Glub Glub...

I had such fun making this card! It's for my dad's birthday. (Happy Birthday Dad! I love and miss you lots. Wish we could be there to help you eat that cake!) I had asked my 6 year old what stamp set he would like for me to use on grandpa's card. He knows that dad loves to go to the boat and go fishing. He made me pull out every set that included boats, fish, and water. He had picked out three stamps from the Fishy Friends set, three from the Silly Sealife set, and three from By Sea (all of these sets are retired SU!). By this time, I was laughing at him. I told him that the card would have to be HUGE to use all of those on one card. He reluctantly chose the three from By Sea and he left me to my work. I was so happy he chose those because I knew immediately the sketch I wanted to use. I had bookmarked Jen del Muro's (i{heart}2stamp)Sketch For You To Try (SFYTT) from 5/23/09. This sketch was perfect! I markered the boat in Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry (new In-Colors avail. July 1) and Real Red, stamped it onto Whisper White and cut it out with my Circle Scissor Plus and layered it onto a Real Red circle. To create the 'waves' I cut a circle of Bermuda Bay the same size as the Whisper White and tore it into thirds. I discarded the center third and layered the remaining two, one on top of the other, sponged on some Whisper White Craft and adhered it underneath the boat. I trimmed off 3/4" from the outer edge of the Crushed Curry base card. I then cut a Whisper White layer 1/8" smaller than the base (4-1/8" x 5-3/8"), stamped the bubbles up the outer edge and adhered it to the inside, back of the base card. The rope twine was knotted on each end and then I unraveled the ends. I attached it to the card using mini glue dots. The little fish is stamped in Crushed Curry and punched in a 1" circle, layered onto a 1-1/4" Bermuda Bay circle. He is attached using Stampin' Dimensionals. I was SO pleased at the way this card turned out!! I ran outside hollering for my little one...looking for his approval...sure I'd get it! He takes one look at it and says, "That's not what I had in mind! I wanted blah, blah, blah..." Hmpht! I told him to make his own card...the stamps were still out on my desk. This coming from the kid who told me that he's not a worker, he's a player! Hmm...I still love the card and I'm sure dad will too! Which is good...cause I'm not making him another one this year.

What do you think? I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by today. Thanks to Jen for the sketch. Give one of Jen's sketches a try. They are always terrific!

Hugs,

~Leslee~

Razzle Dazzle Lemonade

This is my submission for this week's Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS. You can see the challenge HERE and see Christy's fabulous gallery HERE! This is the card I chose to case Elegant Paris.

This is the first chance that I've been able to break out my new goodies and play! I really am loving the Razzleberry Lemonade DSP (you'll be able to purchase it on July 1st). I'm hoping to use more than one print on a card at a time. I see so many talented ladies combining papers and I'm so envious. I really struggle with combining the papers together. Even though Stampin' Up! makes it so easy to coordinate them, that's really something I need more work on. I think that this will be the perfect package of paper to start with!

The stamp sets are new and will be available July 1st too. The main focal image and all flowers are in the Razzle Dazzle set. The "Happy Birthday" sentiment is in the Teeny Tiny Wishes. The Teeny Tiny Wishes set is a must have for everyone. It has a little bit of everything and it all works perfectly with several of the punches that SU! offers. The colors are Crushed Curry and Rich Razzleberry, both new In-colors (avail. July 1), along with Whisper White. Here are a couple of close ups...

I've been hoarding these little jem stones for some time now. You can achieve the same look by popping out the rhinestone from the back of SU!'s rhinestone brads. By doing so, you cut down on a lot of the bulk that a brad would add to your card. Just adhere them with a mini glue dot. I pierced the few holes in the 'crown' of the focal image...just for fun!

Thanks for stopping by today. Thanks Christy...you have a super fun gallery! I hope you check out Christy's gallery and play along with the Featured Stamper Challenge. It's always some great inspiration.

Hugs ~Leslee~

Happy Father's Day!!!

Anyone who knows my wonderful husband knows that this is the perfect Father's Day card for him! These are the elements that surround him each day...with the exception of the smile on his face and the heart sign in his hand.


I was going through my retired and much neglected stamp sets. You know, the ones we just can't get rid of because they hold some sort of deeper meaning to us. Well, this Little Trucks set is one of them. This was one of the first sets I purchased from Stampin' Up! many years ago. My boys were both small and they were thrilled that mama got a set with "beepbeeps", a "concreek" truck, and a dump truck! That's what daddy does! As the boys got older and it was no longer a "beepbeep" but an excavator, I used the set less and less. Well, daddy still does all this and I thought Father's Day was the perfect time to ink the set up again.
Once again, I used the layout from this week's CAS challenge. It's such a quick and easy layout to use. And, as I said in a previous post, the possiblities are endless! The card base is Sahara Sand. I left the lined images stamped only in Close to Cocoa and not colored in. I inked the little man up in Jet Black StazOn and colored him in with markers. By coloring him, it allows him to be the focal point along with the sentiment also stamped in Jet Black. The sentiment is from a new catalog set called Teeny Tiny Wishes. (I can't wait to show you the new catalog!) I paper pierced two lines under the sentiment and distressed the edges of both layers (Whisper White & Basic Black) using my distressing tool on the cutter kit. I, also, added a bit of ink distressing to the Whisper White layer - just to make it look a little dirty. That's how daddy comes home most everyday!

This next card was done using scraps of card stock I had sitting around on my desk. Whisper White, Basic Black, Sage Shadow, Perfect Plum, and So Saffron all layered onto a Kraft card base. The sentiment is found in All Holidays. I did the Poppin' Pastel technique to color the image. I simply inked my stamp up with VersaMark. Then I took the pastel color of choice on a sponge dauber and tapped it onto the image where I wanted it. Finally, I stamped it onto a scrap of white. It's a soft look to the image. I finished the card off with brass brads. A great scrappy card with a very masculine feel.

This card went to the other wonderful man in my life...my dad! Thanks for everything!

I hope you and your family have a fabulous Father's Day! Enjoy the time spent together!

Thanks for stopping in today. Come again soon.

~Leslee~

Simply Awesome!

That's what these cards are...simply awesome! These were done for this week's CAS challenge on SCS. You can see the challenge HERE. It was more of a sketch challenge this week. The original layout was done on a square card, but as I've said in earlier posts, I don't do too many odd sized cards. These are standard A2 cards. Pretty much any layout can be altered to fit any size card or scrap page that you desire. These cards took all of 10 minutes to make. Literally! I started with a piece of Whisper White card stock (cut to 4-1/4" x 3"). I chose the lined image flower from Little Layers Plus (I still had it out on my desk from a previous card). I inked it once and stamped it three times. This is called generation stamping. Each stamp is a little lighter than the last. I then stamped the sentiment in Basic Black Craft ink and embossed it with black embossing powder. I like the way the embossing makes the sentiment stand out amongst the images. I stamped one image on scrap paper and cut it out, placed a black brad in the center, a snippet of ribbon and popped it up on a Stampin' Dimensional. The fact that it has the brad and is popped makes it stand out amongst all other images. I layered the white panel on Basic Black cut 1/4" larger than the white. Then mounted it all, again with dimensionals, onto the base card which is the same color as the stamped image (in this case, Summer Sun & Ruby Red).

I so loved this quick and easy layout, I simply couldn't stop there! I did this graduation card too! It's in Night of Navy, with a Brushed Silver layer.

This would be GREAT for mass production! And, ohh, the possiblities are endless!

Quick Note: Don't over stamp your image. Too many images on the small layer makes your sentiment and popped image disappear. In this case, less is more.

Thanks for checking in today. I'm so glad you did. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. I hope you'll give this layout a try. It's super fun!!!

~Leslee~

Happily Ever After...

I'm finally getting around to playing along with the Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS. This weekly challenge allows us to browse through a featured stamper's gallery and CASE one (or more) of their cards. This week's stamper is Sumtoy. You can check out the challenge deets HERE and see Sumtoy's gallery HERE. This is the card I chose to CASE - Green and Silver Cake We are encouraged to make a few changes to our card. I decided to change up the ribbon and its placement. I added a sentiment and changed the color. I've been wanting to emboss DSP with my Big Shot and lightly sand the raised embossed areas. This card inspired me to give it a try! I used a piece of Flowers For You DSP (yes, I'm still trying to use up the old stuff) and the Texturz Background 1. I then wanted to heat emboss the raised embossed design but it didn't turn out like I had imagined. I 'thought' I was lightly dragging my VersaMark pad across the embossed design but when I added the clear embossing powder, I clearly was mistaken. The entire piece of DSP was coated and, therefore, embossed. I like how it turned out though. It has a certain shine and shimmer to it that, irl, is pleasing to the eye. The sentiment from the retired Fancy Flexible Phrases was inked in Lovely Lilac and stamped on Whisper White. I punched the sentiment with the Scallop square punch and layered it onto a 1-3/8 square of Lovely Lilac. The silver brads are the finishing touch.


I hope the couple receiving this card will be blessed with a lifetime of love and happiness. Just like I have been!


Thanks for stopping in. I hope you've been inspired to try that something that you've been wanting to try. It may not turn out just as you had planned but it might just look fabulous anyhow!


Hugs~ Leslee~

Congratulations...

...it's a completed color challenge. I was in need of a graduation card and FAST! So, naturally, I turned to SCS for some inspiration. This week's color challenge CC223 is to use Baja Breeze, Ruby Red and Whisper White. Perfect! The first paper that came to mind was the Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP. I took one look at the clouds and knew I had to use it. Grad hats flying in the air and, well, the sky's the limit! There! I had my inside sentiment (which I printed from my ink jet printer onto card stock). The sky's the limit! I dug out the only graduation stamp I had...a grad hat in the old, long retired Little Layers Plus set. A little layer of Ruby Red, some Baja Breeze satin ribbon from the Valet Ribbon Originals on a Whisper White card base, a couple of Baja Breeze grad hats and the congratulations sentiment inked in Ruby Red. It's done!

I don't normally make odd sized cards but, like I said, it had to be fast. I folded a 6" x 6" pc. of Whisper White in half. The finished size of 3" x 6" is perfect for holding money or a personal check.

Quick note: When I stamped my sentiment onto the textured specialty DSP, it left small white spots in the stamped image. Because of the texture, the stamp didn't get a good flush contact with the paper. To eliminate those white spots, I used the small detail tip of the Ruby Red marker to color in the spots.

Thanks for stopping by today. Come back soon! Remember, the sky's the limit to your creativity!

~Leslee~

TEN!

Jess has turned ten. Ten!! I can't believe just how quickly time has gone. He says that he's "too old for theme parties"! He's "too old for playing with play dough"! He's too big to play with blocks and Tonka trucks. Hmm...to hear him talk, by the time he's 18, he'll be too old to get his own place...we'll just move him into assisted living! Ha! I don't want him to grow up too fast! There is so much yet for him to experience. Of course, at ten, you can't tell him anything. It's all so exciting for me to see him growing up. Anyway, enough or I'll have myself in tears...again!

So....I created him a card with a much more 'grown up' feel to it. No kiddy images for him to scoff at! Simple, sweet and to the point! Happy Birthday to you! The sentiment is from Birthday Wish (which will NOT be retiring...only on the dormant list). The cute, I mean, grown up cupcake is found in the Wagon Full of Fun set in the Occasions Mini catty. I love this cupcake! I've embossed it in black, colored it with markers and added Crystal Effects to the frosted top and the candle flame. Very cool!

The other cool thing about this card is the fact that I've managed to use up more of the old retired designer series paper that I seem to be collecting over the course of the last 5 or so years. Same can be said for the diamond shape brads that I've been hoarding. The brads mimic the pattern of the paper. The DSP is so old that I've done forgotten the name. I can tell you it is SU! though. I've also used Sahara Sand and Buckaroo Blue card stock.

What do you think? Did I achieve 'grown up'? Comments are always welcome.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are inspired to stay young!!!

~Leslee~

Last of the Teachers' Gifts....

....for this year any way.

This set is for Adam's teachers. He has two (kindergarten also has a para educator). Adam had only one request, that I do the set in purple because that is Mrs. Anderson's favorite color. Since they both work together with one common cause...our children...I've combined their gift. Of course, they each get their own chocolates. Sharing chocolate is difficult for anyone to do!

I really wanted to get a bunch of ABC stickers from the Teacher's Store but I went out there and the store isn't there anymore. Hmm...not fair! So, I checked Wal-mart, Target and Office Max and didn't find what I was looking for. And, now, I've run out of time. So, I ended up making a boxed set of Thank You cards, which I know they will both use. This set was quite easy to make. Actually, there are two different sets of four. You can see the first set in this post HERE. The second set (shown on top) uses the retired Friendship Blooms and the retired Warmest Regards set. A quick scallop edge and some retired Flowers For You Designer Series paper. The box itself was created by following this box tutorial on SCS. The lid is made using a sheet of Medium Clear Window Sheets. I've, again, used Love & Happiness Rub-ons on the box lid. The rub-ons just tie the entire gift set together.

The votive holder, also, is decorated with the rub-ons. The grosgrain ribbon is recycled from a baby shower I recently attended. I love that kind of find! I've simply used a Designer Filigree brad with a clear rhinestone brad center to hold the ribbon together. Gorgeous treatment!

As for the card, I used the layout from last week's Sketch Challenge #232. The sentiment is a rub-on from Love & Happiness. I've finally used some of the flower eyelets that SU! carried long ago. Flowers For You DSP and, of course, paper piercing along the edges of the base layer and the sentiment layer. This was a fun layout to use!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! It's the last day of school for my boys. We intend to have a fun filled summer. Keeping in mind that they come first, I still hope to get lots of stamping done. I find that they are a great source of inspiration to me. So is the time we spend outdoors. God has a way of inspiring me...his work is all around me!
Speaking of which, He has blessed me and my family so deeply...it is unmeasurable! This was a great school year for all of us. The boys have grown so much in so many ways. A big thanks to all the teachers. God knew what he was doing when he paired us with you. And He has blessed you all with a special gift. You've touched our lives and have changed us for a lifetime!! May God continue to bless you and your lives!

I'll be playing catch up all week. So check back soon. I have lots to post.
~Leslee~

Another teachers' gift

Wow! Last week was one extremely busy week! Besides being up at the school for Kindergarten Celebration, PTA stuff, inventory in the library, classroom ice cream parties, and Jesse's birthday and all that goes with it, I did lots of stamping and creating so I will have lots to show you this week!

I'll start by showing you another teachers' gift project. They are all about the same with the exception of color combos and the card. Click here to see the first set.

This is the set I did for Jesse's base school teacher.

Jesse requested that I do her set in green (that's her favorite color). When the boy's make a request, I do my best to accommodate! It worked out great...I was able to use up some of the retiring In-Colors and Designer Series papers. For this set, I used Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red and Whisper White. The DSP is Raspberry Tart (which I found difficult to use on cards - love it in this set though!). Again, I used the Love & Happiness Rub-ons (long retired). The Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla satin ribbon is lovely! I hated to use it (yes, I'm a ribbon hoarder too) but it was perfect for this project.

The card was quick and simple. The sentiment is a rub-on. The flourish is embossed using white embossing powder and the Priceless set. Don't be afraid to stamp right onto the designer paper. It really looks great! Check out the button treatment. I've thread the satin ribbon up through the slot punched in the card stock. The linen thread is then around the ribbon and thread through the button, holding it all together. I love this simple treatment!

I know that Jess was excited to give Mrs. Hays her gift and he said that she really liked it. He really enjoyed school this year. And that's important! Teachers are given a gift from God. And when one touches your life, it will change you for a lifetime! Thank you to all the teachers out there! You are super!!!

Check back tomorrow with the last teachers' gift project. Adam forgot to take it with him to school today (okay...I forgot to hand it to him as we were running out the door for the bus). Tomorrow is the last day of school! Yay!

May you find inspiration everywhere!

~Leslee~

Never too old for a theme...

One might think by my lack of blog posting that I've been missing in action. That's not the case. I've just been extremely busy with end-of-the-year school stuff. I've made a list of all the cards and projects that I must get done in the next few days/weeks and, by the looks of it, I should have plenty to post in the coming weeks. Well, on with what I have completed...
Jess is turning ten this week! I can't believe how quickly time has passed. He wants to have a few friends over for a 'sleep over'. (I made the mistake of calling it a 'slumber party' and was quickly corrected!) I was informed that he is "too old for theme parties now". Hmm...I'm all about the theme deal. From invites, to party favors, games...the cake! What's a mother to do? You know me...I'll slip it in there somehow! This is what I came up with. A sleeping bag invite! It's a simple pocket card done in retired True Thyme card stock. I sponged on some VersaMark to give it a distressed sleeping bag look. The edges are distressed and the front is rolled down and pulled back to make the bag look opened. The gingham DSP is K&Company's Forest Gingham Print that I found at the local scrapbook store. The awesome big brad is BoBunny iCandy (also found at the local store). They just seemed to fit with the masculine feel of the invites. 'Please Come' sentiment is from the long retired Fancy Flexible Phrases (it's a favorite of mine). The invite insert has the info. printed on copy paper and adhered to Whisper White card stock. The pillow is the 'pull tab'. It is simply a rectangle of retired River Rock card stock. I crumpled it to give it a more slept on look. The stitching is done with a white gel pen on a strip of card stock with the edge distressed and then adhered to the pillow. You can click on the picture to make it larger.

Jesse likes the invites. I think they fit well with the 'theme' of his sleep over! What do you think? I told you'd I'd slip a theme in there somehow. Now I need to think of a cake....hmm...I'll need to sleep on that one!

Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you did. Have a blessed day!

~Leslee~

Teacher Gifts

The school year is quickly coming to a close...yay! The boys have been busy with their studies and I've been thinking about making end of the year goodies for their teachers. Note the word "thinking"! Last night, Jess told me that today will be the last day for his extend classes. So, I had to quickly stop "thinking" about it and get it done!

Here is the set I came up with...

Do you love it? I do. And Jess really liked it. I'm sure Mrs. S. will too.

I love the idea of giving usable gifts. Teachers get so many knick knacky sort of things and, while it's not that they don't love it or appreciate it, they just run out of room to display all these gifts. The boys and I decided to give dry erase markers (an item that teachers themselves would generally purchase for use and is used all throughout the year). We picked out these cute glass jars (under a buck at the local Wal-Mart). It can be used as a vase or candle holder (I found it in the candle section). I decorated the jar using the retired Love & Happiness rub-ons. Wrapped a length of Old Olive grosgrain ribbon around the neck and created a cheater kind of bow. It's actually a loop of ribbon with the big 5/8" Very Vanilla brad pinching the center together. The 'tails' are simply adhered with a pop up glue dot. Yes...I really cheated on this one! And check out the rub-on flower on the brad. Pretty cool, huh? Of course, the tag uses the same rub-ons too! So does the card. As a matter of fact, there is no stamping on this card at all! A very simple card. Pink Pirouette base, a strip of eyelet border punched Whisper White with a strip of Bella Rose DSP. The sentiment was rubbed onto a square of Whisper White and layered onto Old Olive (same color as the rub-ons). I used additional rub-on images and placed them so that they would run off the layers. A really neat effect. Don't forget a rub-on on the envelope too! It's the extra added touch!

You can see how I did the little box of chocolates in this post. Again, by wrapping the individual chocolates, you give it an added special touch! It doesn't take long, or much, to make someone feel truly special!

I can't wait to hear how Mrs. S. liked her gift set! I can't wait to hear what you think of it! Your comments are always welcome. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've been inspired to use some of those rub-ons you've been hoarding. I'm guilty too! Have a great day!

~Leslee~

Happiness is...

actually getting to stamp and loving how it turns out!
Yes, it seems like awhile since I've been able to just sit and stamp and get a card completed in that one sitting. Of course, this card was created for this week's SCS CAS Challenge. Click HERE to see the challenge/rules. CAS stands for Clean & Simple and that is what this card is...simple!

This week was an inspiration challenge. I chose this beach towel for my inspiration. Can you see the resemblance? It also inspired me to pull out a long neglected stamp set, Pick A Petal. I have always had a difficult time using this set. I started with the Green Galore base, which I still had on my desk from this post. I stamped the outlined petal in Regal Rose on scraps of Whisper White and cut around each petal. This really took no time at all. I punched a 1-1/4" circle from some Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper (this will be retiring) and applied it center of the petals. The 'Happiness' sentiment is from Heard From the Heart set. I simply markered the word in Basic Black and used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to get exact placement. The lower corner was left a bit bare, so I added the two buttons. Note the button treatment. I had read somewhere that no button should go naked. I find that is a matter of personal preference. I had also read somewhere to use a thin strip of paper to thread through your button holes. Well, I just so happened to have a strip of scrap on my desk (same DSP as the flower center). I thread it through the holes and left the tails to run off the side of the card. It fills up that bare space very nicely. I like the look! Let me know what you think.

On a personal note, my grandmother gets to return home today. After spending 3 months in a rehab facility, she gets to go home! Congrats to grandma K! I think I'll send this card to her!

See, inspiration really can be found everywhere! Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you've been inspired.

~Leslee~

The Winner is....

Kerrie Campbell!

Kerrie's winning entry in the Last Chance Pick 10! yielded only two correct picks but it was one more than any one else! She won the stamp sets Darling Dots and Sweet Little Sentiments. Congratulations to Kerrie!

Thanks to everyone who entered! You all will receive $5 off your first order of $50 or more from the new 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog. What a great way to start a new catalog!

Let's play again next year! This was a lot of fun!

As for my picks, I didn't do so well. Out of the 54 sets I chose, only 21 of them were actually on the Last Chance list. Of course, there were 99 total on the list. So, you do the math...I didn't do so well! But, I had fun! I realized that what I thought should go certainly isn't what Stampin' Up! thinks.

You can check out the Last Chance list by clicking HERE! And HERE for the Last Chance Decor Elements list. This link will take you directly to the customer website Last Chance items. Some items are as much as 50% off. Check it out. Accessories are available only while supplies last so don't wait to order.

I am going to miss Heartfelt Thanks! This was one of the first sets I purchased and it is an all-time favorite of mine. So, here are just a few of the cards I've made using this set.

For the above card, I applied Watercolor Wonder Crayons directly to the stamp, misted with water and stamped onto paper. I also used the Watercolor Joy wheel up the side.For this one, I embossed the flower in white embossing powder on Basic Black card stock. I then colored over the embossing using my blender pen and Stampin' Pastels. This is a personal favorite card!

This one, I mass produced for a sideline swap. I used the rock-n-roll technique on the solid flower. Then stamped the outline flower repeatedly (stamping off) to create a soft background. I placed a mini glue dot in the flower center and covered it with glitter. An easy card to do.

Thanks for stopping by today. Sorry I didn't post sooner. I was having computer issues. By the time the boys got home from school, I had all but given up. Anyway, I think the kinks are worked out now (keeping fingers crossed).

Let me know what you think about the Last Chance list. Agree...disagree? Just can't wait for the new catty now?

~Leslee~