My Version; Gather Together

I know… I know! …it has been far too long since my last blog entry or since making a video or stamping!    I don’t know what I’ve been doing since May, the date of my last REAL post.  I do know that during the months of September and October we did a great deal of traveling.  My husband and I spent the month of September in Florence, Italy.  We talked about going to Italy for an extended stay for quite few years and finally decided to make this year be the year we did it.  My 88-year-old mother made the trip with us during the first week of September.  She was born in Italy in Villa S’ Angelo, L’Aquila well…88 years ago. (DUH! 🙂 She immigrated to the United States when she was 15.

There is a story there.  She was 15 when she first met her father face to face.  My grandfather came to the United States years before the rest of his family, around 1916 at the age of 16 to work.  On one trip back to Italy, he married my grandmother, turned right around, and came back to the U. S. to continue working.  He sent money back to my grandmother and on occasion went back to Italy for a visit.  Nine months after returning to the states from a visit, another one of his children was born! My mom is the youngest of three.  During World War II, my mother, grandmother, and uncles were stuck in Italy. Many Italian Americans were treated as poorly as Japanese-Americans were during the war.  Some were even sent to camps here in the states; even some who were naturalized citizens.  Italians, even though they served in our military and fought in World War II for the United States were viewed as a threat to national security during the war; especially if they spoke Italian.   I’ve heard many stories from my mother about how poor they were while in Italy during the war; how they went without food because the Nazi’s took everything everyone had, and how often the money my grandfather sent back to them never made it through.  After the war, my grandfather was finally able to send for his family and they immigrated to the United States.  Therefore, at the age of 15, she finally met her father face-to-face for the first time on U. S. soil.

However, I digress!  We took my mother back to Italy with us in September.  She had been back several times before and on many of those occasions, I was fortunate enough to be able to go with her.   Her first time back was in 1976 thirty-five years after arriving here.  However, this last time we went she says will be her last time since she is 88.  I told her to never say never, because we do not know what the future holds.

My mother, husband, and I spent our first week in Rome with a friend.  The friend is from the same village as my mother, but she is only a few years older than I am.  Her parents purchased the home that belonged to my grandparents after everyone had finally made it to the states.  She and her late parents and her brother and sisters have always treated us as if we are members of their family.  After the first week, my husband and I traveled by high-speed train to Florence and left my mother with her friends in hometown.

We rented an apartment on the website vrbo.com in the center of the city.  There was a farmer’s market just around the corner from where it was situated.   We visited it on almost a daily basis as we usually had breakfast and dinner in our apartment.  We saw and did pretty much everything you can see and do in Florence. And there is a lot to see and do! We also took a one-day tour by bus to Pisa, Sienna, and San Gimingnano.  Another day we took a bus tour of Cinque Terre.  During our second week in Florence, we took another high-speed train to Milan so we could tour Lake Como.  We spent two nights there after which we returned to Florence.  During our last week, we did a wine tasting tour in Tuscany and we took a cooking class and learned how to make homemade pasta.  I grew up watching my grandmother and mother make pasta, but I never learned how to do it.  It was truly the trip of a lifetime!  At the end of our fourth week in Florence (our fifth week in Italy) we took another high-speed train back to Rome and the next day flew back to the United States.  We dropped my mother off in Ohio and spent two more days there, finally getting back to our home here in Colorado exactly six weeks after leaving it.  It was good to be home!

So today I am sharing my version of the framed “Gather Together” piece that you will find on page 46 of the current holiday catalog.  I used most everything in the Come To Gather Suite.  The one item I did not use are the Tags & Feathers Elements because I usually buy those kinds of things and never end up using the.  What I did do instead is stamp a few leaves in Crushed Curry using the retired Vintage Leaves stamp set and I cut them out using the Leaflets Framelits.

 

The frame I used measures 5-1/4″ x 9-1/2″.   It is about 1/2″ wide.  It isn’t a shadow box frame.  It was originally intended to frame three 2.5″ x 3.5″ photos.  I removed the mat that came with the frame and threw it away.  I’ll probably regret that one day, but I just can’t hold on to everything.  Something I realized once the project was finished is that a smaller frame, perhaps a 4″ x 6″, might be better because there would be less blank space on the background.  Or I could possibly stamp a few pumpkins in the background .

 

All of the colors I used are the recommended colors that coordinate with the Come To Gather Designer Series Paper except for the Crushed Curry.  It is not a recommended coordinating color but it does fall into the same color palate.

Hope you enjoyed reading about and seeing some of what I’ve been up to lately.  I don’t know where the summer went, but it sure did go by quickly and here I am getting ready to get my house ready for Christmas!

If you have any questions about this project, feel free to message me!  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty Abounds Watercolor Technique

Hello Peeps!

It has been quite a while since I was last here.  Sorry about that.  I’ve been really busy doing life!  🙂  But today I have a video for you on a pretty simple watercolor technique that anybody should be able to do and I mean anybody because if I can pull it off…anyone can.  Actually we did this technique at my April card club on Saturday and NO ONE’S  turned out bad!  Each piece was unique in its own way and ALL were very beautiful!  The ink colors I used in the watercolor are retiring along with the Berry Burst and Powder Pink Paper.  The watercolor paper is retiring as well, but Stampin’ Up! is not getting rid of it entirely.  They are bringing out another version.  If you still have questions after you watch the video, let me know.

A few items you will need when watercoloring that are not listed in any of the supply lists are a clip board, blue painters tape, paper towel,  and small trays to hold your ink.  I used the tops to embellishment container.  I always save the container when I’ve used up an embellishment.  They have come in handy for a multitude of uses.

I am also sharing photos of the other three cards we made at club along with their supply lists.  If you have questions on those you can email me about them as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vibrant Vases Card

Supply List for Vibrant Vases Card

 

Half Full Card

I got the inspiration for this card from the Annual Catalog.  Please note the Berry Burst card stock is about to retire along with the Half Full stamp set.  So, if you want either one of these you need to order soon (before June 1).

Half Full Card Supply List

 

Beauty Abounds Bokeh Birthday

Please note the Lemon Lime Twist card stock and ink along with the stamp set Amazing Life are on the soon to be retiring list, so if you are interested in either you need to order soon (before June 1).  #simplestamping

Bokeh Birthday Card Supply List

 

 

So I hope you enjoyed your visit here today!  Until next time!

Happy Stamping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Past and Christmas Present

If you visited my blog last month, you know that my daughter is expecting and is due around the middle of this month.  Really she could deliver any day now.  Every night I go to bed wondering if I will get a call that she is in the hospital ready to give birth.  I am so excited I can’t stand it and am really looking forward to this little baby Stella finally arriving so we can all meet her.

In the mean time, I’ve been busy getting ready for my club at the end of this month, my Christmas card class at the beginning of November and my stamping team’s 10th Annual Stampin’ for the Cure on October 7 here in Colorado Springs.  I’m also getting ready for my mom, sister, and brother-in-law who will be coming to visit the new bundle of joy in October.  I am looking forward to all of it.

Today I am sharing two Christmas cards that I’ve created using a stamp set that made its debut in last year’s holiday catalog and is in the Annual Catalog, and one from this year’s holiday catalog that is live today.

I used Santa’s Sleigh stamp set and thinlits and Holly embossing folder to create the first.

 

In the second I used Cheers to the Year stamp set and Year of Cheer Specialty Designer Series Paper in the new holiday catalog for the second.  On Cheers to the Year, I mixed gold and silver together by using a little bit of silver foil sheet, a gold foil snowflake, and silver and gold metallic thread.  Why not?  The DSP has both gold and silver on it and I mix gold and silver jewelry on my person all the time.

 

If you have any questions, let me know.

Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

 

 

 

 

 

Price: $110.00

Happy Celebrations Card Video & New Catalog Sneak Peak

Hi Stampers!

I have a new video for you today!  I know, it is about time!  To be honest, I’ve been a bit scattered for the last few months.  Don’t know what it is.  I have been trying to get my groove back and nothing seems to work.  In two weeks we will be going on vacation so it probably will only get worse from here.  Sorry.  Please be patient with me.

The video is for a card I created using the Happy Celebrations stamp set, Celebrations Duo Textured Impressions Embossing Folders,  the new In Color Lemon Lime Twist paired with Bermuda Bay, and inspiration from Pintrist.  I love the colors, especially the new one! They all combine with an old technique, emboss resist, to make this funky “Celebrate” card.  I hope you like it as much as I do.  Here’s the card.  I made a similar card for my great-nephew’s First Communion by adding the words “First Communion” to the bottom with Labler Alphabet stamp set.  Not a traditional First Communion card, but I’m sure it was the very small amount of cash inside the child was after more than the card .  🙂  LOL!

And here is the video!

Using the same stamp set and set of embossing folders I created this birthday card as well.

The dotted background circles were made using the Eastern Beauty stamp set that will be available when the new Annual Catalog goes live on June 1st.  Here is the item number for future reference for the Eastern Beauty Set  (143675).  Since the catalog isn’t live yet, the program I use to create the supply list at the end of this post wouldn’t allow me to include it.

I love this set!  And you can get it one of two ways right now.  You can order the Eastern Palace Starter Bundle #147196 for $77.00 which include all the items in the photo below or…

Order the Eastern Palace Premier Bundle #147207 for $103.50 and get everything in the following photo.

Either way, you can get a head start on new In Colors, Designer Series Paper, and embellishments BEFORE the new Annual Catalog goes live on June 1st.  I wouldn’t wait.  I am sure these items will go on the back order list right away.

This last card is a sneak peek at a new Hostess Set called Background Bits and new Designer Series Paper.  The ink colors I used are Crushed Curry and Old Olive.  I can’t wait until all of the new stuff is available on June 1st!  I might have to go back to work!  🙂  Here is a simple version of the card and a stepped up version right after.  Which do you like better?  I prefer the second, but both are equally pretty.

Hope you enjoyed your visit today.  Please let me know if you have any questions about anything here.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

 

 

 

 

Price: $110.00