Retiring Stampin’Up Sets!

Sorry about the short notice, but I’ve been kind of maxed out the last month or so.  Stampin’ Up gave us the retirement lists about that long ago, but I didn’t even look at them until a few days ago. Off to the left on the side bar are links to the PDF files of retiring stamps and accessories.  So I could mark big red “R’s” in my catalog, I asked Russel to put them in order by page numbers.  I will be e-mailing those lists to my customers.  In that e-mail, I will reference this blog to see some of my favorite cards made with those retiring stamp sets.  The list is long and bloody and major changes are in store in new catalog, including a color refresh, but first, let’s mourn the retiring sets.

First up, the Build a Blossom stamp set and punch will be retiring.  It’s a two-step stamp set, allowing for lovely color combinations, one of my favorite techniques.  The ornament was made with the large petal on the punch.

 

These next two cards were made with the Build a Blossom punch medium and small size petals and the greeting is from the retiring Merry and Type set.

Belles and Boughs is going away.  sniff  The jewelry tag punch and Tiny Tags set is also retiring.

 

Christmas Lodge first came in the Holiday Mini in 2011.  I was so happy when it was in the current catalog.  Now, it’s going away for good.

Delightful Decorations and the ornament punch are retiring.  sigh

Elements of Style, another of my faves.  Also the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.

Perfect Punches.

The Summer Afternoon hostess set is retiring, as is the Praying Hands set.  sniff

Snow Swirled is going away. 

Tags til Christmas is also going away. 

These are just some of my favorite cards made with the retiring sets.  You can contact me on how to get any of these sets, but they all will be available only until June 3.  With the color refresh, a lot of accessories will sell out before then. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) –:¦:- *** ((¸¸.·´*~Kathy~.·´*)****¨¨)) -:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Happy Birthday, Sis!

Several months ago my sister Betsy asked if I could put together something to celebrate our birthdays.  We are 4 years and one week apart.  I said if she’d send me a couple of shadow box frames, sure, I could do that.  I thought about it for a few months and came up with the following shadow boxes. 

I’ve printed off the computer and cut out our names and birthdays and the sisters’ sentiment with Nestabilities.  The Air Force pin commemorates that we are both Air Force brats and we were both in the AF.  The drawing is a scan of a sketch Betsy did of both of us with our dog Mitzi under my left arm.  I colored them with watercolor pencils.  I made both flowers with the ornament punch.

The first is mine, with pinks and reds and a rose.  My pin is Jamie Moyer, my all time favorite Mariner.  Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Betsy’s is in blues with a quilters’ pin in cloisonné with a white magnolia.

And this last picture proves to my skeptical sister that I did them both at the same time before I shipped hers off!

She got her shadow box in time for her birthday (not normal for me).  I also made her this birthday card using Diana Gibbs’ spotlight technique I linked in my post for Janice’s workshop. 

Thanks for stopping by. Comments always welcome!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Links for Magnolias and Roses

I have posted this picture of rose/magnolia flowers on top of boxes made with Top Notes a couple of times . . .

. . ., but it looks like I never provided a link to the video tutorials in this blog.  Probably because I was going to show how to make these at a workshop, which I did and then I forgot to post a link.  These are gorgeous, but very easy, flowers made from SU's ornament punch.  There are several videos on youtube, but this one by The Scrappin Mama is for the magnolia with glossy cardstock:   here.  Here's another one, by yoyostamps, slightly different on how to make a rose with regular cardstock:  here.  I learned something from both videos.

After I made a few of these, I determined that I wanted the green leaves on the bottom to stick out further from the base of the flower rather than just being the bottom layer of petals, so I modified the base just a bit with little extenders cut from scraps.  If you watch the videos, you will see that this makes sense.  This extends the leaves out from the base about a quarter of an inch.

All of the glue and strips are totally hidden once you glue this to the bottom of the rose or magnolia.  These leaves are curved down and the petals of the flowers curve up.

I also assembled my flowers with fast-drying tacky glue instead of glue dots or double-stick tape.

I’m working on a post for Theresa’s workshop and tonight is my stamp club meeting, so more later!

That’s it for now. Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Class and Brandi’s Bug

I recently took a class at a local stamp store using some lovely coordinated vintage papers, stickers, buttons and ribbons.  The colors in the pics are muted and are more lively IRL, but you get the picture.  You can click on them for details.

I really like the button with linen thread bow.  This needs something, but class said not.

The little presents in the frame were fussy cut from one of the sheets of BG paper.

First time I ever used alphabet stickers on a card!

Second time!  LOL  Going to have to do this more often.  Probably cheaper to use stickers than buy alphabet dies, especially if you’re not a scrapper.

This weekend, I made these tags that I started in the class.  Bought a cool punch that nips off the corners perfectly.  My stamp club has a tag swap at our Christmas party and these will work well.  I can’t go as Russel’s holiday office party is in Alabama that weekend, but I’ll find someone to swap my tags for me.  I like getting a bunch of different tags.

Speaking of Russel’s work, one of the ladies in the home office caught the flu from her daughter and has been out for a week.  I made her this cute little card using some jars and a saying I printed off my puter.  Only stamp is the coffee bean turned into a bug!  I cut out an extra bug and popped him up.  Drew in his legs and antenna, but he needed googly eyes.  I didn’t have any small enough, so I punched out two 1/8” circles, put black dots on them and stuck them on.  Surprise myself sometimes. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Comments always welcome.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Sweet, Cold and Cuddly!

Had a chance to stamp last week.  Everything is too fiddly for a workshop, but I got to use some new stuff.  SU came out with some cool Halloween and wintery stuff in the new Holiday Mini.  Sweet Vivian, my upline, loaned me her Cold and Cuddly set (among other things I have yet to play with) and I bought the Sweet Centers for myself.  First up, my cute little polar bear.  Lots of fussy cutting, one of my favorite things. 

 

Then, here’s my cute little pekwin, as my Aussy buddy calls penguins.  Both cards use Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy and Brilliant Blue cardstocks and Brilliant Blue and Real Red inks.   Popped up lots of stuff with Dimensionals.

It took me a while to make this Sweet Centers shaker card.  Had to wait for my 1 3/4” circle punch, then I had to find some confetti to put under the window sheet.  Found the bats and pumpkins at the Party Palace.  Sentiment is from new Grateful Greetings.  Black embossed everything and mounted it on a panel I used my spiral punch on for interest. Cardstocks are Basic Black and new In Colors Crushed Curry and Rich Razzleberry.  I’ll be playing with this set some more as I got some of the sweet cups to put candies in that fit in the center.   Not real sure about the candy thing.  Who wants to destroy a cute card to get at a handful of candy corn?  LOL

Thanks for visiting!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Goodbye to Mr. McK.

Ocala lost one of the good guys on Aug. 15.  I worked as his legal assistant before he retired in 2006.  His family knew I made cards with rubber stamps, so, I used one of my favorite sets, sentiments and poems to try to give them some comfort.  Here’s the card, inside and out, and the poem I enclosed. Click on either picture to enlarge it.  I printed the poem, trimmed it and stamped the lighthouse on it like I did the inside of the card.  The lighthouse is Cape Hatteras Light, NC, one of my favorite lighthouses, from SU’s retired, but not forgotten, Coast to Coast set. 

Miss Me

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me

I want no rites in a gloom filled room

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little, but not for long

And not with your head bowed low

Remember the love that once we shared

Miss me, but let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take

And each must go alone.

It's all part of the master plan

A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick at heart

Go to the friends we know.

Laugh at all the things we used to do

Miss me, but let me go.  

Anonymous

At my Dad’s funeral, one of his VFW buddies read this poem which I recently found on the internet.  I hope it gives some comfort.  So sorry for their loss.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Card for My LoveR's Birthday

Well, it was hard to wait, but I wanted to put this on my blog AFTER my LoveR got this card for his birthday, which is today! I don't know why I waited, he never looks at my blog unless I tell him to, but I also wanted his reaction. Before he opened the card, he asked if there was a motorcycle in there. He wishes! Poor guys knees are shot from years of abuse, so no more bikes. Inside the card, it says "Just like you."


This card was made totally without stamps! GASP! With the help of Allison Fillo's blog, I got the picture of the motorcycle here: bike Not being at all technical, it just didn't work, and kept printing out too large. My Aussy Buddy is more computer literate than me and she fixed it up as a .jpg so I could make it as small as I needed, then she changed it to be brown, too. Thank you, Miss Tracy! I printed off the "Vintage" and the inside of the card on SU's Sahara Sand CS and I was almost done. As my finishing touch, I wanted to try a background with Dawn Griffith's embossing on foil technique, here: foil I used a store brand of heavy duty foil (not all that sturdy!) and my Argyle embossing folder through my Cuttlebug and it came out looking sorta kinda like diamond plate, a definite guy thing. It needed one more thing, well six more, LOL, so I put some brads on there.

Oh, bottom line. HE LOVES IT! Has it on the shelf above his monitor. My work here is done! Thanks for stopping by!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Fifth Avenue in Blues

I finished my blue rose last night with the WOW technique described in yesterday's post. The colors don't show very true, but I used Baja Breeze and Pacific Point cardstocks and reinkers, with just a bit of Yoyo Yellow in the center. Also used Old Olive and Whisper White CS. Did the fake brads again with Crystal Effects and the Eyelet Border. Used a scrap of Flamingo DSP, too, although I'm not that fond of the dotted pattern. It had the blues in it. Thank You is from retired Wonderful Words.

Thanks for stopping by!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Been Busy

I hesitate to say it, but I gotta. I've been a busy little Beaver! LOL My upline shared a link with me last week with a WOW technique from the SU Regional in Seattle. WOW techniques are just what it says. You see it done and go WOW! My upline shared with me Sandi McIver's blog: http://www.sandimaciver.com/ . Sandi gave credit to a "very creative and talented Connie Ingram from the Mile High Stampers in Colorado [that] demonstrated this technique." I also found Patty Bennet's blog at: http://pattystamps.typepad.com/pattys_stamping_spot/. Both are excellent with great instructions and/or video tutorials on how to make these gorgeous roses with SU's Fifth Avenue Rose, shimmery cardstock, a water spritzer and reinkers.

This first card I made uses Regal Rose, Rose Red, shimmery, Basic Black and Whisper White cardstocks, layered with some DSP out of the Walk in the Park pack. I think I used Rose Red and Pink Pirouette reinkers on the rose. I've slept since then, so don't exactly recall. I finished it off with white grosgrain ribbon, the new scalloped oval punch and the large oval punch (not all that big), with sentiment out of Oval All. I've misplaced my little sizzlet for the leaves, so stamped the leaves from the old SAB Best Blossoms and fussy cut it out. Almost identical, just not as easy!

This second card is basically the same except for layout and I used sentiment from Sincere Salutations. Dotted around scalloped oval with white opaque Signo.

I wanted to try another color combo, so for this one, I used Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange and Pumpkin Pie. Made fake brads with punched out 1/8" circles with a drop of Crystal Effects on them. I also made a blue rose which I'll share when I get it finished.

Lastly, I fell in love with the butterfly pattern in the Basic Grey Ambrosia 6x6 pad. I had these black flowers and buttons for a card I've been thinking about doing in black and white, so I tried them on here. I didn't have access to real orange buttons for the flowers, so did some faux ones. Poked holes on them and threaded through thin strips of black CS. Threaded strips of orange CS through real black buttons on the bottom. Finished this off with my fave sentiment from All Holidays. Aside from being a little Halloweeny, it's starting to grow on me.

I've been making other stuff, too, but I'm not finished. Been playing with the Manhattan Flower textured impression die and will share what I've done soon.

Thanks for visiting!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Love that Soft Summer

I was poking around looking for something and found this that I made with Soft Summer out of the Occasions Mini, an SU texture plate and Nestabilities oval dies. Cardstock is Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss and Whisper White. Colored dogwoods with watercolor pencils and blender pens, fussy cut them out and popped them up. Sentiment is from One of a Kind (duh!) stamped and punched out with large oval punch with new scalloped oval punch framing it. I think I will send this to my auntie who just turned 97!

Thanks for stopping by!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

New Occasions Promotion!

Connect with family and friends when you make them beautiful cards and gifts using products from the Occasions Mini Catalog. From April 1-30, when you buy $40 in products from the Occasions Mini or host a workshop totaling $150 or more, you'll get one item from the "Under $10" page (p. 208) in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog - FREE! Start connecting today! Contact me to schedule your workshop or place your order.

Below are two cards I made using Soft Summer out of the Occasions Mini. I did my favorite watercoloring with my watercolor pencils and blender pens, then fussy cut them and popped them up on dimensionals. Both cards used Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss and Whisper White cardstock and some of the pretty Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper. The first card used the Spiral punch along the edge. The sayings are also from Soft Summer, stamped and punched out with the large oval punch and the new scalloped oval punch. Those two make gorgeous framed sentiments.

I love pink dogwood!

Thanks for stopping by!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Valentines II, Finally!

I finally got a chance to upload the pics of the rest of my valentines. My great and wonderous Ozzy Buddy cropped my horrible pics so they would look nicer and she even stuck my watermark on there (something I have been unable to master, as yet!).

This first one uses a combination of Cuttlebug embossing folder (tiny hearts), die cuts from a Slice, and heart Nesties.
This second one is the one I am giving to my Russel. Uses same CB embossing folder and lovely frames made with Nestie hearts, both classic and scalloped.

This one is just a wild combo of heart Nesties, CB folder and Slice diecuts. I had the strip of lattice just laying around and stuck it on there. It's from a corner punch I borrowed.

Last, but not least, one big chocolate chip Nestie heart with the love and you die cuts off a Slice machine.

Thanks for stopping by. More to come soon of pics from stamp club meeting and Stampfest.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Saturday's Workshop

Saturday I had my first Sale-A-Bration (SAB) workshop and we made a couple of cute projects. This first one is a little goodie sack made with three Top Notes, the Yummy SAB set, the Word Window punch and a little flower made with the 5-petal punch. With my sideline Michelle's technique, they end up stiff and more dimensional than just punching them out and layering them. Finished them up with a half pearl from the Pretties Kit. This was really popular, especially when I passed out the mini-conversation hearts to fill the little bags inside!



The other make and take was a Pacific Point/Chocolate Chip version of a card my upline Vivian made in Pink Pirouette with black framing. I love this Echoes of Kindess Level II hostess set as delphiniums are one of my favorite flowers. We did this with a simple watercolor technique using the Pacific Point, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss reinkers.

I had lots of good feedback on these two make and takes. Guess the ladies were all happy, which makes me happy!

Thanks for visiting!

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)

Valentines I

I've just been a stamping fool yesterday and today, as if I didn't have plenty else to do! Stamped a bunch of images of this little puppy when I got to Therese's CTMH party an hour early (confused, I was!) Saturday. Started coloring them there and finished them last night. Made these for a pledge to a children's hospital in Michigan.

I used bits and pieces of die cut words and hearts done with a Slice, thanks Lona. To make them pop more, I covered them with Diamond Glaze. Background is a retired Itty Bitty Background. The top left card used a Big Note die from SU and a fussy cut Love from a retired SU set, A Light Heart.

Went totally over the top on these two. Forgot to sponge on the edges of the flowers before I dampened them and crushed them and unfolded them and dried them, but will do that when I make more. These were made with borrowed Nesties classic and scalloped hearts, thanks to Therese, SU's five-petal punch and SU's pretties kit for pearls and pin. The hearts background is a borrowed Cuttlebug embossing folder, thanks to Helen.

One of these will be for my sweetie for Valentine's Day. He doesn't mind when I make him cards and then take them back for samples. Got a keeper with him.

Thanks for stopping by.

(-: ¸.·´* .·´*¨¨)) -:¦:- ***
((¸¸.·´*~Kathy.·´*)****¨¨))
-:¦:- ·· ((¸¸.·´* .·´*((¸¸.·.·´ *-:¦:- ... :-)