Simply Always~~

Top of the Tuesday morning to ya! Today's clean and simple is inspired by a card I saw online, but cannot find now! Sigh............

The images and greeting are from the Always SS. I added a strip of Bashful Blue CS to the bottom to match the ink (also Celery ink) and tied on some light blue ribbon I purchased at my LCS.

There are so many ways to bling up cards like these if ya want to, add a hanging tag, add a rhinestone, and so on. But then it would take the simple out of Clean and Simple. Hmmm.....

Make a card, mail a card! Just do it~~~

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Chic Gift~~

So my fifteen year old son was invited to the home of a Russian girl from school for her 16th birthday party. His school is pretty small and all the kids are close so I really didn't ask any other questions. He has a blast. But what was funny to me was, when my husband and I dropped him off, there were five girls (and no guys) out front. I knew he was a few minutes early so I figured more friends were coming. But as we drove away, I forgot for a minute how old he is and I said out-loud "Poor kid, there's no other guys there...." I thought my darling husband was going to choke! "Poor kid? All those girls? Are you kidding me?" Turns out, there were a total of 9 girls, and 0 other guys. Now you know why he had a blast! I am blessed, my son is a great kid and he definitely makes me laugh!

All that to say, what does a 15 YO boy give a 16 YO girl on her birthday. One must be careful to not convey the wrong message, spend to much or to little, clothes are always out (unless your big sister picks them out) and so on. Since I had about 2 hours notice for this party (teens............) I decided this note book would work. Not mushy, the right size, and most girls love notebooky things.

I had this in the closet for over a year or more, waiting to be re-covered. The pages are white with red lines on them and the top of each page says "Notes". I went with red and black using DSP from last year, the new Chic Boutique SS, Riding Hood Red and a few tools and toys. I placed some new half back pearls on the "hello" tag and the top of the Eiffel Tower for pop. I also made a cute bag to go with, but sadly no time for a photo of that~~~

I hope you find some time to get some stamping in this week! I am gonna try my darndest!

(is that a word?)

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Friday Funness~~

So coming to you directly form the new SU catty, I bring you this CASe! I made very few changes, but you will find it on page 214! This card is the reason I "needed" to buy the Elegant Lines Embossing folder~~~

I used Certainly Celery CS, Marina Mist CS and ribbon and come rhinestones from my stash......pretty simple! The sentiment is from Refuge and Strength~~~

Enjoy your weekend and spend some time chillin' with your family. They grow quickly.......mine started college this week! Yikes~~

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Case~~

I admit it, I cheated! I was inspired by the images on Nichole Heady blog and when I saw a card there I thought I could recreate using SU stuff, I went for it!

The SS is super old (sorry) and is called Good Things Grow. I used Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Cherry Cobbler inks. The greeting is another $1 spot find at my LCS and the button are PTI. I used CrumbCake CS for the base and I cut out the Pumpkin Pie with the greeting on it using SU's Top Note die. I have long neglected that die and I forgot how much I like it!

I love the fall colors in this project. It makes me want to do more! Maybe you will see some show up here soon~~

Two more weeks til Gran baby time! Can't wait!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Birthday Candle~

My neighbor and friend had her birthday this week! Naturally I wanted to create something special just for her! I decided to make a candle that I thought would match her interior! She has such a pretty home, and I think she will like this addition~~

If you have never stamped on tissue and added it to a pillar candle, you just have to! It is so easy and fun. Create custom gifts every time. Just match colors or occasions of the person you are needing a gift for and ta-da! A gorgeous gift in minutes! You can see how on Splitcoaststampers.com in the resources section. Need help finding it? Ask me!

I used the Thoughts and Prayers SS and added the greeting from an oldie called Happy Everything. I punched out a couple flowers with the Flower Trio punch and pushed them into the candle with a brad. I finished off with some Pumpkin Pie striped ribbon and a tag I made using SU's Two Tag Sizzix die. Fun fun fun!

I am on a roll! Three posts this week and it is only Wednesday! I have at least one more to go! See ya then~~

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

(The Craft Nerd)

Irresistable Owl~~

So who can resist the new Owl Punch from SU? Certainly not me! Isn't he adorable? I found it easy to use and to position the card stock and DSP I am using with the punch, and waste very little. I thought before I got it, that I would be punching everything four times and have a ton of unusable pieces, but not so! I did a close up here so you can see. The little notch in the top of his "belly" serves as his beak! Clever huh?


Again I used a layout from the Clean and Simple blog and I really like how it turned out. The ribbon is not SU, but everything else is. The greeting in Chocolate Chip is from the Smarty Pants set, and the small thank you is from the new hostess level 1 set called Silhouette Sentiments. I used the new Pear Pizazz CS and Pretty in Pink CS. This lay out is the same one from my Monday card. Wide with possibilities! Love it~~~

Hope your week is cruising along enjoyably!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

CAS and Ramblin'~~

So aside from the fact that I am not likin' how my photo turned out today, I am likin' the card! Maybe I need to get some help from my blogging friend Gretchen_Clark for taking better photos again!

I enjoyed the Eiffel Tower so much in the Artistic Etchings set, that I wanted the Chic Boutique set too! This one is more cutesy that the other, so they serve different purposes! (Or maybe that's me justifying my stamp purchases?) Anyway, once again the Clean_and_Simple blog saves the day! You gotta go there!

I also went to my new Color Coach for the first time since getting it for color inspiration. I chose Cajun Craze (ink for the bird house) Marina Mist (CS and ribbon) and Crumb Cake (behind the focal image) from the Color Coach. The only non-SU on here is the colored pencils I used and the blue eyelet at the top of the bird house! I think I am going to go to the Color Coach often, because I feel like I use the same colors over and over. I fell like I need to HAVE all the colors, then I don't know how to use them, so this tool will be worth the $15. I know, it's no fun to buy stuff you can't play with, but sometimes you just gotta!

Things are cruising along at the Deckard house. My 18 YO starts college tomorrow! Yikes! Go girl, I am so proud! My youngest just began his sophomore year of high school! I have one turning 21 in a couple weeks, and my Granbaby will be here for a visit in three weeks! (Oh, I think he's bringing his parents too....) Between that and church and work and laundry, it's go go go around here! As a family we have decided to set aside Monday nights as Movie Night! Maybe I will do mini movie reviews for ya! I am a movie buff......and line quoter~!

Be sure to encourage someone TODAY with a handmade card!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Friday 3Day~~

I adore combing the Clean and Simple

Blog! There is always such simple and wonderful layout there. I can always whip up card in minutes from what I find there! This card uses the new Hostess level 1 SS called Silhouette Sentiments. I simply used 3 colors of ink and CS, my punches and a greeting I got in the $1 spot at my LCS a long time ago! (I love to go there and grab new greetings for $1.....) I chose the color combo of Pear Pizazz, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight! The greeting is stamped in black.

For this one, I pulled out the new Garden Gala DSP. The colors here are super similar to the one above, and clearly the layout is the same. But I let the DSP do the talking and since it was Baja Breeze, I used that one. Again, the greeting is from the $1 spot (just this week!----hurry!) And I chose Chocolate Chip for the greeting this time. I like the way the brown compliments it.

Lastly this one. Same card except I used the new Flat Back pearls SU came out with to bling it up a little. They are nice and a pretty good price too! I hope you have enjoyed my 3 cards today. I will be using this layout again, and I WILL use different colors! Promise! Be sure to hop over to the Clean and Simple Blog (in my side bar) for some inspiration! Enjoy your weekend!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Cup O Joe and Prayers~~

So some of you that have been around a while may recognize this ancient SU DSP. It was a great paper! I miss it......and so I hang onto the scraps I have and, man, am I getting low! But I loved the color combo with the coffee theme, so pardon me for using old stuff ya can't buy anymore!

I used another image form the Morning Cup SS and the sentiment is from Thoughts and Prayers. I know we all have friends that can use our caring thoughts and prayers. Take a moment to let someone know you care.........send that card!

For the little coffee pot, I stamped right onto the DSP and cut it out. It is patterned a little bit, so it adds a nice touch to the total package! Again, the layout was taken directly from SCS~~~~and P.S. I have had my blog for a full year this weekend! Yay~~~~thanks for coming along with me on this journey~!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Morning Cup~~

Had me some girl time yesterday! A good friend came over and we got to play stamps for a while! Catch up and caffeine! Nice huh?

This SS is called Morning Cup and it is new to the SU family. My friend owns it so naturally I had to play with it while she was here. I must admit, we went straight to SCS for inspiration and I was not disappointed with the cards there for this set! Except for the colors, I didn't change much on this card. I used Melon Mambo, Black, and White. Colored the images in with my SU markers, and grabbed some square punches! Ta-da! Easy~~~

I have my three posts for M-W-F this week ready to go, so stay tuned and come back often! Are ya mailing hugs? You shooooooooooooooooooooooooooooould~!!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Fab-O-Friday~~

Just another cutie from the Artistic Etchings set! So fun! I had to buy the other set SU has with the Eiffel Tower in it too, I was enjoying this one so much!
Today we have some Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight to get things going! Sounds almost edible huh! The tiny heart is from the large three heart punch SU carries, I just used the smallest one. The rhinestone is from my LCS. pretty straight forward!

This weekend I am hoping to get some stamp time in and get my Monday Wednesday Friday posts ready for ya! I also hope to spend some time with my fam.............we are always so busy! Time flies, and it flies away fast! Hug your loved ones..............why not send a card for no reason other than to say "hello" or "I love you!"

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Bday Buggies!~~~

My neighbor honored me by asking me to make the invites for her adorable daughters second birthday! They have a lady bug theme and she chose the bright pink and green colors for the other decorations! Cute huh!

The retired colors are Pixie Pink, Green Galore and Gable Green. The retired lady bug stamp is from the Very Punny SS. I used the Flower Trio and scallop border punches and the tiny pink rhinestones came from the craft store. The greeting is one I picked up 100 years ago at a flea market, and I have always saved it because I love the font! The rest is plain to see I think~!

Make today a special one for someone. Bring a smile, elicit a laugh, give unexpectedly and you will be blessed!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Basic Baroque~~

For today's card, I was inspired by the Clean and Simple blog. I like going there because their card sketches are fun, easy, and I can almost always see a card in my head right after I see the sketch. They come together quickly when the sketch is there for me!

I was in my favorite craft store and ribbon was on sale! Now, %50 off ribbon pretty much begs me to buy it, so naturally I obliged! When I saw the ribbon on today's card, I saw the color combo in head right away too. I honestly expected the color to go best with Bravo Burgundy, but when I got to playing with it, the Bravo was to "dirty" and blended with the Chocolate chip, rather than popping out. So I got to looking thru my ink pads, and lo and behold, I found a nice match in Rich Razzleberry! I started with the Baroque Motif's SS. The card base is Crumb Cake, the neutral is Very Vanilla, the inks are Chocolate Chip and Razzleberry, and the little oval mat is Chocolate Chip. I added tiny clear rhinestones to the flower centers and tied the ribbon. Ta-Da!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

De-Bugged Butterfly~~~

Hello again! I know I told you I was going to Monday, Wednesday, Friday postings, but then I got a virus on my home computer! Arg! Thankfully it is fixed now, but it took the pro's to de-bug it for us. It was a bad one, and we know several people who have gotten attacked by this virus, so make sure you anti-virus software is up to date!

I had some time before work yesterday morning to stamp, and I had bought this punch a while back to go with this set, but honestly I don't think I ever used it! I am not much of a butterfly fan, but I AM a fan of punches! Anyway, I paired up some new colors from SU with some "old but current" colors and I think I like the result.

I used Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise and of course, Basic Black. I also used the Butterfly Punch as well as the Scallop Border Punch. The rest is super simple. This sketch is an easy one to fall back on when you need something quick!

I'd love to hear from you, leave e a comment. I recently heard a friend comment on how neglected my poor blog had been, but then I though "I never knew you looked at my blog!" So if you stop by, say HI!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli