Good Monday to you!

As you have noticed…I have been “unplugged” but I am here with you today! As we all know, life is life (one of my favorite sayings) and I have been needed in many directions over the past week with family, friends and Easter! I have skimmed through emails and many thanks for the emails of concern and….my Dad is fine.

Last week was a week of Doctors appointments but he is doing great….I think that I get my “keep going” attitude from him! We have all heard the saying, “one day at a time”….well – I take that one to heart and truly I have had to look at each day what I could get done and also what I needed to just say…..“not today”.

The great news is…..I have a SUPER card for you today filled with lots of pictures and YEP.…dimensions for you as this is one great layout and it is also a super-de-duper way to USE UP THAT DSP that we have stashed as you know…….right around the corner – the NEW Catalog will come out and you know what that means…..NEW DSP for us to once again purchase to feed our paper addiction!

The star stamp set of this card is Vertical Greetings…a super stamp set from the Annual Catalog! This one is a stamp that many of you have as I think when it made its debut is was so darn different for Stampin’ Up! that we all had to snatch it up! I love the uniqueness of the sentiments being vertical but the other thing I love…the price – super affordable at just $19.00

The magic of this card uses just 3 colors…..the classic Black and White combo that we all adore and then the POP is Pear Pizzazz! Truth be told I was going to use Lemon Lime Twist but I thought that Chris R. would not think of that being a fitting way to add love to this clean and classic card….and so it was the Pear Pizzazz….the color that Sonny P loves! You see….I do listen to your likes and also dislikes!

The DSP Collection is from the Petal Passion….another HUGE HIT from the Occasions Catalog. I admit….I know that there will be many more new paper collections coming out that I am going to adore…but I think that I will purchase some extras of this beauty…..I ask you  – how can you go wrong with a FAB-O Classic like Black and White!?!?!

Now to the part that you REALLY WANT….the dimensions for you to CASE AWAY…..and guess what ??? I HOPE THAT YOU DO as this really is a great layout. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment or email me….I would love to hear how you like this super simple card.

I know that I have been blogging about being selective as what to purchase and what I need to pass on….I can remember when this stamp set 1st came out I looked at it and thought…...LOVE the vertical Sentiments…..LOVE the topiaries as to me, they are super clean and classic….LOVE the fact that there are many practical sentiments that I could use for many different occasions…..so YEP….it had to come to live on Randall Lane!

What makes this card unique and a bit different that what you are used to seeing me create is the fact that the front of the card has been partially cut off and also that I am using a “color of cardstock” for my base as I usually tend to go with the thick Whisper White or Very Vanilla!

This really is sooooooo darn EASY!!!!!

• The card base is an A-2 size ( 4 1/4″ X 5 1/2″ ) in Pear Pizzazz  with the fold to the left and then cut off 1″ from the front Pear Pizzazz panel
• The inside is Thick Whisper White at 4″ X 5 1/4″ and then I stamped the Thank You greeting so it was centered as the card was closed.
• The DSP on the front is 3″ X 5 1/4″
• The White piece that the topiary is stamped on is 1 1/2″ X 4 1/4″ and then matted in Pear Pizzazz at 1 3/4″ X 4 1/2″
• Using Fun Foam I popped up the topiary and then also added more height with stampin’ dimensions under the pot.
• The bow was attached with a simple glue dot.
• The envelope – my good old staple – 1/4″ X 6″ and then the DSP 2″ X 6″…adhere and cut excess away!

You can see that the color combinations are endless depending on the DSP you choose. I chose the black for the pot and at first I thought that it was too stark but after it was all together…it was perfect. Here is a tip for you – when I stamped it….I just stamped the whole image in Pear Pizza….(not worrying about the color of the pot).

Next, I stamp the pot twice in black on scrap paper. WHY TWICE? Easy – you know that I am type A with details…..so after a quick snip of the pot I adhered one over the green one that I stamped and then popped up the other one over top. The way that I look at it is that this just takes seconds to make a much better visual difference in case any one see the green pot from the side.

I know that I will be seeing the new catalog this weekend when I go to Hartford, CT for OnStage but IF this White Organza Ribbon is being retired, I will purchase MANY, MANY rolls of this gem. It ties a perfect bow each and every time and they “behave” so well as you can fuss with them exactly the way that you want them to be….and they STAY PUT!

Because I adore this ribbon so much and it is just a classic staple for any cards that we make (how can you go wrong with white) – this White Organza Ribbon will be my gift with purchase this month for orders of $75+ using the current hostess code of WJQG4MWE (Please remember, you can always find the current hostess code to the right of my blog.)

I would be SHOCKED if it is walking the plank but you never know! I just stock up on things that “work for me” to make the process of creating that much more fun and rewarding! I hope that you know where I am coming from on this one! We DO this thing of crafting for FUN so I look at it like this – find what you like and just keep on using it! (the same way I feel of Fast Fuse)

One last picture for you before we go….a great picture for you to see the impact and difference it does make to give your envelopes some love. It’s kinda like the thing that I did with the pot…..it is the “little things that make the difference”

Once you get in the habit, you will never have your envelope be NAKED!!!

There YOU go….a card that you can easily be proud of to send and also a card that you can make in the masses and also use up a variety of papers that you have. This IS my kinda card and one that always leaves me feeling rewarded when I create it. I featured this stamp one month for my kits and using it again today for you just reiterated my love for this stamp set. As I say, it’s a keeper!

In closing I wanted to share a little something…..I do adore my blog and I do enjoy creating, sharing and hearing from you….but at the same time I need to remember that I need to actively embrace that “balance of life”! Remember me????, the person that got the kit to get the discount and run….well – I decided a different route…the route of blogging and sharing.

Doing blog posts takes a bunch of time and true I could just put up something to get the post “in” etc….but I am trying to give you not only fun, detailed and practical projects, but also a way for me to express “who I am and the whys” I do things with my crafting addiction that I have!

I do hope that you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and we certainly did on Randall Lane! It was not my plan to be unplugged but it was the right decision for me….I really do miss my cyber buddies when I am gone.

Have a fabulous day and for once….. I am SUPER excited for the calendar to roll this week…..as I am leaving on Thursday to be with 6 of my downline for the Hartford, CT OnStage…..we are doing a girls crafty time together and making it a bit of Creative Vacation for us as we have rented a house…..doesn’t get better than this……

Stampin’ hugs to you all!