Thankful Thursday - Awesomely Artistic Thanks

It's been a while, but I am finally giving you another installment of Thankful Thursday.  

I am going to keep this pretty short.  Except to point out that I LOVE that Stampin' Up! finally brought out a heavier weight white cardstock for us to use in single layer cards.  To be honest - I am *thankful* about that on this Thursday morning!
 
So that's exactly what I've used here.  I stamped all of the gorgeous images from the Awesomely Artistic stamp set directly onto my thick white cardstock base.  A few dragonflies were stamped directly on the card, then onto scrap white so I could fussy cut the wings and raise them up over the stamped wings.....and that pretty much sums up the card.

But it really is wildly free and peaceful, don't you agree? 

On a more serious note, today I am thankful, as always, for everything God has given me - but in particular, for my family.  I was reminded last evening just how very blessed I am to have all of them in my life.  I could wax enthusiastic and tell you all the "whys"....but then it wouldn't be the short post I promised, right?

Instead I will bid you adieu and hope that you all enjoy a wonderful day.  And that you have an opportunity to dwell on the things you should be thankful for!    God Bless,    ~Cynthia   <><


Product List

Awesomely Artistic Clear-Mount Stamp Set [139950]	Another Thank You Photopolymer Stamp Set [133454]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [138323]

Hawaii Incentive Trip - My Swap Card

Hello My Friends

Just a quick post to show you the swap card I made to exchange with other demonstrators here in Hawaii.

Very similar to the Thank You card I made for everyone who put in an order during the month of April - except there is an extra layer in this card.


I thought of adding a few rhinestones.  
Or pearls.  
Or twine or ribbon or dimensionals or embossing or something.  Anything.  But honest-to-goodness, sometimes the simplicity of something is the piece de resistance.

And that's definitely how I felt about this card.
Less is more.  And this card is stunning all by itself.  Just some tone-on-tone sponging on top of the embossed flower and voila --> It was good to go.

Another lovely thing about swapping in Hawaii....?  I only had to make 26 copies of this card!  You might recall I had to make 125 copies of my Founder's Circle card.  So 26?  Ha!  That was a piece of cake.

I am so, so, so looking forward to receiving 25 copies back of various cards by various Stampin' Up! achieving demonstrators later this week.  And I can't wait to share some of them with you too.  Don't forget to check back later to see if I have news about those swaps.

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful day.  
God Bless,    ~Cynthia    <><

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Thankful Thursday - Thankful For Blessings

Hello Friends

I am busy.  
Busy, busy, busy.  

And one of my many "to do" items is creating a whole whack of Thank You cards for all of you wonderful people.   And believe me, I have LOTS of them to make since there are LOTS of you to thank!! 

So if THAT is the "worst" thing that can happen to me this week ---- that I am busy trying to thank everyone who deserves my thanks....well friends, life can't be all that bad, can it?

I am blessed.  Truly and awesomely blessed!

And yes.  I just said 'Awesomely'.  Trust me - it really IS a word!.

Have a wonderful day, filled with a recognition of all the blessings that you can be thankful for! 

God Bless you all,    ~Cynthia   <><

Fast and Fabulous Friday - Fun Framed Thank You With a Jewel or a Pearl?

Hello My Friends

Today my sister and brother and I are taking our kids (well, some of them anyway) to the beach at Turkey Point.  I know, I know, "Turkey Point" doesn't sound much like a nice place to visit, does it?  But it is a wonderful beach on the shores of Lake Eerie, and the 12 of us (I told you, only "some" of the kids were with us....) are going to have a blast. 

Rhinestone

Pearl

But before I go, I needed to make a Fast and Fabulous Friday card.  So here you have it my friends.  Fast and Fabulous.  And quite honestly, this card took mere minutes.  Even the cutting out of the embossed frame, despite being fussy-cutting, really only took about 90 seconds!

But once again I am faced with a dilemma.  The card is just a tad bare.  So I stamped the heart towards the upper corner of the sentiment.  And then, even with that addition, the card needs an extra oomph.  So I tried a pearl.  And I tried a rhinestone.  Then back to the pearl.  Then back to the rhinestone.  And so on and so forth.....

I know it is a very slight detail.  But small details can make a big difference sometimes....

Aargh.  I don't have time today to hem and haw and figure out which one I prefer.  And since you were all so helpful the other day and weighed in with your design preferences, well, I figured I might be able to enlist your aid yet again. 

So leave me a comment to let me know whether you prefer the heart with the rhinestone or the pearl.   

When I return from the beach later this evening I will see which embellishment wins the place of honour on this card.  And one of you who weighs in will receive this card when I return home next week!   (Please make sure if you leave a comment as "Anonymous", that you sign your name as well so I will know who to send the card to!)

I am off to the beach now.  I'll check for your comments when I get back.  Until then, I hope everyone is looking forward to a wonderful weekend!            God Bless,      ~Cynthia    <><  



Product List

Fun Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133727]	Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133739]	Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die [117335]
Another Thank You Photopolymer Stamp Set [133454]	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad [133642]	Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133675]
Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]	Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents [119246]	Basic Pearls Jewel Accents [119247]

Thankful Thursday - A Starry Double Feature

Hello Friends

I am still over-the-moon excited and thankful to all of you for helping me achieve Founder's Circle this year.  And the well-wishes and wonderful words from so many of you have come pouring in over the last wee....well, it just about makes my heart explode with gratitude!!  So I finally got out my Stars Framelit Dies today to make a quick star card in your honour.

A piece of Moonlight Designer Paper, some star cut-outs, some Little Pieces embosslit accents, some well-placed rhinestones and voila, a card to express my gratitude to all of you.


Then once I was done, I looked at the remaining bits that I hadn't used and I thought to myself....."there's a card inside all those bits.  I just have to find it".......    :)

So I did. 

I started with the 2 bits of designer paper  trimmed off of the first card, and 2 Honey Hello Star pieces that were cut for the first card but not used.  A few extra Little Pieces embosslit embellishments and more rhinestones for balance and before I knew it, card #2 was complete as well.  

Sometimes making a card really is that simple.  You look at the bits that are on your workspace - often the embellishments or discard or negative pieces that remain after you've created your last card -- and you just assemble them into a new card. 



But despite the simplicity of these Thankful Thursday cards, the gratitude I feel towards each and every one of you who supported me over this past year - well that gratitude is neither "simple" nor short-lived.  And it is certainly deserving of a double-dose of Thank You cards, that's for sure!

I hope each of you is able to recognize all of the people who support you and who you need to be thankful for.  And I hope today you find a way to express your gratitude towards them!

May God Bless you all,      ~Cynthia     <><


Product List

Stars Framelits Die [133723]	Little Pieces Embosslits Die [133733]	Another Thank You Photopolymer Stamp Set [133454]
Blackberry Bliss 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133675]	Hello Honey 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133678]	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad [133642]
Moonlight Designer Series Paper [133701]	Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents [119246]	Tiny Triangles Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133740]

DIY Designer Paper - Your Preferred Variation?

Good Morning My Friends

Since I am visiting at my parent's home and am without most of my supplies, I decided to make my own.  Well.... sort of!

I just received the fun and funky "What's Your Type" photopolymer stamp set and was dying to play with it so I brought it with me on my holiday.  I really didn't have any particular image in mind to create with the varied shapes, so I decided instead to make my own designer paper!  I absolutely love how easy it is to get accurate placement of images when you use photopolymer stamps!!  Believe me - I was able to quite quickly produce a piece of very funky faux designer paper!

Design 1

Design 2

You might also remember that I brought all of my Blendabilities with me on vacation as I have not yet had a really good chance to play with them.  So today I set about colouring some flowers (Beautiful Bunch) and some butterflies (Papillon Potporri).  Can I just mention that I am *still* loving my Blendabilities and I think everyone should sign up for my virtual Blendabilities club (details HERE).  Trust me - you are going to want them *all* so you may as well get them the easiest and least expensive way possible!

Design 3

Design 4

Regardless - after fussy cutting out the images, I was having a hard time deciding on the best placement of the elements on my faux DSP.  I have 4 different variations here - but nothing is glued down permanently yet.  So I am going to ask you,my friends, to weigh in.  

Which or the 4 placements do you prefer?

Naturally I will have to once again do a random draw of all those who weigh in (by Friday), and that person will receive this card - glued down, of course, in their preferred design!!

In the meantime, while I wait to hear back from you, my friends, I will wish to all of you a wonderful (and not too hot) day!!    God Bless,    ~Cynthia    <><

Thankful Thursday - So Much To Be Thankful For

Hello Friends

It's a Thankful Thursday and today I am thankful for each and every one of you.  
That's right.  
YOU!!


I want to thank you, truly thank you, for the support you've all shown me.  Not just today, but all the year long!


I get to do what I love, what I truly love....and get rewarded for it too.  Did you know that Stampin' Up! has a mission statement, a "statement of the heart", and it goes like this:






"To love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments . . . in this we make a difference." 


And I truly believe this.  I love what I do.  I LOVE what I do.  Truly love it.  And I do feel as if I make a difference in the lives of the women I get to craft with and work with.  And for this I am thankful.  Truly and unbelievably thankful.

As for today's card - the new Flower Patch stamp set is gorgeous!  And since it is a photopolymer set, it is extremely easy to use!  No stamp-a-ma-jig for this card, nosirree!  It was so easy to stamp the larger, lighter flowers, then easily overlay the darker centre details on top.  Love how easy it was to do.  I didn't use the corresponding framelits to cut out any of the flowers - not for these cards at least - but I will use them on an upcoming card soon.

Doesn't this card just scream "SUMMERTIME" to you??

Going to get back to my other responsibilities now.  But I did want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of you - my friends!!

God Bless you today and always,     ~Cynthia     <><

Thankful Thursday - I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Hello Friends

I am super busy preparing for my 20-card class on Saturday but I needed to first acknowledge my dear friend Suzane, who graciously offered her time and came to help me prepare my card packages.   I have over 700 cards to prep so I trust you can all understand how valuable her assistance has been these past few days!  

I am not finished yet, so without further ado I am going to get back to the task at hand.  But I did want to stop momentarily and say that this Thankful Thursday belongs to Suzane and her generous gift of time and friendship!

My challenge to all of you today is to say thank you to someone who does something for you.  Any little thing.  Anything at all.  Even if you "know" they already know that you appreciate it....say it anyhow!  Words have power.  And we need to let people know how much we appreciate them and how grateful we are!

Hope everyone has a wonderful - and truly Thankful - day.   

God Bless,    ~Cynthia    <><
Product List

Work Of Art Clear Stamp Set [134114]	Another Thank You Photopolymer Stamp Set [133454]	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad [131171]
Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [131175]	Bermuda Bay 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131197]	Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]

Thankful Thursday - Going, Going, Almost Gone

I know, I know.....it's been forever since I posted, right?

Sorry my friends.  I don't often quote the Beatles, but John Lennon said it best when he borrowed the phrase......"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans...."

Things here have been crazier than usual.  I'll explain in a few days - but for right now, I need to post something quick before you think I am gone for good.  So here's a Thankful Thursday post that says "Thank you for not giving up on me, even after my extended silence."      :)

I love tone on tone.  I love texture and using various embossing folders.  And I love simplicity.  This card is all of that and I love it.  I borrowed the idea from this card, then tweaked it ever-so-slightly and voila, this is what you get.

The Square Lattice embossing folder and the Little Leaves sizzlit are BOTH retiring so get them now before they are gone for good!  Trust me when I tell you that you will never regret owning the Square Lattice Embossing Folder!

Hope you forgive me for being away so long.  Thanks again for sticking with me.  Gotta run or this will never get online!

Have a wonderful day - all of you - and God Bless,    ~Cynthia   <><

Thankful Thursday - Simple and Easy Vanilla Card

Hello Dear Friends

Sorry that I got busy and neglected you.  Things sure have been crazy around here - they probably have been where you are too, huh?

But even with life being crazy, we still should all take the time to be Thankful.  And I am.  I absolutely am.  You see, today begins one of the holiest times of the year.  And I have a *lot* to be thankful for.

We all have a lot to be thankful for.

Today is Holy Thursday.  The first day of the single saddest event in the history of mankind.  And the beginning of the most glorious!  

Yes my friends.  We have a *lot* to be thankful for!  It's as simple as that.  So my card is simple too.  Just strips of Vanilla cardstock that have been embossed with various patterns.  No two the same length.  No two the same pattern.  

Kinda like us, huh?     :)

You might notice though, that all of them are facing the same direction - the 'thanks'.

So whether you are getting ready to drive somewhere to visit relatives for this long Easter weekend, or staying put at home, whether you will be spending much of your weekend in a church giving praise, or spending your time on the couch watching tv, no matter how you plan to spend your time this weekend -- I hope at some point, you are thankful.  Because we have been blessed beyond compare.  Truly and remarkably blessed.

I hope for you and yours, that these last few days leading up to Easter Sunday are a time of great happiness for you.  Peace.  Joy.  And Fulfillment.  I hope you are filled with Thankfulness.  And a recognition for all the things you have to be thankful for.  
And for today itself, I wish you a peaceful and peace-filled Holy Thursday.
May God Bless you all,     ~Cynthia     <><  

Product List

117335	130917	129984	132187
127750	127751	119976	133454
126974	119959	101650