Love Blossoms Product Suite... sneak peek!

Yippe skippy, it's Friday!

Are you ready for a busy holiday weekend?  Do you have lots of activities planned, like parties, concerts, or other holiday events?  Or are you staying home to finish decorating the house, baking cookies, or maybe making fudge for the neighbors?  There are so many demands on our time during the weeks leading up to Christmas and if we don't prioritize and decide what's really important, we can end up feeling frazzled and burned out, rather than peaceful and relaxed.

I promised to show you another sneak peek card today, so here it is...

This fun DSP is called Love Blossoms.  It comes in a 6 x 6 stack of 48 sheets.  There are 12 double-sided designs, so you have a choice of 24 different patterns.  I used my Sweetheart Punch to punch out 4 of my favorite patterns, then layered them onto a white panel that I embossed with the Happy Heart embossing folder that's on page 174 of the annual catalog.  The sentiment is from the Birthday Blooms stamp set, the one I showed you on Wednesday.  I added some Blushing Bride ribbon and stamped the sentiment in Rose Red, one of the colors in the designer paper.  The coordinating stamp set, called Bloomin' Love, has lots of fun images for Valentine's Day. Again, I wish I could show you a photo of the stamp set, but we'll have to wait until the Occasions Catalog goes "live" on January 5th.   

I hope you've enjoyed the sneak peeks I've been showing you the past 5 days.  I'm excited to be handing out the new Occasions catalogs at my New Catalog and Sale-a-bration Kick Off on Saturday, January 9th.  You'll get your Sale-a-bration brochure that day too, which will show you the great free items you'll be able to earn with every $50 you spend.  There will be 2 sessions... a morning session that goes from 10 am to noon, and then an afternoon session that begins at 1 pm and goes until 3 pm.   Be checking your email for an evite that will be coming soon.  Please remember when you RSVP to state which session you'd like to attend.

I'll be taking a break from The Classic Card for the next couple of weeks.  I'll be back on January 1st with more stamping inspiration.
Meanwhile, enjoy every minute of this special time of year!  May you all have a wonderful Christmas celebration and may 2016 bring you many blessings!
Christmas blessings,
Susan

Birthday Blooms Stampin'Up!

Hello stampers and happy Wednesday!
The days are flying by and you know what that means... Christmas will soon be here... just a week from this Friday!  

I hope you all agree that we are finished with Christmas cards, though.  If you haven't stamped them yet, I'm afraid it's getting a bit late to start them now.  So I'm going to continue showing you sneak peeks of the stamp sets and products in the new Occasions catalog, which we can start ordering from on January 5th.

Let me show you the card, then I'll tell you about the new products I used....

Aren't these colors just so fresh and spring-y?  The name of this product suite is Birthday Bouquet. The stamp set is called Birthday Blooms.  I wish I could show you a photo of the whole set, but that's a "no-no."  If you click on the photo, you'll see a larger image and that will allow you to see the tone-on-tone stamping on the Pool Party panel.  I used the large rose image in the set to add interest to the background of the card. I stamped it in Pool Party ink on the Pool Party panel. 

The designer paper is part of the same suite and it's called Birthday Bouquet.  It is some of the prettiest designer paper that Stampin'Up! has ever offered.  There are stripes, dots, flowers, and balloons, all in the most yummy pastel colors. That amazing Pool Party glitter ribbon is soft and flexible and adds such a nice bit of gleam and glitz to the card, giving it an extra feminine touch.  What woman wouldn't love getting a gorgeous card like this for her birthday?  I can't wait for you to see this suite of products in real life.  You are going to L. O. V. E. it!  

OK, my friends, that's a wrap for today!  I'm off to finish up a few holiday tasks... a little bit of shopping and a little bit more gift wrapping.  I'm 90 percent done and I hope you are too.  It's important to finish all the work a few days early, so that you'll have some peaceful time to contemplate the true meaning of Christmas.

Please come back on Friday when I'll have another pretty card for you using new products from the new Occasions Catalog.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Another Sneak Peek!

Hey there, stampers!
Welcome back!  Did you have an enjoyable weekend and are you rested and ready for another busy week?  I hope you are accomplishing all of your holiday tasks and still finding time for some fun.  

As I mentioned on Friday, I'll be continuing with sneak peeks from the upcoming Occasions Catalog, which you can pick up at my New Catalog and Sale-a-bration Kick Off, coming up on Saturday January 9th.  

Today's card is from the Going Places suite of products.  This is a masculine product suite which includes a stamp set, designer series paper, and an embossing folder.  The colors in the DSP are Basic Black, Delightful Dijon, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Sahara Sand, and Very Vanilla.  Here's the card...

The card base is Lost Lagoon, with the next layer being Sahara Sand.  We inked the inside of the embossing folder, then put the Sahara Sand panel inside.  Then instead of sending it through the Big Shot, we just pressed the folder together to transfer the ink.  
We used the globe stamp on a piece of the DSP, then cut it out with the 2 inch circle punch.  

There are some great sentiments in this stamp set... "world's best dad,"  "you mean the world to me," "you are my greatest adventure," "the love between us knows no distance,"
"I'm lost without you," and "I thank my lucky stars for you."  
With a change of sentiments, you could use this set for any manly occasion... birthday, get well, thinking of you, retirement, etc.

Thanks for checking in with me today on this rainy Monday!  If you can, stay inside, keep warm, and have a cup of hot chocolate or tea while you stamp!  Make this a great week, everyone!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Stamps and Paper and Dies and Washi Tape and Jewels, oh my!

Hurray, yippee, oh boy!  It's Friday, people!

It's time for another sneak peek of what is coming up very soon in the new Occasions Catalog.  Today I'm going to tell you about the Botanical Gardens suite of products.  

First of all, there's a great set of stamps called Botanical Blooms.  It's a beautiful set of tropical flowers and leaves, quite different from all of the other floral sets we've had.  Of course there's a great set of Botanical Builder Framelit Dies to go along with the stamps.  Plus, there's some gorgeous designer paper that coordinates with the stamps.  Then to add to the fun, there are some Botanical Garden Jewels and some fun washi tape.  The colors in this suite are quite bold... Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Hello Honey, Mint Macaron, Mossy Meadow, and Old Olive.  When seen all together, these colors are just amazing.  

OK, so now that we've covered all of that information, let me show you the card...

As usual, my photograph doesn't do justice to the card, but I think you can get the idea.  At the November demonstrator event that I attended, we got to play with this new suite of products and this is the card we all made.  Of course I've got tons of other ideas for these products, but with Christmas on the horizon, I haven't had much time to try out my ideas.   The tree is up, the house is decorated, the cards have been sent, but there's still a lot of wrapping to do, not to mention that I haven't baked a single cookie yet!  

Well, my friends, that's wraps up this week at The Classic Card.  Please come back on Monday, when I'll have another sneak peek for you!
May you have a wonderful weekend filled with holiday fun!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Sneak Peek Time!

Hello Stampers!

I hope all of you are staying in, keeping cozy and dry, and stamping up a storm!  It's supposed to be a wet Wednesday.  I guess that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.  After all, this is Oregon!
Speaking of surprises... would you like one today?

I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek of some of the new goodies that are coming your way on January 5th, when the new Occasions Catalog goes "live."  Those of us who are lucky enough to be Stampin'Up! Demonstrators have the opportunity to purchase the new stuff ahead of time, so that we can start designing for our classes and events.  The fun card that I'm about to show you is from the "It's My Party" product suite.  The tag line for this suite says "Bright Colors and Patterns for Girls and Boys Both Young and Old," and that's a very good description!  The stamps and designer paper in this suite are appropriate for everyone, with the exception of the predominately pink papers.  You might want to save those for the girls and women.  I don't think I've ever met a man who loves pink.

Here's the card...

Let me tell you about some of the new products that are shown on this bright and happy card.  First of all, there's the stamp set Party Wishes.  One of my favorite sayings in this set is "A party without cake is just a meeting."  So true!  There's a set of three punches called the Party Punch Pack that goes along with this stamp set that punches out the candle, balloon, and cupcakes.  The DSP that goes with this product suite comes in a BIG pack of 48 sheets of 12 by 12 paper.  There are 12 different designs and you get 4 of each, so no worries about running out.  I love the matching baker's twine too!  You get two spools, one Basic Black and Mint Macaron, the other is Basic Black and Melon Mambo.

You are going to L. O. V. E. this new catalog!  There are so many fun things in it that it is almost impossible to decide what to get first.  Don't forget that you won't be receiving this catalog in the mail.  You can get one by coming to my Occasions Catalog/Sale-a-bration Kick Off on Saturday, January 9th.  Please add this date to your calendar.  You'll have the choice of a morning or afternoon session.  

That's all for today, but please come back on Friday for another sneak peek!  
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Watercolor Wings

Hello all you stampers out there in stamping land!

Wow!  Is this great stamping weather or what?  There's nothing like a rainy day to give the perfect excuse to stay home and stamp!  I'm sorry if you have to brave the rain and wind to go out and shop for Christmas gifts.  I've been doing my shopping online and I'm almost finished, thankfully!  

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a nice long break from Christmas cards.  Have  you finished yours yet?  Have they been mailed?  I'm hoping to focus on other types of cards now.  I hope that you aren't disappointed, but since I've been making Christmas cards since September, I think you'll understand that it's time for a change of pace.

Check out this pretty card that I received in a swap with other demonstrators...

This beauty, made by Julie Pedersen, uses the Watercolor Wings set that's on page 75 of the annual catalog.  The colors are Bermuda Bay, Tip Top Taupe, Mint Macaron, and Pool Party.  The splatters in the background are from Gorgeous Grunge (p. 123).  The sentiment is from the Butterfly Basics stamp set on page 124 of the annual catalog.  It doesn't show up very well in my photo, but Julie used some ordinary gray sewing thread to accent her card, which gives the card a bit of extra texture.  I hadn't thought of doing that, but it does look interesting!

What's on your calendar this week?  I'm pretty sure Christmas will be taking a spot at center stage this week for most of us.  I've got a good head start, but there is still much to do, so I'm off to conquer my list.  Have a great week everyone!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Oh Deer, How Cute!

Yippee, it's Friday!

I'm excited for tomorrow's class, my annual Santa's Workshop, where we make some fun packaging projects.  It's great to give baked goodies like cookies or yummy treats like fudge or other homemade candies or snacks, but sometimes packaging them can be a challenge.  So each year I host this class to help you think of interesting and attractive ways to present your gift.  Since I've already shown you what we'll be making tomorrow, I'm going to show you a cute card today...

This card has a lot going on, but I just had to show it to you.  Aren't those little fawns just the cutest?  All of the designer paper on this card is from the Home For Christmas collection, shown on page 9 of the holiday catalog.  The description of the Home for Christmas product suite says "hand-drawn imagery evokes the nostalgic feelings of Christmas past."  I have to admit, those fawns look like a wrapping paper design from the 50's... very retro!  Yes, you guessed correctly... this is another swap that I received.  The stamp artist is Liz Thayer.  To embellish her card, Liz used some Sahara Sand lace trim (page 159 of the annual catalog), along with some Real Red 1/4 inch Cotton Ribbon.  She sponged the wooden Snowflake Element (page 23 of the holiday catalog) with some Real Red ink, then added a rhinestone in the center to jazz it up even more.  The "celebrate" sentiment is from the Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set on page 6 of the annual catalog.  Liz used the Washi Label punch on page 166 of the annual catalog to punch it out, then added a sparkly mat of Gold Glimmer Paper, also punched with the Washi Label Punch.  

That's it for today, stampers!  I'm off to bake a German Chocolate cake for my customer, Anita, who is having a birthday tomorrow!
Thanks for reading my blog!  
Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!
Susan

Cardinal with the Bird Builder Punch

The days are flying by and now that December is here, the countdown starts.  How are you coming along with your Christmas "to-do" list?  Right now I'm working on getting all of my cards addressed and mailed.  Once I have that done, I always feel a great sense of accomplishment.  Oh, and in case you are wondering, no I don't make hand-stamped cards for Christmas.  As most of our friends and family are out-of-state and we don't see them often, it makes more sense that we send out photo cards so everyone can see how much we've aged over the past year.  And of course we include pictures of the grandchildren on our photo cards as well. 

Here's the Wednesday card for your enjoyment...

 This one was stamped by Geri Stuart and I received it in a recent swap. She used the branch and one of the sentiments from the Joyful Season stamp set (the one with the cardinal) that's in the holiday catalog.  She used the Softly Falling embossing folder to make the snowy background, but the thing I like most is that she used the Bird Builder Punch to punch out the bird, then punched an extra wing piece to make the cardinal's little pointy crest.  Pure genius!  Why didn't I think of that???

I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be showing Christmas cards.  At some point, I've got to pull the plug on Christmas, as by now most of you have picked a design and are in production mode.
I'll probably finish out this week with another Christmas card, but after that, don't be surprised if you don't see any more Christmas designs for a long, long while!

I hope you'll check back with me on Friday.  
Hugs,
Susan

Cyber Monday is here!

Hello Stamping Friends and a happy Cyber Monday to you! This is supposed to be the biggest online shopping day of the year.  

Today is also the last day of Stampin'Up!'s Online Extravaganza, so take advantage of the savings while you can.  It all ends at 10:59 pm tonight! Click on the "shop now" button at the top of this blog and then choose Online Extravaganza from the list on the left.

Well, Thanksgiving is officially O.V. E. R.  If you still have a few leftovers hanging around, today's probably the last day you should be eating them.  I'm happy to say that we had a good trip to Seattle, enjoyed Grandparents'  Day at Concordia Lutheran School, had an early Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, and then drove home on Thanksgiving with an incredible amount of other southbound travelers.  Here we are at Grandparents' Day with Emma, 9, and Luke and Ben, age 6.

I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to see a photo of our family.  Yes, I know you want to see a card, but I have another idea for today.  I'm going to show you a photo of all of the cute projects we're going to make this coming Saturday, Dec. 5th at my Santa's Workshop class.  I still have one open spot, so if you'd like to attend, email me quickly and I'll add your name to the list.
Here's the class board for next Saturday...

We're making 5 projects:  a gift card holder, a Baker's Box, a Takeout Box, 3 gift tags, and a cafe bag.  The cost is $20, or free with a $40 purchase.  

OK, I hear you complaining about the lack of a card, so here's one for you...

I would have a big smile on my face, just like this snowman, if we got some snow for Christmas!  Thankfully, this stamp set, Snow Place" and coordinating dies are going to be on the "carryover" list but that fabulous Woodland embossing folder used for the background is not.  So order it soon!  This fun card was stamped by Jill Gates of Republic, Washington.  I received it as a swap at the recent Stampin'Up! OnStage event.

That's it for today, my friends!  Please come back on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Leftovers... the best part of Thanksgiving

Hello stamping friends!

Happy Black Friday!  Are you one of those crazy people who get up at o' dark thirty to shop the Black Friday sales?  I certainly hope not!  I think the best part of Black Friday isn't the sales, but the leftovers.  Why does everything taste better the day after Thanksgiving?  

My post-Thanksgiving plans for the morning include drinking coffee, eating a healthy breakfast of Greek yogurt and organic blueberries, and reading the newspaper.  Then, if it's not raining, we may get out the outside lights and prepare to string them along the eaves.  I really hate traffic and crowds, so I'll stay home and shop online for most of the gifts I need to buy.  I love shopping in my jammies, so any Black Friday shopping I need to do will be done in the warmth and comfort of my own home.  Speaking of online shopping...  Don't forget, Stampin'Up!'s Online Extravaganza continues until Monday the 30th, so be sure to check it out.  Click on the "shop now" button at the top of this blog, then choose "Online Extravaganza" from the list that appears on the left-hand side.   

Well, I suppose you'd like to see a card, wouldn't you?  Hmmm, which one should I pick?  How about this one?

Yes, it's another swap card.  This one is by Suzi Armstrong and uses the Happy Scenes stamp set (the set that goes with the window frame).  The "peace" sentiment is from the same set.  Again, this is one of the sets that's on the discontinued list, so now's the time to purchase it!

I hope your Thanksgiving Day was a wonderful one!  We all have tons to be thankful for.  I'm thankful for you, my wonderful customers and blog readers!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Yikes! Thanksgiving is Tomorrow!

Hey there, stampers!

How are the Thanksgiving preparations going?  Hope you've got everything under control and that your turkey is ready to go.  Once upon a time I ordered a fresh turkey from a fancy market in Lake Oswego.  I was having company for dinner and I wanted the turkey to be perfect.  I picked up the turkey the day before Thanksgiving and it seemed to be just what I ordered... a fresh, not frozen, turkey.  When I was preparing to put it in the oven on Thanksgiving morning and was removing the packet of giblets from the cavity, I discovered that the darn thing was frozen inside.  What could I do but put it in the oven?   When I checked it a couple of hours later, the turkey was floating in several inches of water!  I drained it off and continued roasting, but that turkey was more boiled than roasted and of course the gravy was pale and sickly looking...definitely not the way I had planned for things to turn out!

OK, I'm sure some of you have some holiday disasters of your own to relate.  We'll have to trade stories sometime.  Meanwhile, let's talk stamping for a minute or two before I have to run.

Here's another card I received as a swap last weekend.  It uses the extremely popular Wonderland stamp set that's on page 23 of the holiday catalog.  This is one of the stamp sets that's on the discontinued list, so if you'd like to add this beauty to your collection, now is the time!

This card is by a stamper who chose to remain anonymous, as there was no name attached.  I love how she added a lot of sparkle to the card with Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper, Basic Pearls, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, and a while gel pen.  I'm sorry all that sparkle and shine didn't show up so well in the photo.

Is your tablecloth ironed?  Your flowers arranged?  Maybe you'd better go check that turkey and see if he's fully thawed.  Don't be like me!
Have a great day tomorrow, but don't "gobble til you wobble!"  
That's never a good idea!
Hugs,
Susan

Thanksgiving Week is here!

Hello Stampers!

I'm sure that for most of us, stamping has taken a back seat to Thanksgiving as we prepare for Thursday's holiday meal.  Even if you're not responsible for the whole feast, you probably have some part to play, even if it's just bringing the rolls or the green bean casserole, or maybe the yams.  

I hope you understand that the posts this week are going to be short and hopefully sweet, as I'm preparing for the big day.  Today's card is by one of my wonderful downline members, Mary Peterson.  Check out this lovely card that is the perfect way to say Happy Thanksgiving...

I received this card as a swap at the big Stampin'Up! OnStage event that I attended on November 14th.  Mary says she "cased" this card from Amy Koenders, a Stampin'Up! demonstrator in Alpharetta, Georgia (stampwithamyk.com).

That beautiful fall tree image is from the Sheltering Tree stamp set on page 89 of the annual catalog, as is the "thankful for you" sentiment, which was stamped on vellum.  The colors Mary used are Chocolate Chip for the tree, Cajun Craze and Crushed Curry for the leaves, and Old Olive for the grass beneath the tree.  The small leaves fluttering over the background panel are from the Among the Branches stamp set on page 39 of the Holiday catalog, also stamped in Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Old Olive.  

You still have a couple of days to stamp a beautiful card like this to give to the special people in your life on Thanksgiving Day. 

If you haven't shopped the fabulous Online Extravaganza Sale that started last night at midnight, be sure to check it out today.  There are some great bargains and quantities are limited, so if there's something you'd really like to get, shop early.

I'll meet you back here on Wednesday if you're not too busy and show you another classic card.  I'm off to chop celery and onions for my stuffing (or do you call it dressing?).  
Hugs,
Susan

Happy Scenes, Stampin'Up!

Hi there, stampers!
It's Friday and I'm excited for my Great Giftables class tomorrow!
I've been working on getting everything cut and scored so that the projects will go together smoothly and easily.  When holding classes, organization is the key to success and of course I want everyone to be successful and go home happy and relaxed and inspired.

I'm also excited to show you a wonderful card that I received last Saturday at the Stampin'Up! OnStage event in Vancouver.  This fun card is the work of Connie Ingram of Littleton Colorado, who in turn cased it from Wendy Lee.  

Here it is, for all my "cat people..."

I seem to have a lot of customers who love cats, so this card is for them!  Connie used the Brick Wall embossing folder to emboss some Basic Gray card stock for her wall. This photo doesn't show it very well, but there's Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the snowy scene just outside the window.  The window ledge is cut from Cherry Cobbler card stock and the sweet little black kitty has a bow around her neck made from Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine.  The good news is that the Hearth and Home Framelit Dies (the window frame and window box) are being carried over into the new Occasions catalog that begins on January 5th.  The bad news is that the Festive Fireplace stamp set and the coordinating Festive Fireside Framelit Dies, which includes the cat (both on page 10 of the holiday catalog) are being discontinued. Also being discontinued is the set called Happy Scenes (page 11) that was used for the scene outside the window. So if you'd like to add that cute kitty or the snowy scene to your collection, you'll need to get them before January 4th.
Thank you, Connie, for letting me show off your great card.  It's a keeper!

Thanks for paying me a visit today.  Hope your Friday will go by quickly, so that you can relax and enjoy the weekend.  It's supposed to be sunny, so that will be a welcome change!

I'll be back on Monday with more stamping inspiration!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Festival of Trees, Stampin'Up!

Wednesday is here, and that means it's time for another Classic Card.  Are you ready?

I'm so happy with the way this card turned out!  Did you ever have a card idea in mind, only to have it end up looking kind of dull and boring?  Or worse than dull--- downright ugly?  I'm sure that happens to all card-makers at times.  Sometimes we can fall into a funk, where we just lose our creative spark, our "mojo," or whatever you'd like to call it.  The best thing you can do in that situation is stop and change gears.  Go for a walk, call a friend, do a load of laundry, and allow your creative brain time to re-charge.  Then when you return to your stamping space, pull out a different stamp set, some designer paper, and some stamp pads to inspire yourself to go in a different direction.  

Well, that's probably enough chatter about the creative process.  Let's get to the card, OK?  

This was one of the cards we made at Coffee and Cards on November 11th.  The folded base of the card is Soft Sky, with a panel of Whisper White layered over it.  I used the very popular Softly Falling embossing folder (p.24 of the holiday catalog, #139672, $8.50) to emboss the white panel after I stamped "Merry Wishes" in Mossy Meadow ink.  The sentiment is from the OWhat Fun stamp set (p. 5 of the holiday catalog, #140386, $21.00).
This set has tons of great holiday sayings.  
The trees from the Festival of Trees set (p. 71 of the annual catalog, #135059, $16.00) were stamped in Mossy Meadow after the Whisper White circle was sponged with Soft Sky ink. I used the  Tree Punch (p. 167, #135859, $18.00) to punch out a tree, then topped it with a little gold star, punched from Gold Glimmer Paper with the tiny star from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, (p. 166, #133787, $17.00)  Some of the pretty gold 1/8 inch ribbon (p. 159, #134583, $5.00) repeats the gold of the star.  
Do you like this card as much as I do?   Please let me know what you think.  And of course if you'd like to order any of the supplies I listed so you can make a card like this, please email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com.  I'd love to place an order for you!
Have a great Wednesday, stampers!
Susan

Timeless Love Stampin'Up!

Hello to all of my stamping friends!

It's Monday and I'm back from a fabulous time at Stampin'Up!'s OnStage event in Vancouver.  The fun started on Friday night, with a lovely catered dinner for leaders, complete with a beautiful table setting, and gorgeous fresh flowers. I kicked myself for forgetting my camera.  Stampin'Up! really knows how to spoil their demonstrators!  On Saturday our day started bright and early at 8:30 am with a live feed from the OnStage Live event in Brussels.
The morning was filled with stamping demonstrations featuring new stamp sets and products from the new Occasions catalog which begins in January.
There were lots of  give-aways during the day and I came home with 3 new stamp sets and a paper stack, plus a great journal, a nice water bottle, and a great canvas tote bag... not to mention some great swap cards as well!  It was fun to reconnect with demonstrators that I seldom see.
We got to get our hands on some fun new stamps and products that you are going to LOVE.  This new catalog will be one of your favorites... they just keep getting better and better!
Today I'm going to take a break from showing you Christmas cards and let you have a look at a Valentine card that I made to swap the event.  I just couldn't face making a bunch of Christmas cards.  After all, I've been making them since sometime in September, so I though I deserved a change of pace.
Here's the card I swapped...

The red foil heart really caught the light in this photo, didn't it?  
The stamp set I used for the sentiment is called Timeless Love and it's in the annual catalog on page 29 (#139408, $17.00)  I punched the big hearts with the Sweetheart Punch (page 166, # 133786, $16.00)  The black and white DSP is from the Everyday Chic collection (p. 142, 138445, $11.00) and the ribbon is the beautiful Stitched Satin in Basic Black (p. 159,#138430, $9.00).  That cute tiny heart is from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (p. 166, #133787, $17.00).  Of course the Basic Black and Whisper White ovals were cut with the Oval Framelit Dies (p. 173, #129381, $27.00).  If you'd like to have some of that shiny red foil paper to give your Valentines a "pop" you'd better order some from the Holiday catalog while you can.  It's on page 26, #139607, $4.00 for two 12x12 sheets.  
I hope your Monday and your week are off to a great start.  On Wednesday, I'll get back to Christmas cards again.  I received some fun swap cards at the Stampin'Up! event and I want you to see them! 
Hugs and happiness!
Susan

Lighthearted Leaves Stampin'Up!

Friday is finally here and I'm excited!

Let me explain why.  Later today I'll be driving up to a Stampin'Up! event that's being held at the Clark County Events Center.  It's called OnStage and we were lucky enough to get an OnStage event in the Portland/Vancouver area.  There are local events like this one being held in many locations around the US, but the OnStage Live event is in Brussels Belgium.  Since I really didn't want to travel to Brussels, I'm happy that our area was chosen for one of the "local" events.  We probably won't be having another such gathering in our area for 5 or more years.  

I'm going to attend a dinner and special training tonight and then on Saturday, the OnStage event happens.  Gatherings like this are always so much fun, and to add to the excitement, attendees get the new Occasions Catalog AND the Sale-a-bration brochure.  While that might not sound exciting to you, demonstrators are super excited to see the new products and stamp sets that are coming up in January.  We'll also be receiving one of the new stamp sets in our bag and there will be prizes given out as well... things like designer paper, punches, and other products.  I'm hoping I'll be lucky enough to win something fun!

OK... enough about that!  Let's get to today's card.

This pretty card was made using the Triple Time stamping technique.  Notice how the leaf images are stamped across all the layers of the card.  If you'd like the measurements for each stamped layer and its corresponding mat, please email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll send you the directions.  
I used the Lighthearted Leaves stamp set from the holiday catalog and stamped on Very Vanilla card stock with Old Olive, Hello Honey, and Cajun Craze ink.  The sentiment comes from the same stamp set and was punched out with the 2 inch circle punch.  The ribbon is the 5/8 inch Chevron ribbon on page 158 of the annual catalog. I just turned it over so the solid side shows.  The chevron side was a little too busy for this card, which already has a lot going on.

It's time for me to finish packing for my overnight trip, so I'll say goodbye for now.  I will have some fun new cards to show you when I return, as I'll be swapping at this event.  Have a great weekend, everyone!
Hugs,
Susan

Acorny Thank You Stampin'Up!

A Wednesday welcome to you, my stamping friends!

Today I've got another Thanksgiving card for you.  As I mentioned on Monday, this week is all about the cards we made at the Give Thanks class this past weekend.  This might have been everyone's favorite card...

Let me give you a quick list of what I used...

Stamps:  Acorny Thank You stamp set (acorn), Six Sayings stamp set ("thankful"), Honeycomb Hello stamp set ("for you").
Ink:  Early Espresso and Soft Suede
Paper:  Into the Woods DSP, Soft Suede card stock, Delightful Dijon card stock, and Whisper White card stock.
Accessories:  Acorn Punch, 1 inch and 3/4 inch circle punches.

Please note that you can make a perfectly handsome card like this without any ribbon, buttons, pom-poms, glitter, rhinestones, sequins, or embossing folders.  Sometimes simple is better!  

I hope you feel inspired to pull out some autumn stamps and make some Thanksgiving cards of your own.  Oh, and please come back on Friday for the third card that we made at the class.  It's a fun one!
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Susan

Lighthearted Leaves Stampin'Up!

Rainy days and Mondays always make me smile!

OK... I know that 's not how the song goes, but we need the rain and Mondays are nice!  Especially when you are retired and you don't have to jump out of bed and into the shower, then into the car!
I had a stamp-y good weekend, how about you?  Did you get to do one or two things that you enjoy?  I certainly hope so!

This week I'm going to be sharing the cards we made at my Give Thanks class on Saturday.  So if you attended the class, my apologies for not having new cards for you.  But I thought the rest of my readers needed to see the cards we made.

Here's the first one... a quick and easy card, but with a fun little twist.  

I will be the first to admit that I didn't come up with this idea on my own.  I saw a similar card on the internet, then decided that it was something I'd like to try.  I used the Leaflet Framelit dies to make a couple of stencils from the heavier kraft paper that's on page 148  of the annual catalog.  I stamped two of the leaf images from Lighthearted leaves in black ink, then lined up the stencils over the stamped image and daubed on some Delightful Dijon and Cajun Craze ink with sponge daubers. The saying is from the Acorny Thank You stamp set that's in the holiday catalog on page 45.  After the stamping was done, it took just a couple of minutes to layer the stamped panel onto the Basic Black and Cajun Craze panels.  The result is a quick and easy card that's perfect to send to friends and family for Thanksgiving.  

I'm off to Curves now to do my Monday workout.  I sometimes have a hard time making myself go on Mondays, but once I'm there I'm always happy to get it out of the way, so I can move on to more pleasant things, like stamping!
Make your Monday a good one!
Susan

Embellished Ornaments Stampin'Up!

Friday already???

If the rest of the month goes by as quickly as this past week has, we are all in trouble!  I'm going to have to sit down with my calendar and a pad of paper and map out the rest of the month so I can have a chance to accomplish all that needs to be done before Thanksgiving.   Are you in that same boat with me?  A little planning now can save your sanity later!  

In case you didn't attend my Countdown to Christmas #1 class, I'm going to share two cards today that use the Embellished Ornaments stamp set and the coordinating Delicate Ornaments Thinlet Dies, both shown on page 15 of the holiday catalog.

Here's the first card...

Notice that there's not one bit of stamping on this card... it's all done with the Big Shot, the Softly Falling embossing folder (p. 24) the Delicate Ornaments Thinlit dies (p, 15), and the Christmas Greetings Thinlits Dies (p. 34).  
The colors I used are my favorite Christmas combo... Mossy Meadow and Cherry Cobbler.  And when the gold foil paper is added, the festive factor is over the top!  

Here's the second card...

This one uses one of the greetings from the Embellished Ornaments stamp set, but most of the color and design comes from the Merry Moments DSP that you can find on page 143 of the annual catalog. This type of card is called a Double Gatefold Card.  It isn't difficult to make.  It just involves a little scoring and cutting.  I'd be happy to email you the instructions, so please let me know if you'd like me to send them along.  
The sentiment was stamped in Cherry Cobbler, then cut out with one of the Lots of Labels Framelits (p. 173, annual catalog).  Then a mat was cut from Cherry Cobbler card stock, using the framelit that was one size larger.  The Thick Baker's Twine bow is adhered with a glue dot. Of course only the left side of the label is adhered to the card.  Otherwise the card couldn't be opened!  

That's all for today, stampers!  I hope you are looking forward to a relaxing weekend ahead!  I won't be relaxing, but I WILL be stamping, stamping, stamping, and that's my kind of fun!
Hugs and happiness!
Susan

Lighthearted Leaves Stampin'Up!

Hello my friends!

Happy Hump Day!  After today you are "over the hump" and coasting toward the weekend.  However, there's no coasting going on over  here.  I'm busily working on getting everything ready for Friday Night's Paper Pumpkin Pizza Party and Saturday's Give Thanks class.  I hope you are signed up for one or the other, or maybe both. It's going to be a "stampendous" weekend, with Nicole's party on Sunday too.  

I'll be quick about today's post because my "to-do" list is threatening to take over my life.  I just loved this card design the minute I saw it on Janine Tinklenberg's Stamps Paper Scissors blog.  Of course I changed a few things like some of the colors, the ribbon, and the sentiment, but the basic design is Jan's.
Here's a peek...

I used the Lighthearted Leaves stamp set from the holiday catalog (page 44) and stamped them in Tangerine Tango, Blackberry Bliss, and Island Indigo.  I stamped the sentiment (from the set For All Things on page 87 of the annual catalog) in Island Indigo and then tied on some Island Indigo cotton ribbon.  This makes a great Thanksgiving card that has a fresh and clean look.  It's quite a departure from my usual Thanksgiving colors of Cajun Craze, Delightful Dijon, Cherry Cobbler, and Early Espresso.

Why not pick out a ribbon color that you like, then use that color for your sentiment and some of the leaves, along with a couple of coordinating colors to make a card like this?  If you're going to mail the card, you could substitute some Linen Thread for the ribbon.  That way, you won't have a lumpy knot to cause postal problems.

May the rest of your Wednesday go just the way you want it to!
Hugs to all,
Susan

Joyful Season Stampin'Up!

Did you nearly wash away on Halloween?  I can't remember a wetter Halloween, can you?  The grandchildren were troopers, though, and braved the rain, as did their parents.  John and I stayed warm and dry and handed out candy to other brave little souls who ventured out. Now November has arrived, and you know what that means!  The holidays will soon be upon us, so we'd better get our Big Shots in gear and get going on some cards for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

If you'd like to be inspired to make some great Thanksgiving cards to send to those far-away friends and relatives that you won't be seeing on Thanksgiving, I've got two open spots for my Give Thanks class next Saturday, November 7th.  It's a Soup-er Saturday, which means I'll be serving a soup and salad lunch at 11:30.  After lunch we'll get started on the five projects.  Of course we'll end the afternoon with dessert and door prizes.  Please send me a quick email if you'd like to attend.  The cost is $20 or the class is free with a $40 purchase.

Let me show you the card for today...

This design was inspired by a card I received at a recent demonstrator shoe box swap from Marcy Daniels, and I've also seen a similar card on the internet.  This is the version we made recently at the October Stamp Out Stress gathering.  

The card base is Mossy Meadow and it measures 7 1/2 in. by 4 1/4 in. It is scored at 3 3/4.  The white panel for the front of the card is 4 inches by 3 1/2 inches.  This panel is embossed with the  Boughs and Berries embossing folder that's on page 30 of the holiday catalog. The sentiment comes from the very versatile stamp set called Holly Jolly Greetings on page 34 of the holiday catalog.  The words in this set can be combined to create all sorts of greetings, which makes this set a keeper.

The circles were cut with the Circle Collection Framelits and of course the cardinal comes from the Joyful Season stamp set on page 29 of the holiday catalog.  The cardinal outline and branch were stamped in Early Espresso, then the cardinal body was stamped in Cherry Cobbler. I colored his beak with my Hello Honey marker. I used the snowflakes from Snow Place stamped in Pool Party to give a nice frosty look to the background.  If you're a fan of glitter, you could add some to the snowflakes for an even frostier look.  Some of that great Thick Baker's Twin in Cherry Cobbler provides the finishing touch.  

I hope your November and your week are off to a great, if soggy, start and I hope I've inspired you to get out your stamps and stamp something pretty today!
Hugs to all,
Susan

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