Easy peasy graduation card

all images ©1990-2007 SU!

It's that time of year when your mailboxes fill up with graduation announcements! This year we received 3 and sent out 1. This card is from ones I made last year, but didn't need. Both schools in our county use black and gold, so I could make all the cards the same -- which was a nice time saving bonus! The cap was made using the SU square punch, a brad and thread. The sentiment is from a birthday set -- and I can't recall the name at the moment! And the caps on the background were stamped in summer sun ink which creates a monochromatic effect so it is not too busy.

Disclaimer: it's possible I cased this idea from someone ... however, being a year old I can not remember. {Hey - I can't remember a lot of things from last week, much less last year!} So ... if you think this looks familiar, email me and I will try to give credit where credit is due!

Also, please note I've added two fun items to the side bar ... a quote of the day {which I hope will be great for cards and scrapbooks} and a fun little hangman game for when you are bored. Today's quote is pretty funny: I've always been interested in people, but I've never liked them. Do you ever feel that way too???

Today is Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Let's take the day to remember these soldiers who served so willingly to preserve our freedoms and way of life.

2 new creations

all images ©SU! 1990-2007

Finally, I have some personal creations to share! These are from stamp club Friday night. The first is a mini legal notebook folder. I love these because they are quick to make and are great gifts when you need something in a hurry! Dress it up with a matching pen and you're good to go! The stamp set used is Flower Filled {which is retiring ... sniff} and I cased the colors and idea from WildRoseStamper, except she made a card that was definitely more complicated. ha! Check out her card here. I really liked the rhinestones on the flowers, but alas, I used my last rhinestone on a mini album the other week. Gotta get out and shop more often! {ps - I used the exact same colors as WildRoseStamper did ... her photo is just way better than my scan. rats.}

The next is a card, totally cased from a SU! demo publication. I loved the colors ... because it is a color combination I would never come up w/ on my own. The flower is from Office Accoutrement {love that set} and it is stamped in Pumpkin classic ink. Everything is SU! except for the sentiment, which came from Big Lots {woot}. The scallop border is especially fun to make using the slit punch -- any time I learn of new uses for tools I already own, I am totally excited!

all images ©SU! 1990-2007

Well, TTFN. It's a busy week ahead w/ high school graduation for our daughter. I have tons of things to buy to make ready for the ceremony & reception. For those who do not know me, we homeschool, and this is our second {of 3} children to graduate. Very exciting, indeed.

Weekend Challenge

Here is the Weekend challenge a bit early ... it is a holiday weekend you know! Actually, I decided to get a jump start on a challenge since I've been so bad about blogging! Still feeling a wee bit guilty, I guess.

Ok -- this is your challenge, should you decide to accept it:

Make a card or layout using the following rules ...
Shapes: Squares

Color combinations: no white {ok maybe just a touch}
Tools: punches

Once you have a creation, email it to me and I'll try to post it here. K??? Here is my challenge card. It is a glitter window ... so if the flower appears fuzzy, it's really glitter you're seeing.

I punched the window out w/ my square punch covered w/ packing tape and sprinkled glitter over it. Stamped the flower on the inside of the card and colored it in. I added the thin doodle lines around the window for definition. The flower image is from Back to Nature.

all images © SU! 1990-2007

Now ... off to prepare for stamp club tomorrow night, yay!

2 days in a row!!

all images ©1990-2007 SU!

Thought I should post again today since I've been so neglectful of you. This beautiful Father's Day card is by Dena Mitchell. I love the stamped image of a dad and son. Some days I wish my kids were that young again. Other days I am glad they are not!!

I'm off to the dentist again. My third trip. Today, I am begging them to fix my mouth ... the pain is getting the best of me. Maybe I am just a baby when it comes to pain?

huh? I have a blog??

all images ©1990-2007 SU! Card by Susan Timcheck

Imagine my surprise when my friend Joan teased me because I hadn't updated my blog.

Huh? I have a blog? Really?

So sorry for the month long blog absence. Life has been so overwhelming I couldn't make it back here to blog. Not that I haven't had a lot to say ... but most of it would have been boring details of sickness, hospitals, and such. Not fun blog fodder for sure!

I am happy to report that both moms are home. My mom is doing well, except for struggling with vertigo. My husband's mom is doing way better than I ever expected, but she needs a lot of care and has a long way to go before a complete recovery will be realized. It's going to be a long process for her, but she's been a real good sport and is trying to keep her spirits up.

As for me, I have been struggling w/ jaw pain for over a week now. I think it is tooth related, but the dentist can't find a problem, so I make it through the day on some nice meds.

It's hard to believe that May is almost over. The SU! retirement list is available and the accessory list will be out in about 3 1/2 weeks. Keep making your lists. Once the stamps and accessories are gone, they are gone for good.

Maybe you can forgive me for the long absence if I share a few cards?? Here is a nice beach card. I love this look. And I'm counting down the days to our family beach vacation too!!

all images ©1990-2007 SU! Card by Pam Smollen

I also have a few scrapbook pages that I want to share as soon as I get them photographed and on the computer. Thanks for being patient with me! Have a blessed day!!

Best of Cluck!!

all images ©SU! 1990-2007

Love this stamp set ... and I can't believe it's retiring! If you don't have it, you may want to place an order for it. I think it is one of those sets we'll see used for years because it's just so darn cute!

This card was made by Kristine Reynolds. She very generiously gave permission to post it on my blog {Thank you!}. You can see more creations by Kristine by visiting her online gallery at SCS.

More cards to come ...

Flower Filled

I don't know why I haven't used this set more often. I really like it's simplicity. And, it is very versatile. You can find this set on pg. 230 -- but not for long! It's retiring too. waahh.

all images ©SU! 1990-2007

Again, the black edges are from my scanner, not actually on the cards! I don't know what I was doing when I scanned these. Both of these cards were cased from SCS - but I don't know who I cased, so I can't give them credit here. If you know, email me and I'll add that info to this post.

While we're looking at retiring sets hop on over to Wild Rose Stamper's blog. She has two beautiful cards on her blog using the birdie from Natural Beauty. Click HERE to see.

digesting the list

all images ©SU! 1990-2007

Now that I've had some time to digest the retirement list, I see that I am losing 53 stamp sets and 8 wheels. There are an additional 3 sets and a couple of wheels on the dormant list too. wow. That's a lot of stamp sets I'll have to decide what to do with ... and no, I won't tell you how many sets I have left ...

What sets are you most sad to see retire? I'm sad to lose these sets:

• Best of Cluck
• Petal Prints
• Snowflakes {love this one}
• Artifacts
• French Script
• Collage Alpha & Numbers {use this a lot!!}
• It's About Time {card sample above}

all images ©SU! 1990-2007

I'm planning to post samples with used sets over the entire month. The one above is Stippled Stencils {oops -- the black edging is from my scanner ... it is not part of the card}

Retirement ... Oh My!

There are lots of things going on in the Stampin' world today! The SU! Retirement list came out and it is a doozie! You can see the list online HERE.

There is also a dormant list {?} that you can see online HERE. And, of course, so you can look up all those retiring stamps, you can view the catalog online HERE.

In addition to the retirement list, there is a promotion going on for a pack of new papers. You can read about the Palette of Prints promotion HERE. Below are samples made using the new printed papers {available in the May special}.