RainyDay Stamper

Woohoo, It's the First of May

And hopefully a slow return to normal would be lovely wouldn't it?  I have been working out in the garden this week in between rain showers.  Got quite a bit of stuff planted and transplanted and more to put in during the next few weeks.  We have the perfect spot for the garden, it gets so much sun and warmth, the plants just thrive.  Uncovered the strawberries and it looks like they are survived our winter which makes me very happy .It's their second year so we should get some wonderful strawberries this year.  Anyway, how about a card?  Today it has a masculine feel but it isn't necessarily a "guy" card.  I used Very Vanilla and Early Expresso, both are colours that I don't use often and then I added Crushed Curry (I know, I really didn't bonk my head!) and Pumpkin Pie. I have been using so much DSP lately (using up the current stuff before it retires at the end of May) so I decided to change it up and do some sponging. I have used Rooted in Nature stamp set, stamping the tree and sentiment with Early Expresso.  I cut the sentiment apart after stamping it so really make an impact with it.

Just like watercolouring, sponging will give you a different look every time, add more or less colour, blend from one colour to another and then forget to add your ground, so you have floating trees.  Whoops!  Remove the image panel and add some Soft Suede for the ground and reattach, this looks better don't you think?

Whatever you get up to this weekend, enjoy yourself and try to spend some time in your craft room and see if you can make a card to send some love to someone.  Remember a card is more than just a folded piece of paper, it's a virtual hug!

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Last day of April

Wow, the first quarter of the year over!  Let's hope the next quarter isn't quite so crazy!   As the old adage goes, April showers bring Mays flowers and we have had lots of showers the last couple days with glorious sunshine in the afternoons. And the flowers are starting to pop out. Today I have used Under My Umbrella for a spring summery card using Balmy Blue and Purple Posy.  Did you notice that this set has carried over to the new catalogue so that is wonderful.   Unfortunately I used a retired embossing folder for the background but any folder would work.

 

Don't forget to check out the retiring list lots of stuff has already sold out.

happy Stamping,

Sunshine

Yesterday was a very strange day weatherwise, cold,rainy, windy and then glorious sunshine and heat-I am so ready for continual days of sunshine and warmth!  Today my card reminds me of summer, yellow sunshine and our lovely bees that buzz from flower to flower.  We have had our petunias outside hardening off and the bees have been enjoying them.  Tomorrow they all get planted in their  planters and the yard will have some colour.

 

This card doesn't have much colour, just Black and White with that pop of Daffodil Delight.  For such a simple card, I actually used three stamp sets, Honey Bee for the bees, sad that this set is on the retirement list, Painted Poppies, for the Daffodil Delight background and then a really old Paper Pumpkin set for the sentiment.

Happy Stamping,

Over the Moon

I will say this is one set that I will keep in my "just can't let it go" collection.  I love the cows especially this one and the one with the flower.  Today I used Ovals, a shape I really don't use too often and then cut up the background into three equal 1 1/2 x 5 5/8 pieces of DSP matting them with Basic Black.  

.

Now is the time to get your Blends as you can still get them individually so if  you are anything like me certain colours I use the light marker so much more than the dark, Pool Party for example, I am always outlining images with it.  

Happy Stamping,

It's Friday!

And my last Fun fold of the week is an Easel card using one of my favorite sets, Over the Moon and boy, I am sad, it is on the retirement list :(.  You can check out the list here and here.  There are some good deals to be had on punches and a few stamp sets and framelits.   Our Blends are NOT retiring, they are just being reconfigured and they are only going to be available as sets so if you need to replace either your light or dark, now is the time to do so while you can still get them singly. 

I did use the thank you from Animal Outing, yep, it is retiring too!  I didn't lose too many sets this year thankfully, but all but one of my animal sets are retiring.  Bonanza Buddies, Honey Bee, Animal Outing, This little Piggy, Witty-cisms, Hoot Hoot Hooray, We'll Walrus be Friends and Little Elephant The good thing is we have a few new cute ones coming in the new catalogue.  

 

Again, just an extra score line makes a regular card and fun fold, just score at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2" and you have a fun fold.  Told you they were easy.  Use a sentiment or embellishment as your stop to hold the fold up.

Have a wonderful weekend and stamp a little!

 

Happy Stamping,

Happy Birthday Center Step

I did say on Monday that I loved this fold and had made a few card, well, it's this one the best

 Yes I know Crushed Curry, my least favourite colour but hey with that DSP from Birthday Bonanza , it is quite fine. A piece of dyed ribbon, some enamel stars coloured Bermuda Bay with my Blends, it is a fun birthday card that is easy to make.

Happy Stamping,

Elaine

 

Double Z Fold

Today I have a big, beautiful card for you.  It is a double Z fold so it's two "Z" fold cards attached together but this time I have made the card a 5 1/2" square card. And since Mother's Day is just over two weeks away and I am going to have to mail my gift, an oversized card is not a problem.  I used the Bird Ballad suite again, and our Thick Whisper White for the card bases.

Now the sentiment is from an old Paper Pumpkin kit, even if you don't like the projects, the stamp set, embellishments and ink spot are definitely worth the cost.  I will say they have the best stamp sets, normally they are heavy on the sentiments and that is just perfect for me.  What a great way to build up your stamps plus if you are a new stamper, you get so many ideas on card layouts.

I have pulled the Pool Party from the DSP for the mats and the flowers and coloured the birds with Crumb Cake and Petal Pink.  And of course with an oversized card, I had to make my own envelope, using a long retired sheet of Soft Suede.  

Happy Stamping,

Bird Ballad fancy fold

Tomorrow afternoon The retirement list comes out and as a demonstrator I get first peeks at the new catalogue.  We all know that our DSP packs normally only last one year so I am on the push to use up what papers I have.  Today, it is the Bird Ballad DSP and of course another Fun Fold.  Why are they called Fun Folds or Fancy Folds is beyond me, but I love to make cards that are just a bit different so that is fun for me.  I really don't know what to call this type of fold, it is a piece of card stock 5 1/4 x 5 1/2 scored on the 5 1/4 side at 1" and attached to a piece of card stock 4 x 4

The sentiment comes from Colorful Seasons, (it is on my "I think it's going to retire list") and how things are in the world today, I think it is a sentiment that we really need to believe in.  Amongst all the craziness out there, life is truly beautiful if we take a moment and look.  Be it the beauty of nature, the people you stand six feet away from, your friends and loved ones you facetime with, life is beautiful.  I think keeping in contact with your friends and family is so important but also those lonely people out there that do not have friends or family to talk with right now, they need us more than even.  Send a card or give them a card in passing and don't forget to smile (even under your mask, your eyes will show you are smiling!)

Inside just enough room for a little note.  Well as soon as I get the retirement list I will post it. Have a wonderful day and 

 

Happy Stamping,

Happy Monday!

It's a great day today, awoke to sunshine and singing birds, that always makes a wonderful day.  The weatherman is predicting low 70's today so I think I shall be out in the garden today planting lettuce, spinach, carrots and green onions.The grass is now more green than yellow and the trees are budding, life is returning around us!  Not normal life but plant life.  Right now I am on a fancy fold kick so this we that will be all you see.  Easy but Fancy fold cards.  First up is a stair step card, looks hard but trust me it is so easy.  Ronda Wade showed on a video on Friday, haven't made one for a couple of years so of course I had to make one (or a few!)

Isn't this a beautiful card, Blackberry Bliss base and the gorgeous flower print form Best Dressed DSP pack.  I heat embossed the sentiments from Honey Bee and Music from the Heart, added a few sequins and coloured some of the 1/4"Crinkled Seam binding that I coloured with my blends.  The Butterflies are from Butterfly Gala, so easy to stamp and punch out. Side shot

Stands up beautifully on your table, back view lots of writing room

And of course it fits nicely into a standard sided envelope.

Yes, fancy can be easy.  Have a wonderful day and try one of these folds, you may have to do a couple-they are addicting!

Happy Stamping,

It's Friday again

Boy this week was a fast one, but hey, I am not going to complain.  This week I have managed to complete so many tasks and work so that is what I call a great week.  This weekend is going to be a peaceful one, crossing my fingers that the weatherman is correct with his prediction of high 60's and low 70's for the weekend and the upcoming week.  Oh the garden is looking so bleak, just waiting for its first planting.  I have lots of plants started in the house, growing stronger every day, we have beans, tomatoes,peppers, lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe, cauliflower, green onions, watermelon, squash, cucumbers, marigolds and lots of petunias.  Hope that this year the garden will be a great as last year and I have more plants to go in this year so more veggies.  We do love our veggies!  

I have used the Free as a Bird stamp set for this card along with the coordinating DSP pack.I have always loved Pool Party but Petal Pink not so much, I loved our Pretty in Pink and Pink Pirouette, they were truer pinks but thanks to Bird Ballad and Best Dressed DSP packs, the Petal Pink is finally getting used.  Gee I even used it twice this week!  Again a simple card but with lots of layers.

Happy Stamping,