Fall for a Guy

Hi there stamping friends!

Whoa!  How did it get to be Monday already??  Those weekends just speed by even faster than the weekdays, don't they?  Whatever you did over the weekend, I hope you had just a bit of time to stamp.  That always seems to make my weekends better and I hope it's the same for you!

Did the title of this blog post make you wonder what I meant?  Do you think I'm suggesting that you fall in love with some guy?  No, that's not it at all!  What I meant was that I have a fall card that is just perfect for sending to a guy.

So let's get right to the card...

Here;s what makes this card masculine, at least in my mind:

There are no pastel colors.
There are no flowers.
There are no bows, pearls, or rhinestones.
The background texture is woodgrain... very textural in a manly way.
The colors are autumnal... warm without being girly.
The images are from nature (leaves).
The trim is a burlap-y texture.
The layout is clean and simple... not a lot of fussy layers and shapes.
The sentiment is not "sweet."

So I think this card would be just about perfect for any age guy who has a fall birthday, don't you?

The leaves are from the For All Things stamp set on page 41 of the Holiday Catalog.  The great sentiment is from the Fabulous Four stamp set on page 13 of the big catalog.  The ribbon is called Natural 5/8 inch Chevron Ribbon and can be found on page 207 of the big catalog.   The colors I used are Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Early Espresso.

Hope the week ahead will be smooth sailing for you!  Please come back on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration.
Susan

30 Days of Gratitude

Hi there stamping buds!

I hope your week has gone well and that you are happy to have arrived at Friday.  Today my focus is on gratitude and its role in living a happier, more fulfilling life.  Here's a great quote to jump-start your thoughts... "Happiness isn't about getting what you want all the time.  It's about loving what you have and being grateful for it."  Here's another one... "Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance."

If you "google" 30 days of gratitude, you'll be directed to several sites that deal with all the positives generated by gratitude.  Stampin'Up! even has a "Gratitude for Days" Simply Created Kit that you can put together and display on a wall or bulletin board.  Check it out on page 38 of the Holiday Catalog.  Several people I know keep a gratitude journal and write in it every day.  Still others do a "30 days of gratitude" challenge once a year during the month of November, when they record their blessings in a journal that they carry with them.

Here's a small journal I created that will help you reinforce the habit of being grateful...

This little journal measures 4 1/4 by 5... just about the size of a standard card.  It is the perfect size to slip into your purse.  I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso ink on Crumb Cake card stock,  Check the Holiday Catalog on page 42 for this pretty script-y stamp.  I stamped the center pumpkin in Tangelo Twist, colored the stem with Old Olive, and then stamped.  I then masked off the center pumpkin with a post-it-note mask and then stamped the pumpkin on either side. The journal is held together with staples at the center fold.  Some of the new two-tone thick twine finishes it off nicely.

If you'd like to make a journal like this, please let me know.  It wasn't at all difficult and I'd be happy to show you and your friends how easy it is.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I'm very grateful for each one of you, my dear readers and customers!
May the weekend ahead be wonderful in every way!

Gratefully.
Susan

Stuffed with Happiness

Hi there, stampers!

The days of September are rapidly rolling by and soon it will be time for the Holidays, which officially (in my mind at least) start with Thanksgiving.  And as soon as the turkey has cooled, the Christmas season is upon us.  So we really need to start thinking seriously about our holiday preparations.

Because most of our friends and family are far away, I love to send a card at Thanksgiving just to let them know they are in our thoughts.  When you send a card, it reinforces the connection you have and brings to mind past holiday celebrations that you enjoyed together.  Today's card is perfect for sending the week before Thanksgiving and it won't take long to make.

I received a card with a similar layout at the Unite and Excite event that I attended a couple of weeks ago.  Unfortunately, there was no name on the back of the card.  I changed the colors and the saying and added two extra pumpkins, so it turned out to be substantially different.    I used the "blob" stamp that's part of the For All Things stamp set and stamped it in So Saffron.  Then I overstamped the sentiment (from Mingle All the Way) in Early Espresso.  The leaves were stamped in Soft Suede and the pumpkins were stamped in Tangelo Twist. Some fun washi tape (page 190 of the big catalog) adds a horizontal element to the card and provides a landing spot for the pumpkins so they don't look like they're lost in space.  The pumpkins are from the Fall Fest stamp set on page 46 of the Holiday Catalog and I cut them out with the matching Fun Fall Framelits.

I'm thinking that you probably know one or two people who'd love to get a card like this from you, so why not add to their Thanksgiving enjoyment?

Thank you for visiting with me today!
Hugs and Happiness,
Susan

Cute, not scary!

Hey there, stampers!
How's your Monday so far?   The forecast calls for a few clouds today, but no rain, so I can live with that.  Can you believe it's late September and we're still having awesome weather?  I think we're going to pay later for all of the sunshine we've enjoyed this month.

In looking back over the last couple of weeks of blog posts, I've noticed that I've showed quite a few Christmas cards, hoping to motivate you to get started.  I've also shown several Thanksgiving cards, which are always nice to send to friends and relatives that you won't be seeing on Thanksgiving.  But I've totally neglected Halloween.  So I'm going to remedy that situation today.  Are you a fan of Halloween?  Most of my customers either really love or really hate Halloween.  It doesn't seem like there's any middle ground.  So I'll volunteer to be the voice of moderation when it comes to Halloween.  For those of you who are Halloween Haters, here are some good things about Halloween:
*It is fun for the kiddos.  They get to dress up in cool costumes and visit friends and neighbors and GET CANDY!  It's all about the candy!
*You have an excuse to go out and buy your favorite candy bars.  Who cares if there are none left by October 31st?  You can have your husband run to the store and buy more, but this time get something you don't like.
*Pumpkins look beautiful by your front door.  You don't even need to carve them.'
*It's fun to answer the door and see the neighbor kids in their costumes
*It's an American tradition.
*Think back to when you were a kid... don't you have some fun memories of Halloween?

Halloween, like most things in life, is what you make it.  You don't have to go in for the blood and gore and scary stuff.  Keep it fun, keep it cute, and concentrate on the happy aspects. OK, now it's time for the card

The cute pumpkins are found in the Fall Fest set on page 46 of the Holiday Catalog.  I stamped them in Tangelo Twist and cut them out with the Fun Fall Framelits.   The DSP is from the Motley Monsters collection on page 45 of the Holiday Catalog.  I added some of the new Tangerine Tango Two-Tone trim, also on page 45.  The sentiment is from the stamp set, Mingle all the Way on page 17 of the Holiday Catalog.  This card came together quickly with the help of the Oval Framelit Collection.  I'll be making several variations of this cute card to send to my grandchildren.... nothing scary, just cute!

Hope your week is off to a great start and that you'll come back on Wednesday for another classic card!
Stamp something pretty today!
Susan

Clean and Classic Friday

Hey there stampers!

I'm happy that Friday is here... how about you?  I've had a busy and productive week and I hope you feel that you've accomplished a lot as well.  I'm excited that I have two stamping events this weekend... Connie's party on Saturday afternoon and Fall-de-rol on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm.  I've got some open spaces for Sunday's event and if you'd like to attend, just send me a quick reply to sjrstamps@gmail.com
We'll be making some pretty fall cards and there's no charge!

OK, people, it's time to get to the card for today, one that I describe as clean and classic.  Even the colors are classic Christmas... Mossy Meadow and Cherry Cobbler.  

I don't think I'll ever get tired of using this great Ornamental Pine stamp set.  When I first saw Mossy Meadow, one of the new In-colors for 2014-2016, I knew it would be gorgeous with Cherry Cobbler and it truly is!  
Here's a peek at the inside...

If you are looking for ideas for a beautiful but easy Christmas card, this might be just what you've been searching for.  Oh, and by the way, this is one of the cards that you'll make if you attend my World Card-Making Day celebration on Saturday, October 4th at 11 am at my house.  There are just a couple of spots open, so let me know right away if you'd like to attend.

I'm hoping that the weekend ahead will bring you time for relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family, and that you'll also make a little time for creativity and stamping.  The weekend is always better if you make something pretty!
Hugs and happiness!
Susan

Better Late than Never...

Hello Stampers and a happy Wednesday to all!

Sorry I'm posting late today, but I've been working overtime to get everything ready for several upcoming parties, classes, a downline meeting, the open house at Curves in Sherwood on Friday, plus finishing my swaps for the Washington DC trip next week... whew!  There's still a lot to do, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I've got an interesting card for you today.  I first saw this "Asian Screen" idea when I received a similar card at a special swap during convention this past July.  Now I'm seeing them everywhere on the internet, so I have no idea who to give credit to for this great idea.  Check it out and I think you'll agree that this no ordinary card.

I used the stamp set Ornamental Pine on page 27 of the holiday catalog. The base of the card is the gorgeous new Mossy Meadow.  The pine branches are stamped in Mossy Meadow as well and the ornament and sentiments are stamped in Cherry Cobbler.  Here are the measurements in case you'd like to create one of these beauties.

First, start with a half piece of  card stock ( 5 1/2 by 8 1/2)
Lay it on your scoring board horizontally and score at 2 7/8 and 5 3/4.
Using the Decorative Label Punch, punch the bottom of each panel to create the legs of the screen.
The Very Vanilla panels that I stamped on measure 2 1/2 by 4 1/2.
That's all there is to it... pretty simple but what a "wow" card!

There are many other stamp sets that lend themselves to a card like this, especially Flowering Flourishes on page 118 of the annual catalog.  But really, almost any flowery set would look great.
Accent the screen with some stamped and punched butterflies and maybe add some pearls and you've got an amazing card!

I hope you have a few minutes in your day to try out a card like this.
Please come back on Friday for more stamping inspiration!
Susan

New Box Maker= Love!

Hi there stampers!

Looks like our summer weather will be continuing for a few more days!  I'm almost accustomed to waking up to sunshine each day after all the sunny days we've been enjoying.   I think it's going to be quite a shock when the weather takes a turn towards fall and the rains start.  I hate the thought of getting out long pants and closed shoes... I much prefer the capris and sandals route.

Over a month ago I purchased the new Gift Box Punch Board (page 5 of the Holiday Catalog) but I hadn't taken the time to play with it until recently.  After all, since we are enjoying a seemingly endless summer, I haven't been thinking too much about the upcoming holidays.  Well, a couple of days ago I attended a Stampin'Up! event at the Monarch Hotel and saw a demonstration of this amazing tool and when I got home, I jumped right in and started making the coolest boxes ever!

Here's a picture of the stack of boxes I made in under 15 minutes...

The Gift Box Punch Board makes 28 different sizes of boxes, so it is a very versatile tool that I'll be using again and again.  And how fun would it be to make a tower of treats like this for friends, neighbors, and co-workers at Christmas, filled with cookies, candy, caramel corn, or other yummy treats?  It would make quite an impressive gift!
The paper I used is also shown on page 5 of the Holiday Catalog.  It is called Under the Tree specialty designer series paper.  This is heavier weight 12 by 12 inch paper, perfect for making boxes. I tied the stack together with the new Cherry Cobbler Sheer Linen ribbon (page 7 of the Holiday Catalog) and added a quick tag stamped with Cherry Cobbler ink on Crumb Cake card stock with the Seasonally Scattered stamp set on page 43 of the Holiday Catalog.

I hope your week is off to a great start!  I've got more to share with you on Wednesday, so please come back and see what I have for you then.
Hugs and Happiness,
Susan

Welcome Fall

Hello there, stampers!
Are you glad that Friday's here?  I'm always happy to see the weekend arrive, even though I'm retired.  I guess after working for many years, it is difficult to realize that every day can be like a weekend day when you're retired.

As I gaze out my window I see blue sky and sunshine and the wind moving through the big birch trees outside my stamp room window... a beautiful fall day, even though technically it's not fall yet.  It seems like fall is the favorite season of many people and why shouldn't it be?  Sunshine, blue skies, breezes, and gorgeous leaves drifting down do make it a beautiful time of year.  Of course we Northwesterners know that sometimes those fall days are more gray and rainy than blue and sunny.  Oh well!

Here's a pretty fall card for you!  If you attend my Fall-de-Rol, (a FREE event) on Sunday September 21st, you'll get to make this...

To create the background, I stamped the Hardwood background stamp in Early Espresso on Soft Suede card stock.  The wreath (Wondrous Wreath, page 9 of the Holiday Catalog) was stamped in  Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, and Early Espresso on Very Vanilla card stock, then cut out with the matching framelits.  The sentiment is from the stamp set For All Things (page 41 of the Holiday Catalog).  I used three lengths of Linen Thread, tied them into a bow and adhered the bow to the top of the wreath with a glue dot. The wreath is popped up with dimensionals. Don't you have a friend or two who'd love to receive a card like this to celebrate autumn's arrival on September 23rd?

Hope the weekend ahead will be full of relaxation and fun!
Hugs and happiness!
Susan

Fall color, coming right up!

Hey there, stamping friends!  Happy Wednesday!

Every day I find a few more red leaves on the lawn under our gigantic red maples.  The onslaught hasn't started, thankfully.  They're just ever so slowly starting to turn the most gorgeous shade of red and then sifting down through the branches... just a few.  But I know what those trees have in store for us... a virtual blizzard of leaves.  Thank heavens they're beautiful, which makes the endless raking somewhat more bearable.

Speaking of fall color, I've got a little of that for you today, in the form of a card.  This is one of the cards we'll be making at my Fall-de-Rol event on Sunday, September 21st at 1:30 at my house.  This is a free event. You'll get to make 2 cards in the rich tones of fall and there's a third bonus card you can make if your purchase is $35 or more.  I'm going to have some special autumn-y treats for you as well.

Here's the card...

I've just made one little change to the card ... we'll be using the Fun Fall Framelit Dies to cut some tiny fall leaves to replace the butterflies on this card.  I hadn't received them yet when I made this, but  trust me, the card looks wonderful with the tiny leaves!

The colors I used are Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, and Cajun Craze.  The stamp set is called Seasonally Scattered and can be found on page 43 of the Holiday Catalog.  To achieve the variations in color, I first inked the stamp with Crushed Curry.  Then using sponge daubers, I randomly added the Cajun Craze and Mossy Meadow ink right over the Crushed Curry, then stamped on Very Vanilla card stock and used the largest framelit in the Apothecary Accents collection to cut it out. I used one of my favorite embossing folders, the Fancy Fan, to add some texture and interest to the Mossy Meadow panel.  Don't you sometimes wonder how we ever made cards without the Big Shot?
I used a strip of Cajun Craze card stock underneath the Hello Honey stitched satin ribbon to give it a bit more oomph.  If you can mentally subtract that Cajun Craze strip, you'll see how little, lonesome, and lost that skinny piece of ribbon looked before I beefed it up.

Well, my friends, that about wraps up today's post.  Hope your week has gone smoothly so far.  If it has been a stinker, you can console yourself with the fact that after today you are "over the hump" and gliding toward the weekend.  Don't forget to come back on Friday for more stamping fun!
Hugs and Happiness,
Susan

The weekend whirl....

Hi there stampers and happy Monday!

Wow.... what a fun weekend it was!  I held two Holiday Catalog Kick-Off events, one on Saturday and another session on Sunday, so our house was full of the sounds of happy stampers both days.  It was great to see so many of my fun customers and everyone had a good time stamping, snacking, chatting, and stamping some more.  Thanks to all who attended and thanks for the wonderful orders as well! I have the nicest customers!

With all of these great warm and sunny days we're having, I feel like I should be showing you flowery cards in Pool Party and Strawberry Slush... you know, summery colors.  But since the new Holiday catalog came out on August 28th, I really feel obligated to show you some cards that showcase what's in the Holiday catalog.... fall cards, Halloween cards, Thanksgiving cards, and Christmas cards.  So if the cards I'm showing don't quite match the weather, no worries.  I'm sure our Northwest autumn will soon arrive with rain, some gray skies, and cool temperatures.  It's only a matter of time.

Here's a card I've been working on lately.  Actually, I'm in the process of making 30 of them to take to a demonstrator event this coming Tuesday.  I'll swap them with other demonstrators and come back with lots more cards for your inspiration and entertainment.  Since this is a swap card, I've deliberately kept it clean and simple, but I think it still captures the essence of fall...

The stamp set is called "For All Things" and can be found on page 41 of the Holiday catalog.  The images in this set are texture-y and as a result, they stamp with a kind of mottled appearance, with some of the areas lighter than others.  At first I didn't care for the look, but then I took a look at some leaves that fell from our monstrous red maples (yes, they've started dropping already!) and realized that leaves are very mottled... not one uniform color... duh!  I used Crushed Curry, Baked Brown Sugar, and Cajun Craze ink for the leaves and acorns.  I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso.  I stamped over the images with the splatter-dots from Gorgeous Grunge.  For this I used Crumb Cake, so the splatters would be very subtle.  The Cajun Craze layer is embossed with the Woodgrain embossing folder.  I added some of the new cotton ribbon in Early Espresso for the finishing touch.  I love that ribbon!  It is soft and easy to tie.  I know you've heard me say this before, but this card looks so much better in person.

Well, I think I've rambled on enough for now.  I've got to finish assembling these cards and get them ready for swapping.  Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog.  I appreciate each one of you who stops in for a little visit with me on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Hope your day and week is off to a great start!
Susan

A Complete CASE...

Happy Friday, stampin' peeps!

I'm excited that the weekend is almost here, because my Holiday Catalog Kick-off is both Saturday and Sunday.  There'll be lots of stamping, chatting, snacking, and laughing going on both days.  Oh, and the weekend weather is supposed to be great as well... gotta love that!

If you've been stamping very long, I'm sure you know that CASEing someone else's card is considered an A-OK thing to do.  CASE stands for Copy And Share Everything.  Today I have a card that is 98% cased from Dawn Olchefske's blog,  www.dostamping.typepad.com  When I saw this card, I just had to re-create it!  The only thing I added was the ribbon.  Oh, and I changed the green from Garden Green to Mossy Meadow.  I took away the gold metallic baker's twine and substituted Mossy Meadow stitched satin ribbon. I love the way this turned out and I hope you do too!  Guess it's time to show you the card now...

I guess I should mention that I used Baked Brown sugar for the pinecone... it's just the right golden brown!
This would be the perfect card to create in quantity because it is simple to stamp and because it is flat... no knots or bows, or anything bumpy in sight. Check out this great set on page 27 of your Holiday catalog.  You can change out the pinecone for a gorgeous ornament to hang from the branch with a little hook.

I've got to run now!  I'm busy setting up the house today for the big Kick-Off tomorrow!  Looking forward to seeing many of you this weekend!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to come back on Monday for more stamping ideas!
Susan

Farewell to summer, almost....

Hello there stamping friends!
Welcome back to The Classic Card!
Thanks for letting me off the hook on Monday.  As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't really taking the day off, because Monday was my day to plan classes and write the September newsletter.
I'm hoping that all of you enjoyed a relaxing long Labor Day weekend and that you are rested and recharged for the week ahead.  I have to admit that I'm having trouble, as I always do, in bidding summer a fond farewell.  I'm just a summer kind of girl, and although I think fall is a beautiful season in the northwest, I'm not quite ready for summer to end.  We're still eating watermelon, sitting outside every chance we get, and just trying to enjoy the last couple of weeks of summer before the fall equinox on September 23rd.  After croaking incessantly since late May, the bullfrogs in our pond have, as of about 2 weeks ago, quit their obnoxious mating calls.  The quiet in our back yard is wonderful and the yellowjackets have subsided a bit as well, so we were actually able to eat dinner outside last night... yay!

I know it might seem a bit crazy to you, but I've been working on Christmas cards since the new Holiday catalog went live last Thursday.  Believe it or not, many people start their Christmas cards in the summer.  They make the rest of us look like slackers, as we hurriedly assemble our cards at the end of November.
But I'm here to tell you, it can be different this year!  I'm going to get you started early and then you can join the ranks of the smug stampers who mail their cards the day after Thanksgiving.

Here's the second card we'll be making at my Holiday Catalog Kick-Off on Saturday, Sept. 6th at 10 am (this session is now filled) and Sunday the 7th at 1:30.  I still have 4 spots open for the Sunday event, so RSVP quickly if you'd like to join us for a fun afternoon.  This event is free!

OK, I guess it is time for the card...

I used the Wondrous Wreath stamp set from the Holiday catalog.  The colors are Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White.  The sentiment if from a new set called Good Greetings that is not in the catalog.  You can get this awesome set of 19 sayings FREE when you host a party of $300 or more.
To make a card that folds off center like this, cut a piece of card stock in half the long way at 4 1/4 inches.
Lay the card stock horizontally on your scoring board and score across at 2 1/8 and again at 7 1/2.

That's all for today, stampers, but don't forget to come back on Friday for more stamping ideas.  Hope your Wednesday goes by smoothly!
Susan