Yet Another Artistic Endeavor

An artist friend of mine has been talking art journals for a while, and I love journals and notebooks of all kinds (as prior posts here will attest).  She signed up for this free workshop and since it is free and uses words, I thought "what the heck; why not try this as an intro to art journaling?"  The other advantage to this workshop is that it has no time limits so I can work on it as slowly as my life demands.

Now I make it a point to use purely Stampin' Up! products whenever possible, so I will be adapting much of this to use things like our watercolor crayons and markers, as well as our alphabet stamps and our exclusive Sizzix dies (the negative images of our alpha dies make cool stencils). 

In other words--the workshop is simply a jumping off point for me--total inspiration in how to combine art and words...care to join me?

I'm a Notebook Junkie!

I love notebooks and notepads--all sizes and styles.  Sure, we were supposed to become a paperless society, and I love my computers and e-readers and other gadgets, but writing on real paper with a real pen or pencil (preferably a fountain pen) lets me go back later and see how my handwriting has changed over the years.  And I am not always willing to lug a tablet or laptop around.  Typing on my phone or I-Pod isn't ideal for more than a few sentences--the screens are small and my fingers are fat LOL.  Notebooks can be carried and used anywhere, and come in whatever size might be needed--small ones fit in my pocket while larger ones go in my purse and usually weigh much less that any e-gadget.

Notebooks are utility items, but don't need to look utilitarian--I absolutely love to doll mine up with fancy covers.  Composition books are my favorites--I buy them by the dozen when the back-to-school sales offer them at 2/$1, and then as I come up with a reason for one, I decorate it.

Take today for instance--I realized I have a bucket list in my head--things I want to do before I die, but I've not dedicated a notebook to the list since the one I lost due to Katrina.  Time to make a bucket list notebook (pronounced "bouquet" in homage to Patricia Routledge's wonderfully quirky Hyacinth Bucket in BBC's Keeping Up Appearances).  Here's the result:

All products are from Stampin' Up!  The technique was featured on Splitcoaststampers recently.  Called Chalkboard, it's really simple--black cardstock, Versamark ink and white embossing powder, then white ink sponged around the edges.  The most important part (to me at least) of covering a notebook is the adhesive--I totally swear by SU!'s Anywhere Glue Stick.  Not only are they very economical, the rectangle shape is fantastic for getting glue clear into the corner of a project!  And the glue sticks (pardon the pun)!!!!! 

Now all that's left is to fill the pages...

Let's Reboot - Happy 2013!

Life was a bit challenging during the latter half of 2012, and no blogging took place (as you can see from the date of my prior post).  June thru December took me on quite a roller coaster of good and bad and in-between, but since the Mayans were wrong and the Creator let me wake up today to a new year, I can reboot life just like we reboot our computers.

2013 will bring different topics to this blog.  I won NaNoWriMo 2012 and will be in edit mode for my book.  I still enjoy crafting and this year marks Stampin Up!'s 25th Anniversary, so I'll share some projects (if I remember to take pictures--I made some cute things for Halloween and Christmas for my office mates and didn't remember I wanted photos until after they were boxed up for mailing).

And you will see posts on healthy eating.  I lost my younger brother to a heart attack in 2012 and my physical showed high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, so I intend to use this blog to help hold me accountable. 

Finally, I didn't get the pleasure reading done that I had planned--but hope springs eternal LOL.  I will read more this year, and not only about the Civil War and health/nutrition, but also politics and fantasy and mysteries and...you get the picture.  Actually, I'm loving Audible--Tim Curry did a wonderful narration of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and since I need to be walking/exercising more and sitting less, Audible will make the exercise much more fun.

And in honor of the new year, here's my first project--a totally digital piece because one goal for the year is to learn MDS2, the digital design software from Stampin' Up!

Huzzah to Her Majesty!

We all know I'm a total Anglophile in many ways, and although I need to be posting about the fantastically awesome new Stampin' Up! catalog that went live on Friday, June 1, I need to first honor one of the most fascinating and influential women of the 21st century, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

While I have much "general living" to be done today and therefore cannot sit glued to the "telly" for the entire day, the TV is tuned to BBC America and the Thames flotilla. 

Today's BBC America programming is devoted to the Diamond Jubilee and is one of the few things that can yank me away from my usual Sunday guilty pleasure (David Venable in the kitchen at QVC).  Sorry, David, you are outranked by Her Majesty ;-)

The celebration of a life well-lived in the service of others is always appropriate, and the celebration of sixty years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth II is perhaps grander in scale than most, however, we all can learn to make a difference in our own corners of the world, not to earn a flotilla and world-wide television coverage, but to feel the internal sense of satisfaction at a job well done.

It was pointed out earlier this week that Her Majesty attends 400 public events annually (and a year is only 365 days).  I don't have that type of energy now and I'm three decades younger!  No matter whether you are a Monarchist or have republican tendencies, you have to admit the pace she sets is awe-inspiring...if you don't believe me, take a look at this timeline.

So, three cheers to Queen Elizabeth II and thank you for being a steadfast example of service to your country and an inspiration to people everywhere.

Incoming In Colors!

Stampin' Up! has released the names of the 2012-2014 In Colors and they are so yummy!

• Gumball Green (a clear green that looks fab for Christmas and St. Patrick's Day)
• Midnight Muse (a wonderfully rich looking blue with a hint of gray)
• Primrose Petals (a regal looking deep pink with a vintage air)
• Raspberry Ripple (a dusky light burgundy with more red than brown)
• Summer Starfruit (a perfect match to a ripe carambola)

The new 2012-2013 catalog starts June 1st and I can hardly wait!   I'll be placing a sneak-peek order tomorrow and will post about the wonderful new ink pad foam once my new In Colors are delivered.  There will also be a PDF of the catalog posted here June 1st, and if I can get my act together this month, I'll be posting a project or two here once my order arrives ;-)

In the meantime...the Retired products are selling fast so click over to my SU! website for some great buys!

Retired! Huge Changes Coming for Stampin' Up!

The annual Retired Lists posted this week for Stampin' Up! merchandise and there are lots of changes coming--I'm so excited!

First of all, tomorrow is the last day to order from the Occasions Mini:

Some of these products may reappear in the new catalog June 1, 2012, but there is no guarantee, so if you've waited until the last minute, it's time to order now ;-)

Speaking of the new catalog--lots of changes are coming to the way Stampin' Up! catalogs will appear.  Some lines--Simply Adorned and Decor Elements are leaving for good.

Lots of the holiday oriented merchandise will now appear in the newly-expanded Holiday Mini coming August 1.  There will also be another expanded Spring Mini from January to May 2013.  So the annual catalog may seem a bit smaller, but the seasonal catalogs will be larger and last longer--what a great way to help us stretch our stamping dollars!

The new annual catalog, instead of starting July 1 will be available June 1!  Yes, that means the current IB&C will actually end a month early on May 31--and here are the Retired Lists--this merchandise will be available only while supplies last. 

When you see the list, please don't panic--all the wonderful colors (except for the 2010-2012 In Colors) are staying--but the Classic Ink Pads will now come in a great new reformulated pad that will give you even better, clearer stamped images!  The matching markers will still be available in all our exclusive colors; however, starting June 1, only certain markers will be available singly--the rest will be sold only in color families.

I'm SO excited about the changes--and I'll have more info available throughout May (and I'll be sure to announce the five new 2012-2014 In Colors as soon as I can--I'm on pins and needles waiting until they tell us the color names)!

FOCUSing on Social Media

Remember how I said my word for the year was "FOCUS"?  Well, between my day job and my part-time job as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I am trying to learn more about social media.  Marketing my SU! business more effectively would be wonderful, but the main reason for studying the various platforms out there is because once my novel is ready for publication, I will need to market both the book and myself. 

I'm preparing to attend my first-ever writer's conference in May, and the classes cover both the writing aspects and the publishing/marketing aspects of being an author.  Since my novel is still unfinished, my focus for this conference will be classes on craft; however, I would be totally remiss if I refused to take any class on the use of social media for authors.

I've posted here before that I don't have a Facebook page or a Twitter account and some of my reasoning behind the decision of not participating in those forms of social media.

Face it, I'm not always the greatest at keeping a schedule with this blog, and I am ashamed of that fact.  It's not that I have nothing to say (my friends will attest I am seldom quiet LOL), but I feel I have too many things I want to share. 

For instance--I managed to cover several notebooks lately, but haven't found the time to get out the camera, take the pictures, crop and edit the pictures, and then post them here.  They are really pretty--I'm not ashamed of my work--and yet they still sit at the table awaiting a post.

I wanted to post something for St. Patrick's Day, and the first day of spring.  On both occasions, once I was off work, general living took precedence over the blog.  Looking back--I haven't posted since my March 1st rant--so we can see no focus on social media here :-(

There are several books I have finished this month that need to be added to my 100-book challenge at Goodreads and also need to be listed here (preferably with reviews)...

Anybody else see a pattern here?  How could I reasonably expect to interact with multiple social media platforms if I cannot even  stay consistent with this personal blog?  So, until I learn more discipline and begin to focus more on improving this platform, I choose not to string myself out any further.

Baby steps...

Sale-A-Bration Starts Today!

Stampin' Up! has a super-duper sale each year called Sale-A-Bration--an opportunity to be rewarded with free products.  Earn a free item for each $50 in purchases (including from our Occasions Mini and the Clearance Rack).  This sale only runs until March 31, 2012 so check it out soon for your Spring crafting needs!

And if you have been waiting to order the 2010-2012 In Color items, don't wait much longer...our catalog year is changing.  The current Idea Book & Catalog will be ending a month earlier than originally scheduled as we are lengthening the time frame for our Mini Catalogs later this year (and making them bigger as well!)

These are exciting changes, but it does mean early retirement for Blushing Bride, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, and Poppy Parade :-0

On the other hand, the 2012-2014 In Colors will be available in June (and I can hardly wait to find out what they are)!

The Occasions Mini ends April 30, followed by the current Idea Book & Catalog on May 30 (rather than June 30).  The new Annual catalog will begin June 1, and will be valid thru May 31, 2013.  Our Holiday Mini will be released August 1, 2012 and run until January 2013 (concurrent with the Annual catalog).  Confused?  Please don't be--I'll post more details as they are available.  For now, enjoy earning free product with purchase during Sale-A-Bration!

The Occasions Mini Catalog is Now Available!

Find the Mini as a PDF here

I placed a preview order on Sunday and am anxiously awaiting a few of the goodies from the Occasions Mini catalog, especially the You're My Type stamp set and the Labels Collection Framelits Dies.  I have some new notebooks just waiting for that typewriter to be stamped on the front LOL.  The Framelits will really have me giving my Big Shot a workout, and you can look forward to seeing many of these products in the next few months (if I intend to send Valentines to my office mates, I need to get started on the design...I'm considering using the Candy Conversations stamp as a starter; what do you think?)

And although the Clearance Blitz is over, there are still some great deals to be had on the Clearance Rack including a lot of the retired whale-style punches (while supplies last).  My online Stampin' Up! store is available here for shopping 24/7.

2012 Word of the Year = FOCUS

Main Entry: focus  
Function: intransitive verb
: to concentrate attention or effort -- "she was already focusing on her next role"

"focus." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. 

Merriam-Webster, 2002. 

http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (1 Jan. 2012)

The last 56 years have taught me that I am not a person who needs to make a lot of New Year's resolutions (see yesterday's post to understand some of the reasons why).  I do need to set yearly goals or guidelines so that I'm not floundering around willy-nilly for the next 365 days.  When I recently read somewhere of the idea that a single word could help me concentrate my efforts, I decided my word for 2012 would be "FOCUS".

In 2012, I want to focus on:

• My Blessings more and my disappointments less
• Creating items, not collecting supplies--even though the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini that starts January 4th is the best Mini ever, and 2012 Sale-A-Bration begins on January 24th, LOL
• Shrinking my TBR mountain, not increasing it--and as I complete a book, I want to post reviews in appropriate places
• Writing more and researching less--the first TGAN draft needs to be completed by July
• Blogging more consistently--this blog will continue its multiple purposes (crafting, writing, and my life in general)
• Networking more with other writers
• Eating healthy foods in smaller portions
• Increasing my retirement savings as I decrease my debt

And now a caveat for my readers:  2012 is an election year in the United States, and my friends know I'm a political junkie.  So far, I have kept politics off this blog primarily because I feel the election cycle has become way too drawn out.  Although I will try to maintain a balance here, part of learning the art of focus means also that I must be even more true to my inner self than I have been in the past.  Hopefully, any discussion occurring here as a result of a post will be respectful and calm.  I do reserve the right to edit or delete comments containing any form of hate speech or excessive expletives.  I don't expect all my readers to agree--I do expect them to be respectful of others' opinions.

I may or may not post specific goals as the year progresses, but I will keep track of my need to focus on the subjects listed above.  Do you have a focus for 2012?

I've Extended my Camping Trip

July's version of Camp NaNo kinda sucked...it started well, but the Texas heat plus my day job doing data entry made it very difficult for my right wrist/elbow/shoulder to allow extensive additional typing.  A series of surgeries over a decade ago left weaknesses in my right arm and while it usually causes me more trouble in extreme cold, this summer's extreme heat (today was--I believe--the 30th day in a row of 100 degree days; the second longest streak of consecutive days Dallas has seen) has totally worn out my arm.  (Extra weather trivia--the longest streak was in 1980; I was pregnant that summer with my youngest son, and pregnancy in this type of heat was no walk in the park either LOL.)

Okay--so little writing got done.  Not to be defeated permanently, I have changed tactics.  I'm allowing technology to help me for the August camp session.  I've loaded Dragon Naturally Speaking 11.5 onto both my personal computers, so I will be dictating "Louisiana Lightning" and hopefully be much more successful in "writing" 50K in 31 days.

I will confess that I did read a bit in July, and this past Thursday made time to see Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.  I'll be adding the books I read to my challenge lists, and perhaps write reviews later.  The movie will receive its own review here soon.  Suffice it to say--I loved it!!  Thank heavens they split the last book...

July also started the new Stampin' Up! year and the new Idea Book & Catalog is the best I've ever seen!  Our Summer Mini catalog will end August 31, and the Holiday Mini will begin September 1 (I'll be able to post links then).  So, I'd love to be stamping and having fun--I miss my card challenges tremendously--and if the dictation works like I believe it will, my arm may allow some creating soon (I hope).

Stay as cool as you can, and I appreciate all my followers being so patient with me as I try to work thru health issues and get back to sharing online on a more regular basis.

I'm Going to Summer Camp!

Camp NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow!  I'm planning on another 50K and since July has 31 days, I only need 1613 words each day to be a winner!  November was a bust for me last year--I was a "pantser" rather than a "plotter"--and so when the wonderful people at The Office of Letters and Light decided to have a summer camp program, I jumped at the chance to escape from the Texas heat and spend time in 1862 Louisiana (yeah, I'm still writing about the Civil War).

Not that I expect July to be an easy road of writing.  I have a working outline (no more being a "pantser" for me, LOL), but July holds its own set of writing challenges--the new Stampin' Up! 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog debuts tomorrow!  It's the yummiest one I have ever seen!  And of course, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II debuts on July 15...even though I know the ending, I have to see this one on the big screen as I have all the prior seven. 

However, I have a wonderful inspiration piece to keep me motivated.  My dear friend Beverly over at GottHeartArt is a published artist in several card making magazines and has recently branched out into mixed media.  She decided to gift me with a beautiful piece for my writing area:

Isn't this the most awesome gift ever?  The acorn idea came from reading Sage Cohen's The Productive Writer and I encourage any creative soul to read this book, as all the tips and techniques are inspiring for anyone who wants to pursue a dream.

So--even though my idea of camping out usually means a cheap hotel room without cable (I used to say with a black and white TV but that would really prove how old I am LOL), I am headed to writing camp!  I'll try to check in here more often than I have been (which would really be ironic given the scarcity of posts the past few months), but I will surely post my win come July 31 (nothing like the power of positive thinking LOL).

For any Canadian readers, Happy Canada Day on July 1 and for the Americans, Happy Independence Day on July 4!  If you are visiting from anywhere else--welcome and I hope to get to know you better ;-)

"If You Can't Say Something Nice..."

Anybody old enough to be able to finish that phrase as it came out of your mother/grandmother's mouth?  If you wonder where I've been, life threw some curve balls recently. 

Because I understand the word "responsibility" to mean that I adjust my work schedule to help the company that pays my bills and buys my groceries, I just spent several weeks working odder than normal hours.  Blogging took a back seat, especially as I don't want to be known for ranting incessantly and recent American political events have certainly been rant-worthy in my eyes (although I did get quite a few laughs when Donald Trump attempted to make me take him seriously as a Presidential candidate).

I did get some enjoyment while away from the blogosphere--the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was absolutely breathtaking.  It was a real treat and so very different from the weddings of Prince Charles and Prince Andrew.  Yes, I'm a Royal watcher and not ashamed of it and feel that "The Firm" has learned much this past decade or so--the young Royals will serve Great Britain well (as long as Princess Beatrice picks a new designer for any future hats LOL).

And, I slipped in some historical fiction between work shifts--three wonderful novels set in the South during the American Revolution:  Paper Woman, The Blacksmith's Daughter, and Camp Follower.  All by Suzanne Adair, they can be read as stand-alone stories, but as they share characters, they work best read in order.  I loved them and can hardly wait for the next volume--without giving too much of a spoiler, she has created a villain that you absolutely love to hate.

My schedule at work may be returning to a sense of normalcy, so I hope to get back to regular posts--the Stampin' Up! catalog transition begins June 1st when the Last Chance Lists post in preparation for the July 1st launch of the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  NaNoWriMo is holding summer camp this year--they'll be announcing more details on May 25...

Finally, I want to get back into my studio and participate in card challenges again (plus let's not even mention all the great movies coming out this summer), so I am quite grateful my job is allowing some time for some fun for the next few weeks.  Let's see if I can post some fun stuff here this summer ;-)

Facebook Phobia--Unnecessary Fear?

I love being "wired to the world".  Technology powers my day job in multiple ways, not the least of which being the cable modem that allows me to telecommute (a fantastic perk for someone who no longer drives a car).  I can barely remember a time without e-mail and web-surfing.  Shopping online and having items delivered is a fantastic option in saving time and effort.  I also love running my Stampin' Up! business online because it is a sideline job.  And let's just think for a moment about how much easier historical research is in the internet age ;-)

But social networking like Facebook scares me.  I have a lot of friends and family of all ages scattered across the country and most are on Facebook.  I know the value of Facebook as a tool to market products, so I know as a writer that I will probably need to set up a FB account for my writing sooner or later.  The scary part is the lack of control I may have over my personal privacy.

Many of us have made life choices that have caused consequences that were not what we had planned (and life seldom offers do-overs).  I love my life and who I am, but after having been abused, robbed, and stalked at different times in my life, I jealously guard my freedom and my ability to live without fear of those criminals finding me once more.

On the other hand, there are people from my past I would love to find..as an adoptee, I've often wondered about my biological roots, and Facebook would be a wonderful way to reconnect with school friends and far-flung relatives.

So, there is my conundrum.  Do I trust the privacy controls that Facebook states are in effect, or do I continue to isolate myself in a cocoon of my own making and risk falling further and further out of touch with people who mean a lot to me?

For now, I will do what I always do when making a major decision...I'll do more research.  And who knows?  We may meet on Facebook soon after all ;-)

My Muse is MIA

Try as I might this past week, no creating with paper was done :-(

Lots of general living occurred--work (of course LOL), the cleaning and bill-paying and shopping that had not happened recently due to illness, and the beginnings of a slight rearrangement of my crafting area.  For me, organization and creativity only co-exist when outlining chapters for my novel (and I did manage to roughly sketch out a couple of chapters this week, so all is not lost).

I was Blessed to receive a tax refund this year and chose to use a portion for Stampin' Up! products during Sale-A-Bration, primarily because of the great free product available with every $50 purchase.  The down side to ordering cardstock and stamps and ribbons and embellishments comes when you have to find a place to put all the goodies LOL.  So, instead of using the creative side of my brain (the part that was MIA anyway), I organized my dies and stamps and paper.  My brain stayed incapable of designing cards--what's up with that??  I even watched a few videos on You Tube to inspire creative thought, but all I could find was a blank slate...

That's not entirely true--I did conclude I had a few needs.  I need ribbon storage.  I need to find the instructions to my sewing machine (it has been unused so long, I can no longer remember how to set it for a zigzag stitch, much less use any of the more decorative stitches).  I need to find my muse...

Gingersnap Creations--Coffee & Cream

My cardmaking buddy Beverly of GottHeartArt turned me on to this great challenge blog and Yahoo group, Gingersnap Creations.  This is my first card for one of their color challenges--GC88, Coffee and Cream. 

All the products are Stampin' Up! 

The base is Crumb Cake and the panel is Naturals Ivory.  The ribbon is Chocolate Chip taffeta (retired) and the strip of ribbon was colored darker using the Chocolate Chip marker, while the bow is the regular ribbon.  Hemp twine strings the tags and the brads are retired from last year's Occasions Mini.

The two tags are from the "Puns from the Past" set and stamped in Early Espresso.  The "Take A Sip" wheel was inked in Chocolate Chip. 

I actually really liked the way this turned out (maybe because I love coffee so much LOL)  and I hope Gingersnap will like it too ;-)

Doily Card with No Red

This is a quick post under the wire for Bah! Humbug! and Jingle Belles...Bah! Humbug! wanted one or more doilies and Jingle Belles was "No Red, She Said" so once more I combined them and then I am hitting the hay for the night.  (OT again today LOL)  Maybe someday I will get more than one card done in a week?

Don't fault the picture please--the card is quite nice and dimensional in person (all products except the dollar store doilies are Stampin' Up!).  Baja Breeze background with snowflakes in Baja Breeze and Marina Mist; the brads are Tempting Turquoise and a single silver glitter brad on top of the tree.

The tree base is Soft Suede edged in Always Artichoke and is punched from the new Build A Cupcake punch.  The folded doilies were all crumpled and then inked (direct-to-paper)--the top one in Wild Wasabi, the middle in Garden Green, and the bottom in Always Artichoke.  They were then folded and inserted inside each other (just a tip--Sticky Strip is really needed to hold it all together without crushing the ruffly parts).

It's tactile but not girly; Christmasy but not red...hope you like it ;-)

Buttons, Bows and Scarves

Once more, a serendipitous situation for this harried crafter--my two favorite Christmas Card Challenges, Bah! Humbug! and Jingle Belles unknowingly coordinated their challenge so I could use one card for both ;-)

I had been putting this card together already for Bah! Humbug! who had asked for Buttons and Bows when I found out that Jingle Belles was asking for scarves, mittens, hats or earmuffs, and guess what my snowman buttons are wearing?  Voila--hats and scarves LOL!

No clue where the snowman and snowflake buttons originated--they are from my quilting days when I collected funky buttons, as are the tiny navy buttons.

The top fold card is Stampin' Up! Naturals Ivory, with a Whisper White Top Note die cut that was then run through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  Not Quite Navy Ink was used direct-to-paper on the die cut and sponged around the edges of the card.  I'm not usually fond of using wide ribbon on cards, but the Not Quite Navy striped ribbon loosely knotted here so resembles a scarf that I feel it is the perfect finish to the card.  I didn't use a sentiment because if I send it to OWH or From Our Hearts, it could be used for a winter anniversary or birthday or "thinking of you" type card...hope you enjoy it!

Altered Notebook (since Anything Goes) for Paper Players

Paper Players' Challenge this week is Anything Goes, so I chose not to make a card.  I am a notebook junkie, but I hate using plain, boring composition notebooks, especially when working on my novel.  I've wanted to use this Stampin' Up! Newsprint DSP for quite a while, and I needed a new notebook specifically for trivia about New Orleans...this paper just seems to put me into a New Orleans circa 1862 frame of mind LOL. 

The lace is the Raven Lace (recently retired from the Holiday Mini) and after cutting the Top Note die and using the outside to frame part of the paper, I took the actual die cut shape, turned it 90 degrees, and die cut it again to make the wonderful square medallion on the bottom (it also gave me a set of parentheses/brackets that will show up soon on a card...)  And once more, my apologies for the photo; the book looks much better in person.  The Take Note oval stamp is from the Notably Ornate stamp set.

The Paper Players Blog Hop is also still active, so go check it out and then play with us, since "Anything Goes"...they are a fun group of ladies!

Here's the video that inspired the new way of cutting my Top Note:

Stampin' Royalty Sketch Challenge #56

Trying to squeeze this in under the Stampin' Royalty Sketch Challenge for this week.  This is another minimally embellished card because it too is headed to either Operation Write Home or From Our Hearts. 

The stamps are retired from Stampin' Up! (the Big Bold Birthday set), but if you have My Digital Studio, they are available in that awesome software program.  The whole card is Concord Crush and Whisper White (patterned papers are from the In Color hostess DSP pack).

Another card that is simple, quick and easy to reproduce in quantity should you have a need to ;-)