FABULOUS FLORETS AGAIN!!

Yes, Fabulous Florets is my new "in" stamp set for this month.  I can't help it.  I love Stampin' Ups' stamp sets because you get so much all in one package.  This one in particular has two types of stamps in one set:  bold and outline.  Plus you get a sentiment.  I could go on and on about how fabulous the quality, style, and designs are, but most of you that visit my blog already know there is not another brand out there that even comes close to giving you all this, plus keeping the prices below what you pay anywhere else.  I love "win-win" situations!!!

Today I'm going to show you what it is like in my world when I try to come up with a card design -- please don't laugh!  I hate even confessing to how long it takes me after watching my fellow RubberQueens stamp a card in 5 minutes and it's ready to slip in the mail.  The only time I am able to do this is when I am watercoloring with my crayons or doing a vintage card.  However, there just might be a couple of you out there hiding in the closet like me, and I want you to know there is someone else who has a difficult time coming up with a design.  My challenge to you is to come out of the closet and post pictures of your "out-takes."  Yesterday, I sat down and tried making my "out-takes" into some sort of a card.  So here goes:


This is the actual design I ended up swapping at the RubberQueen meeting.  I first did the embossed resist technique using our new Wild Wasabi and Tangerine Tango Embossing Powders, then brayed with Marina Mist Classic Ink.  I then dry embossed using the new Flower Garden Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and then sanded the embossed image using SU's Sanding Block to bring out the Whisper White Card Stock used for this layer.



I fixed this "throw-away" this morning by adding some of the new Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper to cover up my boo-boo on bottom.  I also added the sentiment from the Cute by the Inch Hostess Level I Stamp Set,  and used some Pacific Point Classic Ink on the background.  This ended up being my favorite card (wish I would have thought of doing this for the swap!).

 

I believe this was my 2nd try at trying to figure out what I was going to do for my swap -- didn't like!

 

This was my 1st try -- YIKES!!!  Yep, that is a lot of Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight Classic Ink going on there!!!



This was my 4th try -- which is very similar to final.  I decided I didn't want the sentiment on the card and switched out the Tempting Turquoise for the Marina Mist Classic Ink.



And I can't leave you without showing you this darling treat box/purse Ronda Wade demonstrated at her meeting.  Sorry, Ronda, for cutting off your head; but you would not let me take another picture.  At least I got your beautiful smile!!

So that's it for today.  Enjoy our beautiful weather and have a great weekend!

Until next time,
Sandi
"There is no feat in love, but perfect love casteth out fear. . . ." -- I John 4:18
"Jesus, when I'm afraid, help me submit my fears to Your love." -- Julia Attaway

FABULOUS FLORETS MEETS NATURE WALK

Happy Royal Wedding Day All!

Okay, I was up at 4:30 a.m. this morning (yes, I overslept a little), to see probably my last Royal Wedding.  It was well worth the early morning, who doesn't love a fairytale.  I was sad and happy at the same time.  Sad that Princess Diana was not there physically to be with her son when he get married, and happy for the new bride and groom, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  Every once in a while you would catch a glimpse of Princess Diana in Prince William, as when he gave the shy sideways glance with his eyes looking up.  Don't you just love fairytales!!  And didn't you just love the beautiful hats worn by the ladies.  I always seem to buy new hats when I am in a new store or traveling, but then end up only wearing them once.  But I love them, and think we should go back to wearing them all the time (I'm ashamed to admit that when I was much, much younger, this was the highlight of going to church; to wear a new hat and see what others would wear). 

Prince William just kissed his new bride, so I guess I need to get going to start my day.  Seems kind of stupid but I need to take a shower and then put on clean pajamas so I can go to a PJ party tonight.  Yep, even old folks have PJ parties if they are a RubberQueen.  Thank you Ronda for keeping us young, and including a stamping night at the same time.  Tonight we will be doing 5 new baggie books to showcase the new 2011 Stampin' Up Summer Mini Catalog.  Woohoo, can't wait.

Here is a new card featuring a sneak peek at one of the new stamps in the Simmer Mini catalog, the Fabulous Florets Stamp Set.  What an easy stamp set to use, with bold and line stamps all in one set.  I also used two stamps (the bird and butterfly) from the current Nature Walk Stamp Set, which you can still get until tomorrow.  I stamped the green foliage in Old Olive Classic Ink, and watercolored the rest of the images using Stampin' Ups Wonderful Water Color Crayons before cutting them out.  My main crayon colors for the flowers were Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Cajun Craze, and Daffodil Delight.  The bird was done in the Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, and Basic Black Watercolor Crayons.  And finally the butterfly was done in Baja Breeze and Pacific Point Watercolor Crayons.  The first picture is my completed card that was done first.  Then I went back and decided to see if I could fix a Whisper White panel I had started on my first try, but got smudges on the foliage from my hand and threw away (don't you just hate when you do that!!).  Later I pulled it out of the trash and decided to see if I could salvage.  So the second card is my "fixed" version of my "throwaway"  -- I think it was worth fixing up.  My inspiration for this card came from a very old "store-bought" card that I had kept because I loved the flowers and bird  -- how about you???



My first card.

 

This is my "fix-up" card -- do you think it is good enough to send???

Some unfinished business:  the answer to my previous post:  baby mice!!!  How sick, sick, sick!!  She had to buy them for my granddaughter's pet snake's food.  And Tamie Ackerson thinks she has problems with all her pets!!  I will never look at a snake again without thinking about those baby mice. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog; and for those of you that take time to leave a comment, you make my day by giving me feedback and letting me know who belongs to those "numbers."   Sometimes I get comments from people named "anonymous" and I feel bad because I cannot acknowledge your comment.  So if your comment has the your name posted as "anonymous," I would love it if you signed your name and (if you like/can), provide your e-mail address, and blog address.  I love to visit the blogs of people who comment.

Sandi
(I thought the following verse appropriate to remember based on my fetish for hats.  I'll try to do better Lord.)

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” -- 1 Peter 3:3-4