For those of you who find it hard to just play with your creativity, here's a perfect little way to try out new color combinations, try out a new stamp set, and make use of ever-growing scrap piles!!

These are little 3 inch square cards to use for gift enclosure cards. These are nice to have on hand to pop onto a gift quickly.

Give it a try, but first and foremost, HAVE FUN!

Last weekend I had such fun on splitcoaststampers. com's virtual stamping night event. This was the last card I created for the event and I did about 10 or so during the course of the weekend. This one was selected by the hostess for the honor gallery. It was a very pleasant surprise for me. I loved this set that was offered in one of SU's mini catalogs a while back. Unfortunately, it was never selected to be a part of their bigger catalog, but I have always enjoyed using it any time I get it out of the box!! This was done using paper piecing as the techinque to use for this particular challenge. A great big thanks to all the fine ladies who coordinated this month's event. I don't always have a free weekend, but I sure was glad I had last weekend free to just have fun and be creative. It is so good for my soul!!! KWIM?

My wisteria.

Here are some of the signs of spring around my house. I'm a gardener by no means, but nature takes very good care of these plants in my yard. God is good and delights me with these lovelies inspite of my careless gardening habits.

Groovy guava and the new afternoon tea design paper in Stampin' Up's current mini catalog.

We just got back this afternoon from visiting grandkids and taking in a great outdoor rodeo. We saw wonderful evidence of spring in the blubonnets, azaleas, wisteria, and dogwood we saw blooming everywhere. I can't think of anything prettier than spring.

This card was so much fun to make for the inspiration challenge on Saturday. I had a week off for Spring break, and guess what I got to do???I stamped and took part in almost every challenge offered last week on Splitcoaststampers.com. A charm bracelet was the inspiration picture and this is what I created. I used the new negative embossing technique that I learned from SCS last week as well, and stamped the shells from seaside, which is a great Stampin' Up set that I haven't used very much yet. I did a take on dangling the shells like charms. Love these great colors that are also found in the striped paper in the afternoon tea design paper also offered from Stampin' Up.

I made these cards for this week's limited supply challenge. The challenge was to take the same paper, same stamps, and same design paper and see if you can give it some totally different looks so that customers can get an idea of the versatility of the stamps and paper and ink they may have just purchased. I have to admit this is where I have my most fun stamping. I've always loved kalidiscopes because they change with each turn of your wrist. I like to do the same thing with my artwork. I love challenging myself to see all the possiblities there are in each stamp. Give it a try sometime and I'm sure you will find it as stimulating as a soduku or crossword puzzle. I love it when my creative juices are flowing freely!!!

Happy Easter

I just learned to do this new technique with the cuttlebug. It is done by inking the inside side of the folder, placing your paper against the inked side and running it through the cuttlebug. This was for this week's color challenge on Splitcoaststampers.com. I love these challenges because for one thing it motivates me to stamp, it teaches me new things, and gives me a chance to try something I might not think to try. I encourage all of my fellow stamper to check them out on a daily basis. On this card I combined sage shadow, orchip opulence, and creamy caramel, which I've never tried before. The caramel panel is representative of the cross, the oval of the stone that was rolled away at the tomb, and the butterfly---Christ's resurrection. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Alleluia! I wish every one a very Blessed Easter and that you find a real joy in the resurrection and our new life in Christ.