tea-drinking stamper

Sometimes I like the look of subtle color, which means I use the same color ink as card stock. This card was done with Baja Breeze classic ink on Baja Breeze card stock. I did stamp and cut out the teacup from the Tea Shoppe stamp set before placing it on the doily, which was cut with the Big Shot. Products Used: Tea Shoppe stamp set (10), W 125545, $34.95; C 125547, $27.95 Parlor Prints background stamp (1), W 122525, $17.95 On Your Birthday stamp set (12), retired Baja Breeze 8½" x 11" card stock (24), 11352, $6.95 Whisper White 8½" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $8.50 Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad, 126960, $5.95 Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad, 126974, $5.95 Paper Doily Sizzlits L, 125592, $21.95

This is a card I made for my upline after her father-in-law died suddenly during the holidays while shoveling his driveway. Apparently I had it a little two high on my scanner, but you get the idea. Before I joined the Heartfelt Stampers group of demonstrators, I almost never used Stampin' Dimensionals, but now I use them all the time! They add a depth that I just love. And I'm having fun using them with the same color card stock, as I did in this card. The top layer is dry embossed with our Elegant Bouquet Folder, which I think coordinates nicely with the Bordering on Romance stamp set. I cut the label shape from the same layer using one of our Label Collection Framelits, then raised the whole thing off the card front with dimensionals. I also had fun cutting the butterflies from our new Primrose Petals Core'dinations card stock and sanding the embossed surfaces to make them stand out. I have also used this same design for a 90th birthday card using the Memorable Momen

When the spring catalog arrived from Stampin' Up!, I knew I had to have this single stamp! I kept it more simple than the sample in the catalog and I think it still looks impressive. Products Used: Just Thinking stamp (1); W 129940, $11.95 Very Vanilla 8½" x 11" card stock (40), 101650, $8.50 Midnight Muse 8½" x 11" card stock (24), 126843, $6.95 Comfort Cafe 12" x12" dble-sided Designer Series Paper (12), 126898, $10.95 Midnight Muse Classic Stampin' Pad, 126860, $5.95 Pearl Basic Jewels (150), 119247 $4.95 Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 119976, $7.95 Window Frames Collection, Framelits Dies (6), 129021, $26.95

This card went together quite quickly in spite of the careful cutting with scissors. Just a textured embossing folder (a new one from the spring catalog), some torn card stock, one stamp set, one ink and a little chalk (can't believe the pastels were dropped from our catalog). Products Used: Thoughts & Prayers stamp set (8 dbl-mounted), W 113252, $25.95; C 127805, $18.95 Whisper White 8½" x 11" card stock (40), 100730, $8.50 Bashful Blue 8½" x 11" card stock (24), 105120, $6.95 Wild Wasabi 8½" x 11" card stock (24), 108641, $6.95 Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad, 126979, $5.95 Paper Snips, 103579, $9.95 Cloudy Day Textured Embossing Folder, 127022, $7.95 Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, 113439, $99.95

I have such a need to replenish my card supply, I decided this was also a great time to use up some of my retired product. The 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog carried beautiful Designer Series Paper—Springtime Vintage—and wonderful Vintage Flower adornments. Since I have some of each in my stockpile, I decided to design a few cards around those products. This first one is a sympathy card using Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla with the Springtime Vintage dsp. I added pearls to the butterfly, the finishing touch the card needed. The second card is a feminine birthday card which I think will have to be hand delivered because of the Vintage Flower on the butterfly. I used a strip of Island Indigo cardstock behind the dsp and Island Indigo classic ink for the birthday wish. Of course, I had to use the Big Shot for both of these cards. All the butterflies were cut with the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die (114507, $21.95); the vanilla butterfly was embossed with the Lacy Brocade Textured Impr

We have certainly gotten enough snow to know it's winter! So glad my husband wasn't out of town when it came because I haven't learned how to operate the big snowblower! He's been saying it's too heavy for me and I couldn't manage it, but I think he realizes that I need to learn, since he's going to be gone a good deal of the month of January. Most of the time I just push through the snow with my car, perhaps shoveling a path down our 115-foot driveway to the mail box. But I do think snow is beautiful. I love looking out the window at the brilliant white landscape, especially when the sun shines and makes the snow sparkle. And what an inspiration for my card! If you look closely, you will see that after I embossed the white top layer, I used my Simply Scored Scoring Tool to make vertical and horizontal lines. After punching a hole with my Decorative Label punch, I stamped the snowman from the Button Buddies stamp set and then adhered the embossed and sco