hoping to accomplish and to be honest, I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands to pour into becoming a better photographer.  If there's any time left over in my day, I'd prefer to use it stamping for fun, something for which I rarely have time.

The stamp set is the very versatile Polka Dot Pieces and the colors today are Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist and Old Olive.  In order to keep this card set mailable, there are no knots, pearls, lumps or bumps anywhere on these cards. Who wants to get a beat-up card in a ripped envelope?  Sometimes it is best to just keep things simple.  Of course if you were planning on handing them out rather than mailing them, then you could embellish to your heart's content.

I hope these bright and sunny cards give you a boost today!  I think you'll love making them if you are able to join our crew of happy stampers on Saturday at my house.  Thanks for stopping in today and if you come back on Friday, I'll have the final card and gift box to show you.
Hugs to all,
Susan