Card purse kit

Yesterday was Stefan's aunt's birthday. Debbie is just one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Her dear husband Paul invited the family out to Olive Garden to celebrate with them. It is always good to see them and visit! I had a fabulous time with them.

Since it was Aunt Debbie's birthday, I wanted to bring her a little something. She likes birds so I thought I'd make her a card with a bird on it. Then I decided a set of note cards would be even better. Now there is a slight problem. I have OCD when it comes to nature images. They have to be accurate or cartoony. There is no in between for me. I hate blue roses, and cardinals are red! I don't like purple daffodils. Artistic expression? Whatever! (just so you know- "whatever" is code for "You're full of it!" or "Go away!") Taking realistic nature images and coloring them weird colors is just not for me.

So for this little set I freed myself and made no attempt at realism. It wasn't that hard because I know almost nothing about birds other than 101 ways to cook a chicken. I used the Extra Large Two-Step Bird, the perfect polka dots impression folder, and the scallop trim border punch. The color palette is chocolate chip, certainly celery, and soft sky. Soft sky is retired and no longer available. I'll wait while you dry your eyes. I know it is very sad. Sniff. Sniff.





Above is the inside of the card purse. Isn't this a clever idea? I didn't come up with it. These have been cropping up at several stamp gatherings over the last year, and I just thought they were adorable! I found the tutorial here on Julie's blog. Check it out. She does very nice work.



Finally this is the little card we put our birthday wishes in and tied to the handle. This set went together surprisingly quickly. I came up with the design and made ten cards and the tote in about an hour and a half. I take longer than that to choose a color palette some days! So to make something that I like that comes together quickly makes for a very good day. I hope you had a good weekend too.

I get by with a little help from my friends

I love the new Vintage Vogue set and matching wheel from Stampin' Up! Love them. So I have been reaching for it a lot. Here are two of the cards I've made recently.



This one is a little busy, but I'm fairly happy with how it came together. The satin ribbon fulfills a void in my crafty soul I never knew was there. I made this for a swap I was in last month. Pink and green are my favorite colors, and I have been indulging myself by using them together more often lately.




This card is a little bit more crisp and clean. The "F" has been cut out and is popped up with some dimensionals. I had no reason for making this card. These "no pressure" cards are my favorite. It's fun to just sit down and make something without obligation. I sent it to someone special. The sentiment on this one is much nicer than yesterday's. It simply states, "Life happens. Love helps." So true. So today when life happens to you, I hope love does help. And if all else fails, whack your love upside the head and say, "Help me, dadgummit!"

All products are Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Vintage Vogue, Very Vintage wheel
Ink - Choc chip, very vanilla, pretty in Pink, Mellow moss
paper - Same as ink
accessories - pretties kit, dimensionals, pink satin ribbon, scallop edge punch, clear EP

Yin and yang

I have a confession to make. There are two very distinct sides to my personality. The evidence is here in these two cards.

On the one hand, I recognize that every human being struggles with something. Sometimes people are going through very difficult times. I feel for them. I pray the good Lord will give them strength and courage to carry them through. So in these times, I may send them a nice, little card like this one.





I actually made this one for my Grandma. She broke her tibia and is struggling in rehab. And since I can never get her on the phone, I went the archaic route of snail mail. Crazy! I know.

Then there is the other half of my personality. It isn't as nice. It says, "What the heck are you belly aching about?" and "Would you like some cheese with all that whine?" I know. It's not pretty. It was this little devil inside of me who encouraged me to make this next card.



It looks pretty, right? Did you see the sentiment? Oh yes. It does say, "Suck it up, Buttercup!" This is for all the times I read FB and tire of my friends constantly complaining. Quite frankly, I don't care that you have the sniffles, it's cold outside, or that your dog farted and is stinking up your house. Okay, I probably do care unless 99% of your statuses are complaints. This is for the people who never say "fine" when you enquire about how they are doing. Instead, they give you a diatribe about ingrown toe nails and unfair bosses and global warming and their large hineys. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! You're a grown up. Sometimes life sucks. Deal. I told you it was not pretty.

So this is where I come back to my senses. I remind myself that God did not equip everyone with the same set of coping mechanisms. Some people can't just suck it up and roll with the punches. I cannot control how other people behave, but I can control my reaction to it. So I make a mean card that I will pull out and laugh at, but never send. I make 2 more like the one for my Grandma and I pray that the good Lord grants me restraint the next time someone annoys me. I will try to offer encouragement and not just a big old cup of "Suck it up!"

All products used are Stampin' Up!
Nice card
Stamps-Thoughts and Prayers
Ink - Whisper White, choc chip
Paper - Choc chip, Kraft
Accessories - Scallop edge punch, scallop corner punch, pretty in pink satin ribbon

Naughty card
Paper - So saffron, Choc chip, Very Vanilla
ink - So saffron sponged on flower's edges
Accessories - XL flower punch, big brad, double stitch ribbon, mover/shaker die, oval punch

Something to warm you up a little...

Here is this cute, little polar bear offering you a nice, warm beverage. Isn't he cute? This is the Cold and cuddly set from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini. I stamped him on Bordering Blue cardstock with Whisper White ink and then embossed him. I ended up sponging the edges after I took this first picture. He is also popped up on some dimensionals.







This second card is also made with a set from the Holiday mini. I love this set. The snowflakes are just exquisite and so elegant. I made my own shimmer mist with the Shimmer Paint and sprayed it on this one. Presto - my own sparkly navy cardstock. I'm really happy with the result and let me tell you, it isn't even difficult or time consuming. You may want to give it a try.




So now I must get back to making Christmas cards and finishing gifts. And I will not let the joy and anticipation of advent be overshadowed with stress. I have been blessed in a thousand ways, and that is where I'll put my focus. Things will not be perfect at our house, but our home will be filled with joy. I may not get the cookies made, but that's okay. The kids won't be scarred because we ran out of green sprinkles and used the ones left from Easter. We work ourselves into a tizzy this time of year. So I try to take a deep breath and refocus when I see the frantic shoppers and folks fighting over parking spots. No one was prepared when Christ arrived. The guest room wasn't even available. The food wasn't fancy. The Wise Men were late with the gifts, the shepherds were stinky, and the Holy Family was probably up to their ankles in manure. So as I feel like I can't take anymore crap this holiday, I think back to that teenage mother who delivered the son of God in a stable. I hope your season is filled with joy and wonder. God keep you and Merry Christmas!

You Were Always on My Mind...

Maybe I didn't love you quite as often as I could have. And maybe I didn't treat you quite as good as I should have. If I made you feel second best, well you are. But you were always on my mind! Okay maybe not always. My dear sweet blog, I'm sorry you've been cheated, been mistreated. Now, I'll show you some love.


Anybody still with me? It's been a crazy few months. I've been stamping, just not much. The PC issues continued. DH got a brand new laptop though thanks to Dell's super warranty! The kids were sick and then sick some more. Thing 1 made himself an indoor pool in our basement. My inlaws had some health issues. My dog has been trying to single handedly wipeout Detroit's squirrel population. God is great. Beer is good, and people are crazy. No more tears in my beer. I apologize for being away for so long. My life really is not a country song. I will try not to take you for granted, my blog. I will not neglect you and I will remember to hit publish when I write a post.





I made this card for my friend Emma to thank her for being such a kind and generous soul. You can be sure she'll make you laugh right out loud whenever you're together. I just love her. I used Season of Friendship and embossed the trunk and flowers. I then cut out the flowers. These colors make me happy! So before the new year, I resolve to be a better blogger. Heck, I can't get much worse! And with that, I hope you have an awesome day!


All products are Stampin' Up!
stamps - Season of Friendship
ink - Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip
paper - Shimmer White, Pretty in Pink
Accessories - flat back pearls, embossing powder, Choc chip taffeta ribbon, scallop edge punch

Dress forms

I have been using Chic Boutique like crazy. This is one I made as a little thank you for a friend. The Night and Day paper from the Stampin Up! holiday mini is amazingly versatile. I just love it. If you are on the fence about it, get off the darn fence and buy it! This card uses the houndstooth print. I also embossed the dress forms on this one. I used black craft ink and clear EP.

This is a really simple card. It went together in a snap. Like the other two cards the middle dress form is paper pieced and popped up with dimensionals.


This one is almost the same as the first card. I just tweaked it a bit. I love the houndstooth and pink. It's such a fun combination. I hope you enjoy!

Hello...hello...hello

Did you hear the echo? Helllloooo. We've been having PC issues. Dh's cousin is helping us out and we should be back to full running speed soon. You thought I was never going to post again didn't you. I wasn't kidnapped by pirates or affflicted with some horrible disease, and I didn't die of fatigue watching politicians go back and forth fighting like 2 year olds. I'm still here. And I've made a few cards even.

This one was one I made for a tiny, little get together with a few girlfriends. They are the best group of girls ever. I just love them. I love that little bird in the cage. This wasn't a set I thought I wanted at first, but the more I flipped through my catalog, the more I knew I wanted it. Badly! It came to live at our house a few weeks ago. My other stamp sets resent it because they are now being neglected. This is a color combo I saw on some fabric I think. I though it was fun and different. It may be a new favorite. I hope you like it. I'll post more cards I've made with this set later in the week, if the pirates don't come and get me.

Stamps - Chic Boutique
Ink- Choc CHip(craft and classic), Bermuda Bay, markers
Paper- Old Olive, Certainly celery, choc chip, Whisper White, Bermuda bay
Accessories - ribbon, felt flower, edge punch, sponges, embossing powder