Retiring MOJO and Perfectly Preserved

As I read this title over I thought, "Yes, it would be nice to retire and remain Perfectly Preserved!"  Instead, I keep noticing little hints of deterioration here and there!  But I guess getting old is better than the alternative!

I had two goals today.  One was to make a MOJO Monday Challenge #295 entry and one was to create a card highlighting some of the retiring products.  I believe I managed to do both here:

I created a round card using the Scallop Circle Bigz die and the Big Shot.  

• I cut out one complete circle from Crumb Cake card stock.
• Then I took more Crumb Cake and folded it in half and cut out another circle except I had the top of the die lined up above the fold so it wouldn't be cut through and it becomes the hinge.  
• I stamped the complete scallop circle with the Distressed Dots background stamp (which is retiring) in VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  

I used a partial scallop circle in Lucky Limeade (retiring) for the bottom panel with a partial 3 1/2" Circle Originals die cut with some DSP from another retiring set: Sunshine and Sprinkles.  You can see the layout for the challenge from the diagrams below:

  

For the main panel, I got out my Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set from last fall's Holiday Mini.  It is also a retiring stamp set, but it was one I got a lot of use out of in the fall.  Sad to see it go because the mason jar is SO versatile.  I've seen it used in dozens of applications.  

• I stamped mine on a Window Sheet and used the coordinating framelits to cut it out.  
• I stamped a pear on the Very Vanilla square in the middle and adhered the window sheet jar right over top of it.  
• I stamped the lid cover in More Mustard (a retiring colour) and die cut it with the framelits and added it to the top.  
• The sentiment and the naturals button finished off the look.

What is your favourite retiring product?  Leave me a comment and tell me how you're going to cope without it!

Stamps: Perfectly Preserved (w126690; c126692)*; Distressed Dots (w122815)*

Paper: Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP (126922)*; Window Sheets (114323); Crumb Cake (120953), Lucky Limeade(122926)*, More Mustard (100946)** and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock

Ink:  VersaMark (102283); StazOn Jet Black (101406); Classic Stampin' Pads in Early Espresso (126974), Lucky Limeade (126984) and More Mustard (126964)

Accessories:  Stampin' Emboss Powder Clear (109130); Naturals Designer Buttons (127554); Linen Thread (104199)

Tools:  Cannery Set Framelits (127822); Scallop Circle Bigz Die (113468); 3 1/2" Circle Originals Die (121811); Bitty Banners Framelits (129267); Heat Tool (129053)

*Retiring Item

**Retiring and sold out

Cannery Set Framelits

Linen Thread

Perfectly Preserved Stamp Set

Distressed Dots Background Stamp

Naturals Designer Buttons

Scallop Circle Bigz Die

Guest Stamper - Jaimie MacGibbon

This week, I'm so happy to be sharing with you the work of one of my favourite stampers, Jaimie MacGibbon !  (The fact that she is my daughter has nothing to do with my estimation of her work!  Make sure you leave a comment to let her know how awesome she is!)  She is a hobbyist on a limited budget, but you would never know it by the quality of her cards.  She is very resourceful, both as a stamper and a decorator.  In fact, you should check out her blog, At Home, if you like creating beautiful spaces with a tiny cash outlay.

Here's the first card I want to share with you:

I love Jaimie's choice of paper here.  The Tea for Two Designer Series paper deserves star billing on this card, and Jaimie has paired it up just right with Pool Party and Sahara Sand card stock.  She loves using the Delicate Details Lace tape, and it is the perfect touch on this whimsical Designer Paper.  The Naturals Designer Button balances the Teeny Tiny Wishes sentiment perfectly.

For some reason, it makes me think of the late Victorian era, in the late 1800's.  You don't need to have a lot of tools and equipment to make this card.  You can achieve very pleasing designs with very little in the way of supplies.  

Won't you leave a comment, so she knows it's not just her mother who enjoys her work?  She thinks I'm biased for some reason!

By the way, this is a photo of her with her little family:

-dressed for the part of a frontier Victorian family!  That's my oldest grandson, Parker, sitting on her lap, and  my son-in-law, Pat behind her!

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes (w115370; c127802)

Paper:  Tea for Two DSP (129311); Sahara Sand (121043) and Pool Party (122924) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Early Espresso (126974)

Accessories:  Delicate Designs Lace Tape (130966); Naturals Designer Buttons (127554) 

Tardiness Will Not Be Tolerated!!

I confess!  I'm a day late and a dollar short.  This post was supposed to be written yesterday, but life sometimes happens.  (What an odd statement!  Life always happens, but sometimes it interferes with our plans.)  I had a wonderful Christmas Stampers' Dozen on Wednesday night.  We made 12 - note well- a dozen Christmas cards!  Three each of four different designs.  I thought I had chosen simple enough cards for the occasion, but I have been struggling with that aspect of my classes.  The designs involved too many steps or maybe I should say, too many time consuming steps.  My ladies and I worked HARD for four hours, but we finished! And they look beautiful!  And I am heading back to the drawing board for my last Christmas Stampers' Dozen in November.  I am going to get this right!

Yesterday morning, I had a meeting with someone who wants wedding invites designed and then took my DH to the hospital for a procedure on his eye, did some errands and just like that, it was dinner time! 

I started making a card to post, but the design was not coming easily.  I finally got it designed, but I had to wait for a thick layer of Crystal Effects to dry on an acorn, so figured I'd write my post, then add the photographs later.

Here is the design:

It uses a stamp set I have been wanting for a long time and finally ordered, Wonderfall.  I just love the graphics and the designs on the leaves.  I used the Autumn Accents Bigz Die and the Big Shot to cut out the leaf shapes.  This is one time where you die cut first and then stamp, because otherwise the leaf shapes on the die are opposite to the stamp shapes.  Odd, but it works okay.

 I got the idea for the book-like spine from one of the wedding invites we were looking at, trying to come up with ideas.  I am also so drawn to the Orchard Harvest DSP from the Holiday Mini Catalogue.  I love the colours and the bold images.  The torn Early Espresso paper with the lighter center is from the Core'dinations collection and comes in Early Espresso, Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler.  I am organizing groups of 3 people right now who are interested in doing a Paper Share of the three colours of core'dinations.  Basically, you pay the price of one pack, but then you share the 3 colours.  You would get 4 pieces of each colour.  Let me know if you are interested in forming another group of three people.  The cost is $12.26 each which includes shipping and tax.

The sentiment is from Word Play, one of the three stamp sets that Stampin' Up is promoting, from which you can also purchase single stamps from the set by themselves, in a pilot project that runs through to Jan. 2, 2012.  See more here.


And I finally got to use one of the new Naturals Designer Buttons in wood grain.  It's perfect for this project!

Well, that's it for now.  Better late than never, I always say, but I'll take fifty lashes with a wet noodle for being tardy!

Stamps:  Wonderfall (w128084; c128087); Word Play (w120308; c120651)
Paper:  Orchard Harvest DSP (126895), Core'dinations Early Espresso cardstock (127848), Lucky Limeade (122926) and Very Vanilla (101650) cardstock
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Island Indigo (126986), Lucky Limeade (126984), Raspberry Ripple (126859) and Cajun Craze (126965)
Accessories: Naturals Designer Buttons (127554);  Linen Thread (104199); Crystal Effects (101055)
Tools: 2 1/2" Circle Punch (120906); 3" Circle Originals Die (122125); Autumn Accents Bigz Die (127812)