I’m not sure about you, but when I think of dragonflies, I think bugs.. which are very masculine.  I mean do you truly not picture some barefoot little boy in overalls and a stripped shirt stunning through the tall grass at the edge of a pond on a summer day chasing darting creatures when someone mentions “dragonfly.”  Really… dragons and flies!  What is girly about that?

Yet, the great bulk of the cards that I have seen thus far are very, very feminine.  Now, don’t get med wrong… they are very beautiful.  I think this stamp set and coordinating thinlits are very versatile.  Don’t you agree?

So, when I needed a card to wish a young man from another country a good life, I turned to the dragonfly.  Of course, I did try my best to google if dragonfly is an appropriate symbol in his country and did not see anything to the contrary.

The card below made it’s first public appearance a few days ago… but I was asked for more detail about it… so here it is.

I used three different stamp sets for this card:  Dragonfly Dreams, Swan Lake (for the sentiment) and Butterfly Basics.

I used Basic Gray and Dapper Denim paper with a scrap of White.  I also cut the dragonflies out of Silver Foil.

I layered a solid gray dragonfly behind the fancy filigree one.   To add even more interest, I applied Wink of Stella to the gray before I attached the silver piece over it.  Here’s a close up!

For the brick background, I stamped in black using some straight inking and some stampin’ off … then I ran it through the Big Shot.

For the small silver dragonfly on the inside, I used the scrap from the larger silver dragonfly and just positioned one whole baby dragonfly on the paper.

Here is the list of items I used…

Product List

You may have noticed that the punch in the list is not the punch that I used.  Since this was just for personal purposes, I did use a retired punch.  I think the classic label punch is a great alternative if you do not have the one that I used.

So, if you ever see a card on my blog and want more details about it, please don’t hesitate to ask.  I am more than happy to share my secrets!

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!!!

🙂 Joanne

What do you see when you look at this set?

When I see this set… I think retro bowling alley.

But really, it’s one of the most underrated sets in the book.  Many people look at it as a “one-trick pony.”  But really… the text can stand alone without the need for the graphics… or at least not the marquee.

Here is an example of that…

(Pardon the frayed cuts…  it was an old blade)

Not a marquee in sight on this card.  Nor on this one…

This was a card that I made for my son when he graduated from Boot Camp – Also known as Navy Recruit Training.

But, of course… the Marquee helps make a card too!

This card is one that I designed for a Worship Team Dinner for the church musicians.  I was tasked, but a guy, to come up wioth something crafty.  After I created it, I showed the pastor.  He said he’d be happy with just a scribble on the back of a piece of paper.  Geesh… what do these guys know?!?  It’s a good thing they have me to bring crafty into their lives.

Side note…  whenever the pastor needs to me to send out and email or put an announcement in the bulletin… he tells me what he needs then tells me…  “put it in Joanne-ese!”  He means for me to add the fluff that makes it readable by people.  If you haven’t noticed by now, I am pretty good an making things very conversational.  That did not help me with my college papers.. but on a blog or an email… I am good!

Oh sorry.. I got side tracked… here is that card!

I am sure at least half of the 16 couples I sent this too will appreciate it.  Don’t you?

So, what have made with this card?

Until next time… keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

Yes, folks… it’s finally here.  This is the last of the cards I designed for a recent swap.  Don’t be sad… I can make other cards!  And I will.

So, before I introduce you to the last card, let’s recap…

I made 13 cards for a recent swap. You may be asking yourself what is a SWAP?  A “swap” is a very simple thing.  You swap (trade) things with other people. They are done in many different ways.  This was a swap through the mail.  Swaps can also be done in person.  You find out how many people will be participating.  Each participant makes a card for all the other participants.  In this case, you also make one for the person hosting the swap, because they are not participating.  This swap was also a full card swap.  Sometimes, swaps are just card fronts.  People do that so they can get more cards out of a piece of cardstock.  Some people do a  full card but do not do anything on the inside.  They leave that for you to do.  Which is sometimes great and sometimes not-so-great!  So, my full card swaps always include at least graphics inside.

Here are all the cards again…

I have included the directions for each one within those blog posts.  I will create a page that has them all one day soon, but until then, just go back through.  I know, I am out to make your life difficult.  Just kidding, but I am still getting used to this whole blogging thing!

So, I think that the last card is one of my favorites.  It is clean and simple.  It’s all about making the stamp set stand out and shine.  No fancy embellishments.  Of course it was hard not to add a little Wink of Stella… but I restrained!

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And there you have it folks…  13 cards using stamps sets from the new 2017 Occasions Catalog and the new 2017 Sale-a-Bration flyer!

Let me see what you have been busy making with the new items!

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

Wow!  What a great idea.  I am not sure who invented it, but who doesn’t love it!?!  Of course, I am fully aware that tacos can be eaten everyday and don’t think I don’t!

Tacos come in so many different kinds…

Fish Tacos!

Pork Tacos!

Ground Beef Tacos!

Choco-Tacos!

Anything can be put into a tortilla, folded in half, and tasty yummy!

But, have you ever been to a taco truck?  I haven’t but boy do they look good!  Living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere has it’s disadvantages…  We do not have Taco trucks.  We do have the weekly BBQ trailer… but no taco truck!

So, here is my plea to you.  If you have a food truck, please drive it to my town and I will gladly purchase whatever you are pushing.

Stampin’ Up clearly has the same love of food trucks that I could very easily attain…  but, obviously, they have had some experience with them.  From ice cream trucks to hot dog trucks…  they have a truck for that… 🙂

Look, they even have a taco truck!!!

With the perfect greeting on the inside!

“Let’s TACO ’bout how awesome you are!”

How cute is that?  I just love it.  Next to the the crazy chicken set, this is my favorite set in the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  You can get it for FREE with a $50 order.  Visit my online store or email me for for more information.

What do you think you could do with this set?

I am thinking I need to do a gel card with it.  So, that is what I am off to try!  Of course, I will post pictures of it.  After all, I am on card #12 of 13.. so I am running low!

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

Are you thankful today?  I know… it’s Monday.  It’s so hard to be thankful on a Monday.  Trust me… this weekend went by way, way too fast.  I need at least another two mornings of sleeping in and doing nothing to make up for this weekend.

But, let’s be thankful that you woke up this morning.  Let’s be thankful that coffee is now running through our veins. (Yes, I’m already on my second cup!) Let’s be thankful that it is raining.  Okay maybe that one is a stretch.  It’s been raining for weeks now.  I am pretty sure that Noah may need to come back and build an ark.  But, instead, let’s be thankful that God made rainbows to remind us he will never flood the earth again.

And, let’s be thankful for Stampin’ Up!  What a company!

No, the company hasn’t done anything newsworthy today.  It’s really just a great company to be connected to.  Not only do they offer us the opportunity to purchase an abundance of stamps, inks, papers, dies, etc…  But they are a company with a heart!  Run by people with big hearts.

Stampin’ Up encourages you to do what you love, share it with others and help them be create.   You never know what someone is going through… sometimes a day of crafting and fellowship is just what they need.  Below is the Stampin’ Up “Statement of the Heart.”

How do you live this out?

I hope every day, that I can make a difference in someone’s life through a card or a post or a smile…

Today, I am thankful for the opportunity to make cards that people like even if they aren’t perfect.

As you will see, the foliage on the card below is not perfectly lined up and nestled together.  It can be done with a little care and attention to detail, but I didn’t want it to be.  I wanted to demonstrate that not everything has to be lined up every time and it will still be great!

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Until next time,  keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

Well, today we said goodbye to our new friends from the republic of Korea.  They will be missed.  They opened our eyes to a whole new world on the other side of the globe.  I cannot wait until we have the opportunity to meet again.  But, until that day…

We will keep clucking along!

Speaking of clucking…  Here is another card using “Hey Chick” from the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  Can you not tell that I love the set.  It’s perfect to send to a friend who is having a bad day.. who is having a good day… or who is just having a day!

For this card, I used the Woodgrain texture folder to add interest and some floral designer paper.  But, I just love that hair.  Looks like me in the morning!!!

Here are the directions.

proj-sheet-woodgrain-chick

And, if you are keeping count… I believe this is card #11 of 13 🙂

Until next time,  keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

I know this is a blog about cards.  But, my life encompasses more than just cards.  I am busy mom of three kids, though one is out of the house living half way across the country.  I am involved in church and the community.

So, when I get a message late one night that starts… “I know this may sound crazy but would you consider…”  I’m just like of course…I’m game.

This is how “Lucy” and “Ed” came to be part of my family.

What was the crazy idea that my friend approached me with?  Hosting a student from Korea!  Crazy, right.  But, I just couldn’t take one – we had to host two.

So, a Korean professor from Utah and her husband, a professor at Southern Illinois University decided to bring 25 students from Daedong Taxation High School in Seoul, South Korea to America.  An instructor at SIU became involved and thought our community would be the perfect place.  So, these kids flew from the Republic of Korean to our little itty bitty town of 1600 at the very bottom of Illinois in the middle of nowhere.

This is how Huiju Jeon and Sehun Lim came into our lives.  Poor kids, they will never be the same 🙂  They have experienced the American high school school day, lunch with friends, dinners at home, the small American malls and the quiet nature that is the Shawnee National Forest.  They have seen deer and skunks and cows and horses… so many new experiences!  And, of course, our lives will never be the same as well!  When they leave, they will take a little bit of my heart with them.  Though they have been here but a short time, they will be forever a part of our family.

Learn more about their adventures by watching these news stories….

First Day with Ed

Lucy’s Experiences

Oh… and why didn’t I have time to post a new card yesterday since they were in school?  Well, our church has become like their home church.  So, last night we hosted the students, their host families, the student council students and their families, Vienna High School staff, church families and members of the community.  All told, about 200 people were here last night to enjoy fellowship with each other over a meal – because you cannot gather at a Baptist church and not eat, right!

Well, someone had to cook the food!  So, I gathered my team of outstanding women and we cooked for a couple hours.  Thus, I was just too busy to do a blog post.  But, I am back a with a vengeance.  If you have read to this point… here are the cards 🙂

What type of Stamper would I be if I did not make cards to send my new kids back home with…

These cards feature the Swan Lake and Dragonfly Dreams stamp sets from the new Occasions catalog.  There was some embossing and die cutting involved along with some coloring and Wink of Stella!

And, speaking of Swan lake, I think that is my most favorite set from the Occasions catalog.  I love the bold images.  The sentiments are great.  You can use them for a ton of things, so be watching as I use this set a lot in coming weeks.

That being said… one of the cards I designed for the recent card swap was this elegant Swan.  Black, Vanilla, and Gold… how can you go wrong?

Here are the details…

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Until next time… keep it simple, Stampers 🙂

Just in case you have forgotten… Or in case you didn’t know we were keeping track anyway, We are at card #9 of 13 that I made for a recent swap.  It was a 10+1 swap and I always make one for me to keep.  In the world of common core, that may be a lot more cards than it actually was – but it was a total of 156 cards.

To review… here is the set of all the cards.

Today’s card is hidden in the back.

My inspiration for this card was the Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper.  I love it, but I never know how to use it.  Then, I saw this Love Sparkles stamp set near the back of the new occasions catalog.  It was really a simple card to put together.  I actually used just plain Whisper White – but in the list of supplies, I listed the Shimmery White.  I just think that would look so much better.  I also shrank the size of one of the layers in the measurements so that you can see shimmer better.

Have you ever made a card then decided that it needed tweaked?   I am sure we all have.  But, have you ever actually recreated it with the new idea?  I really have not gone that far!

So, here is the card…

and the directions…

proj-sheet-true-love

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

As you will learn about me… I have not had an original thought since the invention of Google and Pinterest.  I have even been known to google homework questions when helping my kids – but they get in trouble if they do it!

So, as I was getting ready to post this card, I was thinking about the meaning of the Easter Lily.  Why is this flower a symbol of the Easter Season?  Well, with the help of dGreetings.com, I found the following…

The Easter season is masked with several legends and folklores about the lily and its religious significance. Easter Lily is the traditional flower of Easter and is highly regarded as a joyful symbol of elegance, beauty, spirituality, hope, and life. In Christendom the lily has come to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus because of its delicacy of form and its snow white color. But have you ever wondered about the history and significance of this symbolic Easter flower, which adds elegance, grace and fragrance to millions of homes and churches during the spring time.

Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon, churches are filled with exquisite Easter lilies. Churches at Easter time grace the altars and surround the cross with Easter Lilies, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This importance rests even more clearly on a legend that the blood of Jesus, as it fell from the cross, was by a miracle transformed into flowers which filled heaven and earth. The popular Easter lily we use today to celebrate the holiday is referred to as ‘the white-robed apostles of hope.’ These beautiful trumpet shaped white flowers were brought to the United States in 1875 from Japan by an American tourist and named after the florist who made it popular.

The flower retells the resurrection story with its life cycle. These snow white flowers symbolize new life and hope. The bulb of these flowers buried in the ground represents the tomb of Jesus and the glorious white trumpet-like fragrant flowers which grow from the bulbs symbolize His life after death. The snowy white color stands for the purity of the Divine Savior and the joy of the resurrection while the trumpet shape signifies Gabriel’s trumpet call to rebirth and new life.

Wow, what a story.  I never thought of the Easter Lily as such a profound symbol  That it was buried like Christ then rises to this beautiful, fragrant white flower like Christ arose from the grave.  I always get a Lily at Easter, but after reading about them on the above site and many others, I want to start giving them as well.

So, if you would like to give an Easter Lily to folks that live far away, or that live across the street, Stampin’ Up has you covered.  Check out the Easter Message Stamp Set available in the 2017 Occasions Catalog.  This set will only be available for a limited time… so don’t miss out.  And, with it being Sale-a-Bration season, you can earn free products with every $50 purchased.

And, what would a card be without a tutorial?

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This card #6 of the 13 from my swap.

Oh – the best part of this set, the piece that stands out to almost everyone from the git-go it the draped cross.  This was the stamp that caught my eye.  From the moment I saw it, I pictured it on a card with the empty tomb.  Finally, this weekend, I had time to play and created this…

I used the new Stampin’ Up Water Color Pencils (also available in the Occasions Catalog) and an Aqua Painter to create the background.  Since it wasn’t heavy use of water, I just used the normal Whisper White Cardstock.  I am thinking I need to continue to play with this set.  Palm Sunday, Black Friday….  So many uses for this cross!

Until next time, Keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

There are very few sentences that can instantly transport me back to my childhood – but “I think I can” is definitely one of them.  To be honest… I bet you can’t say that line just once.  Go ahead, try it.  See, it has to be three times!

And, can you say that line without the image of a little blue smiling train poppin’ into your head?  I can’t.  The Little Engine that Could was one of the first Golden Books that I remember reading.  You are picturing it right now, aren’t you.

Well, sometimes in life, people need to be reminded that they can accomplish something they may be struggling with.  Or, maybe they did accomplish it, but you just can’t give them a standard “Congrats” card.  You need to give them something unique.  Have no fear… the Designer Tee stamp set provides the greatest sentiment ever…

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This set is available only for a limited time and is FREE with a $50 purchase.

I did do something very controversial with the stamp I used in this design.  I cut it.  Would you ever cut a stamp?  Sometimes I do.  I can see myself using the little train a lot without the word bubble.  So, why not.  I can easily piece them back together to use as a whole again.

Have you ever cut a stamp?

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne