I've had a fondness for trains since I was a little girl probably because my grandfather worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and because I'd been to Union Station in St. Louis many times to take or pick up relatives who were traveling.  Trains were still hanging on then as the main mode of transportation.  I can remember standing on the walkway in between the big trains and seeing them pull in under the shed.  Sometimes we got to get on the train with our visitor until the train was ready to leave.  It was the way my family and relatives all traveled back then (and before my time) rather than driving in a car or flying in a plane.

This one little card I made drudged up all those memories!

Supplies:
 
Stamps:  Choo Choo #113982, On Your Birthday #111664, Right on Track Wheel #113838

Ink:  Brilliant Blue, Old Olive, Real Red, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray

Paper:  Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Old Olive

Accessories:  Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Tag and Small Tag Punches

There are so many cute projects you could make with this Choo Choo stamp set. If you don't mind some cutting with your Paper Snips (they make intricate cutting easier!) you can make the train look 3-D by cutting out some or all of the cars.  Think of what a cute little wall plaque in a frame you could make for a little boy's (or girl's) room!  

If you would like to purchase any of the supplies for your train card, scrapbook page, or project, just go to my Online Store!  You can have fun with this set!

When my latest Stampin' Up! order arrived, this was the first set I wanted to play with. Awash with Flowers allows you to do "two-step stamping" where first you stamp the outline and then you stamp the "inside".  You can either just "eyeball" where you need to stamp or you can use the Stamp-a-ma-Jig for perfect placement.  It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!  Awash with Flowers will be in the next new Idea Book & Catalog in July, but you can get it this month until April 30 and have a brand new set ahead of other people who don't know or don't take advantage of this offer!!

Check out this Two-Step into Spring offer, good only until April 30th, right now!  If you would enjoy owning this stamp set or any of the others on sale for 20% off, please email me or use the Online Ordering Button in the upper right corner.

Today is a drizzly, gloomy day but this card has brightened my morning!  I knew I wanted to make a card with this "two-step stamping" set, Awash with Flowers, but not do the two-step stamping!  I just wanted to stamp the outline in Stazon Black ink and then color in.  It's nice to have the option with this set!  Two different looks!

I thought I would use some of the Sweet Pea Designer Paper #117161 in the Occasions Mini, so then pulled out some Pretty in Pink card stock to coordinate.  But I also found a scrap of Whisper White, already embossed with the Stampin' Up! Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder #117335.  Both scraps were rather narrow so I decided to make a 6"x3" card.  I stamped the flower from "Awash with Flowers", colored in with Watercolor Crayons, and cut out with my Paper Snips scissors #103579.  I added a little sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes #115370.  I considered some other embellishments, but had to stop myself!  The card looked fine being simple. Sometimes you have to know when to stop!

This stamp set, Awash with Flowers, is a new set that will be in the next Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog, but you have a chance to purchase it during April in either wood-mount or clear-mount.  Be sure to get it this month or you will have to wait until July!  Check out this Two-Step into Spring Promotion!

We've had a beautiful red rose bush blooming back against the fence in the backyard which inspired me to make this card with Fifth Avenue Floral (#113734).  This set and technique were quite popular awhile back after someone demonstrated it at a Stampin' Up! event.  Just stamp the flower with White Craft Ink on Shimmery White card stock, emboss with White Embossing Powder and use your Aqua Painter (#103954) to moisten the flower petals.  Pick up some reinker with your Aqua Painter and let it just float and fill in the spaces!  In the past I used various colors and lots of lighter and darker areas, but on this flower I wanted it to be deep red.

Here are the real roses:

And here are my stamped roses!

For the leaves I just used the new Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch (#117191).  First I was going to use the little branch with leaves but then realized the bird wing looked like a leaf and for today, I liked that better!  I used my Aqua Painter to pick up some Old Olive ink and draw on some leaf veins and sponged the edges a little.

You can use the stamp set Well Scripted (wood or clear) for the sentiment.

Don't tell anybody, but I wobbled a little with my stamp, if you can pick out the mistake.  But all I had to do was grab my Real Red Stampin' Write Marker and smooth out the rough spots.

I think you might even be able to pick up the shimmer of the Shimmery White card stock in the photo, especially if you click on it and enlarge.

And the best part of all is that this stamp set is part of the Stampin' Up! Two-Step Into Spring Promotion going on right now!  You can get Fifth Avenue Floral and others for 20% off!  Order today at my Online Store!

Plus, get 20% off a selection of springy Two-Step Stampin' sets:

Since I was playing with the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Pack (Occasions Mini #117161) I decided to make some cards with it.  This is not just a package of designer paper, it is a big stack of coordinating paper, 2 each of 24 double-sided designs 12×12.  The bird is made with the fun new Extra-Large Two-Step Bird Punch (#117191), also in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  The "thank you" is from "Thank You Kindly" (#111700) in the Idea Book & Catalog.

You can order any of these supplies to make this card at my 

Online Store!