by Susan Itell | Nov 18, 2016 | Anniversary |
Happy Friday, Happy November 18th….Happy 27th Anniversary to John and I ! I am the LUCKIEST person in the world – as John is a keeper of all keepers and this card is sooooo fitting for US where we are going today!
You know me….I adore, actually I LOVE “Memory Lane” and here is the “low down” of us….it is rather simple = A BLIND DATE!
Totally blind and when he came to pick me up……I opened the door and here was this TALL (6′ 5″) handsome man….and I immediately said, “I’ll be right back” – as I popped upstairs and put on heels as I am 5′ 4″ 🙂
If you follow my blog, (and I hope you do) I shared with you yesterday that I had a special card for our today. Naturally I knew that our Anniversary was today….but I was blindsided by John saying on Monday…we are slipping away for (2) days for our Anniversary. I am still unpacking from being away! 🙂
Naturally I was “touched” but I was also…YIKES – I have been a traveling Mom….but I was really touched, really happy! We are “RETREATING” to one of our favorite spots….but a place that there is NO Internet…..NO TV’s…..just a dream place in the middle of nowhere.
Because where we are going I knew that “Mr. Bear” would be the perfect help for an Anniversary Card. This guy makes you smile when you see him and who doesn’t love a BIG BEAR HUG!
This set, Bear Hugs is in the Annual Catalog and has matching framelits and there is also a super FUN stamp set that coordinates with these dies in the Holiday catalog, Fa-la-la-la Friends (I have the image listed at the bottom of the post) Stampin’ Up! was smart to continue to add to this stamp set!
You know my heart is soft for a square card and because you can make up a nifty envelope with the punch board…a win – win. I know that there are many of you out there that have this wonderful product but are fearful to use it…you know what I am going to say…PULL IT OUT AND USE IT!!!! Remember, if you do not want to use it for making envelopes (which I would think is super silly) – pull it out and make some POPPERS!!!! Click here to see that post!
Here is your picture to pin! I know that many of you have the Owl Builder Punch and I will say I use that heart from this punch a bunch! I just love the shape and size of it and it was the perfect touch to make this clean and simple card finished!
Also I wanted to point out – (I know that it is super hard to see in the picture) but I used a small stamp in versa mark on the real red piece. it is a circle stamp that I thought would be a great accent to the DSP. USE WHAT YOU HAVE….when you are creating something and think you need a “wee bit more” – step back and see what you have and add it.
Versa mark works great for quick additions to a project and it will not smear – just let it dry and you are “good to go”
There you go…one super quick and easy card but one that will be super special for John. He IS my Big Bear and I am blessed. I hope that this card shows you that taking just a couple of basic shapes….a simple stamp….a simple sentiment….BAM – you have created a great card.
This is the time of the year that all of a sudden we allow that S T R E S S factor to set in…..I am equally guilty of that and I think as I have “aged” – I say….take a deep breathe and just roll with it! John and I were laughing last night about Thanksgiving being a week away and if you could see my Dining Room Table – YIKES!!!! We just laughed and said, we’ll get it done!
Have a fabulous day and I hope that you can find some “me time” to create…..I am going to do something that I have not done in way toooooooo long…needlepoint!!!! I will share with you my project!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Nov 18, 2014 | Anniversary |
Woot-woot!!! Today is a special day for John and I as today is our 25th Anniversary. We snuck away to one of our favorite spots that is in the middle of no where…it is beautiful, peaceful, great food and oh so special to us!
If you are ever in the Maryland area I highly suggest that you come to this place of heaven. It is called the Savage River Lodge and our friends had a dream to build this special place and it is great to see this special place from the beginning!
It is hard to believe that from a total blind date that 25 years later we are still celebrating this special day! John is my rock, my best friend and the best Dad – I am totally blessed!
Today’s card is a fun one for him as I feel like our life is always an adventure and I love being on this adventure with him! We have been able to do so many things together and each and everyday is a great day.
This stamp set is appropriately called, Life’s Adventure and it is a Hostess Stamp set that is a fun one! I love the “sketched” look of the images. Please remember, you can have a “cyber” event and use your hostess earnings just like if you were having an event at your home. Please feel free to email me and we can carve out a plan for you.
I am again doing a square card (41/2”) …the color scheme came from the Confetti Celebration Designer Series Paper and once I saw the arrows I had a “light bulb” thought to use the Draw The Line Stamp to let the bike “guide the way”
This is a stamp set that cannot be overlooked as not only does it create a great border effect, it is super easy to stamp as it is a Photopolymer Stamp…another woot-woot…..makes life easy even though I do adore the Stamp-a-ma-jig!
The other colors and sizes are White (stamped piece is 4 1/8”) and the Basic Grey is 4 ¼”
I did use my friend, Mr. Stamp-a-ma-jig to get the bike “just right” where I wanted it and then used the piercing tool to poke a hole to ultimately use a Brad Base and then a Candy Dot from the Brights collection.
Before I placed the Brads on the bike, I stamped the hearts from the top! These came from another Hostess Stamp Set called Hello Love and I masked the top portion just to have the hearts dangling down. (The 3 punched out hearts are from the itty bitty accents) representing my 3 wonderful “peeps”
Because the brads are a bit bulky I “doubled up” on the stampin’ dimensionals to really make this lift up off the card. Did you notice that I did a bit of paper piecing for the “flag” – In carrying out the Strawberry Slush I stamped the flag and then did a quick “fussy cut”
The envelope was made from a piece of 7 ½” paper and then the Envelope Punch Board made it come together in just a couple of punches and scores…..if you do not have this, please ask Santa for it!
That’s it my friends! I know that this is not your typical anniversary card but it is one that does look like John and I! We are heading home today….a quick 24hour get away is just what the doctor ordered!
Remember it is Tuesday so click here to see the weekly deals that Stampin’ Up! is so kind to give us….and remember a simple click will allow you to shop from home….with the crazy season coming – it is wonderful not to deal with traffic and hype.
These next several weeks are so to ZOOM by so please look to see if you have all of your basics and regular go-to’s! There is nothing more frustrating than sitting down and not having items!
It’s time for another Card Swap…..please pop back tomorrow and find out the scoop!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Feb 14, 2014 | Anniversary |
First Happy Valentines Day and I hope that you have a special day as you are special….I do not like to be a "Negative Nellie" but I have HAD IT with the SNOW!!! We receive 18+ inches and it is days like this that I ask myself…what do I love animals so much!?!?!?
I feel like I am a young mom with little ones at home…with the door revolving with wet clothes….the dryer running non stop but the reality it is…it is just me John and I and…5 dogs…1 pig…3 horses….and one miniature donkey (that does not like me one bit)!
With John doing great – this weather is not the best (so he needs to be extra careful) so I am on my own with the animals and when I "bundled up" to go to the barn in the morning….the snow was sooooo deep and drifting was so high….the Jack Russells looked at me like…."Mom – we need help"!!!
The horses would love to go out but the snow is just too deep - hopefully over the weekend we can plow some paths in the fields to let them out of the barn to stretch their legs….but until then they are at the Ritz Carlton and I am their house keeper!
Let's get to the card today – today is John's Mom & Dad's 61st Anniversary! Isn't that just wonderful….when I stop to think about it…I am in awe!!! What a true testament of love and dedication! Happy Anniversary Gram and Pap!
Do you ever look at the ideas that are in the catalog? ( page 114 in the Annual Catalog) Well….this is where my inspiration came from for today's card! Let's go!
- The card is a 5 X 5 card in Smokey Slate. I cut the front of the card with the Floral Framelits (these are ON SALE – so basicall the front ot the card has a big floral cut out hole!
- One thing that seemed very weird to me was…I kept Stampin' and Stampin' with the various of sizes of stamps all on the same piece of very vanilla! (3 in total) The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig is a MUST…a MUST as you are stamping all on the same piece of Very Vanilla!!!!
- Look at the below picture and you can see how I used the Mono Liquid Glue to adhere it to the front of the front! It is easier to put the glue on the back side of the card and then place the stamped image….remember – use a LITTLE BIT of this glue….to me this is the best adhesive for this project as you can wiggle the image around to get it "just right"
- It looks rather ugly….."right" – (you can see that I use my paper to the MAX – I started with this side….made a boo-boo….but the best thing is…..a quick "flip over" and WOWZERS – good to go!!!!)
- Now we cannot let this card go out like this!!! Easy – I cut a piece of Smokey Slate at 5" X 5" and adhered it to the back of this and PRESTO – one beautiful card!
When you look at this card you can see that there are 4 stamped images (all from the same set….woot-woot!!!!)…..the first 3 were all stamped on the same piece of Very Vanilla and then the 4th one was stamped on a piece of very vanilla scraps and then cut out with the Floral Framelits!
The colors I used were Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Smokey Slate.
- To the last stamped image…I pulled out the Very Viintage Buttons and linen thread and using a Mini glue dot – BAM – done!
- Because it is Valentine Day and it is such a special anniversary…..I needed to put a heart somewhere….thank goodness for the small heart punch!
- The sentiment came from the Hostess Set called, Express Yourself…..one great stamp set! I simply stamped that on a scrap piece of paper and then cut the ends….quick and easy!
- The pearls here and they are the perfect accent to make this a special card for this wonderful milestone anniversary! These just "make" the card go to the next level! (again, this card is much prettier in person"
- I did make my own "custom" envelope ( so easy to do) with the help of the Envelope Punch Board and then the liner that worked perfectly was from the Sweather Weather Designer Series Paper fromt he Holiday Catalog…
I encourage you to be inspired by ideas that are in the catalogs…they are always great ideas of inspiration for me and I knew that I wanted to make John's parents a beautiful card for their special day!
Let's hope that this calendar keeps rolling and we can have "Spring" here soon….the carzy thing is that we are to be in the 50s next week – crazy!!!!!!
Have a wonderful Valentines and do something special with the one you love or do something special for yourself….as you are worth it!!!!
Be safe if you are in a bad weather area and until tomorrow!!!!!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Nov 18, 2013 | Anniversary, Super Easy |
Today is our special day and I know that this post will go off before John sees his card!
Happy Anniversary to my best friend, the best husband in the world, the best Dad in the world, the best son..brother…I could go on and on….trust me – he is simply the best!
As I always say…he was the best "blind date" I was ever on!
This is my kinda card and I want to make sure that you understand how easy this is to do! I am going to give you lots of pictures and tips and I hope that it helps!
Sometimes I think that when you see a bunch of text and pictures, you "shy" away and do not try it – please do not…this is an easy card and it is super cute as it is sooo darn tootin' simple!
Confession of an honest stamper! Yesterday as I was driving, I did a mental picture of what I wanted to do for my anniversary card! John likes very clean and simple cards and I thought 3 hearts and a sentiment would be PERFECT!
I knew that we had a small heart punch and I thought – WOW this will be super easy….ROAD BLOCK…I cannot get the punch in the way I wanted it! YIKES – Plan B!
Here you go:
- The size of the card is a note card size (3 ½” X 5”) and then I cut another piece of whisper white the same size!
- Why did I do this…easy – hang tight, it will make sense as it is much easier finding ½ of 5” = 2 ½”! You can see that I took a ruler and made a pencil line straight down the middle!
- Next, make a ¾” pencil line from the top!
- Take the smallest Heart Framelit and place it as shown!
- I then made another line on either side of this heat at ¼” from the edge…this way you will know that you are even! (I know it seems like a lot of measuring, but trust me – it goes super fast and you will be much happier with the end result!)
- You can see that the hearts are perfectly lined up and no worries about the pencil lines…you won’t see them – just FLIP it over!
- I simply used the 1” circle punch and punched out circles to cover my hearts in Rose Red and Blushing Bride! Soooooo easy!
- Take the punched and stamped piece to your Stampin’ Trimmer! – cut off 1/8” on either sides (right and left of the hearts) and take a ¼” off the bottom!
- Coming down the home stretch folks…Stampin’ Vitamins to the rescue – Stampin’ Dimensionals all over the back to make it POP!!!
- The trademark to my cards is the liners! I can honestly say that I never…ever…send a card out that does not have a liner or a lined back flap! Using the envelope liner framelit and the Regals Designer Series Paper was PERFECT!
I hope that this card put a smile on your face today! I know that John is going to love it!
I thank so many of you that have been simply amazing in all of your well wishes and thoughts with him as he has been going through his rehap…he is doing GREAT and going to rehap 3 x's a week and being able to put weight on his legs with his walker!
He has been a TOTAL inspiration to me and the doctors said that they would like to see him out of his wheel chair within 3 weeks! He'll do it – he's determined!!!
Over the weekend I took him down on the C & O Canal and we took a walk…well I pushed and he totally enjoyed being outside and seeing the beautiful fall day!
Here is a fun and sillly picture of the 2 of us…love the fact that I Phones you can flip the camera around to do a fun "self portrait"
We had a great day together and I had a good workout as there are just parts that are paved!!! We laughed and had fun but most importantly, he was so thankful to be out!
Enjoy your day, I sure will as I am blessed to be married to the best person in the world!
Until tomorrow!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Sep 25, 2013 | Anniversary, Watercoloring |
I needed a quick CAS (clean and simple) card for some dear friends that are celebrating their anniversary on Friday….but I just found out that they will be out of town so I whipped this up….made them some yummies to enjoy as they go see their son at Parents Weekend at his college!
As I was going through the catalog, I really did not see a bunch of Happy Anniversary sentiments and I knew that I was wanting to keep it simple…so less was best for me!
This really is a zoom card to make…and it is very clean and classic! Let's get to it!
- The base of the card is the new in color, Strawberry Slush at a regular A2 card size but I scored it at the 5 1/2" and then use a mat of Black just a "smidge" smaller…(remember to use the inside of this black paper to punch out some shapes….use framelits etc…as it will be covered up!)
- The Stamp-a-ma-jig came into play next by helping me line up the sentiment perfectly! The sentiment is from the Express Yourself Stamp Set and I will say…this is my new "go to" sentiment set…love the font!
- Using the Oval Framelits made it a quick and easy cut to the stamped and color image! I cut out another oval in strawberry slush….gave it a quick turn before adhering it to make some interest happen! A simple yet effective little touch!
Both of the Stamp Sets I used today were from the "Hostess" Stamp Sets that you are able to use your hostess rewards for when you have an event!
Here are some tips and answers to questions I often get asked!
- Do I have to have a gathering in my home to qualify for hostess benefits? – No, not at all! If you want to send an email out to family and friends that love to make cards and fun projects letting them know that you are having a Stampin' Up! cyber party…I will get you a hostess code and all they have to do is add that hostess code to their order when they check out!
- How much does an event have to total before I receive hostess benefits? Just $150.00
- If I place an order my self that totals $150.00 or more…do I receive benefits? YEP…easy-peasy…but I will say if you are placing an order that is this much, YOU should be a Stampin' Up! Hobbiest Demonstrator!
- If I have a Stamp -a-stack event (making 4-6 cards ) will that count as a gathering? YEP – you betcha – this is a GREAT way to gather orders….I make up 4 – 6 cards that everyone will re-create….the "hands on" approach is always the best!
Here is a quick and easy chart to see the hostess tiers! Even if you live on the other side of the country, we can get together and have a great time and YOU will reap the hostess benefits!
Email me and let's get something going!
Here's to a great Thursday and I hope that you have enjoyed this Anniversary card…remember to think of the layout…and then think of all of the different ways you could change it up with different stamps and sentiments!
This is a great layout and I have given you the dimensions….now go CASE away and make some cards!
Please remember to tell your friends and family about my blog…I appreciate your support and I love Stampin' Up!
Until tomorrow….
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Susan Itell | Feb 14, 2013 | Anniversary |
The calendar tells us that today is the day for love…as it is Valentines Day – but today is a super special day for my in-laws, as today they celebrate 60 years of marriage! Wow – stop and think about that… 60 years together – is that a true testament of love or what! They have planned a special day enjoying each others company. In today's crazy times there are not many times that you hear of people being married for 60 years! Health has been against them over the past several years but the love and commitment they have is an amazing story to witness. Gram and Pap – have a special day together and congratulations…we love you!
The focal point of this cards stems from the Labels Framelits, it coordinates perfectly wit the stamp set I used – Memorable Moments and honestly without the help of the Stamp-a-ma-jig it would have been next to impossible to line up the numbers and sentiment! I fought and fought at first vowing that I would never used this tool….and now – it is my dear friend…..makes lining up thing sooooo easy!
I have had this stamp set for a while but have never used it so as I was "surfing" around for ideas I found that a fellow PAL, Margaret Moody, used it in a way that screamed out to me to be inspired for my final result! The PALS are a wonderful group of Demonstrators and I love the endless networking of ideas! If you join SU with me…you too can be a PAL – Mary Fish, our upline does an amazing job in being truly the ultimate leader!
Because this is such a special day for my in-laws I really wanted to make a special card. After cutting out my framelits I thought…..I rarely use the piercing tool…..so out it came and I pierced all around the outside frame and personally – I think it makes the card!
I used the leaves from the new Framelits, Secret Garden, to give a balance of softness to the sides! One great tip – use the 2 way glue pen to place the leaves….it makes it super easy! I thought the card still needed something so I punched out little flowers from the Boho Blossoms Punch and popped a pearl in the middle…..too cute! Of course, a pearl had to go right in the middle!
Enjoy this special day and Happy Valentines Day to all! Try to not only have this day be a special day of love, but each and everyday filled with love, joy, health and happiness! Until tomorrow…..
STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES:
Stamp Set: Memorable Moments (126682) clear, (126680) wood
Paper: Whisper White (100730),Basic Grey (121044), Melon Mambo (115320), Wild Wasabi (108641), Neutral Designer Paper (117157)
Ink: StazOn Black Ink (101406), Melon Mambo (126948)
Cool
Tools: Paper Trimmer (126889), Big Shot (113439), Secret Garden Framelits (125598), Labels Collections Framelits (125598), Boho Blossom Punch (119858), Paper Piercing Tool (126189)
The
Perfect Touches – Stampin Dimensionals (104430), Snail (104332), 2 Way Glue Pen (104430), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247),
Like this:
Like Loading...
