Congratulations to Simple Pleasures!

I just had to blog about Simple Pleasures' upcoming 23rd Anniversary!  Simple Pleasures is a fabulous Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook store located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Cathy Smith, the owner, stocks just about whatever supplies you could possibly want, including Mixed Media products, a wide variety of scrapbook papers, stencils, including all Memory Box, dies and more!

When you first walk into the store and go to the right, you will find one of the biggest selections of Planners I have ever seen!

And then there are the papers!  Cathy carries all the Graphic 45 papers, along with every brand you can imagine, including Disney!

Here is the Graphic 45 Staples display:

And the huge Memory Box die and stencil Display:

Just when you think you have seen it all, here is the Ribbon Wall!

Dies from Tim Holtz, Impression Obsession and many more:

Cathy offers a wide variety of classes and brings in wonderful Guest Teachers.  Here is her spacious classroom:

Of course there is much more to see!  Cathy's big celebration for her 23rd Anniversary is in a few weeks.  If you can make it to Colorado Springs, it would definitely be a treat not to miss!

Congratulations again, Cathy!

Susan

MARDI GRAS!

Hello Everyone!  This year Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine's Day, so guess what day Tuesday, the 13th is, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras!  Has anyone thought how much fun it would be to create some fun cards to send out "just because" to friends and family?  I sure did.  Here they are:

I love Creative Impressions embellishments joined with Graphic 45 papers!  I still have a stash of G45's Midnight Masquerade paper that I wanted to use just for this theme.  Love the combination.  Of course, I thought the embellishments that really "made" these two cards were the Velvet Shimmer Ribbons 70971 Orange and 70978 Lavender  and especially these wonderful Yellow 90602 Fleur-di-Lis paper fasteners/brads!  Don't they make you immediately think of New Orleans and Fat Tuesday?

Here are some close ups for detail:

For this first card, I created a border using one of my border punches and a matching shade of orange cardstock.  I then layered on one of the G45 papers in the collection after first wrapping Creative Impressions Orange Velvet Shimmer Ribbon around each side edge.  Then I punched three holes on each side with a paper awl and inserted the Yellow Fleur-di-Lis brads.  What a difference!  I cut out some masks separately from the paper and used foam tape to adhere them to a black panel.  I could not resist adding some Orange Stickles to the bottom border as well.  Here is the card without the brads:

See what I mean?  It is still pretty but it really "pops" with the addition of the brads!

Of course, I think some feathers coming out from behind the masks would have really added some "punch", however, I am allergic to feathers, so alas....disappointing.

Now for some detail on the second card:

I cut an extra of the costumed character from another panel as well as the larger flowers and adhered them over the top of the bottom images using foam tape.  I used some Orange and Purple (Starry Night)  Stickles to accentuate the mask and part of the pattern of the clothes.  Matches the beautiful Creative Impressions Purple Velvet Shimmer ribbon well!  I added some White Pearls from Creative Impressions to the flower centers and, after wrapping the panel on the left side with the ribbon, I adhered all to a second G45 panel and finally to the card.

Hope you have enjoyed these Mardi Gras themed cards.  Hope they make you think of New Orleans and maybe even Brazil and Carnival!  Party on!

Susan