Marvelous Possibilities

One I got my new stamp set, Owl Occasions put together I have had so much fun.  It was tough to get the imagination going to begin with.  Sometimes I get a new stamp and think "What was I thinking when I ordered this?"  I guess it's just a bird brain thing.  Tonight I made a project for our New Holiday Catalog Open House on Thursday, and I have been wanting to make this up before I got all the Hershey Nuggets eaten.  I made a couple of other little candy favors with this great big bag, and I have nibbled on the rest all weekend in my craft room.  So, tonight when I decided to make the little cake, I was left with just enough nuggets with about 5 to spare.  I am afraid that when my 8 year old granddaughter comes here tomorrow, she is going to want to take this home with her.  She had a birthday on July 19 and grandma still has gifts to give her, and this might end up being one of them.   It was really quick to make, but I already had looked at the plans for it many

I could not resist doing another challenge today.  I decided that I wanted to try something that was a little out of my normal comfort zone.  So, I tried a very simple card with my new stamp set, Owl Occasions.  I do not have and owl punch or another stamp set, because everyone I know does have one.  (No need to buy when I can borrow, but it drives me crazy because I want to make owls!). So, when I saw this cute set in the Holiday Mini Catalog, it was the first set I wanted.  I couldn't wait to create, and decided to do a challenge to use Espresso Brown and Crumb Cake.  Sounds good for an owl.  I had in my mind several owls sitting in a tree, and when I saw the layout from Sketch Frenzy Friday 072712 I could see my tree.  Here is the card, plain and simple.  It's cute, but a little too brown bag to suit me, so back to look again, because I think I saw another challenge that might do something to take it up a notch.  So back to the drawing board, and I came up with another

Don't forget....... STAMPIN' UP! NEW CATALOG AND HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG OPEN HOUSE Thursday, Aug 2, 6:30 to 9:30 pm 101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes, MN Check details on post from Saturday, July 28   Sure hope you can make it. Mary Alice

It was so nice to have the windows open for a few days at my house here in Minnesota.  We have had such extremely hot days this summer, that it has been necessary to have the air conditioner on for about a month.  I was putting socks on to keep my feet warm in the cool house.  It feels so strange to say that the temperature dropped down to the 80's and that it felt comfortable to open the windows. It was really refreshing.  So, I pulled out this little card that I made about a month ago, after I had made the wonderful window card for my daughter and son-in-law's anniversary.  This card I used the stamp set called Happy You.  It has the cutest little stamps and I liked this little kite with the greeting "Hello There".  I sponged a little blue sky, but left enough white so that it looks cloudy.  How do you like that cute little posy on the window sill?  I just snipped a little paper and gave it some bend.  Of course, if it was at my house you would have to add some

I could not resist this morning doing another challenge.  I had started this card last night, and then I opened up my email and saw another challenge that I could not resist.  I had started a card last night, and just did not have any creative juices left to finish this card.  This morning it dawned on me just what to do when I saw the challenge from a new  CASology challenge #3   for a card inspired by the word "FRUIT",  and I already had a card with fruit laying loose on it I was on the right track.  To take that track a little further, I referred to a couple other challenges to find one that would have a layout conducive to my fruit.  Clean & Simple Stamping Challenge #200 had a layout that would work, I just had to double up on the fruit. The end result.......TA DA!! I used a soon to be released stamp set from Stampin' Up!'s new Holiday Mini catalog.  It's called Perfectly Preserved, and I have been playing with this all week.  I have been playing

 I spent seven hours in the craft room, or on the computer blogging today.  It is a beautiful Saturday with temps in the 80's, but I turned off the AC yesterday and opened up the house.  I figured if I have to stay home and work instead of going up to our trailer in Wisconsin to work on the porch, I want the windows open and the birds singing.  It has been lovely.  I have been cranking out the cards today, and doing fun challenges for new inspiration.  When I started to sag a bit ago, I decided to do another challenge.  I pulled out my list for color inspiration and found Nacho Average Challenge #4  had just what I was looking for, but I had to hurry, as the entries close tonight!  Colors called for are Pink Pirouette (I had Pretty in Pink), So Saffron (I used Crushed Curry to get a darker image) and Certainly Celery.  Then I found a great layout on Mojo Monday #251 to try, and I am very pleased with this layout.  I got out the Crosses of Hope stamp set, and chose a

I could not help it, doing the challenges this afternoon was so much fun, I just have to show you another one I did that was for the same three challenges.  I checked, I can do that :) This card also met the challenges at Colour Q #147 using the colors (I did sub Indigo Blue and Wild Wasabi on this one), and Diva Dare for "Birthday", and Stampin' Royalty for using "Buttons".  I think this one turned out so cute. Love, love, love the Betsy's Blossoms stamp set.  You just can't go wrong when you can stamp an image, and it's all colored, and has beautiful images that really don't need any embellishments.  I couldn't resist adding the big Baha Blue button I had in my collection, which was my inspiration for the whole card.  Can you believe that I have been hanging on to that big button?  When I started looking at buttons today for the Stampin' Royalty challenge, I thought "I've got the button, now what stamp set can I coo

STAMPIN' UP! NEW CATALOG AND HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG OPEN HOUSE Thursday, Aug 2, 6:30 to 9:30 pm 101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes, MN Come check out the New In Colors, New products, and New samples . We will have 2 fabulous free Make-n-Take projects for you, along with food, fun, and fantastic door prizes.  View all new sample projects for our upcoming fall workshops featuring cards, scrapbook pages, mini-albums, holiday décor, and holiday projects for fall and winter. If you have not received a copy of Stampin' Up!s New Idea Book Catalog and want a New Holiday Mini Catalog (available August 1), now is your chance to get yours. Bring a friend who has never attended our workshops, and we will have a special gift for each of you. Book a workshop with you and your friends, our place or yours, and receive a free stamp set. Check out our blogs for further information, and to RSVP for the event send me an email or give us a

I am getting ready for our Open House this week, and I have been very, very busy.  Too busy to blog!  When I get my hands on new products my mind starts racing, and I have to get busy.  I created probably 15 projects using one set of stamps, one pack of DSP paper, and coordinating framelits!! But, I won't show any of them to you yet........I'm keeping them secret until the big reveal party :) So, I am willing to share some new cards I made with old sets (as in I have had them since May) that I have.  Before I go further, I have to tell you that I enjoy blogging very much, but sometimes it is hard to stay motivated when you only have a couple people that read your blog (or just look at it).  A couple weeks ago my friend, Kay, referred contacts to my blog, because she herself was too busy to blog at the time.  Wow!!  Did I have people check out MY blog!  That was fun, but how can I keep the momentum going?  By participating in challenges!!  That's how I find new blogs.  I c

Isn't this a cute invitation to a baby shower?  I sure think so.  My daughter, Laura made these for my daughter-in-law, Melissa's baby shower.  When we were at the trailer last weekend, she worked on these while I made cards.  She had everything cut, stamped, colored, and embossed, and took them home to assemble them.  Only at home she discovered that she was out of adhesive after only assembling a couple cards, resorted to using a glue stick, only that did not hold the paper for the embossed pieces.  Thought she would finish them up at work, but the glue she had there wasn't working well either.  Hmmm.  What to do???  Give them to mom, she'll finish them up.  Not really!  I said "Give them to me, and I will finish them up", because she was trying to get packed to leave for New York City with her family for a short vacation.  So, that is the extend of the card making I can show you right now.  It's a cute card, and I admit I stole it from Laura, but I

COMING SOON......... STAMPIN' UP! NEW CATALOG AND HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG OPEN HOUSE Save the date.... Thursday, Aug 2,    6:30 to 9:30 pm I am excited about all the wonderful projects I have been working on along with Debby Filiowich to show you at our Open House to be held in the Community Room at 101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes, MN. Come check out the new In Colors, new products, and new samples. We will have 2 fabulous Make-n-Take projects for you, along with food, fun, and door prizes. Bring a friend who has never attended our workshops, and we will have a special gift for each of you. View sample projects for our upcoming fall workshops featuring cards, scrapbook pages, mini-albums, and holiday projects for fall and winter. If you have not received a copy of Stampin' Up!s new Catalog, and want a New Holiday Mini Catalog (available August 1), now is your chance to get yours. Check out our blogs for further information, and to RSVP for the even

EIGHT!   EMILY IS EIGHT!   I can't believe she's that old now, but she must think it's great.  My very first grandchild and she  means to much to me. She lived at my house for a couple of years from age 2 to 4, and we grew so close.  We have had great times together, and she'll always be so precious to me.  I have two more little grandbabies, and another one due soon, but the first one is always so special.  I made this special card for her with this eight-point pinwheel to make a point she's 8!! I used paper from the Summer Smooches DSP and cut 3/4 inch squares that I mounted on 1 inch squares of Not Quite Navy, and layered them on a bright striped background that just popped out those colors.  Tied it all up with a Rose Red ribbon and a button for my sweet Emily Rose.               Happy birthday, Sweetie!                                                           I have never entered a card in a challenge before, but this week that is my intention. I fou

I have had my Mixed Blossom stamp set for six months, and I had not used this delicate blossom yet.  Funny thing is that it was my favorite, and the reason I wanted to order it.  I just loved the curly-ques on this stamp.  So, as I sat and chatted with my daughter, I decided to do a little doodling and started coloring each layer of this rosette, and stamping, clean the stamp, and start over with a new color combination.  It was so much fun, I just wanted to keep trying new color combinations.  This one was my favorite, and I was able to find a little strip from the Cheerful Treat DSP (retired) that had colors to compliment the blossom, and I attached that with a trio of brads.  I did a little tonal stamping with Raspberry Ripple on card stock of the same for the background.  Voila!!  I have a card with a blossom as pretty as I'd ever seen :) Hope you like this card, and try a new technique yourself.  Mary Alice

Last week we had our demonstrator meeting, and each of us was asked to make a shoebox swap card.  A shoebox swap is where I make a sample card, and put together kits for everyone to make the card that I designed.  I bring all the supplies needed, including paper cut, embossing done, etc. along with instructions on making the card.  Everyone goes around the room to each station and makes the cards for themselves.  Usually we make cards for each person at the meeting ourselves and swap the finished cards. I was so excited about the card I made for the swap.  It is really fast and simple, but looks terrific, and I used a little technique that I have been using for the Serene Silhouette flowers, where I stamp the whole stamp with the base color, then wipe the ink off the flower heads, and stamp them with a different color.  I wanted to show off that technique I had been using so much lately.  I used the paper from the Comfort Cafe DSP along with Cajun Craze cardstock.  The stamping w

A couple weeks ago I was planning a project, and punched out a bunch of flowers with my Blossom punch.  My granddaughter, Emily, helped me glue them all together with a printed flower over a solid.  As it turned out, I decided not to do the project I had planned, and I put all the flowers aside thinking I'll find another use later.  So, I got a chance to use them this weekend.  When I got up to our trailer this past Friday night I was rushing to beat a storm.  Dark clouds were following me, and I hoped to make it there before rain prevented me from unloading my car.  I had hopes of getting my stamp supplies inside before the rain kept me in for the evening.  Big raindrops started to hit just as I was getting out of the car, so I grabbed my tools and a few supplies and headed inside before the storm hit.  I thought this was going to be a quick downpour, but the slow steady rain that followed lasted for hours.  When I looked at the minimal supplies that I had grabbed, I foun

Last Sunday was my daughter, Laura and her husband, Tom's wedding anniversary.  It was so hot over the weekend, and we were all spending most of the time inside our trailers with the airconditioners on to survive the 100 degree heat spell in Wisconsin.  I went down to my friend, Debby's trailer to do a little stamping, and I knew that one of the things I wanted to get made was the anniversary card for the kids, while they were not around.  I no sooner got settled and my husband came knocking at the door asking if I wanted to go to the beach with them.  I laughed them off, because I have not put a swimsuit on in about 12 years, and I knew that it was just a courtesy that they would even ask me to go along.  Well, after they left I came up with the idea for this card.  I wanted to make a card to commemorate the anniversary that they spent cooped up in the trailer all day.  So, I ran over to their trailer and peeked in the window to see what color the walls and curtain valanc

 I have been wanting to try a round card for a long time.  In fact I bought the scalloped circle punch right after I got my Big Shot about 2 years ago, just so I could use it to make a round card, and this is the first one I have made!  Well, I am glad I got a round to it.  The Reason to Smile stamp set had just the right image to use for making my own background paper.  I used Wisteria Wonder for the background of the daisies, Daffodil Delight for the background of the violets, and then stamped the top images with Concord Crush.  I used a little Wild Wasabi to sponge around and between the flowers. I stamped it all on a sheet of Whisper White, and then cut the circle.  I stamped another daisy using Primrose Petals for the background and Raspberry Ripple for the top image, cut it out and popped it up on dimensional.  I used the retired set Oval All for the salutation.  The scalloped card was made of Concord Crush, topped with Wisteria Wonder and trimmed out with a little 1/4"

 Last weekend I was just finishing up this card, and my daughter dropped by.  I said that I had just finished the card, and was wondering what kind of a salutation to put on the card.  I thought it was kind of masculine, but would also make a nice sympathy card.  Laura said that she needed a sympathy card for a friend who had just lost his mother.  I said, "Well, now the decision is made!  It's a sympathy card, and you can have it."  But, before she could have it I made a second one for myself.  Why not, I had every thing out already, and it was so much fun to make.  I first stamped the branch in Bashful Blue on the large circle of Very Vanilla.  Next I colored the birds on the stamp with Cajun Craze and the branches with Midnight Muse, then I stamped it and punched a circle with a 1 3/4" punch.  I backed the small circle with the Cajun Craze and placed it over the first image, but raised it with Stamping Dimensionals.  The salutations are from Petite Pairs stamp