Sunday, August 30, 2015

You've Got This - Team Meeting

Today was a fun day of stamping with the weSTAMP Team.  I always love making the projects Lorri comes up with.  They are always great fun and very creative!

Here is one of the cards that we made today.  


So simple.  
Card base - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
Top card stock - 5" x 3 3/4"
Sponge the edges of both.  Stamp the large background stamp from You've Got This
Cut a piece of DSP 1 1/2" x 4" and punch both ends with the Banner Triple Punch
Stamp the butterfly from Butterfly Basics and cut out with the Butterflies Thinlits.
Wrap with Linen Thread and make a simple bow.
Stamp Hello from Crazy About You and punch with the Window Punch.

Thank you for looking in today.  I'm heading to bed to hopefully listen to the thunder and maybe some rain.

Happy Sunday!

~ Donna

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Display Board Pins

Have you ever struggled with just how to put a display board together so that the cards you place on it stay put?  I sure have!

BUT, I think I've found a way to make this work.  It is a little bulky so the board doesn't close tight, but I think with a little bit of care, this will work.  I'll let you know after I take it to our Team Meeting later today!



To make these little gems look beautiful, simply pick your favorite Designer Series Paper and cut them to fit the mini clothespins you're using.  Attach the strip with our Tombo Liquid Glue and then apply a good amount of glue to the back of the clothespin and place it on  your display board.  These babies are stuck on there tight!  I thought about using hot glue at first, but this worked great and no burned fingers from hot glue!  Yay!

When deciding where to put your pins, clip a card to it and see how it will fit first.  Then leaving the card attached, place the pin below it with enough room to remove and place a new card.  

Notice in the above picture how I made sure to put the clothespins on the main board in the center so that they won't be aligned with the clothespins on the outside flaps.  This will allow it to close a little bit better and the pins won't damage each other.


I chose to use Cherry on Top for my Designer Series Papers (DSP).  Love the bright colors and when the seasons change, like for Christmas, I can simply glue another strip over this one.


Thank you for looking in today!  Have a Stampy Saturday!

~ Donna

Friday, August 28, 2015

Masculine Thoughts and Prayers

While I was making yesterday's sympathy cards, I also made this one, but wasn't terribly happy with it.  However, a couple of the girls at the office liked it, so I figured maybe I was just being too critical.  Perhaps if the swooshes were a little lighter, I'd like it better. 

Let me know what you think.


Recipe:

Crumb Cake - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
Night of Navy - 5" x 3 3/4"
Whisper White - 4 7/8" x 3 5/8"
English Garden Designer Series Paper - 3 5/8" x 1 1/2"

Stamps - Work of Art, Thoughts & Prayers
Ink - Soft Suede, Old Olive, Memento Black

After inking up the "swoosh" from Work of Art with Soft Suede, I stamped it off once onto scrap paper to remove some of the ink and then stamped it onto the card.  I did the same with the Old Olive and then stamped both of the Old Olive swoosh onto the card.

Over the top I stamped the flowers from Thoughts & Prayers with Memento Black as well as the sentiment from the same set.

Have a Stampy Weekend!

~ Donna


Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Garden in Bloom Sympathy

Time for more Sympathy Cards.  I'm beginning to think I need to just make a batch of these so I don't have to keep making more.  Two different women we know lost their Brother's in the last couple of days.  That's so sad.  My brother and I aren't close - we're 11 years apart in age - but I would still be devastated if I lost him.


I wanted something soft and blue for both of these.  Soft Sky fits the bill nicely and and I think goes really well with Smoky Slate.


Recipe:
Soft Sky - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
Smoky Slate - 5" x 3 3/4"
Whisper White - 4 7/8" x 3 5/8"

Stamps:  Garden in Bloom, Thoughts and Prayers, A Dozen Thoughts
Ink - Soft Sky
Embellishments - Pearl Basic Jewels (and some retired Large Pearl Basic Jewels)


Thank you for looking in today!

~ Donna




Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Hello Handsome!

Another CUTE card from "You're Sublime".  Can  you imagine what the gals at my table were singing while we worked on this one?  It was funny, we actually heard others around the room humming it too!


I love this card.  So fast and easy to put together, even with cutting out the little sub and I cut out the fish too and added them to the card.  The background is a card from Project Life Moments Like These.  Add a little Washi Tape and White Perfect Accents and it's done!




One more week and the Holiday Mini goes live.  Do you have your catalog and wish list ready yet?  If you need a copy, let me know!

Thank you for looking in today!

~ Donna


Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Loads of Thanks!

Happy Tuesday!  It's time for new Weekly Deals!  Be sure to check my store for this weeks' products and remember to check the Clearance Rack as things are added all the time and sell out fast!

Another one of the great cards we made this past weekend at Fall Fest with Diana and Rhonda used the cute little wheelbarrow stamp from You're Sublime.

The large card below is the card we made Saturday.  The little cards are the ones I made Monday night for my customer's from our last workshop.  Little mini-cards to match.


I just love this adorable stamp set.



A little tip I want to add for using the Metallic Foil Doilies.  Don't use any liquid glue on them.  I use mostly our Tombo Liquid Glue (Green Glue) on everything because I want a nice permanent bond, but when I used it on Saturday with the Foil Doilies, I found it puckered and didn't lay flat.  For my thank you cards, I used Fast Fuse instead and am very happy with it.

There's a bit of a learning curve to use the Fast Fuse, but I believe you will really like it if you try it.  It doesn't take as much as snail does and it bonds tight with no fear of coming loose like snail can do when the weather is humid.


Thank you for looking in today!  Don't forget the weekly deals!

~ Donna




Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Monday, August 24, 2015

Toadally Awesome

I just love this adorable stamp set called You're Sublime.  On Saturday several of us went to Diana Gibbs' Fall Fest where we made several great cards and projects.  I'll be sharing some of them over the next few days.

Don't you agree, this one is "toadally awesome!"?  I think this sweet little frog is so cute.  I added longer eyelashes and when I got her home, I added some lipstick with a red pen.  Isn't she so cute!



The Designer Series Paper used is Pretty Petals.  The colors are so bright and beautiful.  The banner flags behind the little frog, er, I guess it's a toad... lol... were punched with the Banner Triple Punch.

Here she is without her lipstick...


And here she is all gussied up.  It almost looks like she's blowing a kiss!




Thank you for looking in today.  Let's start a new week on a positive note!

Happy Stamping!

~Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Saturday, August 22, 2015

She Survived

Our Retiree was dreading today's party.  She doesn't like to be the center of attention, but that wasn't going to stop us!  The best part, she survived!  :)

Friday's Retirement Party we held for Jean (the lady in the green blouse) was a big success!  Jean has more children and grandchildren and great grandchildren than I count and at least twenty of them surprised her today as they came into the room together.

We were all aware they were coming, but Jean only thought two or three of them would make it due to one of the grandson's having his first high school football game today.  I have to say, it was tough keeping her from peeking down the hall to see who was coming towards the room, but we managed to pull it off for the great reveal!


Happy Retirement Jean!!  We'll miss you, but not until next Friday - since we have another week with you in the office - where we have more fun planned for the coming week!

Today I will be attending Fall Fest presented by Diana Gibbs and Rhonda Morgan.  Always a fun day of crafting without having to do any of the planning.  Perfect!

Have a great Saturday!  I'll share pictures of our projects tomorrow!

~ Donna

Friday, August 21, 2015

Fun Retirement Card

It's going to be a Tissue Alert Day today as we're having a Retirement Party at the office for a dear lady that has been with us for 25 years.  I'm dreading her leaving us, but I'm looking forward to the party because we have so many surprises for her.  Plus, she'll be with us for another week (yayyy!) after the party which means we can have another mini-party next Friday!

On to the card...

I thought this would make a good "retirement" sentiment.  What better words for someone who will soon have all the time she wants to do whatever she wants!  She also likes maple donuts, so this Designer Series Paper seemed to be perfect with the little donuts on it.


Recipe:

Base:  Bermuda Bay - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; scored at 4 1/4"
Layer - Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper 5 3/8" x 4 1/8"
I wish I could tell you the measurements on the  mat and sentiment, but the card is tucked away safely at the office!  I cut my Bermuda Bay mat 1/4" bigger on 2 sides than the Whisper White which equals 1/8" all around.


Inside I placed some extra donuts what I punched out from the Designer Series Paper that are under the mat.  I used the 1/2" circle punch.

Have fun with this paper - it has a lot of cute designs inside that can be used for so many wonderful cards and creations.

Thank you for looking in.  Happy Friday!!!

~ Donna



Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Happy Birthday Presents

I spotted this design on Dawn Olchefske's blog recently and fell instantly in love with it.  You know how that happens sometimes, you see it and it's love at first sight!

My card uses current Designer Series Papers and I'll share my measurements with you below.


Recipe:
Base - Bermuda Bay - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2 and scored at 4 1/4"
Layer - Whisper White 5 1/4" x 4"

Bottom Box:  2 1/2" x 1"
Bottom Lid:  2 3/4" x 1/2"
Top Box - 2" x 1"
Top Lid - 2 1/4" x 1/2"




Bow and Box - Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper
Lid - Crushed Curry

Bow:  Bow Builder Punch
Stamps:  Crazy About You



I see me making more of these.  It came together so quickly once I had the measurements I wanted.

Thank you for looking in today.  Happy "Friday Eve".

~ Donna



Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Joy Fold Workshop Changes

At our workshop last Saturday, the girls made the Joy Fold Card I posted last week.  If you missed it, you can see it HERE for the details.

When we have the workshops at my house, I always tell the girls they can change out sentiments if they want, since I have a lot to choose from.

This is what Linda came up with.  She chose the Happy Birthday from Age Awareness and added some additional washi tape. I think it came out really well - talk about a perfect fit!  :)



This is the card I presented as the sample. 




If you are on my mailing list, you should be receiving your Holiday Mini catalog about now.  If you are not on my list and would like to be, please email me and let me know.  I'd love to send a Holiday Catalog to you.


Thank you for looking in today.  Happy Hump Day!

~ Donna

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Pretty Petals Birthday

The Pretty Petals Designer Paper Series papers are so pretty and so easy to use since they come in a 6" x 6" pad.  This one is one of my favorites.


The base is Old Olive - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
Very Vanilla 4 5/8" x 3 5/8"
Calypso Coral 4 3/8" x 3 3/8"
DSP - 4 3/8" x 1 3/4"
Very Vanilla - 4 3/8" X 2"

Tags & Labels Framelits
Stamps - Endless Birthday Wishes


Notice how much difference you can get depending on where you put the flower panel.  I didn't realize it until I took the pictures, but then it really stood out.


Thank you for looking in today.  If you have a minute, I'd love it if you would leave a comment.  I always enjoy hearing from readers.

Happy Tuesday!

~ Donna


Monday, August 17, 2015

Masculine Thank You With One Big Meaning

Did you know there is one of our Designer Series Papers (DSP's) that carried over from last year's Annual Catalog?  That's right - I don't think I've ever seen that happen before, but I could be wrong.

The Typeset Specialty Paper is a thinner paper from all the others, but it works so well being thin and is very usable for those masculine cards when you don't want flowers or cute little baby things.


Recipe:

Basic Black cardstock - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
Designer Series Paper - 5 1/4" x 4"
Inside liner - Very Vanilla - 5 1/4" x 4"
Stamp Set:  One Big Meaning


Don't forget to dress up the envelope too!



Thank you for looking in today!  Happy Monday!

~ Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Just Kidding... Again

This stamp set is just so cute I had to use it again for another friend who is having a birthday.  This one is for a man, so I went with simple black and vanilla.

The Designer Series Paper (DSP) is Typeset Speciality Designer Series Paper.  This paper was in the catalog last year and was carried over into this year's Annual Catalog.  It is a great set of paper with so many uses.




Thank you for looking in today.  I hope you have a Blessed Sunday!

~ Donna

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Haunted Window

I couldn't resist sharing another card I made with fun things from the upcoming Holiday Mini.  I just LOVE the new window thinlits die.  There are big plans ahead for me with this adorable addition.


The window was cut from Soft Suede with the cute little ghosts "outside" peeking in.  I wanted to find some paper that would make a good "wallpaper" for inside and picked this one from Pretty Petals.  

The spider web is from Happy Scenes and the Trick or Treat and pumpkin are from Howl-o-ween Treat. 

The inside sentiment is also from Happy Scenes - which you will soon see is a great set for fall and winter events.



Thank you for looking in today.  Have a Stampy Saturday!

~ Donna

Friday, August 14, 2015

Butterfly Basics Sends Sympathy

Time for another sympathy card.  Seems these come way too often sometimes.

This stamp set and these colors just reach out to me each time I need a soft gentle card.


Base:  Blushing Bride - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
Very Vanilla - 5 1/4" x 4"

Sponge the edges with Soft Suede.  A trick we learned at Convention for sponges and daubers is after you ink it up, tap once onto scrap paper or your grid paper if you use it, then when you go to sponge the edges  of your paper, you'll have a softer look every time instead of getting a heavy blotch of fresh ink.

The honeycomb stamp is also inked with Soft Suede and then stamped off once before placing it onto the card.

The fern leaf is inked with Pear Pizzazz and the flower and stem are inked with Stampin' Write markers Pear Pizzazz and Blushing Bride.


To give the butterfly some extra depth, I cut out one in Blushing Bride and one in Vellum.  I love the way it turned out.  What do you think?


Gently curl the butterflies with your bone folder.  Add some Pearls for a bit of glam and your card is ready to go.  

In mailing this card, I cut an additional piece of cardstock 5 1/4" x 4" and placed it over the pearls.  This keeps them from popping through the envelope and being damaged.



Thank you for looking in today!

Happy Friday!!!

~ Donna


Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Oh To Be ...

... 110 pounds again... ha ha!

Seriously, who even remembers 110 pounds?

I had a request for a funny girlfriend to girlfriend card for a birthday and of course, the first thing that comes to mind is our stamp set "Just Kidding"  Such a fun set for so many uses!


The card base is Mossy Meadow, layered with Whisper White, English Garden Designer Series Paper (DSP) and Fancy Foil Designer Vellum.

I stamped the image on Shimmery White card stock.  I find it is easier to color with our aqua painter and the ink from the inside lid of a stamping pad on the Shimmery paper.

A word of advice, put a glue dot under the gold dots instead of liquid glue.  The gold foil dots "warped" a bit with the glue, so you'll notice the Rhinestones to cover up the oops.  Like I always tell my stampers, "There are no mistakes in crafting, only opportunities for embellishments!"





Thank you for looking in today.  

~ Donna



Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

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