{Penny Black} Music Collage Birthday Card

There are a couple reasons I haven't posted since Tuesday...first, it's been a crazy, busy week at work with longer than usual hours. By the time I got home, I wasn't feeling very creative. Secondly, I've been dwelling on this card all week and wasn't sure how I wanted to complete it.

I received this beautiful Penny Black "Music Collage" image from Michelle at Stamper's Dream. I've bought some stamps and cuttlebug embossing folders from her on eBay and she always encloses some special little surprise in my package. You gotta *love* that! and I DO!

Michelle stamped the image on a luscious watercolor cardstock and stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with detail clear embossing powder. I colored it with prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol.

I've used three different Stampin' Up! background stamps on this card... Print Pattern, Filigree, and Canvas. Also, I've used the SU 1-1/4" circle punch, the Tab punch and the 1" scalloped circle punch by Martha Stewart. The birthday sentiment is from SU "Circle of Friendship".

On the inside I printed this quote: "Art and music wash away from our soul the dust of everyday life." My nephew Ben is an artist and a musician and his birthday is July 5th. I hope he likes his card. : )

Have a wonderful weekend and be sure to check back later. I'm hoping to get creative with some patriotic cards! Smiles, Pam :)

More Summer Challenge Cards...

1.

2.

3.

This past weekend, The Stamp Shack hosted various creative challenges for summer themed cards and these are a few of my creations.

1. Mai Tai anyone? : )I couldn't resist Cindi's Summer Drink Challenge! How FUN! I just happened to have the perfect background paper ("Hit the Beach Collection" ~Flair Designs) The drink stamp is from M's $1 bin.

2. Thank you to 'LoobyLou' at The Stamp Shack for this terrific summer background she created to share with all of us! I downsized it and printed it off on some patterned paper from the "Hit the Beach Collection". (Flair Designs Inc.) I added the black dots using the PaperTray Faux Ribbon set. "Happy Day" is a bargain stamp from Joanne's. Cardstock is Stampin' Up! summer sun and the image is layered with the giga square scalloped punch. (Used 1-1/2 to create the rectangle.)

3. This card was created for Cindi's Summer Sketch Challenge. Joanne (tojoco) sent me this super cute hula girl image (Great Impressions) last week and I was anxious to color her and create a card! The background paper is by Cloud 9 Design and the name of it is "Leaf Your Troubles Behind". Isn't that funny?

May your day be filled with relaxing sunsets, cool drinks and sand between your toes!

Have a HAPPY SUMMER! :)

Summer FUN with Beachabella!

You've gotta love this cute "Beachabella" in her tiny little 'kini. Oh, how I wanna be her! :)

The background for this card was created using scraps leftover from my beach card sets last week. I cut the paper into squares and then pieced it together on the white cardstock folder. When that was done, I added a little doodling between the squares to coordinate with the doodling around Bella. I added tabs using the Stampin' Up! word window punch. Tag created with 1" Martha Stewart punch and 1-1/4 SU circle punch. ENJOY!

Strawberry Summer! { Creative Challenge }

The Stamp Shack is having a "Celebrate Summer" weekend full of FUN challenges. This challenge was to create a card with a summer fruit theme.

I chose one of my favorite new STRAWBERRY stamps by Karen Lockhart. I've colored them with prismacolor pencils and gamsol. The red polka-dot background paper is from The Paper Patch. The "Hi" sentiment is from a TAC set - Nobby Neez.

I've used four different punches on this card... the scalloped square punch by Marvy Uchida, 1" scalloped circle by Martha Stewart, Stampin Up's 1-1/4" circle, 1-1/2" square, 1/4" square. Paper pierced the corner, red/white polka-dot ribbon. FUN challenge!

So grab your favorite flip flops and head to The Stamp Shack to celebrate summer!

Wishing you all a warm & wonderful smiley great day! ~

hello FRIENDS! {Window Box Dragonfly}

This is the card that I was struggling with last nite. Rarely, do I tear apart a card once I've started it, but this one I did! I had the images colored and I was happy with them and the coordinating background paper, but I just couldn't come up with a layout that I liked. Also, I was trying to work in some SU pumpkin pie cardstock as an accent color and that wasn't happening either. :) Anyway, I'm ready to call it good and move on to the next one...

Smiles 2 U! Pam

Card supplies: Window Box Set by Stampendous, background stamp dotted swirls by PrintWorks - (thanks Donna!) stamped with SU Marigold Morning on yellow cardstock (DCWV summer stack) and distressed edges. Paisley paper is by Frances Meyer. Created scalloped edge with a corner rounder, then paper pierced around it. SU mustard ribbon, blue brads.

Attitude is Everything!

For the last couple of hours I've fiddled with creating a card and it just isn't happening tonight. So I decided to catch up on some emails instead and found this one forwarded from my sister. Maybe you've seen it before, but it's worth reading again... (Hopefully, I'll find my muse tomorrow and have something to post for you. Have a wonderful weekend! : )

Positive Attitude - A must read and do!
The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved into the nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room... just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do? Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away... just for this time in my life."

Age is like a bank account: you withdraw from what you've put in? So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank. I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to being happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less.

{ I'm in a Meeting } Beach Card Sets

I've finally finished up the beach card sets that I created for my sister Judy, in California, and my daughter Katie, in Hawaii. When I saw this Emerson stamp "I'm in a Meeting" I thought of them both instantly!

Since I was making so many at one time, I went with the assembly line method and first stamped all the images. Then, I spent a good deal of time coloring them with prismacolor pencils. That's the FUN part for me and great therapy! :) I pretended I was on the beach myself while I sat on the patio coloring. lol

After that, I cut out all the paper and assembled. These cards are 6 x 6 folded in half and they have matching envelopes. (Stampin Up! small open end) I put the sets in clear acetate bags and tied on a coordinating tag. The tag sentiment is "My heart smiles with thoughts of you."

I hope they like them...and use them! :)

Sharing Hubby's Father's Day Card . . .

Since my daughter-in-law Jami at Crazy Daisy Creations didn't post this on her blog, I figured I would show it off myself! She made this terrific "Woody" card for Jim for Father's Day. This is a patterned paper she bought knowing that he had restored a 1954 Mercury Woody Wagon. Isn't it just perfect?!

Many of us are limited on "guy" stamps, but this just shows what an awesome card you can make with the right patterned paper and embellishments. (note the tabs and the screw brads she put in the upper left corner.)

Father's Day Tribute... { I Miss You Dad! }

This is one of my all-time favorite photos of my wonderful Dad. It was taken on a hike up to Alberta Falls near Estes Park, Colorado. Dad was noted for hamming it up for the camera, as in this case... making it look like he's pushing the boulder off the mountain. :) I think this was probably taken in the 1960's, but I'm not sure.

My Dad was THE BEST! He always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. He loved to hunt and fish and spend time with us. We went camping and boating almost every weekend in the summer when we were growing up. Dad taught my two sisters and I to water ski. His method was full of positive encouragement and he made us keep trying until we got up! He loved the great outdoors and enjoyed planting a big garden. Nothing went to waste either, he cooked it all or gave it away! We always joked when we ate one of Dad's famous "stews", that you just never knew what could be in it! lol

Sadly, my dear Dad died of colon cancer in 1981. He was only 51 years old! Through it all, he never once gave up and kept such a postive outlook. It's been over 20 years ago now and I still miss him so much. Thankfully, I have so many beautiful memories of times spent with him and I'll treasure them always. Happy Father's Day Dad!

A special serendipity side-note: Jim and I were vacationing with friends a couple years ago in Estes Park and actually found this same boulder!!! No kidding, I knew the minute I saw it that it was the same one in that photo of my Dad taken so many years before! Can you imagine my surprise? I like to think God planned this just for me. :)

My hubby, Jim - 2002

What a Catch! {Happy Father's Day!}

This fantastic image was one that I got from Thanh in Tami's Masculine Image Swap last month. Hopefully, she'll see this and let me know where she got this terrific rubber stamp. I love it and had so much fun coloring it in with prismacolor pencils. Since hubby *loves* to fish, I made this into a Father's Day card for him.

Card Supplies: Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip 5 x 7 card base. Patterned paper is by The Paper Studio - Harvest Green Plaid. Used Cuttlebug mesh embossing folder on the choc chip piece. SU tab punch, paper piercing, brads.

Happy Flowers for a Friend!

Well, so much for my big exercise campaign! Yesterday, I had just left my office and was walking down the hall when I heard my phone. I turned around quickly and somehow twisted my knee so badly that I can barely walk now! Our Safety Coordinator at work is a physical therapist and he thinks I just have a ligament strain. Hopefully, that's all it is! I've *never* had knee problems before and don't want them now. I can sympathize with people that have bad knees because it really hurts! It's amazing how much you *want* to do when you can't do it. The one good thing is that I can still sit and make cards and post to my blog. :) I guess there is always something to be thankful for!

This *HAPPY* card was created to say thank you to a special friend. The background paper is called "Happy Pink Floral" by Pebbles Inc. The images are from two different acrylic stamp sets by Stampendous - the heart flowers are from the "Window Box Set" and the round thank you sentiment is from "Happy Flowers". The large brocade blue flower (downloaded big blossom template at the Stamp Shack) has been stamped with the linen background stamp. The center of the flower is created with a 1/2" circle punch of the background paper, 1" scalloped punch (Martha Stewart), and 1-1/4 pixie pink circle. The pretty pink swirl ribbon was given to me by Donna (craftingcrazy). I love it and thought it was perfect for this card!

Make a Wish...and Put out the Fire!

Isn't this image a HOOT?! I received it from Sherri (iloveflipflops) at the Stamp Shack. She knew I would enjoy coloring in the image with my prismacolor pencils and I really did! I'm not sure, but I think it's a Penny Black stamp. I'll have to ask her or see if I can find it online.

I've also been working on an entry for the Karen Lockhart Recipe Card Contest. I have her awesome bowl of strawberries rubber stamp and my favorite strawberry salad recipe. Doesn't that sound yummy? You better check it out!

Well, it's past my bedtime, so that's all for tonight!

Until tomorrow... smiles 2 U! Pam :)

Black & White {Reverse Masking Technique}

Thanks to Jan (Far North) at the Stamp Shack, I have finally tried the reverse masking technique! She was kind enough to create and mail me the scalloped templates and then posted visual instructions that I could follow. Just like she said, once you've tried it, you'll love it! I didn't have a stipple brush, so I just used the edge of a sponge and black ink. My flower stamp is by Great Impressions and the thank you circle is from an acrylic set by Stampendous called Happy Flowers. The black lines across the middle on white cardstock were created with the PapertreyInk Faux Ribbon set.

I'm Not Procrastinating . . .

...I'm still doing yesterday!! :)

This is the sentiment on the inside of this card and it really makes me laugh. LOL :)

I haven't had this stamp out in awhile and it is one of my all-time FAV rubber stamps by Art Impressions. It was RAK'd to me by a friend at the Stamp Shack (Kerry) when I least expected it. She thought I would like the smiley face mug and I sure do!

Well, honestly this is exactly what I looked like this morning when I struggled my aching body out of bed. OMG, every muscle was hurting! What did I do, you ask?!? I EXERCISED yesterday! Now, I knew I was out of shape, but come on! I've been walking Lilly a couple times a week, doesn't that count? Apparently not! I had a free pass to Ladies Workout Express so decided to try it out. It's like Curves, where they have circuit training on hydraulic equipment. Geez, I could barely make it downstairs to my stampin' room today! Now that I did, I hope I can make it back up! LOL :)

Card Supply List: Stampin' Up! Orchid Opulence & Pixie Pink cardstock, floral background paper by Bo-Bunny Press - Pocket full of Posies. Stamp by Art Impressions colored with prismacolor pencils, blended with gamsol. SU light orchid ribbon. Slot punch and brad. I typed the inside sentiment on the computer, but I know someone makes a rubber stamp with this saying.

Friendship Warms the Heart . . .

This is the unique and lovely card I received in the mail yesterday from my stampin buddy Donna (craftingcrazy). It inspired the Noah's Ark card I made last night. I really like the tab "file folder" style and think it's just pretty darn clever! I'm trying to convince Donna that she needs her own blog, but in the meantime, I can't resist posting her incredible creations!













It's another gorgeous sunny day here in Nebraska! I took Lilly (my dachshund) for a walk and she was lovin' every minute of it. Now, I'm headed back to the patio to color some of my new Karen Lockhart images.

Have a Happy Day... and stay tuned for more later!
Pam :)

A Very Special Delivery! { Noah's Ark }

It was such a beautiful day today! I got my flower garden weeded and soaked up some sunshine... relaxing on the deck coloring some new images! : ) This darling Noah's Ark image was *so* fun to color, but I had to sharpen up my prismacolor pencils as the animals are pretty tiny.

Isn't this "file folder" card design clever?! This afternoon I received a beautiful card in the mail from my stamping friend Donna and that's where I got the idea. She's always coming up with the most unique designs and I'm thankful she shares them with me! : )

Usually, I try to remember to stamp the inside sentiment onto scrap paper before I stamp it on the card, just to be sure it's mounted straight. Well, this time I forgot and it's crooked! : / Oh well, I guess it's not that bad. I still wanted you to see what the card looked like when opened.

Card Supplies: Stampin' Up! So Saffron & Brocade Blue cardstock & ink. Blue fishy patterned paper is from the Sun & Sand collection by American Traditional Designs. Stampin' Up! canvas background stamped on upper half of card. Noah's Ark by Rubber Stampede, tab sentiment "A Very Special Delivery" is from the PapertreyInk Faux Ribbon set. Inside baby blessing sentiment is a PSX stamp. Strip of blue cardstock was put through my Cuttlebug with the Mesh embossing folder. Used mega circle punch and SU word window punch. SU bluebird ribbon, spiral clip and brads to embellish.

Poppin' in with a Penquin!

Goodness! Did this week ever fly by fast! I can't believe that my last post was on Tuesday and it wasn't even my creation. Just call me a creative slacker! Really, I've been working some overtime and had a few other things going on this week too. MW has gone fishing and this weekend is all mine... no cooking or cleaning - just cardmaking! (Jami, no comment from you that I never cook or clean anyway! LOL)

This adorable little penquin was made at my Stampin' Up! Stamp Club and I thought you might all like to see it. It's intended to be a wedding favor with a Hershey's chocolate nugget inside, but you could make them just for a fun
treat too! The SU small and large oval punches were used to make the wings and the belly.

It's a really nice sunny day and I feel like I should be outside enjoying it. I'm going to pull a few weeds in the flower garden and then color some images on the patio. Stay tuned, because I hope to make some cards later with a few new stamps I've gotten recently! Have a smiley GREAT day! Pam :)

You'll Love This Unique Card!!!

I received this FABULOUS card yesterday from my "not so secret" secret sister & stamping friend Donna (craftingcrazy) and I am just in awe of it! She gave me the ok to post it here and sent a photo of another card with the same design. On the photos below she's added annotations that explain how it was created... (click to enlarge)

Listen Honey ~

"God didn't promise it would be easy...He just promised it would be worth it!" :)

I made this card for a dear friend of mine who had shoulder surgery recently. Hopefully, she's feeling well enough to see the humor in this card. :) FYI... my friend is a "red hat" lady... which explains my color choices.

Special thanks to Stacy (jbgreendawn) for sending me these super cute Emerson images.

Supplies: Stampin' Up! orchid opulence cardstock, stamped upper half with the linen background stamp. Patterned paper is by KI Memories - Fire Funky Stripe.

Colored image with prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol. Tab on the left made with the SU word window punch.

The Good Life!

Jim and I received this incredibly beautiful card for our anniversary yesterday from our son, Andy, and daughter-in-law, Jami. She's the super creative cardmaker with her own blog, "Crazy Daisy Creations."

If you haven't already, you must check out her blog! Since she hadn't posted this card on her blog, I told her I was going to post it on mine today! ( bonus! ;)

Jami used Stampin' Up! blush blossom cardstock for the base, but I forgot to ask where she got this awesome background paper. The "Good Life" stamp is one from Michaels and it has been embossed with white. You can't really tell by the photo, but she has taken her glitter pen and colored inside the letters and all around the flowers. It's shimmery and *so* pretty! Also, she's added a vellum overlay and sequins too. Gotta love it!! :)

For my "Mr. Wonderful" on our 34th Anniversary ~

It's really doubtful that my wonderful husband ever reads my blog, but I would still like to wish him a very HAPPY 34th Anniversary today! :) The years have flown by and it's hard to believe we've been married this long. I was only 19 and he was just 21. We had jobs, but no money saved, one car, and rented an apartment. What we did have was a deep love, strong faith, and a relationship that began with a trusted friendship. His nickname is "MW" (Mr. Wonderful) because he really is. He's my best friend, my rock of gibraltar, and he makes me SMILE, even when I don't want to! :)

Making "guy" cards is not easy for me and I don't have that many appropriate images, especially for an anniversary card. All I could think of was to use this masculine looking patterned paper by Basic Grey. Hopefully, the scalloped circle punch doesn't look to feminine. I did the piercing and distressed thinking that would help. :) No matter what, I know Jim will like it. I show him almost all the cards that I make and he always says, "You've got skills!" :) So, this card is for him, with love, forever...and always.

Last night, I was blogging and saw this fantastic layout sketch on Beate's blog, "Fresh & Fun". It was just the inspiration I needed for this card. I love this layout and will probably use it often now. If you haven't already, you must check out Beate's blog...it's FABULOUS!

Supplies: Patterned paper - Basic Grey Hang 10. SU Kraft cardstock & chocolate chip ink. Love stamp by Stampabilities. Small forever stamp is by Stampin' Up! Expressive Flexible Phrases. Making Memory brads & clip. SU chocolate and taupe ribbon.