I have got birds on the brain!!

One I got my new stamp set, Owl Occasions put together I have had so much fun.  It was tough to get the imagination going to begin with.  Sometimes I get a new stamp and think "What was I thinking when I ordered this?"  I guess it's just a bird brain thing. 
Tonight I made a project for our New Holiday Catalog Open House on Thursday, and I have been wanting to make this up before I got all the Hershey Nuggets eaten.  I made a couple of other little candy favors with this great big bag, and I have nibbled on the rest all weekend in my craft room.  So, tonight when I decided to make the little cake, I was left with just enough nuggets with about 5 to spare.  I am afraid that when my 8 year old granddaughter comes here tomorrow, she is going to want to take this home with her.  She had a birthday on July 19 and grandma still has gifts to give her, and this might end up being one of them. 

 It was really quick to make, but I already had looked at the plans for it many times.  Michelle Surette made the first one I saw and you can find it here.  She also has a tutorial on her blog, but I just winged it.  I wrapped each nugget with a strip of paper cut from the Summer Smooches DSP. I just made a paper core, like a round box for inside each layer, that I added to the circle discs.  After assembling the cake stand I stuck each piece of candy to the core with a glue dot, and wrapped with the Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon.  I punched holes in the top disk (which I forgot to do before assembly, and had to remove and glue again).  My little owls with the balloons and party hats and the presents are all from the Owl Occasions set.  The greeting is from the Petite Pairs stamp set.  I actually stuck the top decorated disks to a Tootsie Pop using glue dots.  I added a couple curls made from 1/8" strips of paper wrapped around the sucker handle to make them curl. 

How cute is this idea, and I really have to thank Michelle again for the fabulous idea.  I just had to share this on the blog for any one who is coming to the Open House, just in case the cake does not arrive at the party, you will believe me when I said I made it.  I think I will make a couple of these up for door prizes at a baby shower I am hosting in a few weeks. 
One more thing to say.  When I say I have birds on the brain, I am not kidding.  I have a pet cockateil.  Her name is Snowflake, and she was really a pest this weekend.  I was home, and spending all my time back in my craft room (a former bedroom), and she knew I was here in the house, because she could hear me of course.  She is usually pretty cool about being left alone, and when we are not around the living room/ dining room area where her cage is, she just stays in her cage.  But this weekend she just whined.  She will sit on her cage and go "Cheep" in about 5 second intervals in the loneliest voice.  It drove me crazy!!!  It was either cover her up, or bring her back with me to the craft room, where she will nibble every piece of paper and ribbon she can get her beak on.  So the only way to keep her from eating everything is to keep her on my shoulder, or on the back of my chair.  She likes to walk down my arm and sit on my hand so she can see what I am doing.  If I am snipping or punching she goes "snip, snip, snip" with her beak.  If I would eat an M&M (my power pills when I am working), she is right up to my face to see me eat. 
She is such a funny bird, and I never thought when my son bought the bird for his daughter, who was 3 years old,  that we would every enjoy her.  She is the first pet we have ever had, because of allergies to cats and dogs.  She stayed with us when Dave and Emily moved away to an apartment, where they cannot have pets.  Someday, when they have their own home, Snowflake may go to live with them.  But, we are her flock, and she is part of our family, and will be hopefully for the next 50 years (they live that long!).  So, my crafty little bird was watching my every move while I worked on my owl cards yesterday. 
Thanks for stopping by today, come again soon :)

Mary Alice

Owl Duos

I could not resist doing another challenge today.  I decided that I wanted to try something that was a little out of my normal comfort zone.  So, I tried a very simple card with my new stamp set, Owl Occasions.  I do not have and owl punch or another stamp set, because everyone I know does have one.  (No need to buy when I can borrow, but it drives me crazy because I want to make owls!). So, when I saw this cute set in the Holiday Mini Catalog, it was the first set I wanted.  I couldn't wait to create, and decided to do a challenge to use Espresso Brown and Crumb Cake.  Sounds good for an owl.  I had in my mind several owls sitting in a tree, and when I saw the layout from Sketch Frenzy Friday 072712 I could see my tree.  Here is the card, plain and simple.

 It's cute, but a little too brown bag to suit me, so back to look again, because I think I saw another challenge that might do something to take it up a notch.  So back to the drawing board, and I came up with another color challenge from CR84FN Color Challenge Week 2. 
So I took out the Calypso Coral, and added a little more details to the card.  Isn't this fun to just step it up a little, and I have another challenge complete.  Cute to cuter in just a couple of stamps.  I have more cards dreamed up for this set, and I will show you more in the next couple of days, or better yet, come to the Open House I am having on Thursday, and see the new cards for yourself.  I will have gifts and food and fun for everyone. 

 Glad you stopped by today.

Mary Alice

sketch frenzy friday 072712

COMING SOON....New Catalog Open House....Thursday

Don't forget.......

STAMPIN' UP! NEW CATALOG

AND HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG

OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, Aug 2, 6:30 to 9:30 pm

101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes, MN

Check details on post from Saturday, July 28  
Sure hope you can make it.

Mary Alice

Looking out my window at another beautiful day with Happy You

It was so nice to have the windows open for a few days at my house here in Minnesota.  We have had such extremely hot days this summer, that it has been necessary to have the air conditioner on for about a month.  I was putting socks on to keep my feet warm in the cool house.  It feels so strange to say that the temperature dropped down to the 80's and that it felt comfortable to open the windows. It was really refreshing.  So, I pulled out this little card that I made about a month ago, after I had made the wonderful window card for my daughter and son-in-law's anniversary.  This card I used the stamp set called Happy You.  It has the cutest little stamps and I liked this little kite with the greeting "Hello There".  I sponged a little blue sky, but left enough white so that it looks cloudy.  How do you like that cute little posy on the window sill?  I just snipped a little paper and gave it some bend.  Of course, if it was at my house you would have to add some brown tips and dead leaves :)  The wallpaper is from retired DSP Everyday Enchantment, and the Baha Breeze ruffled satin ribbon was also retired this spring, but it just made the best valance.

Hope that you are having some enjoyable weather, too.  Come back and peak in my blog to see what's new again, soon.  Bye-bye!

Mary Alice

Who could resist another simple challenge?

I could not resist this morning doing another challenge.  I had started this card last night, and then I opened up my email and saw another challenge that I could not resist.  I had started a card last night, and just did not have any creative juices left to finish this card.  This morning it dawned on me just what to do when I saw the challenge from a new CASology challenge #3  for a card inspired by the word "FRUIT",  and I already had a card with fruit laying loose on it I was on the right track.  To take that track a little further, I referred to a couple other challenges to find one that would have a layout conducive to my fruit.  Clean & Simple Stamping Challenge #200 had a layout that would work, I just had to double up on the fruit. The end result.......TA DA!!

I used a soon to be released stamp set from Stampin' Up!'s new Holiday Mini catalog.  It's called Perfectly Preserved, and I have been playing with this all week.  I have been playing with fruits, and vegetables, and Framelits that pair with them. I did say that I was not going to share any of the new sets with you until after the big reveal of the new Holiday catalog on August 1, but the challenge did ask for "Fruit", so I just had to share this card today.

The layering on this card was done with Very Vanilla card stock that I ran through the Stripes embossing folder in both directions to give it a gingham look.  I stamped the apples with Raspberry Ripple, and added a stitched satin ribbon in Gumball Green.  It just gave me that fresh look I was looking for.   A little greeting from Petite Pairs stamp set that says "No matter what.........I'm here for your" completes this simple card.  Once again, I was able to incorporate 2 challenges into one simple card, and I hope you enjoy it, and come back for more when your are hungering for some creative juices. 

Mary Alice

Meeting the midnight deadline......It's another challenge.

 I spent seven hours in the craft room, or on the computer blogging today.  It is a beautiful Saturday with temps in the 80's, but I turned off the AC yesterday and opened up the house.  I figured if I have to stay home and work instead of going up to our trailer in Wisconsin to work on the porch, I want the windows open and the birds singing.  It has been lovely.  I have been cranking out the cards today, and doing fun challenges for new inspiration.  When I started to sag a bit ago, I decided to do another challenge.  I pulled out my list for color inspiration and found Nacho Average Challenge #4

 had just what I was looking for, but I had to hurry, as the entries close tonight!  Colors called for are Pink Pirouette (I had Pretty in Pink), So Saffron (I used Crushed Curry to get a darker image) and Certainly Celery. 

Then I found a great layout on Mojo Monday #251 to try, and I am very pleased with this layout.

 I got out the Crosses of Hope stamp set, and chose a new cross that I had not used.  Stamped it in Crushed Curry and then embossed it and a salutation with Clear embossing powder.  I bet it's been 9 months since I embossed anything, but this image just needed a little strengthening.  I added pearls to the frame to get a little more dimension to the focal point. 

 I want you to see the card below.  When I was doing the photo, I thought the layer with the cross was too stark looking, so I went in and did a little smudging around the edges using a blender pen and the yellow.  I have to say that after I photographed it again, I was wrong.  I did not like that little color around the edge, but thought I would share with you the mistakes I make, too.  Sometimes you just have to stop and leave it alone.  Like this one.

I dry embossed each section with a different embossing folder instead of using different colors in the layout.

And, then there came the flower.  Is it too much?  I kind of like it, but it does maybe overpower the image of the cross.  But, I just have been dying to try this flower.  I found a woman named Valita making them one day.  She makes so many beautiful paper flowers.  She is truly gifted.  I made mine today without going to look at her blog, but did it from memory.  I did not have a fringe scissors, so I just snipped, and I made my paper strip even so I did not get quite the layers that she did.  I scrunched it up to give it a wilder look.  I decided to add a daisy from Reason to Smile stamp set inside with my greeting.  There are only 3 days left to order Reason to Smile stamp set.  Only $5 with a $50 order, but after July it will be gone forever :(

Well, it's getting late, and I am hungry.  Think I am done for today, but I have more to show you tomorrow.  Have a good night!

Mary Alice

Busy Saturday, or lazy Saturday? Another post, another challenge

I could not help it, doing the challenges this afternoon was so much fun, I just have to show you another one I did that was for the same three challenges.  I checked, I can do that :)

This card also met the challenges at Colour Q #147 using the colors (I did sub Indigo Blue and Wild Wasabi on this one), and Diva Dare for "Birthday", and Stampin' Royalty for using "Buttons". 
I think this one turned out so cute.
Love, love, love the Betsy's Blossoms stamp set.  You just can't go wrong when you can stamp an image, and it's all colored, and has beautiful images that really don't need any embellishments.  I couldn't resist adding the big Baha Blue button I had in my collection, which was my inspiration for the whole card.  Can you believe that I have been hanging on to that big button?  When I started looking at buttons today for the Stampin' Royalty challenge, I thought "I've got the button, now what stamp set can I coordinate this button into?  Betsy's Blossom had the biggest flower I have got!"   So, that's how inspiration strikes!?! LOL!  Can't get easier than that for a fast and simple card.  Only work I really had here was cutting out a couple flowers and a bird, and I did not really have to do that.  I could have just stamped them!   So sweet and simple, and will make a great card for my Open House display.  I have some customers that want really easy projects and this sure is right up that alley.
Well, back to crafting.  Come back again, soon.

Mary Alice

Reminder CATALOG OPEN HOUSE next Thursday

STAMPIN' UP! NEW CATALOG

AND HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG

OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, Aug 2, 6:30 to 9:30 pm

101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes, MN

Come check out the New In Colors, New products, and New samples.

We will have 2 fabulous free Make-n-Take projects for you, along with food, fun, and fantastic door prizes. 

View all new sample projects for our upcoming fall workshops featuring cards, scrapbook pages, mini-albums, holiday décor, and holiday projects for fall and winter.

If you have not received a copy of Stampin' Up!s New Idea Book Catalog and want a New Holiday Mini Catalog (available August 1), now is your chance to get yours.

Bring a friend who has never attended our workshops, and we will have a special gift for each of you. Book a workshop with you and your friends, our place or yours, and receive a free stamp set.

Check out our blogs for further information, and to RSVP for the event send me an email or give us a call.

Mary at www.marvelouspossibilities.com

email:  maryabellis@live.com

Debby at www.debbysstampingspot.com

        

I am up for the challenge!

I am getting ready for our Open House this week, and I have been very, very busy.  Too busy to blog!  When I get my hands on new products my mind starts racing, and I have to get busy.  I created probably 15 projects using one set of stamps, one pack of DSP paper, and coordinating framelits!! But, I won't show any of them to you yet........I'm keeping them secret until the big reveal party :)
So, I am willing to share some new cards I made with old sets (as in I have had them since May) that I have. 
Before I go further, I have to tell you that I enjoy blogging very much, but sometimes it is hard to stay motivated when you only have a couple people that read your blog (or just look at it).  A couple weeks ago my friend, Kay, referred contacts to my blog, because she herself was too busy to blog at the time.  Wow!!  Did I have people check out MY blog!  That was fun, but how can I keep the momentum going?  By participating in challenges!!  That's how I find new blogs.  I check out the cards entered in the challenges I subscribe to.  I just never participated in the challenge :(

Today, to feed the motivation, I chose a couple of challenges, and made some cards.
First I chose the colors at Colour Q challenge #147,  then I chose Stampin' Royalty's challenge to use Buttons (which I LOVE Buttons), and then went for Diva Dare challenge to make anything BIRTHDAY. 

I could not wait to pull out the color combination of Kiwi Kiss (retired but a fave), Brilliant Blue (didn't have so used my new Indigo Blue), Baha Breeze, Regal Rose, and Whisper White.  First thing I grabbed was the Button, Button stamp set to make my background paper.  Stamping all the buttons is a blast.  I pulled out the Mixed Bunch set for my pink and blue daisys, and green leaves.  I added bright buttons, Baha Breeze ribbon, and a birthday greeting from Curly Cute.  I stamped a little greeting from Petite Pairs (oops, I discovered in my photo it smeared, must fix later) and a couple flowers inside, and I have a card worthy of three challenges and an open house display.
Hope you like my card, and leave me a comment, so I know you came :)  Hope you all come back again soon.

Mary Alice

What can I say.....I stole it!

Isn't this a cute invitation to a baby shower?  I sure think so.  My daughter, Laura made these for my daughter-in-law, Melissa's baby shower.  When we were at the trailer last weekend, she worked on these while I made cards.  She had everything cut, stamped, colored, and embossed, and took them home to assemble them.  Only at home she discovered that she was out of adhesive after only assembling a couple cards, resorted to using a glue stick, only that did not hold the paper for the embossed pieces.  Thought she would finish them up at work, but the glue she had there wasn't working well either.  Hmmm.  What to do???  Give them to mom, she'll finish them up.  Not really!  I said "Give them to me, and I will finish them up", because she was trying to get packed to leave for New York City with her family for a short vacation.  So, that is the extend of the card making I can show you right now. 
It's a cute card, and I admit I stole it from Laura, but I just can't show you any of my other creations right now.  I am keeping them under wraps for our catalog Open House next week.  I have been very busy creating the most wonderful cards and decor, but I just am not ready to share any yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  Guess you will have to come back to find out.....or better yet, come to the Open House.  You can RSVP to me anytime.  More information can be found further down on my blog. 
Come back again soon. 
Mary Alice

Add this date to your calendar, friends

COMING SOON.........

STAMPIN' UP! NEW CATALOG

AND HOLIDAY MINI CATALOG

OPEN HOUSE

Save the date.... Thursday, Aug 2,    6:30 to 9:30 pm

I am excited about all the wonderful projects I have been working on along with Debby Filiowich to show you at our Open House to be held in the Community Room at 101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes, MN.

Come check out the new In Colors, new products, and new samples.
We will have 2 fabulous Make-n-Take projects for you, along with food, fun, and door prizes.
Bring a friend who has never attended our workshops, and we will have a special gift for each of you.
View sample projects for our upcoming fall workshops featuring cards, scrapbook pages, mini-albums, and holiday projects for fall and winter.

If you have not received a copy of Stampin' Up!s new Catalog, and want a New Holiday Mini Catalog (available August 1), now is your chance to get yours.
Check out our blogs for further information, and to RSVP for the event.

RSVP TO Mary at maryabellis@live.com

Also check out Debby's blog for projects she will be making.

Debby at www.debbysstampingspot.com

Eight is great birthday card

EIGHT!   EMILY IS EIGHT!   I can't believe she's that old now, but she must think it's great.  My very first grandchild and she  means to much to me. She lived at my house for a couple of years from age 2 to 4, and we grew so close.  We have had great times together, and she'll always be so precious to me.  I have two more little grandbabies, and another one due soon, but the first one is always so special.  I made this special card for her with this eight-point pinwheel to make a point she's 8!!

I used paper from the Summer Smooches DSP and cut 3/4 inch squares that I mounted on 1 inch squares of Not Quite Navy, and layered them on a bright striped background that just popped out those colors.  Tied it all up with a Rose Red ribbon and a button for my sweet Emily Rose.               Happy birthday, Sweetie!                                                           I have never entered a card in a challenge before, but this week that is my intention. I found a new challenge called CASology and this is for there Week #2 challenge.  The idea with this challenge is that you use a key word for the challenge, and this week happens to be "HAPPY".  I decided that this card fit that criteria, so I thought I would give it a try.  I decided that playing along with challenges was a new way for me to broaden my artistic skills.  Let's see if I can find another one this week.  So many of my fellow bloggers have such great ideas.   Hope you like my card, and come back for another visit soon.

Have a great day!           Mary Alice

Mixed kaleidescope card

I have had my Mixed Blossom stamp set for six months, and I had not used this delicate blossom yet.  Funny thing is that it was my favorite, and the reason I wanted to order it.  I just loved the curly-ques on this stamp.  So, as I sat and chatted with my daughter, I decided to do a little doodling and started coloring each layer of this rosette, and stamping, clean the stamp, and start over with a new color combination.  It was so much fun, I just wanted to keep trying new color combinations. 
This one was my favorite, and I was able to find a little strip from the Cheerful Treat DSP (retired) that had colors to compliment the blossom, and I attached that with a trio of brads.  I did a little tonal stamping with Raspberry Ripple on card stock of the same for the background.  Voila!!  I have a card with a blossom as pretty as I'd ever seen :)
Hope you like this card, and try a new technique yourself. 
Mary Alice

Shoebox Swaps at our demonstrator meeting

Last week we had our demonstrator meeting, and each of us was asked to make a shoebox swap card.  A shoebox swap is where I make a sample card, and put together kits for everyone to make the card that I designed.  I bring all the supplies needed, including paper cut, embossing done, etc. along with instructions on making the card.  Everyone goes around the room to each station and makes the cards for themselves.  Usually we make cards for each person at the meeting ourselves and swap the finished cards.
I was so excited about the card I made for the swap.  It is really fast and simple, but looks terrific, and I used a little technique that I have been using for the Serene Silhouette flowers, where I stamp the whole stamp with the base color, then wipe the ink off the flower heads, and stamp them with a different color.  I wanted to show off that technique I had been using so much lately.  I used the paper from the Comfort Cafe DSP along with Cajun Craze cardstock.  The stamping was done with Soft Suede and Cajun Craze on Very Vanilla.  No need for extra embellishments, as the stamping and the layering elements are totally super. 

I was so excited to swap my card, but I was also blown away by the shoebox swaps that everyone else brought.  We had nine different cards to make at our meeting, and I was surprised by all the different techniques that we had to try.  I was so impressed with all our cards, but I was anxious to see what the other group of demos had done on Monday night at their meeting.  I waited all week for Kay to post them online so I could check them out, and she managed to get them up before she left for Convention in Salt Lake City this week.  If you want to see some other fabulous swap cards you can check them out here.
I hope you enjoyed the cards I share, and come back for more.  Have a fabulous week!

Mary Alice

Flowers, flowers everywhere

A couple weeks ago I was planning a project, and punched out a bunch of flowers with my Blossom punch.  My granddaughter, Emily, helped me glue them all together with a printed flower over a solid.  As it turned out, I decided not to do the project I had planned, and I put all the flowers aside thinking I'll find another use later.  So, I got a chance to use them this weekend. 

When I got up to our trailer this past Friday night I was rushing to beat a storm.  Dark clouds were following me, and I hoped to make it there before rain prevented me from unloading my car.  I had hopes of getting my stamp supplies inside before the rain kept me in for the evening.  Big raindrops started to hit just as I was getting out of the car, so I grabbed my tools and a few supplies and headed inside before the storm hit.  I thought this was going to be a quick downpour, but the slow steady rain that followed lasted for hours. 

When I looked at the minimal supplies that I had grabbed, I found the flower blossoms and decided that would be my challenge to make some cards using the flowers.  I had the bag of scraps that were leftovers from the flowers I cut, and decided to try a little bargello design using strips of the matching papers.  I cut 3/4 inch strips that I glued down side by side.  Then I cut across the strips every 3/4 inch to create strips of squares.  I moved the stripes up and down slightly to create a bargello design like you use in needlepoint.  It also gives it a quilt-like effect.  Its really fun, fast and easy to do.  You should give it a try.  The paper is retired DSP Cheerful Treat, and the Oval All greeting is also retired, but too cute. 

This second card also used the leftover DSP Cheerful treat, and I used a paper that was patterned stripes to create the border at the bottom of the card.  Super easy and really fun.  The polka dot frame from the Four Frames stamp set used inside and out was a perfect compliment to the dotted paper, and the stamps from Petite Pairs fit so well in those little frames.  I cut some leaves free hand, and crumpled them to distress them, and did the same to the flower to give it a little tattered flower look. 
There rain may have dampened the evening, but it really caused these blossoms to bloom.  Hope you like them.  Come again soon!
Mary Alice

Anniversary to remember

Last Sunday was my daughter, Laura and her husband, Tom's wedding anniversary.  It was so hot over the weekend, and we were all spending most of the time inside our trailers with the airconditioners on to survive the 100 degree heat spell in Wisconsin.  I went down to my friend, Debby's trailer to do a little stamping, and I knew that one of the things I wanted to get made was the anniversary card for the kids, while they were not around.  I no sooner got settled and my husband came knocking at the door asking if I wanted to go to the beach with them.  I laughed them off, because I have not put a swimsuit on in about 12 years, and I knew that it was just a courtesy that they would even ask me to go along.  Well, after they left I came up with the idea for this card.  I wanted to make a card to commemorate the anniversary that they spent cooped up in the trailer all day.  So, I ran over to their trailer and peeked in the window to see what color the walls and curtain valances were in their trailer, so I could duplicate it on the card.  (I know!  I know!  I have been in the trailer many times, but how often can you remember what color the walls and curtains are in somebody elses home?)  I found paper in my stash that somewhat resembled the colors in the trailer, and added the little wooden fan-shaped trim piece on their valance. The paper is old and long retired from SU.   I used the Lovely as a Tree stamp set, and sponged a little color, adding bright yellow in the sky to remind them of all that hot sunshine.  We took them out for a nice dinner so nobody had to cook in that heat, and I enjoyed it as much as they did.  I know they got a little laugh out of this anniversary card, and I hope it inspired you a little bit too.  Come back again soon :)

Mary Alice

Reason to Smile in a Round

 I have been wanting to try a round card for a long time.  In fact I bought the scalloped circle punch right after I got my Big Shot about 2 years ago, just so I could use it to make a round card, and this is the first one I have made!  Well, I am glad I got a round to it.  The Reason to Smile stamp set had just the right image to use for making my own background paper.  I used Wisteria Wonder for the background of the daisies, Daffodil Delight for the background of the violets, and then stamped the top images with Concord Crush.  I used a little Wild Wasabi to sponge around and between the flowers.
I stamped it all on a sheet of Whisper White, and then cut the circle.  I stamped another daisy using Primrose Petals for the background and Raspberry Ripple for the top image, cut it out and popped it up on dimensional.  I used the retired set Oval All for the salutation.  The scalloped card was made of Concord Crush, topped with Wisteria Wonder and trimmed out with a little 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Rich Razzleberry. 
This was so much fun to do, I don't think I'll wait to long before I get around to making another round card.  Hope you'll give one a try, too.
Mary Alice

Serene Silhouette Sympathy

 Last weekend I was just finishing up this card, and my daughter dropped by.  I said that I had just finished the card, and was wondering what kind of a salutation to put on the card.  I thought it was kind of masculine, but would also make a nice sympathy card.  Laura said that she needed a sympathy card for a friend who had just lost his mother.  I said, "Well, now the decision is made!  It's a sympathy card, and you can have it."  But, before she could have it I made a second one for myself.  Why not, I had every thing out already, and it was so much fun to make.  I first stamped the branch in Bashful Blue on the large circle of Very Vanilla.  Next I colored the birds on the stamp with Cajun Craze and the branches with Midnight Muse, then I stamped it and punched a circle with a 1 3/4" punch.  I backed the small circle with the Cajun Craze and placed it over the first image, but raised it with Stamping Dimensionals.  The salutations are from Petite Pairs stamp set, and the printed background paper is from Comfort Cafe DSP and the solid is Midnight Muse.  I used the blue 3/8" denim ribbon form SU.   I just love making a card, and having a use for it right away, even though I had nothing planned when I made it.  I was glad not to put it away in my stash.
So while I was making cards, my daughter was knitting a hat for a baby gift, and they guys were sitting out under the umbrella table, with a box fan blowing on them because the temp was 96 degrees, they were drinking cold beer and playing with the "aps" on their cell phones.  Tom had downloaded some videos I told him I play for baby Olivia, that were lullabies with the wild lights that move to the music from Fisher Price, no less.  Kept baby happy for a little while.  Then they took a photo of the girl on the Millers Beer can, and did a search for who was the girl in the picture on the beer can?  Turns out they found out her name, and that she was the granddaughter of the owner of the brewery.  Go figure!!  Well, whatever it takes to keep the guys happy while the ladies are crafting!! 
Hope you have a little crafting time for yourself today.  I'm heading out for another weekend at our little retreat at the DN (stands for Do Nothing) Campground.
Mary Alice