Four Seasons - Summer Hostess set

Good Morning

If you've seen the new catalogue, you must have drooled over the new hostess sets like I did.  And one of my favourites has to be the Four Seasons stamp set.  I can see me getting a LOT of use out of this one!!

Her is my first take on a nice summertime card with bright colours and an easy design layout.

Supply List
Stamps - Four Seasons
Paper - Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight
Ink - Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise
Big Shot -  Petals a Plenty Embossing Folder, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder, Large Scallop Edgelit
Tools and Accessories - 2 1/2" circle punch, 2 3/8" scallop punch, 1" Circle Punch, Daffodil Delight 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, dimensionals, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds

I love how totally bright and fun this card is.  The inside of the card has the co-ordinating flower (from the Four Seasons Summer stamps) stamped, as well as the butterfly - although I am guessing the butterfly is considered part of the Four Seasons Spring ensemble.    :)

Just something light and summery to say hello on a Sunday morning!  Hope your weekend has been spectacular so far!  
God Bless,         ~Cynthia    <><

Fast & Fabulous - Trust God

My family was truly blessed and privileged last weekend to attend the wedding of two of the most lovely and giving people you are ever likely to meet.  Naturally I wanted to make a very special card for the young couple, but I did not have a lot of time at my disposal.  I managed to come up with a card that I love, and it just so happens to qualify as a Fast and Fabulous card.

JP and Mary-Rie chose to get married on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary so naturally my card had to include some "Marian" shades of blue. And I couldn't resist using the Lattice BigZ die to make some elegant crosses!   Come on over and see how I put this together:

Supply List
Stamps - Trust God
Paper - Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy
Ink - Versamark
Big Shot -  Lattice BigZ Die, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder
Tools and Accessories - Silver Embossing powder, dimensionals

The bottom edge of the white card was embossed with the new Delicate Designs embossing folder.   Isn't this bit of embossing just lovely?

Three lattice pieces were cut from the white and 2 blue papers, and a bit of detailing and fussy-cutting transformed these trellis pieces into crosses.  They were offset from each other and the 2 blues were glued together while the white was popped up on dimensionals in the forefront.

The sentiment, from Trust God, is the perfect final addition to this card.  It was stamped with versamark and silver powder was used to emboss the words.  Notice how nice and lovely the background is?  Meaning no stray bits of silver embossing powder on the card.  That's because I used my embossing buddy (finally available to order from SU! after months of not being able to)!  These handy-dandy little pouches work miracles to keep stray bits of powder from sticking where you don't want them.  I may need to buy more than one.  They seem to disappear from my work space.  However, it could be that they are merely getting lost in the messy space that is my craft area.   :)

You cannot see it, but a sentiment from "God's Blessings" was embossed with silver embossing powder inside of the card.

I love how this card ended up.  Simple.  Yet unique and elegant.  I hope the Bride and Groom love it just as much.

We are getting closer to the weekend folks.  I love it!!  I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.  For my friends in Quebec, Happy St. Jean Baptiste Day.  For the rest of us, have a great weekend and try to stay cool!
God Bless     ~Cynthia     <><

Father's Day Card

I can't believe how easy it is to fall behind in posting.  I am only just now posting the Father's Day card that my ladies made at Card Club in May...and that I sent to my own father too!  The technique is called Faux Leather and it is amazing how closely the final product resembles real leather (in fact, my own family was fooled and thought I really HAD used a piece of leather on my card).

Without further ado, here's a great masculine card using the faux leather technique:

Supply List
Stamps - Lovely As A Tree
Paper - Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Ink - Early Espresso
Tools and Accessories - Baker's Twine, Brads, sponges, heat gun, Fun Foam, spritzer bottle, Espresso re-inker 


I used dollar store kids' Fun Foam to make my "faux leather" piece.  Go ahead and watch the youtube video to find out how to treat the foam to achieve the leatherized look.  It is surprisingly easy to do.  As for the rest of the card:  Water and a few drops of Espresso re-inker were mixed in a spritzer bottle and then sprayed quite liberally over the bottom (crumb cake) mat piece of the card.  Once dried, the pine image was randomly stamped over the bottom half of this crumb cake piece.  The faux leather/fun foam swatch, once "treated and stamped" was mounted to its corresponding Espresso mat using gold brads.  Espresso Baker's twine was wrapped a few times around this piece then the rest of the pieces were glued together.

Sound easy?  It is.
Sound quick ?   Not on your life!  Lots of steps.  Lots of gluing.  Lots of waiting.   The sponging and distressing and layering all add to the time needed for completion.  Yet it is pretty obvious that it is a gorgeous card.  My own father certainly liked it!  And my father deserves simply the best!

Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Father's Day.
Until next time,              God Bless,     ~Cynthia     

New Catalogue Kick-Off and Open House !

Hello Friends

Today is the day.  Deb Duval, Michelle Turner and I are hosting our New Catalogue Kick-Off party this evening from 7-9 here in Ottawa.  I personally, have 114 stamp sets that I am selling!!  And I know Deb and Michelle have a mountain of sets to sell as well.  Not to mention Big Shot dies, embellishments, designer paper and ink pads and ribbons and lots of other wonderful stuff!!  So bring your wish lists and come out tonight from 7-9 p.m. to stamp and shop at Pine Grove Bible Church  (2144 East Acres Rd, near where Montreal Rd crosses Hwy 174).  
Don't forget your glue and scissors!

By the way, sales of retired items are cash or cheque transactions only.  But this is a BOGO event.  That means Buy-One-Get-One.  Woo hoooooo!!     For each retired item you purchase, you can order something of equal or lesser value from the new catalogue.  New catalogue orders must be placed this evening and although retired sales are s&h and HST-free, the catalogue purchases are subject to s&h and HST).

There are plenty of door prizes to win.  A couple of gorgeous cards to make.  Some refreshments to enjoy.  Some shopping to do.  And some fun to be had!!  So join us this evening and unleash your bargain-hunter personality!  You won't regret it.

Have a wonderful day.  See you this evening?
God Bless,     ~Cynthia     <><

Fast & Fabulous Friday - Serene Silhouettes Part 2

Hello friends

I have had a busy week and the next few days are not looking much better, but I still wanted to post a Fast & Fabulous Friday for you.  In fact, here are FIVE!

Calypso Coral - Petals A Plenty

Wisteria Wonder - Fancy Fan

Lucky Limeade - Dots

Pool Party - Chevron

Island Indigo - Argyle

Supply List
Stamps - Serene Silhouettes, Perfectly Penned
Paper - Whisper White
Ink - One of -Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder
Big Shot -  Various embossing folders: Petals-A-Plenty, Fancy Fan, Perfect Polka Dots, Chevron, Argyle
Tools and Accessories - 1 3/4" Circle Punch, sponges, Baker's Twine (In Colours, 2010 - 2012)
 


I hope you can see how just by changing the embossing folder and the colour or placement of the stamped image & sentiment, you can make the same design of card look like a LOT of other things!  And each card is complete in just a few minutes. 


Okay - I'll be honest.  Making any one of these cards is awfully fast.  Making all 5 did take a bit more time   :)    But once you've decided where to place the circular stamped image, the rest just kind of falls into place.  And isn't it neat how the same basic card can be altered in very slight ways to create new and original cards?  I showed these 5 variations to my Private Card Class ladies yesterday and when they made this card, their versions were different still!  Everyone added their own bit of imagination and creative combinations.  I was totally blown away at how unique and gorgeous every single card looked.



Hope you enjoyed today's creative crash course in simplicity.  Have a truly wonderful weekend.
God Bless,     ~Cynthia    <><

Peak-A-Boo!

Actually, it's a double Peak-A-Boo card! 

My club ladies came over last evening and made this card and I must say, we laughed almost as much as we stamped!  You see, this card is one of those fancy fold-types that is a bit confusing when you first try to put it together since the card-piece shapes do not quite match up in terms of size.  But you trustingly glue it together the way the instructions say and lo and behold, it works.  Ta-dah!!  A peak-a-boo card for everyone at the table! 

I saw this card demonstrated in a video by the ever-so-talented Dawn Griffith.  Her work is terrific and her videos are sensational!  I almost set about trying to change it up when I realized I loved her card  just the way it was.  So despite a colour change, this card is pretty much all Dawn.    :)

Card Front (closed)

Supply List
Stamps - Bright Blossoms, Petite Pairs
Paper - Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Pretty In Pink DSP Stacks
Ink - Pretty In Pink, Lucky Limeade, Basic Black
Tools and Accessories 1 3/8 Circle Punch, 1 3/4 Scallop Circle Punch,  Scallop Edge Border Punch, Melon Mambo Scallop Dotted Ribbon, Sticky Strip

Inside Open Card

I'll tell you, the first time you open your own card and the inside slips into place exactly the way it is supposed to...there is a feeling of glee and satisfaction all rolled into one!

I can't wait for the rest of "my ladies" to get to make this card.  They are going to love it just as much as tonight's crew, I am certain!

Hope everyone has a terrific day ahead of them.
God Bless,    ~Cynthia    <><

Quick and Easy - Flowering Flourishes

Today's card is one of those elegant "black tie affair" type cards.  You know...the "shaken-not-stirred", Casino Royale type of card.   But best of all, it is really quick too!

Supply List
Stamps - Flowering Flourishes, Occasions Alphabet
Paper - Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Ink - Basic Black
Big Shot -  Labels Collection Framelits
Tools and Accessories - Basic Pearls, dimensionals, Black Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)


How unbelievably easy is that?  Stamp the flourish onto the Vanilla.  Stamp the appropriate alphabet sentiment onto a vanilla scrap and cut it out with the Labels Framelit.  Piece everything together and add a few pearls.  Voila.  Elegance and refinement in a very few minutes!


This is yet another one of the cards that the ladies will make at the card class on Thursday.  I hope they enjoy the selection I have designed for them.  You'll see another card tomorrow.  Then Thursday I will head to a law office downtown and do a private card class for these wonderful ladies.  I love that I can come in and they can have some creative therapy at the end of a long and stressful day!


Does a private card class sound like something you'd like to do too?  If you are in the Ottawa area and think this sounds interesting, contact me and we'll see if we can make it happen.


Have a wonderful day everyone.  God Bless      ~Cynthia    <><