Big Hug....

I made this card the other day for my brother-in-law who has been in the hospital and a care facility for several weeks.  I know days are long for him and I am trying to come up with masculine cards to cheer his days. 

I love the Hostess set Perfect Words because it has several great sentiments in the set.  I especially the "Big Hug" one.  Sometimes I sign my email messages with "Big Hugs" (before the "Smiles, Laura" of course) and I really wanted to give my BIL a long distant big hug.  So I thought of our bear in the Under the Stars set.  He looks like he is about to give someone a big bear hug. 

The card itself is Crumb Cake and I layered that with Very Vanilla.  I used various 5/8" wide strips of designer paper to make the various strips down the paper.  I notched the ends and just glued them in the center so they flare out a bit.

 In this shot, you can see how the ends of the strips are not attached but rather flare out. 

I stamped the bear in Crumb Cake and then stamped "Big Hug" over him in Soft Suede.  I sponged the edges of this piece of cardstock and affixed it with dimentionals.  And I stamped the little raccoon in the bottom right corner to fill space and to add more humor to the card.

I think my BIL really liked the card!  I hope he "felt" the hug!  Get well soon, Billy!!

Smiles (and big hugs), Laura

Just dropping in....

I know I've been away a week. I've had fun but missed my blog. I have been dog sitting with Gabby's sister, Chelsea. Here are the two girls--Gabby on the left and Chelsea on the right.

Jessica was here with me, too, to play with the girls and to enjoy her last week before school starts back. We had a ball stamping!! The little dogs would both sit in their baskets (beds) beside our stamping table and Jessica and I had fun. You will be seeing some of the thing's we've made over the next few weeks--and in class. I'm SO GLAD my only granddaughter likes to stamp with me!! What a blessing.

I wanted to share a card we made. I've used the bear on the beach on a card, like others of you, and have been thinking about him. With his arms out, he looks like he's jumping or something so I decided to do him parachuting down to ground--Just droppping in to say hello....

What about this one? I used retired designed paper on his parachute and harness, but still think he turned out cute! I free-hand cut the harness and drew in the parachute lines.

Supplies used:

Stamp set: Under the Star, Pocket Silhouettes, and Fundamental Phrases

CS: Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White

Inks: Soft Suede, Always Artichoke, Craft White

Accessories: sponges, non-SU dies

Thanks for visiting today. I have more to post and will get them up for your enjoyment later.

Smiles, Laura

Under the Stars....

My grandchildren are at the beach this week with their dad. I wanted to send them each a card, something they would enjoy when they opened it. Here is the card I made for Dillon;I saw this on someone's blog but do not have their name. (It flashed across my "review" of scrolling pictures from blogs, which I have set to do automatically.) Anyway, I'm sorry I cannot give credit to the person who dreamed u pthis bear on the "beach towel". But isn't he cute. I changed the colors and patterns, of course. I stamped "Let the relaxation begin" from a retired stamp set, but it seemed perfect for this card. Inside I stamped "GREAT!" Of course the bear is from the Under the Stars stampset. I punched the "umbrella" using the Modern Label punch. I think a 12 year old boy will like this card.

For Jessica, I made this card:I think this design of these two ladies were originalyl by Ellen Kemper, the punch art queen. Alot of us have copied these girls!! You can see her blog here. I used various punches to make the two girls and their sun bonnets. The girl on the left is Jessica and the other on the right is my daughter-in-law. Of course Jessica is having a "virgin" strawberry daiquiri. The drinks are from the Cheers to You stamp set. I just love how this card turned out. Love those girls, Ellen!!

The inside looks like this. "Enjoy" is from the Enjoy Every moment set which retires this week. Hate to loose that one!

Well, I hope the kids like getting these two cards. I love to have them get mail when they are away from home!

Come by again. I'll have more samples later in the week. Smiles, Laura