I strive for simplicity in my cards but often find it to be a challenge. Why? For one….once I start the creating process for a card I have a hard time walking away and leaving it alone. I keep adding a little of this, a little of that…and then before you know it my simple idea…well it just isn’t that simple any more.  This card is everything I love about simplicity! It is not only simple but simply elegant….and I stopped adding to it just in time! The little ribbon tab and brad gives it that little something special to keep it from being plain, dull or looking  incomplete! I could make this card over and over and over again…something I don’t normally enjoy doing!…just because it is so pleasing to the eye!

Another good thing about this kind of card is you can change up the words and use it for all sorts of reasons…birthday, thinking of you, sympathy, just because, thank you, congratulations etc. It’s  great to have a few of these kinds of cards in your “save stash”! It’s quick and easy to remake for when you need a card in a hurry…yet it doesn’t  have that hurried I forgot to make you something look!

Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks,

Inks: Brocade Blue, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke

Papers: Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, Whisper White

Accessories: Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Watercolor crayons, Antique Brass Brad

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

Every time I pull this stamp set out it seems to get my creative juices going! So…when I am in a creative slump…yep! you guessed right…I pull this set out!  I use every stamp in this set, over and over and over again…and never seem to tire of it. Those getting the cards might be tired of it…but not me! That is a french knot in the little flower! It was a lot easier to do with ribbon then I thought it would be. Fun addition!

Adding a design or words to dark card stock, especially when you are using it as your card base, doesn’t have to be a challenge. Craft inks, sometimes called pigment inks, are not water based inks and show up nicely on dark colors. They take a little longer to dry then the water based inks but you can use a heat gun to speed up the drying period if you want to.

On this card I used Whisper White Craft Ink on Chocolate Chip card stock.  You can’t see the words as well as the flowers, we are still working on perfecting our photography skills!, but in real life you can read them just fine. They say: Simply said, from the heart… thank you. …And I say…Simply said, from the heart…thanks for stopping by!

***Side note: When I use dark card stock as my base I cut either a white or cream piece of card stock, depends on my color theme, to attach to the inside of the card for additional stamping and for writing my note.

Stamps: Simply Said

Inks:Craft White, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise. Apricot Appeal, Versamark

Papers: Close to Cocoa, Taken with Teal, Whisper White

Accessories: Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon, aqua painter 

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

Friends!

Earlier this summer my friend Laurie came to Texas for a visit with some of her family. We did a lot of really cool things but making this card together was one of my favorite moments. We had never stamped together before and I didn’t have a card prepared. I was a little nervous about instantly producing a card! (I am a very slow creator…very slow! I take my time and a card is never finished until I am really pleased with it. Sometimes that means walking away from it for hours or even days.) Well, there was a card sitting on my stamp table that I had received from a friend which saved my nerves and helped produce this card! I copied the layout but changed up the colors, the stamp set and the words. I love how this turned out and I still have it on my stamp table front and center because it just makes me happy! Shortly after she returned home her horse Jazz gave birth to Wrigley…aka Rigs! Thus the name of the card we made together.

Stamps: Bareback

Inks: Creamy Caramel, Bravo Burgundy

Papers: Creamy Caramel, Bravo Burgundy, Brocade Blue and Very Vanilla

Accessories: Antique Brass brads, and Bravo Burgundy ¼ inch grosgrain ribbon

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

XOXO

It is easier for me to create a card when I have some one to make it for. If there is a reason, even if it is a “just because”, it’s even easier. My daughter is my favorite person to make cards for. Some of my best/favorite work has been while making her a card. I made this a long time ago but thought I would post it because it uses several different products that are fun to work with.  Designer papers add a different touch to homemade cards. The paper used here has a stamped look and creates a fun backdrop for the chipboard X&O. The flowers are from my sewing stash! Probably from JoAnn Fabrics many years ago! I used a glue dot under each flower  to attach them to the scalloped chocolate chip paper. I attached the X and O with dimensionals…you can’t tell here but being raised up a little really makes them pop!

Stamps: Right at Home

Inks: Chocolate Chip

Papers: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Celery designer series paper

Accessories:white gel pen (to put polka dots onto chip board X and O),flower trim from Jo Ann Fabrics, scallop punch, 5/8 inch celery grosgrain ribbon, glue dots and dimensionals

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

Fancy Flannel & Flowers

Several months ago I spent 2 weekends at my friends house in College Station learning how to make a rag quilt.  When I was finished with the quilt I wasn’t ready to give up using the lovely flannel I had been sewing with! So-I decided to add it to the thank you card I was going to make her for being such a great teacher and an awesome hostess!   Her sewing world and my card making world collided right here on this card. I love how it turned out. She loved it too! Sewing on cards is simple and fun. Here are a couple things to note while preparing to sew on your cards… Use a seperate needle just for card making as the paper will dull it.  Putting a piece of double sided tape on the back side of your material, where you won’t be sewing, helps hold it in place while you sew. Set the stitch length to be longer then shorter for both the straight stitch and the zig-zag stitch. If the length is to small it could actually cut the paper or at least make it easier for the paper to rip.  I would also suggest you practice on scratch paper before sewing on your card stock.  There is a different feel with card stock and material then with all material.

Let me know if you try it or if you have any questions.

Stamps: Flower Fancy

Inks: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Papers: Kraft, Very Vanilla

Accessories:3/16 corner rounder punch, button (hand sewn onto flower), glue dot, Cuttlebug embossing folder, flannel, ribbon, sewing machine, MM thank you rub on.

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

Sunflower Thank You

Sunflowers have always been one of my favorite flowers. When we moved into this house the first seeds I planted were sunflower seeds. It was a lovely garden…while it lasted!  I used some fun papers and colors to change up the look of the flower a bit and the end result makes me happy! I used the dry embossed technique on the back ground with a brass template and a light table. If you don’t have a light table you can use a window during the day.  Embossing adds texture and depth to your card. No matter how many times you emboss…you just gotta feel it!

Papers: Brocade Blue, So Saffron. Decorative papers are from Making Memories

Accessories: Light table, brass embossing template, embossing tool, big-shot with #2 flower design bigz die, thank you rub on from MM, circle punch.

  All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

Just To Say I Love You

I love how this card just happened! It is one of those times where I sat down to stamp and viola! 20 minutes later I had a card! That doesn’t happen for me very often so when it does it is a treat! I used cuttle bugs dotted swiss embossing folder. StampinUp now has a dotted swiss texturz plate that is very similar.

Stamps: Time Well Spent, Straight Up Alphabet & Numbers

Inks: Real Red, Celery Green, Summer Sun, Basic Black

Papers: Real Red, Celery DS Paper, Kraft, Whisper White

Accessories: dimensionals, red gingham ribbon, aqua painter, paper piercing tool, cuttle bug dotted swiss embossing   folder , Sizzex Big Shot Die-Cut Machine

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.

Dates: August 1-31, 2009

Promotion Details:

Spend $35 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog (pages 74-90) and receive a FREE package of Designer buttons–a $7.95 value! Eligible buttons are listed below.

Item # Page Description Retail Value
116313 181 Playground Designer buttons
$7.95
116312 181 Sherbet Designer buttons
$7.95
114333 181 Button Latte Designer buttons
$7.95

IN ADDITION…..

Dates: August 1 – September 30, 2009

Promotion Details:
Purchase the brand-new Décor Elements Growth Chart, only available August 1-September 30, and as an added bonus, receive a free applicator tool with your purchase (a $1.95 value).

Father's Day Card

Yikes! I have arrived! Gosh…I have wanted this site for so long. I even waited patiently for it to come to life with eager anticipation to finally be a part of the blogging world. Then it happened. It was up and running and ready for me to fill in all it’s blankness. And that’s when I went blank! I would sit and stare at the box in front of me and not know how to start, didn’t even know what to say for that matter! Even walked away from it for several weeks and forgot how to get back in to it!!! Well, today, going about my business I had a brain storm…and this is it… to tell y’all how I have no clue what to say and that I am just a little bit more nervous then I thought I would be to do this. So hang on-here we go!!! 

 Welcome!

I am really glad you stopped by to check it out. I am going to use this site to share all things about stamping that I love.  For right now, while I am getting used to blogging,  I am just going to let it evolve and see where it takes me.  Today’s card I made for my daughter to give her dad on Father’s Day. I know that was a while ago…(the card was up-loaded and I was still workin up the gumption to speak/write!)   She picked the sets she wanted to use and we worked together to come up with the layout and design. The inside of the card says…loads of love! 

This is what I used to make this card:

Stamps: Loads of Love, The Wheel Thing        

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Rose Red

Papers: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla

Accessories:Linen thread, bigs die- top note, dimensionals

All products used are from Stampin Up unless noted.