Hurray for the Red, White, and Blue!

Hello stampers and Happy Presidents' Day!

In order to observe today in patriotic style, I thought I'd show you a card in red, white, and blue.  This classic color combination isn't just for Presidents' Day or the Fourth of July.  It's a great combination anytime you want a clean, crisp, and classic look.  Of course, it's a great color scheme for masculine cards as well, and that's what I'm showing you today... a nice masculine birthday card appropriate for all ages.  Check it out and I think you'll see what I'm talking about...

I've used Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse, Whisper White, and Crumb Cake for a neutral that plays nicely with the other colors.  Isn't this just the cutest little banner ever?  The best thing is that you can have the stamps and matching punch for FREE during Sale-a-bration.  Check on page 13 of your Sale-a-bration brochure to see this cute stamp set and matching punch.  You'll get one free item for every $50 you purchase from now until March 31st.

I textured the upper part of the Crumb Cake panel with the Woodgrain embossing folder, but left the bottom part of the panel plain so I could stamp the sentiment there.  The sentiment is from Remembering Your Birthday (page 16 of the annual catalog).  I love this set because there are paired sayings, one for the front of the card and one for the inside.  This makes me happy, as I often have the worst time thinking of something clever to write on the inside of a card.  Does that happen to you too?  I can usually put a pretty good-looking card together fairly quickly, but sometimes I just sit there feeling like "Duh!  What should I write?"  I hope I'm not the only one who is struck with writer's block when it comes to the blank expanse that faces me when I open a card to write something.

I used a panel of Midnight Muse under the little banners, as they did not "pop" the way I wanted them to when placed on the Crumb Cake panel.  I wrapped some Linen Thread around the Midnight Muse panel before gluing it down.  The banners are adhered with dimensionals.... so easy, quick, and fun!  You could make a card like this in under 10 minutes, and sometimes that's all we have.  Why not make a stack of cards like this and then you'll be prepared when a birthday pops up and you suddenly need a card?

Thanks for stopping by today.  It's a busy day around here, as our Seattle daughter and family are visiting us.  I'm going to go and put on my Oma apron and cook up a big turkey dinner today...right after I feed everyone breakfast!

Have a great day and please come back on Wednesday!
Susan

Life is Happening...

Hello Stampin' Peeps and just let me say a big Woo Hoo for Friday and for Valentine's Day!

Hope you will get a sweet surprise or two today!  And if not, then give yourself a little treat!  Some chocolate would be nice!  Treat yourself to a flower or two!  Meet a friend for happy hour... any little change in routine will help you celebrate this day of love.  And it doesn't have to be romantic love.  I like to send Valentines to friends, co-workers, grown children, grandchildren... you get the idea.  Is there anything this old world needs more than love?  If there is, I can't think of it!

While we are busy thinking of Valentine's Day, thinking about Friday, thinking about the weekend coming up... Life is happening.  People we know and love are sick and in need of a cheering card.  It is someone's birthday, someone got a job promotion, someone got laid off, someone else got engaged, someone's having a baby. It is hard keeping up with life.  It happens so fast and if we aren't on top of things, our good intentions of being a caring and thoughtful friend can end up as just that... good intentions.

Stampin'Up! has a solution for all of us that are having trouble keeping up with the speed of life.  They're called Simply Created Card Kits.  The card I'm going to show you today was made with the Happenings Simply Created Card Kit on page 31 of the Occasions catalog (the one that says Celebrate the Everyday on the front).  This fun kit is only 14.95 and includes the makings for 15 cards, including silver Baker's Twine, silver buttons, die cut accents, silver glitter banners, and more.  Those who attended the Leadership Conference in Houston received this fun kit at our make-and-take night.  In fact, the card I'm showing you was made that night.  I love how quick and easy it was to put together and you will too.

Are you a fan of Smoky Slate like I am?  This color is really popular right now in home decorating and in clothing.  It is a cool, soothing color and goes so well with any shade of pink, like the Strawberry Slush shown here.  Check out the contents of the kit for yourself on page 31 of the Occasions catalog and see if this great card kit might help you keep up with the speed of life. The sentiment is from Thanks and Hello (page 37 of the annual catalog).  It is stamped in Strawberry Slush on one of the little die-cut banners that comes in the kit.

OK stampers, I'm off to get ready for Connie's stamping party tomorrow.  Have a great Valentine's Day, a nice relaxing long President's Day weekend, and I'll hope to see you back here on Monday for another classic card!
Happy weekending, everyone!
Susan

Wonderfully Imperfect

Good Morning Stampers!
Welcome to Wednesday at The Classic Card!

The snow we had was a great excuse to put life on "pause" and relax for a few days, wasn't it?   I enjoyed a break from the usual go-go-go and I hope you did too.  I even read a couple of books and did more cooking than I really cared to do.  Since we tend to go out for dinner a couple of times a week, I had forgotten what a chore cooking every night can be.  I know--- I'm spoiled!  Actually I was very grateful that we had plenty of food in the house and that our power didn't go out.  That was a huge blessing.  But now that the snow is gone, I'm "back in the saddle again,"  working on several classes for your stamping edification and enjoyment. No complaints here... it's what I love to do.  I spent the whole afternoon yesterday in the stamp room, dreaming up projects for my latest series of classes-- Tools of the Trade.  The first class will be on Sunday, Feb. 23rd at 1:30 at my house and the focus will be on the Simply Scored Scoring Tool (page 178 of the annual catalog).  I know that many of my customers purchased this, but I'm pretty sure that many are using it for scoring card stock down the center to create a nice fold for a card.  There are so many great projects you can make with this great tool and I'll be showing 3 of them at the class.

Today's card was one that I had planned to do at the watercolor class on March 1st, but I've changed my mind and we'll be doing a different technique instead.  I still love this card and I especially love the sentiment, so thought I'd share it with you today.  Take a look...

I started with a piece of Watercolor paper (page 156 of the annual catalog).  Using an aqua-painter I washed some Soft Sky ink onto the paper with plenty of water.  Then toward the bottom of the paper, I painted on some Soft Suede ink to ground the tree, from the Look Up to Father single stamp on page 37 of the Occasions catalog.  Before adhering the stamp to the wood block, I very carefully cut off the sentiment.  I can use the sentiment on a clear block if I want.  I stamped the tree image on top of my color-washed panel with Staz-On Jet Black ink, then colored it with Always Artichoke ink and my aqua-painter. I used Soft Suede ink for the tree trunk and branches.
The sentiment "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful" is such a great thought.  And you know what... cards don't have to be perfect to be wonderful either!  And that's a very good thing because most of my cards aren't perfect.  I'll be working along and everything will be great and then suddenly it all goes south because I've stamped something crooked.  I'm willing to bet that you've experienced the same thing more than once. When things go wrong, this is a great thought to keep in mind.  I'm very grateful for my wonderful, but not perfect, life! That sentiment can be found in the new Perfect Pennants Stamp set on page 27 of the Occasions catalog.
I thought the focal panel needed a little something to set it apart from the Soft Sky background, so I cut a mat from Early Espresso and tore the bottom of it for a rough-textured look.  I wrapped the panel with some linen thread, which adds more texture.  I ran the Soft Sky panel through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder, then sponged the edges with Early Espresso.  After that, I decided enough was enough and declared this card finally finished.   This would make a great card for a man for almost any occasion.  And of course, with the sentiment that comes with the tree, it would be just perfect for Father's Day.        

That wraps it up for today, stampers!  Thanks for coming by for a visit and be sure to come back on Friday when I'll have another card for you!  May the rest of your week coast along smoothly to Friday and the long President's Day weekend!
Susan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Dreaming of Spring...

Hello Stampers!
Welcome to Day 5 of Snowlandia and thanks for checking in with me this snowy morning!

Oh, I can remember those days so well!  Days when I would pray for snow so the school district would call a snow day and I wouldn't have to get up early to go to work.  It was so refreshing to have a day at home so I could sleep in, stay in my jammies half the morning, and drink hot chocolate while gazing out at the softly falling snow.  Those days didn't come often enough for me! They were such a great break in routine back then.  Now that I'm retired, I can sleep in and stay in my jammies half the morning every day if I want to!  But of course I still love the snow and I'm so happy we had this storm.  That being said, I think we've all had enough, don't you?  We bravely ventured out yesterday afternoon and saw the ugly side of snow... dirty snow piled up along roadsides, dirty slushy snow in parking lots, and more dirty snow everywhere we looked.  Our neighborhood still looks pretty though.  Our front yard is still pristine white snow and that makes me happy!  And I'll be happy too when it finally melts!

So if you're like me and are feeling ready to move forward past this snowstorm and onward into spring, this card is for you...

When I look at this card, I'm reminded of  blue skies with fluffy white clouds, daffodils nodding in the breeze,  sunshine warming the earth, and crisp white sheets flapping on the clothesline in the fresh spring air. Sounds good about now, doesn't it?

The colors I used are So Saffron (Stampin'Up!'s lightest yellow), Pear Pizzazz, and Soft Sky.  I'm sorry that it is difficult to see the stamped panels in this photo, but I used the stamp set called Backyard Basics (page 79 of the annual catalog and created a collage-y background using the tulip image stamped in Pear Pizzazz, the bird's egg image stamped in Soft Sky, and the butterfly image stamped in So Saffron.  Then I cut the panel into three equal pieces and ran them through the Big Shot with the new Decorative Dots embossing folder, which is one of the free Sale-a-bration items you can get with a $50 purchase.
I stamped the butterfly again in So Saffron on a scrap of So Saffron card stock, then cut it out with the matching Backyard Basics framelits.  I added some Soft Sky seam binding and then popped the butterfly up on a couple of ovals in Soft Sky and Pear Pizzazz.  Some tiny pearls add a bit of definition to the butterfly.  If you or a friend need to be reminded that spring will arrive, maybe it's time to pull out your sunniest colors and create a card that says "spring is coming!"  There's nothing like yellow to cheer a winter-weary spirit!

Have a great Monday everyone!  May the week ahead go smoothly!
Hugs,
Susan

Simple Stems and Good Thoughts

Happy Friday, Stampers!

Brrrrr!  Hope you are all as snug as little bugs in a rug this snowy morning.  Hopefully everyone can stay home today and stay off the roads, as it looks like a nightmare out there!  I hope you'll join me in spirit as we clink our cups of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate together in a toast to Old Man Winter!

Just a quick reminder that Valentine's Day will soon be here... one of the biggest days of the year for sending cards, so if you haven't stamped your Valentines yet, now is the time, especially if they need to be mailed.  I'm going to get out my Real Red card stock and some fun Valentine stamps and go into creative mode today so that my grandchildren will each get a hand-stamped card from their Oma for Valentine's day.  Who would love to get a hand-stamped card from you??

"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give."  Eleanor Roosevelt

Of course one of the best ways of giving joy to others is to let them know we care, that we are thinking of them and upholding them with positive affirmations and good thoughts.  The card I have to show you today is perfect for those times when a friend is in need of support.

Obviously, this is a card you'd send to a woman... all that pink would just not sit well with a guy, not to mention the flowery images.  I was going for a very pastel look with this card and the Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride, and Summer Starfruit ink helped me achieve it.   I love how the Scallop Tag Topper Punch
(page 35 of the Occasions catalog) makes the perfect landing spot for a sentiment (this one is from the new stamp set called Perfect Pennants on page 27 of the Occasions catalog).  The pretty flowers are from the new stamp set called Simple Stems ( page 33 of the Occasions catalog).  I stamped the flowers in Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride, and Summer Starfruit ink, then cut 4 of them out and popped them up on Dimensionals.  Some pearls, Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon, and some white Baker's Twine add more dimension to the card.

I'm sure there's someone in your circle of friends who'd love to hear that you are thinking of them, cheering for them, and sending good thoughts their way.  These days, getting "real" mail is a huge treat, isn't it?  I'm always so happy to get a piece of mail with my name handwritten on the envelope.  Letters and cards are more precious than ever because they're so rare.  Make someone's day a little brighter with a few minutes of your time and a few cents for a postage stamp.

Have a great Friday and may your weekend include a little time just for you, when you can get away from everyday chores and spend some time being creative.Take advantage of the snow... it is the perfect excuse to stay in and play!  Your spirit will be refreshed!
Happy weekending!
Susan

Clean and Simple Petal Parade

Hello stampers and a happy extremely cold Wednesday to all!

Just looking at today's forecast (a high of 32 degrees, with a low of 18 degrees) is enough to start my teeth chattering without even venturing outside.  And it is only supposed to get worse on Thursday, when the high will reach 27 and the low will be 16.  Yikes!  That is COLD.  The best advice I can give you is to stay in, stay warm, and stamp!  Oh, and please drink something hot, too!  If you are one of those who is suffering from a yukky cold, hot chicken broth will work wonders on your sore throat and your clogged sinuses.

I'm hoping that everyone out there in Stamping Land knows that Sale-a-bration is in full swing... that awesome time of year when you'll get a free stamp set or other product from the Sale-a-bration brochure for every $50 you spend.  With all of the freebies being given away by Stampin'Up!, there's never a better time to stock up on things you are going to purchase anyway, such as stamp pads, ink refills, card stock, and adhesives.  When you stock up between now and March 31st, you'll earn a free item with every $50 purchase.  After March 31st, you'll get nothing free with a $50 purchase, so now's definitely the time to stock up.

My card for today is made with one of the very popular Sale-a-bration stamp sets, Petal Parade.  This super simple card also features another new stamp set which you'll find in the "Celebrate the Everyday" catalog, aka the Occasions Catalog, called Simply Celebrate (page 30 of the Occasions catalog).

If you attended my Sale-a-bration Open House, then you made a card very similar to this one... the only difference being the colors I used.  Is there anything fresher and more spring-like that Daffodil Delight paired with Midnight Muse?  I just love these two colors together!   This card can be made in under 5 minutes, so why not make a whole stack in different color combinations and with a variety of sentiments?  Then you'll be one of those super-organized people who always have a card at the ready when they need one.

If we should get a snow day out of all this cold weather we're having, I hope you'll take full advantage of your house-bound time to be creative, make a real mess, and just find yourself in "the flow," where you're so engaged in what you're doing that you're not really aware of the passage of time.  Here's a thought I'd like to leave you with today--- "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."  Thomas Merton  
Please come back on Friday for another Classic Card that I hope will inspire you!
Hugs,
Susan

Sniffle time is here...

Hello there, stampers!

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone you know is sick with a miserable cold?  I guess it's just that time of year.  I'm thankful that my friends have just had colds, not the terrible H1N1 Flu that is going around.  I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've become a germ-a-phobe of the first order.  I carry an entire arsenal of germ-fighting products in my purse.  So if you've noticed that I'm carrying larger purses lately, that's probably why.  If you see me wiping down a table at Starbucks or Costco, you can pretend you don't know me.  I'm not brave enough to wipe down a table at, say, The Oswego Grill or Stanfords, but I'll probably work my way up to those places soon.  I'd rather risk a pitying look than get the flu, how about you?

For those of you with sick friends, I've got just the card for you today.  The idea for this card came to me through one of the demonstrators on my team, Janet Jones.  We met for coffee last week (yes, I did a thorough wipe-down of the table) and she shared this clever card idea with me.  Check it out...

Isn't that just the cutest little tissue box ever?  It is made by punching a hexagon shape from Melon Mambo card stock with the hexagon punch ( page 180 of the annual catalog) and then scoring it to look like a box.  With a hole punched in the top and a tissue coming out of the hole, the illusion is complete!  To make the quilt, I started with a piece of flowered DSP that is 5 inches by 3 inches.  Using my 1 inch punch, I punched out 6 squares of coordinating DSP ( Gingham Garden DSP, page 153 of the annual catalog).  I glued the contrasting squares on top of the 3 by 5 piece using a glue stick and then ran it all through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder to give it a quilted texture. The tissue box is adhered to a flower cut with the Fancy Flower punch. The sentiment is from A Dozen Thoughts (page 59 of the annual catalog).  It is stamped in Melon Mambo ink, cut out with the Word Window punch and then backed with Daffodil Delight card stock punched with the Modern Label punch.
This card went together quickly and was so fun to make.  I'm planning to make more tissue box cards soon, so I'll have them ready to send when I need them.  Please be careful out there, stampers!  Those viruses are just waiting to pounce!  Seriously, though, may today be the start of a wonderful week for you, my loyal readers.  I appreciate you!
Hugs to all,
Susan