Wildflower Meadow Fun

I am having so much fun playing around with ideas I saw at convention.  Here is another one using Wildflower Meadow.

Stamps:  Wildflower Meadow
Cardstock:  Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, Wild Wasabi
Accessories:  Versamark, Clear Embossing Powder, Sponge,
Daffodil Delight 1/4" Stitched Gros Grain Ribbon, Vintage Faceted Buttons, Glue Gots 

Yesterday was a medical day....I had my yearly physical...had to try a new doctor, since mine retired. I took a recommendation from a friend and it was the best thing I did.  I love the new doctor.  The afternoon was spent trying to get John new glasses.  Let's just say they don't make indestructible glasses!!!

Today is mammogram day and then I am coming home and finishing up the wedding invitations.  I need to deliver them tomorrow afternoon, so I'd best get going on them!!

Have a great day!

Rose Colored Glasses....Again

As soon as I saw this card on the display boards, I knew I wanted to make a bunch of them as welcome back to school cards for the staff at WT.  They are certainly a humorous take on the rose colored glasses theme.  If I want to get them done, I probably should start this week.  The stamp is one of the single stamps that is only available thru the end of the month...the same with the sale on the Designer Series Paper.

Stamps:  Spectacular (Single stamp available until July 31st)
Cardstock:  Real Red, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink:  Basic Black, Real red
Accessories:  Black Ribbon

My niece loved the wedding invitations so that will be my first priority this week.....I plan on delivering them on Thursday.  Pictures will follow as soon as she sends them out.  I am pretty pleased with the way they turned out.

We met another couple for supper lat night and planned a fishing/shopping trip to the Minneapolis area for September. Wow....it is sure nice to be able to just pick up and go if you want to!!!   My take on the rose colored glasses!!!

Smile

I seem to be doing a lot of this lately...smiling.  Life is good!!!  

This is another photo Hanna and I took off of the display boards and then promptly came home and ordered the stamp set.  I can't wait till it gets here tomorrow and I can play around with it some!!

Stamps:  Happy Day
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Eastern Elegance DSP
Ink:  Smoky Slate
Accessories:  Mosaic Punch,  In Color Dahlias

Yesterday, John and I made arrangements to go to Arkansas in October to spend some time with his brother and wife at a fishing event.  I am looking forward to spending time stamping and reading while they are at the fishing conclave.  I am looking at what other trips we can make this fall.

Have a great day!!

Gorgeous Grunge Thank You

Gorgeous Grunge is one of the stamp sets we received for attending convention.  At first, I wasn't too excited about it but after looking at the display boards using this set, I think it will be getting a workout.  This is another one of the cards I saw there that I had to come home and try.

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, Lots of Thanks
Cardstock:  Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride, Soft Suede
Accessories:  Simply Scored, Candy Dots Subtles

Yesterday was spent working on my niece's wedding invitations.  I think they are all designed....just waiting her final approval before I start mass production.  I will post pictures when I have them all done.

John is fishing today with a friend so I think I am spending the day in my stamp room....I will make myself clean and straighten up for a couple of hours and then the rest of the day is mine to stamp the day away!!!

Have a great day!!

Live the Life.....Part 2

Really Good Greetings is really very aptly named.....there are a lot of really good greetings in the set.  This is a very simple card that Hanna and I took a picture of on the display boards and had to come home and make right away.

Stamps:  Really Good Greetings
Cardstock:  Crumb Cakem Whisper White, Epic Day This and That DSP
Ink:  Tangerine Tango
Accessories:  Epic Day This and That Washi Tape

One of my jobs for retirement is DONE!!!  The back patio is all cleaned off, now just awaiting the furniture to be put together.  I just know I am going to enjoy sitting out there, maybe even stamping out there this fall!

Have a great day!!

Live the Life That You've Imagined

As I sit on my front porch in my glider, typing this post I am definitely living the life I've imagined.  It is hard for me to believe that I am not getting my classroom ready for another year.  Like I said the other day, usually when I come home from stamping convention, I have to switch gears and get ready for school.  This year I have been busy planning new classes and stamping events.  One of them I am most excited about is a 30 card Christmas card class.  Stay tuned for al of the details.

This is one of the cards Hanna and I got in a card swap. I love the color combination and Flower Shop and the coordinating punch were on my order I placed as soon as I got home.

Stamps:  Flower Shop, really Good Greetings
Cardstock:  Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Ink:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush
Accessories:  Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Boho Blossom Punch, Pansy Punch, Large Rhinestone Jewels, Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretched Trim, 1/8" Mini Brads

One of the things I have wanted to do since summer started is to get my back patio cleaned up and used as a patio rather than a storage area.  The end is in sight. John and I went to Iowa City last night to pick out new patio furniture and will be going back today or tomorrow to pick it up.  Now that I have time to enjoy it, I plan to spend as much time outdoors as I can....especially since the weather has been so nice.

Have a great day!!

  

Warm Wishes

Today's card is another one that Hanna and I took as a shoebox swap last week.  

This set will be available starting August 1st from the Holiday Mini catalog.

Stamp clubs are forming for this catalog year.  A stamp club is a buying group of stampers that meets once a month and makes a couple of
projects and places an order of a designated amount depending on the number of people in the club.  Each month one of the members gets to be
hostess and receive the hostess benefits.  If we have 6 people the amount would be $25.  If this sounds like something that would be of
interest to you shoot me an email and we will see if we can get a club started.  If you do not live closer or don't think you can meet every
month, don't let that stop you.  You can still be a part of the group and I can mail the projects to you with your purchases for the month.  As
soon as we get enough people we will get started!!  Be a part of one of these clubs, learn some new stamping techniques, meet some new friends,
and get some great stampin' products!!  

Have a great day!!!

Hello

Backyard Basics is one of those stamp sets that Hanna wanted as soon as she saw it.  She swapped for many cards using that set.  Here is one of them she received and that we made last night at Godfather's Pizza.

Stamps:  Backyard Basics, Lacy and Lovely
Cardstock:  Strawberry Slush, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Black Stazon, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding
Accessories:  Blender Pens, Dotted Scalloped Ribbon Punch

I am way excited after coming home from convention!!!  I have always been this way after coming home, but school was always just around the corner and my focus had to switch to school.  Not so this year......I want to try and make a go of my stamping business and have set myself a few goals.  With this in mind I am changing up some things and am going to be trying a lot of new things.  One of my goals is to try and go to Leadership in January.......now to try and figure out how to get there.  Stay tuned!! 

Home!!

Home.......I had an absolutely wonderful time at convention with 5,800 of my closest friends!! Seriously, though...it was a blast.  I learned so many things and came home with so many new ideas that I want to try!!! We actually had such a good time that we already made our hotel reservations for convention next year!!!

Hanna and I  were privledged enough to get to room with one of the demonstrator presenters-----Susie Wood.  She had an awesome presentation about building a thriving business.  I have learned so much from her!!  We are actually sidelines in the stamping world, but she has adopted me into her group.  Thank you Susie!!!

There were several all attendee prize patrols, where everyone received prizes.  I came home with 6 or 7 new stamp sets, the bow die cut that will be in the new Holiday catalog, and several other accessories.  This card is one I received in a swap and is made from one of the stamp sets I received......Yippee Skippee.  It is one we will be making at card class tonight.

Stamps:  Yippee Skippee
Cardstock:  Gumball Green, Very Vanilla, Epic Day DSP
Ink:  Yippee Skippee
Accessories:  Apothecary Accents Framelits, Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder,
Big Shot, Hexagon Punch, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Today will be spent cutting cardstock and getting ready for tonight!!

Convention Day 2 and a Prize

Day 2 of convention was equally amazing.  I won a prize during the general session.  We will be making lots of bows with the bow die that is in the Holiday mini catalog.  After the general session we grabbed some lunch and then set out to take pictures on the display boards.  Can you imagine 8 boards like this with card samples all over them?  It is absolutely overwhelming.

Tonight we will be having another shoebox swap in our hotel lobby.  Here is another one of the cards Hanna and I designed for the swap.   It uses products from the Holiday mini catalog.

Here is a picture of the whole card.  I love the silvery shimmery look of this card.

We will be flying out early Sunday morning, so hopefully I can get an update posted about the last day of convention before going to bed tonight.

Have a great day.

Stampin' Convention Day 1

Our day started bright and early Thursday morning as we boarded buses to take us to tour Riverton...the corporate offices of Stampin' Up!  It would be an awesome place to work.  

We even got our picture taken by a Stampin' Up! photographer sitting on a couch in the Legacy Room.

The opening session was last night at 5:00.  The highlight was the convention bag...a beautiful silver and white backpack.

After the opening session we went to the Gathering Place and helped to assemble birthday kits to give to the children that are patients at a local hospital.

We also participated in trying to set a Guiness Book world record by mailing the most stamped greeting cards in a 3 hour period of time.  We were to send a card to someone who has made a difference for us.  Here is Hanna and Andrea, the niece of a fellow stamper, with the postman that was there---ready to take all of the letters to the post office.

It was a great first day.  I can't wait to see what they have in store for us today. 

Here is another one of our swap cards.

Stamps:  Many Merry Messages, Christmas Collectibles
Cardstock:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Christmas Ornament Punch, Seasons of Style Washi Tape,
Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Have a great day and I will share more tomorrow!!

Shoebox Swapping and Be Nice!!

We had a great time in the hotel lobby last night shoebox swapping.  Man...did I get some great ideas.  I can't wait to share some of them with you!!!

Here is one of the shoebox swaps that Hanna and I took.

Stamps:  Santa's List
Cardstock:  Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Black Stazon, Cherry Cobbler, Real Red and Blushing Bride Markers
Accessories:  Argyle Embossing Folder, Festive Flurry Framelit Dies, Big Shot,
1 3/4" Circle Punch, Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch

Today we are headed out to Riverton to the Home Office. I can't wait to see how they have it decorated this year.

Have a great day!!

We Are Here!!!

We arrived safe and sound in Salt Lake City early yesterday evening.  We dropped our bags at the hotel and promptly walked to one of our favorite restaurants...the Melting Pot.  We had been thinking about it since we left there last year.  Did it live up to it's expectations.......absolutely....but we are creatures of habit...I went back to see what we had eaten last year and we chose the very same things for the appetizers......spinach artichoke and fiesta cheese.

It was an excellent choice once again.

Hanna's shoebox swap card is the one that has been in her head since forever.  Here is the whole card.  The lighting is not the best in the photo, but you can get the idea.

Stamps:  Backyard Basics, Oh, Hello, Fine Feathers
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Inks:  Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, Marina Mist
Accessories:  Backyard Basics Framelits, Big Shot, Blender Pen,   Basic Pearls

Hanna and I are off to shop a little today before shoebox swapping tonight.

Have a great day!!

Ready to Go!

Swaps are done, food is fixed for John while we are gone, bags are packed and ready to load into the car.....all that remains is to get ourselves ready and then we are off to Salt Lake City!!!  We even finished in enough time last night that we made an impromptu trip to Washington and a supper out!!


Here is a sneak peek at one of the shoebox swaps we are doing one night in the hotel.  This card has been floating around in Hanna's mind since she first saw the Backyard Basics stamp set.  I will post the whole card after the shoebox swap night.

Hanna and I will be posting during convention...so stay tuned!!!

Have a great day!

Thanks For Caring

Today we have a super simple thank you card, which everyone made Monday last Monday night. 

Stamps:  Six-Sided Sampler, Lots of Thanks
Cardstock:  Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Ink:  Crumb Cake,  Strawberry Slush
Accessories: Needlepoint Border Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Hexagon Punch

As soon as I am done posting this I am out the door, to get my hair cut and then head to Eldora to pick up Hanna at summer camp so she can go to convention with me.  I decided to take the whole day, go early and stop in Cedar Rapids at my favorite stores.  My swaps are under control, so decided I could play today!!

Have a great day!!

Sending Good Thought and a Glider

Too Kind was another one of those stamp sets I was on the fence about ordering...until I saw several cool cards made with it.  This is one of the cards everyone got to make last Monday night.

Stamps:  Too Kind
Cardstock:  Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink:  Basic Black, Primrose Petals, Gumball Green
Accessories:  Basic Pearl Jewels

John and I bought a glider for our front porch last weekend and he got it put together with some help from my son-in-law.  It is seriously getting in the way of my stamping time because it is a great place to sit and read!!!  The weather the last couple of days has been great to be outside.

Have a great day today...whatever you choose to do!!

Stamping at The Library

I am lucky enough today to get to combine my two passions...working with kids and stamping.  The Wellman Library asked me if I would like to make bookmarks with the kids as part of their summer reading program, and of course I said "yes".  The kids range from pre-schoolers to upper elementary age kids, so I hope this will be an easy enough project for all of them.











I made great progress yesterday on my convention swaps. I have one set all done and another one cut and ready to be assembled....and I got to go out for lunch with a friend.  Hard to believe that this time next week I will be in Utah, ready to spend some serious stamping time with friends at the convention!!

Have a great day!

Watercolor (Sort Of) Background

Today's card is another one that everybody got to make Monday night at stamp class.  This card uses watercolor paper and reinkers.  Watercoloring is one thing I tend to shy away from.....maybe because I live with a watercolor artist.....but I thought I would give this a try.  It is actually very easy to do with the aqua painters.

Stamps:  Gifts of Kindness
Cardstock:  Calypso coral, Basic black, Wild Wasabi
Ink:  Black Stazon
Accessories:  Watercolor Paper, Aquapainters, Calypso Coral, Wild Wasabi, and Crumb Cake Reinkers

Today will be spent assembling one of my swaps for convention.  I got everything cut and stamped yesterday...now just need to put them together.

I will also be coming up with an idea for 30 kids to make tomorrow at the Wellman Library as part of their summer reading program.  I am thinking some kind of bookmark or something.  Hopefully I will have that to show you tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Another Perfect Blend Card

So...those of you that were at stamp class last night know how much I love this "Perfect Blend" stamp set.  As I was blog surfing the other day I found this card that had coffee rings on it and thought to myself..."Wow...I have those of my end table...why not on a card!!"

Stamps:  Perfect Blend
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Epic Day DSP
Ink:  Early Espresso
Accessories:  Epic Day Washi Tape, Early Espresso Reinker

My preorder from the Holiday mini catalog arrives sometime today...I am anxious to open the box and get started on my swaps for convention.

Have a great day!

Everything Will Be Okay

I was blog surfing yesterday and saw this card and knew it would be perfect...both for me and for stamp class tonight (there is still time to join us).   I absolutely love the saying on this card.

I also love the three dimensional butterfly....it looks like it could flap its wings a little more and take right off of the card!!

And now for the whole card!!

Stamps:  Best Of Butterflies, Really Good Greetings
Cardstock:  Strawberry Slush, Whisper White, Quatrefancy DSP
Ink:  Strawberry Slush
Accessories:  Butterfly Punch

This week will be a very busy week as I have stamp class tonight and also try and get all my swaps done for convention.

Have a great day!

Happy Fourth Of July

The potato salad is made, the flag cheesecake is in the freezer, the chocolate cake is frosted, the house is relatively clean....the only thing missing is Hanna. She will be spending the Fourth of July at camp this year. First time she has missed the parade in all of her 21 years.

Stamps:  Simply Stars, Perfectly Penned
Cardstock:  Crumb Cake, real red, Whisper White, retired DSP
Ink:  Night of Navy, Real Red
Accessories:  Crumb Cake Taffeta Ribbon

Take some time today to celebrate with loved ones...friends and family.  I know that is what the Wilsons will be doing today.

Have a great day!!