Pungo Stamper

I can’t believe how long it has been since I posted anything here.  I think it is a great way to journal our lives on blogs but sometimes I think we do it so we can be heard by others and when no one says anything, it can become frustrating and discouraging to say the least.  I have friends that have some great blogs.  They share art or pictures and stories about their families.  They share sadness and hurdles they have overcome.  They have shared their pain and their happiness.  And some write just a few lines and others write paragraphs.  And maybe people view it but do they leave a comment?  Most of the time no! So I ask myself if I really need a blog?  What do you think?  Do you feel differently?  We all like some gratification from time to time or maybe just a kind word to encourage us to keep going with what we are doing.   I’m not tech savvy and that may be part of the problem.  I learn by trial and error and sometimes my kids and tech savvy friends help me out.  So I have said my two cents worth and am ready to venture out into the blog world again.  Stay tune………

I knew I had to have this set the minute I saw this Santa.  I love the old time look of him.  He is out of the hostess set called Antique Tags offered in the Holiday Mini.  My new stamps come today from the new Occasions Catalog so I’m trying to get as much use out of my stamps from the Holiday Mini as possible.  I know once I have these new toys in my hands I will be putting my “old” stamps aside and begin playing and creating new cards.  You may not see me for days!  There are so many wonderful new items and I think you will be as excited about them as you were about the Holiday Mini.  Yep.  You are going to be in trouble!  Have a great weekend.

It’s always fun to take a challenge and try to make a card with it.  Kimberly Van Diepen challenged her team to make a card using Pool Party and Watermelon Wonder along with Whisper White.  So when I saw the colors, this little guy came to mind.  I water colored him and then used my Oval framelits to cut him out and matted him onto a larger oval of Pool Party.  The Silver Doily blended perfectly.  I need to use the other two cuties in this set.  One is an angel and one is a little guy in a snow suit!  If you love to color then this is the set for you!

As this year comes to a close I am finally posting again. I don’t know where the time goes or what it is that I’ve been doing. Well other than getting another total knee replacement, returning to work, hosting a family reunion, Thanksgiving, a baby shower, and becoming a grandma for the first time!!! I am so excited and will share some pics of the new baby later on. For now I want to share this little card with an image from the new Stampin Up Occasions 2015 catalog. It will be available for you to purchase in another week or so. I stamped the image twice. Colored both with the new Blendabilities. Love love love! Then I cut out half of each tulip and place on top of the other image with dimensionals. I’m not one for a lot of “fussy” cutting but this didn’t really take long at all and it really makes the card. Wish it showed up better in the picture. There are so many wonderful new stamps and paper and embellishments in the new catalog. Not to mention the freebies you will get with the new Saleabration Catalog. Oh my! So many fun items. So little time!

Have you tried digital scrapbooking?  It had me hooked the first time I saw it at a SU convention a few years ago.  So much fun!  It takes a little practice but you can do so much with it.  You can manipulate the size, color, and shape of pretty much anything you do with your page.  You can round corners and make your pages look torn and add shadowing.  The list goes on and on.  There are a zillion (well maybe not that many) but a lot of embellishments available for your pleasure.  If you notice on this page I did, there is even washi tape.  I also used an overlay!  There are many classes, tutorials, and peeps out there that will help you if you struggle with getting started.  I am still learning all the ends and outs but can’t wait to do another page each time I’m done.  Just do it and you will amaze yourself!  Have a great day.

One of my favorite things to do is stamp with my besties late at night.  Lately we have been challenging each other by picking a stamp set we haven’t used in awhile and come up with a card using it!  Oh the pressure!  So we go to work creating our masterpieces and then we take a picture and text it to each other.   One of the girls loves the set “You’re Amazing” and wanted to play with that set because she is afraid it’s going to be retired this year!  I hope not.  It seriously has the coolest hot air balloon!

So I gold embossed the balloons and cut them out.  Then I used the word “enjoy” from the set “Simply Celebrate” in the mini which I stamped in black and then cut out also.  The background is the stamp “World Map”  combined with some vellum, burlap, and baker’s twine.

&

World Map

$13.95

You’re Amazing Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$22.95

Simply Celebrate

$12.95

Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum

$10.95

Gold Metallic Encore Pad

$9.95

1-1/4″ Burlap Ribbon

$7.95

Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder

$4.75

Gold Baker’s Twine

$3.50

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

So March has been a big month for me.  I celebrated my 30th wedding anniversary on the 11th and turned 60 five days later.  My family kept asking me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I said I just wanted to play up in my stamp room all day.  They seemed good with that.  Of course my husband said maybe we would catch lunch if I felt like it.  So noon comes and goes and I’m still home and my hubby is just messing around out in the yard.  By this time I’m starving and wondering if we are going out or not.  If not then I’m ready to stamp!  Finally about 12:45 he’s ready to take me to lunch and says we are going to one of our favorite places to eat because they have corn beef and cabbage for half price and the proceeds are going to some charity.  He asked me if I was okay with that.  Of course I was.  I just wanted to eat.  I was STARVING!  So we walk into the restaurant and instead of waiting for the hostess to seat us, my husband just walked in toward the back of the place and I followed wondering what he was doing (me clueless!).  Well we get to the back and hang a left and lo and behold, my daughters, son,  and about 50 of my friends and relatives were there yelling surprise!!!  I couldn’t believe it.  A surprise birthday party for me.  I had no idea.  But I loved it and love all the work and effort that my family and friends went through to make it happen.  They even had a video of my friends and family who couldn’t make it that lived around the country send me wishes.  The day was just magical and I am still on cloud 9.  Thank you all who participated.  60 is starting out pretty good!  

Today was a beautiful Saturday.  The sun was shining, it was warm outside, and I had my flip flops on!  Spring is around the corner and I can’t wait.  This morning I finished up 50 bridal shower invitations for a friend’s future daughter-in-law.  I can’t tell you what a  sense of accomplishment that was when I wrapped the last stack up.   Then my girlfriend, Linda, and I decided to stamp a card while watching an old movie with my daughters.  A fun girls afternoon, right?  So we decided to make something that had colors that were light and reminded us of spring.  I decided to use Natural White card stock for my base.  Then I grabbed my “Off the Grid” stamp and use it with Coastal Cabana ink for the background.  I started my layers with a Doily, burlap ribbon, washi tape, and Pink Pirouette card stock.   I stamped “Celebrate” from the stamp set Starburst Sayings with Coastal Cabana ink on Coastal Cabana card stock and then cut it out on the Big Shot with the Starburst framelit.  Scalloped punched Pistachio Pudding and Coastal Cabana card stock was the topping on the cake, I mean the card!!!  A couple of buttons and what a fun card you have!   Well it has been a long but fun day and I am off to bed.  Tomorrow I turn 60!  I can’t believe it but my birth certificate doesn’t lie unfortunately.  I am looking forward to a nice quiet day in my stamp room playing with my favorite things all day.  Thanks and take some time and go stamp something fun yourself!  Oh, by the way, how do you like my new header?

I made this card during my Friday night challenge with my girlfriends. I was so tired but determined to make at least one more card before I went to bed. I pulled out my Happy Watercolor stamp set and Modern Medley DSP and went to work. I started with a Very Vanilla base card and built layers using Basic Black card stock, Modern Medley Dsp (2 different prints) and the yummy gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum. I added the sentiment, “You Make Me Happy”, and then added lots of embellishments. Gold baker’s twine, burlap ribbon, gold sequins, and a button completed the look. I was so excited about the way the card came together.

This Tuesday is my 30th Wedding Anniversary and I think I am going to give this card to my hubby because he does make me happy!! Always has.

I hope everyone remembered to turn you clocks ahead!