I really enjoyed working on my mom’s memory album.  I can’t wait to show you a couple more of my favorite pages from her book.

Carshow 2 pg Layout

My folks like to go to carshows, so this layout showcases some of their favorite cars they’ve een at different shows they’ve attended.  I used the retired Bold Bright buttons and some stickers that are non-SU.  The background is Creamy Caramel, the photo mats are basic black.

Here’s a close up of each page. . . ..

Car Show Left side page

I really like the car turned sideways with the flames shooting out the tailpipe, almost like it’s going to drive off the page.

Car Show Right Side Page

This page shows the time we lived in Austin, TX.  We were only there for a year,  but it was memorable.

The Austin Page

I used the set Organic Grace (a retired hostess set) for the images which I stamped in Perfect Plum.  I used Certainly Celery Ribbon from Sale-A-Bration.  The title is chip board sponged with Certainly Celery Ink.

I hope you enjoyed these scrapbooking pages.  Looking at them makes me want to scrap something right now. . . . .

I recently completed a memory album for my mom and step dad’s 25th wedding anniversary.   When I started thinking about sharing some of the pages from the album, the old Eddie Rabbitt song “Drivin’ my life away” popped into my head and just seemed so appropriate.  We did drive 10 hours to get there, and I did feel like I was scrappin my life away while I was working on this labor of love.

I try to stick to SU stuff on my projects, but this album has a few non-SU peices.    We’ll start with my Mom’s 2 pg layout – It uses my favorite Su color BAJA BREEZE and that awesome DSP Parisian Breeze both of which are retiring this month.

Mom's 2pg Layout, 25th Anniversary Album

I used a flower and half pearl from the pretties kit and a Baja Breeze button for the flower and layered it on a satin baja breeze ribbbon.  I used this layout to showcase different times in mom’s life and the text portion is a list of her likes and favorites.

Courting and Engagement Pages

In this layout, I used the Parisian Breeze DSP again wtih Sahra Sand mats for the pictures.  The background is pacific point and I used the same flower and ribbon as the precious layout.     I also added some Baja Breeze Corduroy buttons on this one.

Well, that’s enough for today!   Check back on Sunday for a few more of my favorites from the memory album!

Today,  I’m sharing a card I made a couple of months ago using the set A flower for all Seasons.  We’ve been doing some major projects around the house so I didn’t get to stamp at all this weekend.  So, I thought I’d pull something from the archives to share.  I really love this frog.  Isn’t he so cute.  I can just picture him hanging out in the shade of the watering can. . . . .

Froggie Note Card

I used Baja Breeze ink and the Baja Breeze Patterns DSP.  The polka dots are created using the Polka Dot Background stamp on Whisper White cs.   I watercolored the frog using going gray, old olive, so saffron, and baja breeze.    This is such a great set.   I love the images – they are perfect for watercoloring!  I made another version of this card (that I of course forgot to take a picture of) where I tied  the 1″ double stitched  Baja Breeze ribbon vertically around the card by the fold.  It really took the look of the card up a step – of course, I  mailed it without snapping a pic!  Sometimes I don’t think!

I’m really trying to regularly post here – So I’m planning to post on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!  Be sure to check back for more fun stuff!

The countdown has begun to Stampin’ Up!’s 2009 Convention!   This will be my first convention so I’m incredibly excited!  We stampers love to SWAP!  I’ve been told that there will be mad swapping going on in Salt Lake City in August.  That it starts as early as when you get to the airport in your home town (if there’s any fellow SU demos flying out at the same time).   Yesterday, I realized that it’s 7 WEEKS to convention!  AUGGH!  I haven’t started my swaps yet!

We’ve been doin g alot  of work around the house lately, so I haven’t had time to stamp -  Last night, I took the evening off to start working on ideas for my convention swaps.   I like the 3 cards I made, but I don’t think I like them for convention. lol.   These cards are pretty masculine and have  a fall feel to them.

I just got the set Lovely as a Tree (LAAT) -  I know, it’s been around for ever, but I was slow to get it.  It is in the new catalog so we have it for at least another year!  All of these cards use LAAT.   The sentiments in these cards are a preview of a new set “Teeny Tiny Wishes.”   It’s a great set with greetings for most occasions – It has 24 different greetings and they AREN’T double mounted!

So here’s card number 1:

LAAT Just for You Card

The background for this card is Sahara Sand.  I took the small leaf stamp from LAAT and stamped a random pattern using Chocolate Chip, More Mustand, Mellow Moss and Dusty Durango (one of our new in colors!).   The main image is stamped in Mellow Moss on Very Vanilla cs and mounted on a layer of Mellow Moss and Chocolate Chip.  I used the Small, Large, and Scallop Oval punches to create the layered sentiment.  I used Mellow Moss and Chocolate Chip 1/4″ grosgrain ribbon.

Here’s card #2

LAAT Thank You Card

This card uses one of our new in colors for it’s base:  Soft Suede.  Isn’t it a gorgeous brown!    The image again is from LAAT and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.   I used markers to ink the tree so that the trunk would stand out among the branches.   The trunk is soft suede (YES!  The in colors are available in Markers!!) and the branches are Old Olive  and the image is stamped on Very Vanilla.   The stamped image is layered on Old Olive and More Mustard cs.  The sentiment is stamped with Soft Suede and layered using the oval punches in card one.

Card # 3

LAAT Happy Retirement Card

I love this tree.  It makes me think of an old Oak tree sitting in the middle of a pasture surrounded by tall grass, and sometimes some cows wandering around.  This card shows Dusty Durango again – the ribbon is the new in color ribbon.  It’s polka dots on one side and plain on the other side, allowing it to be used for many different styles.  The tree is inked with markers, soft suede for the trunk and always artichoke for the leaves and stamped on Very Vanilla cs.  It’s layered on Dusty Durango, Always Artichoke, and More Mustard.  The base of the card is Soft Suede.   The sentiment is Dusty Durango stamped on Very Vanilla and layered on More Mustard.

That’s all for today  for something old – the set Lovely as a Tree and something new – the stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes, and 2 of our new In Colors, Soft Suede and Dusty Durango!

I hope you had a great time on the blog hop! I promised that I would give more details on the favor box today, so . . . . . . . .

Let’s start with pictures!

favor box front view

Favor Box Side View

First, I took some bashful blue textured cs and ran it through my Big Shot using the SU scalloped envelope die.  I cut 4 envelopes.  Then I used some SNAIL adhesive to attach the scalloped flap down on what would be the inside of the box for 3 of the envelopes.  I used sticky strip to attach the sides of the envelopes together in a square, with the unglued scallop edge left vertical on the back side.

Next, I stamped  the balloons on to Whisper White cs (4 red, 4 blue, 4 yellow and 4 green) and cut them out.  If you aren’t into cutting out shapes, you could cut your Whisper White cs to fit onto the sides of the box and stamp your balloons on to the square and attach the entire square to the box instead of the individual balloons.  I used the Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker to draw the balloon strings.

I cut a rectangle of white cs (3 x5) to slide into the back of the box.  I attached 4 of the balloons to the top and drew the strings.   Then I stamped the sentiment “Just for You” from the Oval All set onto a scrap of white cs with YoYo Yellow and punched it out with the large oval punch.   I layered the sentiment onto a scrap of brilliant blue that was punched out with the scallop oval punch and attached the peice with a dimensional.

I didn’t attach the white rectangle.  I just set it in the back so that it’s easy to remove and add a name.

I think this would be so cute at a small birthday party to use as a placecard and favor.  You could fill it with small toys and candy.  Or change the colors and stamped images to create a favor box for an adult party!   The ideas are endless with this envelope die – It’s so much more than just an envelope!

I promised that today I would share the entire Birthday Scrapbook spread that I did in honor of my nephew’s 4th birthday.

We really did have sooo much fun at his party.  It was at the local firehouse and the kids got to climb on the firetruck and blare the siren.   They had a blast!

The left side of this 2 pg spread is Connor blowing out the candles on his birthday cake.

Blowing out the Candles

I used our 12×12 Barely Banana Textured cs as the base for the page.  The pictures are matted on Ballet Blue.  The presents are stamped on Whisper White and matted on real red.   For the balloons, I stamped them in Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery and Real Red on Whisper White cs and cut them out.  I used dimensionals to raise one of the balloons in each group.  I used my Basic Black marker to draw the balloon strings.   Then I stamped a heart in real red on whisper white (yes, the heart is part of the set!), cut it out and attached it with 2 way glue onto the junction of the balloon strings.  I stamped a couple of additional hearts around the balloons as well.  The cupcake has a real red bottom and ballet blue icing.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the images, and cut them out as 1 peice after stamping them.  The candles are stamped and individually cut out – the candle is certainly celery, the outline of the flame is real red, and the inside is colored with Barely Banana.  I used Ballet Blue and Certainly Celery in alternating letters to stamp the sentiment “Make a wish” on whisper white cs.  I mounted the sentiment onto a scalloped oval punched from Certainly Celery.

And now . . . .  .the right side of this spread!   He had so much fun when they let him hold the hose.  I had my camera set to take rapid fire photos, which meant I got lots of great expressions – I used my favorites on this page.

Birthdays Are Fun!

For this page, again I started with the 12×12 Barely Banana Textured cs.  I added a large rectangle of real red to the top left corner and another rectangle of certainly celery to the bottom right corner.   The I added a 5.5 inch wide strip of ballet blue across the center of the page.   The balloons were made the same way as the ones on the other page.  And the green square is where I’m going to add my journaling.

I hope you enjoyed these pages!  Isn’t my nephew sooo cute?  I don’t think I’m biased at all!

Don’t forget, Big Bold Birthday is about to retire on June 30th – so if you need this set in your collection – contact me today to order it.

Welcome to Port of Call #12 on Stampin’ Addicts 2009 Bon Voyage Blog Hop!

Here we explore Stampin’ Up!’s really fun set Big Bold Birthday .

The first attraction at Port 12 is this wonderful scrapbook page.  The pictures are from my nephew’s 4th birthday party at a firehouse.  He and all the boys were dressed in their firemen jackets and hats.  It was sooo cute.    This page shows him blowing out the candles on his cake which is perfect for the set Big Bold Bithday!

Blowing out the Candles

Cardstock:  Barely Banana Textured cs, Ballet Blue cs, Real Red cs, Certainly Celery cs; Stamp set:  Big Bold Birthday; Ink:  Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, Real Red,  Barely Banana, Basic Black.  Accessories:  Scalloped Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch.

Our second attraction is a favor box for some lucky kid’s birthday party!   This was a lot of fun to make.  I can just imagine it filled with candy and small toys.   The card in the back has space to right each child’s name so that you can use it as a placecard as well.   On Thursday I’ll be posting the details on how to make this lovely box!

Birthday Party Favor Box

Here’s the recipe for this project:    Paper – Bashful Blue Textured cs, Whisper White cs, Brilliant Blue cs.   Ink:  YoYo Yellow, Brilliant Blue, Green Galore, Real Red, Basic Black.  Stamp Set:  Big Bold Birthday, Oval All.  Accessories:  Scalloped Envelope Die,  Scalloped Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch.

Our next attractions are a couple of cards using this set – It seems obvious that you can make a birthday card with the set, so I thought it would be fun to do something a little  different.  The first card is a get well card.

Balloon Get Well Soon Card

The second card is a thank you card!   I think it’s perfect for a kid to use to say thank you for a birthday gift.

Presents Thank You Card

The Thank you card uses these items:  Stamp Sets – Big Bold Birthday, Fundamental Phrases.  Paper – Ballet Blue, YoYo Yellow, Real Red, Whipser White.  Ink – Certainly Celery, Ballet Blue, YoYo Yellow, Real Red.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit here at port of call #12. Please come back after the tour is over for more information on these projects.

Sorry  the tour is over now, but a list of the links has been posted below.  I hope you enjoyed the hop!

1. Yapha/yapha: In Everything Give Thanks (Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha)
2. Trina/pepesmom: To You And Yours (Stamps and Whiskers)
3. Sharon B/Texasstampin: Happiness is a Journey (Roaming Stamper)
4. Kathy/Stampin8mom: Wonderful You (It’s Only Stamping)
5. Michelle/Stampin’Shell: Holiday Trinkets (Come Stamp with Me)
6. Connie/iluvstamping: Bella Blossoms (InkspiredTreasures.com)
7. Kat/uk79ee: Happy Heart Day (Kat’s Kards)
8. Barbara/cre8tivestamper: Blooming with Love (Creative Stampin’ Spot)
9. Mary B/stampercamper: Independence Day (StamperCamper’s Corner)
10. Melina/Melina Stamps!: Snow Burst (Melina Stamps!!)
11. Carmen/Carmen: Big Birthday Candle (Stamping Addiction)
12. Dawnmarie/dmdezigns: Big Bold Birthday (DM Dezigns blog)
13. Lyssa/Lyssa: Great Grads (Song of My Heart Stampers)
14. Amy/amysings: A Little Birdie Told Me (A New Song)
15. Renée/prchvs: Always in my Thoughts (Stamping for Sanity)
16. CJ/ceejayelle: To Have and To Hold (cj lawlor designs)
17. Tracy/rosowskimom: Zoofari (Tracy’s Stamp Therapy)
18. Amy/*amystamps: Life’s a Breeze (Not just another stampin blog…)
19. Holly/catrules: Prehistoric Pals (Holly’s Stampin’ Mania)
20. Paula/scrapshappen: Wild About You (Stamping with Paula)
21. Beth/mom969803: Heartfelt Thanks (Stamp Me A Rainbow)
22. Brandi/Beedubya: Doodle This (The Squareheadedstamper)
23. Rhonda/rhondag: Pretty Amazing (The Stampin’ Bunny)
24. Comeka/HowManyCats?!: Seeing Spots (Sparkle Happens)
25. Sharon/doghasspots: Frames with a Flourish (Trails and SNAILS)
26. Ellie/Scrapbookmama: Iluminations (Create Release Smile)
27. Stacey/Stacey Carter: Big Flowers (Stacey Stamps)
28. Holly/HollyLogic: Classic Stripes (InkPaperStamps)
29. Debbi/Debbi: Hugs & Wishes (Creations from an Uncreative Person)
30. Kim/s1itcher46: It’s a Sign (Stitchin’ N Stampin’ on Paper)
31. Sarah/willsygirl: Just B (Sarah’s Ink Spot Blog)
32. Mary/MaryR: Big Deal Alphabet ({scrap and stamp with mary})
33. Patti/PattiLynn: Simple Serif (A Touch from the Heart)
34. Twila/tjdstampsalot: Say it with Scallops (Stamp A Little Longer)

It’s almost here!  The Bon Voyage cruise through Stampin’ Up!’s latest group of retiring stamps.   The tour starts tomorrow at noon and continues until Tuesday at midnight!  Be sure to stop by and check out all the wonderful projects showcasing these stamps!

Okay, just for fun , I’m giving you a sneak peek into this weekend.   I’ll be showcasing the set Big Bold Birthday!   I’ve already posted a project with this set – but it was my absolute favorite that I’d done -until I started working on this weekend’s projects!

So I thought I would post it again -

This is a design I cased from stamp? on Splitcoaststampers.  I thought it was pretty close to a masculine card even though my dh says it’s kind of cutesy!   Oh, well, I guess we do what we have to do. . .  . .

I also stamped the packages on the envelope.   Inside, I embossed  the message  ” Live, Laugh & Love  happy birthday” from the set “On your birthday.”

This card uses the Big Bold Birthday stamp set, On your birthday stamp set, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, and Whisper White CS,  Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery and Old Olive ink and white embossing powder.

This set is really versatile.   I’ve got some great projects for tomorrow!    There’s a scrapbook page, a birthday party favor and of course, some cards – Be sure to stop back by!

We’re saying Bon Voyage” to a lot of old favorite stamps! Join me and my friends from Stampin Addicts in a grand tour of projects made with these soon-to-disappear sets! See sets you might have missed, re-visit old favorites, and fill your creativity file with fabulous new ideas!

A blog hop is a “loop” of blogs connected for a special occasion by easy-to-find links. Watch for the link to the hop here to connect to a party full of amazing projects!

It’s definitely summertime here in Georgia.   I’m not sure if the fish are jumping,  but the birds are chirping and the bunny is trying sooo hard to get to my garden.  At least he hasn’t succeeded yet!   I got my first tomatoes off one of my plants yesterday, which is so exciting.  I can’t wait to eat them today.

So as our thoughts turn to summer,  so do our projects.    I made this card to swap at our last demonstrators meeting.   The goal was to make a “summery” card and I think this fits the bill.

I’m finding I really love these two stamp sets together:  Petal Pizzazz and Flight of the Butterfly.  They seem so girly and spring/ summerish!   I’m really glad they aren’t retiring and we’ll have at least one more year to play with them!    I used the polka dot texture plate on the Rose Red Textured Card stock mounted on a Whisper White base as a foundation for the card.   The images are stamped in Bashful Blue and Rose Red, and the center of the flower is a So Saffron Brad.  I used the thank you message from Soft Summer (which is only available for purchase until June 30!) for most of the cards, and the word Giggle is from Warm Words.   I think I really like the giggle message the best – I look at the card and have to smile.

My Grandma Hill has been wanting me to send her a card, so I’m thinking she’ll get the giggle one!  I hope she likes it.

Don’t forget to stop by Saturday – Tuesday to see the projects I’m making with one  of our newly retiring set and join the fun on our tour!