Is it stamping time yet?

I had some friends over to play this week and this is one of the cards we made. We used a shape to sponge in, stamped the boat on our card and on a scrap piece of white, cut out the sails and glued them over the image. The boat didn’t stand out enough so we filled it in with a black marker.

Stamps: sail away, on your birthday

Card: whisper white, basic black, pumpkin pie

Ink: basic black, daffodil delight, pumpkin pie, cajun craze

Other: marker, word window punch, modern label punch

I made little gifts for the group of ladies that have been helping me. They have little pull-out chocolate. I hope they like them

Stamps: vintage vouge, punch punch

Card: blue bayou (R), soft sky (R)

Ink: blue bayou (R), soft sky (R), early espresso

Other: SU slit punch, beautiful wings embosslit die, lattice embossing folder, ribbon

This is the most recent configuration for my craft area. I have not put everything back in yet but I am getting there. The large window gets full sun in the afternoon. Lovely in winter but the curtains will be shut come summer.

I made this for a lovely friend of mine who has been such a help while I have been recovering. I saw the inspiration for this card on Dawn’s blog. I made a slightly smaller card (8 inch square) and different colours and stamps but the layout is identical. I especially loved the torn corner on the front with DSP behind. I’m sorry for the terrible photo. I have rearranged my craft area (again!) and have not set up lighting yet. If I was patient, the sun would be streaming through the large window in the afternoon – but I’m not patient.

Stamps: vintage vogue, sense of time

Card: blue bayou(R), soft sky(R),crumb cake, espresso, vanilla

Ink: blue bayou(R), soft sky(R), crumb cake, espresso, wasabi (stamped off for the little leaves inside)

other: baja ribbon, daubers, sponges, lattice embossing folder, dimentionals, DSP

A few details on the previous card:

• I chose the colors from the SU Color Coach: Certainly Celery, Soft Suede and Pink Pirouette.
• The background swirls are the background stamp from Baroque Motifs.
• The leaves are from the Little Leaves sizzlit die.
• The ovals are nestabilities.
• The words are from Close as A Memory stamp set.
• The flowers are made from the SU scallop circle punch and 1 3/8 circle punch. Just spray the punch outs with water, scrunch them into a ball, gently open and layer. Use a brad to secure all layers. Scrunch up again into a shape you like and allow to dry. I used alternate whisper white and pink pirouette.
• Inside I used the swirls again but with Pink Pirouette stamped off.
• Inside words are from Thoughts & Prayers stamp set.

I had to make a box for the card to go into to stop the flowers from being squashed. Sorry about the shocking photo but it was 6am just before Hubby left for church. The card is A5 (A4 folded in half) so many people could sign and even so I made extra panels for people to sign that we can attach later. I just worked out the measurements from the card. I made the top a smidge bigger so they fit easily.

• The base is soft suede
• The top is celery
• The words are from Close As a Memory stamped in Espresso
• scallop oval is pink pirouette

This week my husband lost a dear friend. He had suffered chest pain a couple of weeks ago and went to the hospital. They said he had a virus and sent him home to rest. Harry checked with him and he was tired but seemed OK. On Wednesday morning he died in his bed. My husband was at work when he found out  and then rang me. If I was in shock I can’t imagine how his wife was feeling, who was home and found him. Someone from our church has been with her. I have been very concerned for my husband. He does not have a large number of close friends and this was so unexpected. This man, along with Hubby, is part of our church music team. Harry asked me to make a sympathy card for our friends wife that everyone could write in. Of course I said yes but doing it was very difficult for me. I procrastinated. I did not want to think of why this card was needed. I kept crying when I thought of the loss for her. I wondered how I would cope – and if I would. However, I finished the card for Harry to take to the rehearsals tonight for them to sign. I kept it very simple and tomorrow I will make a little box so the flowers don’t get crushed.

As I worked on the card I thought about death.  I have not had many deaths to deal with in my life. This man’s death was special for me. It is the first time I have been sure I would see a person again. He was a committed Christian. I have every confidence that he is with our Lord and that we will see him again. I have no such assurance about my Grandmother or my Father. Harry commented that “Marc had beaten him heaven”. I am not sorry for Marc. How could I be. I am sorry for those who loved him and are still waiting to join him in Heaven.

The French Foliage stamp set from the current mini catalogue was at the top of my wish list. I cased these 2 cards but I didn’t record where I found them – sorry. This type of stamp is so forgiving that I plan to use it a lot more. The square shapes are clear blocks that I tapped with an ink pad before pressing it onto the card. If you have any questions – please ask.

I found these cute owls made from the pillow box die on Lynn Putt’s blog back in January but did not get a chance to try them before my e-x-t-e-n-d-e-d down time. Lynn recently published an upgraded version using the scallop circle punch rather than the scallop edge punch. Mine is much the same as her new one but I used the Color Coach to choose my colors – Soft Suede, So Saffron and Regal Rose.

Those of you who know me will not believe this, but I did not have all the punches I needed so I made do for the eyes and used the flower from the Looks Like Spring punch for the feet and the 5 petal punch for the beak both with Pumpkin Pie card.

I can’t believe how long it has taken me to recover, but I am 80% healed and apparently doing much better than the specialist expected – so I am grateful.

I can start crafting again and hope to have something new photos tomorrow. I have been bookmarking all the lovely things I have found and would like to try myself, so there is no shortage of inspiration.

Cheers,

Karen

I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to post anything for a while. I had a bad fall and dislocated my shoulder but I also broke the bone so I am looking at 6 weeks to recover – if I don’t need surgery. I will be back as soon as I can.

Karen