Fast and Fabulous - Old Meets New

Has it really been an entire week since I posted?  Sorry folks! Life has been moving at breakneck speed and things aren't going to get any better in the next little while.  But even with how busy it is, there is always time for a Fast and Fabulous Friday!  Especially since my shipment of new catalogues and a few sneak peaks of product arrived.  Let me tell you friends - there are some wonderful new stamps and accessories available June first.  And the new ink pads are phenomenal.  Gone are the days of 'partially' inked images.  The new pad formulation provides smooth and even coverage for even the most intricate of images.  So let's see what we have today:

This Fast and Fabulous Friday combines some oldies (stamps) with one of the new 2012-2014 In Colours (ink).  May I introduce to you....Midnight Muse.

I know it may not be apparent in the photo, but Midnight Muse is a deeply saturated "denim" type of blue and I think it will rapidly become one of my go-to colours.




Supply List
Stamps - Elements of Style, Thank You Kindly (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Midnight Muse
Ink - Midnight Muse
Accessories - XL Oval Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones









These cards have just the right amount of understated elegance but I do apologize for the quality of these photos.  They absolutely do not do justice to this wonderful new colour which is quite stunning in real life.


And talk about Fast and Fabulous.  It took me longer to place the rhinestones than it did to stamp the card!!


If you are at all intrigued by the new colours, the idea of new stamp sets, or the catalogue being released next Friday then you definitely want to know about my New Catalogue Kick Off party on June 18th!  Cards to make, door prizes to win, but most exciting of all....the opportunity to purchase retired products with a Buy-One-Get-One deal towards purchases from the new catalogue.  I will have more details soon, but in the meantime, contact me to find out more or check out my schedule for details.


And on that note - life is not going to get any less busy unless I get to all my other tasks.  So I leave you with this thought....Have a wonderful weekend

God Bless,      ~Cynthia      <><

Fast and Fabulous Inspired By Nature

Happy first-long-weekend-of-the-summer to all my Canadian friends!!  Here in Ottawa our weather is slated to be gorgeous so no one wants to be inside stamping for most of the day.  Instead, let's make some Fast and Fabulous cards so we can get outside and enjoy the weekend!

Inspired By Nature is retiring but I wanted one more chance to play with the set.  And this quickie card is just the ticket to showcase just how gorgeous this flower image is.


The sentiment was stamped at the bottom of the card and then a hill was "masked" using post-it notes.  Stampin' Write markers were used to colour directly on the flower stamp, then it was 'huffed on' (to re-activate any drying ink) and stamped.  The hill at the bottom was sponged in and clouds were sponged lightly using a scallop circle mask.  Simple and quick.  Do you know I think it took me longer to type out these directions than to make the card!  But for a quick card it is pretty effective, don't you think?


Supply List
Stamps - Inspired By Nature (retiring), Heard From the Heart (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White
Ink - Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Old Olive markers. Early Espresso, Old Olive and Bashful Blue ink pads
Accessories - 1 3/4" Scallop Circle (to mask the clouds), sponges, Post-it notes







I have a second card to show you too.  This was one of May's monthly club cards and it was inspired by Catherine Pooler's card here.  And believe it or not, this card actually goes together rather quickly too!  Just emboss the image and sponge around it with bright sunset colours (I took the 'brightness' off of the lace by sponging a faint bit of black ink on it).  Easy Peasy!

Supply List
Stamps - Inspired By Nature (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Basic Black, Crumb Cake
Ink - Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose and Rich Razzleberry Classic inks, Black Craft Ink.
Accessories - Clear embossing powder, heat gun, sponges, Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim


Trust me - this card has WOW-factor but it does not take a long time to create!   And you can change up the background colours quite easily to achieve a variety of different effects.

So how about it?  Now that you've seen these quick cards, are you "inspired" by nature too?!?

Hope everyone has a chance to enjoy their weekend.  I know I will!!

God Bless,     ~Cynthia    <><

Fox&Friends ... Almost Gone

Very quick post today.  Life is busy, busy, BUSY!

On the list of retiring stamp sets is one that can be used to create an assortment of super-cute "young" cards.  I have used Fox & Friends to create both boy and girl baby cards.  And, of course, you can create gender-neutral cards too!

Don't you just love the little smirk on that monkey's face?!

My downline and very good friend, Michelle, created this stunningly clever Baby Announcement/Circus train card using the same set and the Big Top Birthday designer paper.

Both Fox & Friends and the Big Top Birthday DSP are due to retire  at the end of May.  You've heard me say it before and you certainly know the drill by now....if you want to order either the stamp set or the paper, hop on over to my business site and place an order.  I'll be happy to help you get these wonderful products into your hands!






In the meantime, have a wonderful day and God Bless,    ~Cynthia    <><

Happy Mother's Day - Retiring Fifth Avenue Floral

Well it happened again.  I had a gorgeous card ready well in advance of Mother's Day and there is no excuse for it not being in my mother's hands on time.  Except....my mother's favourite part of my cards is the poem that I write on the inside, as opposed to the actual card itself.  So despite having the card made 3 weeks ago, I only wrote the poem on Wednesday.  And even paying extra for Express Postage on Thursday morning didn't help get the card into her hands on time.  So tomorrow afternoon, when the postman delivers my mother's mail, this is the card she will find.

I love the Floating Re-inker technique and I especially like the effect you achieve using the Fifth Avenue Floral set.  Particularly the rose.  When I found this video on the internet, I had to CASE the card (with some alterations) and demonstrate it to my ladies in my card clubs.  And, of course, I wanted my mother to have one of the gorgeous cards I created too!

Supply List
Stamps - Fifth Avenue Floral (retiring), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper - Shimmery White, Rich Razzleberry textured, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi
Ink - Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, White Craft
Big Shot -  Adorning Accents embossing folder, Little Leaves Sizzlit
Tools and Accessories - Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, White Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Aquapainter, Basic Pearls, Dimensionals

Although I am certain my mother will appreciate the card, I already know that she will much prefer the poem that is written inside.  And no, I am not going to share that with you!   :)

My mother is a strong and amazing woman who raised nine children using just the right combination of love, caring, laughter, discipline, support, encouragement, tough love and a big heart.  And throughout it all, she managed to maintain her sanity (which is something I often wonder if my mere 4 children have taken from me?!   LOL).  I know she doesn't read my blog - at least not yet - but I want to put it out there anyhow.... 
I love you Mom!!!    You are the greatest and best mother in the world and I truly thank God for blessing me with you in my life!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the rest of you too!     God Bless,     ~Cynthia     <><

Fast & Fabulous Dasher For Christmas

Back today and I promised you a Fast & Fabulous Friday using a retiring Christmas stamp, didn't I?  So here it is!  And can I just say...I have absolutely no idea why the Snow Burst embossing folder is retiring and yes, I am bummed out about it too!

Okay then - moving on - I've always loved the A La Carte stamps that  Stampin' Up! sells.  SU! has such gorgeous images for a very affordable price, and Dasher is a perfect example.




Supply List
Stamps - Dasher (retiring), Many Merry Messages (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Night of Navy
Ink - Night of Navy
Big Shot -  Northern Flurry embossing folder
Tools and Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, sponges

Supply List
Stamps - Dasher (retiring), Many Merry Messages (retiring), Simple Snowflake (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Night of Navy
Ink - Night of Navy
Big Shot -  Snow Burst embossing folder (retiring)
Tools and Accessories - 2 1/2" Circle Punch, 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, sponges, Dimensionals




Both versions of this card were very easy and very quick to make.  In fact, adding the glitter probably took longer than any other part of assembling the card.  Neither card photographed as well as they look in real life.  They both have sparkle and shine that radiate Christmas cheer.  And they were both easy to make.  Easy.  Fast.  And Fabulous!


On another note - My eldest turns 15 today.  I can't believe how time has flown by!  She used to be "my baby"...and now she towers over me (and I am not short!).  I can't post her birthday card on here just yet - in case she sees the posting before the real thing - but if I remember, I'll post her card later.


In the meantime, hope everyone has a wonderful day and enjoys a terrific weekend ahead!
God Bless,    ~Cynthia     <><

God's Blessings - Almost Gone

A very quick post today as I need to be out of here in just a few minutes.....

I posted last week about a retiring stamp set that I love - God's Blessings.  Well that stamp set also has a Christmas sentiment so in keeping with my posts on retiring Christmas stamps, here is another entry for you.  And of course, this one also uses the wonderful-but-retiring Serene Snowflakes set.

Supply List
Stamps - God's Blessings (retiring), Serene Snowflakes (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder
Ink - Concord Crush
Tools and Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds



If you checked out my post on April 1 you'll see that this card is a sister to the style I showed there.  Isn't it amazing how versatile God's Blessings is?  Just change up the background stamp, change the colours, maybe add some glitter, and you can turn the same basic card into a Sympathy card, Christmas card, Wedding, Baptism, Birthday....you name it!

True to my word, quick card, quick post.  I am outta here    :)
Come back tomorrow for a Fast and Fabulous (Christmas) Friday!

Have a wonderful day and God Bless,      ~Cynthia       <><

Serene Snowflakes...Almost Gone

Continuing with this week's theme, here are two more Christmas cards featuring items that I am going to be very sorry to lose.  Serene Snowflakes is such an elegant and sophisticated set of images and nothing says Christmas like snow!   Four the Holidays was my go-to set for Christmas sentiments.  And the Eyelet Border punch was the first border punch that I truly 'fell in love with'.  But all three of these wonderful items will be gone by the end of May.        Sniff, sniff     :(      
Moving on.....

The two cards shown are virtually identical except for "tools used".  The Eyelet Border punch was used to create the beautiful and delicate-looking lower edge on the second card.  And, of course, the upper card was embossed while the lower one was not.

Supply List
Stamps - Scenic Season (retiring), Four the Holidays (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Ink - Bashful Blue, Marina Mist
Big Shot - Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder
Tools and Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, sponges, Eyelet Border Punch (retiring)



A touch of dazzling diamonds glitter always makes this card go from cute to wow!  And festive.  Glitter says festive like nothing else!  I made many examples of this card, both at classes and workshops last year.  And no two cards ever turned out the same....much like no 2 snowflakes are the same!    I changed the sentiment used on the various cards (Four the Holidays gives you 4 to choose from) and I am sure you can see it was easy to make whole sets of cards that were similar but different.

I will certainly miss Serene Snowflakes and Four the Holidays when next Christmas rolls around.  Check back tomorrow for another sample of why these sets should be on your wish list.

Have a wonderful day.  Until tomorrow.....
God Bless,           ~Cynthia     <><

Scenic Season....Almost Gone

Good Morning Friends.  Let me start by saying this....I stayed up late and got a sneak peak at the new Stampin' Up! catalogue and believe me, you are all going to want to come to the New Catalogue Kick-Off party on June 18!!  Bigtime!!  So many wonderful stamps to choose from, lots of other new goodies.  Man oh man - I am having a hard time deciding what to get first.
June 18 (more details to follow soon).  But save the date, mark it on your calendar now, and let me know you'll be coming (so I can have your projects and materials ready)!  Make and takes, Door Prizes, munchies, and retired stamps and products for sale with a Buy-One-Get-One event.  You don't want to miss this catalogue kick-off. 

Moving on, another wonderful set that you'll want to get before it disappears forever at the end of this month.....Scenic Season

Supply List
Stamps - Scenic Season (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Not Quite Navy
Ink - Not Quite Navy
Big Shot - Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder
Tools and Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Blender Pen, wooden oval frame (non-SU)

I love this card and had so much fun teaching this selective embossing technique to my club members last Fall.  If you are interested in making gorgeous projects like this and learning cool techniques at a once-a-month club, contact me and we'll find a way to make it work for your schedule.

In the meantime, have a wonderful day.  I am going back to pore over the new catalogue (yet again!) to decide what I want first.  Hmmm....I am thinking that my hubby and kids are going to need a Mother's Day gift for me for Sunday!  How about you?  If you're thinking there are still things that you want to order before they retire, send your family over to me and we can arrange a nice little Mother's Day gift for you (products or gift certificates).

Have a great day and God Bless,      ~Cynthia       <><

Gifts of Christmas....Almost Gone

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a Christmas junkie!!  And being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator gave me lots of opportunity last year to really share the Christmas creative spirit with my friends!  And as luck would have it - or would not have it - many of my very favourite Christmas Stamp sets are retiring at the end of May.  So allow me to take the next few days to walk you down memory lane of some of the gorgeous cards I created with SU! Christmas stamps.....

Today's installment of Christmas cheer -- Gifts of Christmas.

Supply List
Stamps - Gifts of Christmas (retiring)
Paper - Whisper White, Concord Crush
Ink - Concord Crush
Big Shot - Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder
Tools and Accessories - 5/8" organza ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

I didn't realize that the card I photographed is one of the few that has no glitter on it.  Most of the versions I made of this card have Dazzling Diamonds on either the dove, or some poinsettias, or the lovely swoosh of the stems.  Yet I managed to photograph arguably the only card I made that is glitter-less.  Go figure!  If you think this card is pretty (and I certainly do) then imagine how elegant and festive it looks with a sparkling dove or flowers!  I will have to leave it up to your imaginations and trust you to picture it.

Our lovely sunshine today has me thinking forward to summer, not winter.  Nevertheless, I will take the opportunity to showcase a few more retiring Christmas stamps for you over the next few days.  I would hate for you to miss seeing how beautiful some of these images are.  And time is running out for you to be able to order them.  Remember, if you see anything you like, just e-mail me and let me know and we can get an order submitted for you before these wonderful stamps are going, going.....gone.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and God Bless,     ~Cynthia     <><

Fast and Fabulous Flight of the Butterfly

Bet you thought I was going to call this post "Going, Going, Gone...." again, right?  But I decided to opt for Fast and Fabulous today.  I wouldn't want to get too predictable now, would I?
Last night Deb and I held our monthly downline meeting.  Deb is one of my really good friends, and also happens to be my direct upline.  If anyone is 'to blame' for getting me hooked onto Stampin' Up! products, it is definitely her!   :)     Our downline meeting was a "Retirement Party" and Deb had everyone create a super-cute card using Flight of the Butterfly.  I was reminded once again of just how much I love this set and said it out loud, more than once.  I think my friends were laughing at just how many times I said I was in mourning over various stamps retiring.  No matter - they also know I am excited to see the new catalogue (next Monday for us demonstrators....I can't wait!).   I came home determined to use my own Flight of the Butterfly one more time before retirement, so devised a Fast & Fabulous card using this wonderful set.  I made essentially the same card 3 different times and mounted each onto a different-coloured card base.  Since I used Marina Mist, Pretty in Pink and Wild Wasabi inks, I used the same three colours of cardstock as my background choices.  

Supply List
Stamps - Flight of the Butterfly (retiring)
Paper - Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Ink - Marina Mist, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi
Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds

Supply List
Stamps - Flight of the Butterfly (retiring)
Paper - Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink - Marina Mist, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi
Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds
 

Supply List
Stamps - Flight of the Butterfly (retiring)
Paper - Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink - Marina Mist, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi
Accessories - 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds







And there you have them.  A little bit of stamping, a little Dazzling Diamonds and my Fast and Fabulous cards were done!   I am finding it hard to decide which colour combination I like best.



So tell me - which colour card is your favourite? 

Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless,     ~Cynthia     <><

Going, Going, Almost Gone....Totally Tool

Here is yet another of those wonderful stamp sets that just begs to be used for certain and specific occasions.  Totally Tool absolutely rocks as the stamp set of choice for Father's Day cards, masculine birthday, or even male-oriented Thank You's.  

 Now I happen to know a couple of women  who could very easily and appropriately receive a card made with this stamp set (I have 2 sisters who more than know their way around a tool box and can out-fix most men I know.   Their husbands lucked out when they picked my sisters as spouses!) - but let's face it, Totally Tool screams to be made into man-cards, don't you think?  This one uses markers, some sponging, some direct-to-paper, a bit of fussy-cutting and some well-placed brads to really make a statement.  Mostly what it says is......what a truly great stamp set!

Have a wonderful day.  Enjoy this card and I'll see you tomorrow for a Fast & Fabulous Friday.
          God Bless,              ~Cynthia                <><

Going, Going, Almost Gone....Quick Post Today

Good Morning Friends

Just a very quick post to show you a few more cards from my stash that use retiring stamp sets.

Heard From the Heart has such wonderful curved verses that are perfect for so many occasions.  And notice how super cool this card looks with the 5-Petal Flower punched pieces glued down first, then embossed afterwards with the Square Lattice embossing folder.  This "Embedded Embossing" technique is a personal favourite of mine.  By the way friends, the 5-Petal Flower punch is also retiring.  Man oh man I am sad to see some of my favourite punches on this years' retiring list!

The second card uses the Loads of Love stamp set. 

 The sky was brayered, the hills were sponged, the truck was watercoloured then fussy-cut....there sure are a lot of techniques going on in this card.  But it turned out awfully cute, didn't it?  The Loads of Love stamp set and the Loads of Love Accessories have stamps for so many "loads" for the truck to carry....hearts, Christmas trees, presents, pumpkins, flowers, furniture....you can use this set for a multitude of occasions! 

Got a full day today - and some lovely ladies coming over for our monthly technique club tonight, so I will say good-bye now.  But if you live in the Ottawa area and are interested in a monthly club to make gorgeous cards and learn fabulous techniques, contact me!  We always have room for one more.

Have a wonderful day and God Bless,      ~Cynthia      <><

Going, Going, Almost Gone....Medallion and God's Blessings

Well it is May 1 and I am getting more and more excited about the new catalog that will be coming out soon.  I'll get to see a few sneak peak items today, but next Monday I'll get to view the catalogue in its entirety.  I am not a patient person and the suspense is driving me crazy!   But in the meantime, I still have a few retiring sets that I am going to miss.  Perhaps the set I will miss most of all is God's Blessings.

This set has 8 sentiments that very eloquently cover a number of occasions, ranging from Wedding to Baptism to Birthday to Sympathy to Christmas.  I helped run 2 different church fundraisers last year where we made simple cards based on God's Blessings.  The participants got to pick which sentiment they wanted, and they used either the swirl from Baroque Motifs (retiring) or Medallion (retiring) or Serene snowflakes (retiring - not shown), to make a background pattern on their card.


The Wisteria and Concord card, and the Baja and Not Quite Navy card you see here are only 2 of the many versions of cards made at those events.  And when the sentiments chosen were birthday or Christmas, a little dazzling diamonds glitter brought the whole card to life.



Isn't it amazing the way both cards have an entirely different flair, based on the colour scheme chosen and the background image.  I must say, when 80 different women make essentially the same card at a workshop, yet it looks unique for each and every one of them, you know the basic elements of the card are effective!

 Of course, the Medallion stamp as the actual focal element of a card makes a very dramatic statement too.   Here is a version I did, using a "stained glass" technique.
Isn't the Medallion image just scrumptious?  Who even needs a sentiment?

Along with the stamp, that cute little rhinestone brad on this card is retiring.   I sure hope there are more fun embellishments to "play with" when the new catalogue is released next week!

I can order catalogues for customers beginning on May 7.  E-mail me to find out how you can get your own personal copy!


In the meantime, have a wonderful week.  God Bless,      ~Cynthia     <><