Birthday stars....

Hi, all!! Hope you had a wonderful Palm Sunday weekend!  I made a trip to the SC coast to be with my 3 sisters and it was a wonderful sisters weekend!  We shopped, talked, played cards, and generally enjoyed each other's company. 

I thougth I'd share a card I made for my son's birthday.  He turned 41 on Sunday, March 28.  This one was inspired by a card I saw somewhere online.  

I was pleased with how it turned out and I think he liked it.  Here is the inside.

 I hope you have a good week. I'm heading to the beach for a trip with my husband and grandchildren (the SC coast again, different part.) so I'll post when I return.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Smiles, Laura

In a different color....

Here is the card layout I showed you the other day in different colors. We made these in our class this week and the ladies loved this layout. It is easier than it looks. I love using stripes for the top and bottom of this card. I think it makes a real impact when someone opens the envelope and finds this card.

Here is another card we are making in class this week. It uses the new stamp set Garden from the Heart in the Occasions Mini Catalog. The designer paper used is also from that mini, the Sweet Pea Paper Stack. Love those patterns in that pack!!The little eyelet lace border around the hat picture is made using the eyelet border punch on a 3/4" strip. Then run it through the crimper to kind of "pleat" it. Then using your hands to pleat it up some more and glue it to the back of the oval. I put pop-ups behind the oval to hold up the center.

Did you notice the hat band. I stamped the hat on some dotted designer paper and cut out the band only and glued it to the hat I had stamped on the oval. Cute, huh?

Here is another card I've made recently. I wanted some cards to send to visitors at our church, welcoming them. This one uses a retired So Saffron ribbon and a retired stamp saying Happy Hellos, but otherwise currently supplies. The stamp set used is Circle Circus and I stamped the various circles in different colors. The card is simple and easy to do, but still is a personally-made card to send to new friends.Thanks for stopping by today. I'll have more to share later. For now, I need to go stamp!!

Smiles, Laura

"Where have you been?"

I know you are asking, where have I been (at least I hope are missed me). I have just been wrapped up in volunteer work for my church and haven't had time to stamp nor post. And I am still working on my stamp room, converting it from a sewing room to a stamp room, and it is a major job! I will have to finish it after tax time, 4/15!!

I wanted to share a card I've made with you. I saw this layout on a couple of blogs and it was called a variation of the tri-fold on one blog and a Standing Display on another blog. I decided it isn't a tri-fold, but rather a quad-fold, so that's what I am calling it--either that or a standing display. Here is the card closed--the front, if you will. But open it and it is really good. I used the Beautiful Wings Embosslit for the butterflies.Here it is opened up and "on display"! Neat, huh! This will be a fun layout to play with. The possibilities for decorating it are endless. The stamp set used inside is the Best Wishes and More set. It looks complicated and quite impressive when you see it opened up. But it really is fairly easy to make. I have included a drawing of how you have to score it. Score 5.5” x 12” CS from one long side to the other at 2”, 4”, 8” and 10”
Score both long edges 1” deep into the card at 1”, 5”, 7” and 11”
Cut down both long sides in 1” deep from 1” to 5” and from 7” to 11”.

On my drawing above I have given the dimensions for my designer paper I added, too, but you don't really have to add that unless you want.

Here's another card I wanted to show you. I had to do challenge swap using this particular fold (I've shown you this before on my blog) so I decided to add this little bunny to send to my swap partner.

I got this little bunny design from Stephanie Leider and changed his colors a bit to use on this card. I think he is so cute! I love using punches. If you need to know how the fold is done, I can send you the directions. The designer paper is from the Welcome Neighbor DSP Pack in the SAB catalog. I also used the Scallop Trim Border punch you can also earn during SAB. Love that punch!!

I have more to share, but that's for another day!! I hope you have a good day. Thanks for stopping by. Smiles, Laura

I refuse to say "Round 5"!!

OK, you all know we have had more snow here in the South this year than any time in recent memory! So we got it again--9" this time. But let me tell you--it is beautiful!! It fell all day yesterday with big flakes and they piled up quickly! It looked like whipped frosting. It was fun to watch it fall. I decided to take Gabby for a walk down to the mailbox. Look at the snow on our mailbox!! It was a fun walk but Gabby gave me my laugh for the day. I've told you she is loving this snow. Well, it is about a 1/2 mile walk--down and back. She was hopping behind me in my tracks when we got back. The steepest part of the walk is coming back up "house hill" so she was not opposed to stopping a couple of times to rest with me. Look at her snowballs on her legs! I figured she was probably carrying about half again her weight in snow. It's hard to see in the picture with her IN the snow, but look at her on the carport! Isn't she funny!

And her face looking at me says, "Mom, DO NOT laugh at me. Get these things OFF!!"

Thanks for humoring me and looking at these funny pictures of Gabby. Your reward is a couple of samples I made recently. I have been cleaning out my stamping room, moving around furniture and sorting through things, trying to make the work area more efficient. So I haven't had a chance to stamp this week. But here are two samples I made earlier.

Both samples use the Asian Artistry stamp set. I just love this set and wish it wasn't a hostess set, so we could count on it being in the next catalog! I used the Elegant Eggplant and Lovely Lilic and Basic Black on this one. And the Modern Label punch.
For this one, I used Sofe Suede and Bashful Blue cardstock. I used the Scallop Edge, Scallop oval and Large oval punches. I added the Soft Suede Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon.

This "THANKS" card is your thank you for visiting my blog today. Come back soon. Smiles, Laura