Pink & Cocoa, Peonies, and the end of a slump...

I wanted this set right away when I saw it in the catalog, but, for some reason, I'm finding it hard to work with. Even though the main floral image is open, which is nice for watercoloring, etc. I found myself 'stuck' when it came to trying different looks and colors. I need to browse the gallery on SCS for this set---the amazing amount of talent found on that site never fails to inspire me. I know the talented SCS'ers that have this set won't let me down!! I love the colors in SU's Berry Bliss DP---pink and coca or chocolate chip are my favorite color combinations. (Heck, to me, Chocolate Chip with almost any color looks great!) I wanted to decorate a little container to match this card, to hold a small gift or some candy, but I couldn't find anything that seemed 'right'. While going through my stash, I found a bunch of these little 'take-out' boxes that I'd forgotten about. So, I grabbed my jar of ribbon scraps, and this is what I came up with. Our elderly neighbor lady is a reall sweetheart--always giving my sons treats and small gifts--so this is for her, to let her know how special we think she is.

Stamps: One of a Kind, Delight in Life (swirl border around main image).
Paper: Berry Bliss DP, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Gerogia Pacific white CS.
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink.
Accessories: Ticket corner punch, brads, clear Spica glitter pen, ribbon, SU oval punches, dimensionals, sponge daubers.

I've wanted this Peony stamp for quite some time, and finally decided to treat myself! Initially, I was going to make a set of smaller cards, but decided to add quite a few more layers, so they ended up measuring 5.5 inches square. I really liked coloring this image, even though it does have quite a few tiny areas. I didn't have a box that was large enough to hold the cards & envelopes, so I made some adjustments to the box directions that Nichole Heady posted on her blog. I didn't write down very clear directions, though, so I'm not sure that I could make this exact box a second time. I wanted to add more ribbon, as I have a 'need' to add a ribbon blossom to all of my cards! I tried several different options, but finally decided that the 3 strips of ribbon across the horizontal panel looked best against all of the color in the main image.

Stamps: Peony Square-Penny Black, Papertrey Faux Ribbon (sentiment), Floral BG.
Paper: Cameo Coral, Lovely Lilac, Orchid Opulence, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Basic Black, Gerogia Pacific white CS.
Ink: Same as CS.
Accessories: Ticket corner punch, brads, Copic markers, ribbon, SU oval punches, dimensionals, sponge daubers.



This is the card I made to go along with a gift set that I made using the same Peony stamp. This card measures 6.5 inches square. I did manage to add a small black ribbon blossom to each side of the sentiment. (I held out as long as I could, but my ribbon blossom urge won, in the end!) :-)


Stamps: Peony Square-Penny Black, Papertrey Faux Ribbon, Floral BG.
Paper: Lovely Lilac, Basic Black, Georgia Pacific white CS.
Ink: Lovely Lilac.
Accessories: Ticket corner punch, brads, Copic markers, ribbon, dimensionals, sponge daubers.




This is an ATC for a swap that I'm participating in. It's been a while since I've made an ATC, so it was fun making these. (Though, I admit, I went a bit overboard with embellishments!) I love this DP--the colors are so refreshing! (I need to order more, though, since I'm down to my last 3 sheets!

Another ATC for a swap that I'm signed up for. Haven't used my Bronc Buster set for a while, so thought I'd go with a more masculine look for this group. Everything is pretty self-explanatory, I think.











I'm sorry for the length of time between new posts. I've kind of been in a slump, not having much of an urge to create and share anything new. Sometimes, life, and family things, get in the way, you know?? My Grandfather passed away several weeks ago, and, while that was sad, it also made me revisit the time when my Grandmother lost her battle with cancer, and passed away, twenty years ago. All of the memories, visits to the hospital, seeing her decline....everything just came flooding back and hit me like a ton of bricks.
Then, a week ago, or so, my sister-in-law announced that she is divorcing my brother. This is a woman who has broken my brother's heart not once, but twice! My brother, and our entire family, forgave her, and welcomed her back to the family with open arms when she left him the first time.....and having it happen a second time just makes everything we've done for her, though all these years, feel like a complete slap in the face. The things she has done to my brother, and my family, would make a number-one soap opera---no kidding!! I'm not at all proud of the angry thoughts and words that have been running through my mind. Words spoken out loud can NEVER be taken back---no amount of apologies or explanation can erase them. In an emotional situation such as this one, it's easy to say the wrong thing, so I need to be sure about what I'm going to say, and how I'm going to say it, when I do see her again.

Thanks for listening to me vent. I normally don't make my blog a place to 'download' all of my feelings and family issues, but, right now, this is the most comfortable place for me to 'talk' about the situation involving my brother.
I hope you will come back and visit again soon---and I promise to have something new for you to look at in the next day or so.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!! Your comments always mean so much to me---and I read them over and over again---each and every one of them!