Yippie! I have a card for you today!

Hi there stampers!

Once again, we've made it to Friday and the weekend is just ahead! 
Yay for Fridays!

I haven't checked to see what the weather was in Portland yesterday, but here we enjoyed a gorgeous fall day with blue skies and temps in the high 70's.  It was just perfect.... not too hot, not too cold.  Hope all my Northwest friends are having a few "blue sky" days as well!

How do you feel about Halloween?  Are you an adult who despises this holiday?  Or do you love dressing up and eating candy?  I'm one of those adults who doesn't have a strong feeling either way.  I do remember how much fun it was when I was a child.  The excitement was almost equal to that of Christmas.  So for that reason, I try to get into the spirit of Halloween... no pun intended.  To me, it's a fun minor holiday for children.  I hope they have as much fun as I did dressing up and going Trick or Treating around the neighborhood.  It doesn't have to be about evil, ghosts, goblins, spiders, skeletons, or other scary things.  Let' just let the kiddos have some fun and maybe eat a little too much candy.

Here's a cute and non-scary Halloween card for you.  I'll be sending a card something like this to my grandchildren in Seattle.  I will miss seeing them in their costumes this year.

Isn't the little scarecrow cute?  I started out with a half sheet of Whisper White card stock, folded into a card.  The next layer is a panel of Crumb Cake that measures 5 1/4 by 4 inches.  I embossed it with the Brick Wall embossing folder and stamped the sentiment (from Teeny Tiny Wishes) in Archival Black ink.  The Polka Dotted layers are from the Brights DSP stack... Tangerine Tango and Rich Razzleberry.  The Rich Razzleberry strip is 2 by 5 inches and the Tangerine Tango strip is 1 1/2 by 5 inches.  I wrapped a piece of Delightful Dijon ribbon (page 47 of the Holiday catalog) around the polka dotted panels before gluing them to the Crumb Cake panel.  I stamped the scarecrow from the stamp set Cookie Cutter Halloween (page 53 of the holiday catalog) in Archival Black ink on Delightful Dijon card stock, then colored in parts of the image with some Tangerine Tango ink and a blender pen.  I used the 2 1/2 inch Circle Punch to punch him out, then layered him on top of a Whisper White circle that I cut with one of the Layering Circle Framelit Dies on page 193 of the annual catalog.  I tied a tiny bow with two strands of Linen Thread and added it to the scarecrow with a mini glue dot.

I don't see how anyone... even the most ardent Halloween Hater... could object to this card.  If you are sending it to a grandchild or other youngster who's far away, don't forget to add a few dollars for a treat, such as frozen yogurt, an ice cream cone, or a Top Pot donut, the favorite of my Seattle grands.

Hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

It was "one of those days...

Hey there, stampers!

It's Wednesday and although I intended to be ready with a new card for you today, it just didn't happen because my Tuesday was just a little too crazy for me to get any stamping done.

So... my apologies for the lack of a card in today's post.  The good news is that our backyard landscaping project is finally underway,  We have been not-so-patiently waiting for them to get started.  With so many new homes in the area, the wait time for landscaping projects is pretty long.  We've been waiting since late August!

Tonight was family dinner night at our house.  This is a once-a-week event where I cook dinner and Kate, Tim, and the girls come over to complete a project for us.  Tonight Kate and Tim hung the blinds on our patio door.  Finally!  We were a little tired of the big cardboard sheets propped over our sliding patio door.  While they work on the project "du jour," I give the girls their bath and get them into their jammies.   So after cooking dinner, cleaning up, and then giving two very energetic little girls a bath, complete with lots of splashing and other shenanigans,  I'm a pretty tired grandmother!

Thought you might like to check out the pumpkins by our front door...

Thanks for reading and please come back on Friday, when I'm planning on having an actual card to inspire you to stamp!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Stormy Weather

Happy Monday, girlfriends!

I trust that you all stayed cozy and dry whilst the storm raged outside!  I hope you had some hot cocoa or tea or, because it's the Northwest... some strong hot coffee!  Can you believe that we actually got some rain too?  Not nearly the amount that fell in the Portland area, but it was still very welcome!

Now that it is Pumpkin Spice Everything Season, I was pining away for some sugar-free pumpkin spice coffee creamer, but I've never been able to find any.  So I decided to make my own.  I used fat-free half and half (or if you'd like it to be really yummy, use regular half and half).  I added a tiny bit of agave syrup and some Truvia (stevia), and then added pumpkin pie spice to taste.  I whisked it all together and voila!  It was heavenly in my coffee this morning.  Are you a pumpkin-spice kind of girl?  Sorry if this is turning you green around the gills, Jody Maki!  I know how you hate anything pumpkin-y.

Have you noticed that the Christmas season is sneaking up on us?  Slowly and quietly, while we aren't paying attention, it is getting closer and closer.  Soon it will pounce on us and we'll be caught unprepared, unless we start preparing soon.  Maybe sooner than "soon."  Maybe today????

Here's a very clean and classic card that you could start making right away. 

Note: the green paper is not part of the card... I just used it as a background.

I started with a half sheet of Very Vanilla card stock, cut lengthwise at 4 1/4 inches, scored at 5 1/2.  The second layer is Cherry Cobbler, measuring 5 1/4 by 4 inches.  Then the striped layer, from the This Christmas DSP collection (page 172 of the annual catalog) measures 5 by 3 3/4 inches.  The stamped panel is 4 by 2 3/4 inches, backed with a Cherry Cobbler panel that measures 4 1/4 by 3 inches. 

The large greeting is from the Wonderful Year stamp set at the top of page 28 in the holiday catalog.  There are two great greetings in this set, each with its own coordinating greeting for the inside of the card.  The sentiment inside this cards says "May your Christmas be merry and bright."

This is just about as simple as card-making gets.  If you wanted you could add some Cherry Cobbler ribbon, but I honestly think it looks great without any embellishing.  The  fancy font of the greeting adds enough interest to the card, making further embellishment unnecessary.  Of course, if you are a lover of glitter, you could always add some! 

May the week ahead be kind to you.  May the days go by smoothly and uneventfully.  May you enjoy some laughter with friends and may you be grateful and happy!

Hugs to all,

Susan

Rain? In Woodland?

Hello stampers! 
Whoop-de-do!  It's Friday and I hope all of you Oregonians haven't been washed out to sea with the big storm that is hitting the area.  I'm writing this on Thursday night, after watching the weather forecast on KGW and it seems that ya'll are in for some torrential rains and high winds.  Be smart!  Stay home where you'll be safe and dry and stamp.  That's what rainy days are for.... unless you have to go to work :(

The forecast for Woodland and the Sacramento area is for possible rain tonight and tomorrow.  We haven't had any significant rainfall since we arrived on August 3rd, so we could really use some heavy drenching rain like you are getting in Oregon.  But I'm really doubtful that it will happen.  Time will tell.

Here's my card for Friday... hope you like it!

This is a Z-fold card... so easy to make!  I used the Pretty Pines Thinlit Dies (page 19 of the holiday catalog) to cut out the evergreen branches, the mistletoe, and the pinecone.  The greeting is from the coordinating stamp set, Christmas Pines, also shown on page 19.  I stamped it in Cherry Cobbler ink on Very Vanilla card stock, then cut it out with one of the Layering Oval Framelits (page 193 of the annual catalog).  I used on the scalloped Oval Framelits to cut the Cherry Cobbler mat for the greeting.  Last, I used some of the Cherry Cobbler Taffeta Ribbon at the top of page 20 in the Holiday catalog, tied it into a knot, and adhered it to the card with a glue dot. 

Here's a side view of the card, showing the Z fold...

Be sure to crease the folds well with your bone folder, as this step will help the card lie much flatter.  OK stampin' people, that's my post for Friday, October 14th.   May the weekend ahead offer you many chances to be creative.  Be safe and stay dry!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Feeling thankful....

Hi there, stampers!  It's Wednesday already and time to write another post.  I hope some of my Oregon customers and friends are reading this!   We had another sunny day yesterday... not too hot, not too cold.  Fall here in Woodland is really just about perfect! We are definitely feeling thankful for the cooler weather.

Speaking of being thankful, have you started to make a few Thanksgiving cards yet?  I don't send out many Thanksgiving cards, but it is nice to remember friends and relatives that you won't be gathering with on that special day.  I thought I didn't need the Basket of Wishes stamp set ( page 49 of the holiday catalog), but when I started seeing the great Thanksgiving cards that can be made with this set, not to mention the fun birthday cards and thinking-of-you cards, I decided it was something I needed to add to my collection.  Here's the first card I made with that set...

This card has a LOT of layers... 5 to be exact.  I started with a Crumb Cake card base, then added an Early Espresso panel, then a Delightful Dijon panel, topped with a square of Early Espresso and then a smaller square panel of water color paper.  I stamped in the new Archival Black ink, allowed it to dry for a couple of minutes, then water colored the basket and fall produce with my aqua painter and these stamp pads:  Soft Suede for the basket, Old Olive for the bands on the basket, and then Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, and Delightful Dijon for the pumpkins and gourds.  I embossed the Delightful Dijon panel with the Petal Burst embossing folder (p. 195 of the annual catalog).  I know the shapes are supposed to be petals, but they also look like leaves, which I thought would be perfect for a fall card. I used three strands of Linen Thread, and treated them as if they were one strand, tied into a small bow which I attached with a glue dot.  The 5/8 inch burlap ribbon adds a fall-ish touch as well.  The inside greeting is just a simple  "Happy Thanksgiving" from Teeny Tiny Wishes, page 90 pf the annual catalog. 

I found it very relaxing to color the basket/fruit image and it didn't take long at all.  I just squeezed the stamp pads to transfer a bit of color to the lid, then opened the stamp pad and used the little pool of color on the inside of the lid. 

Hope the week is moving along smoothly for you!  Thanks for reading and please come back on Friday for another classic card.

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Serene Scenery Suite

Hey there, stampers!  Hello and happy Monday. 

Believe it or not, we had temps in the 90's yesterday!  There's a big cooling trend happening this week, though, with a bit of rain in the forecast on Saturday and Sunday.  Hope the rain reaches us... we could use a good rinsing off, especially out here in the construction zone where everything is super-dusty. 

On Friday I showed you a super simple, super quick card I made using the Serene Scenery DSP Stack. Today's card features the same DSP stack, but this time I combined it with a stamp set from the Holiday catalog, the Suite Seasons set on page 43.  Creating cards with these products are as easy as... pick a paper, stamp on it, add the stamped piece to a card base, along with an embellishment or two... Linen Thread, some ribbon, maybe a doily... and your card is ready to be mailed. I love the fonts and the assortment of sentiments in this set.  It has sayings for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then the one I used on the card for today, "sending you thoughts of comfort."   Here's the card...

I made this card using the quick steps I mentioned... picked a paper, stamped the sentiment, embellished it, adhered it to a card base and I was finished in no time!  While sometimes it's fun to pull out all the stops (and all my stamping supplies),   at other times the objective is to get a card in the mail quickly.  When someone you know is grieving the loss of a dear one, it's more important to share your love and support with them quickly, rather than attempting to wow them with an amazing card.  Chances are, they are not going to notice your mad card-making skills at a time like that anyway.   

It seems like I need a sympathy card quite often these days, so it's nice to be prepared with a few sympathy cards stashed away that can be pulled out and mailed off quickly when the need arises. Why not order some of this gorgeous paper, get out a versatile set of sayings, and get busy making some sympathy cards?  And while you're at it, why not stamp some birthday and thank you cards as well?  You'll have a good feeling inside, knowing that you'll just have to write a loving and supportive note, add a stamp, and your card will be on its way to give comfort when it's needed most.

Have a great week, everyone! 

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Super Simple

Hey there stampin' peeps!  Are you excited that Friday is finally here?

I hate to admit to being so old, but most of my friends are retired, so they don't give a hoot about what day it is!  Every day is a Friday when you're retired! 

As promised, I have some photos of the stamp room.  Of course one of them turned out horribly blurry, and now it's so late in the evening that I'm just going to go ahead and show it to you anyway.  I'll post a few more pictures later, but really, you're not missing out on much because this room is really nothing fabulous. Don't get me wrong, though.  I'm very thankful to have a stamping space at all!  Countertop material from IKEA spans one wall and that holds my computer on one end and my stamping space on the other.  I'm so grateful to my daughter Katie for installing this for me.  I'm amazed at all the things she can do

Then on one of the other walls I have my file cabinet where I store all of my card stock.

To the right of the closed door (you can just see the doorknob) is the island that holds my paper cutter.

Here's the main storage unit for my stamps (so sorry it turned out blurry, but you'll get the idea). 

The one area I haven't shown you is the walk-in closet that is PACKED with cards, envelopes, card stock, and all sorts of stampin' stuff.  I may show it to you later, but a warning is in order.... it's not pretty in there!  Organized? Yes! But pretty?  No!

OK... enough about the stamp room and on to today's card...

I was looking through my 6 x 6 paper stacks, searching for inspiration and I ran across the Serene Scenery DSP Stack ( page 174 of the annual catalog).  I realized that I hadn't even opened the package.  When I did, I was wowed by the beautiful scenic papers in this collection.  I especially love the design I'm showing you today.  It's a soft, blurry scene that I interpreted to be the ocean and a sandy beach.  I stamped a simple sentiment from the Bunch of Blossom stamp set  (page 69 of the annual catalog) in Early Espresso.  I added a mat of Soft Sky behind the ocean scene, then adhered it to a panel of Crumb Cake that I embossed with the Gently Falling embossing folder and wrapped with some of the 5/8 inch burlap ribbon.    The tiny dots on the Crumb Cake panel reinforce the feeling of a sandy beach, while the burlap ribbon adds more texture.  With the addition of a "happy birthday" sentiment on the inside of the card, this would be a perfect birthday card for a guy or even for a beach-loving girlfriend. 

Well, my friends, it's pretty late and I need to head off to bed right after I schedule this to post at 6 am on Friday morning.  Hope your Friday is fun and your weekend is delightful!

Hugs and happiness!

Susan

Wednesday Inspiration

Hello everyone!  Hope your Wednesday is off to a great start!  If it isn't going so well, you can console yourself with the thought that, after today, there are only 2 more days until the weekend.

I've got great news to share!  My stamp room is 99% complete!  I will share some pictures of my new stamping space on Friday so you can see where I'll be stamping from now on.  For today I've got a cute card to show you... another one from Janet Jones, one of my downline members who really knows how to put together a great card!

I wasn't planning on purchasing this set (Basket of Wishes, page 49 of the holiday catalog), but after seeing lots of pretty cards on the internet and then receiving this one from Janet, I've added it to my list.  It's a bit difficult to see, but Janet used the new Sparkle embossing folder on the Crumb Cake panel.  It's one of the new embossing folders in the annual catalog (page 195). The berry basket image is stamped on watercolor paper, then colored with ink and an aqua painter, or perhaps she used a blender pen.  Either one would work just great! The cute sentiment is also in the Basket of Wishes set.  I just love it when a stamp set has both images and sentiments that coordinate.  It makes creating a card so much easier!

The polka dotted Real Red DSP is from the Brights DSP paper stack (bottom of page 174 in the annual catalog).  And there's that great new 5/8 " Burlap ribbon (bottom of page 178) that I've been using a lot.  

Thanks, Janet, for sending me this clean and simple, but "berry cute" card.  I can't wait to get my own set and have fun water coloring!

Thank you for coming to The Classic Card today!  I'll have another classic card for you on Friday, so please come back then.

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Sweet Friends

Hello stampers! 

We are starting a brand new month off right in Woodland, as yesterday (Sunday) was in the 70's and the sky even had a few clouds... something we haven't seen much of since we arrived here on August 3rd.  Today's forecast calls for rain, but I'll believe it when I see it!  It's definitely starting to feel like fall and that's a happy thing indeed.  I'm hoping by the time next summer rolls around, we'll be better acclimated to the heat.

I finally sat down in my stamp room yesterday evening and actually created a card!  It's not the best card I've ever made, but I'm just happy I remembered how to stamp.... just kidding!

Here's the card I came up with...

I used my Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set for the first time, along with its matching punch.  I stamped the little gingerbread men in Soft Suede, then quickly punched them out.  I added pearls for their eyes and buttons, then popped them up on dimensionals.

The Designer paper I used is called Candy Cane Lane.  My favorite part of this card is the sentiment.  It says "wishing you a season as sweet and joyful as the friendship we share."  What a great wish to send to a sweet friend!  The card base is Whisper White, topped with an Early Espresso panel, then a Real Red panel.  With the candy canes, peppermints, gumdrops, and cookies on the DSP, this card is almost good enough to eat!

Don't forget that all of the 11.00 Designer Papers are buy 3, get one free for the entire month of October.  This includes the Designer Paper in the big catalog as well as the paper in the holiday catalog.

Paper stacks and specialty papers are not included in this offer.

Thank you for checking in with me today and thanks for reading!

I wish all of you a happy week ahead, with plenty of time to stamp and be creative!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

Goodbye September!

Hello stampers!  Happy Friday and farewell to September.  I can't believe that September passed so quickly.

I'm excited to report that I'm almost well.  I still have an occasional coughing spell, but they are becoming few and far between.  I have been coughing since Sept. 8th, so this is a big deal! Thanks to all of you who sent healing thoughts my way.

Thanks to our daughter and son-in-law, the house is coming along.  The countertop in my stamping room is done, the ironing board has been installed in the laundry room, and some of the pictures have been hung.  We still have quite a bit of work to do, though.

Since they have helped us so much, now it's our turn to help them.  So this afternoon, the "clean team" will descend on their house where we'll vacuum, scrub bathrooms, and just generally spiff up the place.  It's the least we can do after all they've done for us.

John may even mow the lawn!

Well, enough about us.  How are you doing these days?  Hope all is going well in your corner of the world!  Send me a quick note when you get a chance.  I'd love to hear from you!

Oh, you say you want to see a card? OK, I guess I could show you one.  I still haven't really jumped back into stamping, but I do have a card I can show you that some of my customers in Portland will be making at Anita's party on Sunday. 

,

I used the Christmas Pines stamp set and the coordinating Pretty Pines Thinlit dies in the new holiday catalog.  The card base is Whisper White, then I added a layer of Cherry Cobbler and topped that with a Whisper White panel.  I stamped the pine branches with

Old Olive, Soft Sky and Garden Green.  I cut three different sizes of pine boughs from Old Olive and Garden Green card stock and added them on top of the stamped branches.  I cut one pinecone from Soft Suede card stock and added it with a dimensional.  The ribbon is Cherry Cobbler and is on page 20 of the holiday catalog.  I tied it into a knot and adhered it over the pinecone with a glue dot.  The sentiment is stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink.

  Don't forget... Saturday October 1st is World Card-Making Day.  Stampin'Up! has a selection of card-making basics on sale from October 1st to 5th in honor of this world-wide celebration.  They are also having their annual DSP promotion the entire month of October.... buy 3 packages of DSP (the 11.00 kind) and get the 4th one free.  This includes the DSP in both the annual and holiday catalogs.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

  

World Card-Making Day... coming right up!

Hello stampers!
Can you believe that we've arrived at the last week of September?  The time is just flying by, isn't it?  The first Saturday of October is always World Card-Making Day.  On this day, all over the world, card-makers join in this special observance of their craft.  I'm going to miss my annual event that I've held for the past 7 or 8 years... my Souper Saturday, where I serve a soup lunch to mark this world-wide celebration.  I will definitely set aside some time this Saturday to make a few cards.  I hope that you will too!

Stampin'Up! is offering a couple of specials that you need to know about. I don't want you to miss out on anything!  So... the first "special" is in honor of World Card-Making Day.  I'll be sending this flyer to all of my customers, so look for it in your inbox.  The second special starts on October first and goes through 11 pm on October 31st.  This is the annual sale on Designer Series Paper.. the buy 3 and get the 4th package FREE special offer.  This sale applies to the DSP in both the annual catalog and the holiday catalog that is $11 per package, but does not apply to the specialty papers that sell for $13, nor does it apply to paper stacks.

I'm excited about both of these "specials,"  as it is always great to get a deal on something that you'll be purchasing anyway.

OK, now that those details are taken care of, let's get to the card!

I cased this card from a fellow demonstrator's blog.  Her name is Susan Itell and her blog is called Simple Stampin.  Here's the link...

www.simplestampin.com.  I used the same layout, the same DSP and ribbon, but instead of one tree, I added two more, because things just look better in threes.  To get the multi-colored leaves on the tree on the left, I first inked up the leaf stamp in Crushed Curry, then dabbed a couple of areas of the stamp on Cajun Craze.

The stamp set is called Totally Trees and can be seen on page 48 of the holiday catalog.  I knew it was going to be one of my favorites the minute I laid eyes on it!  It has a pine tree that you could use for
Christmas, as well as a palm tree that would be perfect for creating summery tropical beach cards.  Plus there are several other trees, such as the one I used on this card.  You cannot go wrong with this stamp set! 

The DSP is from the Petals and Paisleys specialty DSP that's on page 47 of the holiday catalog.  The great ribbon is the new 5/8 inch burlap ribbon on page 178 of the annual catalog.  The card base is Cajun Craze and the green accents are in Old Olive. 

Well, stampers, I think I've rambled on enough for one day.  It was a scorching 99 degrees on Tuesday, but today is supposed to be the  beginning of a slight cooling trend.  We are hoping that the cooler temperatures and rain that is forecast for next Monday and Tuesday will actually materialize.  This part of California could really use some rain.

Have a great Wednesday and be sure to come back on Friday for more stamping ideas!

Hugs and happiness,
Susan


 

Back to blogging...

Hello stamping friends!

So sorry that I've been silent for so long.  I've been fighting bronchitis since Sept 14th and so far the bronchitis is winning.  I'm hoping that I will "turn the corner" soon and be on the road to recovery.  Once I get a cough, it hangs on and on and on.  Ugh!

Well, enough about me. How have you been? Are you enjoying some pretty fall weather in Oregon? I know it's rained several times, but hopefully you are having some "blue sky days" as well! I'd love to hear from you, if you have time.  You can drop me a quick email at sjrstamps@gmail.com  We are enjoying our family immensely.  Kate and Tim have been helping us with so many projects and my stamping room is almost complete.  Then I hope to be able to stamp a bit so I'll have some cards to show you, because I know you come here for stamping inspiration.

Here's a pretty card that you are sure to love, created by Janet Jones who is in my downline.  Take a peek, and then I'll list some of the products Janet used to create this beauty.

I'm sure you all know that if you click on the photo, you'll be able to see a larger image, but "just in case" I thought I'd mention that.

The stamp set is called Flourishing Phrases (page 49 of the annual catalog) and the matching thinlits can be seen on page 194 of the annual catalog. 

The DSP she used is from the Fruit Stand collection (on page 173 of the annual catalog.  The beautiful flourish was cut from Pumpkin Pie Glimmer Paper (page 55 of the holiday catalog).  While this glimmer paper appears with the Halloween products,  Janet was clever enough to see beyond sparkling pumpkins and use it on a card that has nothing to do with spooks, ghosts, and goblins. Thank you, Janet, for allowing me to share your card!

I'd  also like to point out that this is a card layout that you might want to file away for future use.  It's simple and classic and could be used for many types of cards.  So why not sketch it out and add it to your card sketch book?  Then when you are stuck and cannot come up with a layout that you like, you can turn to this one and get "un-stuck."

Before I go, here's a fun photo... Opa reading to the granddaughters before bed.  While Kate and Tim work on projects to help us get settled, Oma (that's me) and Opa (John) bathe the girls, get them in their jammies, and read the bedtime stories. 

Thanks for being my readers!  I miss you all and hope you are all well, happy, and doing lots of stamping!

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

"Pumpkin Season" is starting...

Hello stampers and a happy Monday to all!

It's only September 12th, but already, "pumpkin season" is here!  How do I know this?  Well, yesterday afternoon I went shopping for a few groceries at Trader Joe's and I noticed that the pumpkin merchandise is starting to filter into the store.  I picked up a box of Pumpkin Spice Jo-Jo's... like an Oreo, only the cookie part is pumpkin spice cookie and the filling is pumpkin.  Of course Starbuck's has had their PSL --Pumpkin Spice Latte --for a couple of weeks now.  At the height of pumpkin season Trader Joe's will have tons of pumpkin products.  If you like pumpkin bread, you need to try Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Mix.  Even if you aren't someone who needs to stay away from gluten, give it a try.  It is more moist and more tender than their regular pumpkin bread.

Have you guessed by now that I'm going to show you a pumpkin card?  Here it is...

This fun card was made by fellow demonstrator Shannon Carrier.  She used the very popular Swirly Scribbles Thinlit Dies ( page 194 of the annual catalog) to create the pumpkins. The leaves are cut with dies from the same set, but the stems were cut free-hand.    It is amazing what you can create with these very versatile dies, which also coordinate with the Swirly Bird stamp set on page 152 of the annual catalog.  This stamp set and dies have been two of the most popular products in the annual catalog.  The saying is from Greatest Greetings, a set of 14 sayings, all done in that cute font.  Check out this must-have set of sayings on page 78 of the annual catalog.  Thank you, Shannon, for allowing me to show your cute card on my blog!

May the week ahead be full of sunny days and happy times!

Hugs,

Susan

It's Friday already???

Hey there stamping friends!

How did it get to be Friday already?  I guess that's what happens when you are super-busy, trying to get everything unpacked and in its proper place.    Yesterday was another hot day (94 degrees) and today it's supposed to be 94 again.  Then after that the temps drop into the 80's for a few days.  The evenings really cool off nicely, so that makes us happy.  Summer is still in full swing here. 

I finally got my laptop working correctly, so today I can show you a card.  I wish I could say that I've been able to start stamping in my new space, but nothing could be further from the truth.  I've got to go back to IKEA and buy another storage unit before I can finish unpacking in there. 

Here's a card that I hope you'll find inspiring...

This cute card was made by Janet Jones, one of the great demonstrators in my downline.  Let me list some of the products she used to make this adorable Christmas card...

The stamp set is called Fa-la-la-la Friends (page 30 of the holiday catalog).  The little bear and the saying are both in the set.  The designer paper is called Presents and Pinecones and you can see it at the bottom of page 18 of the holiday catalog.  Janet used the Layering Oval Framelit Dies to cut the white oval and the scalloped oval that serve as a mat for the cute little bear. 

The Layering Oval Framelits, along with the square and circle layering framelits are an investment that you'll be glad you made.  You can use them forever and have every size of circle, square, or oval you'll ever need.  These layering dies give you a lot of value for your dollar.  Just think of how much a set of 15, 16, or 19 punches would cost and you'll see that purchasing dies is much cheaper than purchasing punches, if punches these sizes were even available.

I hope you'll all have a relaxing and happy weekend, filled with whatever you love, whether it's time with friends or family,  taking a day trip, or just staying home and relaxing.  I encourage you to carve out a few minutes to be creative with stamps, ink, and paper because stamping is always a happy thing!

Thanks for being one of my readers! 

Hugs,

Susan 

Happy Labor Day!

Hello stamping friends!

Happy September and happy Labor Day!  Do you have something fun planned for today?  A barbecue, a trip to the coast, or maybe you're being smart and staying off the roads?  We'll be staying home for sure, because we are still in the process of unpacking and organizing.  My stamp room still looks awful, but I'm hoping to have things better organized in a couple of weeks.

I  had big plans to post a card today, as some of my downline members were kind enough to send me some cards they made for a card swap.  I photographed the cards, loaded them onto my computer, and then my computer started acting up.  Now when I boot up my computer, there's no blinking cursor in the password box, so I can't unlock my computer.    My computer tech guy (aka, Eli, my son-in-law) is on a camping trip right now, so I'm sorry I won't be able to post a card today.  I'm using John's computer to write this post.

John and I spent Sunday unpacking and I would say that we are about 75 % finished.  The worst room in the house right now is my stamp room.  I have just about maxed out the storage areas I have available, and I've still got boxes to unpack.  I may be making another trip to IKEA (only about 20 minutes away in West Sacramento) to buy another storage unit.  

I hope all is well with all of you in the Portland area.  I just checked the weather there and found that it has been cool, cloudy, and rainy lately.  Then I checked the forecast for Woodland and we're headed into a week of temps in the 90's.  It really is a different world down here.  Yesterday was one of the coolest days we've had... highs in the low 80's.  

We are looking forward to being finished with the house so we can get out and explore a bit.  We have plans to go see my sister in Sonoma County and we'd sure like to spend a day in the Napa Valley.  A trip to Carmel is on our agenda too.  Nothing too exciting, but we'll enjoy it as we haven't visited Carmel in over 30 years!

The next time I post, I'm hoping to show you a fun card or two.  
Have a great week!
Hugs,
Susan

A Moving Experience....

Hello stamping friends and a happy Monday to all!

Hope you all survived the heat in Portland!  It was actually a little cooler here, thank goodness!  We've been busy this past weekend working on unpacking at the new house, but we're still sleeping at Kate and Tim's house. 

That's all going to change today, as we pack up our suitcases and officially take up residence in the new house.  Things are still in pretty rough shape, with lots of boxes in most of the rooms and soooo much unpacking to be done.  But we are definitely making progress.  Kate and Tim have been a huge help to us, with Tim working on organizing the garage and Kate hanging our wood blinds and helping with unpacking.

Allie and Lindsay have been having fun at Oma and Opa's new house.  Here they are playing with the Sylvanian Family critters that our girls played with many years ago. 

I'm looking forward to the day when I can show you a room that  isn't filled with boxes, but that may be a while.   Until then, know that I'm thinking of you and wishing that we could get together at a stamping event.  It seems like such a long time ago that I last stamped, so I'm really looking forward to having my stamp room set up and functioning again.  Realistically, though, that is going to be another couple of weeks at the earliest, since having a fully functioning kitchen is a higher priority than an organized stamp room. 

I hope your week is off to a smooth start!  May your schedule allow some time to be creative with stamps, ink, and paper.  I don't want you to forget how much fun it is to stamp!

Hugs and happiness are being sent your way.

Susan

Friday Photos

Hello stampers!  Happy Friday!

I hope you're not too disappointed that there will be no card photos for a while.  I think all of you know that my stamping supplies are in a warehouse in Vancouver Washington until delivery day sometime late next week. 

Tonight after dinner, John and I took a little trip out to the house to see the finished yard.  After almost 46 years of mowing, John will finally be able to retire from that little chore.  He sold the lawnmower to a neighbor in Sherwood and we're giving the edger to our son-in-law. 

These photos of the outside of the house show the xeriscaped front yard... just plants on a drip system surrounded by bark and rocks.  It's sure a different look from the green surrounding our Pinehurst house, isn't it?  And the house could not be more different as well.

Life is full of adjustments and as we get older, the need to be flexible is more and more important.  It is exciting to have a fresh start in a new place and also a little scary as well.  I think we are up for the challenge, though.

Here are the photos...

Hope you all have a very relaxing weekend! 

Hugs and happiness,

Susan

We're here in Woodland!

Hello stampers!
Happy Friday, everyone!

We arrived in Woodland on Wednesday night about 9:30.  It was a long day, but our trip was uneventful, thanks goodness.  It was 104 degrees as we went through Anderson (just south of Redding)!  Yesterday we went out to the house to check out the progress that's being made.  There were lots of guys working on the front yard, so that should be in shortly.  The posts for the fence had been installed, so I imagine that we'll have a fence in the next couple of days.  The floors are in, the painting is done, the appliances have been installed, and I would say that the house is about 90% complete.  Our walk through is scheduled for next Friday, August 12th, with a move-in date between August 15th (our 46th anniversary) and August 17th.

Here's a photo of John, Allie, Lindsay and our daughter Kate in the new kitchen.  The cabinets look black, but they are actually a very dark brown called Espresso.  I think I'm going to love the tile floors... so much easier to take care of than hardwoods.

 

More house photos to come! 
The new Holiday catalog is full of great new stamps, paper, and accessories.  I've ordered new catalogs for all of you and once they arrive I'll be sending them along.  We can start ordering from the Holiday catalog on September 1st.  If you'd like to see some Holiday catalog products a little early, go to You Tube Stampin' Up!  There are several videos showing Holiday catalog products and how to use them.

Have a great weekend!  I hope you'll have time to do some stamping.  I sure wish I had some stamps, ink, and paper to play with, but all of my stampin' stuff is in storage until delivery day.

Hugs and happy stamping!
Susan

Almost there!

Hey there, stampers!

I'm so happy to report that we're almost there.  Just about everything is packed... even our suitcases.  I've still got a list of chores, though... everything from cleaning the refrigerator and the range to disconnecting my desktop computer and printer.  Those items will be accomplished today and through the weekend.  There are some boxes that need sealing up, but that won't take long.  Our master bedroom closet is empty at last!  And Value Village has a new supply of used clothing!

Here are some photos to document our accomplishments:

Recognize the dining room?  I guess the chandelier gives it away.

Here's the upstairs "catwalk..."

And our "oh so lovely" bedroom...

One last shot of the great room

I think you'll agree that the decor is just amazing! The worst area by far is the garage.  It is almost impassable there are so many boxes piled up there.  So far this move has been super-challenging. The process of downsizing and then packing has been overwhelming at times.  But I knew if we worked hard, we'd come to the end of packing and we are 99.9% finished.  We're still alive and we're still speaking to each other, so I count that as a great achievement.

Sorry I don't have a card to show you today.  I hope you understand that getting ready for the moving van has been my top priority.  I will be blogging on and off the next couple of weeks.  I hope to show you some photos of the new house once we get down to California.  It's going to take a while for me to show you some new cards, though, as I will need to get settled into my stamping space before I'll have any time to create some new cards.  

Thanks for stopping in to read today!  Have a great warm weekend!
Hugs and happy stamping,
Susan

Summer Birthdays Galore!

Hey there, stamping "peeps!"


The days are going by so quickly this week... a little too quickly for me!  It's Wednesday already and we are working hard to finish packing before August 2nd is upon us.  Today is the day that I'm going to finish packing all of the kitchen supplies.  We will be eating breakfast and lunch here, but dinners from now on will be eaten elsewhere.  I've got a supply of paper cups, plates, bowls, and utensils, but everything else is going into a box by the end of the day.  If I stop to think about it, I could probably get all teary-eyed about the fact that I've cooked the last meal I'll ever cook in this kitchen.  But honestly, I don't have time to shed tears.  I'll just keep packing instead!

Here's a card we made at my "last ever" stamping party.  It would be perfect for a summer birthday.  Do you seem to have a lot of people in your life with summer birthdays??  I certainly do!  The rest of the year, it's a birthday here and a birthday there, but in the summertime, it is Birthday Central, at least for me.  

This fun card says "Happy Birthday" inside.  Sorry I forgot to take a picture of that.  I used the new Stylized Birthday stamp on page 16 of the annual catalog.  I love the font and that it's a large stamp.  It takes up quite a bit of room so you don't have to write too much inside the card :)

The "By the Shore" Suite of products is just perfect for summer birthdays, because the beach and summer go together like peanut butter and jelly, like Ricky and Lucy, like cookies and milk!  The stamp set in this suite is called Seaside Shore (page 93) and it includes both images AND words... my favorite type of stamp set.
I used the new Seaside embossing folder, the By the Shore DSP, some Calypso Coral Thick Baker's Twine, and some Bermuda Bay Sequin "bubbles."  The sentiment was stamped with Calypso Coral on Very Vanilla Card stock, since the background of the DSP is Very Vanilla, not Whisper White.  The base of the card is Very Vanilla, topped with the embossed panel in Soft Sky.  The mat behind the DSP is Mint Macaron.  

One of the best things about this card is that it can be used for just about anyone... male or female, young or old.  If you had a stash of cards like this, you'd be ready for all your summer birthdays!

Thanks for visiting me today.  I hope to be back on Friday, but I can't promise.  It depends on how much I get done in the next couple of days.

Hugs and happy stamping!
Susan

A Weekend to Remember...

Hello there, stampers!

Thanks for coming over to visit on this summery Monday!  
How was your weekend?  Did it include something fun like going to the beach?  Camping?  Maybe a family reunion or another family event?  Whatever you did, I hope it was memorable!  I had a memorable weekend as well, but for an entirely different reason.  I packed up my stamp room... something I'm pretty sure I'll remember for quite a long time.  I'm so very thankful that I did the big purge of products at my garage sale, because if hadn't done that, I'd probably still be packing.

I showed you a picture on Friday of the big mess my room was in as I began the job of packing up.  Here is how it looks now... nice and neat with boxes ready to be loaded on the truck.

We are making good progress with our packing and soon I will "pull the plug" on cooking and get the rest of the kitchen stuff in boxes.  My goal is to finish at least one day ahead of time... maybe two days ahead.  That will make for a much more relaxing move.

I'm pretty sure you'd be OK with me showing you a card today, so here's a pretty one I got from my friend Carole Remme on my birthday.  

Isn't this just a beautiful card?  I love the combination of the Botanical Garden DSP and the pretty Soft Sky flowers.  Carole used the very popular Botanical Builder Framelits (the top of page 194 in the new annual catalog) to create those lovely three-dimensional flowers.  Of course the paper isn't available anymore, but I know that many of you bought more than one package, so it shouldn't be difficult to re-create this gorgeous card.

I don't recognize the sentiment... it may have come from another stamp company.  Thank you Carole, for such a pretty card on my birthday! I love it!

That's all for today, friends!  I've got a closet full of clothes that I need to start packing in wardrobe boxes, so I'd better get started.
According to the weather page in Sunday's Oregonian, we are in for some summer-like weather this week.  I'm hoping the warmer temps will help us get ready for the 100+ degree days we'll be having once we get to Woodland.   

Check back with me on Wednesday, because I hope to be blogging then. 
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

More Birthday Bounty...

Hey there stampers!

I've got another pretty card for you today... one that I received from a friend for my recent birthday, but before we get to that, I want to show you my stamp room in all its messy glory.  I'm planning to have this all neatly boxed up by the end of the weekend.  We'll see if that actually happens.

Thankfully I got rid of a lot of old merchandise at my garage sale, so there's not nearly as much stuff to pack as there was before the big purge.  But still, there's plenty!

Here's the card for today, created by my dear friend Rhonda.

What a fresh and feminine card!  I love it!  Rhonda used the "carried over" Wild About Flowers stamp set that's on page 112 of the annual catalog.  The background DSP is from the English Garden collection in last year's annual catalog.  I'm pretty sure many of you have a nice supply of this paper.  Why not get it out and make a pretty card just like this one?  The layers behind the DSP panel are Blushing Bride and Rose Red.  The flowers are stamped in Blushing Bride and Rose Red ink. and the sentiment, from Endless Birthday Wishes (page 22), is stamped in Rose Red as well.  What you can't see in the photo above, is that Rhonda added sparkle to her card with the Wink of Stella pen by brushing it on the flower petals.  

I hope you feel inspired to get out some stamps, ink, and paper and create something beautiful!  May the weekend ahead be filled with fun and relaxation!

Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Birthday Bounty.....

Hello stampers!

Sorry I missed blogging on Monday, but I did warn you that I might be off schedule this week.  Packing MUST be done, while blogging is optional.  

I will be sharing birthday cards that I've received from downline members and friends.  I think I've already mentioned that I just don't have time to sit down and create cards at this point in our move.  

Today's pretty card was created by Stephanie Perry, one of the talented stampers in my group.  She used the Helping Me Grow stamp set, which you can see on page 40 of the annual catalog.  

The card base is Tempting Turquoise.  Stephanie stamped the cosmos in Basic Black Archival ink, then water colored with an aqua painter on watercolor paper.  I'm totally guessing what colors she used, but I think the flowers were colored in the new Sweet Sugarplum.  The stems, I think, are Emerald Envy.  The flower centers could be Crushed Curry.  The background was filled in with Pool Party.  You could change up the colors and still have a gorgeous card.   That curvy sentiment is from the Balloon Celebration set on page 24 of the annual catalog. It is stamped on Whisper White card stock in Basic Gray ink.  Some Thick Baker's Twine in Whisper White tied around the top repeats the white of the sentiment banner.  Thanks, Stephanie, for sending me such a pretty card on my birthday.  You can see more of Stephanie's beautiful work at stefperry.blogspot.com

Well, my friends, I enjoyed this little break from packing.  However, I hear the empty boxes calling my name, so I'm going to say goodbye for now.  Have a wonderful Wednesday and please come back on Friday, because I'm pretty sure I'll have time to write another post.
Hugs and happiness,
Susan

Fruit Stand Suite

Hello again!  It's Friday and I'm ready to blog about the Fruit Stand Suite from Stampin'Up!  

Whenever I see a fruit stand, I think of my mom.  She was a fruit stand "freak," and in our travels around California to visit various relatives, she'd want to stop at every fruit stand along the way.  It used to drive the rest of us (my dad, brother, sister, and me) crazy!
When she was in her late 80's and 90's and unable to drive, her dearest wish was to be driven to Andy's Produce out in the countryside near Sebastopol, California to pick out fresh fruit and veggies. When I visited her, that was something we did quite a few times. When I first started taking her there,  she would walk holding onto the grocery cart and in her later years she had to use her walker, but nothing was going to keep her from going to her favorite fruit stand!  Maybe eating all those fruits and vegetables had something to do with her long life (97 years!).  

So here's a bright and summery card that features the Fruit Stand Designer Series Paper... a beautiful mix of berries, peaches, pears, apples, with some stripes, dots, and flowers thrown into the mix. You can see the whole suite of products on pages 148 and 149 of the annual catalog.  

I used three strips of the strawberry DSP, glued them down to the Real Red panel and then ran the whole thing through the Big Shot with the new Petal Burst embossing folder (page 195) to give the card a quilted look.  The sentiment is from a new stamp set called Layering Love on page 71. I stamped the sentiment in Cucumber Crush on Whisper White card stock, then cut it out with one of the new Layering Oval Framelits at the top of page 193.  I used a slightly larger scalloped oval die to cut the mat.  Some of the new 5/8 " Mini Striped Ribbon (page 178) in Cucumber Crush repeats the green.  I love how this card turned out and hope it inspires you!

I'm going to make an effort to blog a few times next week, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to stick to my Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule.  It all depends on how much progress we make with our packing.  If I do have to take a break, I'll let you know in advance.  

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll hope to see you back here on Monday for more stamping fun!

Hugs and happiness,
Susan