Claudia's Blog

Gift Card Holder

2011-12-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

Hello!
Yesterday at our December Stamp Camp with the great Angie Jarman, we made some pretty cool projects. My favorite one is this gift card holder. It is very simple to make and you just slide the ribbon off, flip it open and put the gift card in the pocket.Pretty neat, huh? I love the colors in this one and you can make to fit any occasion.
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day and a very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-17T21:22:00.001-08:00

Hello! This is the card I made for Christmas this year - 40 of them! I first made one like it at a stamp camp last year and fell in love with it! It has edge-punching, embossing, braying and cool ribbon and I love how they turned out! At the stamp camp for November, we made some other cool cards. I will post them soon! Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a GREAT day!

Stamp Camp CASE

2011-10-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is my take on a card we made at our October Stamp Camp. There was a fall leaf on the original and I like it better this way - clean and simple!
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day!

World Card Making Day

2011-10-10T16:11:00.001-07:00

Hello! My daughter Dawn was here visiting from Tacoma, WA on October 1st, which also happened to be World Card Making Day. We made two of these cards each that morning and are very pleased with them. I made one a few years ago at a stamp camp and thought it was worth making again.
We had a GREAT visit and I am going to Washington in November for a week. Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great day!

Very Sad News

2011-08-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've been away from my blog for a long time now. On April 17, 2011, my dear husband lost his battle with brain cancer. I have had a rough time dealing with his death and I am trying to get back into a somewhat normal routine. Please be patient with me - I hope to be posting again soon.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-25T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hello! This is one of the cards I made for my daughters for Valentine's Day. I just love this little stamp set from Stampin' Up. The little bunny is so CUTE! I also used my new Martha Stewart heart border punch - I love it! I colored the bubbles with markers and added a touch of glassy looking stuff from Close To My Heart.
I know I haven't blogged much lately, but we have had quite a few appointments due to my husband's cancer treatments and tests. I try to escape to my Studio upstairs whenever I can because it really relaxes me to get creative, but I don't always find the time. I will try to post more often in the future.
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a GREAT day!

Another Recipe Page

2011-01-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hello! Today I am posting another 6"x6" recipe page I made for the cookbook from The Inky Fingers group of friends. The theme was Christmas recipes and I thought this one was perfect because the red raspberries remind me of a Christmas dessert. My daughter made the recipe and took it to the party and everyone liked it.
I picked out the paper I wanted to use and added some red rhinestones to some of the holly berries. I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it as much as we do!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Fall Shadow Box

2010-12-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! Happy New Year! I've been pretty busy this month, but I didn't want to forget to post the wonderful shadow box I made in a class with the wonderful SU demonstrator, Angie Jarman. We had lots of fun making it and I think it turned out very well. I will post again in a few days!

I hope you have a GREAT day and a happy, healthy, new year! Thanks for stopping by today!

Hello and Merry Christmas!

2010-12-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone - It's been a long time since I last posted and now it's already a week before Christmas! This is the card I made for Christmas this year. Since I already mailed them, I can now post the photo here. Katy, (my BFF) and I celebrated a 'Christmas in July' session and I made 36 of these cards. It is always nice to have my cards done in July and we plan to continue our tradition for years to come.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you have a GREAT holiday season and a very Merry Christmas!

A Recipe Book

2010-10-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Today I'm posting a recipe page I made for a cookbook. My two daughters are in a card making group called The Inky Fingers, and they made 6"x6" cookbooks last month. Each member made nine of the same recipe pages to share with the group, to form a cookbook. Only eight of the members participated, but they still each made nine pages. Therefore, they had an extra book. The group, very generously, decided to give me a copy of the book, so I decided to add a page to their books as well. This is what I made. The recipe is a family favorite and very simple to make. If you try it, let me know what you think! I'm sure it will be a favorite of yours too.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you have a GREAT day!

One for the girls in Washington

2010-10-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

The past few weeks have flown by faster than ever. We received some bad news from my husband's oncologist. It seems that his bone cancer has progressed into some of his ribs and spine. The brain and lung cancers are still stable, which is good news. We have many appointments scheduled for the next couple of weeks and will know more after we get the results of the next batch of tests.

In the meantime, I have not had much time to create cards. I did make a couple of cards I have pictured here, for my daughters in Washington. I used the cards as Thank You cards for them, but they could also be used as Thinking of You, Get Well, or almost any kind of occasion. I like using bright colors and this card is one of my favorites.

Take care, and thanks for stopping by today!

Another Stamp-a-Stack

2010-09-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello! This card is a part of my latest Stamp-a-Stack creation. My friend Katy and I got together to visit and work on our cards a couple of weeks ago, and I finished them up last week. I made six of these and seven of the card I posted last week. I like having extra cards on hand that I can use for several different occasions. I also love the patterned paper I used on this card. The sentiment is by Art Impressions and the little rhinestones are from Joann ETC.

I've been back to work at the school for the past two weeks and already miss the free time I had all summer. I plan to manage my time well enough to be creative with my card making and still get my cleaning done!

Thanks for stopping by today - I hope you have a great day!

My latest...

2010-09-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

I love this card! I saw one like it on a blog and made my own version. I especially like the textured Rich Razzleberry card stock. The darker colors seem to really bring out the pattern. The butterfly is from Stampin' Up and the ribbon is from Michael's. (It really matched my Old Olive card stock well.)

Unfortunately, summer break is over and I go back to work at the high school library tomorrow. I have to work a little over a year before I can retire. You can bet I'm counting the days! I'm very lucky to have such wonderful people to work with though, so I'm sure the time will fly by!

Take care and thanks for stopping by today!

Friends

2010-08-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Monday!

I made three of these cards and used them to invite some of my close friends to join me and see "Eat, Pray, Love" this week. I can't wait to see the movie because I love Julia Roberts and I listened to the audio book and loved the story.

I had this really cool paper for a while now and I am glad I finally used it. I used my Stampin Up punch to make the small flower, and the brad is from my stash. It was great because it didn't cover too much of the cool paper.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hpe you have a GREAT day!

Flower card

2010-08-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hello! It has been a very busy week. We had some Dr. appointments and tests just about every day this week. My BFF came over on Wednesday and we made some cards in my studio and listened to some great oldies. I finished listening to the audio book of Eat, Pray, Love and can't wait to see the movie. (I love Julia Roberts movies!)

I used my new rubber stamp from Impress Rubber Stamps called 8 petal flower w/ center dot. I stamped it in two colors and drew a stem. I love how it turned out! My daughter Dawn really liked it, and has requested a set of six for Christmas. The paper and other supplies were just things I had on hand, and I used a Fiskars punch on the bottom of the white card stock.

I hope you have a GREAT day. Thanks for stopping by today!

New Embossing Folder

2010-08-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hello! I recently purchased the new Stampin' Up embossing folder called Square Lattice. I used it on this card and I love the way it looks like cloth. I saw it used on a few other cards with darker card stock and they looked fabulous too. The image and sentiment I used are from the SU Level One Hostess set called "Because I Care". I stamped the image in Rose Red on Whisper White card stock and colored the stem in Old Olive. I also sponged the edges with Rose Red. I plan to use this folder a lot more in the future.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by today!

Kristi's card

2010-07-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today's card is one that I made for my friend Mary's daughter Kristi. She has been battling breast cancer for several months now at the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor, and is currently consulting with doctors in Houston, Texas regarding further treatment. Because I am a two-time survivor of the dreaded disease, I felt this card was very appropriate. I think of them often and our prayers are constantly sent out for the entire family.

The stamp I used is from the "Think Pink" set by My Favorite Things stamp company and the background is the "Swiss Dots" embossing folder by Cuttlebug. Thanks for stopping by today!

Aprons...

2010-07-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

I have always loved aprons! I own several of them - some are old and hold many good memories and some are newer. My sister Joann (who is an excellent seamstress) recently made me a beautiful, reversible apron with a delightful cherry pattern. I love it! I decided to make her a card to thank her and this is what I came up with. Thank you again, Joann!

I hope all of you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by today.

I've been gone for a while...

2010-07-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! My last post was in December and now it's July! In December I had some health issues with my heart and in January, as some of you know, my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, which had spread to his brain. After brain surgery and radiation treatments, he went through a rough time due to steroids and a possible seizure, which landed him in the hospital and then a nursing home to rehabilitate. He is home now and doing well. The tumor that is left in his brain is only 2cm. and the tiny spot on his lung has not gotten any larger or spread elsewhere in his body. We keep praying that this remission will last a long time.

In the meantime, I haven't spent very much time making cards or posting to my blog. Now that our schedules are a little bit more normal, I've had time to make a few cards, both at a couple of stamp camps and in my studio.

The card I am posting today is one I made for my daughter Monique when she bought her first NEW car about six weeks ago. She is now living in her own apartment and loves her new car!

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll post again later this week. Don't forget - you can leave a comment on this post if you would like.

Gift Card Holder

2009-12-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hello and Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas was great and that the New Year is even better! This card is a gift card holder. It is one of four that Crystal showed us how to make at her last stamp camp. We covered a piece of cardstock with foil and ran it through the Cuttlebug. It comes out really cool and we added the holder on the front of the card; very simple and yet very elegant. We made three other cool holders, too. I will post another one soon. Thanks for stopping by today. Enjoy the holidays!

More Stamp Camp Stuff

2009-12-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hello - It has been a while since I posted! Sorry about that! This card is from Nicole's camp. I love the colors and the card. I've got a few more to post from Angie's last two camps. We already have another one coming up on the 21st of this month. I also attended a really cool one at Crystal's house last night. Be patient - I should get most of them posted this week. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello! Here is another card I made at Angie's last Stamp Camp. I love this Stampin' Up stamp set and I really like the way this card looks. (The set has now been added to my wish list!)

I haven't made any cards lately, partly because of work and partly because I've been busy getting ready for my daughter's visit this month. She will be here from Tacoma, WA for about two weeks. I can hardly wait! We are going to have lots of time to make cards and visit.

I hope you have a great day. Thanks for stopping by today!

Stamp Camp

2009-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hello and happy Sunday! This is another card from one of the stamp camps I attended. I love the colors together, and the whole look of the card. We are going to another of Angie's stamp camps tomorrow.

I hope to have some time to create some of my own cards this week, too. I went back to work on the eighth of September, and haven't had much time to myself since. I'm getting back into the swing of things slowly. Plus, I got my flu shot last Monday and was sick for 3 days! I also joined a book group and I have been enjoying the first selection this week.

I hope you have a great week and thanks fot stopping by today.

Nicole's Stamp Camp

2009-08-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello - and Happy Monday! I had a wonderful weekend with my DIL and a great day today with my sister. Tomorrow, it's an early staff breakfast at work and then a late lunch with my BFF, Katy. It has been that kind of week - very busy, but I love it!

This card is my favorite from my friend Nicole's stamp camp last week. We made eight cards all together (two each of four designs), and I liked all of them.

This one has four panels of design paper and I liked all of the patterns. We added a scalloped bottom, some ribbon and a button to complete the card. The panels are popped up with SU dimensionals which made it a very simple and beautiful card. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a great day!

Another BD Card

2009-08-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I'm having a really GREAT week and I hope you are too. I have one week left of my summer vacation and on September 8th, it's back to work! I'm looking forward to this coming week and almost everyday is filled with fun stuff to do.

This is another card I am making in bulk. I plan to make eight of them and they are already cut out and ready to put together.

I attended another stamp camp with my friend Katy, and we made eight more beautiful cards. This time Nicole hosted the camp, and I understand she will hold monthly sessions with new cards at each one. I can't wait. I will share the latest cards with you real soon.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Another Favorite

2009-08-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is a card I made at Angie's stamp camp for August. I really like this one and I'm sure I will use the layout again soon. It uses the new Stampin' Up color 'Rich Razzleberry' which I love. The scalloped oval and the regular oval punch are also SU, as well as the matching ribbon. I plan to attend Angie's stamp camp each month, because I love the cards she designs for them. Thanks for stopping by today.

BD Cards

2009-08-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! I decided it was time to make some birthday cards in bulk. This is one of the cards I designed and I made eight of them. I love the bright colors and the ribbon seemed to finish it off just right. I went to my BFF's house on Wednesday and we had a great time making cards. We also attended an awesome Stamp Camp yesterday and made five beautiful cards. I will post them as I take photos. Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you have a great day!

Sketch Challenge

2009-08-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hello - Here is the card I made for this week's Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #77. This is the first time I've entered a card in Taylor VanBruggen's contest. I love how it turned out and I hope I get picked to have my blog featured on her blog. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day.

Supplies used: Stamps-cupcake by Lockhart Stamp Co, sentiment by A Muse Artstamps, Paper- Bazzill, Inks-Stampin' Up, Misc accessories.

Another Favorite

2009-08-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hello! Here is another favorite of mine from the Stamp Camp last week. I love the colors in this one and it was very easy to make. Once again, it is completely made of Stampin' Up supplies. I can hardly wait for the next camp in August.

Stamp Camp

2009-08-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last week, my BFF Katy and I went to a stamp camp with a "new to us" demonstrator. She had everything we needed to make five beautiful cards. I first heard about her on my friend Sue's blog. Angie is her name and she holds monthly stamp camps at four different locations. We met at a LSS (local Scrapbook store) and we had a great time. I was pleased with all of the cards we made and Angie supplied everything - even the adhesive. Here is my favorite from the camp.

All of the supplies used are Stampin' Up. I actually cut out the butterfly - not one of my favorite things to do - but it came out just fine. I'll post another of the cards in a day or so. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day.

Lisa's BD

2009-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was my daughter-in-law Lisa's birthday. This is the card I made for her - it is very sparkley because she has such a sparkling personality! Also, the card base is orange because that is her favorite color. I have finally been making more time to create cards this past week. I have a few cute ones planned for this coming week, and will post them as I finish them.

I hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by today.

Sherrie's Birthday

2009-07-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

My Daughter-in-law Sherrie loves Fairies, so when I found this DP, I knew I had to have it. I had to pick the perfect section of the paper to get this result, as there were all different sizes of fairies all around the sheet. I think the rhinestones added the perfect touch! Happy Birthday, Sherrie!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great day.

Craig's Birthday

2009-07-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I made a card for my brother Craig's birthday. As I have said in past posts, he loves to fish, so I used some pattern paper with fishing lures on it. I also made three other birthday cards today, but I have to wait until they are received in the mail to post them.

I have really been enjoying being home this summer. I can't believe that four weeks have passed since my vacation started. I have eight weeks left and a list of things I want to get accomplished before I go back to work this fall. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a great day!

Christmas in July!

2009-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, which was July 1st, I made my Christmas cards! I completed 30 of them in 24 hours!!! I went to my bff Katy's house and we worked very hard on our cards for this December and I finished them at home that night! I can't post a picture because it may spoil the surprise at Christmas, but I will post it after they are mailed. Needless to say, I am quite pleased with myself!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day!

Nick & Lisa's New House

2009-06-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hello! My son and daughter-in-law bought their first house! We went there today to see it and I love it. It's beautiful and they deserve it because they both work very hard and are the nicest people! I finally got to use my Boards and Beams stamp set from Papertrey Ink. I also tried to do some shading for the first time. I like how the shading under the top edge of the roof came out, but I kind of over-did it on the fromt porch. I still love the card and will try to do better next time. I used Stampin' Up markers and an assortment of papers, including watercolor paper for the house itself.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope to post again soon, now that I'm off work for the next twelve weeks for summer vacation. See you soon.

35th Anniversary

2009-05-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hello! My sister Joann, and brother-in-law Gary have been married for 35 years! They still seem as happy as the day they were married.

This is the card I made for their anniversary. I used SU Purely Pomegranate paper and matching ribbon from Taylored Expressions. The little love charm is from the bridal section at JoAnn ETC. I used versamark ink and embossed it with marcasite embossing powder. The stamp set is also from SU and it is called 'Love You Much.' Thanks for stopping by today.

6x6 Page Addition

2009-04-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Today I have another item to share that we made at the Relay for Life crop. It is a 6x6 page addition for a scrapbook page - or you can frame it and use it for a single photo. You just simply slip the corner of a photo behind the ribbon and add it to a page. I don't usually scrapbook, but sometimes I make pages for new babies if they are requested instead of a card for showers, etc.

Also, my good friend Sue showed me how to link things on the blog. I had never quite figured it out and now that I see how simple it is, I feel very silly! Sue has lots of cool stuff on her blog, (The Blondin Blog), so I suggest you check it out here.

Card from Relay crop

2009-04-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! I finally made some time to catch up on my blog-hopping and I am happy to report that I have found many great inspiring samples and ideas.

This card is one of the cards I made at the Relay for Life crop last week. I used a 6x6 piece of cardstock, folded in half. The frosting on the cake is glittered and so is the stripe of blue-green in the middle. We had lots of fun at the crop and can hardly wait for the next one. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a great day.

Relay for Life Crop

2009-04-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello - So I went to a Relay for Life Crop with my BFF, Katy last Saturday. We had a wonderful day and had lots of fun. The food was great and they had very nice door prizes, plus four make-and-takes. The Stampin' Up person who co-sponsored the event had a really cool bag of freebees for everyone there. She included two sheets each of cardstock and DP, SU post-it notes, SU dimensionals, SU ink pen, an SU pencil that looked like the DP, and a clear acrylic rectangle box. She also had this cute little bag of candy in our bags. The bunny on the label is completely made out of punches from SU. She added a brad for the nose and faux brads for the eyes. The make-and-takes were great and I will post some of them soon. I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by today.

A Birthday Card

2009-03-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made nearly two weeks ago. I haven't been able to go up to my Studio since March 10th when I had a minor accident while on a field trip with some seniors from the school where I work. We were on a college visit and I missed seeing the step in front of me and fell on my knees and grazed the side of my face. It was raining really hard and we were on the way to the bus. I was trying to count the students ahead of me when I fell. The x-rays showed that everything is fine, but I really bruised the knees and could hardly walk for about eight days. It is slowly getting better, and I can now go up the steps (very carefully) to my studio. My DH has been great. (I'm so glad he is retired.) I'm going back to work on Monday, although I may have to wear my bermudas for a while, because it still hurts to have any material touch the knee that has a scab on it.

Back to the card - I love this bright paper and the cupcake had never been inked until now. I added some ice stickles to the cherry in the sentiment and on the cupcake. The frosting is colored with Liquid Pearls and I added fake brads from Joann's. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a great day!

Specialty Paper

2009-03-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hi! I made a couple of cards last week and this is one of them. I really like this flower stamp, and hadn't used it in a while. I figured it is time for a Spring card, since we are patiently awaiting the season here in Michigan. I have this wonderfully marbled specialty paper that I don't use often enough, and I used my flowerpot and photo corner punches on it. I pop-dotted the flowerpot and added some rhinestone bling, after using my SU markers on the bunch of flowers. I really like how it turned out, and I can use it for any occasion. Take it easy and enjoy the weekend. Our weather dude says we are finally going to get a little warmer weather for the next few days. Woo Hoo!

Our Stamp Camp

2009-03-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hello! This is a card I made at our last Stamp Camp with our Stampin' Up demonstrator, Crystal. She has lots of talent, so we made four wonderful designs this time. Our next one is on March 14, and I can't wait. This card is my favorite from the class. It uses the new Bigz die from Stampin' Up and now I have to get one. I love the colors she chose and the rhinestone finished it off beautifully. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day!

Get Well Monique

2009-03-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's Sunday afternoon and I've had a very productive weekend. I love it when I feel that way! I completed another card yesterday, which I will post soon.

I made this card for my daughter Monique. She had a very bad sinus headcold and is still recovering. I thought of her when I saw this image with the bunny in the little girl's pocket. The set is called "My Friend and I Stamp Set" from the Trafalgarssquare line, of Pink Papery Studios. (They have many awesome stamp sets there!) Monique has always loved the Velveteen Rabbit and this bunny is very similar. She loved the card and especially the bunny. Thanks for stopping by today.

Get well Dawn

2009-02-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's been a while since I posted, but I'm back. I made a couple of get well cards for my daughters in Washington, but didn't get a chance to post them. Here is the first one, which was for Dawn. I love this Elzybell image and hadn't inked it up until now. Also, I haven't used my Stampin' Up photo corner punch in quite a while. Dawn is feeling better and her twin sister, Monique is now sick. I'll post her card tomorrow. Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by today.

Winter Friendship

2009-02-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well it's February 1st, and the high temperature for today is above freezing! Throughout January, we only had one day above 32 degrees. We are about at the halfway point of winter and I am still enjoying the sunny weather we have been getting. Today's card is from C.C. Designs and it is a Cookie Crumbs set called "Snow Friends." It has about fifteen sentiments and several images. This is my favorite one! Once again I used Stampin' Up watercolor markers and a blender pen. The fake brads are from Joann's. Thanks for stopping by today!

Another Winter Card

2009-01-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Hello! Today I made a really neat card. I love ice skating and have since I was a kid. Ice skates bring back many great childhood memories for me. So whenever I see stamps with skates on them, I must have them! Makes sense, right? Anyway, I colored it with Stampin' Up watercolor pencils and a blender pen. The image is from Lizzie Anne's Little Bits set called "Christmas in the City". I also used my Gelly Roll clear marker to color the blades, and the rhinestones are from Joann's.

Have a great day. Thanks for stopping by today.

Joel's Birthday

2009-01-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

Hello! Today we had our Stampin' Up new catty Open House and I finally got to make my new wish list. It is longer than the last catty's list, but not too long. I just finished looking at my favorite blogs, and now I have many great new ideas to use this week.

This card is the one I made for my brother Joel's birthday. It was on the 21st, so I had to wait until he got it to post it. I love the paper and the ribbon I used, so it is safe to say I really like the card! I hope you do too. I made another one similar to this one for another of my four brothers' BD in March.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hopefully, I will have time tomorrow to create something to post real soon.

Winter cards

2009-01-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's been a great four day weekend. My BFF Katy came over on Sunday after church and we played in my studio for about four hours. Katy retired in December, so I don't get to see her at work anymore. It was great getting together again. This card is another winter 'whatever I want it to be' card. I love the image - she is so adorable! I used my white Souffle marker on her scarf and the ball on her hat, and some Ice Stickles on the snowflakes. The snowflake brads are from Oriental Trading. Thanks for stopping by today! I'm mailing my brother's card in the morning, so I will be able to post it in a day or so. Have a great week!

Another Thank-You

2009-01-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hello! Well, here in Michigan we are in the middle of another snowstorm! It is SO pretty outside - I'm just glad I don't have to travel anywhere today. This time they're predicting six to nine inches, and so far we have about four. It's the light and fluffy kind, so it won't be too bad to shovel. We still had snow on the ground from the last couple of snowfalls, and the weather guy said another storm is on the way in a day or so. I love winter so I think it is just beautiful!

This card is another thank-you that I made the other day. I love this little snowman by Hero Arts. He is too cute! I colored him just like the little sticker on the stamp is colored. The ribbon has little dots that reminded me of snowballs. The metal 'thank-you' embellishment is one I have had on hand for quite a while, and the faux brads are from Joann's dollar rack. I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by today.

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hello! I have been very busy for the past two weeks, first with my family for the holidays and last week I spent much time organizing and cleaning some things in the house. I can't believe that two weeks went by so fast. (We had a wonderful holiday season with my daughter Monique visiting us from Tacoma, Washington, and we spent quality time with other family and friends.) Today was back to work and boy did the day drag.

This card is one I made as a New Year/Thank You card. I used stickles for the snow on the ground and on the faux brads on the corners. I colored it with my Stampin' Up markers. I love snowmen, and hadn't used this stamp yet. I'll have more to post in a day or so. I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by today.

My Christmas cards

2008-12-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I can finally post my Christmas cards! Everyone has received them in the mail and I'm very pleased with how they turned out. I made 26 copies of a card that Taylor Van Bruggen created last year for Stampendous. The stamp is called "Doodle Joy" and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. They were probably the most time-consuming cards I have ever made, but well worth it. I have been very busy lately and haven't had time to create. I have lots of stuff waiting for me to work on in my studio, and it has been hard to stay away from it for so long. We were supposed to work today, but we had a "Snow Day", so now I'm off for our Christmas break for 16 more days! Woo Hoo! I'm sure I will get back into my studio soon. Thank you for stopping by today. I'm off to do some baking and last minute cleaning. I hope each of you has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Get well, Monique

2008-11-28T20:01:00.001-08:00

Hello! This is the card I made for my daughter Monique. She had surgery this week and I hoped it would cheer her up a bit. I couldn't be there with her, (Tacoma, WA) so I hope the card is doing it's job, along with the flowers we sent. We bought a web-cam last week, so we were able to see her when she came home from the hospital. That is really cool! I think we will get a lot of use out of the new technology. My two sons also have web-cams, so we can all have fun with them. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by today. Note: I replaced the first photo I used with this brighter one.

From my daughters...

2008-11-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hello! This card is from my daughters, Dawn and Monique. They are twins and live in Tacoma, Washington. (Half way across the world from me!) It is the cutest Halloween card I've seen this year and it is completely made from punches. The eyes and mouth were drawn on the ghosts and they were cut with swirly scissors. Pretty cool, huh? I love it when I receive cards that are great samples. Thanks for stopping by today. Hopefully, I will spend some time tomorrow in my studio and have some great new things to post here.

One last Halloween Card

2008-11-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hello! I had to post this one last Halloween card. I love how the colors in my patterned paper match the cardstock. I used a sticker for the image and even the buttons matched perfectly. I never thought this blue would go with orange, but the polka dots pulled it all together. I have been a little under the weather for a few days, but hope to get back to making some more cards tomorrow. You should hear from me again soon. Thanks for stopping by today.

Another Halloween card

2008-11-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hello! I thought I'd post this cool card made with really cool Halloween paper. I sent this one to my daughter Monique because she really gets into Halloween. I love the spider eyelet and the row of skeletons. I have one more card to post later on today. Thanks for stopping by.

Halloween Cards

2008-10-27T19:29:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone! Here is the card I made for my grandkids for Halloween. It is so very simple - made completly of stickers. (I know it's cheating, but they are so cute!) My granddaughter is dressing up like a bat again this year. She really loves bats (and most other critters.)

I can't believe it is already the end of October!!! There are only eight weeks left until Christmas! Where did this year go? I guess I'd better finish my Christmas cards soon. Thanks for stopping by today. I'll post another of my Halloween cards soon.

Yoga class

2008-10-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Lou Ellen asked me to make a thank-you card for her yoga instructor. I had been looking at this awesome stamp set from My Favorite Things (see link below, left) for a while now, and her request gave me a reason to order it. It is another of what I call their "headless" sets, which I love. This set is called 'Serenity Now' and has two main images, two smaller images and four sentiments. I'm very pleased with the way the card turned out, and Lou Ellen loved it too! Thanks for stopping by today and have a great evening.

Stitches

2008-10-14T13:47:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone! I hope you are having a great day. I made this card about two weeks ago and never posted it! Anyway, I love the stitched patterned paper because I used to cross-stitch and, it goes with this wonderful SU stamp set so well. I used my fake brads from Joann's and some cardstock I had on hand. This card is simple, but sweet! Thanks for stopping by today.

Card Re-Do

2008-10-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

The card I posted on October 15th has been revised! I posted it and then was not at all happy with the way it turned out. So, I took it apart and started over. Here is the result. I think I like it a lot better this way. I've had another very busy week, but I promised myself that I will make more time to stamp. I miss spending time in my 'studio' and I have some cool new stamps waiting for me to play with up there.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great week!

Mmmm...cookies

2008-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hello - It's been a while again, but I'm back! I made this card for our wonderful front office secretary at work. She bakes the BEST cookies and brings them in for everyone at work to enjoy, at least once a week. We all appreciate her and I found this cool paper at Archiver's yesterday. (My BFF Katy and I went on a shop-hop of our own and had a great day.) As soon as I saw the paper, I knew I had to make a card for Nancy. I had the ribbon in my stash from Michael's one dollar bin, and it matched perfectly. The inside sentiment is "Thank You! For making the best cookies in the world ...and sharing them with us!"

This was the perfect card for World Cardmaking Day. Thanks for stopping by today.

Cheerful

2008-09-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I made this card a couple of days ago, but haven't had time to post it until now. I've had a VERY busy week so far and after work tomorrow, we are having our first Stampin' Up meeting since the new catalog came out. I can't wait! I've already put together quite a wish list, and now that I've had a chance to see the new Holiday mini, I have more to add to the list. This is another simple card without any coloring. I love the color and the sentiment, and the fact that it is so cheerful! Both the awning and the sentiment are Popped-up. Have a great day! See you soon.

I'm back...

2008-09-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello! I finally found some time to play. I am still adjusting to waking up early for work again. We are in a brand new school building this year and it's GREAT! I work in the library, and it is beautiful. We are still in the process of setting up, but soon we'll be up and running again. I had some time today, so I made a couple of cards. This one was very easy because I didn't have to do any coloring. It seems like I've had to color most of my cards lately, and I'm not nuts about coloring. This one is done in fall colors and I think the vinyl flowers on the bottom left gave it the touch it needed. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great week!

Remembering Summer...

2008-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! My summer vacation from work is just about over! I am lucky enough to work at a school, so I have eleven weeks off during the summer. But I guess everything good must come to an end for a while, anyway. (We do get 16 days off for Christmas this year - Woo Hoo!) I have the district breakfast tomorrow, then two days of new technology training, a four day weekend and back to work. I wanted to use my Elzybell stamps for quite a long time, so here is one of them. It is just simple and I haven't stamped this image before but it reminds me of the swing in my yard, and how much I love to swing out there. I used my Stampin' Up markers, and the coloring leaves a lot to be desired, but I like it anyway. Have a great day, and thanks for visiting my blog today!

Breast Cancer Card

2008-08-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made to send to my Aunt Mary Louise. She is currently undergoing treatments for breast cancer. Having gone through it twice myself, I know how much receiving cards can lift your spirits. I hope she likes this one. The stamp set is from My Favorite Things and I used my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots to emboss the background. Thanks for stopping by today. I am currently cataloging my Stampin' Up stamp sets. Who knew I could collect so many in four years? I can't believe it has taken me this long to create a database. See ya!

Peggy's BD

2008-08-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday! I made this card for my sister Peggy's birthday. This is the first card I made with an awning and I Love it! I ended up changing it a little before I gave it to her though. After I realized that it looked like the 4th flower wasn't right, I removed it and centered the other three flowers. I liked it better that way - it seemed more balanced. I didn't have time to retake the picture of it because I was on my way out the door to meet my sisters for lunch. I made another card like this one for my sister-in-law Chris. The only thing I changed was the sentiment. I used the same center on her card that I used in my previous post, with the flower in the middle. It also came out very nice. Thank you for stopping by today!

Happy Birthday

2008-08-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the last one I am including in the set of cards for my sisters. I brought them on Thursday, when we met for my sister Peggy's birthday lunch. This one is the same card as an earlier post, but with yellow cardstock instead of blue, and one background patterned paper instead of two. I like it because it is a 'happy' card - to me, bright colors are happy. I hope you are having a great day, and thanks for stopping by.

Another Masculine Card

2008-07-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is the second masculine card I made for my sisters' sets. I like this one very much. The plaid paper is so rich and the embossed center works well with the rest of the card. The sentiment is popped up and I added the twine and the faux brads to complete the look. I hope my sisters like it as well. I am working on my Christmas cards this week, so pretty soon I will more to post. Have a great day!

Masculine card

2008-07-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hello! I thought this card would be great for men - not too frilly or cutsie. This is part of the set I am making for my sisters. I found the paper about a year ago and liked it very much. This card had to be a little wider than the average card to get the whole song on the front, but it was just a 'minor' adjustment. (LOL) I finished another card for the set, but I have to take the pictures again because the embossed part is covered with a glare. I hope you have a great day!

My Brother's Birthday

2008-07-11T22:58:00.001-07:00

This is the card I sent to my brother Craig for his birthday. He loves to fish so I thought this card would be great for him. I made two of them because my brother Allan also loves to fish, so he will get his on his birthday in September. It was fun to make and I couldn't wait to use the great fishing lure ribbon I found a while ago. The inside sentiment is 'best fishes!' from a Stampin' Up set. Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great day!

Sympathy Card

2008-07-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is going to be a part of a set of cards for two of my sisters. They want an assortment of greeting cards to have on hand. I am making six of each of the cards in the set. Each sister will have two and I'll keep two for me. I love the patterned paper on this card. First I had ribbon on it, with the sentiment on the bottom right. I didn't like the ribbon I used, so I tried something different and used the pearls. I like how it turned out. Now, I'm working on a birthday card for my brother Craig. He loves to fish, so we'll see what I come up with. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Hey Chicky...

2008-07-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

I loved this stamp set since I first saw it. It's one of the cool sets from C.C. Designs, where my buddy Crystal is on the design team. The chick is so cute and I love the flower. I made this one a couple of days ago, but had to wait until the recipient got it in the mail to post it here. I colored it with my Prismacolor pencils, used some scraps of patterned paper and a little ribbon to match the cardstock. I love how bright it is, too.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you have a great day.

Retirement

2008-06-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hello! Well, it is official! Yesterday was my husband's last day of work!!! He is retired after working at GM for 39 years as a toolmaker. This is the card I made for him. It's very simple, because I wanted show off the cool printed paper. I just added the faux brads on the top left and stamped 'Celebrate' on the inside. Just click on the picture to see it up close.) Now, to get that list of his chores started...

Another Sister Card

2008-06-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hello! I made this card yesterday for another of my sisters. I couldn't wait to use this stamp set from My Favorite Things. I adore all of their 'headless' sets. As far as the colors, I love the pink and brown theme, and this set fit perfectly. I am so happy I have time to stamp. It is so cool to be off work for the summer! I did lots of cleaning and laundry yesterday, so I could 'create' in my studio today. We will see what happens. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Class card

2008-06-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is the card I made to teach to our Stampin' Up group last night. It was a big hit! I love using the color combination of River Rock and Always Artichoke. They compliment each other very well. I used the 'Posy' background stamp and the image on the card matched it well. It's a thank you card, but it could be used as a sympathy or a friendship card, too. Thanks for viewing my blog today.

Sisters...

2008-06-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sisters...I have four! This card is for one of them, but I'm not sure which one gets it yet. I loved this stamp since I first saw it and knew I had to add it to my collection. I also couldn't wait to use this pretty ribbon, so I matched the cardstock with the ribbon. I usually forget about my buttons, but I think they added just the right touch on this card. I have another card finished but have to wait until after our card group meets tomorrow, because I'm teaching the group how to make it. Have a great day! Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Hope is...

2008-06-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

This card is for my dear Aunt Mary Lou, who recently found out that she has breast cancer. Her daughter, my cousin Anna, just finished her breast cancer treatments about a month ago. Being a two time survivor myself, I know what she will be going through. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.
The inside sentiment is 'Hope is...believing in a brighter tomorrow.'

Blog Candy!

2008-06-18T07:15:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone! Want a chance to win some great Blog Candy? Head over to http://suinkandmore.typepad.com/ to post a comment and get a chance to win great stuff!

A Bright Birthday Card

2008-06-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hello out there in Blogland! I made this card yesterday, along with another version of it. I'm not usually into mixing patterns, but in this case I think it worked well. The other version of this card has only the flowered paper as a background. I like both versions very much. I have a few things to do first, but I hope to get back in my studio today and create more! Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by today.

I Love Cats!

2008-06-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hello! What a beautiful day! We had rain all week, but today it is in the upper 70's and sunny! My card today is another cat card. I have many cat-loving friends so I have to decide who gets this one. (I made two of them.) The paper is from my stash and I used a sticker in the middle, with some rhinestones to accent it. The cat sticker is outlined in gold, so it works well with the accents. Have a great day!

I Love Purple

2008-06-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hello out there! Here is my latest - a gate card. My friend and Stampin' Up dealer, Crystal made a gate card and posted it the other day. After seeing it, I remembered how much I like that style of a card, and decided to create one in my favorite color. I am pleased with the results. I made two of these birthday cards to add to my box of finished cards. The paper is from my personal stash and the stamp is by Stampin' Up. I used my gel pen to add some sparkle and some pop dots to add dimension. I am finishing a second set of cards I started today and will post again tomorrow. Have a great day!

Cupcake Challenge

2008-06-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I made a card for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge, but I just realized I missed the 8:00am deadline. (I thought I had until 8:00pm - oh well!) I guess that's what I get for reading so fast. Here is the card I made. I used the A Muse cardstock I won last month, and one of my new clear cupcake sets, and I like how it turned out! It fits in a #10 envelope and will be used for a birthday soon!

A Warm Hello

2008-05-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

It is a nice warm spring day here in Michigan. We have had a great season so far this year, and today it is about 74 degrees and windy. I finally found some time to create and I really like this card. I have been waiting to use these stickers since I bought them about a month ago. I love flowers and the colors are great. I used Light Racy Raspberry cardstock from ColorMates and the stickers are Stickeroos (Flower Field) from Penny Black. I used mini-deckle scissors on the edges, and the sentiment is from Northwoods Rubber Stamps.

I have one more week of work until summer vacation begins and I will be off until late August when school re-opens in the fall. I should have lots more time to make cards soon! I hope all of you are having a great day. Thanks for stopping by to view my blog!

Anniversary

2008-05-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest creation - an anniversary card for my sister and brother-in-law. It was very simply made with a rub-on for the sentiment and some dollar store stickers. The ribbon is one I had for quite some time, and I used my scalloped square punch.I think it turned out very well and it is one of my new favorites!

The third card...

2008-04-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

This one is my favorite, because of the cupcake and mostly, because I used my Cuttlebug! (Have I told you how much I love my Cuttlebug?) I used markers to color the image, and added a little sparkle with my gel pens. Overall, the class went very well and my friends said they loved the cards they made. Three of my sisters and a niece were supposed to come and create with me tomorrow, but had to cancel. :( I hope we can reschedule soon. I have "kits" to make these three cards all ready for them.

The second card...

2008-04-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the second card I made for the class. As many of you know, I love my Elzybell stamps, so I had to use at least one in the class. The sentiment on this one is from A Muse, which is another favorite of mine. I used Lemon Ice Stickles to dot the center of the flowers on the background paper, and a strip of mini rick-rack to add some flair!

My First Card Class

2008-04-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I held my first card class. We had fun - but what pressure getting ready! I don't know how Stampin' Up demonstrators or anyone else who teaches a class can stand it! Maybe it gets easier as you hold more classes. At first, I felt pretty confident that I could come up with a few really cool ideas for cards. Then, I drew a blank - for two days. Finally, the night before the class, I was able to create three pretty cool cards to teach my friends. This is the first one they made.

An Oldie but a Goodie

2008-03-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hello! This card is one I made a couple of years ago at a stamp class at 'Remember When' in Chesterfield, MI. (It's on the corner of my sister Joann's street - how could I resist going there each time I visit my sis?) Back to the card. I liked it a lot, but knew it needed something - but what? I finally decided to use little rhinestones for the center of the flowers and volia - I love it! I just sent it to a dear friend and hope she likes it too. FYI - My sister Susan moved to a new house in Eastpoint, MI and she too, has a shop on the corner of her street! (Paper Tales) I think they are trying to feed my addiction! It's a conspiracy!

I Love My Cuttlebug!

2008-03-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

This card is the first one on which I used my Cuttlebug embossing folders, and I love my Cuttlebug! It is so easy to use. I just ordered a few more of the new folders and can't wait to get them in the mail.

The person who is getting this card is really 'Truly Amazing', as she has just adopted a teenage son. I've always known her to be a kind and generous person, and she has proven it again!

Happy Easter

2008-03-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! This is my first Easter card. I've been thinking about using my crimpers lately and the idea for this card just came to me out of the blue! (See card for proof of the blue.) I love the Zoofari set - in particular, this stamp, and hadn't used it until now. I colored it with Prismacolor pencils and crimped the background paper. The fake brads are from Joann's $1 rack, and the sentiment is from Michael's $1 basket. Happy Easter!

Cards without stamps

2008-02-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hello! This week a challenge was posted by a fellow blogger (Taylor Vanbruggen) to make a card without using any stamps. Well, since I had made up my mind to finish the insides of my previously made cards, (and I have many to finish and get ready to use,) I thought I would share this one. It has flower brads and a rub on. I also used a corner rounder punch. This was made at a class I took at a really cool scrapbook store called 'Remember When' in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. I finished forty-one cards this week and now I have quite a supply ready to give away.

Think Spring!

2008-02-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

OK - I have another sinus infection! Enough! Now I will concentrate on feeling better and getting back to normal. I made this card yesterday and I think I really am starting to like it. At first I wasn't sure, but it is growing on me. I used flower stamps from two different Stampin' Up sets, and I sparkled them up with my clear gel pen. The sentiment is from A Muse Artstamps. The ribbon is a scrap that I recycled. I think the brads added just the right touch to complete the card. What do you think?

Dawn's Card

2008-01-26T16:36:00.000-08:00

For this card I used one of my new "American Art" stamps by Karen Stolper. The girls in this stamp line are adorable! My friend Sue sent a link to their site and I immediately ordered three of them. The card says "winter wishes" because Dawn and Monique live in Washington, where, in the winter, it rains a lot. I used a clear envelope to mail it and my mail carrier said she loved it!

Skating

2008-01-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday! I made this card for my daughter Monique. I love how the ice pond ended up. This is another of my Elzybells stamps and I used colored pencils and my clear Gelly marker to decorate it. I had to wait to post it until Monique received it in the mail. She called yesterday and said she loved it!

Winter Greetings

2008-01-20T17:09:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Winter! I made this card for my sister Sandy. She lives next to a nature preserve and has many deer visit her yard every day. She feeds them and cares for them as if they were her children. When I saw this stamp set (Dear to My Heart, by Memory Box), I knew I had to have it. I love the many different deer and choices of antlers in the set. I plan to make more cards with this set very soon.

More Rosie's Roadshow

2008-01-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

This card is one of my favorites! I had to wait until my daughter Monique received it in the mail, to post it. The stamp is called "bookies" and the ladies are librarians. Since Monique is a librarian, and I work in the local high school library, I knew she would love it! I used some of the little sticky dots from Joann's $1.00 rack to make the fake brads, and I colored the design with colored pencils.

Rosie's Roadshow

2008-01-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest creation using my new Rosie's Roadshow stamps. I love the little tree (he is called Douglas) and the snowmen ornaments. Over the years, I collected many snowman ornaments like the ones on this card. My kids called them my "decapitated snowmen." I love all snowmen ornaments, with or without bodies!

More thank-you cards...

2008-01-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

I made a few of these because I love the color combinations. The patterned paper I used is one of my favorites. I made a New Year's resolution to spend more time working on my cards. I purchased some awesome new stamps in December and received a few more for Christmas, along with some great Stampin' Up gift certificates from my kids. Also, my friend Crystal is hosting our Stampin' Up new catalog open house on Saturday and I can't wait to see the new sets being offered.

I'm finally back...

2008-01-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm finally back and ready to post! I have been busy throughout December and now, I'm ready to post some new cards. I have been working on my Christmas thank-you cards and here is the first one. Of course I had to use my Elzybells! I just love these stamps and can't wait to see what they come out with next.

A new technique...

2007-12-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of the beautiful cards Crystal showed us how to make at my Stampin' Up card club meeting last Thursday. It's called Stained Glass and it's made using vellum for the main stamped image. We had a lot of fun at the party and I reached the third level of hostess gifts, which means I got a LOT of hostess gifts and products! I almost exhausted my wish list, which is OK, because the new SU catalog will be out in January. I can't wait to create a new list. This weekend Katy and Cindy are coming over to make Christmas cards and I'm sure we will have a great time and make some beautiful cards.

I didn't make this one...

2007-12-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

I didn't make this one...but my friend Katy made it for my birthday! I love this card! The colors are perfect together, and it's so cute. Katy keeps saying she is not creative enough to come up with good card ideas, but this card proves her wrong! Keep up the wonderful work, Katy. And, thanks again for such a lovely birthday card.