It’s time for a peek at this week’s Pals Paper Arts card.  It’s not vintage or rustic, but I did pull out the Color Spritzer Tool.  I hope you will join me for the reveal Thursday!

No Free Card This Week…Hmmm???  How About Some Paper???

This week’s challenge card is earmarked for Brady Schach.  No…it’s not super-masculine, but that’s OK.  Brady is used to getting all types of cards from me.  Why is Brady getting this one, you ask?  He nailed his auditions last week, and is principle trumpet in both the University Orchestra and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. 

To celebrate his success, how about a chance to win 100 sheets of 6″ x  6″ retired Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper?  I will randomly select a winner from everyone who leaves comments on today’s and Thursday’s Post.  I can’t give you a reminder Thursday because of our Design Team rules…so don’t forget that your comments on Thursday do count!

Poor Brody

A tired Brody wishes that mom would put the camera down.

Brody the Boxer, one-half of the dynamic Boxer Twin duo, has had more complications from his surgery two weeks ago.  He has to be re-sutured.  With his first surgery, his vets stitched him up with what are called “hidden stitches” to minimize scarring.  These did not hold.  His incision was sealed, but has now broken open.  Dr. Brooke gave us the bad news today.  He goes in Wednesday morning to have some scar tissue loosened and new “heavy duty” sutures put in.  Arghh! I feel so badly for him.  He really is one sweet puppy…

Muffy tries to catch up on her beauty sleep.  Don’t you just love those Boxer jowls! 

Holiday Mini Goes Live Thursday

I can’t wait to share my top picks from the Holiday Mini, which goes live Thursday! Any predictions on what I will list down as my favorites? Find out Wednesday afternoon.  And don’t forget, your comments on this post and Thursday’s post could win FREE PAPER!  Until next time…

It’s Sunday and time to play along with The Paper Players.  This week the talented Jaydee has prepared an awesome sketch for you.  So grab your stamps and inks and play along!  As for me, I decided to go vintage! I hope you enjoy today’s card, which features the Creative Elements and Established Elegance stamp sets.

 

• Mix and match! One of Stampin’ Up!’s strengths is how well everything coordinates with each other…even Designer Series Paper collections.  The Floral Flourish pattern is from the Mocha Morning Specialty collection.  The Petite Dots are from Beau Chateau.  The key to mixing and matching?  Stay within the same color family and mix large patterns with small patterns!

• Add dimension! The Flower from Creative Elements was inked in Crumb Cake and stamped once onto Very Vanilla Card Stock and twice onto a Pink Pirouette pattern from Beau Chateau.  They were then fussy cut, and stacked on each other using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

• Paper piece! The Dress Form from Established Elegance was paper pieced, once again using the same pattern from Beau Chateau.

• The unexpected! A Crumb Cake Scallop Circle was created using the Perfect Pennant Bigz Die. A snippet of Very Vanilla Seam Binding was laced through the openings.

• Pearls a-plenty! Basic Pearls adorn the Flourish paper, the Dress Form and the center of the Flower.

• Smooch it! Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz was sprayed over the paper to add a hint of sparkle.

• Top it with a bow!  Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon is so feminine, and the bow is the perfect finishing touch.

What do you think of today’s card?  Won’t you please let me know by leaving me a comment?  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one of them.  Remember, if you have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! And for those of you affected by the hurricane and adverse weather out East, you are in my thoughts and prayers.  Please drop me an email, if you can, to let me know that you are safe.  Until next time…

Stamp Sets:  Creative Elements (W 122645, C 122647 ), Established Elegance (W 122530,  C 122532 );  Inks:  Crumb Cake (120030);  Designer Series Papers:  Beau Chateau (122357), Mocha Morning Specialty (122366);  Card Stock: Crumb Cake (120953), Very Vanilla (101650);  Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Perfect Pennants Bigz XL Die (123126), Paper Snips (103579), Sponge Daubers (102892), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Glitz and Glam:  Victoria Crochet Trim (118480),  Very Vanilla Seam Binding (120999), Very Vanilla 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (117291), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772), Basic Pearls (119247)

August 31st marks the last day to order from the Summer Mini.  As always, I am sad to see my favorites leave.  The Open Sea is a classic with which I will not part, as is Sail Away.  I will definitely be saving these stamps for my own personal use, along with Strength and Hope.  My grandmother died of breast cancer, so this set supports a cause that is dear to my heart.  So please, enjoy this parade of cards from this year’s Summer Mini, in lieu of my usual Friday Buried Treasure.

On the Grow (W 123075, C 123077)

Strength and Hope  (W 118100, C 123660)

The Open Sea  (W 123030, C 123032)

Touch of Kindness  (W 123201, C 123203)

Proud Peacock (W 122020, C 122031)

Sunny Fun  (W 123040,  C 123042)

Sail Away (123013)

Remember,  the Summer Mini leaves us on August 31st, so do not hesitate to order those last few sets which you know you NEED! And to be perfectly honest, I am ordering a few more of the Sail Away stamps to give as gifts for some of my friends who are just starting out in stamping.  An inexpensive ($9.95) stamp, it is just perfect for a wide variety of occasions…especially those hard to design masculine cards.  Birthdays, Thank-Yous, Congrats, Thinking of You, and even Sympathy cards…this stamp fills the bill.  Keep it clean or dirty it up, whatever style strikes you at the moment!

Designer Paper Special

Don’t hesitate! Stampin’ Up!s “Buy Three…Get One Free” Designer Paper Special ends August 31st.  Now is the time to stock up!

• Choose from a wide variety of designs and colors available in both the 2011 – 2012 and the Summer Mini!

• SPECIALTY Designer Series Paper and Hostess Designer Series Paper are not eligible for this promotion.
• There is no limit to the number of free packages you can earn.
• Hurry! The promotion ends August 31, at 11:50 PM Mountain Time.

Christmas Lodge Card Winner

Congrats to Pauline, as randomly selected through Random. org, who gave us comment #1:

Pauline said…

I hope you enjoyed today’s retrospective.  It’s like the Circle of Life…one Mini leaves us, but another arrives to capture our hearts and creative souls.  Stay tuned…because I will be presenting a list of my Top Ten Picks from the Holiday Mini! Until next time…