Tropical Hugs

Good Monday Morning, Crafty Friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. It was chilly, but beautiful here in northwestern Virginia. I’ve been trying to take it easy until my nerve endings stop acting up. I thought driving for a field trip to the local library Friday would be easy. I hadn’t thought about lifting little girls into the car and moving car seats around. It was fun, though, and the kids had a blast learning about the different jobs a librarian has. (Hint: He/she doesn’t just sit at the front desk and say, “Shhhhhh!” like they show on old TV shows. But I’ll bet you already knew that.) I think most of the moms wanted the librarian job at either Disney World or on a cruise ship!

I felt a little rough on Saturday, so Mike & I decided to head to the mountains and rest a bit. It was short, but lovely! We usually take lots to keep us busy, but this time, I took one Paper Pumpkin kit (which didn’t get touched) and my tablet. For the first time ever I didn’t even take my laptop. Talk about relaxing! Mike even did a lot of the cooking, most of the clean up, and all of the dog walking. (Sadly, Max doesn’t understand the concept of sleeping in.) I have the best husband ever. Mike had shingles shortly after Wes was born, so as a mom with a toddler and a newborn, I was not as sympathetic as I should have been. He has been an angel, though.

Today’s Card

This morning, it was time to get back to the craft room. This little card came together really quickly.

I loved the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set from the January-June Mini Catalog as soon as I saw it, but I haven’t had much chance to play with it. Today was the day – and what fun! Coloring images relaxes me. Maybe it’s a throw back to my childhood, but I really enjoyed creating this card.

First, I chose the image, then decided it would work really well with the Tropical Oasis Designer Series Paper (DSP) from the Mini Catalog. I let the DSP dictate the colors (Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Grove with a splash of Old Olive and Real Red).

I stamped the images on Whisper White Cardstock using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored with Stampin’ Blends. I stamped the sentiment – from the Tags in Bloom Sale-a-bration Stamp Set – in Grapefruit Grove, and die-cut the stamped panel with the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.

The Tropical Oasis DSP is so gorgeous, and it makes me think “Spring.” The colors are so fresh and pretty. I added a layer of the DSP to a Pool Party card base, then added some ribbon and the Whisper White layer. Sadly, I have a bad habit of hoarding my ribbon until it’s retired, and that is the case with the Pool Party Shimmer Ribbon, However, you can easily create your own Pool Party ribbon using any Whisper White or Very Vanilla ribbon and either Stampin’ Blends or Classic Ink Refills with alcohol. (You can use water with the refills, but I find rubbing alcohol gives a more vibrant color and dries a little more quickly.)

Sale-a-Bration Second Release

Don’t forget that tomorrow – March 3 – is the second release of Sale-a-bration (SAB) products. During Sale-a-bration, you earn free Level 1 products with every $50 order. If you bump your order to $100, you can earn two Level 1 or one Level 2 Product. The Tags in Bloom Stamp Set that I used on today’s card is one of the free Level 2 Second Release Products. It coordinates with two punches from the Mini Catalog – Label Me Fancy and Label Me Lovely Punches. Other second release products include a masculine stamp set, Foil and Vellum Specialty DSP, and the fun Rise & Shine Stamp Set that coordinates with the Cup of Cheer Dies from the Holiday Catalog (and still available online). You can view the brochure with all the SAB products here.

More Sale-a-bration Fun

Host a qualifying party during SAB and besides the regular Stampin’ Rewards, you’ll also earn the Little Ladybug Stamp Set free (and you can purchase coordinating dies for this set).

Join my team of amazing demonstrators and you’ll receive $125 worth of product of your choice plus a DSP sampler, a Mini Paper Cutter, and an additional stamp set of your choice – for only $99.

Sale-a-bration ends March 31, so don’t dither around and miss it! Shop – Host – and/or Join today!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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