Happy HUMP Day…Happy 1st full day of Spring and Happy SNOW Day!

Hello and wherever you are….I hope that you are having a great day and that you are safe. The weather all across the map is just crazy and here on the East Coast…YEP – we are getting DUMPED with super heavy snow. Do you remember the days of the revolving back door when kids were little? I clearly do as the wash machine and hot chocolate were hopping then but for me now – I deal with a new type of revolving door.

Most dogs love to play in the snow and our troops….are in their glory today except for poor pathetic Rosie…she does not like it one bit and she is not a happy camper. She is the one that follows John wherever he goes and on Snow Days….she can only take about 30 minutes! Our snow is so deep that John did not go into the office and remember, he is an Accountant so that is tellin’ you that it is a mess as he is in the mountain of Tax Season!

I ask you….how can a dog be so ugly and also so cute?

(Just look at those snow balls stuck to her! One WET MOP!!!)

Today I have a card for you that I make every year. I have blogged about it before and it is a card that throughout the year that I get emails about with questions etc….It is one that ALWAYS is a huge hit and once people make it I see so many pictures of the fun they had with different colors and papers. It is one of those timeless and “happy cards” to brightens anyones day….and who doesn’t like “happy”!

Today will be another opportunity for you to guess what I would put in an Ultimate Bundle…we have been having fun with that and I hope that you put your thinking cap on and see what I would pick from the line up products at the end of the post. The threshold is $125 but I will tell you the number I hit was $124.50. The opportunity to get (2) FREE Stamp Sets of you choice with the Ultimate Bundle is quickly coming to a close on March 31st.

That is why the IS the best time to take advantage of it….and if you already have “just about everything” in the Stampin’ Up! line of products….no worries, stock up on staples that you use all of the time. Remember, ANY 2 stamps sets….and with that said….I would look at what you have been on the fence about, perhaps it was the price….so now you have nothing to working about as it is FREE…..(darn, that word is music to a shoppers ear) with no obligation to do one more thing!

Throughout the post I will share with you some hints that will make your guessing a bit easier for you and on Friday I will announce the winners…..I will give up to (3) fast fuse adhesives as I see that they are no longer available. The refills are still available! I admit, I am super sad about Stampin’ Up! retiring the fast fuse as it is the BEST and STRONGEST adhesive that we have but I do think that many had learning curve issues with how to work with it…..in the end, I am sure that Stampin’ Up! has something else up their sleeve to replace it. (there is a hint – FAST FUSE is not in my pick for Ultimate Bundle challenge today)

Ok….let’s get to this and I do hope that if you already have this stamp and punch….that you can find some “me time” and bring a little sunshine to someone with making this sweet card. The stamp set is Flower Shop…it has been around a long time and it is one that I will always keep along with the Pansy Punch that coordinates with it to make to cutting out a cinch….just line up and POP!

Here is another hint…this stamp set is NOT in my pick for the bundle challenge today. WHY?….easy – there are many, many other stamp sets that I have a much higher price point than $18.00 that I would chose as a FREEBIE…..after all, you could turn around and just pay $14.40 with your endless 20% discount! It’s like having a Bed, Bath & Beyond 20% off coupon every-time you order….but you do not need a coupon!

Let’s face it…nobody knows what stamps and products are going to be retired and once that list comes out….there always seems to be a huge scurry to make decisions as what to get…before the they are gone for good. As I have been blogging about lately….I have become very selective to what I have bought from the Occasions Catalog…as the reality is – we only can use so many stamps!

I have a HUGE AMOUNT of retired stamps set aside to sell and the ones that I chose to keep…are truly a small amount but this one will be kept as I love to make this card (and I never get tired of it)…I love the size of this flower….I love the various designs of the flower….and I LOVE that there is a punch. Stampin’ Up! has soooooooo many floral stamps…but being very non fru-fru….this one speaks to me.

I am a clean and simple gal and all of the elements of the “makings” of this card are the classics…..(which I am a HUGE believer in having the right tools/supplies……will end up with a fun creating process)….To me, you need to build up your “tools and staples” inventory as without these….stamps will just sit.

You can see below in the picture the framelits and punches that I used to make this sweet card. In your stash of MUST HAVE’s is the Layering dies ….today I used the Layering Circle Framelits and they ARE a staple. The flowers vase was cut from a circle and then I just snipped of the bottom. (hint…hint again). Layering paper on paper and shapes on shapes always will go far with creating!

As you can see that this is a square card…actually a 4 1/4″ square card. I adore this shape of a card and today you will see that I made my own custom envelopes with the Envelope Punch Board as that’s how I roll…the icing on the cake in my eyes and heart. I know that there are many that do not like to have to pay for extra postage (as all square cards are extra postage)…..so if you chose….you could put this in a White Envelope and it would be just a regular stamp…..

Here is another hint…..the envelope punch board is NOT in my pick for the bundle challenge. Of course I would always have that product….but what I am trying to show you is that there are MANY ways to fill that kit for $125 and only pay $99. I realize that there are many that simply would never want to play around with this tool…and that IS ok – we are all comfortable in many ways.

The other beauty of this card is…the sky is the limit for your color palette. I stuck to bright and bold colors today and I worked with the super fun Tutti Fruitti 6 X 6 DSP Stack. Don’t you just love the crispness of the colors and the variety of designs on the pansy’s? You can see that I POPPED out with the help of the 1/2″ circle punch the insides of the flowers and jazzed them up with some dots and dashes from a white gel pen and a quick go over with the wink of stella for some soft bling.

A product that I often forget about using are the embossing folders. You can see from that link that we have over 20 to choose from and they DO make such a difference. Just like picking the basics, the (2) that I am using today are keepers as they will never go out of style and then lend themselves to a broad span of cards that we make.

Sometimes I really feel like I am a “plain jane” but how do classics like stripes and polka dots ever let you down? I just know what works for me and figure out a way to use it over and over again.

There you go…..a SUPER SWEET card that would perk up anyones day! You know that I am a lover of sentiment sayings and this “friend” from the Lovely Words Framelits was fun to snip off and just let the word shine! I stacked it up to make it more of a statement and I used the Multipurpose Sheets (another great and overlooked aid we have) to adhere them together but if you just have the green glue….use that – a total staple to have!

We all know that there are many ways to do things. The key is to find the way that works and feels good to you. I love to share with you the ideas that I have with what most crafters would find useful! This IS how we learn…by sharing and giving feedback! Please feel free to leave some feedback about this card….I just adore it.

HEAD’S UP….to those smart stampers that placed a pre-order for the STAMPARATUS…..Keep an eye for a notification from Stampin’ Up! that yours is ready to finish the ordering process! You will receive an EMAIL from Stampin’ Up! I have no idea that you pre-ordered one or not…..but after you receive the email, you will have the opportunity to add to your cart.

If nothing else, I would add something small onto it so you could get a freebie from Sale-a-bration…….why not? You are going to love, love, LOVE this tool and for those of you that did not get in on the pre-order….no worries, you will be able to get it starting June 1st with the new catalog!

Have a great afternoon and have fun trying to guess what is in the ULTIMATE BUNDLE using the below items….again, the total was $124.50 that I picked! I will see you Friday with some Easter inspiration for you to do over the weekend….it is super fun – pull out the alcohol inks!