Dear Ones cards for May

Hi there friends! It's time for more "Dear Ones" cards. This month I was determined to use a set from Papertrey Ink called Topiary Trio. I had to have it months ago and yet I still hadn't used it! This is a rarity for me - when I buy - I use LOL. But for some reason this set, which I adore, kept getting pushed to the back of my stamp bin. Anyhow, I played around with the stamps and finally decided to use just one of the little topiaries (and one pretty sentiment). I used the dies to cut out the image on white cardstock as I'd decided to stamp the stem/trunk and the container and use colored cardstock for the round leafy ball (what do you call that anyway?? - i think you know what I'm talkin about!) I used my Misti to do all the stamping - and I gotta say again here that Misti was one of the best tool purchases I've ever made. Not only did I crank out the stamping parts of these cards in no time flat - i was actually talking to my friend June (HI JUNE!) while I was stamping - something I normally cannot do. I gotta be concentrating ya know what i mean? But that Misti took all of the work (and concentrating) out of the mix and I could just chat, drink coffee, and stamp. I used the Lil Inker stitched rectangles again and the patterned paper is all from the Fine Linen Pattern Pack from Papertrey Ink. Pretty simple cards but I think they look rather elegant! And perfect for the recipients. That's all for today kids! Thanks so much for stopping by.

Somebunny is having a birthday

and that somebunny is my little sister. Her birthday is actually Wednesday but I need to get this card in the mail!
I didn't take the best picture of the card using the My Favorite Things stamp set. It's a little off center however you can see the important part - that adorable bunny image and the cute sentiment. I actually cut apart the sentiment - it was a long one piece affair and I needed to have the two parts stacked as you see it here. I watercolored - something I've never mastered but I keep trying nonetheless. And I just threw in the little flowers as I watercolored. I used that rectangle stitched mat die from Lil Inker again - I just love how it finishes things off.
Okay I gotta run to the post office. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Dear Ones cards for January/Year of Thinking of You August

Hi friends! Here's a Dear Ones card I made for this month. (Dear Ones cards are those I send to special friends/family members who I rarely get to see - they live so far away - and they're all seniors - some get out - some don't - but they all appreciate a handmade card and a little note to let them know I'm thinking of them.) I made 8 of these cards very quickly.
I used Papertrey Ink stamps (Flower Fusion #'s 4 & 7), the Linen & Canvas Impression Plate, the die from Wonderful Words: Hello and those stitched rectangles from Lil' Inker.
It's been cold and snowy here in the 'berg and I am trying to think "Spring" - hence the color palette.
That's all for today kids - stay warm where you are!
I'm editing to add that my sister-in-law liked this card so she'll be using it for the "Year of Thinking of You" cards - August edition.

Year of Thinking of you - March

Hi there - had some stuff to take care of last week but I'm back now. Today I'm sharing one of my Year of Thinking of You cards for my sister-in-law.  While I was at it I made 3 - she's taking the yellow background one and the rest will go to my stash.
I used the Hello Sunshine stamp set from Papertrey Ink. It has such lovely sentiments. I made a similar card once before but I changed things up a little this go round. And for the three cards I used different inks and cardstocks. And I also used the Lil' Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Rectangles.
Thanks for stopping by. I'll be back a few more times this week. I've got a bunch of cards to show you!

Year of Cards: December

Hello again!
So I'm almost at the finish line with my Year of Cards. Today's edition is December.
I tried to go with a winter feeling without it looking like a Christmas card. In my family, we have several Christmas birthdays (my grandfather and my cousin were born on Christmas day. there is one Christmas Eve baby, and several other December birthdays). I love red & white this time of year - candy canes, peppermints etc. I bought  Papertrey Ink's Fair Isle Motifs stamp set - sooo pretty. I went back & forth about using it as I had 8 cards to make (and that meant a lot of stamping! If you look closely at the cards pictured - I used one stamp. Stamped 6 times for each card front.) I tried out a few designs (stamping a selection of the stamps but finally decided to just use one of the large stamps). I couldn't make up my mind which orientation I wanted to do for all of the cards so I made a few of each - but each used the same sized stamped panel and the sentiment (from Birthday Classics: December) stamped on a die cut shape (Lil' Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Rectangles).
Now my Year of Cards is all caught up. I need to wait for the last in the PTI Birthday Classics series - January. It is due for release on the 15th. In the meantime, I'll pack up the cards in their boxes, create a label or belly band - still pondering packaging - and have it all ready to go for that final card.
Thanks for stopping by!

Sending a little sunshine

Hi there.
I mentioned I was away on vacation for a week. When I got home I listened to voice mail and discovered that a family friend was in the hospital. Not exactly the news you're hoping to hear when you first return home. However, a few phone calls later I was happy to find that he's in much better shape and is on the mend. I wanted to send him a little card so he knows I'm thinking of him. (I wish I could visit but it's many states away so I shall have to bombard him with cards :-))
Here's what I made this morning. I went back and forth on whether or not to include the clouds but I decided I liked it better with them. I am a little obsessed with this stamp set from PTI called Hello Sunshine. It's an oldie but a goodie and the sentiments are just so perfect. And the rays of sunshine are just so fun to play around with. I used those stitched rectangles from Lil' Inker Designs again too. The cloud dies are also PTI.
I'm hoping to get a little more stampin/scrappin time in today. While I was away I missed it so. It's good to take a break now & again but I'm so happy to be amongst (is that a word?) my stuff right now. Fingers inky and all. Have a good one!