Monthly Archives: January 2017

Stampin’ Up! Falling in Love with Succulents

Posted on January 21, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Happy Saturday, y’all! Hope that your weekend is starting off well – we’ve got some rain and thunder boomers expected today. So that’ll be fun… But it’s still in the low 70’s, so I’m not complaining.

Much.

I’ve managed to catch a cold from Wayne (we share everything, apparently!). So, we didn’t do much yesterday – except watch the Inauguration. And let Finn out to play in the pond. We didn’t tell him to play in the pond (he probably would not have if we’d tried!). He’s becoming quite the pond aficionado….

I don’t know if y’all are out on Pinterest, but if you are, I know you’ve seen the beautiful flowers folks are making with the new Succulent Framelits. I’ve been wanting to try one of my own, so that’s what I did today, using the Oh So Succulent bundle (10% off plus my 25% Demonstrator discount? Yes, please!). To my Succulent, I added a little Falling in Love DSP, a smidge of Flourish Thinlits, and just a hint of Thankful Thoughts. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Thank You Cards | Tags: Flourish Thinlits, Oh So Succulent stamp set, Succulent Framelits, Thankful Thoughts stamp set | 22 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Happy New Beginning Celebrations!

Posted on January 20, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Well, good Inauguration Day to y’all! Regardless of how you voted in November, what you think of Mr. Trump and his family, today’s a big day for this country. It’s a pretty big part of what makes us who and what we are. We should all be proud.

And really really glad we’re not in Washington DC!! What a mess that’s going to be, huh? Too many people. And at least half of them not too happy. I’m happy to be far away.

So’s Finn. He’s way too busy doing important dog work to worry about who’s the President.

Or even what a President is! 🙂

He’s been playing with his squeaky toy in the leaves…

Contemplating the world (as he knows it)…

Wading in the pond (the tongue. The TONGUE!!)…
…and considering the potential ramifications of ponding…

He’s a happy boy!

His mom, on the other hand, has been busy making cards! Today’s is a card I made for a friend who’s welcoming a new baby. It’s not a traditional looking baby card – just wouldn’t fit her! I used the new Happy Celebrations stamp set and the fun Celebrations Duo TIEFs. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Congratulations, Life Event, New Baby, New Home, Retirement | Tags: Celebration card, Celebrations DUO TIEF, Happy Celebrations stamp set, Playful Background stamp set | 20 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Love is the Reason for the Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop

Posted on January 19, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Good morning, y’all – welcome to another edition of the Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop! We all worked on a sketch challenge this week, so be sure to check out everyone’s project, okay?

Here’s our sketch…

I went back to the Special Reason stamp set and bundled Stylish Stems Framelits and called on the So In Love stamp set to help me make a nice Anniversary Card with a fun shaker element. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Anniversary | Tags: Anniversary card, Cupcakes & Carousels DSP, So In Love stamp set, Special Reason stamp set, Stylish Stems Framelits, Timeless Textures stamp set | 24 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Succulent Garden Thankful Thoughts

Posted on January 18, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Happy Hawwwmp Day, y’all! It’s the middle of a four-day week. My favorite kind.

So. Water. Finn. It’s inevitable.

Really just a matter of time. Of course, me tossing his bumper toy in the pond the other day….can I help it if it’s bright green and it floats!?! An odd coincidence that I’d have purchased a floating bumper….

LOL! That weird front leg is just a regular leg…sopping wet!! He had fun once he realized he could grab the bumper right out of the water!!

And a bath (with soap!) will be next…. 😉

So – my card for today has about 20 different techniques in it. Okay – maybe…four? Triple-time stamping (sort of modified), spotlighting, masking and watercoloring. I used the Oh So Succulent bundle and a Thoughtful Thanks sentiment. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Thank You Cards | Tags: Oh So Succulent stamp set, Succulent Framelits, Thankful Thoughts stamp set | 18 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Falling For You for a Wedding

Posted on January 17, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Happy Tuesday, y’all! Back to work – hope your long weekend was relaxing. Or productive. Whichever you wanted it to be! 🙂 I got…part of my list done. At least the Christmas tree is put away for another year!

I had some help card making today.

Those lips just crack me up! I’m not sure what, exactly, he wanted right here. Some form of attention, no doubt. He got his picture taken, instead.

Okay – and I kissed his schnoozle.

How could I not?!? 🙂

The card he was trying to help me with is one I made as a contender to give to my friend for his wedding in February. I used the new Falling For You stamp set and some Falling in Love DSP, with the So Detailed Thinlits. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Wedding | Tags: Falling For You stamp set, Falling In Love DSP, So Detailed Thinlits, So In Love stamp set, Stylish Stems Framelits, Wedding Card | 28 Comments

Stampin’ Up! No Special Reason Needed!

Posted on January 16, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Good morning, y’all! It’s Monday – but…no work today! Whoo-hoo!

Before I get going – I need to fix a mistake I made yesterday. On the sympathy card, the inside sentiment is from Flourishing Phrases – I erroneously told you it was from Thoughts & Prayers. I’ve updated the post accordingly, but wanted to let you know! 🙂

I’m changing Finn’s name. Or…I’ve giving him a “formal” registered name. It’s “Finn Don’t…Good Dog”

Finn don’t get the cat food. Good Dog

Finn don’t bother the cat. Good Dog

Finn don’t eat horse poop. Good Dog

Finn don’t bite me. Good Dog

Finn don’t….Finn don’t…Finn don’t. Good dog! 😉

He tries to get the “good dog” piece to come first – or even only! – but…it’s hard. Really really hard!

My card for today is a No Special Reason card. One that could go to someone just because it’s…Monday! It uses the Special Reason bundle – which is really cool.

I love how the bundled Stylish Stems Framelits work on this one – you can cut detailed “negative” spaces – and you can also cut those negative spaces out using a second die. I’ve done that in this card, so you’ll get to see that. I combined the set with some Real Red and White paper from the Sending Love DSP. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Encouragement, Everyday, Friendship, Just Because | Tags: Just Because Card, Sending Love DSP, Special Reason stamp set, Stylish Stems Framelits | 18 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Avant Garden Serene Scenery Sympathy

Posted on January 15, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Good morning, y’all! Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Finny is still recovering from his play date – so’s Scout. She apparently took advantage of the chance to eat…well…”Stuff”. The kind of stuff Finn eats on a too-regular basis. But she’s not used to it – so, she discharged said stuff….on my friend’s Oriental Rug. 🙁 Oops. We may have to do play dates at their house for a while!

Finn’s not sympathetic. He thinks she needs to toughen up.

You can tell just by looking at him what he’s thinking.

Girls. 😉

My card today is for a friend of my mom’s – who recently had to put her horse down. He wasn’t terribly old and they didn’t expect it. So…quite sad. I had a hard time with this one – I wanted a good quote to put on the card, so I had to read thru a bunch of them. Which made me think of the horses and dogs and cats that have already left me. It’s the plight of every animal owner – we outlive them all.

But – I finally found what I wanted to use and called on my Labeler Alphabet again. I paired it up with some rustic Serene Scenery, and added some vintage feeling touches. The Sale-A-Bration stamp set called Avant Garden played a supporting role, too. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Sympathy, Sympathy for Loss of a Pet | Tags: Avant Garden stamp set, Flourishing Phrases stamp set, Labeler Alphabet stamp set, Serene Scenery DSP Stack | 6 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Swirly Bird Goes Window Shopping

Posted on January 14, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Good Saturday morning, y’all! Hope you have a long weekend and perfect weather – like we do! It’s just over 70 here and it’s not getting very cold at night, either. My girls are a bit sweaty around the edges – and wishing the cold would come back. But their parents are tickled to death – windows open in January! Yes, ma’am!

In light of the pretty day – Finny had a play date yesterday with his friend Scout. On this day, Scout came here for the party. Once they were both loose, they started racing around like little twin dervishes. Under the fence they went and ….splash! Crossing the creek that runs down into the pond. Galloped around the pond twice at full speed. And then…

SppppaaalOOOOSh!

…Scout decided to have a cool-off in the pond. Finn didn’t know what to make of that. He waded in a little ways, but…not going all the way. Nope. Not gonna do it.

But, folks – it’s really only a matter of time. I give it a few more warm days and he’s going to be out in the pond himself. I’ve watched him the last couple of days going a bit further in each time. He’s going to be a swimmer! 🙂

Now – my card has nothing to do with swimming. I made a card today that would be great to give to a good guy-friend. Or – we’ve all got a female friend who gets a little pale if a dress is mentioned, or lace shows up anywhere. I used some Urban Underground DSP, a little Swirly Scribbles and a bold sentiment from the Window Shopping stamp set. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Friendship, masculine, Thank You Cards | Tags: Swirly Bird stamp set, Swirly Scribbles Framelits, Window Box Thinlits, Window Shopping stamp set | 8 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Carousels on the Beach!

Posted on January 13, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Well, it’s Friday again – and it’s Friday before a three-day weekend! Whoo-hoo! As with all Friday’s before a long weekend – I have delusions of grandeur about all the things I just know I’ll get done. And I bet I get….just a smidge over none of them done! 🙁 But. I’m going to try!

So I know you guys have me figured out. You probably suspect that I buy too many toys, beds, treats and anything else you can think of for my 4-legged children. Especially (at least right now), for Finn. He’s got a more expensive bed in his kennel than I sleep on. Yes – it’s a hand-me-down from Buck, but…still!

Finn has, of late, shown some…reluctance to go to bed. I suspect he thinks he’s trustworthy enough to spend the night roaming at large.

For the record…he’s not.

But, he now trudges into the kennel, grudgingly taking the milk bone treat I give him, and then flinging himself down in disgust. And if he sometimes flings himself in a way that leaves him obviously uncomfortable, well….he sucks it up until a decent amount of time has passed and he can re-arrange. Saving face, as it were.

I completely meant to land this way…

Once he feels he’s made his point, he turns around, flops into his usual position and is asleep in a wink.

And sleeps all night. Dogalous goofalus. 🙂

So – my card. A friend of mine is going thru a bit of a rough patch in her family, so I’m planning to send her a few SU! goodies to play with and a cheery card. She’s a California girl – currently living in rain! – so I figured I’d go beach-y. Day at the Beach, to be exact! And it paired really well with some Cupcakes & Carousels Specialty DSP. Take a look-see:

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Categories: Encouragement, Friendship | Tags: Cupcakes & Carousels Specialty DSP, Day at the Beach stamp set, Encouragement Card, Friendship Card, Labeler Alphabet stamp set | 16 Comments

Stampin’ Up! Sending Love to Beautiful You for the Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop

Posted on January 12, 2017 by stampsnlingers

Good morning, y’all – welcome to the first edition of the Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop (formerly known as the Happy Stampers Blog Hop!)! New name and look – same talented ladies and fun challenges! We’ve got a color challenge this week – be sure to check out everyone’s project, okay?

Here’s the color scheme we’re working with.

I got my huge 2017 Occasions Catalog order the other day – it was so cool opening those two big boxes!! The only problem was – I wanted to use everything at once! I spent a little time trying to make a card with about 4 stamp sets and 3 die sets.

And an embossing folder. 😉

But I finally got ahold of myself and used a set I’d been anxious to play with since I first saw it – the Beautiful You stamp set. I added some Sending Love DSP and the pretty Falling Petals TIEF and this is what I came up with. Take a look-see:

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