The red box arrived!

Posted on Friday, May 24, 2013 by Debra

When we arrived home Wednesday evening, this was waiting on the porch table (thanks to our DIL who rescued it from the rain):
Debra Burgin PP #1The arrival of the Paper Pumpkin kit is always exciting, so I thought I’d share the big reveal with you.  The first peek inside:

Debra Burgin PP #2That tissue paper is so pretty, and this month’s box has a cute TY card.  I’m sorry, I have to rip the tissue to see what’s inside:

Debra Burgin PP #3Oooh!  Two stamps (“the good life” and “love this”), a Stampin’ Spot in Basic Black, and everything else* I need to create a 5″ x 5″ Good Life Brag Book:

  1. Instructions
  2. Pre-printed, heavyweight, pre-punched card stock pages (5)
  3. Pre-punched chipboard covers (2)
  4. 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper (6)
  5. Sheets of heavyweight, adhesive-backed stickers (2 each of many)
  6. Split rings (2)
  7. Buttons (2)
  8. Arrow Clips from Hung Up Cute set (2)

*except for scissors and adhesive

This is an amazing kit!  And unless you are already a Paper Pumpkin monthly subscriber or you can obtain this kit through other (legal) means, I’m sorry to say that you’ll never own this!  That’s the fun of Paper Pumpkin:  every month is a surprise.  Sometimes it’s your style, sometimes it’s not, but it’s always fun and fast — for just $19.95 each month (shipping included).

Interested in learning more?  Check out the Paper Pumpkin site HERE.  You’ll find answers to your questions at the FAQ page.  If you decide to sign up (you need to be enrolled by the 10th of the month to start that month), I’d love if you chose me as your demonstrator.  And if you’re not ready for a monthly commitment (even though you can cancel at any time and even skip a month or more), give the Pumpkin a test drive with the Try It Kit.

I’ll show you my finished — or started — project next week.  And next month, I hope you’ll be making the kit along with me!

Posted in Paper Pumpkin, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Have a nice twip!”

Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2013 by Debra

I heard this from The Toddler during our Garage Game.  It goes like this:

  1. I am in the yard, Peter is in the garage.  Perhaps he is putting my wooden clothespins into the pipes that fit together to make the pole for the clothesline.  Or he may be “washing” my car with “the orange thing” — the foam kneeling cushion.
  2. Even though the overhead door is open, I hear the rattling of the knob on the side door.  He has as much trouble opening this door as I do because the knob unit is loose, broken, whatever.  Replacing it has been on the Honey Do list for about 10 years.
  3. I open the door from the outside and pretend I am surprised to see him standing in the garage.  “No, Gwamma, waychoo go outside.”  The word waychoo confused me for weeks until it occurred to me that he was saying “why don’t you….”  Now I say it that way, too, to DH, as in “Waychoo start the grill and I’ll be out with the salmon in a bit” or “Waychoo pull into that gas station so I can get some pop.”  See how it works?  You’re bossing someone around using a funny word!
  4. I close the door, but not all the way.
  5. I knock on the door.
  6. Peter opens it, then comes out.
  7. We wave and say bye-bye.
  8. Then we change places and repeat the game.  Over and over.

Except the last time he said “Have a nice twip!” at which I had to choke back a laugh.  When his mother came to pick him up we sat around talking about the weekend (“No, Mama, waychoo sit dare”) I learned they had said goodbye to friends who were returning to Africa.  He probably heard the phrase over and over from other people at church.

So anyway, we did have a nice trip — leaving Tuesday morning for a short visit to northeast Indiana to our favorite B&B in Nappanee.  These were the only two consecutive days on the calendar with nothing scheduled (that couldn’t be rescheduled, anyway), so we went.

Sorry to babble on — it was just really, really good to get away for a little break from reality.

Posted in Family | 3 Comments

It’s OK to use a pencil!

Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 by Debra

Debra Burgin Pencil lineI’m not so sure that I have a good “eye” to get stamped images alined, but I’m usually successful.  (Of course, I have become skilled at disguising my mistakes, too!)  But I wondered if drawing a penciled line would ensure a straight image on this card from last week.

See that line under the “congratulations”?  Using a small, gridded quilting ruler, I penciled a line 3/4″ from the bottom of the card, then stamped the sentiment.  Excellent!  Then, making sure the ink was absolutely dry, I erased the line.  (Make sure the eraser is clean so you don’t mess up your work.  You can use the Adhesive Remover, the eraser on the end of a pencil or — my favorite — a retractable eraser.)

I thought my campers would like this.  So in the project box I put the ruler, the pencil, and the eraser.  And I think nearly every stamper just eyeballed it!  This proves that I am fussier than most stampers — or you can substitute another word if you wish!

Posted in Tip | Tagged | 2 Comments

A heart broken

Posted on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 by Debra

Yesterday was a full day with the toddler — new songs to sing, lots of play at the park, too much sun (for me), a little weeding and watering, and a good nap for everyone.

After Peter and Mama left, I turned on the news.  When they told about the elementary school, I just wept.

We’ll be supporting assistance efforts through the Salvation Army and lifting up the survivors and the responders in prayer.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hot Air Birthday Balloon

Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 by Debra

Debra Burgin 1305 Hot Air Birthday BalloonThanks, Paula Wright, for inspiring this card!  Camp cards this month are for the guys — but I don’t know why a woman wouldn’t enjoy this particular one.  We got this set, You’re Amazing, at Convention last year, but this card was the first time it was inky!  I used one of my all-time favorite color combos here:  Not Quite Navy and Riding Hood Red (or Ruby Red, before it retired).  I love the “country” patriotic feel of that combo.

Stamps:  You’re Amazing (p. 33)

Ink/Color:  Not Quite Navy*, Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red*

Paper:  Riding Hood Red* or Cherry Cobbler, Naturals Ivory, Not Quite Navy*, First Edition Designer Series Paper*, Very Vanilla

Other:  3/16″ Regals Brads*, Big Shot, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Window Frames Collection Framelits, Sponge Daubers, 7/16″ Trim (Natural), Stampin’ Dimensionals

*Discontinued

Pin It
Posted in 2013 Color Refresh, 2013 retired accessory, 2013 Stampin' Up! Spring Catalog, Big Shot, Masculine, Projects | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Secret Garden Leaves of Three

Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 by Debra

Debra Burgin 1305 Leaves of ThreeOne of my stampers said, “Haven’t we made this card already?” and I had to laugh.  This is so my style!  The triplet, the colors, the variations — yep, we’ve probably made something like this before!

This one, however, was inspired by Kristin Moore.  Her card had Little Leaves die cuts (or perhaps Bird Builder punchies, I’m not sure) adhered to colored squares.  My version is emboss resist using Secret Garden.  I preferred ink on my fingers rather than adhesive, I guess!

With this card I say a sad farewell to the 1¼” and 1⅜” square punches — not too sad, however, as I’ve seen what’s replacing them in the new catalog!

Stamps:  Secret Garden, Sweet Essentials (p. 140)

Ink/Color:  VersaMark, Old Olive, More Mustard*, Island Indigo

Paper:  Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy*

Other:  Heat Tool and Stampin’ Emboss Powder (White), 1¼” Square Punch*, 1⅜” Square Punch*, 3/16″ Metallic Brads*, Stampin’ Dimensionals

*Discontinued
Pin It
Posted in 2013 Color Refresh, 2013 retired accessory, Masculine, Projects, Punches, Techniques | Tagged | 1 Comment

Junior Geek

Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 by Debra

Debra Burgin Junior GeekI love this picture of Peter on the back porch last summer.  I didn’t have time to use this page during the series of classes on My Digital Studio that I’ve led over the past few months.  As I’ve said before, I could have held several more classes and still not run out of material!  The more I work with MDS, the more I love it.  (The sale going on through June 15 doesn’t hurt, either!)

This is an easy page made impressive because of the use of an overlay.  Think of overlays as pre-printed transparencies.  This one I used as a page layer that was a background by itself.

The original photo had so many colors and patterns that were impossible to work with:  orange stripes on his shirt and the bottom of his shoes, a plaid chair, and a pink floral pillow!  So I changed the photo effects on both the photograph and the overlay to sepia and it worked perfectly!

Pin It
Posted in My Digital Studio, Scrapbooking, Stampin' Up! Promotions | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Grateful for Mom

Posted on Monday, May 13, 2013 by Debra

Debra Burgin Grateful for MomI can’t believe we made this card in camp seven years ago!  Barely Banana, Lovely Lilac — remember those Stampin’ Up! colors?

We had a beautiful spring here yesterday — I’m always happy to have stampers who make camp part of their Mother’s Day celebrations.  The highlight of my day was a little boy with a heart-shaped balloon, a card, and a hug and kiss for his Gwamma.

I hope your day was beautiful, too!

 

Posted in Projects | Tagged | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Stampin’ Addicts Retiring Stamp Set Blog Hop!

Posted on Friday, May 10, 2013 by Debra

sa retiring stamps blog hop banner final

Welcome to Stampin’ Addicts‘ latest blog hop, saying “so long and farewell” to stamp sets retiring from the 2012-2013 Stampin’ Up! annual catalog.

Perhaps you’ve just come from Debbi’s blog featuring Word Play.  It was all I could do not to use that on my own projects here!  A great sendoff, Debbi — I love that card made with block stamping!

My featured set is You Are Loved (page 24).  I confess that I bought this set when it was introduced in a mini catalog — then never used it.  Gulp.  I was happy it appeared in the next annual catalog and I promptly inked it up!  My challenge for this set was to use it for occasions other than Valentine’s Day.

I recently heard another stamper extolling the virtues of Pool Party Stampin’ Up! Embossing Powder on black, so I tried it here.  I cut out the image with one of the Hearts Collection Framelits, then adhered punched circles around it.  (I enjoy that kind of detail work!)  I don’t ever seem to be able to capture the true color of Pool Party, so please try this for yourself and be prepared to be stunned!

Debra Burgin You Are Loved Pool PartyI haven’t made a rosette in … I can’t even remember when.  So when I saw one atop a Stampin’ Up! embellishment container, I knew I wanted to make my own version of a little gift box.  Lots of retiring product here, but the concept is easily executed no matter what you use.  Don’t throw those containers in the recycle bin — they have more life in them!

Debra Burgin You Are Loved ContainerThis card is a You Are Loved version of a card I did for a blog hop last year.  That card has been pinned and re-pinned a lot, perhaps because it’s so simple and fast to make.  I think this makes an excellent sympathy card — pretty, but restrained.  The true color is Not Quite Navy.  I will really miss this ribbon!

Debra Burgin You Are Loved SimplyI didn’t start out seeing how many gray cards I could make, it’s just that I really like working with Basic Gray and now (or soon!) Smoky Slate, which is the card base here.  And Crisp Cantaloupe?  Yummy!  Look closely and you’ll notice that the Cantaloupe panel has been stamped with the heart image from this set.  So subtle and pretty.

Debra Burgin You Are Loved Cataloupe

I hope you’ve enjoyed this fresh look at You Are Loved!  You’re now on to the first blog in the loop to see Yapha’s creations using Build a Blossom at Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha.  I appreciate her work (check out the fish bowl!), as this is a set I resisted buying.

Please come back next week to learn the details of these projects — now enjoy the rest of the hop!

(Remember, the blog hop is a loop.  Just follow the link at the bottom of each stamper’s post to get to the next blog; eventually you’ll end up back where you started.  And if you ever lose your way, come back here and click on the banner above to see the complete lineup of blogs.)

<<–Previous blog . . . . . . Next blog –>>

Posted in 2013 retired accessory, 2013 retired stamp, Blog Hop, Projects, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Stampin’ Addicts Retiring Stamp Set Blog Hop straight ahead!

Posted on Thursday, May 9, 2013 by Debra

sa retiring stamps blog hop banner final

The next Stampin’ Addicts Blog Hop starts this weekend, featuring products from Stampin’ Up!’s Retiring Stamps List.  So far thirteen demonstrators are participating, each of us showing three or four projects using our chosen set.  I’ll be showing off You Are Loved (page 24).  It’s not just for Valentine’s Day, you know!

The hop begins Friday, May 10, at noon EST and continues through Sunday, May 13.  As usual, you can start here and progress, because the hop is a big loop.  You can see the entire list of blogs by clicking the banner, above, or here.

In the midst of all the springtime weekend busyness, I hope you’ll have some time to enjoy our projects and leave with lots of inspiration!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted in 2013 retired stamp, Blog Hop | Tagged , | Comments Off