It's a Blog! A new Blog!

I've been talking to myself and decided to move. Please check out and subscribe to my new, and hopefully last, blog.  You can find it HERE.

Thanks!

Under Construction Update

Lots going on behind the scenes in my life and the blog.  Mainly my life, but  the blog too.  And it's good, as in I feel a little guilty to be having this much fun.

The "newish" blog is just about done.  Not fair to leave without a hint --  you'll see what I've been up to on April 1 .....

Blog Under Renovation

Will be back in a few weeks!

Clear and Simple Apothecary Sweets and...

Clear and Simple Stamps ran a contest and I won Apothecary Sweets, which was on my wishlist.  Seriously, my dream wish list for CSS runs to about $500.   Hmm...not going to happen. 

Clear and Simple makes the perfect stamps and dies to coordinate with gifts and food -- two of my favorite things, and items that go well with papercrafting.

I made these two cards with the set and then thought long and hard about the hobby, a hobby I still love.

First the cards --

 

The sentiments are from Technique Tuesday and WPlus9.  

 

MOOD WHEN DONE =  Decisive

I'm tired of only making greeting cards.

I'm

 

I'll be back ...

Redesigned Blog

Redesigned Use of Stamps and Dies and Ink

Thanks and Tax News (both from Waltzingmouse)

Love Waltzingmouse Big Berries:  Strawberry.  Just a peek of it looks so fresh.

How to get the shaded strawberry?  I used the MISTI.  I stamped first with a pale pink ink, and then inked up the edge of the strawberry with a darker red and restamped.  Did the same with the green stem.  If you have the $$ and are able to get the MISTI, do so!

Claire indicated that she will be having a sale soon, in part due to the mess that has been created by changes in overseas (to me) tax laws.  If you haven't already read it, her blog post here is worth a read. So many changes in the craft industry....

MOOD WHEN DONE = Cheery
HUSBAND'S COMMENT = "It's a happy card. I like it." 

Thanks

Starting off the New Year (hope 2015 is happy and healthy for all of us) with a soft thank you card.  Love the stripes combined with a swirly sentiment.

How I Made This Card:

1.  Stamped striped background with pale gray ink (MFT's Grout Gray ink is fabulous) onto white    cardstock.
2.  Stamped small flower in Versamagic Pink Grapefruit ink.
3.  Stamped sentiment in black, making sure that the twirl of the "t" ended on the center of the flower.
4.  Rubbed the Grapefruit ink on a piece of white cardstock, trimmed.
5.  Adhered Grapefruit strip to striped panel.
6.  Adhered tiny pearl.
7.  Adhered panel to white card, trimmed to 5.25" x 4" (slightly less than an A2 card).

MOOD WHEN DONE = pleased
HUSBAND'S COMMENT = "Ooh, like that little dot thing." [we call them pearls, dear....]

Stamps:  Impression Obsession Diagonal Stripes and Impress Rubber (set appears to be retired)
Cardstock:  Neenah White Solar
Ink:  Versamagic Pink Grapefruit (I use the dew drop size), My Favorite Things Grout Gray, and Ranger Archival Black
Other:  MISTI, paper trimmer, pearl, adhesive