A Birthday Card!

I just finished (and mailed!) the first of a bunch of birthday cards I'll be making -- some of them over this coming weekend, I hope!

This card is for one of my dearest friends. Can you guess her favorite color? I broke into my new Cherry Cobbler cardstock and ink just for the occasion, and I have to say that I absolutely LOVE this shade of red! I have a feeling I'll be using a lot of it!

The card itself is pretty straight-forward. I pulled out my Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, and the rest of the card just sort of happened. The candles and flowers on the cake have Smooch Pearlized top coat on them to fancy them up a bit. The card inside is a bit different, but I had fun using my new uber-large scallop punch and the even bigger circle to make layers for both the inside sentiment and the signature section.

I'm counting on the recipient not checking my blog over the weekend, but just in case she stops by and gets a sneak peek at her card, I'll say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CATHY!



Stamps: Happy Moments, Whimsical Words
Colors: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point
Punches: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, 2-1/2" Circle, 2-3/8 Scallop Circle
And: Smooch Pearlized Top Coat
(and yes, I CAN make a card without using Stampin' Dimensionals!)

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce

50th Anniversary Card

I was so pleased when a friend mentioned to me that her sister and husband would be celebrating their 50th anniversary today! She didn't have to ask me twice to make a special card for them!

I started out going for a vintage look, which is why I chose Crumb Cake to brayer over the Bride specialty paper, and then textured Soft Suede as a card base. Vintage Vogue seemed to be the perfect stamp set to work with, and I just love the script lettering in the Whimsical Words and Well Scripted stamp sets. I decided to stretch myself and make a square card to fit in a 5.5" square envelope, and my only "rule" was that the card would have to be pretty flat so it wouldn't get damaged in transit.

I chose Rose Red and Riding Hood Red for the flowers and flower centers, and decided to hold them together with Antique Gold brads. I cut out a handful of leaves stamped in Old Olive next. Using what I had cut out already, I played for quite awhile with the layout for the front of the card, but it just seemed too flat. I ran what I had in front of a friend who doubles as my second set of eyes, and she suggested I add blue to the mix -- and I was off and running! The rest of the card design came together quickly, even though all the cutting, layering, and glueing took quite awhile.


Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I actually like the inside of the card better!


Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Whimsical Words, Well Scripted
Papers: Soft Suede textured cardstock, Bride specialty paper brayered with Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Other colors: Rose Red, Riding Hood Red, Ballet Blue, Old Olive
And: Antique Gold and Silver brads, Soft Suede polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon (reversed), "Hug" from the Occasions Mini, scalloped oval Nesties, Stampin' Dimensionals, Big Shot (for the "50" on the front)

HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY, BILL AND LOLA! Wishing you many more happy years together!

Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce
www.stamperjoyce.stampinup.net

Missing You Card

I'm mortified that it's been over a month since I've posted to this blog! Ack! I can't really say I have a good excuse, either. Yes, my health issues continue to slow me down, but the real culprit is Facebook games, to which I've gotten hopelessly addicted. I'm taking steps away from the games because I genuinely miss stamping, so I have high hopes that I'll find a healthy balance between stamping time and computer play time soon.

So, moving forward...

I was asked by my new nurse last week to custom make a "miss you" card for her sister several states away. I was inspired by a piece of Razzleberry Lemonade DSP that was sitting on my worktable, and the card came together quite easily from there. I love when that happens!




Below is a photo of the inside of the card before I added personalization -- a computer-generated sentiment that includes the recipient's name and a message. I found the RGB code for Rich Razzleberry and printed the inside message from my computer printer.


Stamp sets: Whimsical Words, Tiny Tags
Colors: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
DSP: Razzleberry Lemonade
Punches: Trio Flower, Scallop Trim Corner, Scallop Trim Border, Medium Jewelry Tag, Curly Label
Big Shot: Top Note die
And: Rich Razzleberry polka-dotted grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Yeah, the sympathy cards I started on months ago are still at the top of my To Do list, along with adding finishing touches to the Build-a-Bears for the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House. With the new Stampin' Up! Summer Mini catalog going public in a few days, I am highly motivated to meet my stamping commitments so I can move on to play with the ultra cool new toys coming out!! Hang on to your socks, people! You're gonna be dazzled!

Five More Anniversary Cards

I managed to put together five anniversary cards this afternoon to complete my friend's order. I just loved playing with my new toys and papers from the Occasions mini catalog!

Card 1:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Real Red, Regal Rose
DSP: Sending Love
Punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Heart to Heart, Pinking Hearts Border, Modern Label, Scallop Border
Big Shot: Stampin' Up! Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die, Texture Plate
And: Mistletoe ribbon (from the Holiday Mini), Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 2:

Stamp: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors: Old Olive, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Punch: Modern Label, Eyelet Border
Big Shot: Stampin' Up! Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Stampin' Up! Punch Windows
And: Sweet Pea Stitched Felt

Card 3:

Stamp: Great Greetings
Colors: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Punches: Scallop Trim Corner, Scallop Trim Border
Big Shot: Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslits Die
And: Paper Piercing Tools

Card 4:

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Whimsical Words
Colors: Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Rose Red, Old Olive
DSP: Thoroughly Modern
Punch: Wide Oval
And: Soft Suede Polka Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Antique Brass brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card 5:

Colors: Rose Red, Whisper White
Big Shot: Manhatten Flower embossing folder
And: Halfback pearls from the Pretties Kit, Whisper White Organza Ribbon

Not bad for a day's work, eh?

Coming up: Build-a-Bear cards!