My Happy Stamping Place

Getting the juices flowing

What do you do when the mojo goes missing?  For me, I like to CASE other people's cards, do a sketch challenge, a color challenge or all of the above.  I started CASEing someone's card and ended going in an entirely different direction.  But I had my starting point and that's what counts! 

I seem to be hung up on the this Fabulous Florets set.  I'm just having so much fun with it!

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Fabulous Florets(Summer Mini),

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Soft Suede

Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise

Other: Ribbon border punch, Tulips embossing folder, wide oval punch, itty bitty punch pack, pearls

Thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen

The Stamping Muse

I have told my customers that stamping is liking a muscle.  The more often you use it the better it works.  I haven't been using my stamping muscle as much as I would like to lately and I'm getting out of shape!  The ideas aren't flowing as they should.  Since going back to work full-time last fall I have been working hard to find that life balance.  I started a job I really love in early May and the schedule should help me a bit.  If soccer season hadn't kicked in for my 13 year old.  Most nights we are running the boys to gymnastics and soccer or both.  Then there are those out of town tournaments. 

Both of my stamp clubs are on hiatus for the Summer.  I find I need a purpose to stamp and I love the challenge that coming up with awesome club projects gives me.  Since I don't have that focus this Summer I must cast my efforts to something else.  Classes. I have been meaning to offer more of these this year but there was that whole life balance thing I mentioned.  So now I have a challenge set before me to offer classes this Summer.  And for the first time in several years I am going to the Stampin' Up! convention!  I am so excited!  This will give me the kick in the pants that I need.  The new Stampin' Up! catalog comes out July 1 too!  Stampin' Up! demonstrators will get to pre-order a sampling of new product June 1.  Now there will be swaps to prepare, classes to create, and fun new stamping toys to play with!  All this to say, I will be flooding my blog with new stamping projects to inspire you!  I'm going to fit a little me time in to my day, my week, my life to bring back that stamping glow I so love. 

This weekend I spent a wee bit of time in my craft room and have this pretty little flower card to share featuring the "Fabulous Florets" stamp set from the Summer mini.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Kathleen

Quick blossom card

I made up a quick blossom card with the new Fabulous Florets set from the Summer mini.

 

Stamps: Fabulous Florets

Ink: Old Olive, Tangerine Tango

Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango

Other: Early Espresso Wide striped ribbon, Flower garden embossing folder(Summer mini), stampin' dimensionals

 

Once Upon a Barn Sale

My sisters are at it again.  Come and visit their sale in Hopkins  I have some hand-stamped cards and some rubber stamps and a few odds and ends for sale too.  Check it out!

Did someone say spring? We're sure they did, but maybe they weren't talking Minnesota.

Well, whether spring arrives on its own or we have to drag it in kicking and screaming, we're ready and we're going to celebrate it with the Once Upon a Barn sale, which happens at 310 Wayside Road W., Hopkins.
We've accumulated lots of treasures over the winter and are polishing up some projects. We've got funky tables, doors and garden art. Stampers and scrapbookers, we've got lots of fun stuff for you, too. We've got plants and pots and tools and spools. If you like to sew, you'll love our vintage sewing bits and bobs. If you like rust, you've come to the right place. We've got marbles and dice and other things that are nice. We've got kitchen paraphernalia and even a Christmas item or two or three. Our collections are bursting out of their former homes in eagerness to travel to their new homes. So come and adopt a new dresser, chair or folk doll. Find a pulley, scale or pail that suits your whimsy. Come and browse our quirky collections and see if something calls your name. And maybe while you're searching, you'll find spring lurking beneath a canopy or inside the barn. We sure hope you do.

 

Once Upon a Barn Occasional Sale, May 19-21
310 Wayside Road W., Hopkins
Antiques, rusty garden treasures, furniture and more
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 19
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 20
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 21
Information: Therese at (612) 867-5095.

 

Masculine stamp club card

This was my final card for stamp club in May.  Masculine cards always seem to stump us stampers.  This set and coordinating designer paper make it easier. 

 

The world image is stamped in Sahara Sand on Whisper White.  The ship is stamped over it in Not Quite Navy, then it is punched out with the 2 3/8" circle punch.  I sponged the bottom with Not Quite Navy to look like water. 

Recipe:

Stamps: The Open Sea, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso

Paper: Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Nautical Expedition designer paper

Other: Word Window punch, modern label punch, 3/4" circle punch, 2 3/8" circle punch, stampin' sponge

We had a busy weekend of soccer in Des Moines, Iowa with my 13 year old, Nick.  We started off at Urgent Care because he thought he broke his arm at school.  It turns out it was a bad sprain.  That delayed our trip out of town by about 3 hours.  Once we got there It was cold and rainy but the boys played really well.  They had their first official season game tonight and they had a big win. So fun! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen

 

Tangerine Flower

I hope all of you mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday.  I know I did!  I went out to TGIFridays with my husband and kids for lunch.  Then we came home and they gave me presents.  After a relaxing afternoon we had my mother-in-law over for dinner.  Here we are just after presents.

 

I must have got some good ones because I look pretty happy!  Nah, the real gifts are sitting right there with me.

I have another card to share from stamp club.  This uses the new style triple flower punch.  Love that thing!

 
That's all I have time for.  It's pouring rain so I'm going drive my middle one, Nick, down to the bus stop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen

Sweet Raspberries

Hello, sad, neglected blog.  Life has been too busy to update you.  But I'm here to tell you I've been thinking about you a lot and I finally have a little bit of time to post!

I had my monthly stamp club this past Thursday and we made projects using lots of new things from the Summer mini.  This card uses the new Pretty Postage stamp set and the coordinating postage punch. 

 

I stamped the image with Jet Black Stazon ink on Watercolor paper and then watercolored the image with watercolor crayons and my aquapainter.  The final touch was to add crystal effects on the berries.  You can't really see that in the photo but it adds that wow factor.

I will be back to post the other two projects we made.  Thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen