Sympathy

No ones likes to make sympathy cards, so I like to make some when I don't need to.  If I make a sympathy card with someone specific in mind, I usually end up dropping tears on it and ruining it!

Here's a simple, but elegant sympathy card:

It is a white card base, with a layer of white that has been run through the Framed Tulips embossing folder.  The stamping is done with Crumb Cake, and the wide Old Olive 1-1/4" grosgrain ribbon is gathered in the middle with some linen thread.  The "Praying for You" can easily be replaced by "Thinking of You."

This is a quick and easy card, and looks great in a variety of colors.  You can make this card so fast that your tears won't even have time to dry!

Seriously though, I'm finding that I need these types of cards way too often, so try making a few to have on hand.

Birthday Blossom

I made this card for a teacher's birthday, and I copied the idea from a card I saw on my upline's blog, Bella Cosa. It just said that the card was made by Ruth, so thank you, Ruth!  This Build a Blossom flower is on a piece of Chocolate Chip card stock, embossed with the Framed Tulips folder, on a Pink Pirouette card base.

Here is a close-up of just the flower, so you can see the Dazzling Diamonds "bling!"

The flower in the center is actually one of the vanilla rosettes that were in the summer mini.  The really cool thing is that you can make them any color you want!  You can soak them in reinker and water and let them dry, but I didn't want to wait, so I just used my Stampin' Up marker.  LOVE IT!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  We have friends visiting from Washington, and we are looking forward to spending time with them.  We have been friends since BC (before children)!  Gordon actually met them before we got married (30+) years ago in Chico, and they are such great friends that no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, we just pick up where we left off!

HAVE YOU PRE-ORDERED YOUR NEW CATALOG YET??

Happy Stampin'!

Debbie

Happy Birthday (almost) to my Son-In-Law

My son-in-law's birthday is this Saturday, and we got him a gift card.  Sometimes giving a gift card feels kind of boring, but not when it's in this:

This is called an Envelope Card, and you'll see why in the next picture.

I wanted to use the stuff that puffs up when you heat it, but I couldn't find it, so I improvised and used pom poms for the beer foam.

It's hard to see, but I used Crystal Effects on the mugs from the Cheers to You stamp set to make them look like glass.

First lick an envelope and close it, fold it in half, then cut it, so you have two openings - one for a greeting, and the other for a gift card or money.  The top flap tucks under the main image, in this case the beer mugs, and holds the card closed.

On the other side of this card, I wrote our Happy Birthday greeting, and the gift card is in the second opening.

With many graduations coming up, and Father's Day, too, this is a unique way to jazz up a card or money gift.

Let me know if you'd like to learn how to make an Envelope Card!

 
HAVE YOU PRE-ORDERED YOUR NEW CATALOG YET??

Happy Stampin'!

Debbie

Music to my ears

Our church organist has decided to retire, so I thought I would send this card to her.

 

 I really love black and white, or in this case, black and vanilla, cards.

This card has a lot of elements:  Very Vanilla base, and the music paper is from the Newsprint set of designer paper, which I ran through the Big Shot with a texture plate, and layered on a piece of Basic Black.

The swirls along the bottom are from the Strength and Hope stamp set ($2 from the sales of these sets goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation).

I used the Decorative Label Punch to punch out one of the Four Frames images (which was available for a short time as a new catalog preview set, but won't be available again until July 1st).  I made the black layer behind it by punching out 2 labels and piecing them together behind the frame, and there are 2 of the smallest halfback pearls on each side.  "friends" is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  It's a pricey set, but there are 24 stamps, sentiments for just about every occasion, and they fit just about ANYWHERE!  I LOVE the set -- I have used it a lot. 

HAVE YOU PRE-ORDERED YOUR NEW CATALOG YET??

Happy Stampin'!

Debbie

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Stamping Divas,

Happy New Year??  Do you think I'm off my rocker??  Well, sometimes, maybe, but not this time. 

It is hard to believe, but the new Stampin' Up catalog is right around the corner!

If you would like to pre-order a 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog, I will be putting in my order on June 1, so that I will receive one of the first shipments of catalogs that go out.

You can begin ordering out of the new catalog at noon on July 1st, 2011.  The cost will be $5.00, but if you want it mailed to you, please send me a check for $6.00.   

 

I can't wait to see what's new -- how about you??

Garden Box 2

Here is Garden Box #2

From right to left:

Two rows of radishes (one row seriously disturbed by a cat doing his "business,"

and the beginning of the Pepper Patch!

Yes, you counted correctly -- 6 pepper plants!

Why, you ask?

Because my husband loves to make his own hot sauces!



 


Two of the plants are bell peppers, but the rest are various types of hot peppers, and see the empty area in the middle?  He ordered Ghost Peppers, which are supposed to be among the hottest peppers around.  Alrighty, then!

We finished the box with 2 bean plants, 2 squash and a melon.  This weekend, we hope to lay down the automatic drip watering hoses -- yay, no more hand watering!

Did we overplant?  You betcha!!

The Garden Is In!

Yes, the garden is planted!  Over the winter, we covered the raised boxes with black plastic, and when we took it off to plant...NO WEEDS!  Yay!

Look at that beautiful dirt!

Yum...can't wait for REAL tomatoes!  5 tomato plants in that box.










Don't know why these pics are so dark - it was sunny when I took them!

Tomorrow...garden box #2!