Teeny Tiny Bunny

Hi there Stampers!

Thanks for visiting with me today!  Before I show you the cute little card I have for you, I need to mention that there are some great Weekly Deals this week.  Stampin'Up! posts them on Tuesday morning and I'm sorry that I just haven't had time to send them to you.  I'll take care of that today, but you can always see the Weekly Deals by going to my business site www.susanrodgers.stampinup.net and then click on the "shop" button in the upper right, which takes you to a page with a menu down the left side of the screen.  Just click on "Weekly Deals" to see the sale items for the week.  This week there are some nice items on sale, including two different colors of the ruffled ribbon (Coastal Cabana and Strawberry Slush) both on sale for 6.71 per roll.  There's a set of embossing folders that are used on the edges of cards for 6.71, as well as a DSP stack for 16.46.  Check out all the items on my business site and if you'd like to get just a couple of items and want to avoid the $6.95 minimum charge, you can always email me your order.

OK... now let's get to the card, which is really a little card attached to a fun envelope I created with the Envelope Punch Board.    Here it is...

The card size is 3 x 3 and is attached to the envelope.  There's a little scalloped circle of Blushing Bride card stock (not shown) that serves as a seal for the back of the envelope.  The stamp set I used is called Eggstra Spectacular (page 32 of the Occasions catalog).  I stamped it in Jet Black Staz On ink and then colored the bunny's ears and tail with a Blushing Bride marker. The Whisper White card base is embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and the focal panel is matted with So Saffron and Blushing Bride panels.  I added a bit of Blushing Bride Stitched Grosgrain ribbon for a little something extra.   I thought a little gift enclosure like this would be perfect to attach to an Easter basket or other Easter gift.  I used the Envelope Punch Board to create the envelope. The Envelope Punch board is not in the catalog, but it is available (item # 133774, $19.95)  It is one of the best papercrafting tools I've ever used and once you've seen it in action, you're going to want one for your very own.  It is super simple to use and makes envelopes in 66 different sizes.... truly a versatile product.  You can now have envelopes in just the size and color you want!

I hope your week is going well, and now that it's Wednesday  the weekend will be here before we know it!  I don't know about you, but I'm not so great with the Spring Ahead time change that is coming up in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  I always love the Fall Back change... I'm happy to have an extra hour in my day, but when they take one away... that is not a happy thing!  I always feel discombobulated for several weeks after the "spring forward" event.

Thanks again for being my friendly readers!  I appreciate each one of you! Be sure to come back on Friday for another classic card!
Susan

Bright and Beautiful

Hello Stampers and thanks for stopping by today!

If you're at work this stormy Monday, I hope today's post will inspire you to stamp something bright and beautiful, once you get home from work, to counteract today's gray and gloomy weather.  If you're not at work, you don't have to wait... just get out the brightest colors you own right now, along with some flowery stamps and stamp up your own springtime.  Seriously, stampers, we've got a LOT of cold, wet weather to get through before anything remotely resembling spring arrives.  So why not use this rainy weather to good advantage and get ready for all the springtime occasions that are looming on the calendar, like Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, weddings, new babies, and of course birthdays?? We always need birthday cards.

Here's my contribution toward making today brighter and more beautiful...

We made this card at Susan K's party today.  I love the color combination and just looking at this card brings a smile to my face.  I hope it works that way for you too!

I used the Flower Shop stamp set on page 94 of the annual catalog and stamped the flowers in Bermuda Bay and Daffodil Delight.  Then I stamped the smaller flowers (from the Petite Petals stamp set on page 33 of the Occasions catalog) in the same colors on a scrap of Whisper White and punched them out with the matching Petite Petals Punch (also on page 33 of the Occasions catalog).  I popped the smaller flowers up on dimensionals and then added a pearl in the center of each.  The sentiment is from the great new set Simply Celebrate on page 30 of the Occasions catalog.  This is a quick, easy, and fun card to create and is a definite mood-lifter.  I think it would also be great stamped in Melon Mambo and Tangerine Tango-- both bright, hot colors that would add warmth and cheer to a day like today.

I hope you feel inspired to go stamp something pretty!
Please come back on Wednesday for another Classic Card.
Hugs to all,
Susan

Bizzy Bee....

Hi Stampers!

Thanks for coming back to The Classic Card for some card-making inspiration this fine February Friday, the last Friday of the month. Farewell, February!  Thanks for the snowy memories! Now it's time to do an about-face and forward march, right into March.

The industrious bee is the perfect symbol of what my March is going to be like.... dizzy busy!  I'll be buzzing around like mad, flying here and flying there!  March is the grand finale of Sale-a-bration and I've got a lot of events on my calendar.  Believe me, I'm very grateful for each and every one!  I look forward to connecting with as many of my Stampin'Up! customers as possible.  I love sharing creative time with you!

I'm hoping that the card I'm sharing today will spark your creativity and perhaps motivate you to pull out your stamps and make a spring card or two.

If you are going for a fresh, light look, then there's no better color for a background than white.  White has that "freshly washed sheets billowing on the clothesline" feeling that just screams clean and fresh.  I chose Daffodil Delight for the stamped panel to give the card a warm and sunny feeling.  The stamp set I used is called Hello Spring and you can find it on page 21 of the Occasions catalog.  I stamped the daisies repeatedly, then I've got Mr. B hovering over them as he's deciding which flower to land on.  I used a white chalk marker (p. 37) to add a touch of white to the centers of the daisies.  Yes, I know, the petals should have been colored in white, not the centers, but if I'm honest enough to admit that I'm just too lazy to color each tiny petal, will you allow me a little artistic license?  I stamped the "hello spring" sentiment on a scrap of white card stock, then cut it out with the word window punch and tied it around the yellow panel with some linen thread.  Oh, and did you notice the honeycomb texture on the white background panel?  I thought that was a nice tie-in with the little buzzzzzzy guy.

Like the bee, I'm off and flying. I've got lots to do today to get ready for the watercoloring class on Saturday.  If you're at work today, may your Friday go by quickly, with as little drama as possible.  Then I'm wishing you a restful and relaxing weekend with plenty of time to do just what you want!  Thanks for being my readers!  I appreciate each one of you!
Bee happy!
Susan

Getting Ready for Spring...

Hello Stampers and thanks for dropping by today!

Where has the month of February gone?  Here we are, winding down to the last couple of days of the month already!  I have to be honest, though.  I'm never really sorry to see the end of February in the rear-view mirror.  There's usually nothing very pretty about February in Portland, except this year we got the gift of snow.... now that was pretty, at least on days one, two, and three.

So with March just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about springtime.  Daylight Savings Time starts on Sunday the 9th and then the first day of spring comes on March 20th.  But don't get out the Easter decorations just yet, as Easter is pretty late this year.  Last year it fell on March 31st, but this year it's not until April 18th.  So you can relax, take your time, and have fun planning some Easter surprises.  Oh, and while you're thinking about Easter, why not plan some pretty cards to send to family and friends?

I've got just the card for you...

The stamp set I used here is called Blessed Easter and you can check it out on page 20 of the new Occasions catalog.  It is a single stamp and comes in wood-mount only for $11.95.  The sentiment is attached to the tulips, but to make this stamp more versatile, I very carefully cut off the sentiment, as I can see lots of uses for the tulips other than just at Easter.   I stamped the tulips in Jet Black Staz-On ink on a 2 inch wide scrap of watercolor paper, then used the new Scalloped Tag Topper Punch ( page 35 of the Occasions catalog) to turn it into a tag.  I threaded some Blushing Bride Chevron Ribbon through the hole and tied it off with a piece of Linen Thread.  I colored the tulips with  Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride, and  Pear Pizzazz markers, then blended the colors with an Aqua Painter.  The tag is adhered to a panel of Blushing Bride DSP from the Subtles Collection Designer Series Paper Stacks ( page 152 of the annual catalog).  Other papers used are Pear Pizzazz card stock and Very Vanilla card stock.

I hope your week has been a good one so far, and now that we are at Wednesday, I hope you can just sort of coast downhill, smoothly and serenely into a relaxing and tranquil weekend.  Sounds good, doesn't it? If your weekend is shaping up to be as busy as mine, we can at least think tranquil thoughts as we busily go about our chores and errands.  Thanks for visiting and I look forward to seeing you here on Friday for more springtime inspiration.
Be happy!
Susan

Super Simple Spring

Hello Stampers and happy Monday to all!

I hope you all enjoyed the fabulous sunny Saturday we had! What a great day to get out and attack the yard work that we've neglected far too long.  It seemed like everyone was out on Saturday...mowing and trimming, pruning and weeding.  I saw neighbors that I hadn't seen in months, as--like me-- they've been hibernating. I know that spring in the northwest doesn't mean sunshine and blue skies.  More often than not it means rain, rain, and more rain.  But still, I'm looking forward to the arrival of spring.  In honor of this upcoming event (taking place on March 20th this year), I've got a super simple, clean and classic card for you.

You really can't get much simpler than this!  I used some low-tack painters' tape (the blue masking tape) and taped off a little rectangle on a piece of watercolor paper.  Then, with my Aqua Painter, I squiggled on some Daffodil Delight ink.  I made sure to just quickly swipe the ink back and forth over the taped-off area, leaving some of the paper un-painted.  Then I just stamped the flower image over the colored area in Jet Black Staz-On ink.  Then down below I added the "hello spring!" sentiment.  

This card would look equally pretty with a squiggle of blushing bride, pear pizzazz, pool party, or other pastel.  Check out the stamp set called Springtime Hello on page 21 of the new Occasions catalog.  Although I didn't use her on the card, I love the sweet little bee that comes with this set.  And how do I know that little bee is a "she?"  All of the amazing women that I know are super multi-taskers and always busier than the proverbial bee.  Men, not so much.

Before I leave you today, I wanted to mention that yesterday at the Tools of the Trade class, we drew for the winner of the 50-50 board.  One of the stampers that was here yesterday didn't have her name on the board, so she did the honors and drew out the winning ticket.  Shall we have a little drum roll before we scroll down?   OK, let's scroll







And the winner is.....  Marilyn Kuby! 

OK stampers... I've got to run now.... SOS starts at 1 pm at Symposium and I can't be late!  Hope your week is off to a great start!
Susan

Happy that Friday is here??

Hello Stampers!

Are you as happy as I am that Friday is finally here?  This weekend I've got stamping events galore.... that's what makes Sale-a-bration so fun.... party, party, party!

So I can't stay long today, as I have a LOT to do to get ready for all the stamping that will be going on here at my house this weekend, but I didn't want to leave you without a card today.

You'll be making this pretty card in shades of blue if you attend my Stamp Out Stress event on Monday, Feb. 24th at 1 pm at Symposium Coffee in Sherwood.  The cost is just $5.00 for two cards and envelopes and of course there's coffee and conversation too!  I'd love it if you could join our happy group!

Here's the card...

As many of you know, I'm not a "blue" person.  I tend to gravitate towards warm colors like reds, yellows, and oranges, probably because I've always felt a little Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), brought on by lack of sunlight during our long, gray winters.  But I know that many of my customers are really into the blues, so this card is for all the blue enthusiasts in my customer base.  The colors I used are Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana... blues I hardly ever use.  But I love how they look together on this card and I'm planning to make sure I use these pretty colors more often.  The stamp set I used is called Simple Stems and you can find it on page 33 of the Occasions catalog.  This is a great set for stamping a collage-like background, something I love to do.  I feel like I'm inventing a pretty fabric pattern, only on a very small scale.
If you've never been to Stamp Out Stress, I encourage you to join us this coming Monday, Feb. 24th at Symposium Coffee in Old Town Sherwood.  You'll enjoy the stamping, the company, and the yummy coffee drinks!  Oh, and one more thing... the other card has an interesting fold, a cut out panel, and is blue as well, so you'll get your dose of blue!

Have a great weekend, everyone!
Susan

A card for a best friend...

Hi there stampers!
Thanks for coming back to The Classic Card to check out Wednesday's card, which is a very special card, indeed, as it was made by my granddaughter Emma for her very best friend Michaela.  Emma is seven years old and, like her Oma, she's a big fan of stamping.  Whenever she comes down for a visit, she always requests some time in the stamp room to create a card or two.
Yesterday, Emma's request was to make a card for her "bestie" Michaela, who is having a birthday soon.  The party is going to be a very girly event,  held at a tea room in Seattle.  I'm not sure how many little girls will be attending, but doesn't it sound like fun?  I wish I could be there to see their pretty dresses, darling hair styles, and shiny shoes.  Seven is such a sweet age, made even cuter by missing front teeth.  Do you remember your best friend when you were seven? My best friend was a girl named Edie. We looked like clones with our blonde hair in braids and our gap-toothed smiles. She was a farm girl, not a town girl, so most of the time I only saw her at school, as she rode the bus back out to the farm every day. We had so much fun together, playing jump rope and jacks at recess. There's nothing like a good friend, is there?  Whether we are seven or seventy, a good friend is a true blessing.

 Here is Emma with her card for Michaela.

Let me tell you a bit about how Emma went about making this card.  Because Emma's favorite colors are pink and purple, she chose Pink Pirouette and Wisteria Wonder, along with Very Vanilla for her card.

We discussed what image she'd like to use and she decided she'd rather use the tulips (from the Blessed Easter set on page 20 of the Occasions catalog) than the birthday cake that I originally suggested.  Emma stamped the tulips in Jet Black Staz-On ink on Very Vanilla card stock, then she used Pink Pirouette and Wisteria Wonder markers to color in the blossoms.  She used a Pear Pizzazz marker to color the leaves.  While she was doing the coloring, I ran the Pink Pirouette panel through the Big Shot, using the Decorative Dots embossing folder that you can get free with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration.  Next, Emma stamped the sentiment "Happy Birthday to You" (from the Label Love stamp set on page 33 of the annual catalog) in Wisteria Wonder on a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock and then together we lined up the stamping with the Artisan Label punch ( page 181 of the annual catalog) and punched it out.  Emma added some dimensionals to the back of the sentiment while I wrapped the Pink Pirouette ribbon around the front panel.  Working together as a team, we had this card finished in no time.  

Here's a close-up of the card so you can see what a great job Emma did with her coloring...

I think her friend Michaela is going to love this card!  Since it is so blustery and rainy, wouldn't today be a great day to stay in and stamp some cheery cards to send to your best friends??? Use some pretty spring colors like Emma did and maybe add in a little yellow for warmth and you can stamp your own springtime!

Thanks for checking in today and please come back on Friday when I'll have more stamping inspiration for you!

Happy Stamping!

Susan