Oh So Lovely

I think I am wishing winter away as lately I have been gravitating towards Spring colors. This winter has been yucky. Lots of storms and rain and well, frankly, I think it's time for the sun to shine! :)

This card uses the following;
Stampin' Up! Oh So Lovely and Celebrate Everything Stamp sets, Basic Grey patterned paper, Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery and Basic Black cardstock, Stampin' Up! Basic Grey, Ceterainly Celery and Pretty in Pink Classic ink as well as Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon.

Thanks for looking and happy Thursday! :-)

Keepsake Box

My dad's birthday 85th birthday is coming up in March and I decided to make him this little keepsake box of his "favorite" daughter. I always tease him when I call him saying "Hi Dad, this is your favorite daughter" which makes him laugh :)

I have to post it next week to make it to Australia in time for his birthday.



For this keepsake box, I used scraps of Basic Grey patterned paper, Stampin' Up! Black and Tempting Turquoise cardstock, Stampin' Up!'s Time Well Spent Stamp set and some K&C Co fabric covered brads. I picked up the memory box at Michael's.

Valentines Day card

For this card, I used Stampin' Up!'s Time Well Spent and Baroque Motif's stamp sets.

I layered Certainly Celery on Black and created a background by stamping the Flourish stamp from the Baroque Motif's stamp set in Versamark on Pretty in Pink cardstock.

For the heart, I used my aqua blender with Pretty in Pink classic Ink to fill the image and then outlined it with Real Red classic ink and Certainly Celery classic ink for the tiny flower.

Black organza ribbon ties the card together and a little Stardust Stickle to sparkle the outer edge of the card and heart was used. Punch Stickle was used to accent the top and bottom.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Time Well Spent

I made this card using the Time Well Spent Hostess Level 3 set for Stampin' Up! This set is so cute and so versatile.

I stamped the image on Very Vanilla and used my aqua painter and Classic Ink reinkers of Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery and Rose Regal to color the images.

For the flowers, I then used my hobby blade to carefully cut out the flowers.

I used Basic Black and Certainly Celery as the base and some left over Basic Grey patterned paper as the background. SU! black organza ribbon which has since been retired accents the card. I also used Stardust Stickles to accent the sentiment and flowers. It really pops in real life. I couldn't quite capture the glitteryness (is that a word?) of the card with the camera.

Gifty Girl Birthday Card

Here is a cute birthday card for a girl.

Again, I used one of American Art Stamps by Karen Stolper called Gifty Girl as well as Memory Box's Hill stamp. I also used a mix of My Mind's Eye and SU! patterned paper.

SU! Markers were used to color fill the stamped image; Cameo Coral, Sage, Pumpkin Pie and Pretty in Pink as well as SU! ribbon.




The fun part of this card was making the flowers. I used various sized flower and scallop punches which I punched out from scraps of patterned paper I had laying around. I layered them using dimensionals to separate them and then added a little bling on top as well as glitter.

Wine Label Card

I bought this wine label stamp about 4 years ago at a local Stamp Fair long before I became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It has been sitting at the bottom of my clear stamps box waiting patiently for me to re-find it. When I saw it last night, I got that feeling you get when you have found something wonderful...you know...the "ohhh's and ahhh's" begin and then you are enveloped with a sense of joy and all of a sudden, the world is right again. Of course, I couldn't just put it on my shelf and walk away!

I stamped it in Chocolate Chip classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and used my Stampin' Pastel chalks to color it in.

For the card base, I used Chocolate Chip cardstock and patterned paper from the Today and Always Simply Scrappin' Kit.

Fun card...

This card was a lot of fun to make. I used Beate's weekend Sketch Challenge as the design.

No stamping was used for this card. I used Chocolate Chip cardstock, Fancy Pants Rub ons for the main image and My Mind's Eye patterned paper as well as Stampin' Up! buttons.

I really like the way this card turned out and can't wait to send it to a friend in need :)

And finally a card...

The craft room is finally unpacked and about 90% in place but I just couldn't wait any longer to craft. It has been way too long! Also, with the monthly card swap looming over my head, I just had to getting my fingers dipped back in the ink pads.

I can't believe how long it took for me to complete this card. I have definitely lost my mojo! *sob*

With the daunting task of making a card for the first time in what feels like months, I looked for my all time favorite stamps, which come from American Arts. This specific stamp comes from the Karen Stolper collection named Rainy Day.

I used Close to Cocoa and Very Vanilla cardstock, Tres Jolle's Ooh Lah Lah double sided patterned paper from My Minds Eye, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink and Bashful Blue Markers.

I used a Versamark pen and colored over the pool of water and heat set Clear Embossing Powder. I applied three layers of the EP to give the water extra shine.

I then feathered all layers with a sponge and Close to Cocoa classic ink and used the paper piercing set from the Crafter's Tool Kit for the stitching and finished it off with the fine point of my Close to Cocoa marker.

How nice it was to make a card again!

Hopefully my mojo will come flooding back in the next day or so!

More good Vegas eats...

Who doesn’t like a good burger? Well, if you are ever in Vegas and on the hunt for a good burger and I mean a REALLY good burger you have to stop at the Burger Bar at the Mandalay Bay.

It has an amazing burger menu. You get to pick your type of meat. (of course, I went with a Kobe burger - even when cooked well done, the Kobe meat melted in your mouth). You pick the type of bread bun you like as well and the toppings list verges on reading a short novel. Fantastic!

Their website states it best:

“Incorporating the finest varieties of beef, buffalo, turkey, vegetarian and vegan products, a range of gourmet toppings and delicious buns, Burger Bar has a little bit of everything for the creative eater. Complete the experience with a Sweet Burger dessert or a hand-crafted micro brew.”

I had what slightly resembles an Aussie Burger...
White bun
Lettuce
Tomato
Kobe Beef Pattie
Grilled Onions
Fried Egg
Sliced Beetroot

Yum, Yum Yum!

Next time in town, do yourself a favor and grab a burger at the best burger stop in town!

A culinary experience like no other....

I am in Las Vegas for two reasons. 1) for work, I am here all week heading home Friday and 2) we are celebrating the birthday of a friend this weekend.

We had dinner last night at David Burke's and it was hands down, no doubt about it, THE best meal I have had in a very long time. A true culinary experience...and what an experience it was. The service was excellent, the food was delicious from the first to the last bite, great decor and ambiance, and of course, great company.

We started with a treat from the chef...a raw shrimp served on a Chinese spoon marinated in some magic juices and spices. Fabulous!

The bread was a freshly baked, individual brioche bun which was served with room temperature butter sprinkled with Red Sea Salt. The combination of the salt and the Brioche was spectacular. I have always been a bread and butter girl and this absolutely, bar non, is the best bread and butter EVER! :-D

Our meals were deeeeeeeliiiiiicious. I had the Bronx Style Fillet Mignon of Veal. Dessert was fabulous - mini ice cream cones with homemade ice cream and gelato and cheesecake lollipops. Very fun.

If you are ever in Vegas, this place is one you HAVE to try...spectacular!

And of course, since you are at the Venetian, another must stop is Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery for the worlds best mocha's, coffees and baked goods...I'm making myself hungry again so it's time to go to bed :-D

Inner Circle Card Swap Club restarting...

So here we are again...the start of a brand new year and my monthly Inner Circle Card Swap Club.

After listening to feedback from members of last years Swap Club, I have decided to relax the rules of the card swap and open it up to any stamp company stamps, not just Stampin' Up!...what?! I hear you say. Stampin' Up! I feel has the best quality stamps but we all buy other stamp company stamps and since the Inner Circle Card Swap is for sharing our own distinct styles and flair, any stamp company stamps are now permissible.

The usual rules apply;
* There is no fee for joining
* Make 1 card for every member of the club
* Supply a stamped, self addressed return envelope
* Do your best work
* Place your name on the back of each card
* Recipe is optional - preferably loose in the card, so members can reuse your cards.
* And most importantly, be on time with your mail outs to ensure members who have made cards for you, don't miss out.

I will not have the usual optional challenge of the month for February but I will be offering the mystery challenge from March onwards.

Does this sound like your kind of fun? If so, please email me at marie@stamplounge.com by end of day Tuesday January 8th to join up! I will be sending out final numbers on January 9th as the first set of swaps will be due to me on January 3oth.

Happy Stamping!

New home bound...

Who can believe the holidays have flown by and that we are now sitting in our brand new house checking emails while the movers unpack the trucks....certainly not me.


Reflecting, we have had a very hectic December. As you know I was in New York for a few days for work.

I arrived home on December 12 and worked in the office all day on the 13th. Friday 14th, I jumped in my car and hightailed it to Lincoln to do the final inspection of our new home. Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th were spent closing on the house and receiving the house keys, while Sheri sat her final exams for her Masters degree.

Sheri drove up on Tuesday and we ended up spending the next 4 and a half days painting the house. We headed back to Los Gatos in time for Christmas which was spent amongst packed boxes. After opening our presents and having Christmas breakfast, we finished packing up the house to be ready for the movers who turned up at 8:00AM on the 26th....I'm tired just retelling the story!

Last night we drove up to Lincoln arriving at 10:30pm.

Which brings us to today....the internet, cable and phone has been installed, the alarm folks are turning up momentarily and the guys are busy unpacking the trucks. This is our time of rest until they are done which is when the fun of unpacking begins....

Roll on the new year....we will be ready for a vacation VERY soon!!

Hoping you all had a fabulous Christmas/Hanukkah/Holiday and wishing you a safe ringing in of the New Year.

Now the see how fast I can set up my office and craft room and get crafting again!!!! :-D

New York bound...

Greetings from New York!

I always look forward to this time of the year when I travel to New York for work. Being in New York during December is truly amazing! The Christmas decorations, the festive energy of this town, the tourists, the COLD weather! Can you believe that with all the snow storms the east has been hit with lately there isn't a snow flake on the ground?! Chances are it won't snow this week which means this will be the first time in about 6 years I will experience a non-white New York in December! Boohoo!

Although I wont get too much time to go site seeing, I always find the time at night to duck out and head down to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, go visit my all time favorite Christmas store and duck into a couple of other all time favorite locations. This time I will take my camera with me and capture my favorite New York stops and share them with you all :)

11 Days....

I can hardly believe it myself but we are 11 days from closing on the new house! Yaaahooo!!

So far, I have packed up the craft room (whaaaah!), my office, the bathrooms, the wardrobes and linen closets, I have culled the kitchen down to bare necessities and the garage has been culled and packed up also.

Home Depot is my home away from home right now. I have bought the stains and sealers as well as all the paraphernalia that you need to stain the new garage and patio slabs with.

Another trip is required tomorrow as I need more boxes and primer paint for the garage floor as well as gray primer for the dining room which will be painted in a Rich Red (clapping hands!)

All wall paints will be purchased near our new home just in case I need to make extra runs to Home Depot for supplies and just in case we haven't ordered enough (which of course may be a good possibility lol)

We need to do a couple of runs to the Salvation Army as well as the dump to get rid of the surplus stuff we are not taking with us and pack up the rest of the house. All this needs to happen THIS week because of our schedules! Hooley Dooley!

Oh boy...I need to go lay down lol

Christmas cards

As promised, here is the Christmas card we made at Kris' workshop last weekend. It is a super cute, simple yet elegant card.

It uses Dashing Double Sided Designer Series Paper, Old Olive and Real Red cardstock and Classic Ink, as well as the Tags On Board stamp set out of the Holiday Mini Catalog.



And here are sneak peeks at our Christmas cards for this year. Obviously I can't show you all of the card as that would ruin the surprise for the receivers! :-D

Thanksgiving....

Has anyone recovered from Thanksgiving yet? Are the left overs gone yet? Not in our household! (yum!)

Thanksgiving for us was spent with friends.

Sheri made her fabulous Cinnamon Rolls (photos below) which are tradition for Thanksgiving and boy, where they GOOD! It is definitely worth hanging out a whole year waiting for these wonderful bites of pure bliss! Wowsers!

Keeley Anne made a pumpkin pie as well as a pecan pie (photos below).

We all had a great time and of course, ate way too much, laughed too much and stayed up WAY too late playing games. Fun times indeed.

Of course, I forgot to take photos of the turkey...I had cinnamon rolls on the brain :-D

Here are a few photos of our Thanksgiving Feast desserts.

Sneak Peek - Time Well Spent

Stampin' Up! sent all demonstrators a free stamp set to say thank you. A lovely gesture indeed! The stamp set is a Level 3 hostess set from the Spring/Summer catalog..yippee :)

At Kris's workshop on the weekend, we made two cards, one card featured this stamp set and the other I will post tomorrow which is a Christmas card :)

We used the Le Jardin Double Sided designer paper, Chocolate chip cardstock and ribbon and Marvelous Markers to color in the image.


This set is adorable, and you’ll have the opportunity to earn this Hostess Level 3 stamp set for free if you host a virtual workshop with me in January or February! More details to come on my virtual workshops in January! If this has peaked your interest and you want to learn more, email me at marie@stamplounge.com for some additional "pre-announcement" information. :)


For a sneak peak, here are some other samples (by Stampin' Up!) using the time well spent stamp set...

28 days

28 days and counting until we close on the house!

By popular demand, here are a couple of photos of the new digs that I took on November 3. We haven't been to see the house since and we won't be until we close on it next month.

This is historically my busiest season at work which means I have limited time at home before we close. I am traveling for work 12 out of the 28 days which means I only have 16 days to pack the house up! (faint). That sounds like a lot but take out the work days and that leaves me with very few hours to get it all done!

Needless to say, by the end of this weekend, the majority of our current digs will be packed up with only the bare necessities out. Now that is a tall ask but when I am on a mission look out! I am like a tornado...you don't want to get in my way LOL



My stamping time has been reduced to near nothing...whaaaaah. I did get a chance to get in there this evening as I needed to prep for a workshop tomorrow, which should be a lot of fun :-)

I hate to admit to the fact, that may very well be the last time I get in there before the move. I am suffering withdrawal already, I can't imagine what I will be like by the time we move!

I hope you like the new abode :)

Oh So Lovely...

This week has scooted by so fast, it's just amazing. I spent a day and a half this week in Salt Lake City, Utah for work. The last time I was there was a year and an half ago for my very first Stampin' Up! Convention. How time flies.

I have been busy with work so the evenings and weekends have been consumed with getting in and cleaning out all the clutter in the house. Working out what to give away, sell or take with us to the new house isn't that easy! It sure is amazing how much one collects and doesn't use. Our motto is, take only what is worthy. Sounds simple...not so easy to execute! 34 days until we close on the house and I am starting to get into the packing mode. I have tackled the kitchen, spare room, the garage and the linen cupboards so far. The next great adventure is to work through my craft room....whah! :( lol

I walked in there this afternoon thinking, OK i can do this. Clear out the clutter that's all I have to do. Pack what I don't use often and hopefully leave the bare essentials out. Well, after looking around i realized that EVERYTHING is essential LOL. I put aside the thought of sifting through my craft room and decided to make a quick card...surprised???! :-D


I made this 4.5x4.5 card using Oh So Lovely Stamp Set, Chocolate Chip and Confetti cardstock, Le Jardin and Brocade Backgrounds Designer Series paper, Blue Bayou, Real Red and Close to Cocoa classic ink with a blender pen. I believe both ribbon have been retired from Stampin' Up! (smile) and I used a half pearl from the Pretties Kit.

OK now to head back into my craft room and try and begin sifting through the room. I can do this...really I can! ;-D

Name Day Card and Gift Tag

Do you know about Name Days? Well, if you aren't Greek or know someone who is Greek, probably not.

For members of the Greek Orthodox faith, name days are a much-anticipated event each year, greatly overshadowing birthdays.

Children born into Greek Orthodox families are given a name that coincides with the name of a Greek Orthodox officially recognized saint. The name day is celebrated on the saint's day (for example, Saint Patrick, Saint Valentine, Saint Nicholas), and is a cause for birthday-like celebrations including sweets, gifts, and parties. Much the same as birthdays in other cultures, the honoree is the host. Family and friends wish them Χρόνια Πολλά (pronounced HRON-yah poh-LAH, and loosely translated, means "many happy years").

Here is the card and matching gift tag I made for a Name Day celebration last night. My Pretties kit is getting a lot of use these days! I used Stardust Stickles to dot the edges of the card and the scallop centerpieces.

The centerpiece is River Rock and Soft Sky cardstock, feathered with Close to Cocoa. I sponged the flower with Apricot Appeal classic ink and used a Rhinestone Brad for the flower center. I used the retired Organza Ribbon on this card, which works well - gives it just a little bit of detail without detracting from the centerpiece.

I took these photos at night so it has a haze of yellow to it...sigh :)