OMG…that’s right it’s just a couple of weeks away and I’m just now realizing that! I’ve gotten just a bit derailed what with Addison being home for a late Spring Break, followed by Colin’s couple of track meets (he’s doing awesome!), and Larry’s 84yo mom’s back surgery (she’s home and doing great!), and sometimes…life J-U-S-T happens!!

So, I find that I have a little time this morning to start playing with my new BIG SHOT Bigz die Beautiful Butterflies, and a pack of the Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper. I think I’m pretty happy with the result. So often I get preoccupied trying to get to the “Perfect” card that I don’t get any card and then the event is gone before you know it…ever happen to you? Yeah, I thought so; it doesn’t pay to be a perfectionist when you’re being creative…sometimes you just have to let goooo.

Recipe: Easter Blessing is a computer font on Whisper White card stock. Scallop Oval punch is Cameo Coral mounted on an Old Olive panel and the butterfly and lower panel are both from the Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper, the ribbon is our lovely White Taffeta (which I just love using!) I lifted the top wings off the card using stampin dimensionals and the body of the butterfly and the antenna are freehand productions.

I hope you are starting to think about this wonderful time of year and all it means. Blessings on your week! Katherine

Our son, Addison, celebrated his birthday recently and it was, of course, a mile stone birthday, it was his 21st. He is now of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages. Wow! It was so strange when he ordered a beer at dinner while in Dallas over Spring Break. It was an odd moment that passed quite unnoticed by everyone but us. It was like one of those moments that replay in your mind in slow motion, over and over again. The meal was marvelous and he is now settled back at school and life goes on here at home. Then Monday evening my husband and I realized that we never sent him a birthday card or gave him one when he was home! How could that happen? We called him at 7:30 on that day and sang happy birthday to him with the help of our youngest son, Colin; but how could we forget the C-A-R-D? What can I say, LIFE happens! So, I got busy this morning and brewed up this wonderful card that I’d seen demo’d at convention last summer, and here it is to share with all of you.

STAMP SETS: Outlined for Fun, and Cheers to You
INK: Summer Sun, Basic Black
CARD STOCK: Pacific Point (2009 In Colors), Basic Black, Summer Sun, and Whisper White
EMBELLISHMENTS: Double Striped Pacific Point Grosgrain, Dazzling Diamonds, Mini Library Clips, Spiral Punch, 1 1/4″ and 1 3/8″ Circle Punch.

The inside is as fun as you might expect, it was a pop up technique I hadn’t seen before using spiral circles.You take two circles that are about 2 3/4″ in diameter and cut a spiral down to the middle. Glue them on the inside cover and back, opposite each other; meaning that the inside of one circle and the bottom of the other is glued on the back cover. That way they spring open opposite each other. Attach your pop ups and VOILA! I have done pop ups with accordian type pleating but the circles are definitely more ‘boingy’ which I thought would be appropriate for this particular card.

Now all I have to do is pop it in the post and hopefully it will land in his box at school in a timely manner. Here’s to you Addison, Happy Birthday
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week! Katherine

A F-R-E-S-H look at a stamp set that I received last year and that is still intriguing me is the Fresh Cuts Stamp Set. I originally purchased the bundle that was offered with the Fresh Cut Notes, but soon found myself stumped with not wanting to put out a ‘cookie cutter’ type of card. So, there it sat on my shelf, that is until this morning. In a mad dash (aren’t we always hurried?!) I perused the Idea Book & Catalog for inspiration and kept coming back to this set and here is the finished product.

My dear friend Renee’s only and lovely daughter Sherry is engaged and will soon become some lucky fella’s wife. Yes, I needed a wedding shower card. Now mind you Sherry’s not particularly the type who would like cards with umbrella’s and such, not that there’s anything wrong with umbrella’s and such, but it’s just not Sherry. That, and I know she’s an avid stamper so I wanted to do something appropriate, but classy at the same time. I also wanted to use the colors she is using for her wedding theme and this is about as close as I could get.

Stamp Set: Fresh Cuts
Card Stock & Ink: Night of Navy and Old Olive