Throwback Thursday

Here are some cards I created a while ago, hence Throwback Thursday. All of the DSP is retired, and I no longer remember the name--sorry about that!  It's a pretty basic template. The DSP is a 4 x4 square, which will give you 9 squares per sheet, or 108 squares per pkg.  That's just over 10 cents a square!  Wow--that's a lot of cards!  Then, just add a word or phrase along with an embellishment!  Easy peasy--I'm all about easy, quick, simple but beautiful cards!

Above:  Happy Christmas is from More Merry Messages (Carry Over List), Happy birthday is from Teeny Tiny Wishes

Below:  The Open Sea Stamp Set, Decorative Label Punch

Below: Yippee-Skippee! stamp set, Cupcake Builder punch, Red Glimmer paper for the cherry on top 

I will have to apologize for the "a little something" stamp below.  It has escaped away from the its set/box, and I no longer have the rest.  The heart is from also a retired punch--it has 3 hearts of different shapes/sizes.  

The butterfly and happy birthday in the card below was an old Salabration set--the rubber is in Lavender Lace. Again, I do not know the name of the stamp set as I no longer have the box it came in.  Decorative Label Punch is also used.  

Get out that DSP--don't be afraid to cut into it, and use it!  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria 

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Throwback Thursday: Just Because

 It's time for another Throwback Thursday card.  Today, I'm mixing the old with the new.  There's no out with the old, and in with the new around here.  The new is Creative Elements, Top Note, Houndstooth Embossing Folder, Decorative Label Punch and the Extra Large Oval Punch.  The old is Bravo Burgundy CS, ribbon, ink and the "just because" stamp, which I have no clue the name of the stamp set or what it was called.  Remember, it's TBT!   Just because a product is retired doesn't mean we can't use it, right?  That's one of the great things about SU! products--it all coordiantes--even if it SU! retires it, it STILL coordinates and goes with the new stuff I bought.  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

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January Stamp Club: Happy Watercolor & Pleasant Poppies

Do your ever have that moment when you're stamping, or creating, and you really like the results?  That's how I feel about this card--so much so that it was my swap for Leadership, and our project for January's Stamp Club.  When I first started stamping, we didn't have all the wonderful, fancy DSP like we do now!  Don't get me wrong--I love DSP, own most of it, and use it often!  We stamped or made our own backgrounds like in this card.  

Supplies used:

Happy Watercolor, Pleasant Poppies stamp set

Champagne Glimmer paper

Very Vanilla Seam Binding ribbon

Big Shot with Window Framelits, Polka Dots embossing folder

Real Red ink

Decorative Label Punch 

Shop www.mariamitsdarfer.stampinup.net for these and other great products. 

SU!'s background stamps are great since they fill up a standard size card (5 1/2 x 4 1/4).  Any stamp can be used for background--try stamping in a random all over pattern. Next time you create a card, try stamping your background!  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

Life Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Wonderful

We want everything to be perfect don't we?  But, as my mother-in-law says, everything works out in the end.  Most of the time things work out to be better than originally planned. Love when that happens!  Sorry for the blurry picture--that didn't work out as planned, but no biggie.  You still get the idea. 

Supplies used:  Perfect Pennants Stamp Set 

Basic Black, Strawberry Slush Ink

Bermuda Bay, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White CS

Kaleidoscope DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper

Big Shot with the Window Frames, Banner Framelits, Striped Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Decorative Label, Boho Blossoms, Itty BItty Shapes Punches

Stampin'  Dimensionals, hot glue

This was on the last day of Leadership.  Almost time to leave the Stampin' Up! bubble.  Happy Stamping!

Bye for now, Maria

SU! Leadership 2014 Houston, Texas Fun

Leadership 2014 is being held in Houston, Texas.  I've been to Texas before, but never to Houston!  

Here's some "selfie" fun with my new SU! bag--love the bag!!!!  This is my MOST FAVORITE BAG EVER!!!!

Winning door prizes and all-attendee give-aways are the BEST and so much fun!!!  The crowd just goes crazy!!!!

Had a fabulous dinner on top of the city in a revolving restaurant.  Yes, those are PURPLE potatoes!!!  And, they were good too!!!

Next year, Leadership will be held in Orlando, Florida.  Hope to see you there!!!  If you would like to attend as a member of my team, you can sign up here.  Hope to see you there, Maria

Over the Top Tags

Another fun swap to participate in is the Over the Top Tags Swap. Over the Top means you're supposed to dress it up, spritz, embellish, shimmer, wrap and layer, layer, layer.  Hope I lived up to that expectation!  I was part of two groups for this swap. Every layer is popped up with dimensionals.  The base layer is embossed.  I really enjoyed creating for this swap--there was always one more thing I wanted to add. 

Supplies used:  Happy Watercolor Stamp Set

Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe Ink

Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla CS

Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Champagne Glimmer Paper

Decorative Label, Boho Blossoms, Itty Bitty Shapes Punches

Linen Thread, Crisp Cantaloupe Twine (from SAB), Naturals Chevron Ribbon

Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Hot Glue

Big Shot with the Oval Accent, Apothecary Accents, Window Frames, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder

Supplies used:  Perfect Pennants Stamp Set

Tangerine Tango, Coastal Cabana Ink

Big Shot with the Banners Framelits, Arrows Embossing Folder, Stripes Embossing Folder

Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, CS

Champagne Glimmer Paper

Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Linen Thread, Ruffle Stretch Trim (Coastal Cabana & Baked Brown Sugar)
Very Vintage Designer Buttons
Stampin' Dimensionals
Full Heart, Small Heart Punches

And, a funny little story about what happened with me and this swap.  Our hotel was very close to the convention center.  So close in fact that it was attached by a sky bridge--didn't even have to go outside!  Earlier that day (and, before the swap took place) I went to my room to drop off all the stuff I collected in my bag that I no longer needed, and to pick up my tags for this swap.  Well, guess what?  Yup!  I grabbed the wrong bag of swaps, but didn't notice it until the swap was about to begin.  Right as we were beginning to swap our tags I realized the huge mistake I made.  I told the organizer, and she very graciously told me that she would swap my tags for group 1, and to go and get my tags for group 3.  Well, I walked/ran as fast as I could all the way all the way to my room, and walked/ran all the way back to the swap area.  There they were all 6 of the swappers were waiting patiently for me!  Someone said, you got your exercise for the day.  For the day--I said WEEK!!!  We all laughed!  How embarrassing!!!  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

Very Vintage Card Swap

These are my two cards for the Very Vintage Card Swap at Leadership using more products from the Occasions Catalog. For the Peachy Keen card, I choose the DSP and the little camera framelit because I thought it fits in with "vintage" or, at least my idea of vintage anyway. The DSP is even called Retro Fresh. The little camera framelit is so cute!  I added some Linen Thread to the camera so it would look like a strap.  When I was in high school, people would say "snap!" all the time.  So, I guess that makes me vintage or retro!

Supplies used:  Peachy Keen, Hip Notes Stamp Sets

Retro Fresh DSP, Tangerine Tango, Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar CS

Tangerine Tango Ink

Big Shot with the On Film Framelits, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder

Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals, Gold Sequin Trim

For this card, I choose Always Arichoke as the card base because it reminds me of the avacado green from the 70's. Do you remember that?  And, the harvest gold?  The mosaics also remind me of vintage things too. There's some old flooring in my kitchen that has the same pattern as the Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder.  We'll update the floor someday--husband says, "we can't rush into these things."  

Supplies used:  Mosaic Madness, Hip Notes Stamp Sets

Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla CS

Always Artichoke Ink

Stampin' Dimensionals, Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim

Big Shot with the Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder

Mosaic Punch

Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

Stampin' Up! Leadership 2014 Houston Texas

I have the opportunity to attend Leadership in Houston, Texas.  SU! has a way of educating its sales force while entertaining us at the same time.  They make you cry and laugh all in the same day.  Shelli, our CEO, came on the stage and started crying before she barely even said a word.  Of course, as soon as I see someone else cry, I cry too--can't help it, and don't even try to fight it or hide it.  

Here's my Leadership swap.  I used the new stamp set from Occasions Catalog called Happy Watercolor.  Makes me feel like a watercolor artist because it has that watercolor look--that's why it's called "Happy Watercolor."  It goes really nice with the background stamp called Poppy Parade.  I punched out the Glimmer Paper with the  Decorative Label Punch, cut it in half and then attached it to the Window Frames with hot glue.  

Supplies used:

Happy Watercolor, Pleasant Poppies stamp sets

Real Red, Very Vanilla CS; Champagne Glimmer paper

Real Red ink

Very Vanilla seam binding ribbon

Big Shot with the Window Frames Framelits, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Decorative Label Punch

Bye for now, Maria

Christmas Cards

Here are a few Christmas cards either made by my club members (very talented group of stampers) or cards I rec'd in the mail this past holiday season.  I know it's now 2014, but I like to enjoy the hand-made holiday cards for a little while after Christmas is over (and, it's never to early to get started on this year's cards!)

Mary made this one.

Tina made this one.

 Made by Pam.

Tina made this one. 

Made by Pam. 

Hope your holiday season was wonderful. May you have a happy and healthy new year!  Bye for now, Maria

Throwback Thursday: All Dressed Up

I just have to laugh at myself sometimes. I was seeing "#TBT" on FB, and I had no idea what that meant--guess I'm showing my age!  TBT = Throwback Thursday!  I still don't get the hashtags.  The DSP on these cards are retired so they qualify for TBT--according to me anyway.

This is the Card Base Pop 'n Cuts, and the Dress Form Pop 'n Cuts along with the All Dressed Up stamp set.  The DSP, and accessories are retired--remember this is THT.  The pharses come from the Yippee Skippee! stamp set.

The DSP, stamps, and accessories are also retired on the red card.  Whirly Twirly is the name of the stamp set used.  Oh, and I just loved those flowers--wish we still had those!  

There's my take on TBT.  Happy Stamping!  Bye for now, Maria

Shop anytime www.mariamitsdarfer.stampinup.net