Reason for the Season, Stampin'Up!

Whoop de doo!  It's Friday!

Tonight our Seattle family will arrive and we'll be celebrating our son-in-law Eli's birthday.  As much as I love stamping, I'm excited to spend a weekend enjoying family time instead of stamping time.  Every once in a while, a change of pace is a welcome thing, isn't it?  
Before I head off to do some last-minute chores, I want to share a pretty card with you, using the Reason for the Season stamp set on page 31 of the holiday catalog.  

I'm sure none of you are surprised that I used the combination of Cherry Cobbler and Mossy Meadow.  These are my favorite red/green colors for Christmas cards.  They are so much richer than Real Red and Garden Green, although that combination works too.
The poinsettia is a two-step stamp and I'm happy to say that there's a little arrow shape on the flower and leaf stamp to aid in lining them up correctly.   Since there are  no framelits that coordinate with this set, I cut the poinsettia out by hand.  It wasn't at all difficult. I added it to the card with a couple of dimensionals to give the flower a little more emphasis.  The sentiment is stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White card stock.  I used the Lots of Labels Framelits ( page 173 of the annual catalog) to cut it out, then one size larger framelit for the Mossy Meadow mat.  
It's kind of difficult to see, but the Cherry Cobbler panel is embossed, using the Boughs and Berries embossing folder (page 30 of the holiday catalog).

Well, my friends, that's it for today.  I'm going to hang up my Stampin'Up! apron for the weekend and put on my "domestic goddess" apron and cook up a special dinner.  Never fear!  I'll be back on Monday wearing my stampin' hat and sharing more ideas with you!   Have a great weekend and be kind to the little ghosties and goblins tomorrow night!
Susan

Wonderland, Stampin'Up!

Hi again, my friends!

I love the card I'm going to show you today and I hope you will too!
The inspiration and layout of this one came from Dawn Olchefske's blog,  dostamping.typepad.com.  I changed several things though.  First I changed the paper color from Soft Sky to Mossy Meadow.  Then instead of the center panel being just the snowflake vellum, I stamped over the vellum with the trees from the Wonderland stamp set in Jet Black Staz-on ink. Oh, and her card used silver and I decided to go with gold for the vellum, snowflakes, and cording. Here... take a peek

The metallic printed vellum can be seen on page 23 of the holiday catalog.  The sentiment is from the fabulous Six Sayings hostess set that you can "buy" with only 11 hostess dollars.  Of course I couldn't resist using the Softly Falling embossing folder.  I stamped the sentiment first, then sent the panel through the Big Shot.  The dots are small enough that the sentiment doesn't look at all distorted.  

I wish we had some nice fir trees like these, instead of the monstrous red maples that are continuing to drop their leaves.
Today my yard guy (aka Mister Rodgers) took 10 bags of those pretty red leaves over to Grimm's to recycle them.  Of course by tomorrow the leaves will be covering the driveway and lawn once again!  Oh, the glories of fall!  

Are you ready for Halloween?  Got a big stash of candy ready to hand out?  We're excited because our Seattle grandchildren will be here this year.  It will be so fun for them to ring our doorbell and call out "Trick or Treat!"  This is a first for us and we're looking forward to it!  

Please come back on Friday for more stamping inspiration!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Joyful Season, Stampin'Up!

Hey there, stamping friends!
Welcome to another week at The Classic Card!

Today is the last Monday of the month, so that means it's time for SOS (Stamp Out Stress) at Symposium Coffee at 1 o'clock today.
I've got some fun cards for you to stamp, and of course we've got some chatting and some coffee drinking to do as well.
If you would like to join us sometime, please let me know.  We usually have room for 1 or 2 extra people.  We meet upstairs in what's called the conference room. If stairs aren't your thing, then I understand.  The stairs at Symposium are a little scary because the treads are very shallow. I guess people had smaller feet back in the day when this old house was built.  One thing is for sure, those stairs are not up to the current building code!

Let's get on with the card, shall we?  This is one of the cards we made last weekend at Donna's party.  

I started with a folded card in Very Vanilla.  The front panel has an oval cut out of it with one of the Oval Framelits.  Then Mr. Cardinal is stamped on a scrap of Very Vanilla and placed behind the oval cut-out.  I used the snowflake stamp from Snow Place to stamp some very light snowflakes behind the cardinal using Soft Sky ink. Then I used the same snowflake stamp to stamp snowflakes in Cherry Cobbler on the Cherry Cobbler panel, just for a little extra interest.  The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso and some Early Espresso Cotton Ribbon is tied around the frame.  You could easily make this card in quantity.  I hope by now that you've got the design picked out for your holiday cards.  You've still got plenty of time, so there's no need to panic... yet!

Has your Monday started off OK?  No coffee spilled down the front of you in the morning commute?  The traffic was no worse than usual?  Your car had enough gas to get you there?  In a world where so many things can go wrong, and many times do... I hope your week is off to the smoothest start possible!  

Hugs and happiness!
Susan

Lovely as a Tree, Stampin'Up!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Just a reminder... today is the last day to get 15% off any and all stamp sets in the annual and holiday catalogs.  Don't miss out!  

Can you believe that I'm using the oldest stamp set ever?  This one has been in the Stampin'Up! catalog ever since I joined the company in 2001.  And it was in the catalog before that.  I'm not sure how long this set has been around, but let's just say it's been a looong time.

Check out my card and then I'll tell you about it...

First, let's talk about the colors.  That's Delightful Dijon card stock, along with touches of Early Espresso.  The colors I used to sponge the scene with are, from the top down:  So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, and Crumb Cake.  The bare trees are stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.  I cut a hole in the Delightful Dijon panel, then framed the hole with an oval mat cut from Early Espresso.  To make a thin mat, just layer two sizes of framelits, one inside the other and run it through the Big Shot.  That was easy! 
 I left off the sentiment to allow the card to be customized.  It could be a great fall birthday card, a Thanksgiving card, a thank you card, a thinking of you card... even a sympathy card.  Why not make some cards like this and leave them blank like I did?  Then when you need a specific type of card, pull out the appropriate stamp and you'll be "good to go!"

Speaking of bare trees... we cannot wait until the trees surrounding our house look like that!  We are buried under an avalanche of gorgeous red maple leaves.  They are truly beautiful, but we have way too many to really appreciate!  Right now there is a tidy row of them raked into the street, the regulation 12 inches from the curb so as not to clog the storm drains when it rains.  The city is supposed to come and remove them, but we'll be working on that all week, bagging them up and taking them to the leaf disposal site ourselves, since waiting for the city removal folks has resulted in an ugly, mushy mess the last several years.  In case you haven't tried it lately, I can say that raking leaves is a great aerobic workout.  

I'll be taking a break from raking this weekend, with back-to-back classes on Saturday and Sunday and I hope I will see your smiling face at one of them!
Weekend happiness to all!
Susan

Six Sayings, Stampin'Up!

Hello again!  

If you haven't taken advantage of the stamp sale, today would be a good day to make a purchase and save 15% off all the stamp sets you order.  Sorry, but I just had to mention the stamp sale!

Today I'm going to show you a card made with a stamp set you cannot buy.  This fun stamp set can be yours when you host a stamping party.  I'm still trying to fill Saturday, November 21st, so if you'd like to be the hostess and bring your friends to my house, that would be lots of fun.  Stampin'Up! has some great free goodies in store for you, and this stamp set could be one of them.  Check it out...

You can see the Six Sayings stamp set that I used to make this card on page 51 of the Holiday Catalog.  It will take just eleven hostess dollars to get this great set. I stamped the saying in Night of Navy on Whisper White, then layered it under a cut out circle that is rimmed with a Night of Navy frame.  The designer paper is from the Season of Cheer collection on page 29 of the Holiday catalog.  

A Snowflake Element (page 23) accented with a White Perfect Accent (page 161 of the annual catalog) adds an additional frosty touch to this clean and cool card.

Well, friends, that's it for today!  I'm off to cut paper and prepare for my Countdown to Christmas classes, coming up this Saturday and Sunday.  I hope you're on one of my lists! If not, why not give me a call and see if I have room for you?

Hope your week is running along smoothly!

Hugs,

Susan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Sale is Here!

Hello Stampers and Happy Monday!
Not only is it a happy Monday, but it's going to be a happy week because the stamp sale has officially started!

Even if you can't get all the sets on your wish list, I hope you'll take advantage of this sale to get your "must-have" sets!

Happy shopping and saving!  While you're shopping, don't forget to look at the Clearance Rack and Weekly Deals.  

Susan

Joyful Season, Stampin'Up!

Hey there stampers!
Before I get started on Monday's post, I wanted to let you know about the Stamp Sale that starts TODAY!  From Oct. 19-23 you'll get 15% off all stamp sets. Of course it does not include bundled items (stamp set bundled with a punch or framelit) as those have already been discounted. Now's the time to get those sets that you've been wanting in the Holiday catalog.  You can order online or you can give me a call and I'll add your order to a group order I'll be placing on Friday.  Remember, if you opt to add to my group order to save the 6.95 minimum shipping charge, you'll need to pick your order up at my house.

OK, with that little detail out of the way, let's move on to Monday's card!  Here it is...

This card is made with the beautiful Season of Cheer stamp set that's on page 29 of the Holiday catalog.  It is difficult to see in  the photo, but I used the snowflakes from Snow Place ( page 33 of the Holiday catalog)  and stamped them in Soft Sky to create a very subtle background for the cardinal, which is stamped in Cherry Cobbler.  I stamped the branch in Early Espresso, then filled in the little berries with my Cherry Cobbler marker.  I inked just the "joy" part of the word "joyful," stamped it in Cherry Cobbler, and punched it out with the 1 3/4 inch circle punch.  I added it to a 2 inch punched circle of Early Espresso card stock .  I embossed the Cherry Cobbler panel with the Decorative Dots embossing folder, then wrapped it with some Cherry Cobbler Baker's twine on top of some Early Espresso Cotton ribbon.  You know how I love sponging, so I'm sure you weren't surprised to notice that I sponged around the entire bird panel, and the sentiment  as well.      

Time to button this up and tackle my "to-do" list!  Hope your weekend was relaxing and may the week ahead be a good one!  Don't forget to order yourself a little gift (you deserve a new stamp set, especially at 15% off),
Hugs and happiness,
Susan                                                                                                                                         

Stamp Sale Starts Monday, Oct. 19th

Hello Stampers!
This isn't a regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday post.  It's an extra post to share the news that Stampin'Up! has announced that all stamp sets will be on sale at 15% off from Oct. 19th-23rd.  That's just 5 days to get stamps on your wish list at a great price.

The card for today, Friday Oct. 16th features the beautiful Dove of Peace stamp, which normally sells for $13, but on Monday you'll pay just 11.90 for it.  

Wednesday's card was stamped with Flurry of Wishes, which sells for $21, but on Monday you can get it for 17.85.

Monday's card used the Winter Wishes stamp set,  It sells for $18, so the sale price for it will be $15.30.

So it's time to go through the Holiday and Annual Catalogs and make a list of the sets you've been wanting, because they're never going to be less than they are next week!  You can place your order online and have your stamp sets sent directly to you, or you can call me or email me your order and I will submit a group order on Friday the 23rd.  Remember, this is stamp sets only.  You won't get 15% off on the bundles, because they are already discounted.

Happy shopping!
Susan

Dove of Peace, Stampin'Up!

Hallelujah!  It's Friday... every working person's favorite day of the week, and it's my favorite too, as I love knowing that the weekend is just ahead.  For me, that means stamping with some of the nicest people ever, my customers!

This Saturday at one o'clock, Donna is hosting a stamping party at my house.  Would you like to join us?  You are more than welcome!  Just send me a quick email (sjrstamps@gmail.com) and I'll add your name to the list.

I guess I've had the "Christmas Blues" this week, since every card I've shown you was in shades of blue.  I wouldn't want to deviate from that now, so here's another Christmas card in blues.  

There's no doubt about it;  this card falls into the religious category.
We made this pretty card at Charlotte's party last Sunday.  Since her maiden name is Dove, I thought a dove card would be fun to make.  The colors here are Lost Lagoon (the darker blue) and Pool Party, with Whisper White, of course.  We stamped the dove from the Dove of Peace stamp set (page 20 of the holiday catalog) in Lost Lagoon ink on a Whisper White square panel, then adhered it to a larger panel of Pool Party.  Next some of the new glitter ribbon in white was wrapped around the Lost Lagoon panel.  The sentiment, from Reason for the Season (on page 31 of the holiday catalog) was stamped on a scrap in Lost Lagoon ink and then punched out with the Extra Large Oval punch, then added to a base of Pool Party that was punched with the Decorative Label punch.
Some rhinestones sprinkled around add more festive sparkle.  

I don't have a theme in mind for next week, so please come back on Monday and see what's new on The Classic Card.  May your weekend be a refreshing change of routine that leaves you feeling energized for the week ahead!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Flurry of Wishes, Stampin'Up!

It's Wednesday, so that means it's time to write another post and show you a card that will inspire you to get out your stamping stuff and stamp away. But before we get to the card, don't forget to check the Weekly Deals that were posted yesterday.  

Today's card fits into the elegant category ( sparkle, shine, snowflakes, ornaments, etc.)  Take a peek and you'll see what I mean.

We made this card at my  Countdown to Christmas #1 class.  As usual, I don't think my photography does justice to the card, but I think you'll get the idea.  

To start, the Watercolor Wash background stamp from the annual catalog ( page 129) was inked with Soft Sky and then stamped on a  5 1/4 y 4 inch Whisper White panel.  Next the largest snowflake from the Flurry of Wishes stamp set ( page 25 of the holiday catalog) was stamped in Versamark ink and then heat embossed with White embossing powder.  The two smaller snowflakes were stamped on White Vellum card stock with Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Then they were punched out with the coordinating Snow Flurry Punch (also on page 25 of the holiday catalog),  The two smaller snowflakes were adhered with glue dots, and embellished with a rhinestone in the center.

 For the sentiment, the medium snowflake was stamped in Soft Sky on a white scrap.  Then the words were stamped over it in Versamark and heat embossed in silver embossing powder.  Then the words were punched out with the 2 1/2 inch circle punch.  Some silver cording (page 24 of the holiday catalog) was wrapped around the panel 3 times and the sentiment circle was secured over the cording with several dimensionals.  The pretty wooden Snowflake Elements (page 23 of the Holiday catalog) with a rhinestone added to its center finishes off this cool and frosty card.

I love how this turned out and I hope it jump-starts your creativity.

Have a wonderful Wednesday and please come back on Friday.

Hugs and happiness!

Susan

Winter Wishes, Stampin'Up

Howdy stampers!  
Thanks for remembering to come back and see me after your relaxing weekend!  It was a little stormy on Saturday, wasn't it?  Sometimes I don't know how that clump of birch trees next to my stamp room window manages to stay upright.  It whips around in the wind like crazy.  It is said that strong winds help the root system become stronger, in the same way that the storms of life help us become stronger people.  

In an earlier post I mentioned the 4  types of Christmas cards: 
Religious cards (Nativity scenes, angels, doves, etc)
Elegant cards (sparkle, bling, ornaments, presents, snowflakes Christmas trees)
Cute cards (snowmen, children, Santas, cute animals such as penguins and bears)
Rustic Natural cards (pine trees, cabins in the woods, ice skates, snow scenes, deer and other wildlife, birds)

Today's card fits squarely into the Rustic Natural category.  Take a peek and I think you'll agree...

This handsome "rustic natural" card is the work of Kathy Milano, one of the demonstrators in my downline.  Here are the things she used to create it:
Stamps:  Winter Wishes, Joyful Season
Ink: Early Espresso, Tip Top Taupe, Lost Lagoon
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Lost Lagoon, Tip Top Taupe

The sled and skis were stamped in Early Espresso, then colored with a blender pen and Tip Top Taupe ink from the lid of the stamp pad.  You know the trick... press a closed stamp pad really hard so that the pad hits the lid inside.  Then open the pad and use a blender pen to color with the pool of ink that is on the inside of the lid.  She stamped the skate in Early Espresso on some Lost Lagoon card stock, then cut out just the skate and glued it on top of another skate that she stamped on Very Vanilla.  The skis are "fussy cut," that is, cut out by hand.  She used the new Softly Falling embossing folder on the Lost Lagoon background panel.  What a great card!  Thanks, Kathy, for allowing me to show it on my blog!

I've got a busy week ahead of me.  How about you?  If you have a morning to spare, why not join me for Coffee and Cards on Wednesday morning, Oct. 14th at 10 am?   I'll be making some yummy cranberry orange muffins and the coffee pot will be full.  You'll make a couple of great cards and go home inspired to stamp.  It's a great way to start your day, so please let me know if you'd like to attend. The cost for Coffee and Cards is just $10, or free with a $25 purchase.  

Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Jingle all the Way, Stampin'Up!

Happy Friday to one and all!

I'm happy to say I survived another eye-surgery and I'm cataract-free!  Now I'm just trying to follow Dr.'s orders and not lift anything heavy.  Yesterday a monstrous order came in and instead of carrying the box, I unloaded it a few items at a time.  Then my kitchen looked like a mini-version of the Stampin'Up! warehouse, with stamps, paper, and accessories spread out all over.  But I got it all bagged up and that was a big accomplishment!  Thanks for being such great customers and placing orders with me!  I appreciate you!

Sorry for rambling on... I know you came here to see a card, so here's my card for Friday, Oct. 9th.

This quick and easy card was one that we made at my first Countdown to Christmas class last weekend.  The base of the card is Cherry Cobbler card stock.  The designer paper is from a collection in the annual catalog called Everyday Chic.  It's a great set of paper... various small prints all in black and white, so it's super versatile.  The sleigh and horse were cut from Whisper White card stock using the Sleigh Ride Edgelit Dies (page 12 of the Holiday catalog).  The sentiment, stamped in Cherry Cobbler, is from the coordinating set, Jingle All the Way, also on page 12. 

  I punched some stars from Dazzling Diamonds Glitter paper (page 149 of the annual catalog) using the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (page 166 of the annual catalog).  As a finishing touch, I wrapped some Silver Cording Trim (top of page 24 in the Holiday catalog) around the bottom of the card.  As always, it looks much better when you see it in person.  My camera is not great and my photographic skills are minimal at best, but I think you get the idea.

Got something fun planned for the weekend that is just ahead?  Whatever you're doing, why not try to squeeze in a little time just for you?  Lounge on the couch, read, take a nap, or why not schedule a little creative time and do some stamping?  I always find that being creative is a real mood-booster and stress-reliever.  So go ahead and stamp... it's good for you!

See you on Monday for another Classic Card!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Wonderland, Stampin'Up!

Hi there!  
Hope all is well in your Wednesday world!  
Today I have a super-simple card for you.  How easy these would be to make in quantity!  What's that?   You don't have 150 near and dear friends and family that you send Christmas cards to?  This would still be a clean and classic card to send out, even if you need under 50.

Here it is...

The colors I used are my favorites for Christmas... Cherry Cobbler combined with Mossy Meadow.  Those two colors look very rich together.  I know some people prefer a true red, like Stampin'Up!'s Real Red, but Cherry Cobbler is by far my favorite color in the Stampin'Up! palette. 

I stamped the trees from the stamp set Wonderland in Mossy Meadow, then embossed the whole panel with the new Softly Falling embossing folder, which gives the look of a snow storm. I matted the stamped panel with Cherry Cobbler before adhering it to a top folded Mossy Meadow card.  I stamped the sentiment onto a strip of card stock with Mossy Meadow ink and then flagged the ends.   Done!  Once the paper is cut, I think you could easily make this card in under 5 minutes!

I've got another easy Christmas card to share with you on Friday, so please come back then.

Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Cozy Christmas, Stampin'Up!

Hello Stamping Friends!

How was your weekend?  Busy and on-the-go, or laid back and relaxing?  Or maybe it was a bit of both.  Whatever you did, I hope it refreshed and recharged you for the week ahead! Wasn't the weather just the best?  

It was pretty crazy around here, with the Paper Pumpkin Pizza Party on Friday night and then the Countdown to Christmas classes on Saturday and Sunday.  After all the embossing powder settled, I decided that I need a short break, which I will get as Tuesday is my second cataract surgery.  

The card I'd like to share with you today was one of the make-and-takes from the Stampin'Up! convention this past summer.  

You might want to click on it to make it a bit bigger so you can appreciate the details. The designer paper, paper, stamp, striped satin ribbon and buttons can all be seen on page 9 of the holiday catalog.
You might be wondering where that cute jolly Santa came from.  He's cut right out of the Home for Christmas DSP The striped paper in the background is also from the same collection. You can't see it very well in this photo, but there's some of the gorgeous Subtle Stripes ribbon and a fun Home for Christmas button on the card as well.  The base of the card is the ever-classic Real Red... a vibrant holiday red.  And did you notice how all of the reds on this card match?  That's one of the best features of Stampin'Up products.  They are color-coordinated so that you can be sure that your projects will be the best-looking projects ever!  

Well,my friends, that brings me to the end of my post for Monday, October 5th.  Make the week ahead a great one!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Vintage Leaves, Stampin'Up!

Hey, there, stampers!

It's my favorite day of the week.. Friday!  I've got a boatload of stamping events this weekend, starting off tonight with my Paper Pumpkin Pizza Party for those who are Paper Pumpkin People.  
We're going to eat a yummy pizza and salad dinner, then assemble our September Paper Pumpkin kits.  

For those of you who don't know, Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription box that comes to whisk you away from your everyday cares and routine, sort of like the pumpkin-turned-coach that whisked Cinderella off to the ball.   Each month features a different project and it's always a surprise.  But you get a lot of bang for your 19.95, including exclusive stamps that you cannot buy, plus ink and all of the pre-cut paper to complete the project.  Everything comes packed in a cute orange box, ready to throw into the car as you head off to the beach, mountains, or wherever you're going.  All you need to add is some adhesive. Don't you deserve a crafty break, Cinderella?  You can sign up at mypaperpumpkin.com
Be sure to choose me as your demonstrator.

OK... time to get to the card for today...

Isn't this monochromatic card a beauty?  We made this as a shoebox swap at our August Stamp2gether.  This card was designed by Kathy Milano.  She used the Woodland embossing folder with Crumb Cake card stock for the background of the card.  Then the Vintage leaves were stamped on Whisper White card stock and cut out with the matching framelits.  The sentiment was stamped in Crumb Cake as well, then punched out with the Washi Label Punch.  A sweet little bow tied with Linen Thread and adhered with a glue dot completes this simply elegant card.  
Thanks, Kathy, for allowing me to show your work on my blog!

Sorry I can't hang around and chat longer, but I've got a lot on my  to-do list.  Have a great weekend, everyone and don't forget to come back on Monday for more stamping fun.
Hugs and happiness!
Susan