Stampin’ in Seattle

My niece, Sheri, just became a Close To My Heart consultant and we had our first stamp party with her today.  She did a great job and here are the cards she came up for us to make:

Thanks Sheri, we had a lot of fun!

Yikes, I have been a very bad blogger lately.  I just realized I haven’t posted since September 23.  I don’t know what I’ve been doing except working, riding my quad, and being lazy!  Actually, I did get my Christmas card “prototype” made and I’m in the process of trying to get all of the pieces pre-cut so I can work on them at a card party coming up on the 13th.

These next two cards are the 3-2-1 swap cards for First Swap Blog.  I used CTMH Everlasting patterned paper, CTMH Sunflower cardstock and iPodabella stamped image.  I paper pieced Bella’s outfit and iPod.  My numbers:  3 flowers, 2 patterned papers and 1 red button.  I sent my card to Nel van Noorloos in Holland.

This card was made by Nel for me.  She used one of those adorable hedgehog stamps (I want a hedgehog stamp, too!!!).  Nel’s numbers:  3 ribbons, 2 paper flowers (I think they were made from a flower punch), and 1 silk flower.  It’s such an adorable card, Nel - Thank you!

This next card is for First Swap Blog’s “sketch” swap.  I sent my card to Ilona de Bont in Holland.  She posted it on her blog so go check out Ilona’s blog!  I used CTMH’s Autumn Splender stamp set, Lovely Leaves paper, Olive cardstock, Ponderosa Pine ink, ribbon & embellishment.  I also added Dew Drops. 

Thanks for stopping by!

I made these cards for an upcoming swap.  The subject was falling leaves - and hark!, that’s the exact stamp set I had!  I stamped the three different leaves in three different colors and cut them all out.  After layering each set of three leaves, I anchored them with a piece of knotted ribbon (it is so much easier to just tie a knot instead of a bow)! 

Close To My Heart supplies:  Autumn Splendor stamp set; Lovely Leaves paper; Olive paper; Pepperwood, Ponderosa, New England Ivy and Olive inks; white grosgrain ribbon.

Washington state is well known for the apples we grow.  We export our apples all over the world.  So you can imagine how pleased I was to get Christina’s card in the mail today with a beautiful, red apple - all the way from Australia!  Christina’s card was for First Swap Blog’s Swap #13 - food & drink.

Thank you Christina!

A couple of Friday’s ago, my daughter and I went to a card party at Deb’s house (Deb is one of the ladies that puts on our annual retreats).  The moon was just coming up and this is what we saw as we came up out of Sunland.  Tracy stopped so I could take the picture.

However, when we were driving on I-90 I decided to take this picture.  I wasn’t sure it would turn out since we were driving 70+ mph!

When we got to Deb’s, her daughter, Alyson, had prepared these cards for us to make and had everything ready when we got there.  I worked with a material that I had never used before - “flocking”.  It’s on the blue and yellow “For You” card.  You lay down a strip of adhesive and then dip that part of the card into the flocking.  It turned out so cool - I will definitely be buying some of that!

Thanks, Alyson, we had so much fun!

I totally copied this from my friend Linda!

— unfortunately it has been very serious.  My mom’s husband has been fighting cancer for over a year.  Every time it gets cleared up in one area, it shows up in another.  This time it’s in his neck.  After radiation, it was discovered that one of his neck vertebrae (C2) was shattered and he has been in excruciating pain.  They came to Seattle this week so he could have surgery to repair the C2 (it will be glued back together with medical cement) and have titanium rods inserted on either side of his spinal cord.  As I write this he’s still in surgery so I don’t know how it went.  I’m going up to the hospital after work, so keep good thoughts that he will come out of this surgery with NO MORE PAIN.

I did get to work on some cards last night for a swap I’m participating in.  Maybe I’ll have a chance to get them done tonight and posted, along with pictures of the cards I made at a card party last Friday night.

   This is what it looks like in Seattle today.  On days like this, I don’t leave my building at work.  We are on the 44th floor and we are just now able to see the street below us.  It has been foggy/cloudy all morning.  Yuck, I guess it’s inevitable - fall and winter’s on the way.

So after a weekend in eastern WA (yes, again) going to a card party (I’ll show pics of the cards we made in a couple of days) and riding our quads (yes, again), this is what I came home to:

I received this wonderful little award from Linda at Linanna Designs.  Linda is a good friend from the U.K.  Make sure and check out her blog since she makes really adorable cards!

Here are the rules for this award:
1) The winner can put the logo on their blog
2) Link the person you received your award from
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Put links of those blogs on yours
5) Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated

I have so many blogs I love to check out every day, it will be tough to choose just seven, but here goes:

1.  Karin at Scrap Everything

2.  Christine at My Weblog

3.  Allison at Stampin’ When I Can

4.  Henderica at Cats & Stitching

5.  Lene at Lene’s Stempelkrok

6.  Hilma at Designs by Hilmarose

7.  Caz at A Load of Old Blogocks

Thanks, ladies, for sharing your blogs with us!

Wow, that was a big, long title.  I got this wonderful birthday card from Alina Meyer in Holland.  Thank you, Alina, it’s adorable!

These next two cards were made for First Swap Blog’s “stitches” swap.  My partner for this swap was Amarins Elzinga from Holland.  I’m not sure if the picture does the card justice, but the stitching is absolutely gorgeous.  It’s a true keepsake card!  Thank you so much, Amarins! 

The card I sent Amarins isn’t nearly as beautiful, but it was a fun card to make!

And finally, I totally CASE’d this next card from Laurie (Just Give Me Stamps).  I used DCWV’s Glitter Matstack cardstock; CTMH’s Pepperwood ink and “With Love” stamps; white glittery brads; pink glittery flowers; brown ribbon with white stitching; SU’s ticket corner.  I layered vellum over the stamped image.

Thanks for stopping by!