No Time To Stamp?

Prayer Request: Dee Jacksonhas been with us on the StampSimplydesign crewalmost from the beginning. You all know her from over atStampin Cuz I Luv 2. Dee has been experiencing some health issues and is inneed of prayer, so if you could include Dee in your prayers, it would be most appreciated! And if you care to stop in at her Blog, linked above, and tell her you are praying for her or thinking of her, I bet when she recuperates she’d love reading your comments! Thank you!!!

Bow-Easy Update: Anticipated date of arrival is Monday, May 18 — keeping fingers crossed! And, YES, I do ship to Australia, UK, Sweden, etc. My initial reorder has been sold out to those of you on the WAITING LIST. A third order has been placed,so Iwill eventually have some to offer to the general public, but if you want one forsure, shoot me an email, ssj@up.net, to be put on theWAITING LIST. Read about the Bow Easy here.

Interested in Blog Candy? Check these links: Sharon Harnist, Lauren Meader, Joan Fricker.

Keyword ssnotime86 -There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload yourproject at Splitcoastand/or your Blog, anytime at all! You (and that means anyone and everyone, blogger or not!)can play as many times as you like!!! The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!! Please link back here.

JUST A LITTLE THING- Mothers’ Day is just around the corner so let’s make “Just a Little Thing” for Mom - or for whomever you please. Today we are making small creations — and the choice is yours! I LOVE working on a tiny canvas and when I do, I just see *vintage* in my mind’s eye (though you need not do vintage if it’s not your thing)! You could make an ATC, a bookmark, a small project with an Inchie, a tiny card (3 x 3 or smaller), a gift tag — whatever you can dream up — but make JUST A LITTLE THING today. Can’t wait to see what you all come up with!!!! Have fun!!!

And Id like to extend a warmwelcome todayto Deb Saaranen (Dream in Color)who isjoining us again, this time in the capacity as one of our regular weekly designers. Dee felt it necessary to step down, at least for the time being, so I was elated when Deb agreed to join us!!! Deb has previously worked with us as a Guest Designer and also as one of our *party players* — remember our parities - LOL!!! WELCOME, Deb!!! So glad to have you!!!

Check out the greatsamples for the Stamp Simply Challenge today on the blogs of these designers:

• Barbara, MayGuest Designer
• Janine
• Jennifer
• Julie
• AJ
• Becky
• Tammy
• Deb

Please bear with us as we are all uploading and linking on Thursday night.

You can see all Gallery Submissions here.

What wonderful samples!!! Thank you girls!!! Much appreciated!!!

Heres my*litttle* creationfor today:

Just a Little Thing - Stamped Simply! The image is 2 x 3 and the overall size is about 6 x 2.5. It’s basically a bookmark, but not one you’d really use. It’s just kind of for decoration. I left the silk tails quite long so they can be tied on top and this can be hung on a hook or knob. Just a Little Thing! The image is prepinted from Crafty Secrets and the stamped image on the bottom is from one of the new sets soon to be shipped by JustRite called Tiny Words Set – it’s so cute and little — perfect for today’s project! These stamps are used on the new and tiny 1 3/16″ Wood Stamper.

Stamps: Tiny Words Set used on the 1 3/16″ Wood Stamperby JustRite

Paper: Prism Rose Light and Suede Brown Medium, Preprinted Images from Crafty Secrets - Creative Scraps and Birds and Botanicals Images and Notes

Ink: ColorBox Chalk Creamy Brown

Accessories: Silk Ribbon from the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store, Kaiser Pearls, Circle Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Deco Corner Punch, Cropadile, Brass Jumbo Eyelet by SU, Scissors to distress, Glue Glider, SU Dimensionals

Shopping:

JustRite Stampers - Tiny Words Set used on the 1 3/16″ Wood Stamperby JustRite

The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store has the silk ribbon by May Artsand much more!

Stampers Dream is my source for Prism Paper.

Joans Garden is my source for my FAV adhesive, the Glue Glider, Spellbinders Nestabilities and Kaiser products.

Thanks so much for stopping in today — wishing all of you mothers, and mother-figures, and women of all ages and sorts a VERY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

I think you all know my friend Joan from Joan’s Garden. Joan has an urgent prayer request. One of her family members, a young woman who just gave birth, is fighting for her life. There is power in prayer and if you are ofthat belief, please join in praying for Joan’s cousin. You may readmoreover at Joan’s Garden. Thank you so much.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

Note: The Stamp Simply Challenge is beneath this post, or click here.

A perfect pairing! A JustRite Merry Christmas border, a Basic Grey clear stamp center, Bella Rose designer paper by SU, and a pop of checked ribbon. I’m a happy camper!!! I wanted to make a simple Christmas card tonight, and I also wanted to play the Featured Stamper Challenge over at SCS. Well, how delighted I was to see that the Featured Stamper today is Becca Feeken — she has a fabulous gallery!!! What a delight to go through it. I chose to case this card of Becca’s. Now Becca’s card is very detailed and ultra elegant. I used her basic layout with the large circular focal point, but used different images and colors and changed my ribbon placement to create a less formal card. Thank you Becca for the wonderful inspiration!

Here’s my card. It just says pretty and happy to me!!! And I LOVE the non-traditional colors for Christmas — always have. This year I am sure loving the Bella Rose paper, so I’m guessing I’ll be using most of it up on my Christmas cards. This year I also want to keep SIMPLE in mind — simple cutting, simple layouts, simple images, simple embellishments. I did achieve that on this card.

You all know I’ve done a lot using the JustRite centers, omitting the borders. Well today I’m doing just the opposite. I used the JustRite border, and am using a stamp from another source for the center. If you look at all the other stamps you have that can work with your borders, you will be AMAZED at the options now opento you. I really think what I used today is a perfect pairing!!! My clear stamp is a little wreath on a set called Winterland by Basic Grey. I got it from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. Take a look.

I stamped my sentiment border from the Christmas Ensemble on pink, my wreath image on white, then just used my Petitie Circle Nestabilities to cut them so I could quickly layer my main image. My wreath is stamped in Kiwi Kiss and the berries are quickly colored over using a red Spica Glitter Pen by Copic. The bird is done with both gold and clear Spica Glitter Pens. And do you see the Long Rectangle Nestability above. That’s what I use to make my little scallop — you can barely see my scallop, but it is between my two patterns of DP. This is the quickest way I have found to make a scallop. This card is 4.25″ wide, and there is one of the Long Rectangle Nesties that is exactly that length. I just cut and emboss a piece of cardstock with the Nestie, then cut it in half, as shown in the photo — now I have 2 scallops, enough for 2 cards of this type! You can trim off more of the excess paper if you like, but it’ll be a perfect fit for your card done in this orientation.

Here’s a closeup of the wreath. I punched 2 holes with my Cropadile that I ran the ribbon through and there is a little twinkle sticker on the right side. A quick and easy card, and I’m pleased with it!!

Stamps: Christmas Ensemble by JustRite used with the Harmony Classic Circle Stamper III, Winterland by Basic Grey

Paper: SU Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Bella Rose DP

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Brown, Spica Glitter Pens by Copic

Accessories: Ribbon, Twinkle Stickers by A Muse, Petite Circle and Long Rectangle Nestabilities by Spellbinders, Cropadile, Foam Mounting Tape.

Thanks so much for stopping in — hope you all are able to enjoy your Sunday.

And please take the time to say a prayer for Laurie Schmidlin and her family. Laurie’s daughter has been very ill and they are currently treating/testing her. They are in need of all our prayers, and if you’d like to send along a card as well, just let me know and I’ll forward her address to you. Thank you so much!!!

Editing: It is now Monday morning and I just checked out Joan’s Garden — she hasa LOT listed this morning, including this Christmas Ensemble by JustRite. Joan’s Garden is always a fun Monday morning stop!

I was contacted yesterday by Cheryl, a faithful reader of many of our stamping blogs and SCS galleries, and she had a request for prayers and cards for her good friend’s grandson, Andrew. He is 18 years old, joined the Air Force, and while therewas diagnosed with leukemia, and discharged. These areCheryl’s words:

“My friend’s grandson is only 18 years old and shortly after joining the Air Force, he was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and, subsequently, discharged from the Air Force. Because of the extraordinary costs of his treatment, the family is having a benefit dinner for him to help raise funds. They are taking prize donations and I thought it would be great to get together a huge basket of handmade cards to give as one of the prizes. I want to surprise my friend by including cards made by stampers that she has seen online. If you could help me out, I would greatly appreciate it. I would need to have the card in hand by November 8 (sorry for the short notice but I just found out about the benefit yesterday).”

You may also read more in the Sandusky Register.

Please pray for Andrew and his family, and if you have an extra card around and a spare minute, send it in for the prize basket. And it would be nice if you signed the back of the card and included an envelope so they can quickly put the basket together. This young man joined the military to serve and protect all of us, and sending a card in to be included in a prize basket is such a small thing we can all do in return. You may email Cheryl at ladybugb919@bex.netfor her mailing address. And if you are able to help, remember, the time is NOW, as the date of this event approaches rapidly. Thank you!!!

And about Hope and Peyton, the preemie twin girls I mentioned a week or so ago, I got word that they are doing as well as can be expected. They each lost a couple ounces, but seem to be gaining it back and holding their own. Praise the Lord!!! Please continue in prayer for them as well. Thank you!!!

Today’s Stamp Simply Challenge is one post below.

One week ago, on Satuday, 3/o8, a 14-year old boy from a neighboring community received a serious head injury while skiing. His name is Kurt Blake and his parents are Anna and Jerry. They are friends of ours. Kurt was airlifted to the Marshfield Clinic, and that is where he currently is.

Kurt is in serious need of prayer — miracles do happen — Kurt needs a miracle and your prayers can help. The Blake family is a family of extraordinary faith. They have been through far more trials than most, and their faith has always kept them strong. Please pray for Kurt’s family as well.

Kurt’s Uncle Steve has started a Blog where daily updates are posted. Anna, Kurt’s Mom, contributes to the Blog posts as well. Their faith is so evident and so strong — they are a family of true inspiration. God’s Blessings to them all with prayers for a miracle for Kurt.

You may read Kurt’s Blog Here.

Thank you for your prayers.

Editing 3/16: People have been asking where they can send cards. Here is the address I got from the above-linked blog. Thank you all so much. I am sure your words of encouragement will be appreciated.

Cards can be sent to:
Kurt Blake
St. Joseph’s Hospital, PICU
611 St. Joseph Ave.
Marshfield, WI 54449-1898

Editing 3/17: Kurt left this life early this morning and is now at Peace in the arms of his Heavenly Father. Please continue in prayer for his family.