BUNCHES OF LUCK

This card was the first time I broke out my Bouquet Bunch stamp set from the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini.  I just had to have this set and then I've struggled to come up with a layout design using it.  Plus, I think I have confessed in the past that I'm very inexperienced at watercoloring.  I'm trying to improve on that.  Hopefully you can tell that my flowers and shrubs are three dimensional.  Should I let you in a secret?  My first attempt at watercoloring the flowers and leaves was such a total bomb.  I tried to redeem myself by stamping them again, watercoloring again and then cutting them out and raising them off the panels with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I love those things!

I did actually give this card to a friend at church who began a new job in the surgical department at one of our local hospitals.  (Hey, Maria!  Glad the new job is going well.)  I think she was shocked that I gave her a "handmade" card.  (Shocked in a good way of course!)  I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to actually give my cards to recipients instead of hoarding them in my card bins.  It's an ongoing process, but I'm getting better at it.  How about you?  Are you a giver or a hoarder?

Thanks for peeking in on me today!  Have a good weekend stamping friends!

A MATTER OF MOMENTS

I'm just playing around with the stuff in my stash while I wait on my new Stampin' Up! goodies to arrive.  Can you believe I haven't placed an order since the debut of the new catalog?  The ugly truth is that I kept changing my mind and told myself to sleep on it before ordering.  With all the new goodies in the catalog, I just decided to go for it and place that order! 

Now I don't know about you but I just love the Elements of Style stamp set.  I hadn't inked up the hummingbird yet so I used him this time around.  I didn't want him to feel all neglected.  I also pulled out my Big Shot (love it) and various dies for this card.  Since I had out my Big Shot I decided, "Well, heck!  I might as well try out the new Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. "  The embossing folders are always first on my orders.  The embossed image gives cards a  texture and depth making embossed cardstock so easy to use in exchange for patterned paper.

Thanks for peeking in on me today!  I apologize for not posting in a while.  I just got back from vacation over the weekend.  Now that I'm back, I'm in the cardmaking groove even if I'm still undecided if I like this card.  Hopefully I'll have some new projects to share with you soon.

 Have a great week!

3-D ORANGE CRUSH CUP CARD

Don't you just love this idea?  It reminds me of a big old cup of Orange Crush!   I saw Leann Greff's card and was immediately inspired.  Do you want to know a secret?  The cup on this card is amazingly simple to make!  All you need to do is trace a disposable cup on vellum, cut it to size, score the edges at 1/4" and add sticky strip.  Just use a sponge dauber and some ink to color the inside of the cup and you're done!  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!  Dawn Griffith has a wonderful video tutuorial on making a cup card.  You can view her video here. 

Thanks for peeking in on me today!

BUTTERFLIES EASEL REVISITED

You may remember the butterfly easel card I made here.  My card today isn't that much different than my earlier version.  I just changed the colors and size of the card making it to fit in a standard card envelope. 

This is another card we made at my Fancy Folds card class last week.  I think this was almost everyone's favorite card to make.  Personally, it's my favorite Fancy Folds class card too.  Stay tuned!  I have one more card to show you from last week's class.  We made a "cup card".  It's such an easy card to make.  All you need is a plastic disposable cup, printer paper, a pencil and some vellum.  Easy peasy!

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is in the upper 90's in southern Ohio.  No relief in sight until Friday!  Ugh!  So, please stay cool, stay hydrated and stay INSIDE!  Thanks for peeking in on me today!

YOU GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS

When I was assembling this card the lyrics "Well, you gotta have friiiiieeenndds" kept going through my mind.  Don't ask me why, I have no idea.  Many times while I'm making my cards I'm singing songs that remind me of the particular card I'm creating at the time.  I know what you're thinking.  "No wonder this crazy lady's blog is called Stamping with LULU! She's a real wacko."  Actually my husband and son gave me that nickname years ago.  Only my son couldn't pronounce his "L's" at the time and he called me WuuWuu.  Fast forward some ten years plus and they still call me Lulu.  I have no idea why, but the name has stuck.  I don't actually mind.  I just pretend it's a term of endearment instead of the fact that they think I'm nuts.

Okay, enough history and craziness.  Let's get on with the card.  Don't you just love this patterned paper?  It's from the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and is called Greenhouse Gala.  Of course I was instantly drawn to the paper collection.  The collection contains my favorite color combination - blue, green and chocolate.  This card is another joy fold card.  It's a card that we created in my Fancy Folds class on Thursday night.  Once again, I have CASEd another more talented artist.  The card front was inspired by this card by Mary Fish.  I just changed the colors and stamp set up a bit.

Thanks for peeking in on me today!  You're visits mean a lot to me.  Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend my American friends.  I hope to spend it by my father's pool and entertaining my family. 

It's that time of year again.  Time for the release of the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog.  This year's catalog is jam packed with all new exiting items.  Take the new color renovation color families - beautiful new colors to play with and the new designer series paper packs are just awesome.  If you click on the catalog in my sidebar, you can check out the new catalog.  Believe me when I say, "You're going to love it."  My wish list is almost a mile long.  If you don't currently have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like to order products from the new catalog, check out my website here.  You can order Stampin' Up! products 24/7 and you don't even have to change out of your jammies to do it!

Well, I just ending a wonderful Fancy Folds card class.  Let's just say, I truly enjoy spending time with these awesome women.  They just make the stress of the day melt away.  Thanks ladies for a terrific evening.  And thank you for peeking in on me today!  I'm a little tired and need to hit the hay.  I've been experiencing insomnia this week and I'm sure to crash and burn soon.  Stay tuned - I have pictures to post from this evening's class.  I hope to share them with you this weekend.