Someone Is In Need of A Card This Holiday

As I was stamping with a group of lovely gals yesterday I reminded them to please mail out their cards ~  to friends, associates, neighbors ...

And then in today's email I received an update from a stamper/crafter about an annual collection of holiday cards for nursing/rehab center residents. I want to pass the info along in case you should have extra cards OR in case you would like to create a few just for this cause.

Please visit www.lingshappyplace.blogspot.com and click on the 2016 Caring Hearts Card Drive. The details are all there. Cards will be accepted through November 25 ~ that should be plenty of time to make a card or two.

Do you need ideas for cards? Ideas abound in so many places; such as my card classes. Perhaps you are not close enough to attend, and if that's the case, I am happy to share with you any and all of my cards. Most ideas are not entirely original ~ I search Pinterest for many and I visit the blogs and sites of other stampers.

If you do not necessarily need a template to follow, but just need a jumping off place, check out
www.merrymondaychristmaschallenge.blogspot.com. Each week there is a prompt for a holiday card; this week's prompt is to create a card (holiday) that includes a bird. The site's artists will show you their cards for inspiration. You may join the challenge yourself and link your card to their site. Try it! You don't have to link it if you don't want, but try the challenge. Can you create a Christmas card featuring a bird? Sure you can.

Another great place to gather card design ideas? Paper Pumpkin by Stampin' Up! Although this month's design is inspired by autumn's leaves, next month's could easily be Christmas. Whatever the design, the kit usually makes six or more cards, often with pieces of leftover materials. If you subscribe to Paper Pumpkin, you may purchase kit refills, if available ~ more cards!! There's more Paper Pumpkin info on my site - I even have a button for it - see it?

Create those cards - share those cards.

Let's stamp!

Mail out those cards!

So, please tell me that you have stamps, postage stamps.  Good.

When I would make thank you cards in my class and club with my upline I would laugh and comment that I didn't have any friends so I  never needed thank you notes. It got a laugh and then we all agreed that I had lots of friends.

And I do have many, many friends, for which I am so thankful.  And I feel sure that you do, too.

Fortunately, Stampin'Up! has provided me with  wonderful friends ~ another perk of being involved with such a terrific company and creative business.

I consider my stampers my friends, my church circle ladies, my former work volunteers, my neighbors, my cool family members.  And they are in addition to those fabulous gals and guys that I  share all of my life with ~ you know who you are!

Perhaps you are not in the habit of sending out notes to your friends unless there is a specific reason. You may be in the habit of making a special trip out to find special event greeting cards.

I  admit that when it comes to special occasions, I  like to create a card just for that occasion and that person.  But it is so nice to have some lovely notes on hand for whenever needed.

If you have notes on hand, if you have a pile of finished stamped cards  ~ use them! Mail them!

If by chance you mail out to every  friend you can name and still have cards ~ think of the so many folks out there who would love to receive happy mail: deployed military, senior living residents,  inmates, hospitalized children and patients, veterans...

At a recent Stampin' Up! BINGO we took time out between games and make & takes to address cards to cancer patients - our hostess had created a list of patients and a few details. The cards were samples and swaps that otherwise would have piled up and collected dust. This is a great idea for any gathering.

Who wouldn't want to receive a card in their mailbox , especially one created by you?

Got stamps? Postage stamps, I mean

So, why don't you want to try stamping?

I  am not creative 

I don't want to buy supplies

I don't want to store supplies

I don't have time

I  don't have anyone to send cards to

Everyone emails

And the best: Stamps cost 50 cents!

Seriously? Fifty cents would keep you from sending someone a card? Speaking just for myself,  I  am definitely worth fifty cents! 

I  will admit that there were times when I  did not have stamps in my wallet and it was a pain to go to the post office for just one stamp, and why buy a book of stamps when you only need one or two?

Seldom am I without stamps now; I  run out, but not for long.

A funny story  - I  recently went to the post office to mail a package and buy stamps. When I  asked for a book I  was simply handed a book, not asked what design  I wanted or was even shown the available designs. When I  peeled off the first stamp, the stamps were pets ~ puppy, kitty,  iguana, armadillo! I tried hard to skip over the worst pets, so sorry if you were less than thrilled with the stamp on your last card from me. I  even tried  to return them - I  was told, 'sorry, we can't exchange them; use them on your bills.'

So,  what's in your wallet? Stamps?

If you need a stamp, email me and I will send you one, a pretty one, too  - unless you want a guinea pig.

Anyway - please don't let stamps be the reason you do not make and mail cards.

And if you think you don't  have anyone to send cards to - check back here tomorrow. 

Down, down: yellow and brown ...

I think I really do love everything about autumn ~ wait, now that I say that, I do not love hurricanes and this is when we usually get hit. I will never forget Isabel!

But enough of that. Let's think pumpkin and spice and pecans and sweaters and football and boots and scarves and apple cider and leaves!!!

I am a real sucker for anything that has leaves on it, or is in the shape of a leaf: china, cookies, jewelry, linens, decor ... and when you add pumpkins to that, and birds, well ....

But back to leaves. Stampin' Up! has gorgeous fall stamps, including Vintage Leaves (with framelits) which is what I used on this card. I have used lots of technique with this set - heat embossing, paper embossing, die cutting, sponging - and they are all fun and produce lovely effects.

I designed this particular card today for a challenge. Instructions were to use at least two of the colors allowed ( Tangerine Tango, Real Red, Pear Pizazz, Watermelon Wonder, Early Espresso and a  neutral), two layers, something from the new holiday catalog and a design that was easy to duplicate. Can you distinguish the colors and materials used?

The interesting element in working with this design was the use of ink and paper. I stamped the leaves in Real Red on Real Red cardstock, and liked it. Then I stamped the sentiment in Real Red on the Tangerine Tango, and liked it. Of course by the time I felt finished, I had leaves stamped and cut in every combo I could imagine. I liked that, too.

I used Very Vanilla for the neutral - card base and mat for leaves. For the smaller mat, I roughed up the edges with a plastic knife. So, if you think that piece is crooked or sloppy, it is intentional. On my next card I am going to tear the bottom of that vanilla mat. 

To make it easy to duplicate, I left it fairly simple in design and execution. And it will be in my upcoming classes line-up.

So, what's your favorite - or least favorite - thing about the fall?

One thing I did forget about the fall, all of my criminal shows are back on TV!

Let's stamp!

I Spy

Although summer is not quite over,  September is here and already soooo busy. We are already talking and stampin' fall and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Have you seen the new holiday catalog?
I have been busy preparing for classes and workshops and my holiday open house on September 25 (2 PM my house ~ pick up catalogs,  see new products, make & takes, sweets and BINGO!)!
So, check out this picture from my work today:

Do you know which stamp set I was using - actually I was using more than one set. But if you can name at least one set, I  will have something extra for you at the open house! Comment here! First correct answer wins an extra card for the jackpot Bingo!
Go!

Hello September

OK, I  know I'm not the only one excited for September and the fall, right?

Who else wants to go buy new pencils and a planner? Have you been down the school supply aisle yet ~ composition books in something other than the uniform black and white marble design,  no more blue cloth covered binders, and oh, index cards on a ring. Crayons and markers, pens of every color, Sharpies, glue ...

See, it's not just Designer Series Paper that I love and hoard. Paper, stationery, office supplies... and I  am probably the least organized person in the world. Not only do I not organize and put things away, I  need to be able to see my things - to know what I have and to remember to use them.

But I am looking forward to sweater weather,  pumpkin scones - anything pumpkin, really - fires, new TV shows, chili, even football. Oh, and apple cider: walking down the streets of Colonial Williamsburg sipping hot apple cider, apple cider. And while in Williamsburg, gingerbread from the Raleigh Tavern and onto Seasons for their fall displays ...

And of course the threat of fall ~ late hurricanes. Today is gray and drizzly and weather is imminent.
Something's in the air, and I'm not sure that it is Mary Poppins.

Stay in and stay dry ~ stamp!

Alaska is Amazing

Hello stampin' friends:
I have to say it, Alaska is amazing! I am ready to go back. All trip I was making a
'next trip' list.

And once home there was mail (SU orders!), newspapers,  messages,  laundry - there still is laundry. But priorities! Tonight I worked on a project I have been putting off  - the One Sheet Wonder.

There are many versions out there, but the objective is to create a dozen or so cards using only one sheet of Designer Series Paper,  along with regular Whisper White or colored card stock. It is intriguing.

While catching up on mail I saw where my ever-so-talented upline Susan Elise stamped her own DSP to use for her one sheet wonder. That was far more appealing than using my stash, after all I must save that DSP for ...

So tonight I stamped only an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of Whisper White with Bunch of Blossoms in the new In-Colors ~ a relaxing project. Then I only had to choose a mat and a greeting.

I trimmed and matted and created 9 cards. I could have squeezed out a few more if I had been a little more economical with the stamped DSP. Oh,and I got to break out my new Layering Circle Dies!

I will give and send these to customers with their orders this month/today! I  have left them flat for mailing- no dimensionals or embellishments.  I also designed them to be fairly simple so that they can be easily duplicated and so that the recipients can add their own touches if they'd like. Hopefully the ladies will indeed use them, as in mail them! It's OK to hoard paper, but not cards!

So, it was nice to get my hands inky again, and in a relaxing way. And once September arrives with the new holiday catalog, things may not be exactly relaxing, but they'll be exciting. Not sure when Flirty Flamingo is going to see the light of day again!