Simply Sent

I have loved playing with the Happy Hello Simply Sent Card Kit that you can earn for free during sale-a-bration.  Today I paired it with a sentiment from the Feel Goods stamp set in the Spring Catalog, a bit of First Edition dsp, a paper doily and 2 flowers from the flower trim, also in the Spring Catalog.  I just love the shape of this card, which comes die cut in the kit!

"Bless" Banner - Artisan Embellishments

I wanted to make a spring banner for my home and I went back and forth with what I wanted it to say.  I decided upon 'bless' as it is truly appropriate for both Easter and St. Patrick's Day and we could all use a reminder to focus more each day on our blessings and to bless others too.

My upline (Susan) also provided some inspiration for this banner and the use of the Artisan Embellishments Kit which I combined with my favourite of the dsp pattern in the Sycamore Street dsp pack that you can earn for free during sale-a-bration.  I also used some First Edition dsp (probably my all time favourite) and both summer starfruit and crumbcake card stock.  I had a hard time choosing between the morning post and broadsheet alphabet stampsets for the lettering, but I ended up going with broadsheet...this time.

Banner's are all the rage in home décor right now, so I'm planning to do a class on a banner similar to this using the Artisan Embellishments Kit but using cardstock that coordinates more closely with the kit (vanilla, primrose, pool party/Baja breeze & crumbcake). The banner we will make in the class will be customizable for any (appropriate) four letter word.  I will be making one using the word HOME at the class, but you will be able to customize it to LOVE or MOM>3, etc.    The class will be on April 6th (March 14th registration deadline & spaces limited), and I will email details and invites out shortly.  For the next few days though registration is only open to the ladies in my monthly club.  But if you are interested, feel free to email me if you don't get an invite by the end of the week.  Also, a take & make kit will be available for the class banner.

 

 

Dress Up

 

 

This project was made purely for me.  I just sat down with the Dress Up Framelits, the Artisan Embellishment Kit and the Flower Trim and made what I felt like.  I might find a place for this on my desk at work.  It's pretty and vintage and everything I like and it has my word for 2013 (love) on it too! 

Other items I used on this project were the Established Elegance stamp set and I used an old wooden spool and a wooden skewer for the base for this project (and some hot glue).  I also used a bit of the crumb cake tulle I had left over from the Holiday Catalog for the hem of the dress (sorry, it is no longer available, but the Established Elegance stamp set is, just see in the Annual Catalog).  I got the idea for putting my dress up form into the wooden spool from Kimberley.  Her blog is Stampin by the Sea.  She has a couple of examples on her blog of making skirts for dress forms.  She likes to use the pop-up posies designer kit, here's an example here, and she likes to melt tulle (like the tulle SU had in the Holiday Catalog).

Follow Up Questions

My friend, Hillary, had some follow up questions for me after yesterday's post, so here goes:

1. Where is your dream vacation?
I dreamed of Paris my whole life and then when I went there it was even better than my dreams, so much so, we've gone back 2 times and dream about going again and again:)
Lately we've been talking a lot about Belgium (Bruges & Brussels) too...though we have lots of dream spots (enough that I had to start a 'places I want to go' board on pinterest;)

2. If you could have on super power, what would it be?
Maybe to fly super fast so it didn't take so long to get to all the places I dream of going!;)
Probably more so, I'd love to be able to live my life in such a way that people see God's love and come closer to Him:)

3. What is your favorite old-time TV show? (MASH, Brady Bunch etc.)
Gilmore Girls is what came to mind, but that's not old time is it?  But I miss it!
I think Petticoat Junction is a hoot and remember watching reruns when I was a little girl at lunch...I wanted to be Betty Joe (cause she got Steve;).
And I also remember watching One Day at a Time when I was little.

4. If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chocolate seemed the obvious answer, but I don't think if it was the only thing I could eat that would work, so then I tried to come up with a more balanced response...  I thought about berries, bananas, granola, potatoes, seafood...and many others that I love, but then I came back to it, chocolate, that's what I would eat:)

5. Favorite color, and why.
PINK!  I'm a girlie-girl and have loved pink since I was tiny.  I love all things vintage and feminine and frilly and pink conveys that all.  It feels romantic to me.  Now that said, don't ask me how much pink is in my home (I live with my husband you know so there isn't much), but I love rich colours too...and reds are just darker pinks, so I often have red (or even pink's cousin, purple on).

6. What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Go back to Paris with my husband, of course!;)  From there we could plan the good we could do with this good fortune.

7. Do you prefer coffee or tea, and why?
I like both equally.  My great Aunt Bammie gave me tea as a wee girl and so I learned early to appreciate a proper cup of tea (to me tea must be a proper tea leaf, not what many herbal teas these days are made of, and my favourite is black tea with mil).  I love everything about tea...teacup, teapots, teaspoons...it all fits with what I told you I love in #5.
I like coffee too, but I'm more of  latte/macchiato girl than a fresh brew.  I love my Starbucks because it's an experience not just a drink, it's for all your senses, what you see, smell, taste, hear and feel.  There's a richness that I love, and there's something just so friendly about going for coffee with a friend:)

8. Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie?
Both can be good...neither would be my favourite...one a year a slice of either is divine though:)

9. If you had Aladdin's magic lamp, what would your three wishes be?
(1) world peace (seriously that people would know God's love:)  (2) for health & wellness for my family and me and friends (3) to be able to do the things I love to do mainly (not mainly the things that pay the bills)

10. Fame vs. Fortune -what would you choose and why?
I don't think I'd choose either...too much of either would probably lead to a fall.  I have a propensity to want everyone to love me and I've had to learn to surrender that to God because it can lead to people pleasing so I don't think I'd pick fame, though I would like to be liked.
As for fortune, I would like to be comfortable and help people and be able to do the things I dream of doing with my husband, but  I'm afraid that big fortune could lead to striving or stress...you know, the more you have, the more you have to take care of...and there's no freedom in that.

11. Why do you blog? What inspires you
I started blogging as a young mommy to share my thoughts...then I became a bit inconsistent...then I started to create more and my husband told me that I need to share what I created (because he said I gave everything away), so I started sharing my projects on my blog.

I would like to someday really write more.  I have a lot inside of me to say, but haven't found the time to do it consistently, but one day... It's always good to have an idea you're looking forward to:)

Much of my inspiration comes from the people I create things for, and much of my inspiration comes from the places I've traveled and the places I dream about going.

Liebster Blog Awared

I was tagged over at Tanya's Stamps 'n Things for the Liebster Blog Award and in doing so I must share the following things:

•Post 11 random things about myself.
•Answer Tanya's questions for me
•Come up with 11 questions I would like people to answer
•Nominate 11 more people to play along!

11 Random Facts about Me:
1. I do not carry a cell phone around with me most of the time...in fact, if it wasn't for my day job I probably wouldn't have weakened and gotten my own cell phone even yet!

2. My husband says I smile when I am signing cards...sounds like a good trait for a cardmaker, I think;)

3. I'm a hopeless romantic!

4. I love vintage pretties!

5. I don't really trust people who say they don't like chocolate...just seems suspect to me!

6. Paris is my favourite place I've ever been and I could go there again and again...such a beautiful city. In the words of Samantha Brown, "you don't just love Paris, you fall for her!"

7. I love decorating and creating.

8. I'm a girly-girl and I love to primp

9. I love ruffles!

10. I'm not a morning person...still love staying up late when I can and sleepin' in!

11. My faith is super important to me and would rank much higher on the list than any random fact above...somehow this list didn't seem right without mentioning that:)

Tanya's Questions for Me:

1. What's for dinner at your house tonight? My husband took me out to a diner tonight and we had burgers and shared a chocolate shake - quite a treat!

2. What talent or skill do you wish you had? I wish I was an effortless singer. I love to sing. I love to worship. My husband says I sing well, but I would love to be completely effortless with an amazing range...my range is low to mid and not every song fits that range well.

3. What is your favorite way to travel? Where to? I love to travel, but getting from point A to point B is not my favourite. In the car with my family is great for short trips, but anything over 6 hours I'd prefer to fly.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you anything close to that? I wanted to be a teacher. I ended up being an accountant. Are they close, not really, but I do teach a lot of staff in my job (and in my hobbies)

5. What started your passion for your favorite craft? When my daughter was young, my husband worked shift-work and so I couldn't go out easily to do things with my friends. I spent a lot of years just doing things for others and my husband noticed me looking at scrapbook kits from time to time at the stores, so one day he brought one home for me from Costco and I started to create after my I put my daughter to bed at night. A while later, a woman in my Bible study group invited me to a Stampin Up workshop and it was a Sunday evening and my husband was off so I could go. I went and had so much fun creating with the ladies and I learned the joy of creating something like a card in as short as a half an hour (my scrapbook pages would take me a whole night, sometimes 2)...after that I soon joined a monthly club...after that I got asked to teach from time to time...and after that I became a Stampin Up demonstrator...

6. What is your favorite movie? Midnight in Paris...you must see it if you haven't:)

7. What technology do you use even tho you hate it? Cell phone...I fought this one for a long time and probably wouldn't have it now if I didn't need it for work. I just don't think we need to be THAT available...and others can be so rude with their use of cell phones in public places etc.

8. If you had a weekend completely free to spend exactly how you like, what would you do? I'd go out on a date with my hubby on Friday night (dinner and a movie or something like that...maybe a walk if it's nice). Saturday I'd sleep late and make scones for breakfast and linger with my family...maybe do some shopping in the afternoon...then go to church in the evening and come back home afterward and maybe enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese with my husband while watching some travel videos or something. Then Sunday I would create for a few hours and we'd spend some family time playing board/get-together games and then make a nice supper like a roast chicken and fixings. Or...if money was no object, well fly to Paris with my love, of course;)

9. What is your favorite holiday, and favorite memory of that holiday? My trip to Paris this spring with my husband was my favourite. We were celebrating a special anniversary and to commemorate it we put a lock (symbolizing our love) on the Pont des Arts:)

10. What kind of blogs do you enjoy? I like papercrafting blogs because they inspire me. I also go to the Paris Daily Photo blog each day because I'm over the moon for Paris. And I love going to pinterest...I know it's not a blog per se, but it links me to new and different blogs that I would not find another way.

11. Why do you visit this blog? I visit Tanya's blog because she's a sweet heart. I love to see what she's been creating and how her family is and how her kids are growing and she is one of the most encouraging people when she visits my blog:)

My Questions for My Nominees Below (or anyone else who'd like to play along):
1. How would you describe your creative style?
2. What inspires you?
3. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
4. Do you like to cook...and if you do, what is one of your favourite recipes to make?
5. If you use pinterest, how do you find new pins? (ex. pin directly from the internet, repin from those you follow, specific searches, review popular posts, etc)
6. What is your favourite decadent indulgence (food/beverage related)?
7. What is your favourite way to pamper yourself or a friend?
8. Do you journal? If so, what is your method/frequency/what inspires you to write?
9. Where would you like to retire?/What would you like to do in retirement?
10. Who is someone you admire and why?
11. Do you have any unusual/off-the-beaten path blogs/websites that you visit? Could you share one or two and what you like about them.

My Nominees for Blogs I Really Enjoy:
1. Nadine - The Beautiful Ordinary
2. Hillary - Joy Unspeakable
3. Kimberley - Stampin by the Sea
4. Jenny - Lakeshore Stampin
5. Patty - Patty Stamps
6. Catherine Pooler
7. Monica - My Many Many Passions
8. Amy Celona
9. Shawna - Shawna's Stampin Spot
10. So Shelli
11. Tanya - Tanya's Stamps & Things (my original nominator...one of the sweetest bloggers I know:)

If you participate and answer my questions above and give the 11 random things, please leave a comment below so I can be sure to visit your blog and read what you've posted:)

Birthday Card for a Friend - Chalkboard Method

All over pinterest and crafting blog, I'm sure you've noticed the chalkboard method is en vogue these days.  This card was inspired by one of Sandy Mciver's.  We used different colours and embellishments, but I used her method, meaning, there was no embossing on this card...it is stamped in craft whisper white ink...and the coloured details (in yellow and pool party) were done using pencil crayons (Sandy used water colour pencils).  The upper corner embellishements is made out of one of SU's designer build a brads.  The dsp comes from the Sycamore Street pack that you can earn for free during sale-a-bration and the main image is from Vintage Verses which you can also earn for free.

Valentines Smarties Treat and Little Girl Card

I made this little treat for a sweet 5 year old for Valentines.  It is filled with her favourite candy, smarties.  I love how they have pink and red packs for Valentine's day...perfect for crafting!  I used SU's narrow cello bags and I topped the smarties off with a heart and some dsp from the More Amore pack.  The stamped images come from Hearts a Flutter and That's the Ticket and the ribbon is from the ribbon & button pack you can earn for free during sale-a-bration

This little puppy card was made for the same little girl.  It's made out of heart framelits and I got the idea from Dee Slater who is also a demonstrator.

Smarties Treats - Two Tag Die

I made these little treats using the Two Tags die and some More Amore dsp.  They are for the ladies at work.  Angie at Chic 'n Scratch has a tutorial, but my dimensions are different because my candy is different.  The valentine ticket comes from the That's the Ticket stamp set and coordinating punch and the ribbon is from the embellishment pack you can earn for free during sale-a-bration.

Celebrate - 2nd Work Make & Take

This is the 2nd make & take I made with the ladies at work yesterday.  The stamped images all come from Feeling Sentimental which is a stamp set you can earn for free during sale-a-bration.  I picked the phone booth image especially because of the ladies is planning a trip to Britain in May and the red phone booths in Britain or so iconic.  The ovals were cut out with the new oval framelits available in the Spring Catalog.  The dsp comes from the Sycamore Street pack that you can also earn for free during sale--a-bration.

Valentine Make & Take at Work!

Today I'm doing a couple of card make & takes with the ladies I work with at lunch.  As a result, I tried to make the cards simple because some of them aren't crafters per se.  I'm going to be changing jobs and so I wanted to do something a little fun with these ladies that I'm going to miss this week.

Today I'm sharing the valentine card we're making (or it can be an any occasion card by removing the valentine's day ticket).  I pre-embossed the card front (which is pool party) with the lacy brocade embossing folder.  Then I used a strip of dsp from the More Amore pack...this is my favourite sheet from that pack..love the hearts over the typeset!  The sentiment is from the vintage verses stamp set which can be earned for free during sale-a-bration and I stamped it in basic grey then punched it with the largest circle punch.  It is matted with a piece of basic grey cutout with the labels framelit.  The card is finished off with the valentine's image from the That's the Ticket stampset which was punched out with the coordainting punch and I embellished with a flower from the vanilla flower trim in the Spring Catalog.

I'll share the other make & take with you tomorrow.

Quilted Valentines with More Amore Suite!

 

 

Today I thought I'd post these 4 cards I made with a super easy technique called quilting.  You take 4 different patterns of designer series paper (mine all came from the More Amore dsp pack) and you cut each piece to 3.75 x 5 and then you take all 4 pieces (layered together) and cut them in 4 at the same time (I think I cut at 2.5 or 2.75 down and then the wider piece I cut at 3 or 3.25 and the narrower piece I cut at 3.74 or 4.  Then you lay out the pieces to create 4 unique cards...each having a different piece of dsp in a different position.  I then glued and mounted this on a 4 x 5.25 piece of very vanilla cardstock and attached that to a regular card base and  decorated with hears from the More Amore dsp, paper doilies and images from the Hearts a Flutter bundle.  Fun valentine or friend cards quick & simple!:)  ...and cute!

February Club - Project 2 - Bulletine Board, all dressed up!

This is the second project we made last night at club.  We used lots of my favourite including my new Dress Up Framelits and the Print Poetry dsp pad!  We also used my favourite saying from the Feel Goods stampset and the Hearts a flutter bundle for the banner at the top!  All of these come from the Spring Catty.   The remaining stamped images come from the Postage Due stamp set in the Annual catalog, a favourite of mine...I love that there is a coordinating postage stamp punch too!

February Club - Project 1

Today is my February Stampin with Sherri Club and this is one of the projects we will be making.  This card is made with the Happy Hello Simply Sent Card Kit which can be earned for free during sale-a-bration.  It also uses the Sycamore Street designer series paper and coordinating ribbon & button pack that can also be earned for free as well!  Oh, and the sentiment comes from the Vintage Versus stamp set that can be earned for free too during sale-a-bration.

If you have a sale-a-bration order that you want me to include in tonight's club order, be sure to contact me by 6pm today!

Collage Curios and Soda Pop Tops

This card was inspired by page 24 for the Spring Catty...that and some free Sale-a-bration products too - like the Sycamore Street designer series paper and the coordinating ribbon pack (which includes butons too!).  I used the new Collage Curios stampset and Soda Pop Tops to create the focus for this card...I flattened the soda pop top for a different effect (you just use your big shot!) and then I coordinated this piece with images from the Artistic Etchings stampset from the Annual Catty...Artistic Etchings is an all time favourite of mine!  The background for the card is on sahara sand card stock and was embossed with the stripes folder.

Playing 'Dress Up' "Feels Good'!

 

I fell *in love* with the Dress Up framelits on page 32 of the Spring Catty!  On this card I used the dress form framelit and then made a girlie skirt out of the flower trim from page 5 in the catty.  The dsp comes from the Print Poetry pack...what a deal, 48 sheets in the pack, and isn't this pattern delightful?!  And the sentiment comes from the Feel Goods stamp set on page 21 which I stamped in basic grey!  For some reason the background looks pinker in the photo than in person...the frame image is really a raspberry ripple which is is almost a rich red in person with a slight pink undertone:)

Pack Your Crafting Bags!

Dates:  February 1 - April 30, 2013 Details:  During this limited-time offer, you can purchase the exclusive Sent with Love Stamp Set or Sent with Love Designer Series Paper-or bundle them for a special 20 percent discount! The Sent with Love product suite is perfect for making a whole array of travel-themed projects!!

Item	Description	Price
131847	Sent with Love Stamp Set (clear-mount; English only)	$21.95
132182	Sent with Love Designer Series Paper	$13.50
132851	Pretty Bundle Includes the Sent with Love Stamp Set, Sent with Love Designer Series Paper, and Calypso Coral Baker's Twine	$31.50 20% off retail value!

The Sent with Love Stamp Set and Sent with Love Designer Series Paper are only available during this special offer. After April 30, they'll both fly away!

In addition, you may purchase the Sent with Love Digital Kit (item 132914; $12.50). Please note that the digital kit is not included in the bundle.