TSSC 274 - Love and Laughter

Sorry for the lapse in posting last week.  I was on vacation and didn't get any blog posts set up before we left.  We had a great trip to Topsail Island.  I hated for the week to end, but now that it has, it's right back into the swing of things.

Here is my design team sample for this week's Techno Stamper Sketch Challenge:

 

I used the Stampin' Up! set Love and Laughter.  Colors are Tangerine Tango, Wild Wasabi, and Very Vanilla.  The Designer Series Paper (DSP) is Venetian Romance.  It is such a beautiful pack of paper!  And, now through July 31, buy 3 packs of DSP and get 1 pack FREE!!

Here is this week's sketch:

 

You can see the rest of the design team samples and link your entry here.  Hope you'll play along this week!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 252 (From My Heart)

 Here is the sketch for this week's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge (aka Techno Stamper Sketch Challenge).

 

And here is my sample.  It features the Stampin' Up set From My Heart.  The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. The Designer Series Paper is from a Patterns Stack.  The main image was stamped on a circle cut with my Big Shot and the Circles #2 die.  The label is part of the Lots of Tags Sizzlits pack.  And the punches are Word Window and Modern Label.

 This is the inside of my card.  The sentiment is from Stacks of Wishes.  The tea cups are from Morning Cup.  I don't usually share the inside of my cards because, truthfully, I often don't do them at the same time.  I know I should, but I don't.  This time I remembered other stamp sets that coordinate with the images on the front, so I went ahead and finished the inside.  It's a little hard to read in the photo (even though it isn't on the card itself), but it says:

fun times
through thick and thin
good pal
shoulder to lean on
secret keeper
friends forever

You can see the rest of the design team's samples and enter your own creation here.  Hope you'll play along this week.

Retiring Stamps List

The retiring stamps list has been posted and it is big!!!  Stampin' Up has this to say about it:

"When you view the retiring stamps list, you may notice it's longer than in years past. During this transition to the new annual catalog, there are a higher number of stamps being refreshed and replaced than usual. While many stamps are going away, most are being replaced so that the breadth of our stamp lines is every bit as broad as ever!"

While we wait to see what new, exciting stamps SU! has in store for us,  take some time to peruse the retiring stamps and select which ones you want to get before they are gone for good!

Shop Online for retiring stamps

View PDF file

View Excel file

The buttons at the upper left side of my blog will remain until May 31 so that you can easily get to the retired stamp list without having to come back to this post.

Here's a card made with one of the retiring sets.  I can't believe that Plant Hope is retiring.  It doesn't seem like it's been around that long and it's a very cute set.

Once you've viewed the retiring stamps list, look at the list on the right side of my blog.  If  you click on a stamp set name it will take you to all of the posts I've done with that stamp set.

Have fun studying the list and deciding what to get!

Also, thanks to everyone who came out to the Relay For Life fundraiser this afternoon!  I appreciate the support!!

Happy Stampin', Sue Root, your Stampin' Up Demonstrator

Paper Doily Love Card

I have another Valentine card today.  It uses the new Paper Doily large Sizzlet die, which is so pretty.  I used my Big Shot to cut the doily, the Designer Series Paper (Scallop Circle # 2 die), the Real Red circle (Circles #2 die) and the letters (Naturally Serif Decorative Strip die).  The hearts along the bottom are from the Heart to Heart punch.



Hooray! and Thank You!

Over the past several months I have not been as active on my blog or as a demonstrator as I would have liked.  I've mentioned that it's due to health problems, but I don't think I ever went into details.  Well, I was diagnosed with breast cancer over the summer and after a lumpectomy went through chemotherapy.  I am happy to say that I had my last chemo treatment yesterday!  Yeah!  Yippee!  Hooray!

I also want to say thank you to my regular blog readers and my customers (and of course my family, friends, and church family -- not all of which are mutually exclusive -- several of you fall into multiple categories) for sticking by me during this difficult time.  I've been amazed and blessed by the outpouring of prayers, help, meals, support, cards, etc.  I'm hoping to get back to a somewhat normal schedule after the first of the year.

Today's card is in honor of finishing my chemo treatments.

While some of the items are not available, you could easily substitute the Ribbon of Hope stamp for the die cut ribbon and current designer series paper (and matching color cardstock strip in the middle).  The large scallop circle was cut using the  Scallop Circle # 2 die.  The circle under the ribbon was cut using the Circles #2 die.  I really like both those dies because they increase my layering ability.

With all of Stampin' Up's wonderful colors, you can match the ribbon (and, of course, scallop circle and background layer) to whatever type of cancer the person you make the card for is battling.  Then you can coordinate the desinger series paper with the ribbon color.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!