I MISS YOU

Those three words pretty much sum up 2020 for me. We've been blessed to be retired and debt free so, unlike so many people, we don't have to worry about how to pay for a roof over our heads or keep the lights on. And we like staying home most of the time, so the whole "stay home" thing wasn't much of an issue.

The hardest part for me has been not getting to visit with friends when I want, and missing my monthly stamp club ladies terribly! That has been weighing on me more and more, and I'm hopeful that next year, probably by the middle of the year, that will change and we can socialize again. This is a card I sent to my local stamping buddy. We'd get together at least twice a month, once at her house, and once at mine with the stamp club meeting. I do miss that A LOT. So this greeting from Art Gallery (coming next week!) says it all.....

I colored some of the Love You Always Specialty DSP (also coming next week!) with Stampin' Blends to make some of the flowers and leaves pop. And that gorgeous die cut & embossed butterfly is part of the Fluttering Dies (Floating & Fluttering pg 61 of J-J Mini). It's Blushing Bride, sponged w/Rococo Rose and with Wink of Stella shimmer added.

Sorry, I forgot to note the measurements of the card before I popped it in the mail!

New Year, New Changes (For the Better!)

Here we are, quickly coming up on a brand new year! May I just say right now how glad I am to usher 2020 OUT and 2021 IN? This past year has been one crazy, wild ride so let's hope the new one will be a lot calmer, and things get back to something resembling normal. I just wanna get together with my friends and stamp ... and HUG people ... I miss hugs!

That being said, I have decided to change things up a bit and try to stick (somewhat) to a schedule, so you will know when there is something new to inspire you! That doesn't mean I won't be posting other things on here, but these are things you can count on:

• I'll be continuing the Create With Connie & Mary Saturday Blog Hop, so every Saturday there will be something new.
• I'll also be continuing the Stamp Review Crew hops on the first and third Mondays of each month (with a bonus hop on any fifth Monday). Look for two EXTRA bonus hops during Sale-a-Bration!
  
• And, of course, I'll be getting freaky on the 20th of each month with the Control Freaks Tour de Freaks.
  

Plus, I will be adding more scheduled content, as follows:

• Tutorial Tuesday - every Tuesday I'll post a card with the tutorial to make it.
  
• First Friday Fun Folds - the first Friday of each month will feature a fancy fold with instructions.
• Second Saturday Step Up - the second Saturday of every month will feature three cards from simple to lavish (for the beginner stamper, casual stamper, and avid stamper).
• Sunday Stamp Sets of the Week - Every Sunday announcing which stamp set will be the focus for the following week. That doesn't mean I won't use others, just that I will try to feature several ideas for the SSSOTW.
  

Some days will have more than one post when schedules overlap, so be sure to sign up with the Follow by Email on the right, or click the Followers Follow button (bottom right), so you'll be notified when there is something new!

So, whew, am I going to be busy, but I really hope to get your creativity fired up! There are so many occasions for sending cards, and now more than ever it's vitally important to reach out and "virtually" touch someone. After all, a card is just a hug with a fold in the middle!

Also, if you shop with me, please, please, PLEASE be sure to use the current host code on the upper right, if your merchandise total is under $150, so I can send you a thank you gift the following month! If your total is $150 or more, don't use the code - you'll get the Stampin' Rewards from Stampin' Up! and still get the thank you gift from me!

This card uses the retired stamp sets Sip Sip Hooray and Cheers to That. I just added it to get your attention. 😁 

Approaching Perfection

 

 

One of the 2021 Sale-a-Bration stamp sets coming in January, called Approaching Perfection, is specifically for birthdays and I just LOVE it! Especially since I have those 40 cards to make, LOL.

 

I paired it with some True Love DSP (coming in the Jan-Jun Mini) that I colored with Stampin' Blends and fussy-cut. Here is a sample of the sheet it came from:

 

 

There are six black & white floral patterns on one side of the DSP, and six black & white polka-dot, stripe, or geometric patterns on the flip sides. SOOO pretty and versatile! This is part of the Love You Always Suite on pages 10-13 of the mini.

 

The Meadow Moments embossed background is Pearlescent Specialty Paper (part of the Sand & Sea Suite). In the catalog it's described as "white with pearlescent sheen" but it's actually closer to Very Vanilla, just so you know. I added some Matte Black Dots, also from the Love You Always collection. I love the stark contrast!

Product List

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Mango Melody Combo Pack Stampin' Blends

Mossy Meadow Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

Meadow Moments Embossing Folders

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Got my wish for a white Christmas! 💟

From our house to yours, we wish you a blessed Christmas, and a happy HEALTHY New Year!

Art Gallery Sneak Peek

Now that the Christmas cards are finished and in the mail, I can focus on the upcoming new 2021 Jan-Jun Mini Catalog and Sale-a-Bration, which starts in two weeks!!! It is also approaching February which is "birthday month" for my family, and my daughter is hitting a milestone birthday that month. So, like I did for her sweet husband last year, I am making a card for every year - yep, FORTY of them. 😱

This is one of them, using the new Art Gallery bundle. It was absolutely a treat how easy it was to make, and I can see doing lots of variations in the future. The flower and leaf/stem are die cuts, and the scalloped Soft Sea Foam Colored Velveteen behind the stem is, too. I don't know how I missed seeing the velveteen in the catalog the first hundred times through, but it's right there on page 153. It sure added a nice soft texture to the card!

If you are very observant, you'll notice that the Soft Sea Foam DSP doesn't look familiar. That's because it won't be available until the new ANNUAL catalog in May! Demos get to preorder before Jan. 5th, but it will be included in the Starter Kit for anyone who signs up during Sale-a-Bration! That's right, you'll get five packs of the new DSP for FREE in your kit - Subtles, Brights, Regals, Neutrals, and the 2020-2022 In Colors.

If you'd like to hear more about the benefits of joining my little stamping family, contact me. I'd love to chat, and promise just to answer your questions, no pressure!

Product List

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Soft Sea Foam 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Color Velveteen Paper Pack

Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad

Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin' Pad

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Sponge Daubers

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

Scripty 3D Embossing Folder

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

Stamp Review Crew - Snowflake Wishes

Welcome to the Stamp Review Crew's Snowflake Wishes edition! The "Crew" is made up of a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around the world who pick a stamp set or bundle to highlight on the first and third Mondays of each month, with a bonus hop if there is a fifth Monday. If you landed here from Mike's blog, Stampin-Style, welcome! Everybody is busy with last minute holiday preps, so there are only three of us today, which makes for a very quick hop!

Snowflake Wishes is a seventeen piece photopolymer set with the coordinating So Many Snowflakes Dies consisting of eight pieces. They will be carried over, but you won't be able to bundle and save 10% after January 4th!

I have three cards with non-traditional colors to share, so I'll start with the really non-traditional colors first. I used a sponge dauber to ink the snowflakes with Mango Melody and Flirty Flamingo, then cut a banner and added a smaller Mango Melody banner behind.

After stapling on the white ribbon, some Champagne Rhinestones were added. Then the whole thing was adhered to the stamped and Winter Snow-embossed background. Quick and easy, and would look great with other unusual color combos!

The next card is monochromatic Pretty Peacock. The snowflakes were heat embossed in white and Pretty Peacock ink was sponged around the edges before adhering it to a white mat and onto the card base.

Some Coastal Cabana Holiday Rhinestones were added to bling it up a bit. (Personally, I think those rhinestones look more like Pool Party, LOL.) Whatever you call them, they coordinate beautifully with Pretty Peacock.

The last card is another monochrome tone-on-tone, but this time it's Flirty Flamingo! After randomly stamping snowflakes in VersaMark ink, I used the largest snowflake die to cut the design then popped the front up on dimensionals on the card base.

A punched greeting, a few snowflakes from the Love You Always Foil Sheets (coming in two weeks!) and some rhinestones colored with a Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blend completed the card

That's my share for today, so jump on over to see what Jay at Mitosu Crafts has made!

** SO SPARKLY! **

This month the Freaks are so SPARKLY you're gonna need sunglasses to look at all the creations! There are eight of us today, and I'm number one on the list. Whether you started here with me or landed here from Debbie's blog, Debbie's Designs, welcome!  Be sure to follow the links at the bottom of each stop to visit all the Freaks.

I was excited when I saw this month's theme, being a girl who loves all things bling-y and shiny. My first thought was the Snowflake Wishes stamp set because it has the perfect greeting for this month's theme.

I'm really sad the Balmy Blue Glimmer paper is retiring, and we won't have ANY glittery paper anymore. *pout* 

I added some Rhinestones Basic Jewels to glam it up even more.

The inspiration for my next card came from scraps sitting on my messy desk. I liked the way the Basic Black looked through the negative of a die cut I had used for something else, so I thought, "Heyyy, this might look really striking with a silver snowflake cutout!"

Of course, it HAD to be a square card so everything balanced, teehee! I added some Holiday Rhinestones to match the Pool Party card base. I don't think it even needs a sentiment.

My only regret is my photography skills just don't do this thing justice. It is so much more stunning in real life!

 

That's all I have to share today - up next is Tami at Swimming in Stamps!