Break out your unused sets!

Hi y'all!
Are you like me? Do you have so many stamps or stamp sets that have never, or rarely, actually seen ink? Yep, you know you do!
Sometimes I like to sit and dedicate a whole stamping session, just to these sets! It's time to show them some love people!! It's not that I don't like these sets, but for some reason or another, they end up perennially on the bottom of the stamp pile, out of sight, or I've (momentarilly) forgotten about them! Or sometimes, and idea just wont come to me!
So recently, it was time to pull out those sets and give them some air time {smiles}. Here are the finished products:

These first two cards use a gorgeous massive Stampin Up background stamp that retired a couple of years ago called French Flair. I just love the birds and swirls, and for these cards I adhered a tiny pearl or jewel at the end of some of the swirls. So sweet! I used Rich Razzleberry ink and gold shimmer Versamark ink too. I used sentiments from SU's retired Wonderful Favourites on this first card and hand cut a little cardstock "banner" to stamp "friend" on. I like how it turned out!

On this second card I used more words from Wonderful Favourites, but I used the Postage Stamp Punch to punch out, then mounted it on some foam tape with a little piece of ribbon behind. Nice!

This next card uses Stampin Up's Sweet On You, which retired a few years ago too. I stamped the images on Sahara Sand card with Riding Hood Red ink, then I glittered the heart and paired it with some strawberry and dotty papers. I love how it looks! Sparkles make me happy! The sentiment is from A Word For You set, that is actually in the current catalogue! Oh My Gosh! I'm using a current set! LOL!

Next up is using Thoughts and Prayers which is still current too! Whoa! Slow down girl {giggles}. The sentiment is from Great Friend (retired) and I stamped it on an oval made with Stampin Up's scallop oval punch and I inked the edges. I stuck some red pearl "apples" in the tree too, which look awesome! As you can tell, the pearls and jewels were out on my desk on this day! LOL!
So I encourage you to get out some old sets and have a play one day, it's time some of those forgotten sets got some air play too! I'm happy with the cards I made, and I've got more sets to use now that I'm inspired (and have been reminded that I own them!)
:) C

Lovely Cards.

The design brief: make some "Lovely Cards" cos my box was lacking. Cards must be viewed by Mum with the comment to follow being: "Lovely" or "Beautiful". You know, the kind of card I don't usually make. LOL! Well I love to use Cupcake stamps and owl stamps cos they're my fave things! But they are quite modern and maybe Mum and her friends would prefer something more "Classic!" So while I was sick a couple of weeks ago I set about fulfilling this design brief and I came up with quite a few cards (I was on a tonsilitis-induced, stuck at home for 5 days, roll!) I hope she likes them! I realised I don't have that many "classic" stamp sets in my repertoire either. It was a challenge and I had to dig deep, but I found my Papertrey Garden set which I haven't used in like, forever so I dug it out, and some more classical papers from my stash too and whipped up these beauties. Apparently I think this soft pink and brown are Mum kind of colours, cos I've used this colour combo a lot! I dug into my button stash too and used them for embellishments. I 'm happy with these cards! I've got more to share from when I was sick too, so stay tuned!
Happy Friday!
:)C

Card Makin' Fun!

Felicity and I had a card making day last week (or was it the week before? 2010 is a blurr already!) which was so much fun! Now that she's super busy with a toddler and a new baby it's hard to find a spare minute, so I was so happy when she wanted to use that spare minute to make cards! I love this Choo Choo set from SU but I really haven't used it that much! I'm gonna make more of an effort cos it really is so cute! I thought it went well with the brown grossgrain cos the black stitching looks like tracks! Cool!!

I also love the boy stamps from my Hero Arts acrylic set. I hadn't used the Little Prince wording before but thought it looked pretty cute paired with the sweet lion (no menace on that face!) and the crown stamps. I have a really hard time stopping myself from using Bling on boy cards, I solved this prob by buying orange bling. Thats boyish right?! {sniggers} I think it looks cool!

And then I made this third card. Totally not normal colours for me (are these normal colours for anyone?!) But as I started making it and it came together I realise I don't make (or send) enough encouragement cards. Sometimes people need to know they're doing a great job (at a new sport, or instrument or baking!), or there is a whole world ahead of them (like starting High School- that's you Jami!, or a new job) and not just get a card from you on their birthday or Christmas. I wish I sent more cards. Maybe I should work on that this year. I sent one to Mum on Monday for encouragement for our Bridesmaid's dresses cos it's the world's trickiest pattern with the world's lamest instructions. I'm sure she liked getting it in the mail, I love getting mail. Right... I WILL try to send more cards this year, 2010 the year of the card sending!

:) C