Butterfly Basics Birthday

More Butterfly Basics Cards, this time with a happier twist.  Birthday!  I really love the font used for these stamps.  I've been playing with some calligraphy myself lately, maybe that's why I like the look of these.  Going to need a lot more work on my end, but thankfully I have the stamps!

I made these cards at the same time I made the earlier sympathy cards - click HERE to see full details - but I didn't add the sentiments until later.

Recipe:

Base:  Soft Suede 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"

Layer:  Soft Sky / Blushing Bride  

Top:  Very Vanilla

Butterfly:  Soft Sky / Blushing Bride

Stamps:  Butterfly Basics, Thoughts and Prayers

Ink:  Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky / Blushing Bride

Something I didn't share with the first set of cards was just how close Pool Party and Soft Sky are.  I couldn't believe the difference!  Which really isn't much at all.

When I stamped the Pool Party strip (below right) it was too dark for me, so I stamped it off once and it was perfect.  Still darker than I wanted it to be, but it worked.  I switched to Soft Sky and it seems so much better.

This one below is Pool Party - stamped off once.  It works much better, don't you think?

Be sure to come back later today (this posts at midnight) so you can see the Weekly Deals for this week!

Thank you for stopping by today.

~ Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Convention Bound!

Stampin' Up! is having their last "traditional" Convention this month and guess who is finally going to attend?!  ME!!

I'm so excited to go.  I've been with Stampin' Up! since June 2010 and this is my first time to actually attend!  This is going to be so much fun, swapping, meeting other stampers and people that I've been admiring online.

So excited in fact, that I have 40 of my swaps done already and am seriously thinking of doing MORE!  Is that crazy or what?  I have no idea how many to take, so I'm kind of winging it here.  Any suggestions from Convention goers?

Here is the back of my swaps.  Aren't they beautiful?  Should I show the front or keep them a secret?  I don't know if I can keep them a secret for two more weeks!

Thank you for looking in today - even though I didn't really show much.  Tee Hee!

How about if I share a picture (and hopefully the video) of one of our rescue cats stealing some freeze dried kitty treats.  All of our cats LOVE these things.

I had a couple of extras on my t.v. tray and Kitten sniffed them out.  Her little paws came up and she held on to the table and grabbed the first one.

Here she is stealing, I mean, helping herself to the second one.  I hope this video works!  :)

We love our pets!

~ Donna

Butterfly Basics - Sympathy

Needed another sympathy card for a customer, so I decided to make a couple of extras.  Maybe we won't need them if we have them available.

Recipe:

Base:  Soft Suede 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"

Layer:  Soft Sky / Blushing Bride  

Top:  Very Vanilla

Butterfly:  Soft Sky / Blushing Bride

Stamps:  Butterfly Basics, Thoughts and Prayers

Ink:  Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky / Blushing Bride

I stamped the honeycomb with Sahara Sand but stamped off once onto scrap paper first.  The flower and stem combination are also stamped with Sahara Sand.

On the Soft Sky card I stamped the strip with Soft Sky after stamping off once.  For the Blushing Bride card, I didn't stamp off - it was too light to do that.

Thank you for looking in today.  Have a Blessed Sunday!

~ Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Just a quick little throwback card today to wish you a Happy 4th of July!

Stay safe today, have fun and celebrate America's birthday in style!

~ to see the original post, click here

~ Donna

Garden in Bloom Friends

This Garden in Bloom set has to be one of my favorites and I can't wait to use it with all the beautiful colors we have!

Recipe:

Base:  Rose Red - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
Layer:  Basic Black - 5 1/8" x 3 7/8"
Top:  Whisper White - 5" x 3 3/4"

I first stamped the solid flower first with Rose Red and the solid leaves with Old Olive.  The center of the flower is Crushed Curry.

After they dried I stamped the outlines to match the flower and leaves with Memento Black Ink.  The bee is also stamped with Memento Black Ink and then colored in with the Crushed Curry Stampin' Write Marker.  Then I used the Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker to draw the "flight" of the bumble bee.

Get ready to see this card in other colors!  I'm going to be experimenting with everything that makes a beautiful flower!  Calypso Coral is next!

Don't forget to decorate the inside as well.  I thought the cute little bee would be a good stamp to put inside.  So cute!

Thank  you for looking in today.  I hope you have a fabulous and safe 4th of July weekend!  Three days off for this girl!  Wooo Hooo!

~ Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Happy Birthday USA

This was my swap card for our team meeting on Monday.  I love the sparkle of the Red and Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper.

Recipe:  (these were only card fronts for the swap)

Base:  Real Red - 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"
Layer:  Night of Navy - 5 1/8" x 3 7/8"
Layer:  Whisper White - 5" x 3 3/4" - Embossed with Lucky Stars Embossing Folder
Tag:  Night of Navy 4 1/4" x 2" - Punched with Scallop Tag Topper
Stars:  Red Glimmer and Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Papers
Red Strip:  3 7/8" x 1 1/4"
White Strip:  3 7/8" x 1"
Stamps:  Epic Alphabet
Ink:  Real Red
Ribbon:  1/4" Cotton Ribbon - Real Red

Thank you for looking in and have a fabulous Fourth of July.  Stay safe, stay hydrated and remember to fly your flags!

~ Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Something For Baby

Here are the first two cards I made when I tried the Note Tag punch trick.  If you missed how to do this, click HERE.  I just love this awesome trick!

Recipe:

Base Card:  8 1/2" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
1st Layer:  5 1/4" x 4"
Mat: 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"
DSP: 3 1/4" x 3 1/4"

Thank you for looking in today!

~ Donna

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog