Today's post is a big WOOT-WOOT to my friend and fellow PAL, Brian King! If you know Brian…you will know what I mean…he is larger than life…totally fun…totally a work horse….and totally a special person and I feel very lucky and blessed to have him as a friend…(and another HUGE thing is….one talented stamper!!!)
Brian earn a milestone in the Stampin' Up! ladder, becoming a Manager! He is sooo deserving of everything that comes his way! When I learned this…I instantly thought of a card that I wanted to make for him and it was a card made by another PAL that I was able to swap with at Leadership!
Today's card was an inspiration from fellow PAL, Margaret Moody, and when I saw this ….I was wowed as I never gave this stamp set a thought as I could not imagine what to do with the little "states"! WOWZERS…isn't this the cutest card!!! Margaret gave us this card at the PALS swap in Houston…..too darn cute!
Stampin' Up! unveiled several Photopolymer Stamps and they are WONDERFUL! I will admit, when I first saw them and bought the first stamp set, I was less than wowed but then they kept improving them and when the Another Thank You Set came out…I WAS SOLD!
At Leadership, they announce that Stampin' Up! will be producing them "in house" starting this year so look for LOTS more to come….I say woot-woot! Why do I like them so much…..??? They stamp beautifully, perfect placement EVERYTIME…..and great coverage!
This year as they produce them in house, they will come to us in a case…another woot-woot!
Let's get to this FUN card for Brian…(and let's see if he pops on my blog today)!!!!!
What is this all about? Well this MAP and HIGHLIGHTS are all the states that Brian has downline in to help him reach this growth in the Stampin' Up! ladder! Brian's upline is Pam Morris,and she is nothing less than a TON OF FUN!
Last year when I went to Leadership Pam was soooo sweet to me! I was clearly the "new kid on the block" with the group and Pam was always so incredibly kind to me and always….always made me laugh! I had no idea what a "swap" was…and I had soooo much fun running around with Pam with my jaw down swapping cards!!!! (She gave me a handful of cards to swap)
This stamp set is the Map It Out Photopolymer Stamp Set…..again, I first thought it was dorky but when I saw what Margaret did with it….I thought – HOW CUTE…. then I thought….you could put the state to whomever you were sending a card to….or how fun would it be mapping out a trip……of your travels!!!!
I emailed Pam and asked her if she would send to me the states of the downline that Brian has….and mission accomplished – she came through…..11 states in total but knowing him – it is probably more by now!
Brian always adds a freshness and uplifting spirit when you are with him….and even if he is on a conference call – you know that "Brian is in the house"!!! When we were at Leadersip together last month we had a great time together…he is one of the funniest guys I've met!
This is a super simple card…..just let the magic of the stamp set itself do the magic! Just think of how many cards this would reach to…..I adore how Margaret used it when we received it at leadership….but here is another idea…..I am going to make it and highlight the states that my kids live in and the use the sentiment of "I Miss You"…..
The Whisper White is 4 1/4" X 3 1/2" and the I used the Owl Punch to POP out the states!!!! Matting this "map" just a "smidge" larger (4 3/8" X 3 5/8") was all that was needed!
Using the same size for the Crumb Cake, I just tilted it…and it works – can you say EASY!!!! The key to this card is the Stampin' Dimensionals! I cut them into 4's for the states…Around the edge of the white piece, a quick stitch-dot-stitch-dot in Crumb Cake creates a fun border!
I had to think of a sentiment for Brian, and BRAVO is PERFECT! This simple yet effective sentiment comes from the A Dozen Thoughts Stamp Set! It is a "keeper" stamp set…..a little something for everyone and for many occasions!
Just a quick stamp on scraps….and then a simple trim and then matted in crumb cake….DONE! This is a quick and simple trick when you "don't know where to go"…works every-time!
I was trying to think of the genealogy of Brian and I……I think we are 1st cousins….once removed!!! (ha-ha!!!) Pam is his upline….and Mary Fish is Pam's Upline…and Mary is my Upline…..so that's how we are ALL related but the best thing is …..we have each other!
WOOT-WOOT to you Brian and it is a pleasure and joy to watch you grow and better yet…a friend!
HAPPY SUPERBOWL to everyone and to let you know….Stanley, my daughters horse is happy and settled in…YEAH….. and it looks like the East Coast is getting ready for more bad weather……..YUCK!!!!
Have a great SUPERBOWL SUNDAY and until tomorrow!
Great card, Susan, I like that stamp set and can think of several was to use it, guess I’ll have to add it to my list, LOL
Glad Stanley is all settled in and says warm.
This is a terrific card for Brian. You planed it and it came out great. I am sure Brian will love it too. What a great idea to use the owl punch for the little state stamps. They must come in handy. Have a great Superbowl Day to! I am totally looking forward to the game! Are you a fan of football? 🙂
Susan, I could write tons about my buddy Brian . Love him and I am one of the “family” . I am in N.C. and a “Hobby” gal . He is so so deserving of this promotion !! Yay Brian !
Now …glad Stanley is content and WOW…how did I miss this great stamp set ? It is just great for me to use for my swap card group . They are all over the country .
BTW …you aren`t too shabby on card making yourself ! I love stopping in every morning to see what you have for us !
And one more time …YAY BRIAN!
Brian is definitely in the house! Love this card (as well as Margaret’s). So thoughtful and clever!
Great card. Like how you layered the card and the colors you used. Thanks for sharing and have a great day.
What a fun and personal card. How great! And how clever to discover the owl punch has the right sized circles for the states.
Bravo for you and the card too! This is so much fun and I am sure he will love it! I will have to pop back later to see his comment! When I saw this set I could only think of a couple of ideas. One was highlighting your state and mine and saying “Wishing you smiles across the miles!” and then just a “Wishing you a happy birthday (or thank you) across the miles as an everyday type card. I loved how you layered it with the tilt of the crumb cake layer! This would be a fun swap card as you could highlight your state and put “Swapping smiles across the miles!” or something like that. I gotta work on what goes with states or country before I totally wear out the smiles and miles part! Great card for Brian!
I love your card. It is very special. But told me or are you you obtained this stamp kit? Thank you and again congratulations!
I love the card! That stamp set is high on my list of “wants!” Very cool and special what you’ve done for Brian! I like his blog, but I am unable to comment on it (some kind of technical difficulty).
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
What a great accolade for Brian! He is one of my favorite bloggers. You are no slouch when is comes to creating, Susan! I like (love) your blog as well. I have this stamp set and it will be high on my “to use” list to send cards to my relatives all over the country. Thank you so much for sharing Margaret’s and your cards. (She is a pretty good card maker and blogger too!) Have a great day and give the horse a hug from me. Nancy B
“BRIAN KING IS IN THE HOUSE!!! Woo hoo!” Well, that’s what you expect me to say, right? Thank you so much, Susan. This is not only a super-cute card, but it’s an amazing gesture – I appreciate it more than you know. This whole “cousins removed” bit is a bunch of garbage. We are much closer than that. Pam is my Mom, and Mary is my Grandma (Mary actually insists that I call her “Grandma Mary” – it’s weird!) You and Pam have the same Mom, which makes the two of you Sisters. That makes you my Auntie Susie. I’ll have to pull out my Amazing Family stamp set and whip up a little something for you. 🙂 Adoring you!
So cute! What a great way to use this stamp set and what a thoughtful gesture to celebrate Brian’s accomplishment. I may be looking at this set differently now! Thanks for sharing at Fab Friday!
Yay! One of my favorite bloggers joining in our Color Challenge! I love your card for Brian and I really love the stamps you have used. I think I might be convinced into buying this set (besides my class is starting a tour of the usa soon and this would be perfect). I really love how you popped up all of the states. Thanks so much for joining us at Fab Friday!
Such a cute idea…and now I want this stamp set.
What a perfect card!!! Thank you for all the wonderful compliments! I see that Brian loves it too. You are so talented Susan and I can’t wait to see you again….hopefully soon!
Very cute! I need to use this set more! I love what you did with it and your layering! I have a problem layering this one. Thanks for the idea and thanks for playing at Fab Friday!
Love what you’ve done with this stamp set! And thanks for the tip with the owl builder punch! I think I’ll finally use those little dots more now, lol!
Very cute card!! Love the layering ideas!! And I love the “stitched” border!! Thank you for joining us at Fab Friday!!!