by Susan Itell | Apr 7, 2014 | Sympathy, Thinking of you |
If you follow my blog regularly you know that I absolutely adore my husband…my best friend…my wonderful John! There are many of you that always ask how is he doing…and the answer….GREAT!!! I will say he is a bit stressed with "Tax Season" but his legs are doing GREAT and we actually went for a 2 mile walk after he worked yesterday!
Last week John lost a client that was very special to him…a wonderful lady that has been battling cancer for years, She was a very strong women…one that he admired so…and one that fought a brave, brave battle and defied the odds for many years!
I must admit…I had another card ready for him as he asked me to make him (4) cards for the family – and even thought it was a GREAT card….he thought that they was too feminine….that's o.k. – you'll see it next week!!! That's what I love about John…he is my best critic!!!
Let's go….
- The card base is a 5" square card ( I just LOVE odd size cards) in Crumb Cake….(I adore this color)…and the handsome color of the day is Midnight Muse…this is a 4 3/4" square!
- Pulling out my FAVORITES…..the Designer Series Pack in Neutrals…was my POP paper for this card…why do I love these so much = the always match…which means a big WOOT-WOOT!!! You get 4 different prints in each color…..and I use them a TON for liners….a no brainer! This was cut at a 4 5/8" square!
- The white is cut at 2 1/2" X 4" and then the Midnight Muse is a "smidge" bigger!
- I have been wanting to use this stamp set, Summer Silhouettes, so fun…so versatile…and I knew that I could "tone down" the colors for John…but I will say – the Stamp-a-ma-jig is a must in my opinion!
- The sentiment came from the MUST HAVE stamp set, Four You, ( and I am going to be a "Sad Susan" if this stamp set gets discontinued) as I think it is am "A list" stamp set!
- Making an envelope was easy-peasy…the envelope punch board made is a cinch! I decided to line the envelope with the Midnight Muse …to keep it very "husband like" and I was right…he liked it!
To do a liner for a custom size envelope…it a cinch! Click here to see a video that Mary did…one that I often refer to and it works like a charm every-time! The other thing that I love it the fact that it uses minimal paper and I do like the look of a solid paper for a liner once in a while!
This was a 4" square…put it back in the envelope punch board…moved it DOWN 1/8" – (so it is at the 3 7/8" mark) PUNCHED….and then I FLIPPED it over and did the same thing! PRESTO – DONE!!!!
It will make total sense watching Mary's video!!! Try it and have fun!
Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the month….out PALS monthly Blog Hop! It is a "keeper" and I hope that you hop back tomorrow as I have a fun and practical post for you….hint – hint…each of my kids will be getting one as I hope that they LOVE to cook as much as I do!!!!
WOWZERS…a busy week …Jeanie is going to help me with the Spring Card Swap…and I can already hear her….LOOK AT THIS…no – LOOK AT THIS…..we will have a ball! – Always do!
I need to get my own Swap ready for my trip to Arizona…I am excited!
Please feel free to email me and also please go to my face book page and give me a big "THUMBS UP" and like me….(cause' I like YOU)….
Until tomorrow!
by Susan Itell | Apr 6, 2014 | Uncategorized |
I have no idea why the "timer" did not work this morning at 5 a.m.
Computers are great but can be frustraing…go put a fresh fresh pot of coffee on!
Fingers crossed…we are actually going to have a weekend with no rain! That in itself is enough to do a "happy dance"…but I hope that this card today….brings a s m i l e to your face! You have heard me post before that I think it is fun to try to find "your style" in paper crafting but at the same time…"be a turtle and stick your head out"…
I have found that participating in challenges helps that "turtle" side for me…so today's card is my take on the sketch from the Freshly Made Sketches…this is one on my favorite challenges out there because it encourages "clean & simple" and that's me…."simple susan"!!!
Ready for fun…let's go! There are many steps that you could skip and I will point them out to you at the end of the post…I always like to share with you "options" that you can do…
- An A-2 Whisper White but scored at 5 1/2" to make a vertical card…the Island indigo is just a "smidge bigger" to make the POP factor happen!
- Today I have used many stamp sets but I think that they are "classic and keeper" ones that you most likely have! The Happy Watercolor Stamp Set is the bold focal and I used 3 colors…Midnight Muse, Island Indigo and Marina mist! I did stamp the center one 1st and then worked to the sides!
- Can you see that I took a "part" of the sentiment from the above set and then added the s m i l e from the Happy Days Stamp Set? This was easy as I just used the brush end of my marker to highlight the sentiment "you make me"….and then with the Stamp-a-ma-Jig…perfect alignment every time!
- I knew I wanted to add some ribbon…but you know that ribbon challenges me sometimes….so I knew I would be safe with the 5/8" Organza Ribbon! I simply placed glue dots behind it to secure it in place!
- FLOWER POWER TIME!!!! 1st I used the Pansy punch and a handy glue dot held it in place! I was going to stop there but then I thought a simple flower from the Flower Shop Stamp Set would be the perfect touch. As you can see in the photo below…you can see that I "rolled" the flower with the bone folder or you could easily use a pencil….this just gives it "movement". A simple pearl in the middle was all that was needed!!!
Fun card…practical card…and now let me touch on some things you could have skipped and still have a great card!
- You could have shorten up the the card….totally eliminated the ribbon and actually you could have made it into a square card!
- You could eliminate the flower part…the water color patches and the sentiment is bold enough to stand in its own!
One thing I would never do is….not line the envelope – that is the finale that simply makes me smile! I hope that you go to the Freshly Made Sketches and see all of the amazing interpretations of this great sketch!
The cards keep coming in and WOWZERS – there are some beauties!!! I am excited to share with you the "Breath of Spring" that I have been seeing in your cards! Again, I am so happy that there are so many participating…(especially since this is the 1st on I have done) but I am so proud of you in your beautiful work!
YOU are an inspiration to me!
Trust me, there are many times that I come home from work and feel like I do not want to do a post, but then I always get this "inner spirit" that makes me blog as YOU have become an extension to me! I dearly love my Stampin' Up! business and I continue to have fun and continue to smile….
Have a great day, please email me if you need me….and remember to go to my facebook page and "like" Simple Stampin' …..having coffee together in the mornings is fun….and it's even more fun to be able to shop away in your jammies….
I hope that you are able to sneak some "paper therapy time" into your day!
Until tomorrow……
by Susan Itell | Apr 5, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Have you ever met someone that makes you smile the minute you hear their name?
Well, grab your cup of coffee as it is "Story Time with Susan"!!!
I have been blogging for just over a year…and one of my regular followers, Chris R. as you probably have noticed always leaves the best…funniest…in depth comments on my blog posting! Chris has become a dear friend and the best part of it…we have never met!!!
Chris also is a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and this is another thing that I adore about this wonderful company…they encourage us to develop relationships with one another…I actually have no idea how Chris started to follow me!
I feel like a little kid with an "imaginary friend" and when I do not hear from Chris…I always worry if everything is o.k. – We have shared many stories back and forth…we have given each other ideas and inspirations…and when I received my mail on Thursday and I saw the card she made for me…I instantly adored it and knew that I needed to tweak it to share with you….but one thing that is for sure is…
Chris..YOU make the WORLD a better place as you have such a beautiful heart!
Here is her card….and I adore the Basic Grey Card…but I am out of that color too…..(you can see that I need to order a bunch of paper) – (sorry about the picture…I should have placed it behind a white paper)
Let's get going today and I am sure tht this card is a card that we can make for sooooooo many people we know that touch our lives! I think it is fun….I think it is festive….I think it is a CASE card all the way around!
- The base is an A-2 card and then using the Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper, I cut this crisp paper to 4" X 5 1/4" and adhered it to the front of the card! (this technique is similar to the post I did on Thursday)
- Next…using the colors that coordinate with this paper pack, I used the Crush Curry paper and used circle framelits #5 & #6 to cut that "ring" and then using old faithful….the "green glue" I adhered it to the front!
- The Strawberry Slush circle in the inside of the card is from circle #5
- Now to the fun stampin' part…This stamp set is woot-woot and you can purchase it as a bundle and save an instant 15% and if I were you – that's what I would do in a heart beat – LOVE the bundles!
- Again, using the colors of the palette of the DSP, I samed the sentiment in Bermuda Bay..cut it out with the framelit and also stamped it in Strawberry Slush and then "fussy cut" the "WORLD Banner" and POPPED it up with dimensionals!
- The other fun stamped images were popped up with dimensionals and then I used a Black candy Dot from the Neutral Candy Dots to give it a bit of bling!
Don't you just love the fun colors!?!? I think I am going to make it again and use Gumball Green and Melon Mambo….That will look striking against this balck and white paper!
- Envelope time…you all know by now…there is NEVER a card that I send that does not have a fun envelope…today I decided to line the outside of the flap…switching it up works for me!
So…what do you think? The moral of the story today is that we ALL have someone that makes the World a better place!!! This card brought the B I G G E S T smile to my face when I saw it…this to me….is a "keeper" card…and one that I will make many of…."just in case" ….
WOOT-WOOT – it's the weekend and WOWZERS – I have LOTS to do! All good…..but I do hope that I have not only inspired you…I hope that you hop into your craft area and CASE away and let that special someone know how much you apreceiate them!
My mailman must think I am sick or something as I have been receiving so many cards for the Spring Card Swap….Jeanie is going to come and help me on Monday…you all will be smiling when I post them!!!!
Remember to tell your family and friends about Simple Stampin' and sign up for a daily dose of inspiration…I also would sure LOVE for you to go to my facebook page and "like me"…as "I really "like" you!"
Having coffee with me works….shopping in your jammies works….emailing me works….looks like you are stuck with me!!!!
Have a fabulous Saturday and Chris…YOU are one in a million to me….thanks my friend!
Until tomorrow!
by Susan Itell | Apr 4, 2014 | Super Easy, Thinking of you |
On Wednesday I shared with you with you that I was going to share with you another card we did for Breast Cancer…this was a "Jeanie" inspiration and even though we did not do a couple of steps (I'll explain later), it was a beautiful and easy card to make!
I just love monochromatic cards…I used to think they were boring…but now I think they are very classy! You can keep them very clean and simple and then add "just a smidge" of fun…(like the pearls) on this card…and really step it up!
Let's get to it…I hope that this gets CASED by you…this would be great to change the sentiment…..a Birthday…a simple "hello"….even a sympathy card.
The base is Crumb Cake but scored at the 5 1/2" mark to make a vertical card!
TIP: The next step you could easily skip but I like the look of the extra layer on the card and I also perfer that the inside of my card not to see the opposite side of the embossed image…..so your decision!
- Cut a piece of Crumb Cake 1/4" smaller = 4" X 5 1/4" and then pulling out the Big Shot and using the Flower Garden Embossing Folder...run this through! (If you did not do this step…you would simple run the A-2 card through) – Now I ask you….for $7.95….how in the world would you be able to get something so beautiful….embossing folders are often overlooked…but they really can step up a project for a minimal cost!
- Remember the Fresh Prints Paper Stack? Well…it's back! You can cut (3)…..YEP…..(3) strips of DSP at 1 1/2" X 5 1/4"….and when you go to line the envelope….simply cut one sheet in half and you can line (2) envelopes! This is another bargain at just $6.95 for 48 sheets….I say WOOT – WOOT!!!!
- I matted this on a piece of Whisper White…(just a smidge wider) to give a little POP…..I like the effect but you could easily skip this!
- The simple sentiment of "Thinking of You" is from the Wetlands Stamp Set…wowzers – what a beautiful set….if you want a BIG WOW….google ideas using the Wetlands Stamp Set…..and you will be making LOTS of cards! I POPPED it out with the Oval Punch and then matted it with the Scalloped Oval Punch! A quick POP with Stampin' Vitamins…..Dimensionals is all that is needed!
- Now to some fun stuff…look at the envelope!?!?! Jeanie is sooo darn tootin' smart! When we were getting the supplies ready for the volunteers to assemble….she said – take the big shot and let them emboss the envelopes! ( I looked at her like she had 3 heads)…and look – it looks fabulous!!!!
- Look at the sweet pearls….don't they just add that special touch that makes it go WOW…..(we did not do this for the breast cancer cards as you would need to add extra postage because of the "bump" and I try to keep the cards to a regular stamp!!!)
I was worried that I would not be able to do my signature liner with the embossing but…
Have no fear…the liner is here!
Well…what do you think!?!?! Two monochromatic cards in a week….totally different but totally fun! Try it!
I adore when you share with me your work….from my post yesterday, I had Marie from New York….email me and said she had to run downstairs to try it and she made a beautiful Birthday card!! It makes my heart happy!
I know that there are many times that it is hard to be a turtle and stick your neck out…..I highly encourage you to try something different…something out of your comfort zone….you'll not only be proud of yourself….but it will put a huge smile on your face as you DID IT!!!!
I am an email away and I want you to reach your goals!
Until tomorrow…..
