TRENDY TREES

Only three more days and this trendy trees stamp set will officially be retired.  I wanted a thank you card that I could also give to a guy.  So, I created this card with no ribbon and no bows!  To line up my tree trunks perfectly, I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig.  I love this tool!  I know we aren't suppose to obsess over a "perfect" card, after all, they are hand made, but I confess, I do obsess!  So, for me this tool takes out all the stress of that perfectly placed last sentiment!  ENJOY!

PLANT HOPE FATHER'S DAY

The sketch for my card came from this week's freshly made sketches.  I used two stamp sets, Plant Hope (which is retiring) and Best Dad Ever (which will remain current).  I thought this palm tree seemed fitting, considering we live in Hawaii and palm trees are everywhere.  ENJOY!

HAPPIEST WISHES ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

Once again I brought out the hostess set Happiest Birthday Wishes and inked up one of the sentiments.  This is really such a simple card, easy to quickly throw together!  The base of the card was created by running my stripes impression embossing folder through my big shot.  I also used my tasteful trim die to create the little bit of trim on the card.  I can't wait to make a scrapbook page with this die!  ENJOY!

CLEAN AND SIMPLE THANKS

Today, I took the Clean and Simple stamping challenge and The Paper Players challenge and came up with this simple card.  I always love polka dots!!  ENJOY!

ALL IN THE FAMILY

I needed a little package for a gift for my daughter's brownie girl scout leader, so I pulled out the cute little girl from the All in the Family set.  This little girl reminds me of my daughter and I tried to make her look like a brownie.  I love these little stick figures, but they are also retiring.  I will keep this set stuck back in my retired stash for a little while longer.  To make my bag, I ran the Fancy Favor die through my big shot.  I even used some scrap paper cut thinly as decorative packing for bag.  I used quite a few punches on this projects, which always makes it come together quickly.  The oval frame is part of a set from the designer frames textured impression embossing folders, followed by the decorative label punch and the extra large oval that my little girls is stamped on. The little thank you sentiment comes from the teeny tiny wishes set and is punched out using the jewelry tag punch.   To color my little girl, I used a blender pen and chocolate chip ink.  The ribbon is marina mist and is from the scallop dots ribbon collection  What do you think of the little basic pearl I used for her hair clip?  ENJOY!

BRING ON THE CAKE BIRHTDAY WISHES

Today I started with the Create with Connie and Mary  color challenge to design my birthday card.  Bring on the Cake stamp set was used for my sentiment.  The Framelits label collection along with my Big Shot was used for the large frame and my decorative label punch was used to punch out the smaller label.  I always stamp, then punch; that way you can line your stamp image up to look like it was stamped perfectly straight, even if it wasn't.  A little bit of baker's twine in pool party and a retired rhinestone brad and this card is complete.  I have a busy week of crafting ahead of me, this is my girls' last week of school, and I want to show their teachers and the staff at their school what a great job we think they did this year!

 ENJOY!

MANY THANKS THANK YOU CARD

My card today features the soon to be retired Many Thanks Sizzlits Die.  I have used this little die a lot and it only cost me $5.50!!!  It includes the word thank you, as shown, and an additional "s" so you have the option of writing "thanks" also.  Everything else on this card is long retired, but you can see that making a card doesn't always have to include ink or a stamp!

I {HEART} HEARTS

Okay, I was disappointed when I saw this set listed as retiring, but I am hopeful that it will be replaced by another really cute heart set!  For this simple card, I used a kissing technique.  I used two images and inked them up with different colors and then pressed them together (kissing), then stamped using one of the images.  I didn't completely cover either image with ink and I liked how it came out.  It is something you have to play around with a little, but it really produces a unique look.  I punched the image out with the Full Heart punch and then placed the stamped friend image inside another heart image that I stamped creating a little frame effect.  The rest of the card I left simple! 

ENJOY!

THE NICEST THINGS HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I remember when this stamp set, The Nicest Things, was released.  These cute little girls immediately made me think of my girls.  I made a birthday card for my Mom with this set, because I knew it would also remind her of them.  Although this stamp set is retiring this month, I think it will stay in my collection.   At least these little girls won't grow up so fast!!  I used a little paper piercing on this card to get the design on their dresses.  I stamped on DSP and then cut out just the areas I wanted to use and glued them to the stamped image on my card.  It is tedious, but I love the effect.

ENJOY!

DAISIES #2 DIE HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY WISHES

So again today I am combining a couple of challenges  The Paper Players and Twisted Sketches and displaying a few soon to be retired items.  For my stamp set, I chose a hostess set from the catalog called Happiest Birthday Wishes.  It is a great set with 11 images.  I love that with last year's catalog, Stampin Up changed the way hostess dollars can be spent.  They give you more of a choice, you can purchase hostess sets or you can spend your hostess dollars on any item in the catalog!  My little daisies are from the Daisies #2 die that I quickly ran through my Big Shot.  I ran all 4 pieces of card stock through at the same time, which makes mass production a quick process.  This die will stay in my collection after it retires this month, at least until all my little Daisy Girl Scout scrapbook pages are completed!!  ENJOY!

SWEETHEART AND PETITE PAIRS HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I came across a new challenge blog, the dynamic duos challenge, and decided to play along.  The sketch is from this week's stamping 411 challenge. For my image, I used the Sweetheart stamp set and yes, it is also retiring this month.  I added crystal effects to the stamped image to add a little shine and then stamp my sentiment from the Petite Pairs set.  The little brad is from the 2011-2013 In color brad set.  I have been quite busy over the last week in my little craft room and I am enjoying every moment.  ENJOY!

WISH BIG BIRTHDAY

I played around a little with the color throw down and freshly made sketches challenges and this card is the result.  I needed a card for an 12 year old boy that loves to play football.  I don't have a football stamp, but I used a circle punch once for the circle and then again to crop the circle to make it resemble a football.  I am not much of an artist, that is why I love stamps, but I did my best free handing the strips on the football.  Hopefully, he will be pleased!

Stamp set:  Word Play and Happiest Birthday Wishes

MESSAGES FOR MOM HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!  I hope you all enjoy your special day!  This card is actually a card I made last year as part of a class, but since the Messages for Mom stamp is retiring soon, I thought I would share it with you.  The DSP is the already retired Greenhouse Gala.  This time I used the butterfly embosslit on DSP.

ENJOY!

ELIZABETH THANK YOU

I love the option an A la Carte stamps gives us, especially this one.  The Elizabeth stamp is only $9.95 and so many sentiments will fit inside.  On this card I embossed the image with back embossing powder to give it that simple elegant look.  Such a quick, simple card, that can easily be mass produced.  Sadly, this stamp is also retiring, so get it NOW!  This is one that will definitely stay in my collection!

ENJOY!

KINDNESS MATTERS

I love this stamp set and I am so glad it is staying.  The sentiment Kindness Matter is so true.  So many times we get caught up in our day to day activities and we forget how much a kind word or act can mean to someone and we forget to thank people for being kind.  I made 4 of these cards for someone very special to me that is going through a very difficult time.  The other day she was telling me how touched she was that people were so helpful and caring to her.  I thought maybe she could use these cards to tell those people just how much their kindness meant to her.

Colors:  Tempting Turquoise, Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss (retired), Daffodil Delight
Stamp Set:  Kindness Matter
Accessories:  Oval Die(retiring soon), Basic Pearls
DSP:  Greenhouse Gala (retired)

ENJOY!

FLIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLY FOR TEACHER'S APPRECIATION WEEK

It is Teacher's Appreciation Week!!  So I wanted to give my girls' teachers a gift card from someplace I know they will use...Starbucks!  This is actually a card I made a while back, but I took it apart and added a few different accessaries.  I have used this Stamp Set Flight of the Butterfly a lot over the last few years, (it was in my starter kit) and I am a little sad to see it retire.  If it has been on your list, make sure you order it before May 31st, after then it is gone!!

ENJOY!

MESSAGES FOR MOM

When the list of retiring accessories came out I went through my catalog, as I normally do, and highlighted all the items.  This year, I was really surprised about how many of these items I use all the time.  A little sad to lose some, although as a hobby demonstrator I will continue to hold onto and use the things I love, current or not.  I am also excited to see what the new items will be and there will be a lot this year...hope my budget can handle it!!

Okay, for today's card, I used the retiring stamp set Messages for Mom and the retiring DSP Beau Chateau.  If you want either of these items, order now, they are only available through May 31st and only while supplies last.  I really love this paper.  The circle is from Circle #2 die, the butterfly is the Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die and the texture on the small banner was created using the Stripes Embossing Folder.  All three of these items were quickly ran through my Big Shot.  To add a little extra, I placed three small Basic Pearls down the spine of my little beautiful.  I am so glad the Basic Pearls and Rhinestones are carrying over to the new catalog, I love them.

This card came together so quickly because I utilized the Mojo Monday sketch for some inspiration.  You should check it out!  If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear them!  Enjoy!