Sweet Gnomes

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Hey y'all. Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. I spent lots of time digging in my yard and ruining my manicure. My nail lady gets so mad at me when I do that. :(

Just a quick post today. I know it should be MDS Monday, but since the Occasions Mini is retiring tonight at midnight I wanted to be able to post this card using my Gnome Sweet Gnome set. I'm not a huge fan of the gnomes, (they always look like they know something I don't) but I got this set for free and wanted to post at least one card with it.

Here's today's card-

I realized last night as I was taking the pictures that I hadn't colored in their skin. AUGH! What was I thinking!?! I spent so much time watercoloring the rest of them and then forgot that! Ok, so that will definitely get remedied before this gets sent out. *SMH*

Here's the inside-

It's hard to see but the sentiment says "You light up my lawn". I let Tink come out to play, it's been a while, and add a little something to my sweet little froggy and mushroom.

Well, that's all for today. Don't forget to place your orders for any items in the Mini- Occasions catalog before midnight. It's retiring tonight at midnight. You can shop in my ONLINE STORE 24/7.

I hope you have a great day and that you'll come back soon. If you liked today's card I hope you'll leave me a comment. I love hearing from you. Also, if you liked it, feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too. :)

Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. Life isn't about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Bordering on Romance "Copic-type" Watercolor / OWH Challenge #118

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! The weekend countdown is on. :) I hope you've had a great week to this point and the weekend gets even better for you!

Where do you find inspiration for your projects? It surprises me sometimes where I get mine and how things often just fall into place. Last Friday I was able to get a ride home with a commuter-friend of mine. Actually she seems like such a nice person, I hope we get to be regular friends too. Hi Michelle! She's a creative person like me and on the 30+ minute ride home we got a chance to talk about stamping and scrapbooking and products we like, love, want to know more about.

Well, she asked me if I used Copics. I told her I didn't for a couple of reasons. 1-There's just so many and to be honest the 're a little intimidating. 2- I couldn't imagine the cost of getting all of them especially when I already have all the SU ones. 3- I had seen plenty of cards using SU markers to create the same effect. I had even tried my hand with ours and had been happy with the results. 4- This process takes so long it's definitely not one I would use everyday.

Wouldn't you know it, in just the few days since that conversation, I saw a tutorial for getting "Copic" results with our markers. Let me tell you I was on that in a Hot Second! Although I had tried my hand at this achieving these results before (by blending multiple colors) I had used it on regular cardstock and while I was happy, I felt like there could be even better results. I knew it was just my lack of experience. The video showed beautiful "Copic" type results, and I knew I wanted to try it! The difference between mine and theirs, watercolor paper. Amazing what a difference in results with just a piece of paper!

Then I saw a sketch challenge over at Operation Write Home and thought it might be just perfect to try the technique again, this time with the watercolor paper.

Here's my card- (Normally I wouldn't do the picture so large, but I wanted you to really be able to see the coloring)

"Copic-type" Watercoloring with Stampin Up Markers

I was so excited with how not only the card but the technique turned out. I'll do an End of the Week Technique on this soon. Because I was doing this for a challenge I wanted to go ahead and post it.

Want to know the best part of the watercoloring? Instead of using multiple markers in varying shades of the same color, I used one marker only for each of the three colors. I used Regal Rose for the main floral image, Island Indigo, for the smaller flowers and Lucky Limeade for the leaves. That's all! No 2 or 3 colors for each image, just one. Can I just say once more, how amazing our products are!?!

What do you think? For a first effort with this, after seeing the video, I think it looks pretty awesome and like it was done with Copics and the tutorial I saw had even better results! I'm sure mine will improve with time as well.

Here's the OWH Sketch-

I stuck pretty close to it. I just extended the border some and flipped it on it's side. Truth be told the whole time I was making it I had it just like the sketch. It wasn't until I had the watercolored tiles applied that I decided to flip it on it's side and then I knew that was how it should be. Luckily I was able to remove my colored pieces from the dimensionals, without damaging them, and re-configure them.

I love the Bordering on Romance stamp set. If it's a favorite of yours too, you only have 3 more days to order it from the Occasions Mini before it retires. We have no idea if it will be carried over to the new annual catalog. 

I used a base of Blushing Bride c/s, cut at 8 1/2 x 5 1/4. The Whisper White c/s was cut at 3 x 5, to leave the 3 x 3 center section. Next I used my Edglet to create the scalloped border, by running it through my Big Shot. I love the added ruffled edge the edgelet gives. Next I used my Adorning Accents Embossing Folder to create the embossed detail. I just love how they coordinate perfectly! I really hope all of these pieces are making a return to the annual catalog! I stamped the little row of flowers using a another stamp from the Bordering on Romance set. It was made to coordinate with the edgetlet and embossing folder. Love it! Of course it makes beautiful borders all on it's own as well. :)

For the focal point I stamped the image in Staz-On, so the colors wouldn't blend with the black ink, on a 2 x 2 piece of watercolor paper. After coloring the image with my 3 markers I cut the paper into quarters and mounted them on 1 1/8 squares of Blushing Bride c/s with Tombow and then adhered them to my WW base with dimensionals. I sponged the edges of all the cardstock except the watercolor paper for added dimension. The final accent was two strips of  Blushing Bride Pleated Ribbon. All products used for this card with the exception of the inks, adhesives, and the WW and watercolor c/s could potentially be gone in just 3 days. Wow, that makes me sad!

Here's the video showing this technique-

Here's a look at the inside-

For the inside, I tried to do the same technique. While I think it looks nice, it doesn't have quite the same impact. This is due to the regular c/s used. You have to be careful with regular c/s as it can breakdown slightly if you apply the color repeatedly to a small area and then try to blend it. I didn't put a sentiment, because I'm not sure who this is going to or for what occasion just yet. It may be a Mother's day card for one of the special women in my life.

I looked up Copics to do a comparison and they have 214 colors in 16 different color families. Their markers are $6.99 each and feature a wide tip and a finer pointed "nib" type tip. Theirs are refillable and you can replace the tips. The cost for a full set of Copics, a whopping $1495.86. WOW! Stampin Up's markers by comparison have 38 regular colors separated into 4 color "families", which coordinate perfectly with all of their papers and accessories. They have both a wide, brush type tip and a fine tip that's perfect for smaller areas or journaling. SU's markers are $3.50 each and you can get the entire set in a carrying case for a total cost of only $109.95, that breaks down to just $2.89 each. Both sets of markers can be refilled. The main difference in the two marker styles was that the tips on the Copic markers were replaceable. However for $3.50 with SU you can just get another marker if needed. Now after seeing that I can get the same results with SU markers for 50% less per individual marker and 1/10th the cost for a complete set, the decision for which to get is pretty clear. Granted if I was doing graphic art or big time illustrating I might feel a little different, but for making beautiful cards, scrapbook layouts and gifts the answer seems pretty simple, at least in my mind and to my budget. *Note- This is just my opinion after doing a price and specifications comparison. You're opinion may vary.*

So what did you think about today's card? I hope you liked it! If you did, I'd love it if you left me a comment! If you liked it please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've placed the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too!

If you need to buy supplies to make your own special projects, you can shop in my ONLINE STORE 24/7. Don't forget our Occasions Mini Catalog ends on April 30. Our Retired Lists are also out. The Accessories are While Supplies Last only and many are discounted up to 60 % off and they are flying off the shelves. Many items are already sold out. Our retiring stamps are only here until May 31. Make sure you don't miss your favorites!

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you have an Amazing Weekend filled with Family, Friends and of course lots of time for creativity!

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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End of the Week Technique #29 - Spotlighting / A "Magnificent" Packed for Mom Card & A Nod To Christian Louboutin

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a great week. Just one more day to go till the weekend. Woo-Hoo! It's an overcast, blustery kind of day here in the DMV, but the birds that live on the window-sill beneath my office AC unit are chirping away, so I guess the day's not too bad. Bless their hearts! They keep yelling at Mother Nature that it's supposed to be Spring. LOL!

You know our Occasions Mini Catalog retires in just a few days. It's hard to believe we're almost done with this Fabulous catalog. I think I've bought more from this catalog than any other Mini ever. :) We have no idea what items, if any, will carry over to the new annual catalog that comes out June 1st. Don't wait too long to get your favorites from this catalog before they're gone forever.

I finally inked up my Packed for Mother card the night before last, now I've just got to get the Dad and party ones inked up before next week. No pressure there. (: I think this stamp would be great not just for Mom, but for your favorite girlfriends and even stylists too.

I had fun doing this card and it's the first time I've ever used this technique. It's sooo Quick and Easy! and I think perfect for this set of stamps.

Here's today's card-

Packed for Mom Spotlight Technique Card

Although this a pretty Clean & Simple card element wise- I would definitely classify it as more of a Quick and Easy due to the extra elements.

I started with a base of Basic Black c/s. To that I added a piece of Whisper White c/s and stamped part of the sentiment "Magnificent"  from the Perfect Words set in Basic Black. I then ran this through the Big Shot using my Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. So glad this made the cut and didn't wind up on the retired list! *WHEW* 

Then it was time for my EWT. While you could certainly color in all the images or even a select few, I chose to just pick one and "spotlight" it. 

Here's what you do-

1 - Stamp your whole image once for your focal point's background and then stamp it again to get your "spotlighted" item.

2 - Use a punch big enough to surround your chosen item and punch it out

3 - Pick a larger punch and punch out a piece of complimentary colored c/s 

4 - Color in or accent your "spotlighted" item in whichever way you choose

5 - Mount your two punched items together and then attach them to your initial stamped image covering that image with your punched images

6 - Think about the smiles your new card will bring to someones face and the joy it will bring to their day, and then smile yourself :)

See I told you it was sooo Quick and Easy!

While I'm not a total Girlie-Girl, I love me some nice shoes (And if I can swing it a matching bag. Of course Amazing bags are great on their own too!) My favorite Wish-List designer...Christian Louboutin. AMAZING! Nothing like seeing those Signature Red Soles to make my heart beat just a little faster. Oh who am I kidding? It sends my heart into overdrive. These were the first pair that I fell in love with-

Christian Louboutin Helmut Black Patent Pumps

However with a price tag of almost $600.00, they've been just a wish list item. (however while looking for this pick I found a CL Canada site with them on sale for $125.00 *Happy Dance*) There's just something so sexy about the cut-out instep and that pointed toe....Oh and let's not forget those Red Soles...*Sigh*

Sorry, I had to stop to wipe the drool before it got in the keyboard :)

These shoes were the inspiration for my card and the spotlight. Here's a close-up of my framelet and stamped image-

 I stamped my image in Black Staz-On on a scrap of WW c/s. I used Staz-On just because I feel that especially with smaller images it gives a crisper "black" color to your images. I ran this through my Big Shot with my second smallest framelet. It fits just right. I then cut out two more framelets with this same die from Basic Black scraps. I cut them so I could layer them behind my WW piece to give just a small background frame. While you could certainly use the next size-up framelet for a nice border, I felt it would be to big to work with this card.

Next came the actual Spotlight- I used my Basic Black Stampin Write Marker to color in the shoes. I used a Real Red marker to show that un-mistakable Red Sole. I didn't have any Crystal Effects to make the shoes shine like the Black Patent ones in the picture so I settled on Dazzling Details to give a little glittery shine... kind of like these-

So Pretty

I used my 1" Circle Punch to punch my image out and then used my 1 1/4" Circle Punch to make A Real Red mat. I used dimensionals to make it stand out and positioned it so the images aligned. (see the curling iron)

Here's a closer look at the spotlight-

I wrapped a piece of Riding Hood Red ribbon around my WW layer and adhered it to the back of my card with some SNAIL. Next came a bow that I adhered with a Mini-Glue Dot. Even though it's not the same color red, I think it coordinates close enough. I attached my focal point to the front of the card over my ribbon with dimensionals and my front was done. The hardest part of this whole card was not smearing my Dazzling Details. :)

Here's a peek at the inside-

I used the rest of the sentiment from the front of the card and added the image of the cute little purse from the front. Since the next sized punch I had was to big to make a small mat I used my Real Red Classic Ink pad and a sponge to go around the edges. This also had the added benefit of not adding extra bulk to the inside of my card. I used Soft Suede ink with my blender pens and my Real Red Marker to partially color in the image.

Well, that's my card for today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to try something new today. If you liked it, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

I hope to see you back here soon for another card/project.


Don't forget to check out my ONLINE STORE for all the RETIRING PRODUCTS and Occasions Mini Catalog. The accessories are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST ONLY, and they're going fast.



Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Great Take on Writing

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Hey y'all-
I saw this on my G+ feed and wanted to share it with you. For those of you that are bloggers, I'm sure it will make so much sense and might even make you laugh!

Enjoy-

12 Remarkable Quotes About Writing

1. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” ~ Mark Twain

2. “If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things people do.” ~ William Zinsser

3. “Writing well means never having to say, ‘I guess you had to be there.’ ” ~ Jef Mallett

4. “Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it’s just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it.” ~ David Sedaris

5. “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” ~ Red Smith

6. “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.” ~ E.L. Doctorow

7. “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” ~ James Michener

8. “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

9. “If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.” ~ Isaac Asimov

10. “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” ~ Stephen King

11. “Ink and paper are sometimes passionate lovers, oftentimes brother and sister, and occasionally mortal enemies.” ~ Terri Guillemets

12. “Write drunk, edit sober.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Sources:
Quotes: 12most.com/2012/04/11/12-worth-documenting-writing-quotes/Image:etsy.com/listing/65242328/ernest-hemingway-art-prints-posters

More photos from Amanda Patterson

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Clean & Simple Delicate Doilies Card

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! We're on the downhill towards the weekend. YEA!

Today's card is another one that I made almost a month ago for my 2 weeks off from stamping to spend time with my bestie while he was here for class. Hard to believe how far ahead I got with projects. Now if I could just have another weekend of nothing but stamp time I could get a whole bunch more instead of doing them a day or two at a time. *SMH* (:

For those of you that know me, or have been following me for a while, you know these truths-
1- I almost never do truly Clean and Simple cards. Not that my cards are all frou-frou or fussy, but when it comes to C&S I will often go for Quick and Easy which is similar but maybe just a tad more involved.
2- One layer cards on my blog and in my stash are like the Sasquatch or Yetti- I want them to be there but they're just not. (I think there's only two or three here up to this point)
3- I keep saying I'm going to try and do more, but so far it just hasn't really happened. Heck, it's all I can do to get MDS Mondays, End of the Week Technique and a Challenge in each week. I don't want to assign the C&S title to any one day, because I'd feel like a failure if I didn't manage to get something "post-able" by that day. Silly, I know, but that's part of the OCD in me. :(

That being said- I have a new Clean and Simple card for you today. It's one layer (Hush now, I counted the fabric as an embellishment and not a layer. Hey it's my blog, I get to make up the rules. Right?) and I think it's kind of cute.

Here's today's card-

Delicate Doilies Clean and Simple Card

This card is also a departure for me in that it's all pink.

GAH!

I used the Delicate Doilies stamp set and using 3 different shades of pink, I randomly (augh, I hate doing that!) stamped three of the images from the set onto my c/s. Here again, I wish I could tell you which c/s and which inks but it was a month ago and I just can't remember. :( Bad Shan!

Next, I tore a strip of fabric from the Flirtatious Fabric pack, wrapped it around my card and knotted it off.

Ok, y'all- did you catch the whole "I tore a strip"! Yes, I did. That's a first for this blog and for my cards. I made this card during an afternoon of stamping with my daughter J, and my stamping buddy April. You can not imagine how much fun they had at my expense while I stressed over tearing that Darn fabric! Oh the Scaredy Cat and OCD in me was a Pure HOT MESS, over that tearing, let me just assure you! But, I did it! Yea Me!

Here's the inside-

Although it's hard to see in the picture, because of the tone-on-tone stamping, I used 2 of the stamps from the front to stamp the inside of my card. I used the sentiment from Everyday Elegance. I know it's retired, but I don't have a lot of sentiment stamp sets and I just love the font. It makes me smile just to look at it.

Well, that's all I have for you today. A quick post for a quick Clean and Simple Card. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to try something you don't normally do today.

If you liked it, I hope you'll leave me a comment. I love hearing from you! Also, if you liked it, please feel free to +1 it or Pin it. I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcomed. :)

I hope to see you back tomorrow for another card. Don't forget the End of the Week Technique is still to come.

You can shop for supplies in my ONLINE STORE 24/7. Don't forget the Retired Accessories List came out this morning. These supplies are only available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Don't wait too long or your favorites may be gone. SU is retiring a lot of products to make their catalog a little smaller and easier to choose your year-round stamps from. The Retired Stamp List is also out and they will be available only until May 31.

Till next time-

Remember, Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe, 

Shan

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Hey y'all. Just wanted to let you know the Retired Accessories List came out today. It joins our Retired Stamps list. The accessories are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST and some are up to 60% off. See below-

Get them before they are gone! The Retired Accessories and Definitely Decorative (including Décor Elements) lists are now available and won't stay around for long, as these are limited in quantity and can sell out fast.  Some are even discounted from 25% up to 70% off - WOW!
I highly recommend placing your orders early as things will sell out. If you have not yet completed your collection of the 2010-2012 In Color ink pads, card stock, markers, refills, ribbon, you'll want to get them asap!

Things to note:

• Classic Ink Pads: will be replaced with a new exciting "firm foam pad" being introduced with the 2012-2013 annual catalog.  The Firm Foam pads offer better ink coverage and, in trun, better stamped images.
• Craft Ink Pads:  will no longer be offered, except in black and white
• Stampin' Stampin' Write Markers: only select markers will be available individually (will still be offered in color collection assortment packs)
• 12" x 12" Textured Card Stock:  will no longer be offered
• 12" x 12" Smooth Card Stock:  will only be available in select individual colors and color collections assortment packs

Stampin' Up! Retired Accessories List (available until May 31st or while supplies last)

• Retired Accessories List (PDF) 
• Retired Accessories List (sortable Excel file)
• Retired Definitely Decorative

Stampin' Up! Retired Stamps Lists (available until May 31st)

• Retired Stamps List - (PDF by Catalog Page#)
• Retired Stamps List - (PDF Alphabetically)

You can shop in my ONLINE STORE for your convenience. 

To make shopping even easier click SHOW: ALL on the right hand side.

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All "Packed For Baby" Boy Card

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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday! I hope you're having a great week so far. It's cold here in the DMV but at least it's not raining (or snowing) today. :) I hope you're warm wherever you are.

Do you ever get something and know you want to use it but aren't sure just how you're going to use it? I hate when that happens! I've been trying real hard to only spend money on things I have a definite plan for, especially when it comes to stamps and supplies. I won't buy something just because it's "popular" or I think I should. So when the Packed for Everything set came out, I was intrigued and wanted to get it, but just wasn't sure what I would do with it. So, I decided I would wait a while. Then a great thing happened, I got it for FREE! Yep, I said Free. I won it for participating in a Stampin' Up event and Stampin' Up sent lots of it's demonstrators not one stamp but the whole bundle. How great is that? SU is an Amazing company and they really take care of their demonstrators.

Then all I had to do was come up with a way to use them. I've seen lots of cool cards with them, but I was still kind of stuck because although I could CASE someone else (please, with all the fabulous demonstrators out there, this would be so easy!) but I wanted to come up with something on my own. I finally came up with today's card. I made it almost a month ago, when I was getting cards ready for my two weeks off. Hard to believe I'm just now getting around to posting it!  I used a sketch challenge for my inspiration, I only wish I could remember which one. :( *Fail* I took it with me to the Open House I was at this weekend and it was the first card I ever sold. Thanks Holly!

Here's today's card-

Packed for Baby Card

I started with a base of Marina Mist which I ran through the Big Shot with my Stripes Embossing Folder (it's hard to see but if you look at the bottom center of the card you can see it). This is the first time I have used this folder. I got it for free during Sale-A-Bration this year. Did you get yours? Next I ran a piece of Whisper White c/s through with my Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder. What will we do if they ever retire that folder? For the next layer I used an old background stamp I had lying around and created the dotted background with Baja Breeze Classic Ink. This was a small background stamp so I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to help line everything up. I matted this on a piece of Marina Mist c/s and then secured a strip of Baja Breeze seam binding around it and raised this layer up with dimensionals. A Baja Breeze Bow completed this layer and I simply secured it with a Mini-Glue Dot.

For the main focal point I stamped my image in Basic Black and then colored in just a few of the images with  my Stampin Write markers. I used Marina Mist, Baja Breeze and Soft Sky for my blues. I love how all the blues coordinate even though they're so different. A little pink (I think it's Pink Pirouette) for the hearts  and piggy and some Daffodil Delight for that sweet little ducky and the coloring was done. I adhered it to another piece of Marina Mist c/s and popped that layer up with dimensionals as well and the front of my card was done. Oh, I'm sure you can tell I sponged all the elements with Marina Mist to add a little extra dimension and depth too.

Here's the inside-

I kept it really simple here. I stamped the sentiment in Marina Mist on a WW background and sponged the edges. The sentiment is either from Teeny Tiny Wishes or Easy Events. Sorry I can't remember which one they're both very similar. :(  Isn't the font just adorable though? I really need to not wait so long to post and then maybe I could remember these things. I inked just the cute little ducky from the stamp with my Basic Black Stampin Write Marker and then stamped him for my something extra, that you all know I love to do on the inside. A quick color with my markers and my card was done.

What do you think? I was pretty pleased with how it turned out and really happy when it sold!

Well that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to grab one of those stamps you've been putting off using and give it a little love. :)

If you liked today's card, please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing form you. Also, if you'd like to +1 or Pin it, I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too.

This set and the entire Packed for Everything bundle is in the current Occasions catalog and will be leaving on April 30th. If you want to get it or any of the single stamps in the set including the one I used for today's card, don't wait too long. You can shop for these stamps or other supplies in my ONLINE STORE 24/7.

I hope you'll come back soon and see what I have for you.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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MDS Monday - A Hoppy Hello, Stampin 411 challenge #18 # 252, My Challenge

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Hey y'all. Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Mine was pretty laid back. Caught up on my sleep and my DVR recordings. Lol. The best part thought was that I went to an Open House with my best stamping buddy April and saw some old friends, met some new ones, and even sold a few cards. (yea!) I was really surprised at how few cards I had to sell considering the amount I make for this blog. I guess that means I've been giving more away than I thought. (yea me again!)

I wanted to make a cute card to send to my new friends and decided to combine that with my MDS Monday post. I decided to try and find a cute sketch challenge for inspiration and found one over at Stampin 411. They always have such cute sketches. I figured I could also use it as my challenge card for the week, two birds with one stone and all that. :) Hope they won't mind me submitting a MDS card as my entry.

Here's today's card-

MDS Card- Hoppy Memories

The DSP's and images are all from the Designer Kit Hoppy Memories that comes in your MDS pack. It's a great kit and has lots of extras and would make for really cute scrapbook pages. YOu know one of my new favorite features of MDS is the drop shadow feature. I think it makes the cards look so much more realistic, like you could reach out and touch the layers.

Here's the Stamping 411 sketch I based this card on-

I stuck right to the sketch which is a little unusual for me. The only thing I wish was different on mine is the color of the ribbon, but I didn't have any in Concord Crush. Not quite sure how I had the other In-Colors and not that one, I'm sure I did something not quite right. Oh well.

Here's the inside-

I used the sentiment from Turtle and Co and the image is from Hoppy Memories Designer Kit which came as part of my original MDS dowloads.

Well, that's all I have for today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to create something today, maybe using MDS or a challenge.

If you liked today's card I hope you'll leave me a comment, I love hearing from you. Also, if you liked it please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added buttons to my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

I hope you'll drop back by soon to see what I've got waiting for you.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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End of the Week Technique #29-Making Your Own Shimmer Spray and Shimmer Paper / Wedding Cake Card

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! Woo-Hoo, the weekend is so close I can almost taste it! Unfortunately it tastes like rain. Oh well, maybe I can get some extra stamping done. Lemons into Lemonade and all that. :)

I have a special card for you today. Unfortunately I could not get a picture of it that really shows it off, so I apologize in advance.

Do you ever have someone really special or a really special occasion that you feel like you have to make an amazing card for? Not just your usual run of the mill amazing card, but one that's just a little more special than your normal cards? That's what brought this card into being.

My hairdresser Maria is AMAZING! I've been going to her for about 5 years and she is one of the few people my mom (the Queen of all hairdressers! Hi Mom!) approves of to cut my hair. There were many years, after I moved out of state, where I got a trim twice a year when I saw my mom, because I couldn't find anyone anywhere near as good. Then I found Maria. She was right out of school, working at a new salon we had found and I haven't even thought of going anywhere else! In fact she now does quite a few of my friends as well. (Hey Maria, You Rock!)

Anyways, Maria just got married, and is back from her honeymoon, and I'm going in today to see her. I wanted to make a special card for her, so I sat down to try and come up with something as Fabulous as she is. I've seen lots of different takes on "Wedding Cake" cards so I thought I would try my hand at one.


Here's today's card-

Wedding Cake Card

I really HATE taking pics with my BB! >:(  I have a new camera but I  have to plan ahead and take the pictures and then upload them and I just didn't have time to do that last night.

I used my my Ott Light to try and get a truer light but all this picture shows is the basic card- you can't see any shimmer and  it looks totally different than it does in real life. AUGH!

Here's a different pic -Sorry for the HUGE picture. I had to enlarge it so you could see the details and the shimmer

Wedding Cake Card with Homemade Shimmer Paper

This card is also a first for me, in that it's all one color. The only thing that's not white is the sentiment on the inside.

I started with a base of Whisper White 4 1/2 x 11 scored at 5 1/2. All the paper is regular Whisper White c/s. Next I ran a piece of 4 x 5 1/4 c/s through the Big Shot with my Tulip Frame Embossing Folder. Then using sticky notes I played around with different sized rectangles until I came up with three that I felt looked like a tiered wedding cake. I used those measurements to cut scrap c/s that I embossed with my EF, I think it's called Pretty Petals. I took all of this including another scrap of c/s for the flowers and spritzed them all with my Homemade Shimmer Spritz Spray. I punched out flowers from the scrap piece of c/s I had spritzed and used them to add extra decoration and dimension to my cake. I didn't even have to curl the edges, they came out of the punch with that little bit of curl to them. I used Mini-Glue Dots to adhere them.

***I've seen lots of different recipes for Shimmer Spray, most use hand sanitizer. I mixed mine using plain old rubbing alcohol.

Here's what you'll need for this technique-

Shimmer Paint - I used Frost White but we have other colors as well

Liquid for mixing and suspending the paint -you want something alcohol based because you want it to dry quickly and not saturate your paper

A small spray bottle- I used one that I got in the $ bin at my local big box store. The small ones that you use for airline travel is a perfect size for this

Spraying box and scrap paper for protecting your work-space and or furniture- I used SU's spray catcher and grid paper

This is so simple- 

1- Just mix a small amount of your Shimmer Paint in with a small amount of your liquid. You can adjust this to suit your preference. I used about 1 1/2oz of alcohol with a few drops of my Frost White Paint. Shake well and spray on a scrap piece of c/s until you get the color/consistency that you want.

2- Lightly spritz your c/s until you get the desired effect

3- Enjoy the look of your technique on your project and think of the smile it's going to bring to someones face! :)

Here's a few extra tips-

1- Because it's a liquid, even if you spritz lightly you can expect some curling of your paper. For this reason you want to use as little as possible to achieve your desired effect. You can use dimensionals to secure your c/s and  give a little tension to it to help flatten this out.

2- Make sure your hands are clean and try to only handle the freshly spritzed paper by the outside edges. Avoid putting your fingertips directly on the paper until it's fully dried or you may end up with some finger-tip sized areas on your project where there is no shimmer. It may appear like a greasy fingerprint smudge. Not attractive...ask me how I know. :)

3- Experiment with different color combinations by adding a few drops of your favorite re-inker to your Shimmer Spray.

4- Always shake your bottle well before spritzing to make sure the paint is well mixed.

5- Always do a test spray on scrap c/s or even the paper lining your spraying box before spritzing your c/s. If it's been a while since you last used your spray bottle it may not give you a fine mist but spray globs. Once again not attractive and go ahead...ask me how I know.

6- Always wait to stamp until your paper is completely dry before stamping on it, otherwise your ink may smear. I know this sounds like a basic concept but even though it seems dry it may not be. If you're in a hurry you can give it a quick blast with your Heat Tool.

7- Never, Ever, stamp and then spray. Yes, I tried that and it was A Big Hot Mess! See I found out all the don'ts so you didn't have too. :) You're welcome.

Here's a look at the inside of the card-

Sorry about the photo quality. Stupid BB and Ott light combination! I used the sentiments from Petite Pairs and mounted them both on one block and stamped them onto my dry c/s. 

(If you look closely at the picture you can see a few areas that are slightly spotted in appearance. This is because I didn't know about tip #5 above at the time I sprayed my c/s. Luckily it's so shimmery you don't really notice it in real life unless you knew to look for it. I got sooo lucky with that one!)

I added 3 of the shimmery flowers that I used to decorate the cake with and adhered them to the inside of my card for my "something pretty for the inside." I used Mini-Glue Dots to adhere them. The punch I used is retired but the floral stamp from the mini-punch bunch or from the Boho-Blossoms punches would work just as well.

Because I wanted the envelope to be extra special too, I ran it through my Big Shot with the same EF I used for the cake and then spritzed it too. 

You can really see the shimmer along the bottom half of the flap

Everything is such a soft shimmery white. It looks like I made everything with our shimmer paper. It's so beautiful and elegant. This is an amazing technique. It's so simple but makes even your extra-special cards into WOW! cards.

I'm so happy with this card. I really hope Maria likes it too.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you like it and I hope it inspires you to try something new today.

If you liked today's card I hope you'll leave me a comment. I love hearing from you. Please feel free to +1 or Pin today's card if you liked it. I have placed the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome as well. :)

I hope you have an Amazing weekend full of Family, Friends and of course plenty of time for creativity.

Hope to see you back here next week, when I'll have some new projects for you.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Another Mixed Bunch Thank-You

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! Just one more day until the weekend. YEA!

I have a Quick and Easy card for you today. A few weeks back I got my first online order. Wow, it was so surprising to get that e-mail from Stampin Up saying someone had stopped by and placed an order. Surprising in a totally unexpected, fabulous kind of way. Well, I sent an e-card to that wonderful person, but I wanted to make them a card too. I knew just the stamp set I wanted to use too and it was due in that week. *Happy Dance* Well my stamp set came but not the punch I was going to use, so it took me a few extra days to be able to make this card. It's in the mail now, so if it's recipient is reading my blog and seeing it here first, just know it's on it's way and you are very appreciated!

Here's today's card-

Heat Embossed Mixed Bunch Card

Like I said, this is a Quick and Easy card and I had so much fun making it as a special Thank-You! I used Calypso Coral as my base and stamped two of the images from my new Mixed Bunch stamp set randomly (I just can't bring myself to like that word (:  ) all over the front of  my card. I used Calypso Coral Classic Ink for a tone on tone look. (Love that look!)

Next I stamped my floral images with Versamark and then Heat-Embossed them with Silver embossing powder. Then it was just a few simple punches and my focal point was ready to put together. I punched an extra flower from my Summer Smooches DSP to coordinate and used my bone folder to curl all my "petals" down on the bottom layer and up on the top layer. A few dimensionals in-between all the layers and my pretty little flower focal point was finished. All it needed was a sentiment and I used one from my Teeny Tiny Wishes. I stamped it in Calypso Coral on a scrap of Very Vanilla c/s, flagged the end, sponged the edges, curled it to give it some extra flair and dimension and adhered it with a few Mini-Glue dots. See, I told you, Quick and Easy! :)

Here's the inside-

The sentiment is from Three Little Words and it will be retiring at the end of next month. I sponged the edges of my Very Vanilla c/s for a little added depth and then stamped my floral image on the bottom. Want to know a secret? I didn't intend for the image to be lighter in the center. I guess I just didn't press down good enough and it ended up that way. I liked it though,one of those happy little accidents that happens so often in stamping. It looks like a tone on tone, rock and roll image. 

I didn't write on the card, I wrote my message on a sticky note, so it's recipient could use the card when she needed a Thank-You card for someone. I hope she likes it! What do you think?

If you'd like to get a special card, made just for you, I'd love to make one for you! Anyone that places an order in my Online Store will get a special card, from me. Now's a great time to shop since our retired list is out. Also, our current Occasions Mini catalog is ending at the end of this month. I sure hope that the Mixed Bunch stamp set and Mixed Bunch Punch will be in the new catalog that comes out on June 1st, but I have no idea and we won't know until then. If you love it or any of the other great items in our Mini, don't let them go without getting your favorites.

You can shop in my ONLINE STORE 24-7, you don't even have to get dressed up to do your shopping. :) Bonus!

Well, that's all I have for today. I hope you liked it and I hope this post hasn't ruined the surprise for it's recipient! :)

If you liked today's card, please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you! Also, feel free to +1 it or Pin it. I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcomed too.

I hope to see you back here tomorrow.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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Mixed Bunch Thank-You / Monday Mojo Challenge #237/ Personal Challenge #17

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Hey y'all. Happy Tuesday or should I say Tax Day. I hope you have your taxes in and everything works out positively for you. Mine are done and in fact the money's all spent except a little that I'm going to pay for my airfare to Convention with. I was lucky enough to get some new stamping supplies and to pay for my convention registration as well as a few other niceties. :)

Today's card uses some of my new refund purchases. That alone makes me smile, although I think the card's kind of cute too. I used the sketch over at Mojo Monday's for inspiration and that takes care of my personal challenge for the week as well.

Here's today's card-

Mixed Bunch Thank-You Card, Summer Smooches DSP

I think the colors are so bright and cheery and I'm just loving this stamp set and punch. I really hope they make it into the new catalog. I was inspired color-wise by a card I made this weekend at our team meeting (Thanks Robin!)

Here's the Mojo Monday Sketch-

I kept pretty true to the sketch. I simply turned it on it's side and re-positioned the flag.

I started with a base of Daffodil Delight and layered a piece of DSP from the new Summer Smooches collection. How much are you loving that collection? I love it all and that's rare for me, but all the pages are just fabulous. It may be the first pack that I have to fully replace. :)

I inked up my two of my Mixed Bunch stamps in Daffodil Delight to make the flowers. I used my Mixed Bunch Punch to punch them both out and then punched out two more from DD c/s to layer them. I used my bone folder to curl the petals and a little Tombow to adhere them together. Next a few dimensionals to lift them up off of my Whisper White c/s layer.

I love the look of the upper layer of c/s being punched out to show the DSP beneath it. I know it seems like it's everywhere, but it's the first time I've used it and I think it just adds a little something to the card. (Plus it allowed me to get in all 4 circles!) I elevated the WW c/s layer with dimensionals as well to give it more of a 3-D effect. I used my left over corner pieces for this. You use those right? They work great for all sorts of projects and save you money (You know I'm all about the saving money!). Make sure you don't throw them away.

I used another punched flower to make the leaves. I used a little Tombow to stick them up under the edges of my flowers.  I stamped my sentiment from 3 Little Words on a scrap of WW c/s, flagged the end and sponged the edges and then used more Tombow to secure it. Three Little Words is on the retired list that just came out on Sunday. You can check out my website to see all the stamps that are leaving to make room for some Amazing New Ones!

The flag is the only spot on the front of the card that got sponged. This is a departure from most of my cards. Normally if you sponge one element you should sponge them all, but I sponged this layer just to give them impression of another layer instead of adding one. I think it still looks ok. .What do you think?

Here's the inside-

I kept it soooo simple here. The sentiment is from Many Thanks. It's on the retired list so if it's one you been meaning to get don't wait too long. It will be gone May 31. It's been around for quite a while, in fact I got it when I signed up the first time almost 7 years ago. I added a little sponging to the edges of my WW layer here for some added depth and my card was finished.

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked today's card and I hope it inspires you to try something new today, maybe a challenge or a new design element.

If you liked today's card, please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you! Feel free to +1 or Pin it as well. I've put the buttons on my sidebar for your convenience.  Friends and Followers are always welcome too. :)

You can stop by my ONLINE STORE to see our Retired List and to get any supplies you might need.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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MDS Monday- A First for Me- Color Challenge Card #2

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Hey y'all. Just wanted to post my second card for today's MDS Monday Challenge over at the Utah Diva's International site.

Here's card #2-

MDS Monday Color Challenge

The challenge was to use Always Artichoke, Basic Black and Pear Pizzazz. I used the same Baroque stamp set as my first card.

I used a different brad and an additional floral image from the set as well as one of the sentiments. This set is retiring from our regular catalog so if you like the set, don't wait too long to pick it up. After May 31 it'll be gone.

What do you think about this card? I'm not sure about all the black. It's not a color I use often, or at least not this much of it. The more I look at it though, the more it's growing on me.

If you liked today's card, please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you. You can also +1 or Pin it. I've put buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and followers are also welcome. :)

I hope you'll come back soon to see what else I've been coming up with for you.

Till next time- 

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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MDS Monday- A First For Me-Color Challenge

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Hey y'all. Happy Monday! I hope you had an Amazing weekend!

It's Monday, so you know what that means... another MDS creation. I try to play along over with the Utah Diva's International site and their MDS Monday Challenges. It's usually a theme challenge but this week it's a Color Challenge. I've never done one of these before, so I decided I would give it a try. I'm not too sure about the results. I actually did two separate cards. I'm hoping you'll let me know what you think.

Here's today's first card-

MDS Color Challenge Card

The challenge was to use Always Artichoke, Basic Black and Pear Pizzazz. To be honest I didn't know how I was going to incorporate the Pear Pizzazz so I added one of the floral images from the Baroque stamp set and added a Vintage Brad to the center. I love how you can change the sizes of the elements to fit your needs. I made the brad small enough to fit in the center of the floral image and still allow the details to show. :)

Here's the inside-

I used the flourish from the Baroque set to create a focal point on the inside. I didn't add a sentiment so there was plenty of room for a message. I love that I can change the opacity to mimic stamping off.

That's all for this card. I hope you'll let me know what you think. I love hearing from you. I hope it inspires you to try something new today, whether it's a challenge or new cards style or just to play around with MDS and see what you can create.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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Faux Tile - Sympathy Card / End of the Week Technique # 28

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! I hope you're having a great end of the week. I know I am and that I'm looking forward to this weekend! It's been a looooong week!

I have an all new End of the Week Technique for you today. It's #28. I can hardly believe I'm on #28 already, WOW!

This week's technique is Faux Tile. I did this card a few weeks back and now it seems like I'm seeing this type of card everywhere. We even did one last night at the stampcamp @ the firehouse. :) It's Super Quick and Easy and you can do it a couple of different ways.

Here's today's card-

Faux Tile card with Fresh Vintage & Petite Pairs stamp sets

I used Riding Hood Red for my base and then did my technique on a piece of Whisper White c/s.

Here's what you're going to need- A scoring tool, (I used my Simply Scored Tool with it's Diagonal Score Plate. I love both of these tools!) and a stamp set, solid images work best.

1- Decide how large you want your "tiles" to be - This is totally up to you. I think these were about 1 3/4". The card we made last night was 1". For ease of instructions we'll go with 1".

2- Score every 1" and then turn your card 1/4 turn and score again using the same measurement.

3- Decide which side of your card you want to show. I used the de-bossed side because I wanted the appearance of "grout-lines" just like a real section of tile. The other side creates a beautiful focal point as well. I'll post one of those cards soon too.

4- Next stamp your image and embellish as you desire. I used 3 of the stamps from the Fresh Vintage collection. I hope you were able to get this set during Sale-A-Bration. It' s so pretty!

5- I didn't do it on this card, but I have since seen cards where they shaded either side of the "grout-lines" for shadowing and dimension. I really like that look as well, but I have to say I really like the clean look of this sample too.

6- Sit back and enjoy how pretty your card is and think about the smile it will bring to it's recipients face. See I told you- Super Quick and Easy. The hardest part is deciding on your color scheme and stamp set.

I sponged the edges of my card with Riding Hood Red Classic Ink and knotted a length of ribbon, in the same color, around the Whisper White piece. For my sentiment I used one of the Petite Pairs sentiments on a piece of Whisper White c/s that I punched out with my Large Oval Punch, and mounted it on a piece of Riding Hood Red c/s punched with my Scalloped Oval Punch. This was mounted over my ribbon with two Stampin Dimensionals. I finished the front of my card with some tiny pearls as an accent and then mounted it to my card base with some dimensionals.

Here's the inside-

I kept it simple here- the rest of the sentiment from the front and 2 of the floral elements from the front all stamped in Riding Hood Red. I stamped off once with the larger stamped image to add some visual interest. A little sponging around the edges and my card was done.

I don't know about you, but I find sympathy cards hard to come up with. I didn't plan on this being a sympathy card, but once I was done I just felt like the card was soothing and so pretty but not "frou-frou" and I thought it might work well for that. What do you think? Are they difficult cards for you as well?

Well, that's all I have for you today. I hope you liked it and I hope it inspires you to try something new today. As always I would love to see what you create with this technique.

If you liked today's card, please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you. Also, feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've placed buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and followers are always welcome too. :)

I hope you to see you right back here next week. I wish you an Amazing weekend filled with Family, Friends and plenty of creative time.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,

Shan

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A Little Smooch, A Challenge, and A Lot of Love - Monday Makeover Challenge/Personal Challenge #16

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday! Hope you all are having a great week. Sorry I missed yesterday, but my daughter's not feeling well and I didn't get home from the hospital until 4:30 am so I slept most of the day. Lol! That's what happens when you're up for 23 hours straight!

Well, for today's card I have a challenge card for you. Now that my buddy Jason's back in Yuma, it's time for me to resume my Personal Challenge cards. For those of you that are new here, I challenged myself at the beginning of the year to do a challenge a week as a way to stretch my creative boundaries. I have to say it's been a lot of fun! I did a few in advance for when he was here, but now it's back to a regular schedule.

This week's card is for Paper-Crafters Library's Monday Makeover Challenge. It's a work from your stash challenge to do your take on a previously done card from their archives.

Here's my challenge card-

Flip-Up card with Summer Smooches DSP and Flowers

When I saw the sketch I knew just what I wanted to do. Love when that happens! Do you just love that DSP? I do! It's only available as a preview this month. After that you'll have to wait until June to get your hands on it. I turned my card on the side from the original card, added the central panel of DSP and added a pull-tab instead of the ribbon. The other change is I made it a flip-card instead of a regular style card.

Here's the challenge inspiration card-

My biggest inspiration for this card is my daughter J. She's going through a rough time right now and I wanted to make something for her that was bright and cheerful and would remind her just how much I love her, unconditionally.

I started with a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 base piece of Whisper White c/s. When I saw the inspiration piece, the folded ribbons on the edge reminded me of a pull tab and I thought "Why not have the center section lift up to reveal a message hidden underneath?" So that's what I set out to create. This was the first time I've tried something like this and to be honest, I don't think I've seen any others out there like it. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but I have to say it works Great!

I used a much smaller piece of DSP than in the inspiration piece and I used it to anchor my focal piece. I used a 3/4" piece of DSP from our Summer Smooches Collection to go across the top. I then took my central piece of DSP from the same and using my Simply Scored Tool I scored it at 3/4", then reinforced that with my bone folder to make the fold crisp. Then I was able to lay it over my anchor piece and it created a flap. I checked it and guess what? It worked!!!! You know what I did then right? Yep- *Happy Dance*

Next came the flowers. Since I didn't plan on putting my sentiment on the center panel, that left more room for flowers. I decided to make 4 and to layer them with all the bright, fun colors in the DSP. I didn't have the die to make the flowers Andrea used so I followed the challenge and worked from my stash. The two smaller flowers are from my BoHo Blossoms Punch, the reminded me of her smaller flower. They were the easiest. I just had to choose the colors I wanted.

For the upper flower I used my Fancy Flower Punch and stamped out 3 different flowers. Then for those of you that know me, I did something very out of the box... I misted the flowers and then crumpled them up. I know shocker right! (Boy the Scaredy Cat in me was working overtime on this card!) I wanted something a little unexpected and for my daughter to see I was trying something that was hard for me, since she's trying something hard right now too. Not nearly the same, but she'll appreciate the symbolism. I rotated the layers so you cold see all the colors and then used Tombow to hold all the layers together. For the bottom flower, I used my Scalloped Circle Punches and instead of crumpling them I used my paper-snips to make individual petals. I used more Tombow to hold the layers together here too (and all the small flowers as well). Instead of brads or jewels for the center I chose to use colored buttons. These are from Stampin Up's Brights collection. J had just been looking at them on Monday night and had told me how much she liked them. I thought they would be the perfect addition to her flowers. :) I adhered them with Mini-Glue Dots and then adhered all the flowers with dimensionals for a little added touch.

Since the ribbons reminded me of a pull tab, that just what I added to the bottom. I used my Rounded Label Punch to create one. Since it's double sided it also eliminated the need to cover up any raw edges on the inside of the card. Score! I then added the sentiment from Teen Tiny Wishes, secured it with more Tombow and the front of my card was done.

Now you know how I like the inside of my cards to have a little something extra besides just the sentiment, since there was no inside, just the space under the flap, that's where it went. I was limited in space, but had just enough room to put the image and sentiment I wanted.

Here's the inside-

I used two stamps from the Sprinkled Expressions set I got for free during Sale-A-Bration. It's not available anymore, so I hope you were able to get your set. It had just the right sentiment. Sometimes we forget to tell those people that are important to us, that we love them just the way they are. I guess we just assume they know how we feel. I added a little bling with my Two-Way Glue Pen and some Dazzling Diamonds and my card was done.

I don't know about you, but I often wonder how many attempts it takes other crafters to get their projects just right and ready to show. I was so excited that this only took one attempt! Especially since it was a new concept for me.

Want to know a secret? I went upstairs, took my pictures and then sat down to write my note to my daughter. I knew it was going to have to be short, so I made it short and sweet and then closed my flap...
I'm sure you can guess what came next. Yep! you could totally see my note at the bottom of the flap. SMH. Back to the drawing board! It was already after 11 at this point, but I went back down to the craft room and set about fixing it. Since my flap was secured to the bottom piece and I wasn't about to re-do the whole card I cut a new base piece to fit just below my DSP piece. I re-stamped the image and the sentiment and secured it over the original base piece and if you didn't know about the boo-boo you probably wouldn't even notice it.

Well, that's my card for today. I hope it inspires you to try something new today, whether it's a new card style like this one or a challenge.

I hope you liked today's card, but I really hope my daughter likes it. I hope you'll take the time today to remind someone you love, just how special they are to you, "just the way they are".

If you liked today's card, please feel free to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you. You can also +1 or Pin it. I've put buttons on my sidebar for your convenience. Friends and followers are also welcome. :)

I hope you'll come back tomorrow for my End of the Week Technique. It's one I haven't tried before.

Till next time-

Remember- Life isn't about Waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to Dance in the rain.

Be Safe,
Shan

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