Gems and Paper

February 14 is Here

2012-02-14T01:13:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day. Two different valentines, one non-traditional colors. I found both of the ideas on my favorite website, splitcoasstampers.

Today would have been my great-grandmother's about 137th birthday.

Punched Valentines

2012-02-13T10:21:00.002-05:00

These two cards have a lot of punching and not much stamping. The card on the left is made with the doily Sizzlet and the heart embosslits. They are new to the Stampin Up selection of tools. The originals are on Splitcoast.

I do change a few things when I use a card for ideas. As an example the punch angel of the original had different designer paper as a background, the dress and wings were embossed, and it used a different stamp set.

Some More Valentines

2012-02-11T12:20:00.001-05:00

I sure made a lot of Valentines this year. There were so many nice ones posted on Splitcoast that I wanted to try them all. I didn't but I have a lot saved to try next year. Of course next year there will also be others that I want to make too. Good thing we have a lot of brothers and sisters. I can't find the paper where I wrote down who did the original on these. I do remember that Gretchen Baron did the one on the far right.

Love Bug

2012-02-10T15:35:00.001-05:00

I had never used this die before I loaned it to my niece to use along with the bee. I saw a card with heart flowers and two lady bugs on splitcoast and this is my interpretation of it. I didn't put a greeting so it can be used for many different occasions.

Our Wedding Month

2012-02-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

I have seen these cards on splitcoast and decided it was time to make one. I tried different variations of the paper on the card. If you look at the groom you should be able to see the different ways that I made him. My husband and I have an anniversay coming up later this month. It isn't one of those big ones, but still a lot of years. Thanks to Lynn Pratt for the pattern for the dress.

Valentine Month is Here

2012-02-01T12:58:00.002-05:00

These valentines look so nice IRL and they are quick and easy to make. They were inspired by a lady who goes by lisaadd on splitcoast.

Poppin' Pastels

2012-01-25T03:52:00.002-05:00

The card on the top left is colored with chalk or pastels as sophisticated artists say. It was inspired by a card I saw by Patty Bennett. My group wanted to make a card using some chalk so I searched around for something I thought they would like to make. It turned out really nice. The other two cards, more raspberry tart.

Happy Birthday to Me

2012-01-22T00:02:00.003-05:00

Today is my birthday. It isn't a zero year, but still, I am getting too darn old. I have a hard time believing I am as old as I am. The card with the pink daisies on it reminds me of a dress that I had when I was about 15. The directions for the pinwheel card can be found on Dawn Griffiths blog and the white daisies on Gretchen Baron's blog. It is more of the raspberry tart paper.

2012-01-21T01:40:00.002-05:00

I think this little bug is so cute. It didn't photograph well because the flash went off and I was too impatient to wait anohter day to post. It was originally designed by Mercedes and the directions were shared by Flowerbug. It and the other card shown were made with Raspberry Tart DSP. The little bug is made with the word window and scallop circle punch.

Band Appreciation Party

2012-01-20T22:32:00.005-05:00

My Thursday night band is having a party, more like a dinner, today. This is the card that I made for our director, John. I have another one made that I may give to one of the band members who does a lot of extra work for the band. It is the blue card which was inspired by Karen Barber on split coast stampers.

2012-01-18T03:25:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of designer paper that I need to use. One package is called Raspberry Tart. Since there was only one full sheet and a lot of partial sheets left, I decided I was going to make cards with it. My goal was to use all of it. I made a lot of cards with it but I still have some left. The next few posts will be cards I made with this paper. The thinking of you card is a different paper pack.

Buzzing By to Say Hi

2012-01-16T15:24:00.001-05:00

I had never used this bee die. At Christmas, I brought a lot of my dies up for my niece to look at. She is making hairpins and headbands. I thought this little bee would be cute on a baby girl. So when I got back home I decided I needed to make a bee card. This is what I came up with.

Flowers and Hearts

2012-01-12T11:13:00.003-05:00

These two valentines are not really moving me. I love the new doily sizzlet, but it is difficult to cut and time consuming to remove all the chads. I need to play with it a little more. It was an expensive die so I have to learn to use it.

Happy Snow Day

2012-01-10T14:44:00.002-05:00

I buy very few snowman stamps. It's not that I don't like them, I just don't have much need for them living where I do. But, it has become a tradition for me to send a snow day card to my brother each January. He will be retiring this year after 35 years of teaching. I think I will need to send another one to him this year because I still have ideas for snow cards. You can't tell in this picture, but there is glitter all over the snowman.

Non-traditional Valentines

2012-01-07T08:36:00.001-05:00

Here are three more Valentines that I have made. I am not sure which of these three my group will make. I am leaning toward the top left because I think it could be changed slightly to use for other occasions besides Valentine Day. Thanks to my splitcoaststamper friends for sharing their ideas and making it easy for me to make cards.

Time for Valentines

2012-01-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

Now that Christmas and the new year have passed, it is time for me to start working on Valentine ideas. The card on the top is similar to one of the cards my group will be doing. Theirs will use designer paper instead of the stamped small hearts. I thought it would be good for them to send to their grandchildren.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:01:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since we were at the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. We had some good times in 2011 but had a few rough spots that got us down. Hoping for only good in 2012.

Rest In Peace

2011-12-28T14:44:00.002-05:00

This past year we have lost several family members. As the year comes to a close we remember the good times of Christmas past and hope for healing of our hearts. We will miss them all especially our sister. Love and miss you Patty.

A Christmas Gift

2011-12-25T00:26:00.001-05:00

This is what I made my brother Ken this year for Christmas. We went to the Rose Bowl Parade together last year so I scrapped some of our pictures for him. It is hard to take pictures of the book or describe it. First is the front cover and then the back cover.

It opens up like a book with pictures on both sides. Then there are inserts that you pull out and there are pictures on both sides of the inserts. One of the inserts is not pulled out in this last picture.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T14:41:00.001-05:00

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Band Cards

2011-12-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

I play in two different community bands. For one of the bands, I make cards which are used for get well, sympathy, and other occassions. These are the cards for our two directors. The one with the deer will be going to John and the flower card is for Samantha. I didn't take a picture of the inside of the cards, but there is a slot for a gift card we are giving them.

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-18T00:10:00.002-05:00

This is the Christmas card that I sent this year to our family. The colors are eggplant and summer sun, very non-traditional Christmas colors. I thought they were regal looking, fit for a King. The three wise men and shepards are on the front and Mary, Joseph and Jesus are on the inside.

Bryan's Birthday Card

2011-12-15T01:58:00.001-05:00

My nephew turned twenty-one this past weekend. When he was a baby, he loved Thomas the train. He would tell us the name of all of his cars. He couldn't say Oliver or Percy right. We made him say those names over and over because he said them so cute. So I made him a Thomas card with a 21 on the front. I am sure he rolled his eyes over it.

Music Showcase

2011-12-13T13:58:00.000-05:00

We did a show this weekend at a music store. They asked for a donation of a raffle prize. I made these music themed note cards and a paper purse to store them. The last picture is the purse but since the handle and background are both black you can't tell that it is a purse.

A Southwest Card

2011-12-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

When we were in Santa Fe New Mexico, I went into a stamp store and resisted the temptation of buying. But the next day we were in the downtown area once again and I went into the store for a second time. I wasn't going to buy anything but there was a sample of a card similar to this one and Jim really liked it. So he bought the two stamps that were used on the card. He made a sketch of the card. Here is my interpretation of the card he liked using words and doodles I already had.

Last of the Buttons

2011-11-28T07:28:00.004-05:00

The card on the left doesn't have any buttons on it even though the center looks like it might. I just took a picture of the two cards together. This will be the last of the buttons, at least for awhile.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T08:03:00.006-05:00

We are spending Thanksgiving day with our good friends Betsy and Ted and their daughter Karen. We have had many Thanksgiving dinners with them through the years. We are so thankful for their friendship.

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-11-22T10:16:00.002-05:00

Today would have been my dad's 94th birthday. It is also the anniversary of the death of President Kennedy. Ever since 1963 I have associated my dad's birthday with the president's assassination. I already posted the button birthday card but my dad will be my friend forever and he meant a lot to me. He grew roses so he would like the flower card. The snails however were not his friend.

More Buttons

2011-11-20T23:24:00.002-05:00

My cousin has been in the hospital after a hip injury so I am thinking of her as I post this. I hope she is recovering from her surgery.

Button Cards

2011-11-19T23:11:00.002-05:00

So if you follow my blog, you know that I tend to post pictures of cards made with the same set. So here comes the beginning of a new set, Stampin' Up! Button Buddies. I think this pig is so cute with his little birthday hat that I added.

Happy Birthday Grandma Ellie

2011-11-17T00:03:00.001-05:00

Today would have been my grandmother's birthday. I am not really sure how old she would have been but something like 110. Although she has been gone quite awhile now, I still think of the good times we had together.

Get Well Doilies

2011-10-30T14:46:00.001-04:00

This will be the last of the doilies for a while because I will be starting a new series in a few days. The pink and black card and the all pink card use the emboss resist technique I talked about the other day.

Friendship Doilies

2011-10-28T13:41:00.001-04:00

For the card on the left, I used what was left of the purple thank you card that I posted a few days ago. The vintage card has a technique called emboss resist. The doily is stamped and embossed using white powder. Then kraft colored ink is sponged on top but the part that is embossed does not hold the color. It is a fun technique.

Thanks Again

2011-10-26T12:35:00.003-04:00

Two more thank you cards. I really like this set and I have used it in a lot of different ways as you have seen the past few days. The cards today were cut. The top one I trimed around the doily and on the second one I stamped it and divided the paper in thirds.

Some Thank You Doilies

2011-10-25T23:32:00.002-04:00

I don't use a lot of purple but I like the way these turned out. My SIL Deb would like these as she loves anything purple.

The Butterfly Doily Enlarged

2011-10-23T10:29:00.001-04:00

This close up gives you a better idea of what the butterfly birthday card from the previous post looks like. I tried to get it lined up and I think I got it pretty close.

The First of a Series: Dolies

2011-10-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

These are some of the birthday cards that I made using the large doily background stamp. They all are made using embossing powder which makes them look like it is a real doily instead of a rubber stamp.

Saved the Best for Last

2011-10-20T01:02:00.001-04:00

None of the designs that I used the past week or so are my own. I get many ideas from the wonderful card makers online at splitcoaststamers.com. I do change them a little depending on what supplies I have. This design is from a lady who goes by card shark, not playing cards but greeting cards. Get it? I think this card is so cute.

Almost Done

2011-10-17T14:56:00.003-04:00

Are you getting tired of Christmas cards Yet? Well, I am almost through posting Christmas for awhile. Here are a few more cards with ornaments and another one that uses the deer from Winter Post. The deer has a little touch of some shiny gold paper.

Ornaments for the Tree

2011-10-14T23:50:00.000-04:00

The card on the left is made using an ornament punch, not a stamp set. Punching makes it so easy when working on cards. After I had these cards done I thought that I should have used a paper clip behind the punched image to make a hanger for the ornament. Too late now.

Snowmen and Trees

2011-10-12T21:46:00.002-04:00

Living where I do, snowmen wouldn't last very long in our yard. I guess that is why I don't make that many cards with snowmen on them. Usually the stamp sets have a family of snowmen and there are just the two of us so that bothers me too. The numbers have to match up right.

Merry Moments

2011-10-10T06:42:00.002-04:00

All of the designer paper that I have used on these cards is Stampin' Up Merry Moments. I got it off the clearance rack this past year. What a great deal it was.

Winter Post

2011-10-05T19:39:00.002-04:00

These cards have a vintage look to them. The main set that I used is called Winter Post. I also used one of my favorite sets called Lovely as a Tree. I like the blue card and it may become a Christmas card that I will send some year.

Christmas in October

2011-10-01T18:36:00.001-04:00

Sure I know I should be posting Halloween stuff, but I didn't make anything new. Be prepared for several days of Christmas cards because once I get going on a theme, it goes on and on.

This is the Stampin' Up set called Dasher with Merry Moments designer paper.

Happy Birthday Mom

2011-09-24T09:15:00.001-04:00

Today would have been my mom's 90th birthday. She would have loved this card even though it is very simple. We always had doilies on our furniture and now I have many of those doilies. I miss her a lot and think of her everyday. I sure wish she was here to celebrate this birthday.

2011-09-19T03:10:00.001-04:00

This is a Halloween card that I made with a few friends that I stamp with. They all have grandchildren that will be getting this card. I call him Frankie because he has blue hair. We also made some with bright pink hair for the girls. Her name is Frances. We used the Stampin'Up top note on the Big Shot to make him along with several punches.

Back to School

2011-09-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of every school year, I send my brother a back to school card. I started doing it when I retired just to irrate him a little since I no longer had to go back to school. I think he looks forward to seeing what I will come up with each new school year. This is going to be the last school card that I send him. He plans to retire in June after teaching 35 years. He lasted longer than me.

Rose Parade Remembers

2011-09-11T23:51:00.003-04:00

We had the privilege to help work on this float that was in the 2011 Rose Parade. It honored those who died on Sept 11. The fire hydrant was recovered from the wreckage near the Twin Towers and was on the float. They had to get special permission from the committee to have it on the float without flowers. Everything on floats in the parade must be covered with something natural.

Business Card Holders

2011-09-02T23:48:00.000-04:00

It has been awhile since I posted anything but cards. So, I thought it was time for something new. Many years ago Jim made a cat business card holder for his mom. When she died, we took it to use for our cards. Many people asked us about it. He decided to make a few more. We did find that ours is a little on the short side, so he made these two a little bigger.

Nautical Expedition

2011-08-28T13:18:00.001-04:00

This is the end of the nautical look cards for awhile. It is easier for me to make a bunch of cards with the same set and papers since I make so many. I just get out what I need and change the format of the papers. That is why you see so many of the same set grouped together.

The Open Sea

2011-08-23T12:44:00.001-04:00

The name of this Stampin'Up stamp set is the open sea. It is in the summer mini and is available only through August 31. I guess l also like it so much since I live near the sea.

Nautical Cards

2011-08-20T12:35:00.003-04:00

Get ready to see a few more cards made with this ship and designer paper. I like the navy blue and cherry cobbler paper together and the various strings that I used on the cards instead of ribbon. They are nice masculine cards.

August Birthdays

2011-08-17T12:34:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday to our BIL John. He liked his birthdate so much that his daughter Heather was born on the same day. Their birthdays are a little later this month, but I need to post these things when I remember them.

Flowers, Again?

2011-08-15T18:51:00.000-04:00

Those few of you who look at my blog must be thinking, is she ever going to make anything else. I guess I was just on a big flower kick. I am working on some other projects right now that have flowers on some of them but totally different than anything you have seen in the past month.

Summertime

2011-08-08T14:49:00.000-04:00

Besides flowers, when I think of summer, I think of a cold Pina Colada at the beach. It sure is hot right now at the beach and we at least haven't been having the three digit heat. We have had rain to cool us some too.

Purse Full of Cards

2011-08-06T10:33:00.001-04:00

This is another style of a purse that holds four cards. The cards are shown below the purse. There is one bday, get well, thank you, and thinking of you card in the paper purse. The colors are nice and bright IRL.

Tissue Paper Flowers

2011-08-02T01:00:00.002-04:00

Both of the flowers on these two cards are made with tissue paper. In real life, they puff up real nice. The flowers were cut using my Big Shot and a Sizzix Stampin' Up die.

Two July Birthdays

2011-07-28T22:27:00.000-04:00

Today is my nephew Jack's 16th birthday, so I sent him a car. I told him to tell all his friends that his aunt sent him a car for his birthday. Our sister Mary will be having a birthday on Saturday. Happy Birthday to Jack and Mary.

Last of the Flowers

2011-07-25T02:14:00.001-04:00

Well at least it will be the last of the flowers for a little while because I haven't downloaded any more pictures to the computer yet. Besides that I have a few birthdays I need to mention soon.

Some More Flowers

2011-07-24T00:10:00.001-04:00

Just in case you didn't see enough flowers yesterday, here are a few more.

Summer Flowers

2011-07-23T12:04:00.000-04:00

I make a lot of cards with flowers and trees. I promised myself I was not getting any new flower stamps or dies until I had used the ones I have several times. So here are some cards with flowers on them. I don't have anyone to send them to right now, but they will be in my stash ready to go when I need them.

Happy July 4

2011-07-04T01:12:00.001-04:00

The card with the stars on it, I sent to one of our uncles. The Uncle Sam I sent to one of my cousins and on the inside I put ...to have a Happy Birthday. I also sent one saying ...to have a Happy 4th to one of our aunts who hosts a July 4 family picnic each year. We didn't go as it is too far for us but wanted to say hello to everyone.

Another New Baby

2011-07-02T13:11:00.000-04:00

Finally the last, at least of this batch, of grand nephew/nieces has arrived. He did make his appearance in June, I am just late in posting. Congratulations to Neill and Jerica and grandma Deb and grandpa Tim. He is their first.

Happy Birthday Norma

2011-06-23T14:55:00.000-04:00

Another June birthday, I told you there were a bunch of them. Happy Birthday to our sister in law Norma.

No baby news yet. Maybe he wants to be a July birthday.

A Red Hat Birthday

2011-06-18T15:58:00.000-04:00

One of the blogs I follow is Ellen Kemper. She does amazing punch art. I saw a card on her blog and thought of a purple dress and a red hat that is the traditional dress of the red hat ladies. You have to be 50 to join. Today our sister Deb turns 50 plus she loves purple. So I have been saving this idea for awhile now to make for her 50th birthday. You can see Ellen's card here
http://blinkthinkink.blogspot.com/2010/06/back-of-bride.html

June Birthdays

2011-06-10T20:01:00.000-04:00

June is a big birthday month for us. Already this month my brother Ken and our nephew Bill have had birthdays. Tomorrow is our nephew Ryan's big day. Later this month Jim's sister Deb has a BIG birthday and her son has a baby due this month. Next year we will have his to add to the list of June birthdays.

Spring is here

2011-06-04T13:58:00.001-04:00

Its time for the birds and butterflies to come out and enjoy the spring flowers. These suncatchers are perfect to bring springtime into your home.

Gift Purses

2011-05-29T23:42:00.000-04:00

The idea for these purses which hold 4 greeting cards came from Lisa. They are designed to give as a gift to someone who really doesn't need anything. There is one birthday, one get well, one thank you and a thinking of you in each purse. The blue cards are in the blue purse and the pink cards are in the pink purse.

Freedom Isn't Free

2011-05-28T14:12:00.002-04:00

Don't forget the real reason for having the day off this Memorial Day weekend. While we are at the beach, attending concerts, having picnics, and enjoying ourselves, many military families have an empty spot at the table. May they find peace in knowing their family member sacrificed for the freedom we all share. Thank you to all of our veterans, active duty soldiers, and families.

Happy Birthday Judy

2011-05-18T00:12:00.004-04:00

Looks like I have a picture of my shadow along with this card. Oh well, you get the idea. We have another May birthday. Happy Birthday to our sister Judy who is receiving her real card late this year. Sorry.

Stamp A Stack

2011-05-13T13:47:00.017-04:00

Yesterday I posted these same cards but blogger was down and I didn't know it. So I am posting them again.

I have a group of friends coming over and these are three of the cards they are going to make. The greetings can be changed to fit the occasion. the birthday hat on the penguin can be taken off to change the occasion for him too.

Some May Birthdays

2011-05-06T14:43:00.009-04:00

I know I missed a few April birthdays and now here it is six days into May and I haven't done May birthdays either. Tomorrow is my brother Bob's birthday as well as our nieces, Carol and Cathy. It will be a tough day for our nieces whose mom just recently passed. I will be thinking of them.

About these cards, the cupcakes are a SU punch. I love how easy it is to use.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T09:35:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter to everyone. This is a card that I made a few years ago for Easter at Lisa's card class. I forgot to take a picture of the one that I sent for Easter this year.

Band Baby

2011-04-23T20:52:00.003-04:00

I make cards to give to members of my community band for certain occasions. Most of the time unfortunately these are get well or sympathy cards. A month or so ago, our tuba player's wife had a baby girl. Seems like I have been making a lot of baby cards recently. These are two that I sent to Amy and grandma Judy when Jillian was born. The elephant is made from punches. Do you get that the other one is a dresser?

In Memory of Patty

2011-04-17T09:37:00.008-04:00

Two weeks ago, we attended the memorial service of our sister Patty, who died unexpectedly. The past few years, we were able to spend time with her and we are so grateful for those memories.

To any women that read our blog, please try to remember that women do not have the same symptoms of heart failure that men do. You may not have any chest pain. Symptoms include nausea or pain in the stomach which is what she had been feeling.

Friendship

2011-03-24T10:47:00.003-04:00

Do you remember the childhood song about friends? I learned it in scouts. Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.

I love antiques and vintage things so these two cards are so me. I think I am going to buy another package of this vintage springtime designer paper before it retires. It is so me too.

My old friend is Carol, who doesn't look at my blog so she won't know this post is for her.

It's a Girl!

2011-03-19T10:58:00.003-04:00

Baby number four has finally arrived, after several false trips to the hospital. I guess she just wasn't ready to make her appearance. Her name is Jillian May. This card is one that I sent her grandma when one of her cousins or siblings was born a few years ago. I can't publish the ones I am sending for her because I haven't made them yet.

Happy St Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T09:49:00.003-04:00

This is a card that I made several years ago in card class. One of my SILs still has it so when I visited her at Christmas, I took a picture of it so I would have a post for St. Patrick's Day this year. The cards I made this year are not as cute as this one.

Birthday Greetings

2011-03-16T12:03:00.004-04:00

We have quite a few birthdays in March, two on the same date. Happy Birthday to sister Patty, brother Tom, and niece Amy. Next year at this time there may be another birthday to celebrate as it is getting close to baby number four being born.

Babies #2 and #3

2011-03-05T17:27:00.004-05:00

The next new babies to be recognized were born on the same day. Yes, they are twins. Joey and Emily were born to Donna and her husband Joe. Congratulations. They had to stay at the hospital a little bit longer but are now home and doing well. They have two older sisters too.

Baby #1

2011-03-04T20:29:00.002-05:00

The first of five babies due in the family is already about a month old. Hard to believe that much time has passed already. Congratulations to Heather and her new son Vincent. Two more have been born too and their card will be posted soon. And I understand #4 is getting very close.

Spring Leaf Time

2011-03-01T12:52:00.003-05:00

Some of you may think that I am a bit confused posting a card with leaves on it in March. Unlike in the North, our leaves are falling to the ground now. We raked about 15 bags of leaves on Sunday and only raked the driveway and the edge of the street around our lot. We recycled the leaves using them for mulch around our azaleas and hibiscus.

Another February Birthday

2011-02-24T14:39:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to our grand niece Tessa. Her birthday is coming up soon on February 28. We have had some babies born in the family the past month. Two more are on the way so expect to see some baby cards in the next few posts.

Roses for Your Valentine

2011-02-14T10:32:00.005-05:00

So many people get roses for Valentine's Day. Not me. I think they are way overpriced. One year we happened to be in our local grocery store the day after and saw roses marked down. The same roses that had been $39.99 a dozen were now $4.99. We bought a dozen of those.

These pictures are buckets of roses that were going to be used on floats at the Rose Bowl Parade.

Not Very Valentine Ish But ...

2011-02-08T16:41:00.003-05:00

It is a heart even though most of the time you would see this winged heart in a tattoo not in glass.

Valentine's Day is approaching. My cards were very clean and simple this year as I was not really feeling well when I made them. (Nothing big just one of those winter colds). They have already been mailed and may be in the hands of the recipient.

Happy Birthday Becky

2011-02-01T21:10:00.004-05:00

It is time to start listing February birthdays already. Well I have a cold and don't feel like looking for my calendar so the others in February will have to wait. But my SIL Becky has an early Birthday, her and the groundhog, so she gets her wishes first.

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-01-22T19:23:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who sent me a card for my birthday. The funny thing is everyone just happened to send me a card that I made. I am not sure who the organizer of this event was, but Jim is at the top of the list.

His was the only card that I received that was not one that I made. He made a card for me. This is his card. The inside was a pop-up card.

Birthday Cards

2011-01-21T17:31:00.004-05:00

I have so many stamps sets that are flowers and trees. Although it doesn't bother me to send a flower card to a male, some people don't like to. Here are two cards that I have made to send to males using something other than flowers. The balloon card could easily be made with pink and green for a more female look.

The goldfish card could be sent to anyone, but would be appropriate for a child. I like the orange and blue paper to go with the fish in water.

Valentine's Day is Near

2011-01-20T18:06:00.010-05:00

I have started to make some Valentine cards for the Kumquat Festival. Our house is so dark that the flash goes off just about every time I take a picture of a card. It washes out the color on the reds. The elephant is a rose red with kraft base. The set also has a mouse and they are perfect for a boy card.
The owl is also a puch and I have used him on a lot of different cards.
The patchwork card is very similar to our Christmas card for this year and easy to make with a square punch.

What is with This Cold Weather?

2011-01-14T12:01:00.003-05:00

The card says "Your Friendship Warms My Heart." It isn't my heart that needs warming right now but my hands and feet. I know the northerners think we are whimps but it is cold down here. I am a whimp, I know it. I am ready for the 70 degree temperatures that we may have by Monday. Don't get too excited though as it is only going to last a few days and then get cold again.

Ryan Will Know

2011-01-13T15:03:00.003-05:00

One day Jim came down the steps and said look what I made in an excited voice. I said so. He said do you know what it is. My answer, a peace sign, big deal. He was crushed. How many of you know what it is? The hint, for family members, is in the title of the post.

January Birthdays

2011-01-07T20:20:00.004-05:00

Only one of these is a birthday card, but it is going to have to do for this month. Both stamps are from the same stamp set along with the turtle and dragonfly that you have seen in another post. Becka if you are reading this post, I should have sent the peacock feather card to you, but it isn't Bec's bday this month. Happy Birthday to us.

Thinking of You

2011-01-04T10:40:00.004-05:00

I make a lot of thinking of you type cards. They can be used for so many different occassions or just to stay in touch with family and friends. These were made with the Stampin Up retired set called Embrace Life. I like to stamp the flower on card stock and cut out the image.

Heather Turns 40

2010-12-27T19:39:00.003-05:00

Our niece Heather turned 40 this year and we were able to attend her party. For her present, Jim made her cats in glass. This is model off an actual picture of her 2 cats. Everyone in the family was harassing her to post pictures of them on facebook and she finally got the hint that there was some reason for it.

Ken's Christmas Gift

2010-12-26T10:12:00.006-05:00

I made Ken a set of greeting cards out of the retired SU Parisian designer paper. I made a folder to present the cards and for him to use to store them.

Here are pictures of the closed folder, then the folder and and cards that were in it.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T22:47:00.007-05:00

I gave these cute snowmen to some of my male family members this year. It is a digital stamp that some of the stampers on splitcoast used this year. It is wrapped around a microwave popcorn. The hat and scarf is felt that I had around. The pattern can be found on this blog, http://lauriefurnell.blogspot.com. Three of the nephews got the green guy made from the Stampin Up top note die.

I will be posting some more gifts tomorrow.

More Turtles

2010-12-23T17:49:00.002-05:00

I know I have posted a lot of things with turtles on them and now here are some more. I really like the way both of these cards look. They look so much better IRL and a much nicer color of green. The stamp set is SU Nature's Nest. The designer paper is To the Nines.

Simple Gift Bag

2010-12-22T14:56:00.002-05:00

I needed a small gift bag to use with one of Jim's glass hearts. I took a small brown bag and layered it with SU cherry cobbler card stock. Next came a piece of the Deck the Halls designer paper. For the flower I used the SU ornament punch with garden green and cherry cobbler card stock. The center stone is actually an antique. My mom and dad made jewelry in the late 40s and it is one of the moonstones left from those days. I put some lace around the top of the bag, covered a clothes pin with DP, and clipped the bag shut.

Gift Card Holders

2010-12-13T09:57:00.005-05:00

Here are some of the gift card holders that I made this year. The part of the card that opens is the SU top note cut folded and short of the top of the die. When you open the top note you slide the gift card into the slits that were punched. I also made one of the Grinch but I guess I didn't take his picture.

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-10T16:24:00.003-05:00

I have played at two Christmas concerts and have one more to play tomorrow morning. The concert tomorrow is outside which always adds the challenge of keeping the wind from blowing our music. Lots of clothes pins help. It is also going to be on the cold side so layers for me.