Hurry up, Fall!

Hello my friends!  Happy Monday!

I just have one wish today... and that is for Fall to hurry up and get here!  I made the mistake of looking at the fourteen day forecast for Woodland and I was shocked by what I saw.  It was 109 yesterday and it will be 100 or above for the next TEN days.  It goes like this Monday 108, then 108, 102, 104, 107, 106, 106, 104, 100, 100.

After that, it goes down into the 90's.  Can you see why I'm hoping for Fall to get here asap???  I cannot wait for cooler weather!

I have a favor to ask.  I'm looking for people in the Portland area who'll need a house-sitter next summer.  If you or someone you know is planning a trip and needs a conscientious and responsible house-sitter, I would love for you to pass along their name.  If you know me, you know what a clean-freak I am.  I  would take extremely good care of any home entrusted to me.  John and I would be so grateful just to be able to escape this ghastly heat for a few weeks.  

OK... enough about the weather!  Let's get to a card, shall we?

This is one of the cards we'll be making at my "Focus on Fall" stamping class, coming up this Wednesday, August 30th at 6:45 at my house.  Email me at sjrstamps@gmail.com if you'd like to attend.

This fun and non-scary Halloween card would be perfect for sending to children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or any young-at-heart person who gets a kick out of wearing a costume and eating candy.  And to add to the fun, there's a surprise inside.  Take a look...

When the card is opened, a little pocket is revealed where you can stash some cash, a check, or a gift card.  The Very Vanilla panel is where you can write a brief note.  If you would like to have the measurements and directions for this easy, but cute gift card holder, please send me a quick email to  sjrstamps@gmail.com and I'll be happy to email them to you.  

Now here are the details of the products I used:

Stamps:  Spooky Cat, #144749, $17.00 p. 53, holiday catalog

Note:  You can get this stamp set bundled together with the new Cat Punch for a 10% savings.  The bundle number is #146014, 31.50

Ink:  Basic Gray Archival Ink Pad, Basic Black Archival Ink Pad

Paper:  Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, and Very Vanilla Card Stock

Spooky Night Designer Series paper, #144610, $11.00, p. 53, holiday catalog.

Accessories:  The baker's twine I used was on the Clearance Rack, but I'm sorry to say it is now sold out.  It was probably snapped up by demonstrators like me who recognize a great bargain when we see one.  You can easily substitute some Solid Bakers Twine in Basic Black #141682, $3.00, p. 199 of the Annual Catalog.  

Don't forget that you need to redeem your Bonus Days Coupon codes before the end of August.  The 31st is the last day, so don't wait any longer!  Also, the host code for August is
VRVSBRAW.  Please use this code when placing an online order for less than $150.  If your order is $150 or more before tax and shipping, do not use the host code.  Then you will receive the host rewards.  This code will be closed out at 9pm on August 31st.

Hope you liked my card today!  Thanks for visiting me at The Classic Card!  May the week ahead be a good one!  Please remember that a good week can be made into a great week if you take time out for YOU!   Sit in the shade and read a good book, go to the beach and sit in the sand, stare at the ocean and let the serenity sink into your soul.  Or take a different route to work and stop at a different coffee shop.  Any break in your routine will refresh you.  Best of all, get out some stamps, ink, and paper and create!  

Hugs and happiness are coming your way!
Susan

Grown with Love by Stampin'Up!

Hello stampers!

Are you ready for the eclipse?  Since we aren't in the "area of totality," I didn't bother to purchase any protective eye-wear.  We're going to go to a gathering in Davis where we'll be able to share some glasses and at least get a peek at this phenomenon.  As much as I love Oregon, I'm happy to be missing the crowds and the traffic!

I sat down last night to make a card using the Grown With Love bundle that's on page 22 of the annual catalog.  I'm challenging myself to use all of the stamp sets I ordered in June when the new catalog came out.  I loved this set when I first saw it in the catalog and I love it even more now that I've finally used it.

I was going for a late summer look, so I used some warm colors...  Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Early Espresso, and Crumb Cake for the ink and Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Crumb Cake, and Whisper White for the card stock.  

Here's a quick list of the products I used:

Stamps

Grown with Love bundle (stamps and framelits) #145338, $45.75, p. 22

Beautiful Bouquet stamp set #143666, (for the sentiment) $27.00, p. 92

Burlap Background stamp #143982, $15.00, p. 165  I stamped the Burlap background stamp in Crumb Cake ink on Crumb Cake card stock.  Doesn't it look realistic?

Accessories

Crushed Curry Solid Baker's Twine #144354, $3.00, p. 199

1/4 " Copper Trim #144179, $6.00, p. 199

1 1/4 inch Circle Punch #119861, $16.00, p. 207

1 3/8 inch Circle Punch #119860, $16.00, p. 207 

With a change of colors, this is a set for any season.  With the flowers stamped in red and pink and a change in sentiment, this would make a fun Valentine's Day card.  If you stamped everything in pastels such as Soft Sky, Powder Pink, and So Saffron, you could make a lovely springtime or Easter card.  I love versatile sets like this and who wouldn't?  I think we're all trying to get the most out of our stamping dollars.

Have a great week, everyone, and remember to take a little time out to stamp something pretty.  You'll be happier when you make time for creativity. Creative hobbies like stamping are beneficial to our brains as well as our spirits, so take a break from your "to-do" list and enjoy a few hours of stamping fun.

Hugs and happy thoughts coming your way,

Susan

Beautiful Bouquet by Stampin'Up!

Hello stampers!

I love the card I'm going to show you today, but first... how was your weekend?  Did you stay home and take care of chores like yard work, cleaning, and/or organizing?  Or did you leave town for a change of scene and a change of weather?  I hate to admit being so boring, but I love a weekend where I can spend time at home cleaning and puttering and maybe doing a small decorating project.  Right now I have some great fabric that I purchased for some window treatments in my stamp room.  I've been meaning to get out my sewing machine but just haven't done it yet.  I also need a fun light fixture for my stamp room.  Once I finish my projects, I'll post a picture of my stamp room, but don't hold your breath, as it won't be anytime soon. 

OK... let's get to the card, which features the wonderful Beautiful Bouquet stamp set (p. 92) and matching Bouquet Bunch framelits (p. 213).  You can purchase the stamps and framelits  as a bundle and save 10 %.  

I don't usually do this, but I loved this card in the catalog so much that I decided to re-create it.  You can see Stampin'Up!'s version of the card on page 93 of the annual catalog.  My card is not an exact copy, but it's close.  I left off the doily, added a Soft Sky card stock base, and added some of the new 3/8 " Classic Weave Ribbon in Soft Sky.  Oh, and I left off the Linen Thread that is tied around the bouquet and substituted the small stamped bow.  I used the new Polka Dot Basics embossing folder (p. 210) to add some texture to the background.  

The flowers were stamped in Calypso Coral, So Saffron, and Soft Sky.  The flower stems were cut from Pear Pizzazz card stock. As you can see, there is quite a bit of cutting with the Big Shot.  I stamped everything I was going to need first, then ran it through the Big Shot repeatedly until each piece was cut.  I slipped each of the cut pieces into a clear bag as they were cut.  That way I didn't lose any of the very small pieces.  

While this card has a summery look, I think the bouquet would look great done in fall colors too... maybe Fresh Fig, Crushed Curry, and Tangerine Tango for the flowers, with Garden Green for the stems.  As fall approaches, I'll try out some different color combinations.  

I hope you'll take some time in the week ahead just for you... time to be creative and play with stamps, colorful papers, inks, and accessories to create something beautiful... something from your heart.  Then send your work of art to someone who needs encouragement, someone who's going through a difficult time, or someone who is celebrating a happy event such as a birthday or anniversary.  Your creativity can make a difference in someone's life!  

Happy thoughts are coming your way!  I appreciate you!
Hugs to all,
Susan

Don't throw out those scraps!

Hello there, stampers!

Welcome to another sunny summer week!  I'm excited to say that we're having a slight cooling trend here in Woodland, with temps yesterday in the low 90's.  We were able to open up the house about 8 pm last night, which was a huge deal... so nice to turn off the a/c and let some cool air into the house before midnight!

This is going to be one of my longer posts, so grab a cool drink and get comfortable. 

Today I've got several cards to show you, all using the same color-blocking technique.  I'm not exactly sure of the correct term for this type of stamping.  If you want to try this easy technique, the first thing you'll need to do is stop throwing away the left-overs when you get a new wood-mount or clear-mount stamp set (the red rubber sets that you mount on wood blocks or clear blocks).  That red rubber is valuable stuff!  Whenever I get a new stamp set, I save the larger pieces of red rubber that are left over after I punch out the pre-cut stamps.  I trim them into all sorts of shapes... circles, rectangles, triangles, squares... then store them away for later use in cards like these.  The super-easy steps are:

ink up the selected shapes and stamp them, overlapping slightly or let the shapes stand alone... it's up to you.  Then ink up a solid-image stamp and stamp over the colored shapes in a dark ink, such as Basic Black, Basic Gray, or Early Espresso.

 

For this card I used Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach, and So Saffron ink.  I stamped the shapes, then stamped over them with the flowering branch from Flirty Flowers ( page 25 of the new annual catalog) in Basic Black Archival ink.  The sentiment is from Background Bits, one of the great Host-only sets on page 220 of the annual catalog.  I embossed the front of the card base with the very elegant Garden Trellis embossing folder, one of the new folders in the annual catalog on page 210.    

The ribbon on this card deserves a whole paragraph of its own!  This is the new 5/8 " Crinkled Seam Binding (p. 199 of the annual catalog).  It comes in only 4 colors right now (Berry Burst, Emerald Envy, Night of Navy, and Peekaboo Peach) but I'm hoping that Stampin'Up! will offer it in many more colors!  What do I love about this ribbon??? Basically everything!  It is soft and pliable.  It is lustrous and elegant-looking.  It ties like a dream.  The little crinkles make it look like raw silk.  And best of all, it is so lightweight that when it's tied, it doesn't create a bulky knot that makes mailing difficult. I used Peekaboo Peach on this card and the other colors will be on my very next order!

Here's another card using the same technique...

For this card, I used the same stamp, stamping it three times, each image slightly overlapping.  The colors are Sahara Sand and Crumb Cake.  I trimmed this piece of left-over rubber into a flag shape.  You'll notice that I cut this shape with a ragged, torn-edge look.  Ragged or smooth, it's up to you!  The bird and sentiment are from Best Birds, a carry-over set from last year's annual catalog, now making its home on page 99.  Some new Basic Black Solid Baker's Twine ( page 199) adds a touch of texture.  

OK... one more simple card to go...

First I stamped a simple wavy-edged rectangle in Pool Party, then stamped over it with the bee from Dragonfly Dreams (p. 138).  The sentiment also comes from the same set.  The card base is embossed with the Softly Falling embossing folder (p, 211) and I used both the Basic Black and Pool Party Solid Baker's Twine to tie around the top fold.

I've noticed that many demonstrators that are using this technique are now suggesting that you ink up a clear stamp block, but you usually get a blotchy image when using a stamp block.  If you want a more speckled look, by all means try using a clear block.  I much prefer using left-over red rubber because you get a more solid, even image, you can cut it to any size and shape you want, and you can make raggedy edges or smooth edges.  You just have a lot more options when using red rubber.

What are you up to in the week ahead?  Going on vacation?  Heading to the beach to escape the heat in Portland?  Staying at home and staying inside to keep cool?  Whatever you have planned, try to make a little time to try out this simple stamping technique.  It's easy and fun!

Happy stamping thoughts and virtual hugs coming your way,

Susan

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