One Last Christmas Card

This is the last Christmas Card I have to post. I stamped the main image on Very Vanilla using Brocade Blue ink, punched the corners with the Ticket Corner Punch and adhered it to Brocade Blue. The sentiment was stamped in Night of Navy. I tied Off White Organdy Ribbon to the side to finish it off. All supplies except the ribbon are from Stampin' Up.
With the Christmas Holiday Season upon us I'm finding myself busier than ever. I haven't had a lot of time to stamp and therefore have run out of samples and no time to make more. So, with that being said, this will be my last post until January 2, 2007. To all of you that visit regularly, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
~~Rita~~

Another Christmas Card

This is another Christmas card I did to put in my sample book. I used Bravo Burgundy, Handsome Hunter and Brushed Gold card stock. After stamping Madonna and Child in gold pigment ink I added gold embossing powder and heat set. The sentiment was done the same way. I tied gold cord around the side to finish it off. Hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks for looking. ~~Rita~~

Got UHU?

I just wanted to take some time today to let you all know what I think of UHU glue I got from Maria Filosa. In my free sample package I got the Twist & Glue, Non Permanent Tape Runner and Scrapbookers Pen. I've tried them all and find that they work very well. They dry clear and with the applicator top they don't seem to be as messy as other glues I've used. I will definitely buy more of this product. If you would like to get free samples click on the link to the right under Sites I Like To Visit.
I went to a workshop last week and this is one of the cards we made. The shaker part has a glitter in it that almost looks like snow. We ran the frame through the crimper for added dimension. thanks for looking.

Winter Wonderland

I got this "new" stamp set called Winter Wonderland from a trade at SCS. It's a retired set, but new to me. I decided I just had to play with it and I also wanted to do something with some ribbon I bought at Wal-Mart. I thought the ribbon went well with the Certainly Celery and Bravo Burgundy card stock. I used the Ticket Corner Punch and added eyelets to the corners. It's just a simple card, but I think it turned out pretty good. Since all my cards have been mailed I'll put this one in my book for next year. Thanks for looking.

Card Club

This is my first lattice card. It's hard to see it in the bottom picture so I'm posting it separately. I will definitely be making more of these.

I joined a club at SCS with a Stampin' Up demo where she picks a stamp set each month and designs four cards using that set. She then sends us the stamps and supplies with instructions to make those cards. The set for this month is Happiest of Holidays and these are the cards I made. This is a lot of fun plus I get new layout ideas.

Thanks for looking.....................

Trying Something New

I saw these on my favorite stamping site, Splitcoaststampers.com, and thought they were really pretty. I've never tried doing them myself and decided to give it a try. Yesterday I got all my supplies together and here's what I ended up with. Thanks Amy R. for your great tutorial. All you need are glitter, reinkers, and clear glass balls. I used all my "cheap" glitter in case I didn't like the end result, but I'm very pleased with the way they turned out. Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

Anniversary

Today would have been my parents' 65th wedding anniversary. So, I decided to post this Anniversary Card for them. I made this yesterday with them in mind. The card stock colors are Brocade Blue and Very Vanilla. This is just a basic card using layering, sponging and tearing. All supplies used, except the eyelets, are from Stampin" Up. Thanks for looking and have a Blessed weekend.

Joy Wreath

Here's another card I made using one of my new sets from The Angel Company (TAC), called Mini Wreaths. The card stock is Real Red, Handsome Hunter and Whisper White from Stampin' Up as is the Square Steps Corner Punch and ribbon. The alphabet stamps are unknown. I stamped the J & Y and wreath in Handsome Hunter. The berries are stamped in Real Red. I outlined the letters with my 2 way glue pen and added glitter to add some sparkle. I did the same on the wreath, but just made random dots. The background on the base card is stamped with the leaf stamp from the set using Real Red. I'm really pleased with the way this card turned out.Thanks for looking. Have a Joyous day.
~~Rita~~

Playing With New Stamps

My stamps from TAC arrived after I had my Christmas cards done. So, being the stamper that I am I had to play with them anyway. One of the sets I got is Poinsettia and that's the one I'm posting today. I stamped Real Red card stock with Weathered Wood by Son Light Impressions. I don't know if you can see that in the scan or not. I then inked the poinsettia stamp using red and green pigment inks and then adding Iridescent Ice (SU) and shaking off the excess. I then cut around the outside and adhered it to the card front. The sentiment at the bottom is from Faith, Hope, Love, another TAC set. The card stock and Handsome Hunter ink is Stampin' Up. The scan doesn't show how much this card sparkles. It looks so much better in real life.
Thanks for looking.

Getting Punchy

I made 2 of these cards the other day to finish up my list. I stamped the trees from the Tag Time set on Confetti White card stock and then punched out the ornaments. The corners were punched using the Ticket Corner Punch. After attaching this to the Real Red card stock it allowed the ornaments to become red.I don't know if you can see or not, but I texturized the red cs using a texture plate from Fiskars. I used a gold glitter pen on the garland to give it some sparkle and then added Stickles Glitter Glue to the star. The base card is Confetti White. The ribbon is from Wal-Mart and the Merry Christmas is from The Artful Stamper. All other supplies are from Stampin' Up.
Yesterday I got the stamps I ordered from TAC . Woo hoo, new toys! I'm hoping I can get time to play with them today, we'll see. Until tomorrow, have a Blessed day. Thanks for looking.

Email Request

I've gotten several emails suggesting we all send a Christmas card to the ACLU just to let them know how we feel. Christmas is just that, ChristMas, the birthday of Jesus. Therefore, it's NOT Happy Holiday's, or a Holiday tree. It's Merry Christmas and a Christmas tree! If we take Christ out of Christmas, what do we have left? With that said, here's the card I made and sent to the ACLU. Inside the card says Merry Christmas as does the corner of the envelope. I hope they like it.

Thanks for looking. All comments are welcome.

Still trying

to get my Christmas cards done. This one is a sample I made last week. I haven't decided if I'm going to use it or not. I know I will be using this stamp set, just not sure about the layout or colors. I have some new sets I ordered almost 2 weeks ago from TAC that I'm still waiting for. Then I will dicide which ones I'll use. I did send out eight cards the other day that were finished and ready to go. I like to make several different designs. Anyway, this one was stamped and embossed in gold. The set I used is Madonna and Child from Stampin' Up. The card stock (SU) is Bravo Burgundy, Handsome Hunter and Brushed Gold. To finish it off I tied gold cord to the side.
Tomorrow is my day to ring the bell for the Salvation Army again. It looks like it's going to be very cold, unlike last week when it was in to 60's. We might even get a little snow. Have a Blessed weekend and thanks for looking.

Winter Wonderland

I saw this idea on Splitcoaststampers.com where someone stamped the image and then ran it through the crimper. Their's was a flower and it looked really nice. I thought I would try it with this stamp from the Winter Wonderland set. I'm not sure if I like it or not. What do you think? The color I used is Real Red card stock and ink, both from SU as well as the stamp set. The Merry Christmas stamp is from the Artful Stamper and the white paper and ribbon is from Wal-Mart.
Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

Quick Stamp

I needed a card to post today and it needed to be quick and easy. I went to my stamp room to see what I could come up with and this is it. I started this one last week. Had the card stock cut and folded, the Vellum cut with a Fiskars Border Punch (Sunburst), attached that to the card front and wasn't sure where to go from there, so it just laid there waiting. I decided In Full Bloom and Elegant Greetings (SU) were the perfect stamp sets to use on it. After stamping the flowers I then stamped in the leaves using the masking technique. I colored the flowers with Perfect Plum and the leaves with Old Olive using my blender pen. The flower centers are Barely Banana. All supplies except the vellum are Stampin' Up. Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

The Tree is Up!

Ok, it's official, I have now run out of samples to post. So today I decided to show you what I did yesterday. I never did have what it takes to decorate a tree and have it turn out like the ones in the department stores. My mother always had a beautiful tree and my daughter's tree always looks like it came right from the department store showroom. I guess it skipped a generation because no matter how hard I try it never looks as good as everyone else's. So, here it is in all it's glory, my Christmas Tree (it looks a little better in real life). Now I have to find some time to make a sample or two so I'll have something to post tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and have a Blessed day.
~~Rita~~

Self Portrait

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. Mine was quite busy. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner with family and friends. The food was absolutely delicious. The best part about it was that I didn't have to do a lot of cooking or clean-up. Friday we ventured out to Kohl's to get one item I wanted at the "door buster" price. I stood in line 45 minutes to pay for it and now I have to take it back because it's not what I thought it would be. Oh well, life goes on. Saturday I did my good deed for the week and rang the bell for the Salvation Army. It was like 60 degrees, I think I would've preferred it to be cold and snowing, then it would feel more like Christmas. Anyway, I plan on doing it again.
Sunday was Sunday School and Church. After I got home I cleaned my overdue stove and oven, I'll have to do it again in 5 years.
Now for today's card entry. This was done useing Frazzled from TAC and Print Pattern from SU. The card stock is Celery Green and Bravo Burgundy, also SU.
I love this set from Tac, it has four different images and I thought this one looked a lot like me right now.
Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

Distressed Flower

This is the other card I made at the Sunday Funshop. I really like this one. The supplies used were all from TAC and were as follows: T2573 Distressed Designs, T2287 Ribbon Words, T378 Crackled Background, T2283 Fanciful Flowers, TT1205Wishing You, Black and Aspen Card Stock. The ink used was Noir Charcoal and Gognac. This was a little time consuming but I think it was worth it. Thanks for looking and Happy Thanksgiving!
~~Rita~~

Another Funshop

I went to another TAC funshop this past Sunday afternoon. I had just enough time to come home from church, change clothes and drive to the next town over. We had a lot of fun, as usual. This is one of the two cards we made. Since I'm not real familiar with TAC colors I can't tell you what color green this is. We were supposed to sand it before stamping, but as usual I didn't listen and stamped first, so I sanded around the edges. The print paper is from Vintage Holidays. We sponged Burnt Umber lightly around the edges to give it a distressed look, then attached red ribbon to a spiral clip using silver brads.
Thanks for looking, Feel free to leave a comment.
~~Rita~~

God's Country

We've returned from our trip to Holmes County, otherwise known as Amish Country. They don't call this God's country for nothing. It was simply beautiful. We had a very relaxed and busy two days. They roll up the sidewalks at 5:00pm so the rest of the evening was spent reading and relaxing. The B&B we stayed at was actually a three room apartment with NO TV! But for $55.00 a day it was a steal. We went to a restaurant down the street for our free breakfast, they stay open till 8:00pm so we had dinner there also. The food was great! Our lodging was within walking distance of all the shops so we heard the clip clopping of horses all evening going past our window to the little store accross the street. There were some things we wanted to see that weren't open after October so we plan on going back another time.

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The card I'm posting today is the one I made for my husband's retirement. The car is from a set called Vrooom (TAC) and the card stock is SU. I did the sentiment on the computer. The inside says......You're both retired.
Until tomorrow, thanks for looking and have a great day.
~~Rita~~

Going Out of Town

This will be my only post this week. My husband decided after 40+ years it was time to retire. So to celebrate we're leaving for a few days to go visit Amish country. I have a lot of things to do before we leave so I won't have time to get any more cards ready to post. In case you didn't notice, I have a new Blog name. I went to Beta this morning and decided to change the name.
Today's entry is another Note card. I used the Square Steps Corner Pocket Punch to make the border for the center strip. I took off the guard and punched down the side of each strip. After paper piercing the sides of the center strip, I then adhered the punched strips and attached it to the center of the card. All products used are Stampin' Up except the sentiment which is from TAC. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I'll be back next Monday. Thanks for looking!

TAKE PRIDE

When I saw this stamp set from The Angel Company I fell in love with it right away. I think the saying says it all. I stamped using Basic Black on Going Grey card stock from Stampin' Up. The main image is layered on Basic Black card stock. I thought this would make a nice Note Card, but after thinking about it a little more I decided it could also be used for graduation or maybe even retirement. I think I'll add some brads or eyelets to the next one. Thanks for looking and have a Blessed weekend. ~~Rita~~

The Rest of my Stamping Room

Instead of posting a card today I decided to show you the rest of my stamping room. These are the last 3 pictures. I use an old computer desk for my work space, it has a shelf at the back and this is where I keep all my stamp pads and rolls of ribbon.

This is my work area. WHAT A MESS! I just can't seem to work in a clean area. I keep my stamp cleaning pad on the pull-out shelf (where the keyboard goes) for easy access. That's a scrap bag and drink holder to the right, gotta have that drink holder! Here is where you'll find my larger punches and border punches. I put them all in a shoe organizer that hangs over the closet door.
I hope you've enjoyed looking at the pictures of my stamping room. Any suggestions on organization will be truly appreciated.
~~Rita~~

Ladybug Thank You

Every day I upload my images in the same order. So today the card came up first instead of my stamp room. I guess it doesn't matter in what order you choose Blogger is going to make the final decision. With that said here's today's card. This is just about as simple as you can get. I stamped the image in the center of white card stock, stamped a sentimant at the bottom and tied a ribbon on the side. Sometimes less is better. All products used except the ribbon are from Stampin' Up.
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This area of my stamping room is to the left of the scrapbooking table and the right of my work area. This is where you'll find all my pens, markers, adhesives, eyelet setters, beads, tags, daubers, liquid applique, stampa-ma-jig, paddle punches, stamp spots and snap alphabet stamps.
until tomorrow, have a great day and thanks for looking.
~~Rita~

Clutter Queen

OK, here's the table I do my scrapbooking on. As you can see it needs a little organization. Those are some of my scrapbooks stacked in the back. The rest of them are stored away.I have about 10 or 12 completed and another one I'm working on. The basket has cards I haven't put away yet. Next to that is my label maker and some card magazines. Behind are some mailing envelopes and empty stamp boxes that I haven't decided what to do with.


The card for today is another one I did using that wax paper technique. I wanted to try out my newest stamp set, Take Three from Stampin' Up, and this is what I came up with. After doing the technique I tore a strip, punched holes in the bottom center, tied a ribbon and attached it to the card. I then attached the stamped piece to that. The card stock I used is Pumpkin Pie and the ribbon I think is Garden Green. This was simple, but I think it turned out pretty good. Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

Stamps, Stamps and More Stamps

This is to the right of my work space. I keep all my TAC and other sets that are stored in CD cases in the top two drawers. The bottom drawer has more SU sets. The 4 binders on the floor to the left are my card and ATC samples. I'm running out of room for all this "stuff"! Tomorrow I'll show you what's on the table above.

Today's card was made using the stamp set Bitty Bugs and Fruity Fusions paper from TAC. I just love this set, it has so many cute little bugs. The orange card stock and Mulberry paper is from SU.
Well I'm off to the eye doctor's, so until tomorrow, have a great day and thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

TGIF

Here's another view of my stamping room. This one is to the left of my work area. Some of my stamp sets are in the large drawers. The small drawers contain cutting templates, embossing powders, glitters, acrylic blocks, embellishments, and my paper trimmer. I keep books of scrapbook papers in the cardboard storage unit. As you can tell I have a lot of clutter on top, this is where organization comes in handy.



Instead of a card I decided to post these Prayer Books I made the other day. These make nice gifts or Craft Fair items.
Thanks for looking and have a Blessed weekend.
~~Rita~~

I don't know what's up with this site, but for some reason the card didn't upload. So, here it is. (Now it'll probably be posted twice). Also, I have it set to print on the right and it's been printing above, except this one seems to be in the right place, we'll see how it posts.

Live, Love, Laugh

I wasn't sure how this card would turn out using these colors together, but I love it! I did the Faux Stitching technique down the middle and paper pieced the dress. This is another one of my favorite sets from The Angel Co. (TAC).


View #3 of my stamp room is a cupboard where I keep my Background (top shelf)and Alphabet Stamps (bottom left). I also have Fiskars Cutting Templates, Eyelets, Brads and Beads stored here.
Thanks for looking.....Rita~~

Trying a New Technique

Well I see I got it backwards today, the card was supposed to be first. Anyway, this is another area of my stamp room. It's to the left of the card stock files and it's where I do my die cuts. I have a Sizzix Big Shot and the dies are in the baskets on the shelf. My CD player is behind that "BIG" TV. I like to listen to some TV programs or music while I'm working.
Okay, now for todays card. I tried a new technique that was a lot of fun. You take a piece of wax paper and wad it up, then smooth it out on your work surface. Take an ink pad, I used Creamy Caramel, and smear it all over the wax paper. Next, lay a piece of Glossy White CS on top and brayer over it. You can add a second color if you like using another piece of wax paper. Well, I'm off to Hobby Lobby!
Thanks for looking and have a great day.
~~Rita~~

Happy Halloween !

Since this is Halloween I thought I would post the little treat bags I made for "my" kids. We live in the country and don't get any Trick or Treaters so I don't have to spend a mint on candy. (Yeah!)
Also, starting today I will be posting a picture of my Stamping/Scrapbooking Room. Today's view is my Card Stock storage. It took 3 of these rolling file carts to store it all. Behind each color is a large Manilla Envelope and that's where I put all the scraps of each color so they stay together. Under the carts are boxes of cards I've recieved in swaps.
Thanks for looking. Happy Halloween!
~~Rita~~

Gift Cards

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a good weekend.
This is the last sample I had on my computer in the card folder. I'm working on more to fill it back up. I'll start scanning them as soon as I finish them. I just need to get ahead of myself. Anyway, these are 3x3 Gift Cards I made for a swap I was in at Splitcoast Stampers. They were a lot of fun to make. Working with such a small card was a little bit of a challenge but I think I'll probably be making a lot more of these fun little cards.
Thanks for looking!
~~Rita~~

Copy Cat

Sometimes we see something we just have to copy. This was one of those times. I saw this card on Split Coast Stampers and thought it was so pretty I just had to make one for myself. I did however change the color a little. Instead of Really Red I used Rose Red. The stamp set is Botanicals, a retired set, and Sincere Salutations from Stampin' Up.
I noticed that I only have two more samples to post so I'm going to have to get busy and make some more. Wow, I don't know how I let that happen.
Well, I'm off to stamp! Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

Another Birthday?

I had a workshop not long ago with The Angel Company (TAC) and we made this card. The paper is from the Frutti Fusions collection and the stamps are from Maude & Mitzi stamp set. I stamped the image on the card and then on designer paper, then after cutting the dress out I paper pieced it to the card. The purse was done the same way. Inside it says I'm sure you're tickled pink. I had a lot of fun making this card and just love this set, I think I'm going to order it at the next workshop.
Thanks for looking and have a great day!
~~Rita~~

October B'day

Yeah, I finally got one to load. I've been trying every day for the last week with no success. They must have been having problems with the site.
Anyway, today's post is a card I made several weeks ago for an October B'day. The ribbon is actually cream and not multi-color as the scan shows. The stamp sets I used are Flower of the Month, B'day Frame and Lexicon of Love. I stamped tone on tone on the Close to Cocoa. The layers are Mellow Moss, Barely Banana, and White. All stamps and card stock are SU. Thanks for looking!
~~Rita~~

Blog Problems

I know I haven't posted since last week but please bear with me. Is anyone else having trouble with this site? Every time I try to post something I either can't access the site or I get here and it won't let me upload anything. So, today there will not be any cards to look at unless the one I tried to load magically appears. I will continue to try every day so keep checking back.
Thanks, Rita

It's a Girl part 2

Today I thought I would do something a little different. Since I posted the baby girl card yesterday, I thought you might like to see the baby it was for. This is Amelia Grace. She looks just like her brother Nolan. I've been watching Nolan since he was 7 weeks old and Amelia will be joining us as soon as mom goes back to work. I can hardly wait to have a tiny baby in the house again. Nolan will be 3 at the end of January so that's how long it's been since I've had a newborn. When I took that first newborn eighteen years ago I never thought I would still be doing this today. Wow! How time flies when you're having fun.
Thanks for looking and have a great day.
~~Rita~~

It's a Girl!

Good morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend. As usual it was way too short. I vote for a two day week and five day weekend. Anyway, the little boy I watch got a new baby sister and this is the card I made for them. The ribbon shows a lot brighter than it really is. The paper is Frutti Fusions from TAC and the stamp is from SU's Oh, My Word set. I tied the ribbon to a yellow paper clip and attached it to one side, then wrapped it around and glued it under the other side.
Thanks for looking and have a great day.
~~Rita~~

It's Been A Busy Week

It seems like I've spent my whole week in the doctors office. I wasn't very satisfied with my doctor so decided to find another one. My daughter always raves about hers so I decided to switch. After the first appointment, which lasted about an hour and a half, he set me up with a physical. No doctor has EVER spent that much time with me on 1 visit. Anyway, I now have a new doctor.
Today's card sort of reflects my mood. The stamps are from TAC and the card stock is SU. I got the ribbon at Wal-Mart and was looking for something to use it with. In case you can't read what is says here it is; Things are bad. Send chocolate. This has to be one of my favorite stamps. Hmmmm, I wonder why. Thanks for looking and have a beautiful weekend.
~~Rita~~

Gloomy Monday Morning

This is about the way I feel on Monday morning, a couple of days to get a little extra sleep and BAM! there goes the alarm again. Anyway, this card was a lot of fun to make. It was for my girlfriend in NY whose birthday was last week. I glued designer paper to the top half and stamped the bottom using Simple Lines BG stamp. Before layering the "old lady" I cut a slit in tne top of her pocket and inserted a piece of tissue. In case you can't read what it says at the bottom it says: "birthdays are good for you, the more you have the longer you live". I got the idea for this card at the SCS website where I get a lot of my inspiration. Thanks for looking.
~~Rita~~

The Beautiful Bride

As you can see I saved the best for last. This is my beautiful daughter on her wedding day. (She's the reason I have two beautiful granddaughters.) I wanted this page to be special, so I stamped white roses, to match her bouquet, to form a frame and attached that to a pre-made scrapbook page.
The roses are from Watercolor Minis (SU). Thanks for looking. Have a Blessed weekend.
~~Rita~~