Hello and Happy Friday to all!
Today's the big day! We'll be leaving the house about 5 am this morning and be on our way to Barcelona, leaving PDX at 8:10.
I hope I've thought of everything... there's so much to remember when getting ready for a trip like this!
I'm going to try to post a few times from the ship. We'll be on the Epic, a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship. We sail from Barcelona at 6pm on May 22nd. May 23rd we're "at sea" all day, docking in Naples, Italy on the 24th. From there we go to Rome, then Florence, then on to Cannes, France and from there to Marseille, France. Then we're back in Barcelona on the 29th at 5 am and back on the plane headed to PDX (via Dulles in Washington DC and OHare in Chicago).
I have to admit I'm just a bit nervous about all of the plane changes, but once we arrive in Barcelona, I'm hoping I'll feel more relaxed and ready to enjoy everything!
Once again, a huge thank you to you all. We wouldn't be taking this trip of a lifetime without your amazing support! You are the best!
Hugs and happiness!
Susan
Friday, May 20, 2016
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
New, new, new!
Hello stamping friends!
I've got five new things for you to see on this fine Wednesday!
The minutes and hours are ticking by and soon we will be on a plane bound for Barcelona. We are getting excited and a little nervous about our upcoming trip. Since we just got back from California, we have unpacked, done laundry, and haven't yet re-packed. I'm busily working on the swaps for the cruise. I need to have them finished very soon, so that I can turn my attention to other things.
This is the card that I'm swapping on the cruise. It shows off a new stamp set called Layering Love, a new set of framelits called Sweet and Sassy Framelits (15 different sizes of hearts to layer), and the new In-color Sweet Sugarplum. It also uses the new Playful Palette DSP stack. I think you're going to love this new Ruched Ribbon as well. It is soft, ties easily, and reminds me of the texture of seersucker fabric. Take a peek...
I'm going to try to write one more post for Friday, but I must warn you that I might not be able to get it done. I won't be posting on my regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule next week while I'm on the cruise. We have so many shore excursions scheduled that I'm worried we might not be able to keep up the pace. If there is wi-fi on the ship, I will try to post at least once, but I can't promise.
One thing I will do before I sign off is to say a huge THANK YOU to all of my wonderful customers who made it possible for us to take this memorable trip. It truly is the trip of a lifetime and I'm so very grateful for your business that helped me earn it!
Have a great Wednesday and may the rest of the week go smoothly for you!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
I've got five new things for you to see on this fine Wednesday!
The minutes and hours are ticking by and soon we will be on a plane bound for Barcelona. We are getting excited and a little nervous about our upcoming trip. Since we just got back from California, we have unpacked, done laundry, and haven't yet re-packed. I'm busily working on the swaps for the cruise. I need to have them finished very soon, so that I can turn my attention to other things.
This is the card that I'm swapping on the cruise. It shows off a new stamp set called Layering Love, a new set of framelits called Sweet and Sassy Framelits (15 different sizes of hearts to layer), and the new In-color Sweet Sugarplum. It also uses the new Playful Palette DSP stack. I think you're going to love this new Ruched Ribbon as well. It is soft, ties easily, and reminds me of the texture of seersucker fabric. Take a peek...
I'm going to try to write one more post for Friday, but I must warn you that I might not be able to get it done. I won't be posting on my regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule next week while I'm on the cruise. We have so many shore excursions scheduled that I'm worried we might not be able to keep up the pace. If there is wi-fi on the ship, I will try to post at least once, but I can't promise.
One thing I will do before I sign off is to say a huge THANK YOU to all of my wonderful customers who made it possible for us to take this memorable trip. It truly is the trip of a lifetime and I'm so very grateful for your business that helped me earn it!
Have a great Wednesday and may the rest of the week go smoothly for you!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Monday, May 16, 2016
Another week begins...
Hello Stampers!
Doesn't this cupcake look good enough to eat? Note how the icing appears to have dimension. This is a card that was demonstrated at the OnStage event in Salt Lake City. I missed this particular demonstration because my flight was delayed, delayed, and delayed again. I've heard that the technique involved mixing some ink with cornstarch, but I'm not sure of the exact formula. Once I'm able to get the directions, I'll be sure to share, because I think it's a fantastic look! This stamp set is in the new catalog that's almost here.
I hope your week is off to a happy start! If it isn't starting off so great, remember that stamping makes everything better.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Thanks for checking in with me today! The month of May is passing by swiftly, just like all the other months and soon (June 1st) the new annual catalog will be going "live!" You can pick up your FREE catalog at my Stampin'Up! garage sale on Saturday June 4th beginning at 9 am. Those who hosted a party this past year will receive a special email inviting them to my hostess-only night on June 3rd at 6:30 pm.
As most of you know by now, John and I and down-sizing and moving back to California, where we started out almost 46 years ago. John graduated from UC Davis and I graduated from Sacramento State. We met in Sacramento at our first post-college job. We are moving back to the Sacramento area (Woodland, CA, which is about 15 miles west of Sacramento.) Our daughter Katie, son-in-law Tim, and granddaughters Allie (4) and Lindsay (2) live in Woodland and the house we've picked out is about 3 miles from their house. As we grow older, we realize that it would be a good idea to live closer to family. And we certainly need to move to a smaller, more manageable house. John is looking forward to selling the lawnmower!
It will be very difficult to leave my wonderful customers behind. I have enjoyed my 15 years of being a Stampin'Up! demonstrator tremendously, and I will continue to be a demonstrator after the move. I won't be working as hard as I have been, though, because I'd like to have time for a more relaxed life... reading books, going to movies, and spending time with our granddaughters.
I know you came here hoping for some creative inspiration, so here it is...
Doesn't this cupcake look good enough to eat? Note how the icing appears to have dimension. This is a card that was demonstrated at the OnStage event in Salt Lake City. I missed this particular demonstration because my flight was delayed, delayed, and delayed again. I've heard that the technique involved mixing some ink with cornstarch, but I'm not sure of the exact formula. Once I'm able to get the directions, I'll be sure to share, because I think it's a fantastic look! This stamp set is in the new catalog that's almost here.
I hope your week is off to a happy start! If it isn't starting off so great, remember that stamping makes everything better.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Friday, May 13, 2016
Cute "Carryovers" in the new catalog...
Hello Stampers and a happy sunny Friday to all!
The new catalog is chock-full of wonderful new stamps and accessories that you are going to love, love, love! But the good news is that there are lots of stamp sets that carried over from the 2015-2016 catalog too. So today I wanted to show you a very cute card that I saw at the recent demo event in Vancouver. This fun birthday card features the penguin from the Snow Place stamp set that was in the holiday catalog, along with the Balloon Builders set that's on page 14 of the Occasions catalog. I apologize for not knowing who made this card. I should have noted the name of the creator, but I was snapping photos quickly and didn't take the time.
But one thing is for sure, I didn't make this adorable card!
I don't think there's any rule against using a penguin on a birthday card, do you? He's a pretty cute little guy and I don't know many people who hate penguins, so I think we're safe! Check this out...
This card would be equally adorable with pink or blue balloons and could be used as a baby card. Or, you could use bright primary colors for a young child's birthday. You could add a bow on the penguin's head for a girl penguin, or a bow tie for a boy penguin.
Why not get out your Snow Place set from last Christmas and make a few birthday cards like this? It's great to have some all-purpose cards ready to go at a moment's notice.
Enjoy the weekend that is just ahead! I hope you'll make time to be creative with your stamps, ink, and paper!
Hugs and happiness!
Susan
The new catalog is chock-full of wonderful new stamps and accessories that you are going to love, love, love! But the good news is that there are lots of stamp sets that carried over from the 2015-2016 catalog too. So today I wanted to show you a very cute card that I saw at the recent demo event in Vancouver. This fun birthday card features the penguin from the Snow Place stamp set that was in the holiday catalog, along with the Balloon Builders set that's on page 14 of the Occasions catalog. I apologize for not knowing who made this card. I should have noted the name of the creator, but I was snapping photos quickly and didn't take the time.
But one thing is for sure, I didn't make this adorable card!
I don't think there's any rule against using a penguin on a birthday card, do you? He's a pretty cute little guy and I don't know many people who hate penguins, so I think we're safe! Check this out...
This card would be equally adorable with pink or blue balloons and could be used as a baby card. Or, you could use bright primary colors for a young child's birthday. You could add a bow on the penguin's head for a girl penguin, or a bow tie for a boy penguin.
Why not get out your Snow Place set from last Christmas and make a few birthday cards like this? It's great to have some all-purpose cards ready to go at a moment's notice.
Enjoy the weekend that is just ahead! I hope you'll make time to be creative with your stamps, ink, and paper!
Hugs and happiness!
Susan
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
A Flirty Flamingo
Hello there and happy Wednesday!
Before I show you the card for today, I thought I should mention that time is running out to get the stamp sets and accessories that are being discontinued at the end of this month. May is just speeding by and if you'd like to get some retiring stamp sets before they are gone for good, now is the time. You can click on the shop now button at the top of this blog, which will take you to my shopping site.
The new In-colors are so much fun and I think my favorite would have to be Flirty Flamingo... a lighter and pink-er shade of Calypso Coral. This cute card by the very talented Carol Lovenstein, one of the BZB Stampers, shows off this color perfectly.
The DSP in the background is from a new 6 x 6 paper stack called
Playful Palette. That flirty flamingo is from a new stamp set called
Pop of Paradise. It's part of a product suite called Pop of Pink. The flamingo is wearing a bit of gold cording around her neck and the "hello" sentiment is embossed in gold. What a simple but fun card!
Please forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but you are going to love, Love, LOVE the new catalog. Nine boxes of the beauties are sitting in my garage at this very moment and I cannot wait to give you your very own copy! I'll be handing them out at my biggest Stampin'Up! garage sale ever on Saturday June 4th, beginning at 9am. My "hostess-only" night will be on Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm. Please mark your calendar and save these dates. You won't want to miss out on the savings!
Please come back on Friday for more stamping fun!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Before I show you the card for today, I thought I should mention that time is running out to get the stamp sets and accessories that are being discontinued at the end of this month. May is just speeding by and if you'd like to get some retiring stamp sets before they are gone for good, now is the time. You can click on the shop now button at the top of this blog, which will take you to my shopping site.
The new In-colors are so much fun and I think my favorite would have to be Flirty Flamingo... a lighter and pink-er shade of Calypso Coral. This cute card by the very talented Carol Lovenstein, one of the BZB Stampers, shows off this color perfectly.
The DSP in the background is from a new 6 x 6 paper stack called
Playful Palette. That flirty flamingo is from a new stamp set called
Pop of Paradise. It's part of a product suite called Pop of Pink. The flamingo is wearing a bit of gold cording around her neck and the "hello" sentiment is embossed in gold. What a simple but fun card!
Please forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but you are going to love, Love, LOVE the new catalog. Nine boxes of the beauties are sitting in my garage at this very moment and I cannot wait to give you your very own copy! I'll be handing them out at my biggest Stampin'Up! garage sale ever on Saturday June 4th, beginning at 9am. My "hostess-only" night will be on Friday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm. Please mark your calendar and save these dates. You won't want to miss out on the savings!
Please come back on Friday for more stamping fun!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Monday, May 9, 2016
A change of pace for Monday
Hello stamping friends!
I hope all the moms out there enjoyed a relaxing Mother's Day! I sure did! I slept in for once, read a book for a couple of hours, and went out for dinner. Oh, and we had an open house from 1-3 pm with lots of traffic. I'm pretty sure that most of the folks who came were just curious to see the inside of the house, but that's OK. Maybe they'll tell a friend who's house-hunting.
Instead of continuing to show you the cards we made at my sympathy card class, I thought I'd show you a card from the Hive Happening (group meeting) I went to in Vancouver on Saturday. My upline is Barbara Zick Brimhall (initials BZB) so her group is known as the BZB Stampers and we have a bee theme to our gatherings, which are known as Hive Happenings. I know, it's kind of silly, but fun too!
I made a presentation on holding a One-Sheet Wonder class and there were other demonstrators presenting other ideas. Of course there were some nice display boards as well. So this week I'll be showing you some of my favorite cards from the displays.
Isn't this a great card?? I regret that I didn't write down the demonstrator's name, but I love how she blended the background colors, then stamped, colored, and cut out the sea turtles. They are popped up on dimensionals. The stamp set she used is From Land to Sea (page 83 of the annual catalog). The seaweed that is waving around at the bottom is actually the tentacles of the jellyfish in this set. She just stamped them upside down in Versamark, then embossed them in white powder. So clever! I'm not sure where the sentiment came from... sorry about that! You'll be happy to know that this stamp set will carry over into the new catalog.
Hope your week is off to a great start! After today, the weather will be warming up again, so we should be enjoying some sunshine! I've got some cards to show you featuring new stamps from the new catalog, so please come back on Wednesday for more stamping ideas.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
I hope all the moms out there enjoyed a relaxing Mother's Day! I sure did! I slept in for once, read a book for a couple of hours, and went out for dinner. Oh, and we had an open house from 1-3 pm with lots of traffic. I'm pretty sure that most of the folks who came were just curious to see the inside of the house, but that's OK. Maybe they'll tell a friend who's house-hunting.
Instead of continuing to show you the cards we made at my sympathy card class, I thought I'd show you a card from the Hive Happening (group meeting) I went to in Vancouver on Saturday. My upline is Barbara Zick Brimhall (initials BZB) so her group is known as the BZB Stampers and we have a bee theme to our gatherings, which are known as Hive Happenings. I know, it's kind of silly, but fun too!
I made a presentation on holding a One-Sheet Wonder class and there were other demonstrators presenting other ideas. Of course there were some nice display boards as well. So this week I'll be showing you some of my favorite cards from the displays.
Isn't this a great card?? I regret that I didn't write down the demonstrator's name, but I love how she blended the background colors, then stamped, colored, and cut out the sea turtles. They are popped up on dimensionals. The stamp set she used is From Land to Sea (page 83 of the annual catalog). The seaweed that is waving around at the bottom is actually the tentacles of the jellyfish in this set. She just stamped them upside down in Versamark, then embossed them in white powder. So clever! I'm not sure where the sentiment came from... sorry about that! You'll be happy to know that this stamp set will carry over into the new catalog.
Hope your week is off to a great start! After today, the weather will be warming up again, so we should be enjoying some sunshine! I've got some cards to show you featuring new stamps from the new catalog, so please come back on Wednesday for more stamping ideas.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Friday, May 6, 2016
More Sympathy
Hello again, stamping friends!
It's finally Friday and I'm sure that all of you working folks are extremely happy about that. And it's also Mother's Day weekend, so I'm hoping that all of the Moms who are reading this will be pampered a little this weekend. I'm thinking that the weather is supposed to be nice as well, so that's a happy thing too!
As I mentioned on Wednesday, here's another sympathy card for you...
You'll notice right away that this is another clean and simple card.
We had a little talk about what makes a good sympathy card at my class and I think we all agreed that simplicity is important when designing a sympathy card. I suggested leaving off almost all embellishments, such as pearls, rhinestones, buttons, clips, and other do-dads. The card should be a bit understated and restrained.
I think this card is a good illustration of what a sympathy card should be. The DSP is from the English Garden Collection on page 142 of the annual catalog. I used the very simple leaf patterned paper. The tree is from Thoughts and Prayers, a classic set that you can find on page 26 of the annual catalog. Luckily, this set is being carried over into the new catalog that will be going "live" on June 1st. The sentiment is also part of the Thoughts and Prayers set. I stamped both the tree and the sentiment in Mossy Meadow (one of the retiring In-colors). The Woodgrain embossing folder added a nice bit of texture to the Mossy Meadow card stock panel and ties in well with the tree/leaf theme. Happily, the Woodgrain embossing folder is also carrying over into the new catalog.
If you've got a few spare minutes this weekend, why not get out some stamps, ink, and paper and create a few sympathy cards of your own? You'll have a good feeling knowing that you are prepared when you need to send a message of love, sympathy, and support to a grieving friend or relative.
That's all for today, stampers! Hope you all have a wonderfully relaxing weekend! Sleep in, read the newspaper, drink coffee (or wine!), stamp, go out for dinner... whatever makes you happy!
Hugs to all,
Susan
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Cards We'd Rather Not Make....
Hey there, stampers!
Thanks for stopping by The Classic Card today.
Most of the time, card-making is fun. We get to create little works of art and heart for birthdays, graduations, new babies, weddings, retirements, and all sorts of other happy occasions. Then holidays like Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas come along, providing more reasons to create happy cards. Every so often, though, we have to make a card to console a grieving friend or relative. These are the cards that are decidedly not fun to create, and yet we must create them anyway.
Last Saturday I held a sympathy card class and everyone made 5 sympathy cards. Hopefully those five cards will last a long time. The older we get, the more of these cards we need but I'm hoping that no one goes through the five cards too quickly.
The card I'm showing you today was one of my favorites. Here it is...
Those pretty roses weren't stamped. I simply cut a panel of DSP from the Timeless Elegance Designer Series Paper, then applied some color to the black and cream image with a couple of sponge daubers and a Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz ink pad. The sentiment is from the Rose Wonder stamp set on page 18 of the Occasions catalog. I stamped it first on a scrap of Very Vanilla, then cut it out with the Deco Labels Collection Framelits. A bit of sponging in black ink helps the sentiment stand out. Finally a strip of the stitched satin ribbon in black provides a nice spot for the sentiment to land. Since most of the time these cards are sent through the mail, rather than delivered by hand, it's good to have a card without lumps or bumps in the envelope.
I'm making good progress with downsizing and once I've gone through all the cupboards, drawers, closets, and attics, I'm going to start packing dishes that I don't use often. Don't forget my garage sale this Thursday and Friday, May 5th and 6th. The start time both days is 9 am. If you can't attend this one, no worries! I'm going to have at least one more general garage sale, then the big Stampin'Up! sale on June 4th.
I hope the rest of your week goes by smoothly! I'll have another sympathy card for you on Friday, so be sure to check back with me then.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Thanks for stopping by The Classic Card today.
Most of the time, card-making is fun. We get to create little works of art and heart for birthdays, graduations, new babies, weddings, retirements, and all sorts of other happy occasions. Then holidays like Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas come along, providing more reasons to create happy cards. Every so often, though, we have to make a card to console a grieving friend or relative. These are the cards that are decidedly not fun to create, and yet we must create them anyway.
Last Saturday I held a sympathy card class and everyone made 5 sympathy cards. Hopefully those five cards will last a long time. The older we get, the more of these cards we need but I'm hoping that no one goes through the five cards too quickly.
The card I'm showing you today was one of my favorites. Here it is...
Those pretty roses weren't stamped. I simply cut a panel of DSP from the Timeless Elegance Designer Series Paper, then applied some color to the black and cream image with a couple of sponge daubers and a Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz ink pad. The sentiment is from the Rose Wonder stamp set on page 18 of the Occasions catalog. I stamped it first on a scrap of Very Vanilla, then cut it out with the Deco Labels Collection Framelits. A bit of sponging in black ink helps the sentiment stand out. Finally a strip of the stitched satin ribbon in black provides a nice spot for the sentiment to land. Since most of the time these cards are sent through the mail, rather than delivered by hand, it's good to have a card without lumps or bumps in the envelope.
I'm making good progress with downsizing and once I've gone through all the cupboards, drawers, closets, and attics, I'm going to start packing dishes that I don't use often. Don't forget my garage sale this Thursday and Friday, May 5th and 6th. The start time both days is 9 am. If you can't attend this one, no worries! I'm going to have at least one more general garage sale, then the big Stampin'Up! sale on June 4th.
I hope the rest of your week goes by smoothly! I'll have another sympathy card for you on Friday, so be sure to check back with me then.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Monday, May 2, 2016
The Queen of Downsizing....
Hello Stampers!
Happy May, everyone! Summer is getting closer every day!
Just a quick post today to let you know that my blogging schedule will be a little "off" as I am putting 99% of my time and energy into the downsizing of our many possessions. How we ever accumulated so much "stuff" is beyond me! But we've been married 46 years this summer and we've never really done a big purge. Before this, we just packed everything up and brought it along. Well, that strategy won't work this time, as we hope to end up with a home that's quite a bit smaller than our current home.
I'm hoping to start my garage sale (non-Stampin'Up! stuff) this Thursday and Friday, but I will send out an email confirming the dates very soon. John is supposed to have more surgery on his head this Thursday, but he's going to try to put it off, since he hasn't really healed from the last surgery he had.
Sorry for the lack of a card today, but preparing to move has to be my priority for now. Hope you all enjoyed the great weather yesterday! What a perfect May Day it was!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan
Happy May, everyone! Summer is getting closer every day!
Just a quick post today to let you know that my blogging schedule will be a little "off" as I am putting 99% of my time and energy into the downsizing of our many possessions. How we ever accumulated so much "stuff" is beyond me! But we've been married 46 years this summer and we've never really done a big purge. Before this, we just packed everything up and brought it along. Well, that strategy won't work this time, as we hope to end up with a home that's quite a bit smaller than our current home.
I'm hoping to start my garage sale (non-Stampin'Up! stuff) this Thursday and Friday, but I will send out an email confirming the dates very soon. John is supposed to have more surgery on his head this Thursday, but he's going to try to put it off, since he hasn't really healed from the last surgery he had.
Sorry for the lack of a card today, but preparing to move has to be my priority for now. Hope you all enjoyed the great weather yesterday! What a perfect May Day it was!
Hugs and happiness,
Susan