The third card...

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...

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

Another Elzybell

Here is another card I made with my new Elzybell stamps. I thought this pink-spotted background paper was perfect for this card. The sentiment is a sticker, and I used a white Souffle marker to emboss the snow and the trim on her outfit. I think these stamps are the cutest I've seen in a long time!

Elzybells

Woo Hoo! I finally found time to play with my Elzybell stamps! My dear friend Katy came over today to stamp with me in my studio. We had a great day and I made a couple of cards with my new Elzybell stamps. Here is the first one. I used Stampin' Up watercolor crayons to color the image. I also used my Gelly Roll shiny gel pen to color some of the snowflakes in the background.

Marine Corps Birthday

Did you know that November 10th is the Marine Corps Birthday? This year the Marines will be 232 years old. Being married to a Marine who is a Vietnam War veteran has taught me a lot about the history of the Marines. The Corps first started celebrating the birthday 84 years ago. In 1923 the Marine Barracks at Ft. Mifflin, Pennsylvania, staged a formal dance. The Marines at the Washington Navy Yard arranged a mock battle on the parade ground. At Quantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Marine baseball team played a Cuban team and won, 9 to 8.
The first "formal" Birthday Ball took place on Philadelphia in 1925. First class Marine Corps style, all the way! Guests included the Commandant, the Secretary of War (in 1925 the term "politically correct" didn't exist; it was Secretary of War, not Secretary of Defense), and a host of statesmen and elected officials. Prior to the Ball, Gen. Lejeune unveiled a memorial plaque at Tun Tavern. Then the entourage headed for the Benjamin Franklin Hotel and an evening of festivities and frolicking.
Over the years the annual Birthday Ball grew and grew, taking on a life of its own. In 1952 the Commandant, Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., formalized the cake-cutting ceremony and other traditional observances. For example, Marine Corps policy now mandates that the first piece of cake must be presented to the oldest U.S. Marine present. The second piece goes to the youngest Marine. Among the many such mandates is a solemn reading of the Commandant's birthday message to the Corps.
Like the U.S. Marine Corps itself, the annual Birthday Ball has evolved from simple origins to the polished and professional functions of today. Nonetheless, one thing remains constant, the tenth day of November! This unique holiday for warriors is a day of camaraderie, a day to honor Corps and Country. Throughout the world on 10 November, U.S. Marines celebrate the birth of their Corps -- the most loyal, most feared, most revered, and most professional fighting force the world has ever known.