Greetings from soggy Central Florida.  Over the last 24 hours we've had a good dose of Spring rain.  It was a bit more than we were expecting which caused us to have to drain our pool a few inches, but it's all good.  At least our roses look beautiful.

I've got a cute and simple card for you today.  Isn't that bear adorable?  He's from the Cute and Cuddly set.  I haven't decided if I am going to give this to my friend at her shower or if I will wait until the baby is born that's why I didn't put a sentiment on the card yet.  I love the soft pastel colors of the designer paper which is from the Pawsitively Prints collection.  The pink satin ribbon from the Occasions mini catalog is a perfect addition.  The button to secure the ribbon is from the Sherbet designer button collection.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Cute and Cuddly; Ink: black, copic markers; Paper: very vanilla, pawsitively prints dsp, certain celery, pretty in pink; Accessories:pink satin ribbon, sherbet designer button, cuttlebug embossing folder, scallop punch

Last Friday my husband came home from work telling me he had a surprise for me.  "You do?", I asked  "Yes", he said.  "I thought you needed it", he continued.  Oh, I LOVE surprises!  Look what he bought me...

If you've been following my blog for the last month or so you'll recall the not-so-favorable adventures I had with my previous sewing machine.  My old machine is about 10+ years old and had two stitch options.  Everything about it was old, but it still did the trick...just not very well.  The new machine?  OMG, not only is it light, but it practically sews by itself!  I feel like a pro already.  I have a lot to learn about it but I just had to use it right away.

I'm making Easter baskets for the family.  Just like the rag bag I made a week or so ago, these use the scalloped square die for the Big Shot.  I didn't want the ragged edge on these so I turned it inside out for a finished look.  I've finished my daughters but my husband's is still a work in progress.  I still have to make my son's and one for the dog (yes,the dog). Take a look:

I also made a snack pouch for when Kayla (the dog) and I go for our walks.  It only took about an hour to make and I'm really lovin' how easy this new machine makes it.  I know, for you sewing experts that have the $500+ sewing machines and years under your belt this is no big deal, but for me I feel like a ROCK STAR! 

So, why did my fabulous husband buy me this awesome machine?  I don't know...maybe he was concerned with the number of expletives coming from my mouth with the old machine, but I have a feeling it has more to do with keeping me busy so he can spend more time on the golf course. 

Works for me!

Thanks for stopping by! 

When I sort through my stash of cards, it's easy for me to find feminine looking cards but I always run into trouble when I need something masculine.  I didn't realize how often I made cards with flowers!  Today's card uses a stamp I have had for years - probably at least 7 years.  It's not from Stampin' Up! but rather PSX.  I love the detail on this image.  This card is going to my son and he loves to golf so it was an easy choice.

I kept the embellishments to a minimum knowing the post office will charge me an arm and a leg if the card is more than 1/4" thick.  In fact, I may already have a problem with the button I used, but I felt it really needed something.  The button is from the Stampin' Up! Sherbet designer button pack which has a really nice variety of styles and sizes.  If you look closely, the center of the button is not tied with thread or ribbon, but rather a thin piece of chocolate paper. It adds an unexpected element to the card.

It's a beautiful day today in Central Florida.  I'm off to do my 3-mile walk with my friend and neighbor.  Be sure to stop by tomorrow so I can show you the awesome surprise my husband gave me over the weekend!

Supplies: Stamps: Sincere Salutations, golf bag (PSX); Ink: Black, Chocolate Chip, Copic markers; Paper: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie and Welcome Neighbor DSP; Accessories: Button, Big Shot Texture plate SU Backgrounds 1, Chocolate double-stitched grosgrain ribbon.

I seem to be a trend follower these days and not a trend setter, but 'better late than never' as they say. I have been slow to post my birdhouse creations for some reason, maybe because blogland seemed to be inundated with them for awhile.  These birdhouses are popular now due to Stampin' Up!'s recent release of the milk carton die for the Big Shot.  There are some very clever ideas being posted especially with Easter looming around the corner.

My stampin' buddy, Pam, came over the other day because she took on the daunting task of making 60 of these for an upcoming luncheon.  The hostess of the luncheon wants some kind chocolate in each and put them at each place setting.  The one obstacle people keep encountering is how to make these without destroying the bird house to get to the treats.  EASY!  Look, below...I've got it all figured out:

Oh, the wonder of velcro!  A half piece of velcro works like a charm!  Now you will never have to worry about ruining your clever creation again!  The velcro remains hidden with the "roof" is closed so you'll never know it's there.  Now you can have your chocolate and eat it too!  (Sorry...couldn't resist).

Have a great weekend!
 

I swore I wasn't going to do it.  There was no way, no how.  But, the urge consumed me and I had to.  I'm talking about making none other than the...rag purse.  The rag purse, also known now as the Savannah bag was first made popular by Angie Juda.  I don't know if she realized what a firestorm she was going to create when she made her easy-to-follow video, but these bags are all the rage right now.  If you are interested in seeing the video for yourself, you can see it here.

The biggest problem I had making this purse was knowing I had to contend with my not-so-friendly sewing machine.  I've already expressed in numerous previous posts about the love-hate relationship I have with my sewing machine, but I was willing to give it a try.  It took some coaxing and a few expletives slipped out along the way, but I did it.  It's not great and there were a number of errors along the way, but for a first attempt I am more than satisfied with the results.

For those of you who may not understand the correlation between this bag and Stampin' Up!, the quilt squares are made from the Scalloped Square die and the Big Shot.  Clever, huh?  I have yet to wash the purse which will make the scallops appear more ragged.  I also didn't put a closure on it...kinda wishing I had now.  Oh well.

So there you have it...my first (and possibly my last) rag purse.

Have a great day.

Last week my son was home for Spring Break and he brought his girlfriend with him.  This was our first time meeting her so we were excited to get to know her.  They were here for 5 days which gave me lots of time to introduce her to stamping.  To my surprise she actually approached me about stamping first!  She wanted to make birthday cards for her mom and dad and I was happy to oblige.  She picked out the stamps she wanted to use based on her parent's interests.  Take a look:

This is Angela at work...isn't she a cutie?

And here are her two finished cards.  She did such an awesome job and she did them completely on her own!  I am SO proud!  She said she had a blast and wants to do it again.  Too bad she lives 1000 miles away...but she'll be back.

Have a great day.

One of my all-time favorite Stampin' Up! sets is Stipple Rose.  It's been retired for several years now, but I just can't part with it.  I pulled it out this weekend to make a card for my cousin. 

Honestly, in my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful stamps SU has ever come out with.  The detail of the roses and petals are amazing.  I love to color, so this image lends itself perfectly for that.  I also used another old-time favorite, Cheesecloth (background).  There was a time when nearly everything I created had the Cheesecloth background stamp on it somewhere! 

Thanks for letting me share a blast from the past.

Have a great day.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stipple Rose (ret), Cheesecloth (ret) and teeny tiny wishes; Ink: Black, Going Gray; Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie; Accessories: Silver Hodgepodge, Cuttlebug Dots embossing folder. Copic markers and sewing machine.

I'm starting to think that consistent blogging is not my forte...I do pretty well for awhile then something trips me up and I have to get geared up all over again.  The past few weeks have been a series of ups and downs but I'm happy to be in my craft room again.  Here's to hoping I can become a consistent blogger once again.  Thank you for your patience.

I have to take a quick moment to acknowledge a dear friend of mine who lost her battle to breast cancer a few weeks ago.  Zane (isn't that a cool name?) was such a great woman and I valued her friendship deeply.  She was often the recipient of my cards and she always made me feel like I had just created some masterpiece.  I feel so blessed to have had her in my life.  I miss her, as do the hundreds of other people who's life she touched.  Rest in Peace, my sweet friend.  If you will appease me for just one moment, please click HEREto give a free mammogram.  It could save your loved ones life.

On a happier note...

My card today is "interactive".  With a belly band and a few flips and folds, it requires the recipient to do a little work to get to your message.  So fun!  According to my notes, this fold was originated by Beth Warner, and then shared by Nancy Riley.  Thanks to both of you for sharing!

Here is a picture of the card opened:

The finished size is 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 .

Once this card was finished, I realized going forward there is one thing that I will change.  Instead of the base being 4 1/2 x 4 1/2, it should be 4 3/8 x 4 3/8.  This way it can fit into a standard A2 envelope without any additional postage.  Other than that, this card is SO easy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:

Stamps: Fundamental Phrases; Ink: Basic Black; Paper: Certain Celery, So Saffron, Whisper White and Tea Party Designer Paper; Accessories: gold brad, word window punch and flower embellishment (non SU).