More Halloween....my favorite time!

I decided to try my hand at brayering and I was pleased with my first efforts. I think I can do better but the blending part wasn't as hard as I thought. I am a great admirer of Michelle Zindorf, the brayer queen, and if you like this technique be sure to visit her wonderful blog http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/07/. This is fun and there are so many things you can do with it. I used glossy cardstock and for these I brayered on Summer Sun, Really Rust, Adirondack Rust for the sky and the ground is Certainly Celery, Old Olive and Always Artichoke and black ink for the stamping. Except for the Happy Halloween sentiment, the images are from Home Is Where the Haunt Is from last year's fall catalogue. I hear the new Halloween images are something else. Can you tell I'm anxious???? Have a great evening.

Elegant Halloween

I like this a lot but it may not be everyone's taste. Plain Kraft cardstock with MS ribbon, again from last year, paired with a simple elegant image Inkadinkadoo's new line. This is a 5" square format and the image was embossed with detail black EP. Don't forget, any of the images on my blog, you can click on the picture to see it up really close. Try it, you'll like it! Have a great evening.

Cuttlebugged!!!

I've been glued to SCS looking at all the new spoilers and sneak peeks from the new Stampin' Up! catalogue. Can't wait to get my hot little hands on one. Soon I hope. Anyway, here's a sweet little fall card made with one of the new Cuttlebug embossing folders, some MS ribbon from last year, and one of those fancy flowers made with the five petal and Boho Blossoms punch. I wanted to color just the bird black but was not very successful. Thanks for stopping by.

NEW SU CATTY UNVEILED TODAY!

The new Fall and Winter SU catty was unveiled at convention today. Halloween and Christmas stamps look wonderful as do all the new sets and all PRE CUT! Great hostess sets, wonderful plaid and vintage looking DP and quite a few new punches. Stay tuned.....................

A Two Box Weekend

Here's one more of these little purse boxes that holds eight cards. If you don't add much embellishment to your card or pop them up very high, this box could easily hold a dozen cards. Love the Berry Bliss and Chocolate Chip paper and the True Friends stamp set. A winning combination.

Purse Box and Cards

Here's a little purse type box with 8 cards, two of each of four designs. This was originally posted as Au Chocolate Box but right now I cannot find the original author. If I can locate the link, I'll post it. This was a very easy box to make and the cards are simple too. This could be done with all thank you, all birthday, all get well cards, etc......whatever you like. Everything used was Stampin' Up! except the ribbons.

Pond Lillies

My daughter has a wonderful digital camera and takes the best photos. These are from my pond and really need no further comment from me! Thanks Kathy!

One Final Box--I Promise!!!

I had to do this box. This is the time of the year I like to start on Halloween projects, both paper and sewing. I had this great vintage paper my daughter bought me last year. I distressed the edges of the box with Tim Holt Vintage Photo ink and also used it on the cards and tags. The tags are a Sizzix ghost and I used old Halloween post card images on the large cards. Also used those fun flowers for the love notes and front of the box. Hope you have enjoyed seeing all these boxes. I'll probably make more because they're so much fun but I'll spare you the pictures!! I promise!

Take Joy in Today

It's a cool beautiful morning here in Maryland. Temps are lower and the sun is shining. The kind of day that really energizes you. I wanted to use the set I showed you made up into a card. Take Joy is just the sweetest little stamp set. I can see myself using this quite a lot.....for friendship cards, birthdays, cheer up type cards, etc. Check out Stamping Studio for more wonderful ideas. Their stamps are deeply etched red rubber, ALREADY TRIMMED, and mounted on foam, ready to use. What more can you ask? Enjoy your day and.....take joy!

Thank You! Thank You!

And here is a package of blog candy that came today that I won from Suzanne. A beautiful pad of Basic Grey Blush paper and two stamps from the Stamping Studio. One is called Fancy Stitches and the other is Take Joy! Gonna have fun with these! Thanks ladies!

Here's a great handmade thank you card from Cathy who won my blog candy two weeks ago telling me it had arrived. Hope you are having fun Cathy!

Fun Flowers

Are these not the most fun flowers you've seen in awhile! Had a blast making these and there's so much you can do with them. They use the Five Petal Punch and the Boho Blossom Punch and I used a brad in the center after punching a hole with the Crop A Dile. I will hunt down the directions for you and post them shortly! You could glitter them, emboss, use flocking or flocked paper. How about a bag of these as a little gift done in Christmas colors for a special someone to use for gift tags! Too cool!

http://mjalbright.wordpress.com/2008/01/19/another-scallop-tutorial/ This is one version but not the one I was looking for but you get the idea.

http://stampinscott.typepad.com/myweblog/boho-card-10petal-flower-.html And this is the one I used myself.

Please try this....it's so much fun and they have so many uses. Use up your scraps and make them and put aside for scrapbook pages and cards.

Box Mania!!!

These boxes (9 of them) were all done for a neighbor who ordered them for gifts for friends. They were a lot of fun and I hope the recipients are impressed. Now on to something else! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

I think this is Cosmo Cricket paper, primas on the front, used the five petal punch, primas and buttons for the cards and So Many Scallops to make a scalloped shape tag just for something different.

This is one of my favorites. It has an almost suede or leather look to the paper. Don't recall where I purchaed any of this paper but it's beautiful. Very vintage looking.

This is a very elegant set using SU Designer paper with pale grey cardstock and black and white for accents.

Not Another Box---Oh No!!!!

Here's another fall colored box. I did a two tone box and lid and coordinating SU Fall Flowers Paper. I like the rich greens and pumpkin shade in this paper. This time I made my own tags with a Sizzix punch and thanks to Mel, my own love note sized envelopes from the directions on her blog. Keep the cards and tags simple so it doesn't take you forever on this. The more you do the faster it goes! I guarantee it!

Eeek--one more box!!!

Okay here's the latest box I did lat evening. I am getting faster with these and learning little tips to make them go quickly. I love the colors with this one, kind of a periwinkle blue and lavender. I was out of Love Notes so I just made my own and the envelopes too. Please try one of these as they are so much fun and make the most wonderful gift for someone.....or treat yourself to one! There's a novel idea! It's a beautiful day here but another scorcher. Thanks for stopping by! And thanks to those who leave comments. I read everyone and they really make my day!

Yet Another Stationery Box

Are you tired of seeing these? Well I got an order for several yesterday from a neighbor so I have been a busy bee today starting on more of them. I used Rose Red SU cardstock, a green 12 x 12 cardstock I picked up somewhere and K&Co. designer paper. The stamp set featured is SU Baroque Motifs. Don't you love this set---so versatile! The link for the directions for these in case you missed it first time around is : http://jackietopa.typepad.com/Stationary.pdf. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by!

105 Days To Halloween

Here's the Halloween card I was working on the other day. I cased it from Faith Hofrichter from last year on her blog. I apologize for the shadow cast by the window grill as I photographed this. It's nice and clear but the shadows got in the way! I used the Autumn Apparitions and Lovely As A Tree set for the stamps, SU cardstock and ribbons, some non-SU ribbon and DP. Hope you like it. Have a safe and happy weekend. Hope it's cool where you are....we've had 2 days over 100 degrees! Too much for me.

Better Late Than Never

Seems I'm always on the tail end of trends.....ever feel like that. I just now got Bloomin' Beautiful in my last SU order but buy am I glad I did. I love this set. The images are so much fun to color. The turquoise one was water colored using my inks and done to match a scrap of paper I had. I try to use them up!!! The other of the single blossom was colored the same way on SU watercolor paper. It's such an elegant looking blossom. The plaid paper is Two Scoops by Basic Grey and the other print I'm not sure about. They are mounted on SU cardstock Ruby Red.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Made four of these today using the Big Bold Birthday set by SU. I am going to work in multiples for awhile as I am thinking in the back of my head of doing a craft show at our church in the fall. If I change my mind at least I will have lots of cards to use. The sentiment was a bugger to get right with that word window. Thank heaven for the Stamp a Ma Jig. I cased this card from GwennieJo on SCS. Thanks for the inspiration. Also have an itch to do some Halloween cards.....keep watching!

Fresh Cuts and Square Nestabilities

I love the square Nestabilities, the best of the sets I have so far. I have the Classic Rectangles, Circles and now the Squares. They just give such a nice effect. This time I tried some coloring with sponge daubers using fall colors of SU ink. I used Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss, Old Olive, So Saffron, and Really Rust. And if I ever run out of this Mike's ribbon, I'll be in a heap of hurt. I just love it. I think the Fresh Cuts set is one of the most versatile that will be in th new catalogue. Only a few more weeks!

Fresh Cuts---Cased!

Cased this card from dakotastamper on SCS. I changed the colors slightly. I used Not Quite Navy and So Saffron and a different ribbon. I am not happy with the picture as the colors are not good at all. Other than that it's basically the same. I just got the Fresh Cuts stamps set and the square Nestabilities so I had to try them out.

The Mid Summer Garden

Hydrangeas by the side gate. I pick these and keep a vase full of them on the deck for as long as they bloom.

One of my favaorite bedding plants: blue ageratum. Goes from early spring until frost and stays compact and bushy. Comes in white and pink too. I have it edging 3 beds.

Coreopsis "Moonbeam"

Another day lilly. The color in this picture is not good at all. They are a dark peach with wine colored centers. Beauties!

Lavender petunias. They got a slow start, thanks to the rabbits but they're taking off now.