Etchings of Hope

This is my favorite saying...."Hope Happens".....without hope, what do we have?

The following is a very good quote and I try and hang onto this thought when times get tough:
"Though you are disappointed, there is hope; never let hope fail you! Though one door is shut, there are thousands still open to you."

Remember you have choices in this life.....and may not always make the right ones....but if you operate from the heart, amazing things can still happen for you!

I used a delightful stamp set to create this card..."Artistic Etchings"....I love the medallion stamp that comes in it as well as the Eiffel Tower. Hope you enjoy the monochromatic feel of the colors. Went with the greens.....Pear Pizazz, Old Olive and Always Artichoke.

Stampin'Up! supplies used:

Pear Pizazz, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla cardstock, Striped Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon, Black Stampin' Write marker for the 'threads', Top Note die cut, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and the Antique brads.

Cagey Thoughts

Who ever thought that bird cages would make such a great idea for a stamp set?! Well, Stampin' Up! did an adorable job with this one! I HAD to have it.....of course there's not many that I don't HAVE to buy. ;-)

Today was a bright and cheery color day.....the sun came out after a couple days of rain and dreary weather. Of course, you can try any color combination with this card design and it will be fun!

The stamp set is called "Aviary"

Stampin'Up Items used:

Pacific Point, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White and Daffodil Yellow cardstock, Square lattice embossing folder, Signo white gel pen, and 1/8" Daffodil Yellow ribbon.

Valentine = You!

What an adorable stamp set! It's called "Valentine Defined".....and it's found in the new Mini Occasions catalog.

It was the perfect set to use to make my daughter's Valentine card! Think she'll like it? I hope so!!

Stampin' Up! supplies used:

Valentine Defined stamp set, Rose Red, Whisper White, Old Olive, Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip cardstock, Rose Red, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip Stamp'in Write markers, Mini Library Clips, Basic Rhinestones, Eyelet Border punch and Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

Oh Valentine!

Its that time of year again....time to tell those you love how much they mean to you and how special they are! Time marches on....but it can be fleeting, so don't miss the chance to say how you feel.....you may not get another chance.

I used the "Sense of Time" stamp set along with the "I (Heart) Hearts" stamp set. Both are such versatile sets and seemed to go together for this Valentine Holiday. I hope you are inspired by the card I designed and find the time to make one for that special person whom you love!

If you are short on words to put in your cards, here's some quotes you might like to use:

"Love is a beautiful thing that can be created by a person with a pure heart. Love is also indestructable when you have achieved it...."
Bobby Mirassol

"For you see, each day I love you more; Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow."
  Rosemonde Gerard

"Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever."  Anonymous

"There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not."
  La Rochefoucald

"To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven."  Karen Sunde

"Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart, and the joy in a heart."  Anonymous

"To be your friend was all I ever wanted; to be your lover was all I ever dreamed."  Unknown

Hope the quotes help in the completion of your cards!! Have fun creating! :-)

Hope you have a joyous Valentine's Day ....sharing it with the ones you love.

Stink'in Cute!

Ever in need of adorable images to express your thanks? Well "Pun Fun" sure has them...... along with adorable sayings with each image!

Hope you enjoy the style and find many more ideas to use them yourself!

Stampin'Up! supplies used:

Real Red, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black and Crumb Cake cardstock, White Signo gel pen, Basic Black grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Trim Border punch, Craft Whisper White ink to stamp on Crumb Cake cardstock and Elegant Bouquet embossing folder.

Vintage Wishes

Ohhhhhh.....ever worked on a project and get all the way to end....almost complete it except for that last little detail.....and then......screw it up?!! Well, here is proof that I'm just as good as the next person at doing that! :-)
I was so excited to have this card coming along well....matching the idea in my head (you know what I mean about that, right?) ....and then after I stamped the bird inside the cage, I went to wipe off the excess ink off the embossed cage and......well, just take a look!! I forgot that the red ink colors seem to take a bit longer to dry....and smeared it all around the bird. Ugh!

I hope you enjoy the design, though, and that it inspires you to try different techniques with your stamps. Notice I was able to use some of the paper from the Holiday Mini Christmas DSP!! And the flowers were made using the 3/4" Circle punch and the 1" Circle punch.

Stampin'Up! supplies used:

Early Espresso, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla cardstock, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta ribbon, Silver embossing powder, Crochet ribbon and Hodgepodge Hardware.

Notably Ornate

So, is everyone tired of the snow yet?! I don't think I can remember a year when this many snowstorms have hit the East Coast, one right after the other, likes it been doing! Just crazy!
I hope everyone is warm and snug in there homes and finding plenty of crafty things to do while you wait for the thaw!

I've tried to find the time to create some more cards for you all.....and found a couple days to play in the middle of my crazy schedule. This stamp set is one I've had sitting on my shelf for months now, and have wanted to do something with it. It calls for pearls and rich colors, for me.....so I hope you like the results.

The stamp set is called 'Notably Ornate'

The Take Note stamp punches out great with the Xtra Large Oval punch.

I used the following Stampin' Up supplies:

Love Letter DSP, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black and Very Vanilla cardstock, Basic Pearls, Black embossing powder, Big Designer Buttons, Victoria Crochet Trim and 1/8" Taffeta Basic Black ribbon.

REMEMBER, if you shop now, Sale-A-Bration is going on!!  You receive a FREE item from the Sale-A-Bration catalog for every $50 you spend!

Vroooom!

Lots of motorcycle riders out there...... Me? NO WAY! I value my life and look forward to my future...whatever it might be. :-) I understand the 'wind in your hair' concept on the open road....but I can get that with my windows down, thank you very much! I like having metal around me for some protection from all the idiots on the road...........of course I could be one of those idiots! :-)

I hope you enjoy this quick card using the Stampin' Up! motorcycle stamp. (Unfortunately it was in the Summer Mini and is not available anymore.)

Good riding to ya!

Stampin'Up! Supplies used:

Riding Hood Red, Basic Black and Very Vanilla cardstock, Antique Brads and Distressor tool.

HomeGrown

Wow!! Has it really been a month since I last posted? Where does time go?

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and that your New Year has started off on a positive note! If it hasn't, then just remember that change is guaranteed for us all, so better times are on the way. Take a deep breath and take each day at a time....the sun will emerge again! :-)

Speaking of sun.....

This new stamp set "Homegrown" reminds me of Spring and Summer and the growing of veggies in my garden. Warm, sunny days are brought to mind....coupled with fresh produce! Sun + Good Food = Perfect! :-) What do you think?

Other Stampin' Up! accessories used in the design of this card are: White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Hemp Twine, Matt Pack and Piercer tool, White Signo gel pen (the best on the market in my opinion), the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, and the Large Oval punch.

Hope you enjoy!!

Deck the Halls!

As promised, here's a few more cards with some variation using the Deck the Halls Designer Series paper!

Hope you enjoy the different looks you can achieve using the same basic layout, just changing up your accessories on the card!! I used the new Silver Glass Glitter....it's incredible! You will love it! (Available in Gold too!)

The flower was made using Five Petal Punch and the leaves using the Small Oval Punch.

To create the accordion circle, you just cut a strip of paper and score it all the way down the width of your strip and then fold along your score lines like an accordian. Glue the two ends together. It takes a bit of maneuvering to get the piece into a circle and once there you need to be able to secure it together on the back side to keep it from flipping apart. Good Luck!! :-)

Christmas Greetings!

Been trying to design some Christmas cards....how about you? My schedule has been so crazy lately that I thought I'd never get around to doing any more.

The following card is using Stampin' Up's new "Deck the Halls" Designer Series Paper. I absolutely LOVE the colors and patterns in it....Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake! Ever had colors and patterns 'sing' to you? This one does that for me! I'll be posting another Christmas card soon using more paper from this pack! So keep checking back for more ideas! :-)

I used "A Wish for Peace" stamp set....keeping it simple with Kraft Whisper White ink!

 

The item # for this DSP is 120810 in case you want to order ASAP for your Christmas cards! Just select the "Shop Now" button on the right side of my blog to order!

Stampin' Up! Items used:

Deck the Halls Designer Series Paper, A Wish for Peace stamp set, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Whisper White cardstock, 5/8" Satin Whisper White ribbon, Deck the Halls Big Designer Buttons, Antique Brads, Curley Label Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, White Gel Pen, Kraft Whisper White ink.

Birthday Wishes

Delightful colors....its all a part of the adorable paper pack "Pawsitively Prints II" Designer Series paper. It's designed around the Build-a-Bear Line that Stampin' Up has....but I thought it would look cute used for just about anything! Thought this time a Birthday card was in order!

Hope you enjoy the card!

Stamp set used is "Friends Never Fade"

Used Real Red, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White cardstock.

Thanksgiving Wishes

Have you figured out how you are going to prepare your turkey this Thanksgiving? Baked or Deep-Fried? Let me tell you....if you've never had a turkey deep-fried you are missing out!! It's incredible! Maybe this is the year?? :-)

Well, if you haven't thought about your turkey yet....maybe you've given your Thanksgiving cards some thought? :-) I enjoyed making one the other day and thought I'd share it with you! It's using the beautiful French Foliage stamp set from the Holiday Mini catalog. Great set!! Of course the Autumn Spice Designer Series paper is perfect with this set!

Hope it brings the feeling of Fall your way!

Stampin' Up! Items used:

Autumn Spice Designer Series paper (Holiday Mini), Early Espresso, Old Olive, Very Vanilla and Cajun Craze cardstock, 1 1/4" Early Espresso Striped Grosgrain ribbon, French Foliage and Seasonal Sentiments stamp set (Holiday Mini), Medium Oval punch (Holiday Mini), 3/4" Circle punch, Antique Brads and Hemp Twine.

Halloween Dress Up!

It was an enjoyable Halloween....Rachel dressed up as a Renaissance Girl and I half dressed as a witch due to having candy duty at the door this year! (I wasn't complaining.....chocolate and the warmth of the inside worked just fine for me! :-) Last year it was raining! Rachel and I were completely drenched by the time we got home!

Enjoy the pictures and the Digital Scrapbook page I did using "My Digital Studio."