Stampin' Up! Envelope Pouch Challenge

Yesterday, our Stampin Up Demo *Jason* gave us all an ivory envelope, showed us how to punch the corners with the tag punch, and then challenged us to create a finished design for the next time we meet. I knew if I didn't complete this challenge right away, I would probably forget to do it, so here it is! :)

It's my understanding that Jason saw Shelly Gardner, CEO of Stampin' Up, demo this cute and clever envelope basket/pouch, but I'm not exactly sure if that's where the idea originated. I googled "envelope basket" and found a terrific tutorial on a wonderful blog Stampin Project Junkie by Amanda Collins. She calls it an envelope pouch. You'll have to check out her blog and especially the photos of her stamping room. It's so beautifully organized!

First of all, seal the envelope and stamp on it if you want. I stamped the front and back with the canvas background stamp and river rock ink. Then, using the large tag punch inserted in as far as it will go, you punch each corner twice. (to get the length) To decorate, I cut a 2-1/4" wide strip of groovy guava the width of the envelope and layered on a 2" strip of the ginger blossom designer paper that wraps around the envelope. I zig-zag stitched the layers together and then attached it to the envelope. The tag was created using three punches: 1-3/8" & 1-1/2" circles and the scalloped punch. The sentiment is from the Lots of Thoughts set. You'll notice I masked off the saying on the very bottom to allow it to fit in the circle. I don't have any groovy guava ribbon yet, so improvised with some twill that I ordered from Taylored Expressions. It might be a bit more orange, but it blends. :)

I think this would make a perfect gift card holder, especially for all those graduations coming up! Yesterday, I ordered the Great Grads set and can visualize the tags made with the G circle. What are some other ways they could be used? I would love to hear your suggestions.

Are you having a good weekend? I'm glad I accomplished something yesterday, because today I've been quite a flaneur. :) Happy Stamping & Smiles 2 U!




Quote for Today ~
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Word for Today ~
flaneur \flah-NUR\, noun: One who strolls about aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer

p.s. If you're still reading... I just searched the gallery at Splitcoaststampers and found over a hundred different envelope pouch/basket/bagalope creations. Check it out!

Spring Has Finally Sprung!

Today was the most BEAUTIFUL day and I do believe that SPRING has finally arrived! Not a cloud in the sky, no wind (that's a BIG deal here in Nebraska lately!) and temps in the 70's! It was heavenly! I spent the afternoon outside cleaning off my flower gardens and even found a blooming tulip! Life is Good!

This morning I had a great time at our monthly Stampin Up get together at Mandey's house. We have such a FUN, jocund group! :) Check out these super cute and springy cards we made. I especially love this smiley face "happy everything" flower from the Greetings Galore set. I even have this set and forgot all about it. Now, you'll probably be seeing more of it in the next few weeks! :) We also got to use the new "flower fusion" felt flowers. Cool!



















Have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for blogging by today! I didn't go into detail about these cards since they weren't my original creations. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Smiles, Pam :)

Quote for Today ~
"You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people; why not make an honest effort to confer that pleasure on others? Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy." ~ Lydia Marie Child

Word for Today ~
jocund \JOCK-uhnd; JOH-kuhnd\, adjective: Full of or expressing high-spirited merriment; light-hearted; mirthful.

A Little Birdie Told Me...

... it's time to CELEBRATE!

I'm celebrating that I finally felt like stamping again! Hooray!!! I created this birthday card for a friend at work and hope she likes it.

What do you think of the colors? The cardstock is "river rock" by Stampin Up and I have to admit that it isn't a color I care for on it's own. But, it really does coordinate perfectly with this Stampin Up Ginger Blossom designer paper.

My inspiration for this layout came once again from Beate at "Fresh and Fun". I really do adore her weekly sketch challenges and this is from last week's #42. Yes, I'm behind! Beate's blog is one of my favorites and you really must check it out, if you haven't already!

I've got a long "to-do" list today and better get to it now. Thanks so much for sticking with me even though I haven't posted much lately.

Wishing you all a very HAPPY sunny day! Smiles 2 U, Pam :)

Quote for Today ~
Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Word for Today ~
salubrious \suh-LOO-bree-us\, adjective: Favorable to health; promoting health; healthful.

Supply List ~
Stamps: Stampin Up -A Little Birdie Told Me
Paper: Stampin Up - Ginger Blossom designer paper, river rock, ruby red
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin Up river rock, Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Other: antique brass brads, stitching, misc grosgrain ribbon, colored image with prismacolor pencils.

Meet "Bullseye" & Read my Smiley Story!

Yes, it has been WAY too long since I've posted! (hanging head in shame)

Thank you to all my dear friends who called or emailed to see if I was still among the living. I'm happy to say that I am! :) I've still got an annoying tickle cough and lack energy, but I'm feeling SO much better! It would *really* help if our weather would warm up. It's still WINTER in Nebraska and we're all so so SO ready for SPRING!

Anyway, on to my smiley story that I can't wait to share with you...

First, I should give you a little background in case you don't know this about me. I've worked at a steel manufacturing company for over 20 years and have an enormous smiley face collection that started at work years ago.

For the first 11 years, I was the receptionist and switchboard operator and took messages by hand. (Remember, this was before voicemail and email! :) When taking a message, I always signed it with my initials and a little round smiley face. Well, one thing led to another and my coworkers started leaving smiley face items on my desk. Over the years, I've changed positions/offices a few times and brought most of the smiley items home to a "smiley room" of their own. Currently, I'm the production coordinator and have what I consider a "few" smiley face things in my office. There is a smiley face neon clock, two framed posters on the wall and a few other smileys around the room. (I've got a previous post here on my blog from Christmas that has a photo of my office and I'll see if I can find it and link it here. )

I digress...now back to my story... last week our company was hosting a tour of the Target representatives responsible for deciding whether or not our company would receive the corporate account to provide all the steel joist and deck for all their new Target stores across the country. As this group was walking by my office to tour our plant, I greeted them and a couple of them stopped and commented that my office looked like Wal-mart!!! :) Oh geez! I think I said something like "Oh no, just trying to keep a positive attitude around here!"

Well, on Thursday the mail clerk called to say I had a package at the front desk from Target. I knew I hadn't ordered anything and wouldn't have had it sent to work, even if I had. Honestly, I had no clue what it was until I opened it. This is the really COOL part of my story...inside the box was the most adorable stuffed dog - "Bullseye" - Target's mascot! Along with it was a handwritten letter from John, the Regional Construction Manager, that read: "Pam, I thought this limited edition "Construction Bullseye" would be a nice way to offset the clearly innocent smiley faces in your office! He will keep you safe from the Wal-mart-esque influence of all those yellow faces. Enjoy!" I've attached a photo of it for you to read yourself. (click to enlarge) Needless to say, I was overwhelmed that he took the time to do this!!! I consider it a true random act of kindness and one I will never forget.


Over the years, I've experienced many situations such as this that have warmed my heart, renewed my spirit, and enhanced my love of the happy smiley face. Time and again I've witnessed the kindness and generosity of others and the positive influence of a heartwarming SMILE!

Sorry, this is so long, but I did want to share it with all of you dear friends in hopes that it brightens your day. Now, I've got some thank you cards to create and hope to have a card to post for you later. Smiles, Pam :)