Tote-ally Tess

Maybe you can tell that I was inspired by my recent visit to a Andy Warhol exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. We have a couple that we like to hang with so we take turns planning the events and this was the last one. I had never been the the museum in Atlanta as I grew up on the "other side of the tracks." What fun, but I have to admit our husbands were more enthusiastic about lunch!

Party This Way

Another FREE set for me. It was one of the ones you could have gotten free with your Sale-a-Bration rewards. I haven't had it long so I "borrowed" a card to show here. Very simple and clean. Just my style.

Creating Pretty Cards - Challenge #10

Don't faint or fall out, this is the 3rd post for today! I am so far ahead that I will have to be double posting for challenges and since I am doing two today, I have 3 posts. When you play with Craft Project Central's challenges you have a chance to win a month's worth of projects. So, there is immediate gratification if your card is chosen. Today the challenge is a sketch. I have to admit, that my card is very literal to the challenge!

Who says I can't be literal?

CCMC 199

This week we have a color challenge to play with. Now these are colors that I probably never would have put together but I have persevered and made a cute card with them. See the blog here for their challenge.

I used Paisley Petals DSP for the dress and the sash is Sahara Sand. The card and background are the Night of Navy and Peach Parfait. I have been seeing these little dress cards and decided to make one. Get the pattern here.

Sweet Centers

This is one of the FREE sets that Stampin' Up! gave to its demonstrators a few years ago just because they love us. I have mostly only made the Halloween  cards with it so I am showing a different today.  This one came from SCS.

Loads of Love & Accessories

I have a friend who has loved this stamp set since she laid eyes on it and I am so glad that I can give it to her now. She has refused to take it so many times and said only when it retired. She has an antique red truck like this one and has used this set for Christmas cards. OK Theresa, it is now yours! Enjoy it as I have!

Take a Spin

What a fun set! I made lots of cards with this one and I just happened to need a few cards for some co-workers that I will not get to be with much longer as my job has changed. They gave me a great breakfast and a beautiful Sun Coleus for the yard so I made a few cards for them using this set.

Messages for Mom

This card is a perfect example of one that started one way and ended differently. Anyway, it turned out pretty. Mom, this one is for you. I am submitting this card to the Paper Players for their mother's day challenge. Nothing fancy but easy to duplicate!

I (Heart) Hearts

I am saying Goodbye to this cute set of hearts by casing the current catalog sample. It is so cute and their ideas are always great. This is a little 3 x 3 card that will be great as a package insert or gift card.

CCMC 198 A Sketch

OK, so it may seem weird that I chose to do this sketch in a Christmas theme when it is obviously April but I am in the middle of showing the retiring sets that I own and since I am doing them in the order they are shown in the catalog, well what can I say? I was in the Christmas section! This is the set I used for my Christmas cards this year and so it has a lot of meaning for me. Love that silhouette and vintage look of this set.

2 sets on 1 Card

Now the only way I will be able to show all my retiring sets is to combine a few so here is the 1st 2 set card. It features the Winter Post and the Four the Holidays. I am drawn to the vintage stamps so this one will really be missed by me!

Studio Sketches

This set is very formal for me but the coloring is not too fussy so I do like that. I used the pears because of the In Color Pear Pizaazz. Enjoy!

Batty for You

While I was pulling this stamp set to make a card and unsure which image to use a spider crawled upon my desk. Now my studio is in the basement so I get lots of creepy crawlies from time to time. So, guess which stamp I used...of course, the spider.

Dark & Dreary

Since I have had a few days to play with the newly retired stamp sets I have decided to make a card and post them as they show up in the catalog. So that means, the fall and winter holidays will be first. I have gotten my ideas from SCS for the most part and I hope they don't mind if I cannot name the creators. I have tried to make a few minor changes to each one but why bother with perfection!

This one uses some retired DSP to match the newly retired stamp set. I love the focal point image on this card. I have used it bunches.

Pocket Silhouettes

I did another card using Pocket Silhouettes here. I found a similar one on a challenge blog and made a few changes to make it my own. I was quick, easy and clean and simple. As promised, this is one of the retiring sets.

Another Quick Card

Ok, so I was making this card as a women's birthday card but as I am re-looking at it I am also rethinking it. Nothing says this card cannot be masculine. There are no ribbons, bows or frills so I am going to call it gender neutral.  This one was made with the Card Caring Sisters too.
Well, this one is retiring too.

Simple Masculine Card

My friends at church helped me make this card for our Card Caring Sisters club. We met this week to make cards and discuss the book, Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. We always make and send out birthday and anniversary cards to all the adults in our church. We save time by combining it with book discussions. I also use this get together to use up retired products.
This is the 1st of my retirement cards. The list is quite extensive, I hope I do not own them all!!!

Retired List is Here!

Click or copy and paste this link to see and be able to print the new retired list of stamps.  

http://204.228.150.61/docs/lastchance/en-US/RetiredStamps_0412_en-US.pdf

With the posting of the retirement list I am going to challenge myself to use everyone of the retiring stamp sets that I own and so say goodbye to them all in style! Watch for the 1st installment tomorrow.

Creating with Connie and Mary CCMC197

 

 The old adage goes something like this "imitation is the greatest form of flattery." If so, then Mary, this is for you. I went back to your blog and scrolled to the beginning (p. 81) and found this card and decided it would do well for the challenge this week.  I love this stamp set, Inspired by Nature but I struggle to make great cards with it. Thanks for the inspiration Mary Brown.

Yikes! This one is retiring!

Retirement List Posting

THE STAMPIN' UP! RETIRED STAMP LIST WILL BE RELEASED TOMORROW (4/15)!   I'll post the list on my Judi's Cuties blog when it becomes available.  Retiring stamps will be available for purchase through May 31, 2012.


The Retired Accessories/Décor Elements Lists will be released on April 25, 2012.  Retiring accessories and Stampin' Up! Décor Elements (this line is being discontinued) will only be available while supplies last.  BE SURE TO ORDER EARLY!

PLEASE REMEMBER that the Stampin' Up! 2012-2013 Annual Catalog will be released June 1, 2012, a month earlier than in the past.

ALSO, PLEASE NOTE  the Simply Adorned Jewelry line and the Decor Elements are being discontinued and will not be back. If you like these, order early!

Cute Gift Bags for Party

Another great idea from Stampin' Up! These would be great for weddings, parties, Mother's Day or scout events!
Party Favor Bags

Stamps

Betsy's Blossoms Set
Layered Labels Set Paper
Daffodil Delight Card Stock
Pool Party Card Stock
Whisper White Card Stock
Ink
Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad
Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad
Primrose Petals Classic Stampin' Pad
Accessories & Tools
Daffodil Delight 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Rhinestone Basic Jewels
Large Oval Punch
Scallop Oval Punch
Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack
Big Shot
Blossom Party Originals Die
Sewing machine and thread
White fabric

Beauty Is Everywhere

On the front of the Stampin' Success that demonstrators get every month is a beautiful paper project. This month it is this lovely cake. Woundn't it make a pretty centerpiece for a shower or party? I am including the very simple instructions to make these flowers. You could add them to a real cake or make a paper cake or maybe even a diaper cake.

Cake Flowers Paper More Mustard Card Stock Pool Party Card Stock Primrose Petals Card Stock So Saffron Card Stock Accessories & Tools Daffodil Delight 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon Blossom Petals Punch

Sympathy Card

This is a card that no one ever wants to make but is very needed for your church family members and other loved friends and neighbors. As we all age and the world population in general is aging we made need more and more of these. I saw this one on Robin's blog and set about to CASE it. Now that I am looking at it not at bedtime I can see that I stamped on the DSP upside down! Oh well, as my one friend often says, "Perfect is Yucky." The overall effect is the same either way you look at it.

Card Caring Sisters

I have had a few questions recently about my little group called "The Card Caring Sisters." This is what we call the little group of ladies that makes and sends out cards for all the birthdays and anniversaries at our church. Each month we get together and make handmade cards and sign them and the we divide the stacks so that we all have a stack to mail. I usually design the cards and I keep them quite simple so as not to overwhelm anyone or have them take too long to make.  This is an example of one we made a few months ago. Usually, when we make them, we make 30-50 of one design so that they last a while. We have to make feminine and masculine birthday cards and most of the anniversary cards are floral or I use a lot of background stamps. This is also a great way to use retired card stock, ink and papers.  Also, since most of us read, we use the time to do a specific book discussion each month. This month we are discussing Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo. We meet at 6:30 PM at the Burnt Hickory church of Christ on the 1st Thursday of the month (except on holidays and spring break)! Feel free to drop by and join us. Our next meeting will be this Thursday, April 11th (due to spring break).

The Jelly Bean Prayer

I led my 5th and 6th graders to make this project on Easter Sunday after studying the resurrection story this week. They love doing things like this and especially love anything with food! We used the little cellophane bags and I made a file for the poem. I found that the best source of the candy was in the grocery store as they have all the colors and black!

"Case"ing Myself

I cased myself for this card and made a simple color change to be able to play with the Pals Paper Arts challenge this week. I used the Packed for Baby stamp and words from the computer for this card. The colors are Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Chocolate Chip.

3-D Gift

I love making little gifts for my friends and surprising them with the little things. After all, isn't the little things that endear people to us? So, I made this little cuties using one of the great framelits. Now I saw the idea elsewhere? and don't remember where (sorry). But, I made a few changes to make it my own. I added the smarties candies into one of the great 1" mini bags that Stampin' UP! offered. It turned out really cute!

Pretty Layers

I was inspired by Pals Paper Arts challenge to make this card although I totally missed the challenge cut-off. I liked the sketch so I played by myself and this is what I came up with. First, the sketch, then my card.

I used the colors of the DSP to inspire me for this one.

Leaving Winter Behind

It is official...Easter is here and we have definitely left winter behind here in Georgia. We have had some 15 days of 80 degree days since March 1st! I love the warm weather but am not ready for the A/C yet! I was inspired by Connie and the Tour de Freaks to make this little bunny card. Her card shows the bunny front and my is his behind. Happy Easter ya"ll!

How about an Easter Dove?

This card uses a new a' la carte stamp called Easter Dove. I wanted something springy for this card and this was the most spring paper I could find in my stash the other night. It is from the Pocketful of Posies DSP. I used the colors of Daffodil Delight and Rich Razzleberry for the basics of the card. I wanted a bigger dove so I punched mine using the Bird Builder punch and embossing the pieces of the bird. I love this flat bow and it is so easy to make.

Happiest Birthday Video Card

Another great video card from Stampin' Up! You gotta love it when they make these for us! Click here for the complete video.

Word Play - Think Spring

I almost cased verbatim this card by Karen Barber. She is an artist and quite the top performer with Stampin' Up! so her cards are never slack! I made a couple of minor changes but the idea was all hers. I used the Bordering on Romance stamp set on the butterfly and the Word Play for the sentiment. The colors you see are Pool Party and Island Indigo (makes me want to go to the Caribbean). I love these double bows now that I can make them so quickly and easily.

CCMC 195 - A Color Challenge

I have been really busy doing yard work and Sale-a-Bration and stuff like that so I have not had time to play in quite a while. I am actually making this card at 4 AM on a day when I woke up way too early! So, I looked at the colors, my DSP and a sketch from Leadership and this is what you get.

A lot of layers using the wonderful blossom punch and the blossom builders kit from the current mini. Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day!

He is Risen

I am using the same stamp as yesterday to show another card that looks totally different. This one also features the stamp set Bordering on Romance. It is very simple and that is just the way I like them. I used Rose Red, Baja Breeze and Whisper White with some water coloring. I masked the dove so I could add a little color to the center stamp.