A Little Monday Bird...

Hello Stampers!

Happy Monday and welcome back to The Classic Card!

Hope all of my readers enjoyed a great Father's Day weekend and the nice weather that came with it.  This was the first time we got out the grill and thanks to my son-in-law Eli, we enjoyed some perfectly cooked steaks!  The grandchildren had a grand old time playing in their sandbox in the back yard and watering my plants with their watering cans.  They entertained themselves for hours!

As I mentioned earlier, I'll be showing you projects that we'll be making at my technique class, called Put a Bird On It,  coming up next Saturday, June 22nd at 1 pm at my house.  I know June is a busy month and there are all sorts of activities competing for your time and attention, but  I'd love to have you sign up for my class, as it is the last technique class I'll be doing for a while.  My goal is to teach you ideas and techniques that will help you create cards that reflect your growing skills in card-making.  And isn't it always fun to try something new?

Today, I want to show you the folder that you'll make to hold your cards and envelopes.  You are going to love the simplicity of this little gem.  It takes just one sheet of 12 by 12 card stock or Designer Series Paper (DSP for short).  Just a couple of folds, a couple of cuts, and you have a cool way to package cards and envelopes for a perfect gift.  Check it out....

You can decorate the front of the folder in lots of different ways.  Probably the easiest thing you could do would be to cut some DSP and just adhere it to the front, then tie some coordinating ribbon around it.  To go along with the bird theme, I decided to stamp a collage-y design on some Very Vanilla card stock.  I used the set Betsy's Blossoms and the colors Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Soft Sky, and Chocolate Chip.  Once you've cut the ribbon and tied it around the folder in a knot, it can easily be slipped on and off to access the cards and envelopes.... no need to untie it.  Once you learn how easy it is to make this, you'll be making them for all sorts of occasions.  It is very easy to change the size, so you could make one for smaller notecards or larger cards as well.

I'm off to my exercise class.  I cannot sit here all day... I must get out the door and MOVE before my hands become permanently attached to my keyboard!  Thanks for stopping by today and thank you for reading my blog.  I appreciate each one of you more than you know.  May the week ahead be a good one for you!
Hugs,
Susan

Is it Art???

Hello stampers!
Happy Friday!
I hope you've got some relaxing and fun things planned for the weekend that is almost here!  The Seattle troops are arriving on Saturday so that we can celebrate Father's Day together.The weather man says it will be partly cloudy on Sunday and that's OK... just as long as it doesn't pour buckets like it did on Thursday, as we'll be trying to grill some steaks. Oh, and we'll be celebrating Mother's Day as well, since we weren't able to get together on May 12th.  If you haven't made some Father's Day cards for the men in your life, you better get busy... there's not a lot of time left!

Over the next several posts I'll be sharing the cards that you'll be making at my "Put a Bird On It" class, which is coming up on Saturday, June 22nd at 1 pm at my house.  As most of us know "put a bird on it" is a line from the show Portlandia. It was suggested that if you add a bird, the object automatically becomes "art."  I don't know if the card I have for you today is "art" or not, but it most definitely has a bird on it.  Check it out right here...

I was going for a very bright look with this card, so the colors I used are Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, and Pear Pizzazz.  I'm still missing the now discontinued Lucky Limeaid, but I know I must move on. The stamp sets I used are Papaya Collage (there's NO papaya in that set!) and the new Label Love set ( page 33 of the new catalog). I love that there's a punch that matches (Artisan Label Punch, page 181).  The fun thing about this card is that the bird is stamped in Jet Black Staz-On ink on an acetate window sheet (p. 156), which is then adhered over the stamped background. The flower is from the new set Flower Shop... a great new set with 6 great flower images in it.  And best of all... there's a new punch that will punch all the flowers called the Pansy Punch (page 183). The Honeycomb embossing folder (page 191) adds another touch of nature to the card.  Is it art?  I'm not sure, but it was a fun card to make!

I would love to have you attend my Put a Bird On It class.  It will be a fun afternoon and you'll go home with 4 great cards plus a pretty folder that will hold the cards and envelopes.... all for a mere $15 or free with a $40 purchase. If you have checked out stamping classes at local stamp stores or paper stores, you'll realize that $15 for 4 cards, envelopes, and a card holder is a steal of a deal.  On top of that, at my house you'll get some yummy snacks as well AND door prizes too, something those other places don't offer.

Have a fab Friday and a wonderful weekend!  Please come back on Monday when I'll have another birdy card for you!
Hugs,
Susan

Fun Stuff!

Hello there, stampin' enthusiasts!

Thanks for coming back to The Classic Card to see what I have in store for you today.  First of all, a big thank you to everyone who attended my first Sketch-of-the-Month class on Monday night.  I think everyone enjoyed the concept of following a sketch and seeing how completely different cards can look, even though they are based on the same sketch or layout.   I've got two more "Sketch-of-the-Month classes coming up... one on July 26th (a Friday night) and one on Tuesday, August 20th. Both classes are at 6:30 and if you are coming directly from work, you'll appreciate the light dinner I'm serving.   I hope you'll be able to join me for one or both.  I guarantee that you'll learn something new and have fun, all while making three great cards.  The cost is $10 or free with a $40 purchase.

The mailman brought me a wonderful surprise yesterday.... the new holiday catalog.  The title on the cover is "Your Guide to Holiday Happiness."  It looks more like a magazine than a catalog, and reads like one too.  The first seventeen pages are devoted to beautiful photos of all sorts of cards, wrapping, ornaments, and other goodies made with the new stamps, paper, and accessories.  Then, mid-catalog, the format shifts to what we're more accustomed to... stamp sets, paper, and accessories. This catalog will knock your socks off and I've heard nothing but raves about it so far from my fellow demonstrators.  You'll receive this catalog in the mail somewhere around mid to late July.  Ordering starts on August 1st.

Before I get to the card, I have to put in a little advertisement for my Put a Bird On It class that is coming up on Saturday, June 22nd at 1 pm. This is the 3rd and last technique class in my three part series.  Over the next few days I'll be giving you a peek of the cards you'll be making. The class includes 4 cards, each featuring a different technique plus envelopes and a pretty folder to store them in.  If you'd like to attend, please send a check for $15 to hold your spot.  I won't cash your check and if you make a $40 purchase the day of the class, I'll return your check to you.  I make a real effort to give you a lot of value for your money.  Four cards, envelopes, and a gift folder would cost at least twice as much at a local stamp or paper store.

OK... enough jabbering!  Let's get to the card...

Isn't this a fun card just brimming with fun stuff?  I received this card at a recent demonstrator event from the talented Janet Jones.  I'm so glad she's in my group... her cards are always so well-designed!  The colors she used are:  Baked Brown Sugar for the card base along with Calypso Coral and Crisp Cantaloupe.  That fun DSP is in the Epic Day This and That collection (page 154). She's used several punches... the Blossom Punch (p. 183), the two different sizes of butterfly punches (also on page 183) and the 1 1/4 inch Scallop Circle Punch (p. 182).  I love how she used the cool new Epic Day This and That Washi Tape (p. 155).  This tape is so easy to use.  You can cut it or tear it for a more distressed look and you can reposition it if you don't like the way it looks the first time.  The cute little flag with the sentiment is from the new hostess set Banner Greetings ( page 202).  Speaking of hostesses... I'd love it if you'd book a party with me and soon you could be stamping with this fun new set.  Best of all, it will take only 8 of your hostess dollars!

Well, stampers, I could ramble on all day, but I must get back to work.  I'm in the middle of making swaps for convention and I've got a LOT of stampin' to do!  Please come back on Friday for more stamping inspiration!

Hugs,
Susan

Fluttering By...

Hello stamping friends!

Well, here we are back at Monday again!  The days and weeks are just fluttering by... just like the butterflies on today's card.  We're making this tonight at my "Sketch-of-the-Month" class.  I thought it would be fun to try something new, and since I've been primarily doing technique classes, I thought I'd try some classes based on a sketch.  Tonight, June 10th is the first class.  The second one is on Friday July 26th and the last one is on Tuesday, August 20th.  All of the classes start at 6:30, with a light dinner.  At each class you'll make three cards based on the sketch I've picked for that month.  I hope you'll be able to join me for two or three of these classes as I think you'll see how easy it is to follow a sketch and how many different looks you can achieve, just by varying the stamps, ink, and paper.

Here's the card...

I found this very simple sketch in a stamping magazine and thought it would be perfect for our first class.
The colors are Island Indigo, Pool Party, and Whisper White.  The DSP is from the Quatrefancy collection.
The stamps are from the very popular Papillon Potpourri set and butterflies are punched with the Elegant Bufferfly Punch and the Bitty Butterfly punch.  The ribbon is the 3/8 inch taffeta in Whisper White. I embossed the Island Indigo panel with the Honeycomb folder, but wish I had used the new Modern Mosaic folder.  I think I'll switch the folders for the class, since the Modern Mosaic folder coordinates with the Quatrefancy DSP.

I'm busily working on my next class, Put a Bird on It, which is coming up on Saturday June 22nd at 1 o'clock at my house.  This technique class will feature 4 cards and envelopes, plus an easy card holder to store them in... all with a bird theme.  I hope you'll join me and add to your card-making expertise.

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope you'll all enjoy an easy and stress-free week!
Hugs to all,
Susan

A Rose for the Rose Festival

Hello stampers and thanks for stopping in this fine Friday!

Yippee... it's almost the weekend and that's a happy thing indeed!  The weather is good, school is almost out for the summer, and life is good.  Oh, and it's Rose Festival time as well.  The sunny weather we've been having has definitely made my roses happier.  Mr. Lincoln has a few lingering patches of "black spot," but my Princess Diana rose is looking wonderful.  If you are nuts about roses, I highly recommend getting a  Princess Diana rose--- a hybrid tea rose. It has gorgeous pink blooms with creamy yellow centers and the plant is fairly disease-resistant.  The leaves are dark and glossy but the fragrance is what I love most about this rose.  To me, it smells like fresh raspberries... yum!  So in honor of the Portland Rose Festival, here is my card for today

This is a stamp set I haven't used in a while, but every time I use it, I get excited about it all over again.  It's called Stippled Blossoms and it is on page 69 of the new catalog.  It is a two-step set, so it really helps to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect alignment of the stamps.  We'll be making this pretty card at Apryll's party on Saturday, so if you'd like to learn how to use a two-step stamp set with the Stamp-a-ma-jig, please drop me an email and I'll add your name to the list.

The colors I used for the rose are Pink Pirouette and Primrose Petals.  The leaves were stamped with Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive. Both the rose and the leaves are cut out by hand, which looks more difficult than it really is.  If you use a pair of the small and sharp Stampin'Up! Paper Snips ( page 177),  you can swoop around that rose and those leaves in no time!  The sentiment is from Bring on the Cake (page 14) and the ribbon is the beautiful Stitched Satin in Primrose Petals.

I hope that all of you will enjoy a relaxing weekend!  After all, that's what weekend are for!  You can do the laundry on a weeknight after work.  Get out there and enjoy yourself... go to a farmer's market, plant something, grill something for dinner, have fun!  Life is short so enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!  Oh, and please come back on Monday because I'll have another fun card to share with you.

Hugs,
Susan

Cool smooth Pistachio Pudding...

Happy Wednesday, stampers, and thanks for coming by for a bowl of cool, smooth Pistachio Pudding!

 No, I'm afraid I don't have a new recipe for you, but I do have some Pistachio Pudding to share with you today... in the form of a card.  As you know (or maybe you don't) Pistachio Pudding is one of the new In-colors that was just introduced in the brand new catalog.  And a lovely color it is!  In fact, it is quickly becoming my "go to" green when I'm debating about which green to use on a card.  It looks especially fresh and cool when combined with Whisper White.  Check out this sample and you'll see what I mean---

If you've been shopping lately, this color seems to be everywhere in stores... purses, blouses, sweaters... you name it!  The stamp set is one of the new hostess sets.  It's called Simply Sketched.  You can see the whole set on page 205 of the new catalog. It will only set you back ten hostess dollars, so you'd easily be able to get this great set free, just by hosting a stamping party.  The saying is also from the same set.  I colored the poppy with my Calypso Coral stamp pad and an aqua painter.... so easy and fun.  The Pistachio Pudding mat behind the circle was cut with one of the framelits in the Floral Frames Collection.  I embossed the top of the white panel with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, then embossed the bottom with scalloped folder in the Delicate Designs set (page 190). I love the white on white look with the White Taffeta ribbon on the Whisper White card stock.

I hope all of you are as thankful as I am for the sunshine and warm weather we're having.  Today was just glorious, wasn't it?  There's nothing more beautiful than Oregon when the sun is shining!  Enjoy each sunny moment that you can and let's just hope this great weather lasts through the weekend, because there are a TON of graduation parties scheduled.

Well, my friends, that's about all for today, except to say thank you again for reading my blog and please come back on Friday when I'll have another new card for you showing you more GREAT NEW STUFF... things you absolutely cannot live without!  Have a fabulous Wednesday!
Hugs,
Susan

I'm in Love (with the new In-colors)!

Hello Stampin' Sisters!  Welcome back to The Classic Card!

I'm happy you've joined me this fine Monday morning!  I'm excited about the good weather in our forecast this week.  It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.... and my Mr. Rodgers will be busy assembling a new outdoor dining set. I can't wait to sit outside and have dinner with the bullfrogs serenading us with their moo-ing mating calls.  I used to find their incessant moo-ing  (I'm not kidding.. they sound like cows!) annoying, but I've grown somewhat accustomed to it and we have the bullfrogs to thank for the lack of mosquitoes.  Without them in the pond, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to sit outside without being eaten alive.

I've got a pretty card for you today that I'm making in quantity for one of my convention swaps.  Everywhere you go at convention, people ask if you have cards to swap.  Actually, the swapping usually starts at the airport... the Portland airport... before you even set foot in Salt Lake City.  There's also swapping going on in the plane as well as people madly trying to finish their swaps before landing.  I'm getting started now, in hopes of finishing up well before July 17th, when I'll be taking off for the convention.  Well, enough chatter.  Let me show you the card... made with three of the new In-colors:  Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Pistachio Pudding.

The stamp set I used is called Morning Meadow... it is one of the new hostess sets.  You can see this pretty set on page 203 of the new catalog.  It can be yours for only 10 hostess dollars, so why not book a party and soon you'll be stamping with this set that you earned for free!  As I mentioned above, the colors are Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe and Pistachio Pudding.  I just love these three new colors together!
The fun saying "I'm so grateful there's you in the world" is from the fabulous new Chalk Talk set (page 12 of the new catalog).  I stamped it in Baked Brown Sugar, then punched it out with the Wide Oval Punch and adhered it to a mat of Pistachio Pudding, punched out with the new Artisan Label punch (page 181 of the new catalog).  The flower embellishment in the upper left is just two of the flowers cut out and stacked on top of each other.  The center was stamped in Baked Brown Sugar and then punched out with the 1/2 inch circle punch (page 183 of the new catalog).  The happy news is that there's a new punch---the Pansy Punch--- that goes with this set and also with the fabulous "Flower Shop" set on page 94. My Pansy Punch was just ordered on Friday so I don't have it yet.  I cut these flowers out by hand, but I'll be happy to have that punch when I begin the work of creating about 50 of these cards.

Thank you to all who attended my events this weekend!  I appreciate your friendship and your orders so very much!  May your Monday just clip along smoothly, and may it be the start of an easy week that slides effortlessly into Friday!  Enjoy the sunshine that the weatherman has promised!  Please come back and visit again on Wednesday!
Hugs,
Susan