Nature Walk Birthday card and gift

Ummm...first of all~ where is Spring? Have you seen it? Felt it? Not here!! Here in Virginia our warmest day on record was actually in January...can you believe that??

So...they say that if we make it through this week...warmer weather is just around the corner...keeping fingers and toes crossed (no not really...I need my fingers to STAMP!!)

Hope you enjoyed the previous post about Easter treats, just a few more to share with you that I had hoped to post sooner. Oopsy!! The kids went back to school today so Momma's been busy!

Here are a few more sweet treats:

These are marshmallow rabbit Peeps, that were covered in chocolate and sprinkled. My daughter Regan and I made them for some friends.
Here is a close-up:

I also wanted to share with you some cookies made with our Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps (sold on pg. 161 in the Idea Book & Catalog).

These cookies used the Occasions set (127081) that includes a rabbit, flower and shamrock.
My friend/downline Anne Butterfield made these...aren't they cute?? They were delicious too!!
When you order the Cookie press stamps, recipes and tips are included. The size of the stamp measures 2 3/4". I want to share with you the recipe that she used..enoy!

Annie Pugh's Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon
salt, 1 cup butter, 1 egg, 3 tsp evap milk, 1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar and butter, add wet ingredients and then flour,powder and salt...of course butter is at room temperature
Just add colored sugar on them if desired

Butter frosting recipe (for cut- outs)
6tbs butter (room temp)
1lb powdered sugar (which is a box or 4 3/4 cups)
1/4 cup evap milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Note: if you are making reindeer..the perfect color combo for food coloring...we call it "toast" is
1 drop green food coloring
4 yellow drops
3 red drops of food colors = toast

Now you have all our Sugar Cookie secrets....it wasn't a secret though!

(Thanks Anne!!!)

Now...Easter is over and as I have said it before (a million times)...it's SPRING!! Isn't it???

We are all anxious to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine. The flowers start blooming and trees start budding. Animals too awaken. We look forward to longer days, planting our flowers and vegetable gardens and walking on the lush carpet of green grass, barefoot! Doesn't that sound just about right??

It inspired me for my next creation..my girlfriends birthday is today (Happy Birthday Shelly!!)

So..I went to my stash of stamp sets and grabbed Nature Walk (121997 C).
Here is the first card I came up with~ icky..I hate it.

Thought it might have been neat in the beginning...to sort of sew the two ripped sides together..but when I added ribbon..all I could see were laces (and that was even before I added the eyelets!!) Remember those?? Eyelets that is?? I have a stash of them...at least I used a few here (lol). So I used my Pool (almost wrote 'poop') Party Seam binding ribbon along the top and added the linen thread and a tag....not sure if I will trash it..or let Regan give to one of her friends. Like the old Life commercials...give it to Mikey...he'll eat it. In this case...give it to Regan~ she'll like it!

Then it was back to the drawing board...I still knew I wanted to use this set.
Well....my determination paid off...never give up!!

Supplies
Stamp Set: Nature Walk (121997 C), From My Heart (126557 C)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, First Edition Specialty DSP (121878)
Ink: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Versamark
Access: Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons (127555), Big Shot (113439), Framed Tulips embossing folder (121809), dimensionals (104430), basic pearls (119247), glue dots (103683), heat tool (129053), pewter embossing powder (124114), linen thread (104199), Very Vanilla seam binding ribbon (120999), stamping sponges (101610), sticky strip (104294), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772), Color Spritzer tool (107066), Crumb Cake stampin' write marker

Here is an angled shot to show the popped up cage:

Can you tell I was feeling the blue tones?? So....after I sat back and smiled I remembered something else I had wanted to try...it would be the perfect matching gift!!

I ran out to the fabric store...with card in hand and found some pretty darn close synthetic fabrics to Not Quite Navy. Here is the beauty I made....and the little eggs inside are our basic pearls!!

CUTE!!
Here it's on my hand...so you can see IRL the size:

Click here for a tutorial.
NOTE: I didn't use a lighter....I used something even easier...our heat tool!!! You're welcome!!
Here is the box I made using the Bigz XL Bitty Box & Envelope die (retired)

Inside:

That's it for me today...hope you enjoyed. Leave me a comment and make a girl smile :)
Let me know if you have any questions..take care and happy stampin'!

-Erin

Shop Online 24/7 (even in your P.J.'s)
website: www.erinsstampart.stampinup.net
email: stampingwitherin@yahoo.com

Another two to share....and it's Friday!!

Yahoo!! It's Friday...not sure what that means exactly for me but I am EXCITED!! Mostly I think because the spring season for baseball starts tomorrow. My youngest son Aiden (age 11) will be playing and he has his first practice tomorrow. The fields are probably too wet from the last snow we had...but the cages are fine and he too is ready. Hard to believe that it's here...I remember last year there were a couple of late evening games early on in the season that were a wee bit too chilly for me! He's such a good sport about it...get it...sport?? Oh...I know...I 'think' I'm funny!

Anyway...this morning I was scared I wasn't going to be able to post anything...slept wrong or worked out too much yesterday and my neck is stiff. Hard to stamp when you can't turn your head...all I can do is look down! But here I am~ posting away and sharing with you what I made today.

It uses a couple of sets, which work well together. Not sure if there is a stamp set that I don't like...but I sure do have my favorites!! Anyway...I grabbed the first set...a favorite (Artistic Etchings) stamp set...stared at it for a few minutes wondering what I was going to come up with and started with the card base..Summer Starfruit. This is probably one of my favorite colors, remember Crushed Curry?? It sadly retired...but this is pretty close. Anyway...then I grabbed a piece of First Edition Specialty DSP, cut it at 2" and stamped on it. Then when I was about to place it on the front of the card...I didn't like it (too wide). So...I cut in 1/2 and the piece on the right I stuck to a Soft Suede back (same size) and popped it up with dimensionals.

Love the dimension...here is another picture.

Inside:

My name is Erin Barker and I am a 'Spritz-a-holic'. Yes indeed...I find myself always thinking a project needs just one more element...one final touch. I can't hold back...I grab the Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz and SPRITZ away!! But today someone tried to intervene...


Ah ha~

Who is this you ask?? This would be Oscar....my very sleepy kitty!

 I need my box!! Oscar...give it back!! I felt bad removing him...but momma needs to 'spritz'..you understand right??

Supplies
Stamp Set: Artistic Etchings (120573 C), Collage Curios (129102 C), French Foliage (121166 C)
Card Stock: First Edition Specialty DSP (121878), Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Versamark pad
Access: Stampin' Write marker Crumb Cake, linen thread (104199), dimensionals (104430), Color Spritzer tool (107066), stampin' sponges (101610), postage stamp punch (122344), 1 " square punch (124094), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772), heat tool (129053), silver embossing powder (109131), key (retired)


This next card is one I made for my brother's birthday (his was the day after mine). And yes...you guessed it...I spritzed it!! You can really see the shimmer from the flash. Ahhhh..just looking at it makes me smile!

I used a couple of retired goodies...the copper embossing powder and key tag punch. Shhh!! I just had too!! This image is from the stamp set called Feeling Sentimental (129630 C) available as a FREE item from 'Sale-a-Bration'. Remember for every $50 you spend you get to choose a FREE goodie!!

Note: I heat embossed the bicycle image first using the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to place it perfectly on the raised embossed border, then I stamped it again using Early Espresso ink, then again without re-inking the stamp stamp a third time to achieve the lighter look.

Supplies
Stamp Set: Feeling Sentimental (129630 C)
Card Stock: Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso, Island Indigo
Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark Pad
Access: Big Shot (113439), Textured Impressions Needlepoint border embossing folders (129383), linen thread (104199), Sycamore Street ribbon and button pack (130812), copper brad (retired), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772)

That's it for today...about to pop some more ibuprofen and have a glass of wine...don't judge me!

Have a great weekend!!
-Erin
Shop Online 24/7 (even in your P.J.'s)
website: www.erinsstampart.stampinup.net
email: stampingwitherin@yahoo.com