Thankful Thursday - Sweetie Pie Goes Hawaiian

Hello Friends

It's a Thankful Thursday and today I am thankful for all of you!  No.  Truly! 
 ALL of YOU!

Each year Stampin' Up! has a Grand Vacation that they offer as an incentive to demonstrators who perform well in personal sales and leadership.  And yesterday I found out that I have earned the Grand Vacation for next year.  So in May of 2015, myself and a guest (my hubby, of course) will be headed to Hawaii!!

And even better - we've got it all planned out so that we will be able to take the kids with us!!

We told them yesterday.  They had no idea.  Not an inkling - so you can imagine the whoops and screams of delight.  My 4 kids have never even seen the ocean, let alone swam in it.  I guess if their very first experience is Waikiki Beach, everything else might pale in comparison?!

But none of this, NONE of it, would have been possible without YOU.  My friends.  My customers.  My family.  My supporters.  My cheerleaders.  And to be quite honest, none of it would be worth doing if not for you.  More than anything else, what I get out of "this job" is a chance to spread smiles and laughter.  When we get together to craft, we have fun.  Correction....FUN.  And I love the time I get to spend with each and every one of you.

So today I have used Sweetie Pie to create a Hawaiian girl who thanks each and every one of you!  The Sweetie Pie faces are just a shade too small for the Dress-Up mannequin/body, but I think she does the trick anyhow, don't you?   And notice the Crisp Cantaloupe sponging on her cheeks?  I am hoping that reflects the "slight bit" of colour we will all get when we head to Hawaii (instead of the massive sunburns I am hoping we all manage to avoid).  We are still in the clutches of winter here in Ottawa right now, so thinking about being in that warm, tropical sun a year from now is awfully inviting!

Until then - and as always - I will remain thankful.  To all of you.  Each and every one of you who has made this possible.  From the bottom of my heart (and my hula skirt!) - THANK YOU!

God Bless you all,       ~Cynthia    <><

Product List
Stamp : Peaceful Petals [clear] [133107], Sweetie Pie [photopolymer] [136849]
Ink : Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad [126980] , Strawberry Slush Classic Stampin' Pad [131178] , Crisp Cantaloupe Classic Stampin' Pad [131176] , Early Espresso Stampin Write Marker [119680] , Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]
Card Stock : Gumball Green 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [126840] , Sahara Sand 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [121043] , Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730] , Pool Party 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock [122924] , Crisp Cantaloupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131298]
Tools & Adhesive : Fringe Scissors [133325] , Stamping Sponges [101610] , Blender Pens [102845]
Punch : Petite Petals Punch [133322] , Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack [118309] , Bird Punch [117191]
Ribbon & Trim : Calypso Coral 3/4" Chevron Ribbon [130018] , Calypso Coral Baker's Twine [125573]
Accessory : Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper [133521] , Basic Pearls Jewel Accents [119247]
Big Shot : Dress Up Framelits Dies [130101]

Sweetie Pie - Quick and Cute With Word Bubbles

Hello Friends

I was right - each person in my family took their Sweetie Pie card and read it and smiled from ear-to-ear, knowing it was designed specifically with them in mind!

As for today's quick and cute installment....it is just that.  Quick and Cute.  Sweetie Pie makes it so easy.  

And just in case you don't recognize where the cute little X's and O's came from......the Circle Card Thinlit Die has nine bonus framelit pieces, aside from the actual card base thinlit itself.  And this xoxo string is one of those framelits.

Pretty cute, huh?
And oh, so simple to make.

Hope you are still enjoying my adventures with the Sweetie Pie stamp set.  I have a few more up my sleeve too.  Come back soon for another glimpse.

In the meantime, I hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful week.  
God Bless,   ~Cynthia   <><

Sweetie Pie Photopolymer Stamp Set [136849]

Contact me today to get your Sweetie Pie stamp set:

Product List
Stamp : Just Sayin' [english, clear] [133203] , Just Sayin' Clear-Mount Bundle [134820], Sweetie Pie [photopolymer] [136849]
Ink : Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949] , Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad [126952] , Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad [126980]
Card Stock : Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730] , Basic Black 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [121045] , Real Red 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [102482]
Accessory : Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]
Big Shot : Circle card Thinlits Die [133480] , Word Bubbles Framelits Dies [132968]

Sweetie Pie #5 - Never Underestimate the Power of TWO!

Hello Friends and welcome to my favourite Sweetie Pie card so far!

I love my husband.  Truly and deeply.  And oh, so many years ago our mutual love took root and was nurtured and cared for - and over these last 22 years it has grown into our Sweetie-Pie Family Tree!

I LOVE this sentiment!  The Power of Two took root and has grown into something so much better than either one of us alone!

The Sweet Sorbet designer series paper that you can earn FREE during Sale-A-Bration is still available for one more week and it provided the background tree for our Family to grow on.  We often refer to our eldest (the one with pigtails) and our youngest (our son) as our "book-ends" so it is appropriate that his image was generated by merely not inking the pigtails of her image.

As for darling daughter #2 with the short hair?  I wasn't thrilled that this particular photopolymer image has a bit if a frown - so I substituted the smile of daughter #3 (image with the headband) for the frown of the short-haired image and I was much happier.  And you can see the family resemblance too, can't you?   (wink).
The perfectly clear photopolymer makes substituting smiles an easy task.  No Stamp-a-ma-jig required!

As for my darling husband?  His image is that of the short-haired girl (once again substituting a smile for a frown) but like my son's image, I masked off the longer tresses on either side of the face so my hubby would look a trifle more manly in his grooming.

I suppose the Family Tree would be more authentic if mine and my hubby's hair were coloured with a fair amount of gray, but then again, I didn't mean for this to be an identical likeness!   :)  At least the hearts, compliments of the owl punch, lend an air or realism to the card.  Because truly, it is love that has grown us into what you see before you.

My husband should be home from work soon and I cannot wait to give him this card.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has *never* underestimated the power of two!

Hope you enjoy this card.  And I hope you are looking forward to seeing just a few more Sweetie Pie cards in the coming days.

In the meantime, enjoy your Monday and God Bless you all!    ~Cynthia    <><

Product List
Stamp : Yippee-Skippee! Clear-mount Stamp Set [131344], Sweetie Pie [photopolymer] [136849]  
Ink : Versamark Pad [102283] , Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]
Card Stock : Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730] , Real Red 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [102482] , Summer Starfruit 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [126839]
Tools & Adhesive : Aqua Painter [103954] , Paper Snips [103579]
Punch : 1-3/8 Inch Circle Punch [119860] , Owl Punch [118074]
Accessory : Black Stampin' Emboss Powder [109133] , Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper [133521]

Sweetie Pie #4 - My Awesome Son

Hello Friends

You didn't really think I would make Sweetie Pie cards for all of my daughters but neglect my son did you?

You might be forgiven for thinking that, since the stamp set does not include any male images.  But where there's a will there's a way and in the stamping world, we are known for being creative so.....

I used the image of the girl with the pigtails, and merely masked off the pigtails while I was inking her up.  Make sure the ink only gets on the hair on top of the head and Voila......a little boy instead of a girl!

My son is about to turn 12 years old and any of you with a boy that age will know that one of the most frequent adjectives in his vocabulary right now is, "Awesome".

And to tell you the truth, he is.  Awesome that is.  Truly and wonderfully AWESOME.

So I couldn't have designed a better card for him.

His little face is peering through the porthole in the front of the card.  Love that little detail!  When you open it up, he is still there, looking up at you.

He'll always be my little boy.

At any rate, this is the 4th and final installment of my quick and simple "Sweetie Pie Children" cards - since I have only 4 children.  But visit again later this afternoon to see the card I created for my husband.  Sweet and Poignant and I cannot wait to give it to him!

He is, after all, my original Sweetie Pie!

In the meantime, I hope you are all looking forward to a spectacular day.  
      God Bless,    ~Cynthia   <><


Product List
Stamp : Hello, Sailor [clear] [133278] , Yippee-Skippee! Clear-mount Stamp Set [131344], Sweetie Pie [photopolymer] [136849]
Ink : Versamark Pad [102283] , Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]
Card Stock : High Tide Designer Series Paper [132992] , Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730] , Pacific Point 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [111350]
Punch : 1-1/4 Inch Circle Punch [119861] , 1-3/8 Inch Circle Punch [119860]
Accessory : Black Stampin' Emboss Powder [109133]

Sweetie Pie #3 - Doing Nothing With You

Hello Again My Friends and welcome to installment #3 of my Quick and Simple Sweetie Pie cards for my girls.

Darling daughter #3 and I happen to enjoy bird-watching together and can't wait to go out again in the Spring.  Now I will admit that in all of our hours spent traipsing the fields and brush, there have been several occasions when we saw nothing more interesting than a sparrow.  Yet the time spent together was - and is - gold.

I remember one of the first times we spent on an outing, when we came up relatively empty-handed (empty-binoculared?).  Yet DD#3 put her hand into mine as we walked, smiled up at me and told me that it was the best day ever - and she'd rather spend that time with me and see nothing, than not have our time together.

Do you know, even when I am working on the computer and she is reading, she usually comes and settles herself beside me (and I mean *right* beside me!) - because being "together doing nothing" is better than being apart.

So this card - just a simple card with some birds and branches and my own little Sweetie Pie - says it all.  And being able to pull the silver thread out of the Silver Baker's Twine and wrap it around the card means I could add just enough sparkle to match the sparkle in DD#3's eyes and smile!

Just so you know, despite the fact that the Sweetie Pie images are all girls, I actually have a Sweetie Pie card for my son!  And my darling hubby too!  You'll have to check back tomorrow to see installments #4 and #5 in my Love-My-Family Sweetie Pie series!!

Sweetie Pie stamp set #136849

In the meantime, I hope you've had a wonderful weekend.  I certainly have. 
God Bless you all,    ~Cynthia   <><

Product List
Stamp : Serene Silhouettes Clear-Mount Stamp Set [127324] , From My Heart [132007], Sweetie Pie Photopolymer Stamp Set [136849]
Ink : Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [131179] , Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974] , Versamark Pad [102283] , Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad [126986]
Card Stock : Island Indigo 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock [122923] , Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]
Tools & Adhesive : Stamping Sponges [101610]
Punch : 1-3/4 Inch Scallop Circle Punch [119854] , 1-3/8 Inch Circle Punch [119860] , Extra-Large Oval Punch [119859] , Decorative Label Punch [120907]
Accessory : Black Stampin' Emboss Powder [109133] , Silver Baker's Twine [132976]
Big Shot : Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die [119976]

Sweetie Pie #2 - She's One of a Kind

Okay My Friends

Here is a Sweetie Pie card for Darling Daughter #2.  

DD#2 has very short hair.  Beautifully unique short hair.  Up until last June, she had a full head of some of the healthiest, shiniest long hair I've ever seen, but in June she had it cut off and donated it to cancer.  Go ahead and ask me how proud I am!!   

I am proud not only because of the "motivation" to cut her hair and donate it, but also because she had the courage, in today's cookie-cutter world, to sport a short hair style - and KEEP it short.  Have any of the rest of you noticed that the "fashion" right now is for girls to have long, straight hair?  Long.  Straight.  
Everyone.  
All of them.
Cookie cutter.

DD#2 though?  She doesn't feel the need to conform.  She has self confidence.  She has panache.  She has flair.  She is unique and has the absolute coolest haircut around.  

So after I made the first card, I figured it made more sense to show her uniqueness amongst the rest of the teen girls out there.  

Please don't get me wrong - I am not against long straight hair.  After all, my DD#1 and DD#3 have long, straight hair.  

But I *do* applaud young girls in today's world who have the courage to be individuals and not have to look like everybody else.

So card #2 reflects my daughter, standing out and being unique in the halls of the High School where all the rest of them are just trying to blend in.

I love that about her!!

As for these 2 cards, I'll bet you can see that they are very quick and easy.  Because the Sweetie Pie set is so cute, you don't need to do anything extraordinary to get a gorgeous card.

But keep watching.  Tonight I'll have quick and easy card #3 for DD#3.  
And then my friends, then I will start to show you the uber-cool variations that make this stamp set a must-have for your craft room!!

Sweetie Pie stamp set #136849

Stay tuned.
Come back later.
And in the meantime have a wonderful day!     God Bless,       ~Cynthia    <><


Product List
Stamp : A Dozen Thoughts Clear-Mount Stamp Set [131059], , Sweetie Pie Photopolymer Stamp Set [136849] 
Ink : Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949] , Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976] , Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad [126980] , Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [131179] , Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]
Card Stock : Real Red 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [102482] , Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]
Tools & Adhesive : Aqua Painter [103954]

Sweetie Pie #1 - All About You!

Hello Friends

I am *so* excited.  I received my newest Stampin' Up! photopolymer set on Friday and today I got to play with it.  The set is called "Sweetie Pie" and you are really going to want this set.  It is so stinkin' cute!!

So cute, in fact, that I had to make a quick card for each of my 3 daughters.  And I am going to post them all today.  Here is the first Sweetie Pie for my Sweetie Pie #1:

We have a standard joke in our family - a running joke that my eldest daughter uses all the time to crack us up.  In various situations, she has us all in stitches by saying that "it's all about me".  So when this sentiment appeared in the Really Good Greetings stamp set last year, I knew I had to use it on a card for her!

This is a really simple card that came together quickly.  I have loads of ideas for the Sweetie Pie set but for my first cards, I wanted it to be all about the images and I wanted to show you how they could easily pull off a cute card on their own.

So what do you think?  Pretty cute, huh?

Come back after lunch and I'll show you the card(s) I've made for darling daughter #2.  And then at supper I'll post the Sweetie Pie card for my #3 sweetie pie.  All of them are quick.  Easy.  Uber cute.  And quite simply...."sweet".

Have a wonderful morning and God Bless you all,      ~Cynthia     <><  

Sweetie Pie stamp set #136849

Product List
Stamp : Really Good Greetings Clear-mount Stamp Set [130333] , Sweetie Pie Photopolymer Stamp Set [136849] 
Ink : Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad [131175] , Bermuda Bay Stampin' Write Marker [131899], Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]  
Card Stock : Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [100730]
Ribbon & Trim : Bermuda Bay 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon [131206]
Accessory : Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents [119246]
Big Shot : Set Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die [123130]