Hello Stampers! Hope you've had your coffee and that your Monday and your week is off to a good start! Tomorrow, Tuesday March 31st is the last day of Sale-a-bration 2015... the last day to get a freebie with a $50 purchase. You actually have until midnight Mountain Time (11pm our time), but I wouldn't advise waiting until the last minute if you want to place an online order, as I'm pretty sure the servers at Stampin'Up! will be quite slow. In fact, I'd be surprised if they weren't annoying slow. So if you're going to place an online order, sooner is definitely better than later. I don't know about you, but I already have enough gray hair, thank you very much!
I thought it might be fun to show a few cards today, made with Sale-a-bration stamp sets, so let's get started.
Best Day Ever stamp set
Lotus Blossom stamp set
Best Day Ever stamp set
Lotus Blossom stamp set
Another Lotus Blossom card... this was the most popular Sale-a-bration stamp set!
This is the Sale-a-bration Vellum... it was very popular too!
More Sale-a-bration Vellum
And one more Sale-a-bration Vellum card. Well, my friends, I think that I shown you enough cards for one day. Don't forget to come back on Wednesday, when I'll have more stamping inspiration for you. Hugs and happiness! Susan
Hi again, stampin' peeps! It's my favorite day of the week.... Friday! I'm looking forward to another fun weekend of stamping with my awesome customers, starting with my Bunco Night tonight! Sadly, though, Sale-a-bration is almost over. The free goodies with a $50 purchase come to a screeching halt on March 31st at 11 pm our time (midnight in Salt Lake City). After that, we'll all have to become accustomed to getting "zero" with our $50 purchases, at least for another year. So, my question for everyone is this: Did you get the free items you wanted from the Sale-a-bration catalog? Stampin'Up! announced at the beginning of Sale-a-bration that you won't ever see these products offered again, for sale or for free. Once Sale-a-bration 2015 is over, I guess they plan to burn whatever is left (just kidding!). But you definitely won't be seeing them again, so if there's a stamp set you really want, you'll need to place your $50 order soon! OK, that was my public service announcement. Now back to my post for Friday, March 27th, where the title is Fresh and Blue, which perfectly describes the card I'm going to show you.
In my book, there's nothing that says "fresh" more clearly than blue and white. This color combination has been a classic for thousands of years. This fresh card is the work of Kathy Milano, one of my downline members. Kathy's always comes up with great cards! This one uses the "Best Day Ever" stamp set that you can earn with a $50 purchase. It's on page 3 of the Sale-a-bration brochure, You can see the paper she used called "Birthday Bash" on page 12 of the Occasions catalog. The blue she used is Night of Navy and the word "day" is stamped in Calypso Coral and then punched out with the Ticket Duo punch. And aren't those just the cutest little bows ever? Those are punched with the Bow Builder punch on page 13 of the Occasions catalog, then they're easily assembled with glue dots. What a darling embellishment for a card! Of course they're great on lots of things, from gift tags, to gift card holders, to the Tiny Treat Boxes (page 5 of the Occasions catalog). Almost everything looks cuter with a perky paper bow (except maybe your dog or cat... they're not crazy about perky paper bows!). Thanks for stopping by this fine Friday! If you're coming to my Big Bunco Blowout tonight... be ready for a little craziness as we roll the dice for prizes! Happy weekend, everyone! Susan
Hey there stamping friends! Thanks for coming back to see what I'm up to today on The Classic Card.
I think I'm almost past the wedding phase of my life. How about you? When was the last time you attended a wedding? My children are married, my relatives are married, and almost all of my children's friends are married by now. I haven't attended a wedding in years! But I know that some of you out there in stamping land still go to weddings, so today I've got a wedding card for you. When I saw the lovely stamp sets and designer paper on pages 42 and 43 of the Occasions catalog, I knew I "needed" some of these gorgeous products. Check out my card and then I'll quickly mention the products I used.
I just love the understated look of Sahara Sand and Whisper White together... very neutral, but elegant. I used the beautiful "Something Borrowed" designer paper that's on page 42 of the Occasions catalog. The entire package is done in Sahara Sand and Whisper White in various designs. I stamped in Sahara Sand on a piece of Whisper White card stock and then cut it out with one of my Label framelits. To make it stand out from the busy background, I cut another slightly larger label from some Sahara Sand card stock. The sentiment is from the "For the New Two" stamp set that's at the top of page 43 in the Occasions catalog. A couple of large pearls and some satiny Organza ribbon (page 206 of the annual catalog) add a "wedding-y" touch to the card. Yes, I know. There's no such word as "wedding-y," but I was an English major so I can get away with creating my own words, can't I? OK, I think that's enough silliness for a Wednesday, don't you? I'll let you go so you can get back to whatever important things you're busy doing today. Please come back on Friday for more stamping ideas. Hugs and happiness, Susan
Howdy Stampers! Happy rainy Monday to all! Isn't it amazing that Spring Break and spring rain just seem to go together like cookies and milk, like biscuits and fried chicken, like donuts and coffee? Whoa... I'd better stop right there... I'm making myself hungry! Seriously, though... where is it written that it must rain 90% of the time during Spring Break??? To try and make things a bit more bearable for those of us who aren't sunning ourselves in Hawaii/Palm Springs/Phoenix/Las Vegas/insert your favorite sunny spot here, I've got a bright card for you today, courtesy of Janet Jones, one of my fun downline members. Check out Janet's card...
There are all sorts of new products from the Occasions catalog used on this card... The Painted Petals stamp set, the Spring Flowers embossing folder, and the Painted Blooms designer paper too! That's Rose Red card stock, which goes nicely with the Painted Blooms paper and is a color which is under-used. I can't remember when I last pulled out a sheet of Rose Red. Thanks, Janet, for bringing this very pretty color to our attention! Those pretty blooms and colors help to remind us that if we want spring flowers, we've got to endure some spring showers. Thanks for stopping in today and please check back on Wednesday for another classic card! Susan
Hi and happy Friday to all of my stamping friends! Well, this week sure flew by, didn't it? I can't believe that we've arrived at Friday already. I hope that everyone had a smooth week, free of bumps in the road. We do not need bumps! Of any kind! Today I've got a reject for you... a card that didn't make the cut. I don't know if you attended my Avian Artistry class, where we "put a bird on it" several times over, but this was one of the cards I designed for that class, then pulled from the lineup as it really didn't showcase a particular technique. However, I still like how this turned out, and if you own the amazing Everything Eleanor stamp set (page 69 of the annual catalog), you might want to dust it off and stamp this pretty card.
As you can see, this is an asymmetrical gate-fold card (sorry it is flopping open a bit). All of the images on the card, except for the sentiment, are part of the Everything Eleanor set, one of my all-time favorite stamp sets. I will be hanging onto this set when it retires! I stamped the flowers in Early Espresso ink on Soft Sky paper, then cut the flowers out by hand. The label shape was stamped in Crumb Cake on Whisper White card stock and also cut out by hand. The base of the card is Crumb Cake and the gate-fold is Soft Sky, embossed with the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder. I topped off the flowers with lots of pearls to give the card a bit more elegance. Wouldn't this make a lovely wedding or anniversary card? I just love the combination of Soft Sky and Early Espresso! How about you? Have you used these two colors together? If not, give them a try. You might find you love this combination as much as I do! I'm hoping that you feel inspired to get out some stamps, ink, and paper and play for a while. Taking a little time out for yourself will do wonders for your mood, I promise! May the weekend ahead be a good one for you, full of friends, family, relaxation, and whatever else makes you happy! Hugs to all, Susan
Hi Stamping Friends! I've got a little bit of "wow" to make your Wednesday a bit more fun. As many of you know, the Butterfly Thinlits cannot be ordered at this time. Once Stampin'Up! is able to get a new supply, the item number will be turned back on and that will make a lot of people very happy. Today I want to show you that you can still make a great card with the Butterfly Basics stamp set, even though you don't have the matching thinlets. Take a look and you'll see what I mean...
This pretty birthday card is almost a "one-layer wonder." except for the butterflies that are popped up off the surface. Instead of cutting out the stamped butterfly with the matching thinlit, I simply cut it out with scissors, then added a punched butterfly on top, using the small butterfly punch. The three little pearls are like the cherry on top. Here's a quick list of what I used: Stamps: Butterfly Basics Gorgeous Grunge (for the little dots) Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Very Vanilla Accessories: Basic Pearls, sponge, glue dots, dimensionals, small butterfly punch. corner rounder punch I hope you can see that you can make a pretty card with this set, even though you don't have the butterfly framelits. Hopefully they'll be back soon, but meanwhile, with a quick change in the sentiment, I plan on using this set for all sorts of occasions... thinking of you, get well, and sympathy are just a few that come to mind. It could even make a great Mother's Day or Easter card. Are you feeling the need to go stamp something? I hope so! Please come back on Friday for another classic card. Hugs and happiness, Susan
How was your weekend? Did you enjoy the rain? I actually thought it was a bit of a novelty to wake up on Saturday morning to the sound of the wind and the rain. And since we need the rain, I was happy to see it. You probably know how much I love the sun and warmer weather, but we sure don't want a drought! Today I'm going to show you a card we made at Debbie's stamping party out in the Bethany area on Saturday. We used the great stamp set called Crazy About You and I showed everyone how to use the adhesive transfer sheets to adhere the scripty words that we cut with the Hello You Thinlit Dies that coordinate with the stamp set. You can check out this stamp set on page 31 of the Occasions catalog. The matching framelits are shown at the top of the page. Take a peek...
Here's a quick list of what I used: Stamps: Crazy About You Ink: Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Pistachio Pudding Paper: Pistachio Pudding, Blushing Bride, Whisper White Accessories: Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Medallion Flower Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Basic Pearls, Crisp Cantaloupe Thick Baker's Twine, Hello You Thinlets, Adhesive Transfer Sheets, Dimensionals. With Easter only about three weeks away, it is definitely time to get busy on your Easter cards. I need to take my own advice and get busy too! I hope your week is off to a smooth start and that you'll enjoy a week free of trauma and drama. Please come back on Wednesday and I'll show you another pretty card! Hugs and Happiness! Susan
Wow... this week just flew by, didn't it? And here we are at Friday again. As promised, I'm going to show you another birthday card. I hope you're OK with that. As I mentioned on Wednesday, birthday cards are always needed, so we might as well have fun making them as bright and pretty as possible. Check out this great color combination...
Don't these colors make you think of a tropical setting? Let's pretend we're sitting by a turquoise-y blue bay, with golden sun showering down on us, while in our hand we're holding a orange-mango smoothie. Or maybe it's a tropical drink with a little umbrella. I took these pretty colors directly from the Birthday Bash Designer Series paper on page 12 of the Occasions catalog. They are Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, and Tangelo Twist. The flower is from the Petal Potpourri stamp set on page 23 of the Occasions catalog... the same stamp set I used on Monday's card. I used the Flower Medallion punch to punch out the flower, also the same as Monday's card. The Crushed Curry Chevron ribbon, some Crushed Curry Baker's Twine and a Bermuda Bay Candy Dot in the center of the flower give the card a little zip. The sentiment is from the Four You set, page 19 of the annual catalog. I hope you're planning a relaxing weekend with a little something different thrown in. We don't always need to leave town to enjoy the weekend. Try a new restaurant for breakfast, shop at a new market, stop off at a yard sale or antique store to see if you can find a treasure. Even a small change in routine can leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized. Of course, you can always try out a new stamp set! There's nothing more fun that that! Happy weekend, everyone! Susan
Hi again! Thanks for coming to visit today. Hope your Wednesday is off to a great start! Today I've got a bright birthday card to share with you. We all send birthday cards more than any other type of card. Everyone has a birthday every year like clockwork, so of course that is the most-needed type of card. So when you find yourself in need of a quick and easy birthday card, I've got just the thing for you...
The colors here are Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay, and Tangerine Tango. I used my Scallop Tag Topper Punch to make the tag, then stamped it with the Big Day stamp set, one of the free stamp sets you can get free with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration, which goes until March 31st. I stamped in Bermuda Bay ink, added Tangerine Tango candles, and then colored the word "cake" with a Daffodil Delight marker. The flowers are punched out with the petite petals punch, while the centers of the flowers are punched with a regular hole punch. The Tangerine Tango twine adds a nice pop of color to the card. To make this card more guy-friendly, simply remove the flowers and perhaps substitute some buttons in their place. Now let me show you the inside of the card...
Isn't this fun? The card opens up into a box-like shape, then when you close the card, it flattens out again. If you'd like to try making a box card, please email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll send you the directions. It's not at all difficult, I promise!
I hope you'll come back on Friday to see another bright and happy birthday card. Then you can get busy stamping up some birthday cards of your own. That way, when a birthday pops up, you'll be ready with a bright and beautiful hand-stamped card that says you cared enough to send the very best... art from your heart! Hugs and happy stamping, Susan
Hello there stampers! On this sunny Monday, it's not hard to believe that spring is just 10 days away. In fact, it has seemed like spring for the past week! Although I'm super excited that warmer weather is on its way, I don't feel the same excitement about the whole "spring forward" daylight savings deal. I do love the "fall back" part of it, as I'm always happy to gain an hour in the fall. How about you? Are you one of those energetic souls who love to spring forward? I hope you took advantage of the glorious day yesterday! I was thrilled to break out the capris and sandals... yipppppe! Of course I know that this string of sunny days is numbered, but let's squeeze every drop of sunny goodness out of each day before the rain returns, shall we? Here's today's card, which definitely looks like a little dose of springtime...
Here's a quick list of what I used: Stamps: Petal Potpourri (p. 23, Occasions catalog) Four You (p. 19, annual catalog) Ink: Daffodil Delight Strawberry Slush Mossy Meadow Paper: Strawberry Slush Daffodil Delight Mossy Meadow Whisper White All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack (p. 185, annual catalog) Accessories: Flower Medallion Punch (p. 23, Occasions catalog) 7/8 inch scallop circle punch (p. 220, annual catalog) Circles collection framelits (p, 231, annual catalog)
Well, that's about it for today, my friends! I'm planning to soak up some of that sunshine today, because it's not going to be around much longer. I suggest you do the same and get your dose of natural vitamin D. Happy stamping! Susan
Hi again, friends! Is anyone else excited that Friday is here? I love the weekends, because it means I get to stamp, stamp, stamp with some of the nicest people on earth... my wonderful customers! Tomorrow is my Avian Artistry class, where we're going to "put a bird on it." Every card has at least one bird and some have more than one. It's going to be a fun morning! I don't know how you feel about tulips, but they're one of my very favorite flowers. And today I have a pretty spring card that has a whole bouquet of tulips. Scroll down just a bit and take a peek...
This quick and easy card uses the Love is Kindness single stamp on page 32 of the occasions catalog. It comes with a sentiment attached which says "The essence of love is kindness, " which is a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson. I thought the stamp would be a whole lot more versatile with the sentiment cut off, so I got out my trusty rubber-cutting scissors and carefully snipped away that sentiment. I then mounted the sentiment on an extra wooden block and now I can use it whenever I want and I have the tulip bouquet to use alone. The colors I used are Pink Pirouette for the background (textured with the Decorative Dots embossing folder), I stamped the tulips on a Very Vanilla panel in Tuxedo Black Memento ink, then colored with tulips with my Blendabilities in Pink Pirouette and Calypso Coral. The stems are colored in Pear Pizzazz. The birthday sentiment is from Label Love on page 14 of the annual catalog. A couple of mats cut from Calypso Coral card stock add a nice pop of color and some dimensionals lift the two elements off the surface. And there you have it.... a pretty spring birthday card, sure to brighten the day of a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or relative. Spread a little love and happiness around with your hand-stamped artwork! Heaven knows that this old world could use a little more love and happiness. Have a relaxing weekend! Susan
Hey there, stampers! Thanks for coming back to The Classic Card this fine Wednesday. I'm continuing my series of spring-like cards today, and will be doing so for many days to come. There are sooo many occasions that happen in the spring... Mother's Day, Father's Day, weddings, new babies, graduations, Easter, and of course birthday cards and thank-you notes are always needed. I just love the fresh look of this card. Take a look for yourself and then tell me if you agree.
I had a feeling that I had already blogged about this card, but couldn't find it anywhere, so I guess I haven't featured this one yet. I used the Crazy About You stamp set that appears on page 31 of the occasions catalog. When combined with the Hello You thinlet dies shown on the same page, this stamp set is Versatile with a capital "V!" Using the "hello" thinlet I cut the word from a Party Pennants shape (page 232of the annual catalog). If you'll look at the top of page 31 in the occasions catalog, you'll see that I basically copied the sample that Stampin'Up! provided, with a few minor changes. The colors I used are Pistachio Pudding, Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride, and Whisper White. This card would be just as fun if it said "hello spring," "you make me happy," or any one of many, many greetings that can be created with all of those words. When you cut the word out from a shape, you have both the cut out word and the negative space to work with. I can just see this card in Pool Party and Daffodil Delight! What spring color combination can you come up with? Well, stampers, that's it for today! I'm off to cut paper for my Avian Artistry class which is coming up this Saturday, March 7th at 10 am. I've got one spot left if any of you are interested. Have a great Wednesday! Oh and don't forget to stamp something pretty today! Susan
Hi there stampers and welcome to another week at The Classic Card! With all of the spring-like weather we've been enjoying lately, my thoughts have definitely taken a turn in that direction. Before we know it, Easter will be here, so now's the time to get our collective acts together and prepare for it. To help you with that, I've got a fun Easter card for you today. Take a peek...
This fun card uses the single stamp Happy Easter Bunny on page 35 of the Occasions catalog. To make the card base, I cut two of the scalloped ovals in Soft Sky card stock, using the Ovals Collection Framelits. To adhere the two Soft Sky ovals together, score one of the ovals straight across the top, 1/2 inch down from the top. Apply sticky strip to the area above the score line, then line up the two ovals and press together. Then I stamped the bunny in Staz-On black ink on Whisper White card stock. I cut Mr. Bunny out with a slightly smaller oval and colored the image with my regular Stampin' Write markers. I used Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron, and Soft Sky, but of course you could use any of the Soft Subtles colors you like. With a minimal amount of coloring, this card was quick and easy to put together, so making multiples won't be a problem. If you don't already own this cute stamp and would like to purchase it, please send me a quick email at sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll order it for you on Saturday, when I'm holding my Avian Artistry class. It is only $11.95, but what a cute card it makes! Thanks for reading my blog. May the week ahead be a good one! Stamp something pretty today! Susan
