Well, it's been a big week. All good, but busy! Monday was the first session of Group Voice lessons for the year, and then Tuesday was Card Buffet for September. For some reason, I feel like I'm running at half speed lately! Maybe I still have peaches on the brain.
Anyway, things should be a little easier the rest of the week! (Dh always laughs when I say stuff like that. With a big family, something always comes up!)
Back before the Stampin Up Convention, a group of demonstrators who had possibly over-committed to swaps banded together. {laugh} We called ourselves Swappers Anonymous, because our original intention was to STOP signing up for more swaps. But it was hopeless. LOL We even added our own "SA Swap" to the mix.
We couldn't bear the idea of disbanding after Convention, so of course, we started another swap.
After all, we needed samples from the NEW catalog, too, right?? So here is my entry for the Swappers Anonymous New Catty Swap 2008. It uses my precious Big Shot, and that ADORABLE scallop envelope die! Don't you *need* it??? I'm sure you do.
Here is the little card inside the envie: 
Stamps: Cute and Curly (Curly Label Punch Bundle)
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Parisian Summer DSP
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Big Shot, SU Scalloped Envelope Die, Curly Label Punch, Pretty in Pink Taffeta ribbon, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Vintage Brads, Flower Fusion Too, Dimensionals
I hope it's not the LAST last rose of summer, but you never know! I love this peachy colored rose. I don't know the name of it, because it already lived here when we bought our house. See that big weed down there???? Yeah, guess I shoulda cropped *that* out! LOL The rest of the stuff is alyssum, which is sort of weed-y, but smells really great! Enjoy these last few weeks of good weather!
Come on, you KNOW you need a Big Shot! LOL I love that all my die cutting "expertise" is now SU-approved! 
I thought it would be fun to make the Inspired by Nature grass look like stems. I just put Ridinghood Red and Pink Pirouette cardstock down over the Flower Layer dies, and voila! Instant flowers! I had considered using this basic idea for a Big Shot swap, but then found something else I liked better.I used the 1/4" circle punch to add the ribbon on the top corner, and then it just seemed to be *begging* to have the whole layer popped up! I think I'll go back and do a little sponging around the flowers, but this was a fun, QUICK card!
Have a great weekend!
Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Ridinghood Red, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Ridinghood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Big Shot, Flower Layers die, brad, 1/4" circle punch, Ridinghood Red Taffeta, dimensionals
Another sympathy card--this time in cream and navy. The cord is the older SU non-elastic stuff. And this was the last of it! LOL Does that mean I can buy something new???? The sentiment is embossed in gold, with a coordinating sentiment embossed inside. It's simple, but I guess that's what I was looking for. I like sympathy cards not to be shouting: "Hey, I know you had a tragedy, but look at this great card I made!" And I have always loved this quote from Sir Thomas Moore. I think the gold adds just enough elegance, without being overdone. Thanks for visiting!
Stamps: Close as a Memory, Baroque Motifs
Paper: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy
Ink: Versamark, Night of Navy
Accessories: Gold EP, retired gold cord
I had a commission for some sympathy cards, and this is one of them. I used the hostess set Organic Grace, which I LOVE! And I'm really happy about how the light picked up the embossing! Stamps: Organic Grace, Warmest Regards (retired)Paper: Perfect Plum, Always ArtichokeInk: Perfect Plum Classic and Craft, Always Artichoke ClassicAccessories: Clear EP, Plum ribbon, Pewter brads from retired HPH, stampin sponge
Sorry this post is late--here's why:
First batch of home-canned peaches for the season. We're hoping to be done (for today) in a couple hours, and then if I have any energy left, I'll stamp!
I learned to can from my mother and grandmother. We did peaches, pears, grape juice, tomatoes and tomato sauce, cherries, apricots, and I'm sure more I can't remember anymore. Now my girls know how. It's important to me to "preserve" the tradition and the knowledge. You just never know!
What I love about home-canned food is first of all, the TASTE! So much better than anything else. Second, I love knowing exactly what's in my food. Especially now! And third, I love that the skill I kept up all these years finally makes financial sense. Preserving food has never been a particular money saver for me--more of a luxury. But food prices are so crazy, this year it actually "pays" to can your own!
Do you have any memories of canning with your family? What did you can?
I live for symmetry. Seriously. I have to really concentrate to do "random" stamping! And normally, symmetry does not make for great card design. But in this case, I just couldn't make the card do anything else! I think it looks like a Christmas present! (My kids are getting the Wii for Christmas--don't tell them.) 
Anyway, this is my contribution to the Convention Quality Swap #5, hosted by Lyssa. I love the fact that the Top Note die matches the Curly Label punch and stamp set! To make the texture on the Kiwi Kiss Top Note, I used crumpled up wax paper dabbed on the ink pad and then on the paper. The wrinkly-er, the better! The top blue layers are popped up on dimensionals to give it a little more depth. Oh, and I sponged ink on the bottom layers of Pacific Point and Baja Breeze, too!
Stamps: Cute and Curly
Paper: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Die, White Taffeta ribbon, Baja Breeze 5/8" striped grosgrain, Curly Label Punch, dimensionals, stampin sponge
