Friday, April 29

MAY IS NATIONAL SCRAPBOOKING MONTH

May Promotion Starts Today! 
Stampin' Up is starting the May National Scrapbooking Month Bundle special TODAY and it will go throughout the month of May!!  YIPPEE. 

What is this special?  Glad you asked!!   Take 30% select stamp sets from the IBC:

Party Hearty (p. 54)  wood only, item #111532,  sale price only $18.87

Grunge Rock, (p. 87), wood item #117080, sale price $14.67; clear item #120555, sale price $11.17


Animal Stories, (p. 94), wood only item #116716, sale price $11.17


Printed Petals, (p. 106), wood item #116679, sale price $13.97; clear item #120444, sale price $10.47


Simple Friendship, (p. 108), wood item #113397, sale price $18.17


Word Play, (p. 147), wood item #120308, sale price $29.37; clear item #120651, sale price $20.27


Sweet Shoppe Alphabet Lower, (p. 162), wood item #120272, sale price $22.37; clear item #120648 sale price $16.77

You can order from my online SU! site at any time convenient for you.  I would enjoy seeing your pages you create this month.  Please send me an email so I can see what you have created.

Inky fingers y'all.

Saturday, April 23

FRIDAY MASHUP CHALLENGE - B & W AND SQUARE CARD

Here is my entry for the Friday Mashup Challenge of a black and white card that is square.  I did a 5" square white card with a black layer under the newsprint dsp. The newsprint DSP and it's layer I put assymetrical on the square card.  I used my fancy flowers die and my BIG SHOT and cut out fabric in black, beige with black polka dots and then a small black circle in the center.  An antique brad holds the flower together.  I used stretchy black cord at the top, and stamped "Elegant Thank You" on white with a layer of black behind it, punched out in decorative label punch.  Hope you enjoy my card.  Please leave a comment, I enjoy hearing your comments.



BABIES, BUNNIES, FLOWERS = SPRING

Oh how I love spring.  The flowers - the baby birds and animals - the breezes - and the colors of green.  Green is my favorite color and each spring I remember why I love green so much.  There is nothing quite as beautiful as new green growth in all it's splendor.

I also love spring when I remember this verse, "Who seeketh thou?  He is not here, but has risen."  What a glorious statement and what a glorious promise of resurrection for all of us.  I am grateful for the promise of the resurrection and eternal life with our family and loved ones.

I finally got a photo of the cute onesie I made for my new granddaughter, Penelope.  Wow, sometimes technology really sucks and is frustrating, eh?  Cords missing, things not working, bad photos, etc.  whew - finally!!  Here it is made from the Sew Suite matching fabric and the rose red striped ribbon from the clearance rack.  Don't you just love the pompom trim along the edges of the ruffles??  To make the ribbon rose I just did a running stitch along one edge and gathered it up then hand sewed it in place.

Before I go I wanted to share a beautiful ruffled iris from my garden.  This is an amazing bloom because they don't do well in this part of Texas because it usually doesn't get cold enough in the winter.  But we had some freezing weather this year and it finally bloomed.  I got a piece of it 3 years ago from my mother in law's garden in Utah and it makes a nice green plant, but it never bloomed until this year.  PRETTY!!



Happy Easter to you and your family.

Thursday, April 21

Creative Sketches TECHNIQUE WEEK!! CS29T AND PPC Specialty Challenge #6 - EASTER

I am entering my Easter Bunny "Happy Hoppy" in this weeks Creative Sketches Technique Week Challenge.  Here is the sketch they issued:
with the technique of using pastels on the card.  My take on this challenge is as follows:


The layer they show for the front I took the liberty to make larger and double layer it - rich razzleberry solid card stock in the back and a hand stamped decorative layer of bunnies for the front.  For the ribbon I used rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon and for the punched element I used the decorative label and the four frames stamp colored with markers and chalked.  The created the wording "Happy Hoppy" by putting a self sticking pearl for the "o" in Hoppy.  This has a layer behind it of rich razzleberry as well.  Clean and Simple and cute!!

So sorry my photo shows a little bit of yellowing on the left, it is a shadow.  There is no yellow on this card; it is just the shadow from taking the photo.

I would enjoy receiving your comments.

Inky fingers to all y'all!!  AND Happy Hoppy.


Wednesday, April 20

HOUSTON, I HAVE PHOTOS....FINALLY!!

I'M BACK WITH MY PHOTO PROBLEMS SOLVED!!  Thanks for your patience with me as I figured out how to solve my technical issues.

I have so many photos that I will only put up a few today so I don't inundate you, ok?

The first photo is my card I made as the make and take at my last workshop.  I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the Sew Suite items that all coordinate so beautifully.  They are in the OCCASIONS MINI CATALOG which means you only have a few more days to order these items before it is all over for this catalog on April 30.Don't miss out.  The stamp set is so wonderful.  Look at that cute button card - IT'S A STAMP.  Look at the adorable tape measure - ALSO A STAMP!!  And the cute spool of thread is ALSO ANOTHER STAMP in the SEW SUITE Stamp set. (item #122009 clear set for $18.95.)  There is also a tomato pin cushion stamp and a manikin stamp as well in this set.  ORDER NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

I am offering a special gift to all who order from me before April 1st - I have a long list of retired stamp sets and am offering a FREE stamp set from these retired sets with every $50 purchase!!

The paper that goes so well with this stamp set is the SWEET STITCHES DESIGNER PAPER.  Oh my, it is absolutely adorable.  My favorite pieces are the buttons page and the sewing machines in all different bright colors page.  (Item #121781 - $9.95)  GET YOUR PAPER FROM ME ALSO TO HELP GET YOUR ORDER UP TO $50 FOR YOUR FREE STAMP SET.

I understand that in the new catalog coming out in soon, all the Designer Papers are going to be $1.00 more per pack.  So the $9.95 papers will be $10.95, the $10.95 papers will be $11.95, etc.  That is what I understand.  So if you see some papers you have been waiting to purchase, THIS IS THE TIME TO PURCHASE THEM WHILE THE PRICES ARE THE LOWEST THEY WILL BE. 

And speaking of LOW PRICES, have you seen the Clearance Rack lately??  Those are some amazing prices on the papers, ribbons, buttons and brads, etc.  These can all add up to that special $50 order so you can get personally from me a free stamp set of f my retired sets list.

The cute buttons on my card are the Designer Big Buttons  in the color SWEET STITCHES (of course!) for $8.95 (item #122302)  And don't forget the designer fabric if you like to do crafts with fabric.  I made an adorable onesie for my new baby granddaughter with two ruffles around the waist with the Sweet Stitches Fabric (item #121818 $9.95 - 3 long fat quarters) and pompom trim only $6.50 each roll of 5 yards.  (items #123322-Melon Mambo; #123323-Tangerine Tango; #121885-Daffodil Delight).

I did not use this on my card above, but ther eare also Fabric Designer Brads I used on another card (see below) (Item #121880 for $6.95 for 24 brads) that match perfectly these papers, fabrics and stamps!!

LOVE IT WHEN EVERYTHING MATCHES AND I DON'T HAVE TO GUESS IF IT ALL GOES TOGETHER.  IT MAKES IT SO PROFESSIONAL, DOESN'T IT??!!

From today, April 20 through midnight April 30th, all those who order from me will have A SECOND CHANCE TO WIN SOMETHING FOR FREE - I will put their names into a drawing for the hostess set in the Occasions Mini  called A SLICE OF LIFE.  It will be like YOU were the hostess for my orders these last few days of the month and YOU get the FREE HOSTESS SET!!  Order ONLINE from my stampin up site and it will notify me when you order, then I will add your name to the drawing AS WELL AS send you the list of my retired stamps for you to choose the free set when your order reaches $50 of merchandise!!  WOW, DON'T YOU LOVE FREE THINGS??!!

I have been really lucky this month winning free things from others in the "BLOG WORLD" so thought I would pass on the good fortune by offering free things TO YOU!!

http://www.jenniferkay.stampinup.net/


Back to my card:  some of you will wonder how I got the tape measure to look so real - well, after I stamped it and cut it out, I used my bone folder and rubbed it along the card stock like you would if you were curling ribbon.  I did it a few times to break the fibers in the card stock, but not so much it goes limp.  Then I did it on one end over the top of the card stock so it flips up, then on the other end under the card stock so it flips down.  Cute, huh?  Used glue dots to attach.

Second Card I wanted to show you the fabric button I used on the St. Patrick Day card, but it could actually be for any time of the year that you want to wish someone GOOD LUCK.

Isn't that brad adorable? The whole set of fabric brads match the set with mini buttons on the fabric, stitching, pattern pieces, etc.  Adorable.



I created this cute Easter Card with the bunny from the set SO CUTE (item #123893 clear)  I used blush blossom card stock and stamped the bunny with rich razzleberry, pretty in pink and blush blossom ink as the background paper.  Then I used the Four Frames NEW STAMPSET and colored in the flowers and punched it with the Designer Label Punch and backed it with two punches from the same punch in rich razzleberry.  I do NOT own a Happy Easter Stamp!  Isn't that crazy??!!  So I stamped Happy from a small Happy Birthday stamp retired and Stamped it twice to Say Happy Happy, then put a pearl for the second Happy so it reads HAPPY HOPPY.  Cute, eh?  Rich razzleberry ink completes this simple layered card.  Try this technique of making your own simple designer paper with some of YOUR small stamps, or purchase this SO CUTE STAMP SET today from me online!!

More later with more photos!!  Inky fingers to y'all!!


Friday, April 15

Amazing weather and fun cards

I am so sorry that I have not posted any photos of my cards this week.  It seems the doohickey thingy that I put my SDS card into and then plug into my computer as up and walked away all by itself!!  So after taking the photos, I have no way of getting them up onto my blog.

You will just have to take my word for it that I have both made and seen some really sweet cards this week. (that is until I can locate my doohickey and upload the photos.  We had card night this week and the cards were all awesome.  Everyone has their own style of stamping and I for one love to make other's cards because they are usually ideas I would not have on my own.  So it is another way of getting my "repertoire" of cards increased.

I have also been sewing this past week.  At church we are having a sewing class once a week for a month to help us get back into sewing and to learn new techniques, etc.  I am starting with curtains for my bedroom.  I am recycling some cloth that is discontinued swatches from a home decorating store.  I sewed them together like patchwork and am sewing tabs at the top for the rod to slip through.  It is very expensive tapistry-type fabric and will be wonderful in my bedroom when finished. 

I also created a cute little baby outfit out of a onesie.  I put 2 ruffled lengths like a skirt at the bottom of the onsie as well as a ribbon band along the waistline.  then I made a cute ribbon rose for the shoulder.  It is for my new granddaughter Penelope.  She is granddaughter #3 born to son #2 and wife a few weeks ago.  We are going to meet Penelope and see son #2 get two master's degrees mid May in Illinois.  Looking forward to that.

I also recycled some interesting textured wallpaper that looks like bamboo placemats for some cards this past week.  They came out exactly how I wanted them to.  I used the single stamp " Blossom " and some colors I don't use very often - Cajun Craze and Wild Wasabi. Hopefully I can post the photos soon.

Have a great weekend and if your weather is warm and full of springtime, get out and enjoy it.  I sure will here in Texas.

Inky fingers to y'all.



Monday, April 11

I love Texas in the springtime...

I know the original song says "Paris" instead of TEXAS, but I have never been to Paris and I SURE DO LOVE BEING HERE IN TEXAS in the springtime.  We are experiencing drought conditions but we still have beautiful wildflowers, lush green trees and shrubs and the grass has greened up and come alive.  Our watering cycle has begun where we water once per week for deep roots watering to keep the trees and plants healthy and keeps their roots deeply looking for water.

My mulch bin was all turned into wonderful soil from last year's fall leaves and "stuff", so I put it all around my new veggie garden and flowers.  I have hot pink impatients all in my front yard gardens and they look so pretty.  And my little veggie garden is my salsa garden - tomatoes, chilis, cilantro, bell peppers and tomatilloes.

This is a redbud tree blooming just down the street from me.  No, it is not a cemetery stone beside it (that is what my hubby said it looks like), it is actually a phone company cable box or something like that.

Planted some fennel and passion flowers for the local butterflies.  We love to watch them lay their eggs and then watch the caterpillars hatch into butterflies each year.  Gulf Fritillary lay on the passion flower vines and monarchs lay on the fennel.

My grandson is showing his Yorkshire show pig at the county fair this afternoon so that is what my day is looking like.  We have so enjoyed learning from him all about his pig (or barrow as called in the show circuit).  We have our fingers crossed that he wins and gets a good price for his pig.

My daughter #2 is visiting us this weekend and leaves tonight.  She was on a business trip to Houston and then spent a few days with us before going back home.  She gets to watch the pig show as well with us.

Granddaughter #2's emergency surgery went well and she is feeling so much better.  Had to have her appendix and gall bladder removed.  Wish we lived closer so I could have been there to help.  Love you Kayleigh.

More cards and photos to come this week, I promise.  Did a lot of creating, just didn't get the photos up yet.  Have been sewing also and will post those as well.

Happy crafting and inking fingers to y'all.