I can’t believe it’s Friday already! I don’t know about you, but to me it feels as though the summer is flying by.  It’s already the end of July!  One more month and the kids will be back to school!  In fact, I’m thinking that when I get back home I’m probably going to have to start my Back to School shopping.  I always find that early August is the perfect time to shop because there is such a great selection and not a lot of crowds to deal with.

The card I have to share with you today is one I created using the Word Play stamp set and Nursery Suite DP.  While great for making baby cards and scrapbook pages for both boys and girls, it works great for other themes as well.

Here’s how I made this card:

1. Cut a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Pink Pirouette DP, and fold it in half with your bone folder to create a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card.
2. Take a 2 3/4″ x 4″ piece of Pink Pirouette CS and stamp your greeting from the Word Play stamp set in Early Espresso Classic ink, at the top.
3. Center and stick the Pink Pirouette CS piece onto a 3 3/4″ x 5″ piece of Nursery Suite DP – make sure that the top edges are aligned.
4. Center and stick the Nursery Suite DP onto a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Early Espresso CS.
5. Lay the matted DP piece onto a foam mat and pierce three holes, all in a row in the top right corner of the Pink Pirouette CS piece. Insert three Early Espresso brads.
6. Die cut two of the smallest flowers from the Flower Folds Bigz XL die out of pink wool felt (purchased off of ETSY).  Punch a hole in the center of each flower with the smallest hole on the Crop-a-Dile.  Set aside for a moment.
7. Die cut 1 flower out of Pink Pirouette CS using the Big Shot and the Birds and Blooms die.
8. Spritz the CS flower with a bit of water and gently crumple and uncrumple.  Repeating until you see the CS layers start to separate. 
9. Gently pull the petal CS layers apart, leaving the center portion of the flower attached.  Punch a hole through the center of the flower with the Crop-a-Dile.
10. Layer the two felt flowers and the CS flower one on top of the other.  Insert a vintage brad through the center of the flowers.  Set aside for a moment.
11. Die cut two swirls out of Old Olive CS using the Big Shot and the Swirls Scribbles die.
12. Stick the swirls to the bottom left corner of the stamped Pink Pirouette CS piece.  Stick the flower over the ends of the swirls with mini glue dots. You’re done!

Well I hope you enjoyed today’s card.  We’ll be back on Sunday with the release of the August class and workshop planners and a give-away, so be sure to stop by!

Click Here to Order your Stampin’ Up! Products Online 24/7! (Canada Only)

All products are Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Word Play
Ink: Early Espresso Classic ink
Paper: Pink Pirouette CS, Early Espresso CS, Old Olive CS, Nursery Suite DP
Accessories: mini glue dots, SNAIL adhesive, Vintage Brads, Swirls Scribbles die, Flower Folds Bigz XL, Birds and Blooms die, Crop-a-Dile, light pink wool felt (bought off of Etsy)

I am so OVER THE MOON excited!  Last night as I was checking my emails there was one from Stampin’ Up!, with the subject line: “Stampin’ Up! Founder’s Circle 2010″.  My heart immediately started pounding, but at the same time I was thinking “this can’t possibly be what I think it is”.  

You see, three years ago (at least I think it was around that time), I was attending my first ever Stampin’ Up! Convention with my upline, and the theme of the convention was “Dream”.  As we watched the video from the previous year’s incentive trip, and as we watched the demonstrators who had earned Founder’s Circle walk across the stage, I turned to my upline and told her that that was my Stampin’ Up! dream – to one day earn the incentive trip and to one day earn Founder’s Circle. 

I acheived my first goal when I earned the Bermuda Cruise which sailed in 2008.  I hit that goal once again when I earned the Alaska Cruise this year (which sails in May 2011).  Although I had a fantastic year with my Stampin’ Up! business, I distinctly remember thinking that while I was proud of my accomplishments, there was no way it was good enough for Founder’s Circle…maybe next year.

Hence, when the email from Stampin’ Up! arrived, I could scarcely believe my eyes.  I was positive it had to be a mistake. There was NO WAY I could possibly have gotten it. When I opened up the email and read these words “Congratulations on achieving Founder’s Circle 2010.  Get ready to celebrate your achievements with a Fabulous Founder’s Circle Retreat…” I thought I was going to pass out LOL.  I was absolutely incredulous….my heart was pounding….I was laughing….I was practically yelling…I was doing the happy dance….

So what is Founder’s Circle?  An exclusive retreat with none other than Shelli Gardner – the co-founder of Stampin’ Up! – and the top 100 demonstrators in the US and top 15 in Canada (as well as a few other top categories such as rising star and performance acheivers).  As an acheiver I’m going to receive “expense-paid travel and accommodations to a beautiful southern Utah location to relax, rejuvenate, mingle with friends and fellow achievers, and stamp!”. According to what the Stampin’ Up! website says “Founder’s Circle achievers enjoy four days and three nights surrounded by the rustic beauty of Utah’s Dixie country. Each year, we visit a breathtaking scene, such as Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Cedar City, and Arches National Park. And we always tour Stampin’ Up!’s manufacturing facilities in Kanab, Utah.” 

Isn’t that thrilling? And I have YOU all to thank for it! So THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart – for your support, your encouragement and your investment in me and my business!

Okay, so now that I’m done with my nattering on (can you tell I’m excited?), here are the details on today’s card:

1. Cut a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Crumb Cake CS (formerly Kraft CS) and fold it in half using your bone folder to create a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card. 
2. Round the top and bottom right corners with a 1/2″ corner rounder punch.
3. Stick a 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ piece of DP from the Sunny Garden collection onto the card front, about 1/2″ in from the left edge of the card.
4. Cut a 2 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ piece of Whisper White CS and stamp the post and the bird cage in Basic Black Classic ink along the bottom of the CS.
5. Stamp the owl inside the cage in Peach Parfait Classic ink.  Stamp the greeting just above the bird cage in Basic Black Classic ink.
6. Stick the stamped Whisper White CS piece onto the card front, aligning the right edge of the Whisper White CS with the right edge of the DP.
7. Lay a strip of Sticky Strip just beside the left edge of the Whisper White CS piece. 
8. Take your Peach Parfait ribbon – leaving it on the roll - and start ruffling and sticking it to the Sticky Strip.  You want to start by leaving about 1″ overhanging the edge at the top.  As you get to the bottom, leave 1″ overhanging the bottom edge when you cut the ribbon.  Bring the ends of the ribbon around to the back of the CS and stick them down with SNAIL adhesive.
9. Stick three orange rhinestones, one above the other, in the bottom right hand corner of the Whisper White CS piece.  You’re done!

Well I hope you enjoyed today’s card! Soph will be sharing a card with you tomorrow.

Click Here to Order your Stampin’ Up! Products Online 24/7! (Canada Only)

All products are Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Aviary, A Word for You
Ink: Basic Black Classic ink, Peach Parfait Classic ink
Paper: Crumb Cake CS, Whisper White CS, Sunny Garden DP
Accessories: SNAIL adhesive, Sticky Strip, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Peach Parfait 1/2″ Stitched-Poly ribbon; Non-Stampin’ Up!: 1/2″ corner rounder punch, orange peel and stick rhinestones.