Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate it! 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Sassy Stampers - Christmas in July 2025

I am back from my crafting retreat and it was amazing! The ladies were wonderful and so, so talented! Here is the card the campers will be making at my table:

The card base is Basic White with a layer of Garden Green and then a layer of dsp from the Winter Meadow dsp pack. I used a 1" strip of Real Red cardstock and then centered the layered label on it. I added a couple of Adhesive Backed Sparkle Gems and called it a card! The label uses the Handmade Tag label punch and the background label was cut using my Scan 'n Cut machine. The label was created in my graphics program from the stamps in the Handmade Wishes stamp set. The campers will have a choice of  "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." The inside was computer generated.

Here is some more information about this fun camp:

Get a head start on your Christmas/Holiday cards this year. This camp is always a lot of fun!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Retreat Swap - June 2025

As mentioned in my previous post, I am headed to a crafting retreat with some very talented ladies! We teach each other so much during these retreats and I always come away feeling so much more educated in my crafting. We swap cards as well as ideas and here is my contribution this month:

The stamp is from Unity Stamps (I Made This Crafty Pissy Kitty). I stamped it, colored it and scanned it. I then die cut it with a die from the Layering Circles die set. It is mounted on another die cut from the same set in Night of Navy from SU. The card base is Night of Navy and the first layer is Spring Rain from Papertrey. The dsp is from a retired SU 6x6 pack and is both sides of a single sheet. I added some Pecan Pie & Clear Ribboned dots because, you know BLING! I am including the card in the goodie bag of seat treats that I have put together for my fellow crafters. This is one of many, many bonuses from attending these retreats ..... seat treats! 

I am looking forward to this retreat in the hopes that it will renew my crafting energy. It is always good to spend quality time with these ladies! See you on the flip side with more details.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Downline Meeting Swap - June 2025

June is flying by! I have been busy with camps and classes and now am in the throes of getting ready for a retreat! It will be so nice to gather with these talented ladies and enjoy a couple of days of crafting fun! Before we leave, we have a downline meeting hosted by the wonderful Terry Kaspari. Here is the card I made:

We were instructed to make a card including Timid Tiger, Strawberry Slush and Darling Duckling (three of the new 2025-2027 in-colors) and it needed to be a fun fold. While these were merely suggestions and we didn't have to follow them, hopefully I have managed it. The card base and insert are Timid Tiger card stock. There is Timid Tiger, Strawberry Slush and Darling Duckling (among others) in the Florals in Bloom DSP. The sentiment is computer generated (based on a stamp from Perennial Postage), die cut and mounted on another die cut (Layering Ovals, SU retired). On the front of the insert is a piece of 2025-2027 In Color 6x6 paper. I also used elements from the laser cut Frames & Flowers DSP and added some Pecan Pie & Clear Ribboned Adhesive Backed Dots to the two small flower centers.

These downline meetings are full of fun, information and camaradarie. I always enjoy myself and learn so much!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Playing with paper!

As many of you know, I have a *VERY* large stash of dsp. Every once in a while I go through it to see if something catches my eye. Here are some of the cards I made:

The cardstock is from Papertrey: New Leaf, Terracotta Tile, Dark Chocolate and Summer Sunrise.  The dsp is by Stampin' Up! from the 2020 Annual Catalog and is called Ornate Garden. There are some gold patterns on one side of the papers, but there are really great floral patterns on the other side. The sentiments (inside and out) are computer generated and punched out with the Heartfelt Hexagon punch. I used my Scan n' Cut machine to cut the larger hexagons. I had fun making these cards and I made a total of six cards that will go in my "for sale" stash. Stay tuned as I explore my stash further and make more cards!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!   

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Happy Memorial Day

On this day we remember the lives of all those lost in any of the (too many) wars this country has participated in.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  
 
If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Stamp Camp North - June 2025

Our June stamp camp is coming up soon! I designed my card and am in the process of cutting/scoring/punching all the pieces and parts. Here is the card the gals will be making at my table:

The card base is Smoky Sea [from Papertrey] and I used my new favorite die set - Wildflower Designs and a couple of flowers from a die set from Creative Expressions. There is a hexagon of Smoky Sea and a scalloped hexagon from a designer series paper set called Ever Eden (thanks Cathy Hansen) that I have had in my stash for a long time. One of the patterns was really great and I only have one sheet of that left, but several patterns are also gorgeous! The sentiments (happy birthday, thinking of you and a friendship sentiment) are computer generated and cut with the smallest hexagon die and then adorned with flowers from the Creative Expressions die set. The flowers are Lemon Lolly with Peach Pie centers and a gold dot added to the center.

Here is some more information on how you can get registered for this great camp:

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!   

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Stamp Camp North - May 2025

This is the card the campers made at my table this month:

I was inspired for this card by something I saw on Pinterest. The card was all pink and as it is not one of my favorite colors, I tried something different. I was making Mother's Day cards and used this die set and had all kinds of pieces and parts left over. So, I used those pieces and came up with a version that worked! The dies are from the Wildflower Design die set and I have yet to find the stamp set that goes with it (it's somewhere around here) but the dies were all that I needed for this card.  The sentiment is computer generated and embellished with the Adhesive Backed Heart Sequins. The red layer (Pure Poppy from Papertrey) is embossed using the Cute Crochet embosssing folder from SU.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  
 
If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Sassy Stampers - June 2025

June is the month for "guy" cards - Father's Day, Birthday, Graduation, Retirement. Here is the card the campers will be making at my table:

The card base is Kraft (Papertrey) and the first layer is Vintage Cream (Papertrey) put through the Mini Corrugated embossing folder. The pieces are cut from the Woven Textures dsp pack from Stampin' Up! I got to play with my Scan n' Cut machine again with the layer under the sentiment (paper is Pecan Pie from SU). The sentiment is computer generated (from the Heartfelt Hexagon stamp set) and punched out using the Heartfelt Hexagon punch. This dsp pack has so many wonderful textures to offer. It was delightful playing with it!

Here is more information on this great camp:

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Sassy Stampers - May 2025

The campers made the following card at my table in May:

They sponged around the edges of the dsp layer (from Mixed Media Florals) using blending brushes and Gorgeous Grape ink. The card base is Gorgeous Grape as is the layer under the image panel. The image panel was created using the Mixed Florals stamp set colored using blends and then printed and cut out with the Perennial Postage dies.

The campers stamped their desired sentiments on the image panel using Memento ink and added some Low Profile Dots for a little bling! I really love this stamp set/die bundle and have used it a lot and the coordinating dsp pack has many designs that will prove very useful.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Downline Meeting Swap - April 2025

I have mentioned before that I attend a meeting each month sponsored by Terry Kaspari (a very talented card maker and overall wonderful person).  We have a card swap at these meetings and this is the card I designed for the April meeting:

The card was designed using one of the sketches from the new Stampin' Up! catalog (page 24). I would not do this card at a camp as there are too many pieces, but it was great doing the swap. The card base is Summer Splash (can you tell I love this color) with a layer of Lemon Lolly that was embossed with the Starstruck embossing folder. The die cut is from the Memorable Blooms die set and the sentiment is from the Memorable Blooms stamp set. The ribbon is Summer Splash and the piece behind the die cut window is Summer Splash which was embossed using the Mini Corrugated embossing folder.

These meetings are so much fun! We get together at McCoy's Restaurant for dinner and then we have a session of sharing our cards and lots of information and then a session of swapping involving a make and take project from one of the gals. Dinner is always a treat and these ladies are wonderful and very talented card makers.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Longmont Senior Center - April 2025

I teach a class at the Longmont Senior Center each month. The campers make one Christmas card each month and my co-teacher and I alternate months making the Christmas card. This month was my month and here is the card we made:

The card base is Azure Afternoon with a layer of Balmy Blue. The dsp was one I created using some snowflake graphics in my graphics program that I then printed out using my printer. The snowflake was from a die cut from my collection and the graphic for the center was created on my computer and punched out with a 1.5 inch scalloped circle punch.

I design two cards and here is my second one:

The die cut is a new (to me) one from Papertrey and the image is one from my graphics collection that I colored and printed. The card base is Misty Moonlight with a layer of Lemon Lolly that was embossed using the Botanical Swirls folder from Creative Expressions (love that embossing folder!)

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Stamp Camp North - April 2025

Well, another month (or more like a month and a half) has come and gone and I have not posted. Sorry about that - just too busy (and that's a good thing)! Let's do a little catching up!

I posted my card for Sassy Stampers for April, but have not yet posted my card for Stamp Camp North in April. Here it is:

The card base is Summer Splash and I layered Peach Pie and die cuts from the Perennial Postage dies in Petunia Pop and the Bloom Impressions set of DSP. I got to play with my Scan n Cut machine in creating the mat for the Happy Birthday sentiment. The mats were available in 3 colors (Petunia Pop, Peach Pie and Summer Splash). The sentiments offered were Happy Birthday, Thank You, Get Well Soon and Thinking of You and were inside one of the punched labels from the Bright Borders stamp set. These were punched out using the To the Point label punch. I love using my Scan n' Cut machine and it is so much fun to create mats to go with all the various punches! 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Sassy Stampers - April 2025

Sassy Stampers camp in Berthoud, Colorado will be on April 5, 2025. This is a very fun camp and the gals all seem to enjoy it. Here is the card they will be making at my table:

The card base is Balmy Blue with a layer of Old Olive and then some Floral Delight designer series paper. I love this DSP! There are no patterns in it that I cannot use and I really like that. The image is from the Bright Borders stamp set and is punched out using the To the Point label punch. The sentiment is computer generated as is the card inside. Campers can choose four different sentiments for the front and three different sentiments for the inside as well as a blank insert.

This camp is super fun. Here is some more information about this camp:

I would strongly urge you to give this camp a try. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Crafters Retreat - March 2025

I was recently invited to attend a crafters retreat at a wonderful spot just outside Blackhawk, Colorado called the Golden Gate Getaway. The house is wonderful and the craft room is great! There were 12 of us and the entire weekend was full of laughter! We crafted, talked, shared our talents and played some fun games. It was wonderful and I ended up coming home with some great memories. Here is the card I made to share with my fellow crafters:

The card base is Basic Gray with a layer of Basic Black. I used a design from Botanical Textures designer series paper and added an insert of Basic Black layered with a Basic White piece on which I printed a sentiment. The image is from Mixed Florals and was colored using Stampin' Blends (Smoky Slate, Balmy Blue and Azure Afternoon) and then die cut using the Mixed Florals dies. I added some Adhesive Backed Sparkle Gems and called it done. I worked my computer magic on the front sentiment, front image and the inside of the card. I don't remember much from my days as an IT person, but I do remember how to use my computer to get creative!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!   

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Downline Meeting Swap - March 2025

As I've mentioned before, one of the gals from my camp is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator extraordinaire! She has a downline meeting monthly and invited me to join them. I really enjoy these meetings and come away so inspired! You can check out last month's card here. This is the card I made for this month's meeting:

The theme was fun fold cards. This card is a "Z" fold card. The card base is Old Olive and I used Floral Delight designer series paper. The image is from Spotlight on Nature and I also used the coordinating dies. I have a real problem with fun fold cards (I can't make them) but this fold is one that I can manage.

I went on a craft retreat recently and will post a photo of my card tomorrow so come back and visit!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!   

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Downline Meeting Swap - February 2025

As mentioned previously, I attend a downline meeting/dinner sponsored by a very talented demonstrator named Terry Kaspari. Last month's card can be seen here, and this was my card for February's meeting:

The image is from (one of my absolute favorites) Mixed Florals stamp and coordinating die set and was colored using Stampin' Blends then scanned and printed. The sentiment is from a Paper Pumpkin set. I used the Soft Waves embossing folder on the Gorgeous Grape piece. The card base is Highland Heather with a layer of Peach Pie. The gals all outdid themselves with some really fun and ingenious swaps!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials usedn the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Longmont Senior Center - February 24, 2025

Once a month I do a class at the Longmont Senior Center with a fellow teacher, Cathy Hansen. We offer a Christmas card every month which gives them a bit of a head start on this year's Christmas cards! This month was my month to design the Christmas card and here's what I came up with:

Additionally, there were some Real Red and White Adhesive Backed Peppermints to add to the front! The card base is Old Olive with a layer of Mossy Meadow. The dsp is from a pack of Christmas paper called Season of Green and Gold. The stamp is a Lily of the Valley digital stamp that I colored with Stampin' Blends and scanned. The inside has a basket of holly and a sentiment (also computer generated).

This is my second card:

I used one of the images from Mixed Florals stamp set that I had colored with Stampin' Blends and cut out with a die from Scalloped Contour dies. The dsp is from the Toadstool Gardens 6x6 set of paper and it is embossed with Botanical Swirls from Creative Expressions. The card base is Gorgeous Grape and then a layer of Peach Pie. The sentiments, both inside and outside. are computer generated. The front sentiment was punched with the Oval Punch and then layered onto a Scalloped Oval Gorgeous Grape punched piece.

This is a very popular class and fills up very quickly. You can register online at the Longmont Senior Center website.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Stamp Camp North - March 8, 2025

Here is the card the campers will be making at my table:

The stamp is from a set called You Are Remarkable and I just love the images and sentiments in this set. I colored the flower using Stampin' Blends (alcohol markers) in Balmy Blue, Petal Pink, Azure Afternoon and Highland Heather for the flowers and Granny Apple Green and Mint Macaron for the leaves. I then scanned the images in and edited them with my graphics program. I printed the flowers out on Basic White and then stamped the little dots from the stamp set in Gray Granite. The punch is the Everyday Label punch from Stampin' Up! I used my Scan n' Cut machine to cut slightly larger labels in Balmy Blue to use as a background to the Basic White label. The card base is Balmy Blue with a layer of Petal Pink. I added some Purple Adhesive Backed Sequins and called it done!

This is a super fun camp and this month is our semi-annual craft sale! I will be selling some retired designer series paper and also some retired stamps! Here is some more information about this fun activity:

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.

Sassy Stampers - March 2025

Here is the card the campers will be making at my table on Saturday:

The stamp set is a freebie called Friendly Seagulls and can be earned through today with a $60 order from Stampin' Up! It's a great set and I originally had planned to use Beautiful Bokeh (a great 6x6 dsp pack), but I didn't have enough. As an alternative I used the backside of one of the patterns from the Bloom Impressions designer series paper pack (also a freebie if you act fast). The card base is Basic White with a layer of Basic Black and then the dsp. The seagulls were stamped on die cut pieces of Basic White using the Perennial Postage dies and colored using colored pencils and a blender pen. They were then mounted on a strip of Basic Black which was attached to the card front using dimensionals. The sentiment was stamped directly onto the dsp. I added a few Low Profile Dots and called it done! This card is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but I think it is successful! I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest. The inside sentiments are from a Paper Pumpkin kit and include Happy Birthday, Thank You, Get Well Soon and Lots of Love as well as the possibility of just writing something yourself!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe!  

If you have any questions about the techniques or materials used in the work displayed on this blog, feel free to use the email link on the left and I will gladly answer your questions.