Birthday Cupcake

Easy Events Stamp Set.

Fresh Vintage Stamp Set

on Very Vanilla Card Stock.

Chocolate Chip 

and Cajun Craze Ink.

Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon.

Accented with Pearls.  

Inspired by Sandi McIver

Quilling and Flowers

 (Click on photo for a closer look.)

It's not very often you can get a one-on-one 

tutorial with a

Stampin' Up! Artisan Award Winner, 

but I did!

Heather Klump, of Downstairs Designs,

(hlkdownstairsdesigns.blogspot.com)

recently showed me how to make that little

flower using a quilling tool.  

You start with a circle and carefully cut around it

until you have a spiral. 

Then wrap it around the tool until you have 

a flower shape as on this 2 x 2 card, above.  

Attach the center to another circle with a

Glue Dot and place a little pearl inside.  

   Just plain sweetness. 

Don't Let This Be YOU!

Oh no!

The deadline to save big bucks is fast approaching!

Don't miss out.

Join my team of 

Pieces of Heart Stampers 

while you can for

just $125!

Contact me ASAP

stamppad@sbcglobal.net

Ugh...Taxes

Steve has always encouraged me to gather my tax information quarterly, if not monthly.  But, of course, who can be bothered with that stuff when there is stamping to be done!  So, needless to say, right now there is no stamping happening in my 'studio'.  I'll have something here in a few days, as soon as I can get through this pile of receipts and spreadsheets.  Wish me luck.

Thanks, Mike!

(Click photo for closer view)

Steve and I are very blessed to have so many friends in the 

St. Louis area.

Two of those friends are our former neighbors,

Kathy and Mike.

They have been exceedingly helpful by keeping an eye on the 

house and checking the mailbox.  

Mike is even mowing our yard!

So, of course, I had to make a card to show our

gratitude.

This is a retired stamp set that I could not part with called

And Many Mower.

The tricky part is that little man was facing the opposite

direction and had a golf club in his hand.  

I wanted him to be mowing, 

so I stamped his image on the transfer sheet of the 

Stamp-a-ma-jig.

A piece of acetate would work too.

Then I turned that sheet over and pressed it onto a piece of 

Crumb Cake Card Stock.  

With my Basic Black Marker,

I carefully darkened the lines, cut him out

and placed him behind the mower.  

I love his skinny legs...

kinda like Mike's!

Thanks, Mike!

We owe you a cold one!

New Home

(Click photo for a closer view)

My oldest daughter, Megan, and her husband, Brian,

just purchased their first home.

I needed a special card to put a little 

'somethin' somethin'

inside for them 

and remembered this fun designer paper.

It's a couple of years old, 

but that's why I held on to it.

I knew it would come in handy.

It's called 

Welcome Neighbor!

Congratulations,

Megan and Brian! 

Carrots & Kisses

(Click photo for a better view.)

These little cuties are sour cream style containers 

with chocolate Kisses inside.

If you are in the Champaign/Urbana/Mahomet,

Illinois area on March 31,

and attend my Stamp Camp,

YOU will go home with one! 

I would love to stamp with you!

Contact me for camp details

and to reserve your spot!

stamppad@sbcglobal.net

217-590-0210

Cupcake Chicks

How cute are these little Chicks?

The top one is made using the

Top Note Die with the Big Shot,

along with a few punches.  

The cupcake was placed in one of our

Cellophane bags and sealed.

The little 3 x 3 card below it was made

with the Curly Label Punch 

and the Scallop Oval instead of the

Scallop Circle. 

The card stock used is

Daffodil Delight

with a bit of 

Pumpkin Pie 

sponged on the edges.

I dare you NOT to smile when you look at them. 

Pool Party & Crumb Cake

(Click photo for larger view.)

When attending the 

Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference

 in San Antonio recently, 

we were able to take some time

to stamp.

The card above is one of the

Make and Takes we made.  

I just love all of the little surprises. 

This would be a great card to use 

all those scraps we have a tendency to have around.

Don't ya think?

Inspired

(Click on the photo to get a better view.)

In the past, I have always been a pastel kind of girl.

Recently, having moved to a new house,

I seem to be drawn to the 

blacks and browns 

when decorating.  

And also, it seems, when making cards.

The background stamp set is one I haven't used

 until now, and called

Elizabeth.  

Below it, I used the 

Stripes Embossing Folder

on Soft Suede Card Stock. 

This card, like my new furniture and decor

is a departure from the whimsy I'm used to

and shows maturity. 

Maybe I'm finally growing up.....Nah.

Inspired by Tara Vosbourgh

Mini Card Gift Set

(Click on either photo to get a better view.)

I just love giving mini card gift sets.

Using the 

Scallop Envelope Die,

Designer Frames Folder,

Elegant Bouquet Folder,

and 

Finial Press Folder

with the Big Shot,

I was able to make cards and envelopes.

For an added touch of class on the 

Very Vanilla Card Stock,

a few Basic Pearls were added.  

To wrap it all up,

I used a 

Cellophane Bag 

with a

Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon 

and the 

Top Note Die

bag topper. 

Inspired by Annette Martin

Welcome New Team Members!

I am so happy to announce that we have TWO new

Pieces of Heart Team Members!

My new recruit, Susanne Jeffery, is an amazing card maker

and I am so happy to have her part of our group.

I have been the recipient of some of her cards and 

love seeing what she can do.  

Judy Sumner's new recruit, Mary Taylor, 

is so full of ideas that she inspires me!  

I love her enthusiasm.

Ladies, I welcome you both to 

Stampin' Up!

and 

The Pieces of Heart Team.

As you can see,

our group is growing.

Come join us and be a part of this 

fun team! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

CHEERS!

Happy Birthday, Susanne!

Today is Susanne's birthday!

She is a new member of our

Pieces of Heart Team. 
I wanted to send a special card and since 

I love doubling a holiday with a birthday
card, the challenge was on!

One of my favorite St. Patrick's day cards is the one
my sister, Penny Thomas, made, seen above.
As you can see, I shamelessly copied her idea.

The set I used is called
A Flower for All Seasons,
(retired). 
The hearts for the shamrocks are made using the
Owl Builder Punch.
Love the bling,  
Basic Rhinestones,
in the center of each shamrock.

The embossing folder,
Square Lattice,
was used for the background texture.

Hope your birthday is a great one, Susanne!
I had a blast making your card.

New Book - Old Friends

I recently had dinner with

two very sweet friends from my high school days.

What a wonderful opportunity to catch up on

40 yes, 40 years!

I wanted to make them something to show

how much I enjoyed visiting with them.

At Leadership, in January,
my sister and upline,

Penny Thomas, made all of us these cute little 

notebooks. 

I thought it was so thoughtful and wanted to make

them for my high school friends.

Thanks, Jane and Sheila!

I'm looking forward to many more visits!

A 'Wheelie' Cute Baby Card!

The challenge for the Pieces of Heart Team

this month is to use the one of our

Wheels.  

That is a HUGE challenge for me

because I don't use them very much.

Although I used the 

Baby Tees Jumbo Wheel,

I kinda cheated because I cut the

little onsie out and made it the 

focal point of my card. 

I used all kinds of tools as well:

The Designer Frames Embossing Folder,

Stripes, Perfect Polka Dots 

and Square Lattice Embossing Folders,

Ovals Die,

Scallop Trim Border and Corner Punches. 

Whew!

It was a lot of work to avoid using the wheel,

but I think it's stinkin' cute.  

Hopefully, 

the team won't throw wheels at me.  

Happy Birthday, Judy!

A dear friend and downline, 

Judy Sumner,

is having a birthday today!

This card is actually one piece.

The little owl lifts up and 

my birthday wish is underneath.

I made the envelope too, using 

our new Diagonal Simply Scored.

I am super excited to have that so I can

make lots of pretty envelopes now.

Hope you have a great day, Judy!

Inspired by Mary Fish

Happy Birthday, Haley!

My niece, Haley, had a birthday recently.

 I wanted the card I sent her

to reflect her sweetness!

These little punch art Popsicles are so easy to make.

It's basically a square with the top corners

chopped off.  

The 'bite' is made using the Scalloped Circle punch.

The Word Window was used to fashion the 

sticks. 

Sweet for the sweet!

Kathy & Judy

I love to make and send cards,

but I love to receive them just as much.  

I think we all have that little moment of excitement when

we get mail and see an envelope containing

a personal card instead of bills or junk mail.

These cards were sent to me by 

Kathy Boxdorfer (top)

and

Judy Sumner (bottom).

They both are taking advantage of 

Sale-a-bration 

and getting stamp sets for FREE!

Thank you, ladies.  

You made my day!