Regretfully.....

The end of May will bring an end to my stint on the Spring DT over at Card Patterns.  I have LOVED every minute of it!!!  Michelle comes up with the greatest sketches, and I'm so honored to be in the company of the other gals on the DT.  Three of them have been able to commit to staying on at CP, so Michelle is looking for four people to fill the shoes of those leaving the DT.  I would never leave if I didn't have to, but with the husband gone (he's currently deployed with the US Air Force in support of operations "over there" - he's a C-17 pilot), and traveling in our future this summer, I just couldn't commit to being able to stamp every week.  So....head on over to THIS post on CP to check out the details for the DT call.  I encourage you all to apply, we are our own worst critics!!!!

Sketch For You to Try

So, for those of you not familiar with Jen del Muro's blog i{heart}2stamp, you can check it out HERE.  I saw her sketch (Sketch For You To Try as she calls them, and in this case, SFYTT12) a few weeks ago in THIS post (it's inserted to the right), and just knew that I had to save it to use sometime soon. 

Well, I finally got around to using it for my Stamps in the Mail gals, and I know that they'll love her sketch as much as I did.  You should try it out and give Jen some love when you visit her blog!!  This was a really fun sketch to use, and of course I love the Friends 24-7 stamp set andbeing that it's the only stamp set that my SIM participants have gotten so far, it was the obvious choice for making this card.  As always, I picked a package of Designer Series Paper to work with on each of the 4 projects in the SIM kit, and I used Bella Bleu DSP this month so you'll notice the color scheme is Not Quite Navy, Kraft and Very Vanilla.

Next month is the last round of SIM for this group of ladies, and I am going to throw in a 2nd stamp set - Trendy Trees, to make some fun projects with, so you won' t have to bear with a 4th month of Friends 24-7  :)  LOL  We'll be using the Good Morning Sunshine DSP so be ready for some fun, bright cards.

Anyway, I hope you like the card I made!!!

All supplies used are SU! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps:  Friends 24-7, Thank You Kindly
Paper:  Kraft and Very Vanilla CS, Bella Bleu DSP
Ink:  Not Quite Navy classic ink
Accessories:  Blender Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card Patterns Sketch #13

So, you got to see the inside of this card in THIS post.  Well, above is the outside of the card that I made for our friend who was retiring from the US Air Force.  This sketch is another great one that Michelle put together, and you'll want to be sure to go check out the other fabulous cards from the fantastic Design Team members, along with this week's Guest DT member.  You can see CP Sketch #13 HERE.  Enjoy, and have fun with it!  As usual, here's a reminder that each week someone is chosen by the Card Patterns DT to be a Guest Designer, so don't forget to add a link to your card via Mr. Linky at the bottom of the Sketch #13 post.  There's also a great prize of Close to My Heart product that will be given to one random winner, so check it out!!!Have a lovely week!!

All items used are SU! unless otherwise noted

Stamps:  Congrats (SAB 2009), Artifacts (retired SU!)
Paper: Kraft and Very Vanilla CS, Patterns DSP Pack I (retired Level I Hostess item) in Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke
Ink:  Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke classic ink
Accessories:  Piercing Tool and Template, Stampin' Dimensionals

It's National Scrapbooking Month!!!

 

May 1 is the beginning of National Scrapbooking Month and Stampin' Up! is celebrating with the following three special offers:

1)  Now is the time to stock  up on Stampin' Up!'s gorgeous Designer, Specialty and Textured Paper.  Buy three, get one free on Designer Series paper and 12" x 12" textured card stock.  This includes the Specialty Designer Papers but does not include Taste of Textiles.

2)  Join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator by choosing a limited-time Scrapbooking Starter Kit for just $75.  Get all of the fabulous demonstrator discounts and benefits (and earn extra money while you're at it!)!  If you click HERE, you can see the full-color flyer about it, but following are details:

Start your own business for as little as $75 with the limited-time Scrapbooking Starter Kit. The Scrapbooking Starter Kit contains the following:

• Schoolbook Serif Alphabet stamp set


• Simply Scrappin' Petal Party


• Earth Elements Assorted textured card stock (12" x 12")


• Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad

You may substitute items of equal or lesser value for the ones listed (ie - you can get a different alphabet set, Scrappin' kit, assorted textured card stock (12" x 12") or craft pad).

ADDITIONALLY, this specially-priced Starter Kit contains all the business supplies found in the regular Starter Kit.

See the flyer linked above for more info on this special promotion, or visit my online store HERE to shop now!

So, if you're one of my customers, becoming a demonstrator is easier than ever!!!

***Just so you know, when you place an order online, add your three packs of Designer Series paper and/or 12" x 12" textured card stock to your shopping bag along with any other items you wish to purchase. When you check out, you need to click a link in the Special Offers section that will bring up a pop-up window directing you to choose your FREE pack of paper.  Please let me know if you have any problems!!!***

3)  Enjoy a sneak peek AND the opportunity to purchase the Jumble Alphabet stamp set (set of 52) from the upcoming Fall/Winter Catalog at 20 percent off.  Click HERE to purchase it now. 

Item #	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
115199	Jumble Alphabet stamp set	$43.95	$35.16

Maybe I'm Biased...

I  happen to think that all of the sketches that Michelle comes up with over at Card Patterns are fabulous.  I feel so honored to be on the very first Design Team over at Card Patterns and am sad that the term is drawing to a close.  Michelle, ever gracious, offered to us that we could extend our terms, but with my husband deployed I plan on doing some traveling so I just wouldn't be able to guarantee that I could get around to stamping.  I wouldn't want to hold up the posting each week!!  I am terribly sad that I won't be able to stay on past May, but you do what you have to do as a military spouse, and traveling is one way of keeping some sanity.

Anyway, the point of this post is to let you know that you really should check out this week's sketch.  As usual, it's terrific!  If you don't believe me, 100 other people have already played along and can tell you how much they enjoyed it.  So...what are you waiting for?!?!  Saturday a new sketch will be released, so make sure to stop back by then too!!!

Bows, Bows, Bows....

A long time ago I made a post that shared a link to Sherri Barron's blog where she showed how she ties her bows.  I shared it because it's the same way I do mine, and she was gracious enough to create a tutorial on it and thus I didn't have to.  So, here's the link to her tutorial.  Lately, after seeing THIS post on Nichole's blog about tying a button to a bow, I have modified the method a tiny bit, but thought I would share her short tutorial with you and you can modify it to fit your needs as well.  Basically, I kind of do the tying backwards so that the tied part ends up on the back of the bow rather than the front.  You could even modify it further and tie the button as you want it to look, cinch the ribbon together without the button, but threading around the ribbon as it says, and then attach the two (the button and bunny-ear ribbon).  There are several different ways you can get this look, but a picture is worth a thousand words.  Check out the links and let them know I sent ya and that you love their post!!! :)  Several of you have asked about my bows recently.  Ask, and ye shall receive!!!!

The inside....

So, I thought I would give you a teaser post with the inside of the card I made for this Saturday's Card Patterns sketch challenge.  I'm doing this to cheat and end up with two (creative) posts this week ;)  It's only the 2nd or 3rd time that I've ever done the inside of a card too.  I love it when people do that.  Beate is doing it most of the time now, and many other blogs I subscribe to have cards with gorgeous insides as well, but I can't think of exactly who at the moment.  It's a nice touch but usually I don't have the time to do it - getting to sit down and stamp at all has been extremely rare so I would rather make 2 cards than spend time on the inside of one.  This card was for a friend who was retiring from the US Air Force today, after 20 years of dedicated service and sacrifice (both his own and that of his family).  So, needless to say, I kept things CAS (clean and simple) because "boys" don't really like glitter and bling, or "complicated", do they?  ;)  LOL

So, I hope you'll check back on Saturday to see what I did with the CP sketch and that you'll play along with me and the rest of the CP Design Team.  We would love to have you and all of the CP sketches created by Michelle are fabulous!!!!

All items used are SU! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps:  Congrats (SAB 2009)
Paper: Kraft and Very Vanilla CS, Patterns DSP Pack I (retired Level I Hostess item) in Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke
Ink:  Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke classic ink
Accessories:  Piercing Tool and Template