House Mouse Mystery Card...

I have been talking a lot lately about the online swap group I am ejnoying being part of. Well, this month, one of the swap themes was a Mystery Card Kit. Basically, you send components that could be used to create a card to your partner, and they make a card out of your kit, using only what you sent. It was FUN! Being a SU Demo, I am always the one planning and cutting cards, it was a super treat to get one sent to me! I did cut down all the layers, and ran the main image through the Big Shot with the Bigz Clear Scallop Square die. I LOVE that die, it's so easy to center things with it! I pierced each scallop, and watercolored the image. Here's a close-up of the image...

I colored this adorable House Mouse image using WaterColor Wonder Crayons and my trusty Blender Pen. The mouse is Close to Cocoa, Blush Blossom, and Pretty In Pink. The flower is Mellow Moss, Pale Plum and Perfect Plum. The shading is Sahara Sand. I really enjoyed coloring this!

My friend who sent me this also included a scrap with this sentiment stamped on it. The front was full, so I stuck it on the inside.

So, I have no idea where the ribbon, flowers, paper, etc is from. The die and coloring supplies are SU as that's about all I use. Thanks Meg for sending me such a fun Mystery Card Kit!!!

Teacher Appreciation Gift...

My oldest daughter is in Preschool and has the most wonderful teachers! So, for Teacher Appreciation Day, I whipped them each up a small Thank You gift. (Both were the same, just different letters on the front). The box is made with the Scallop Envelope Die from SU, it's basically two of them glued together with sides added. Easy. Below are pictures of the notecards I filled these with, and I also included envelopes. I hope they liked them today! I also cooked dinner for each of them, which I am sure they will appreciate!

And, here are the notecards I stuck in the box. They're quick and easy, and time was of the essence this week!

To the gift bags, I tied this card that I made for them as well.

These are some amazing women, I am glad that God graced my daughters life with them this year.

Close To Bermuda Birthday

Here's a quick card I threw together last night for my club hostess meeting today. I am not a Close To Cocoa fan at all, but am trying to use up some of the colors that are leaving. And, I did like how it turned out with Bermuda Bay! I found a very similar card on a Demo site, and loved the layout. She had ribbon under the circle pieces and a bow tied on the side. Lo and behold, I don't have enough Bermuda Bay ribbon left to do this for as many cards as I needed to prep. So, I dug around and found my Bermuda Bay DSP, and cut strips of the Polka Dot design page. Not the same as ribbon, no, but in a pinch, it will do. I made the bow tie style ribbon piece by folding a 4" piece in to the center on both ends, adhering with a small dot of Tombow, then wrapping a 1 3/8" piece around the center, adhering in the back with another drop of Tombow. All in all, I like this card, and was happy I found a quick substitute for the ribbon! I hope my club enjoys making it later today.

Stamps: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper/Ink: Bermuda Bay DSP and CS, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Signo Gel Pen
Punches: Modern Label, Word Window, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8" Circles, Scallop Edge

Have a great weekend everyone! I am anxious for my stamping buddies to get here, I have had a rough week, and there company always lifts my spirits!

A Sketch Challenge gone CrAzY!

I am so in love with the group I swap with online! I didn't think I would have time for it, and it's been a struggle, but I am having so much fun! This card is for a swap, the theme is a sketch. Basically, it's a strip behind the main panel, and one in front with a circle shape on the front panel. Well, the card got so awful busy that I cut the main panel and used just a band of ribbon. It helped, but I am still thinking this card is just too much. Is it just me?

I just got Bouquet Bunch in, and love it! It will be available in May in the New Summer Mini catalog. It's a wonderful set, I do believe I will reach for it often. I stuck with some current In Colors for this one, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo (glad those two are hanging around to become part of SU's regular line up!), and Crushed Curry. I added some Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (the homemade button uses that as well). The flower and pot are watercolored, and popped up, the pot on dots, the flowers on Dimensionals. I framed this with Large Ovals, the centers punched with the Small Oval, and DSP behind that. I was hoping for a flower effect, it came out looking like some sort of science prop...neuron or something...school's been a while...LOL!

All being said, I don't hate it, but it's certainly not my favorite either. I hope the recipient likes it, that's all that matters!

Sometimes you just don't need color...

Ahhh...was this ever a hard one!!! I have only done a handful of all-white cards before. And, I actually enjoy it. However, this one is for a swap group, and the theme was White Only. Easy peasy, right? WRONG! I thought I had a full pack of Whisper White CS, I DID NOT! OOPS! I am COMPLETELY out! I had to scour my scrap piles and drawers to come up with enough white pieces to make the flower, and luckily found a wide strip in a card kit I had leftover from a workshop! The base is Glossy White CS, and I have also used White Mulberry Paper. This is completely inkless, although I was tempted to white emboss something on the base. I now have a few inches of white paper, and do not know if I can wait till Sat to order more at the club meeting. Anyway, I love the way this turned out. Sadly, I have to mail it out to my swap partner. Which is unfortunate as I have a wedding to attend on Sun, and can only think how perfect this would be! Maybe, just maybe I can dig around for a few more precious pieces!

Supplies are SUO! Whisper White, Glossy White, and White Mulberry Paper
Ornament Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Petals A Plenty Embossing Folder, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, and Dimensionals under the flower.

===For a little texture the flower petals have veins drawn in the with the end of my Bone Folder. They are also slightly curled. I have no idea how this will fare in the mail, so I am taking a few minutes longer to enjoy it before it hits an envelope. I hope the recipient loves it as much as I do!

April Stamp Club Class...

For April's Hostess Club Meeting, I decided to go ahead and focus on a gift set that would work well for Mother's Day gifts next month. After tossing out many ideas, I settled on a bath set. What Mom doesn't need a nice, quiet bath? The candle holder includes a PartyLite tealight, and is wrapped with Rich Razz ribbon, and a scallop circle with initial. We had a few women use DSP scraps in the circle to give it as teacher gifts, etc. Great idea! The jar is a Starbucks Frap bottle, and is covered in CS and DSP, the lid is wrapped with white ribbon, and decorated the same as the front of the candle holder. We made Faux Suede Roses, using the Smooshed Flowers technique. They turned out lovely, and I think that was everyone's favorite part of the class! The jar is filled with Green Tea bath salts, which are wonderful! I kept the card simple using the Scallop Square Clear Die for the BS. Some Orchid Opulence CS, and Scallop Sq punches of DSP, we then added a sentiment (again, a few used a different one) to the Wide Oval, and finished off with the bird and branch from the 2-Step Bird Punch.

Complete project (aside from glass items) are SU only! There is also a white lunchbag altered into a gift bag to match the set! This was such a fun class, I think 'set' classes are my fave. And using the same products the whole time makes it easier to plan and clean up! Win, win!

---CS is Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White, and Old Olive
---DSP is Cottage Wall
---Stamps are Whimsical Words and Lovely Letters
---Ink is Rich Razzleberry, and a White Signo Gel Pen
---Accessories are a few Circle Punches, Scallop Circle, Scallop Square, Wide Oval, 2-Step Bird. Also a Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, R.R. Ribbon, Silver Brad.

Kids Easter Projects...

True to form, I am running behind☺ Easter morning is just hours away, and I finally finished these cards for my two little girls. SORRY for the bad pics...I JUST finished these and prefer to take pics in daylight. These cards were so much fun to make! We have already attended a couple egg hunts this year, and my girls are all about that. So, I decided to make Easter Eggs on their cards. The sky is sponged with Bashful Blue using a few scraps of DSP punched with the Scallop Circle as a stencil. Eggs are Wide Oval, in various Bold Bright inks. Paper is all Bold Brights as well. The sentiment is from Well Scripted.

These are the gift bags I made for my neice and my neighbors little girl, who is BFF to both of my girls☺ These are white lunch bags from Target and I promise they are super cute IRL! I stamped the chick and bunny from Eggcoutrements in YoYo Yellow and Lovely Lilac, then used the Hugs Notes in Glassine Envies to hold the tags. These are filled with punch balloons, Easter pencils, Peeps (YUM!) and a Hershey's Marshmallow Egg.

These are both extremely simple and low-key but I wanted to share what I did for the kids. I cannot wait to see my girls get up, dig through the baskets, put on their dresses and go to church!

I hope everyone will take time to remember that Easter has a real meaning. Let's celebrate what it's about!

He is not here, He is Risen....Luke 24:6...AMEN!