Cheer Up, Buttercup!

Hello Stampers and Top o' the Mornin' to all!

I don't think I have even one drop of Irish blood, nor does Mr. Rodgers,  so St. Patrick's Day hasn't been a big event in our house.  But I know that some Portlanders engage in a very hearty celebration... as in party hearty!  Personally, I think it's just an excuse to drink more beer.  I'm sure you've heard Portland described as Beervana by those who are into craft beer... both brewing and drinking.  Me?  If I'm going to drink something Irish, I prefer Irish Coffee with lots of cream on top. So yummy!

I don't know about you, but this rain is not making me happy.  Yes, I know we need rain and that we are behind on rainfall for the year, but I much preferred the sun of a couple of days ago.  Please come back, Mr. Sun!  To make sure we get some sunshine today, even if it's just some sunshiny yellow, I've got a card that will hopefully give your mood a boost.  Check it out...

I used my brayer and Daffodil Delight ink and brayered ink on the Chevron embossing folder.  Then I put my white card stock inside and ran it through the Big Shot to create the Chevron background paper.  I stamped the sentiment  "cheer up buttercup" from the Geometrical stamp set  (page 26 of the Occasions catalog) in Jet Black Staz-on ink on a strip of white card stock.  I flagged the end of the strip with the 1 inch sqaure punch and adhered it to a strip of Modern Medley designer paper.  The flower is made of 3 layers of Daffodil Delight card stock, cut with the Pansy Punch.  I cut between each petal and curled the petals with my bone folder before gluing all the layers together.  The black flower in the center was punched with the Petite Petals punch  (these are almost off backorder!).  The very tiny yellow scalloped circle is from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  I used a black Sharpie pen to color a pearl to place in the center.  It is easy to make pearls any color you wish, but you must use a permanent pen, such as a Sharpie.

Well, buttercup, I hope this card has sent a little ray of sunshine your way today!  If not, you can always go the green beer or Irish Coffee route.... just kidding!  I hope you'll have a fine St. Paddy's Day and that your whole week will be touched with the luck of the Irish!

Thanks for being here today and please come back on Wednesday for another Classic Card!
Susan

The Wide World's Joy...

Hello stampers and happy Friday to all!

Wasn't yesterday just another beee-you-ti-ful day?   I just don't think we can get enough of that marvelous energizing sunshine.  Pardon me if I've mentioned this quote before.... it's one of my favorites

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy.
                                                                                 Henry Ward Beecher

And yesterday I could feel that joy as I noticed birds singing, ducks on the pond quacking, trees blossoming, and daffodils nodding in the slight breeze.  All that sunshine gave me energy to do what I needed to do, which was engage in a frenzy of cleaning.  Floors were swept, swiffered, vacuumed, and mopped. Counters were cleaned and polished, and the list goes on!  Is there anything fresher than a clean house on a spring day with the windows open?  I loved having the windows open, if only for a couple of hours.

OK, I think the Martha (as in Stewart)  in me is starting to calm down now, so perhaps we should get back to what you came here for.... stamping inspiration.

I'm happy to say that this card was made by my talented downline member, Janet Jones.  Don't the colors just sing "spring?"   The stamp set is called So Very Grateful and can be found on page 32 of the Occasions catalog (the one that says "Celebrate the Everyday" on the cover). The colors are Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, and Strawberry Slush.  Janet embossed the Coastal Cabana Coredinations paper with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and then lightly sanded to give the card a great texture.  Janet stamped the flowers in Jet Black Staz-on ink, then colored the flowers with Stampin' Write markers.  I love how the thin black mat behind the focal panel repeats the black outline of the flowers.  That cute "hello" is found in the stamp set A Dozen Thoughts ( page 29 of the annual catalog). The Chevron ribbon in Crushed Curry blends well with the Daffodil Delight panel and  adds another nice detail to a great card.  I'll bet you know lots of people who would love to get a pretty spring card like this in their mailbox.

Thank you very much for reading my blog today.  I would love it if you'd share my blog with other stampers you know.  I could use a lot more readers!
For those of you at the office, school, store, or other place of employment... may your day go smoothly and quickly.  Before you know it, Friday will be just a memory and the weekend will be stretching before you!  I'm hoping the weather man is correct and that we'll have a sunny weekend.  Enjoy!
Be happy!
Susan

Sun, Glorious Sun!

Hello Stampers and Happy Wednesday!

We can only hope that today is as sunny and as wonderful as yesterday!  Even though spring is not officially here until March 20th, didn't yesterday seem amazingly springy??  Our neighborhood was buzzing with the sound of lawnmowers yesterday afternoon and the smell of newly cut grass was wonderful.  Our neighbor's cherry trees have burst into bloom the last couple of days and they looked so gorgeous against a clear blue sky!  I even made time to sit on the porch for a few minutes yesterday.  That was quite an accomplishment!

Unless the weather man is toying with us again, we are in for a few days of sunny, dry weather!  Yippee!  And I have just the sunny card to go along with this fabulous weather...

Yes, stampers, it is time to start thinking about Easter cards.  You could easily make multiples of this card using the efficient assembly-line method.  This card would look equally pretty in Pink Pirouette, Wisteria Wonder, or Blushing Bride.  Just pick a favorite pastel color and go with it!  Here's a list of the supplies I used:

Stamps:  Blessed Easter, page 20 of the Occasions catalog
Ink:  Jet Black Staz-On
Paper:  So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, and Whisper White card stock, Designer Paper Stack in Subtles (I used So Saffron)
Accessories:  Framed Tulips embossing folder,( p. 191 of the annual catalog), Ovals Collection Framelits (p. 186) 1 3/8 circle punch and 1 3/4 circle punch ( page 182 of the annual catalog), Crushed Curry, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, and Old Olive Markers (for coloring the tulips), 5/8 inch Organza Ribbon (page 173 of the annual catalog).

Thanks for checking in with me today!  And let's think sunny thoughts, shall we?
Be happy!
Susan

Old, but trendy...

Hello stampers and a happy Monday to all!

Yes, I know I'm old and I also know I'm not trendy, so today's title is not about me (or you, although you're probably a lot trendier than I am).  I'm talking about something that's very familiar to people my age...but has suddenly undergone a surge in popularity.  I'm talking about chalkboards.  They've been everywhere the past few years. Chalkboard paint has made it possible for almost any surface to become a writing surface so you see chalkboards in kitchens, in restaurants, in playrooms and bedrooms... just about anywhere in a home.  Chalkboard labels for storage jars make it easy to create a set of custom canisters for any ingredients you can imagine. Check Pinterest and you'll find hundreds of chalkboards.  And of course the chalkboard look has invaded the world of paper-crafting as well.  In fact, the chalkboard technique is nothing new in the world of stamping.  I can't believe I haven't tried it before now.  See, I told you I wasn't trendy!  So this past weekend, I tried the technique and I love how easy it is to achieve the look of a chalkboard sign.

Please take a look at my first effort and then I'll tell you how I made it.

I have to admit that when I was in elementary school, the chalkboards were green, not black. Green chalkboards were the latest innovation... I suppose they were supposed to be easier on the eyes.  But the old-fashioned chalkboards were definitely black.  You'll need a saying or some words... chalk board art is usually a sign, a quote, or some type of saying.  For my card I picked the From My Heart stamp set (page 99 of the annual catalog).  I stamped with Whisper White Craft Ink (page 165 of the annual catalog) and then dried the ink with my heat gun.  I stamped the scallops from Tea Party at the top and bottom of the black panel and dried those as well.  Then, using a white pencil I drew a border around the edge of the card and added some little flourishes of my own.  I wrapped the panel with some linen thread and added a Very Vintage designer button.  I adhered the black panel to a slightly larger panel of Modern Medley Designer Paper ( page 154 of the annual catalog).  The card base is made from Crumb Cake card stock, which repeats the tan of the linen thread. Last, I rubbed an Embossing Buddy (page 167 of the annual catalog) over the black panel to give it a nice chalk-dusty look.  I love how my first effort turned out and I can't wait to try the chalkboard technique again soon!

I hope your week is off to a happy start.  Hold on for just a few more days and then the weatherman says we'll have several days of sunshine.  I hope he won't change the forecast like he often does.  We need a little sunshine to bring on the blossoms on the trees.  Our rain-weary spirits could use a little lift as well... agree??
Thanks for stopping by today and I'll hope to see you back here on Wednesday for more stamping inspiration.
Be happy!
Susan

Gingham Garden

Hi there Stampers!

First a little apology is in order.  Did you think I missed posting on Wednesday?  If so, go back and look at Wednesday's post as I want you to see the cute mini-card I made with the envelope attached.  I wrote the post and scheduled it for Wednesday, but... oops!... forgot to put in the correct hour.  I didn't discover the mistake until about 3 pm on Wednesday afternoon, so that is when my Wednesday post was published.  Sorry about that.  I just need to be more careful when scheduling my posts!

Today I want to focus on the Gingham Garden suite of products, which starts on page 80 of the annual catalog.  The designer paper that coordinates is also called Gingham Garden and you can see the various patterns and colors in this collection at the top of page 153 in the annual catalog.  With its yellows, pinks, blues, and greens this is the perfect DSP collection for spring.

With all the gloomy weather we've been having lately, I wanted to make something spring-like that would remind us of sunshine and blue skies and I think I've captured that for you in today's card.  Take a peek...

The stamp set I used is called Kind and Cozy and can be found on page 82 of the catalog.  I used Island Indigo ink to stamp the circle, then punched it out with the coordinating  2 1/2 inch circle punch.  Centering the cup inside the circle was easy... I just got out my Stamp-a-ma-jig and that handy tool did the work for me.  I used a strip of the Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper (DSP) to layer underneath my teacup, along with some Stitched Grosgrain ribbon in Daffodil Delight.

The most interesting part of this card is the yellow and white gingham background paper that I created myself using the Stripes embossing folder and a brayer.  I brayered some Daffodil Delight ink directly onto the embossing folder, then inserted my paper and ran it through the Big Shot.  Then I re-inked the embossing folder, inserted the paper crosswise and embossed again.  The result is a very pretty embossed gingham
pattern.  I wish this picture showed a little more of the embossed texture.  I would love to show everyone how to make this fun background paper!  Why not book a party with me in April or May and I'll show you how easy it is to make.

Wouldn't it be fun to make a cute card like this, stick a tea bag inside, and send it off to a far-away friend, inviting her to have a cup of tea with you?  Then you can sit down with your tea and your computers and have a nice email conversation with her while you are enjoying your tea.

Well, stampers, I've got about a bazillion things on my "to-do" list today, so I guess I'd better go and tackle it!  I'm glad that the weekend is almost here and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with a group of customers in the Milwaukie area at Carol's stamping party on Saturday.  With rain in the forecast for the weekend, it looks like it will be a great time to stay in and stamp. I hope you'll all enjoy a relaxing weekend!
Hugs,
Susan

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