Nola's Iris Garden

 I used to volunteer at my kids' preschool and the teacher would ask me to go outside - since she knew I was stuck inside most of my work days and loved gardening and I would divide the bulbs when it came to time.  Over time from there and other places I had amassed some beautiful irises.  But when we had our backyard landscaped, the landscaper told me "sure" when I asked that they save the iris bulbs, but alas when I got home that day, they were all gone, they were accidentally thrown away. Nola's Iris Garden is a 5 acre private garden free for wandering many months of the year at the top of the San Jose hills at the end of Sierra Road- beyond several curvy miles up the hill.

 They have acres and acres of all sorts of different colored irises, some for sale there and others for mail ordering.
My boys ran around like crazy as 9 year old boys are apt to do.  They loved this beautiful turkey that reminded me of the outfit that Audrey Hepburn wore for My Fair lady for the Ascot Races in this gorgeous black and white plumage.  We also saw heritage chickens, a goat, bunch of people riding horses, cats and dogs....

 From the top you could see the Bay area - you could see the San Francisco bay from here - unspoiled and serenely beautiful.  Hard to believe that this is nestled just above the busy silicon valley life.

Dylan is sitting quietly taking it all in.  You can't see it but beyond his feet is a hillside going straight down covered with irises!

This is one of the varieties I loved called Sharp Shooter- such intense colors and contrast.  I will have to order that one and Secret World on the next go around when they have it.  I was able to get Navy Blue, October (a Summer Sun colored iris)  Preteporter (a pale lavender color) to name a few.  We'll see how my garden develops in the next season.....


These are some of the shots I took with my new
iphone just to see-  It's amazing the quality of the pictures from smartphones and how they have changed over the years. Gotta love technology.

My Undefined Playstation Controller Birthday Card

 My son Tyler is going to a birthday party of a friend who is a gaming crazed teenager- wait, that's my son, too!  I wanted something game related but did not have a stamp for it so what did I do?  Took out my son's playstation controller and drew it out and carved it from my Undefined carving kit of course! I drew it up, and rough carved it and then stamped as I continued to carve to make sure I got the image I wanted and it turned out pretty cool, if I say so myself. It took less than 30 minutes!

 I stamped it on whisper white using versamark and heat embossed it with black embossing powder then cut it out.  I stamped Happy Birthday from Bring on the Cake (sadly on the retired list- so if you need it, get it now while you still can! ) on a piece of whisper white and diecut it with On Film framelit and colored the words in with Bermuda bay, Strawberry slush, Crushed curry, Smoky slate, and pumpkin pie markers.  I then cut a piece of 3 1/2x 3 1/2 Kaleidoscope DSP and layered it underneath it.  I dry fitted the controller I cut out to see where I wanted it then used the black  marker to draw the "cord"  then mounted it using dimensional.  Stamp small Simply Stars (also on retired list) with Strawberry slush and cut out and mount with dimensionals.  Celebrate from Starburst sayings diecut with coordinating Starburst Framelit Die.

 I think it does make sense that the kids want cash since giftcards are usable at certain stores and can easily be forgotten and lost, but I still want to give it to them in a special way.  The envelope liner framelit die to the rescue!   The smallest liner is perfect for trifolded cash- Makes it a little more classy then just money folded inside the card.  Used another sheet from Kaleidoscope DSP to make the envie.  Added the Happy birthday banner from Itty Bitty Banners, diecut with Bitty Banners framelit and reasonably easy - but I hope he thinks Spectacular- card.


Things you need to make this card:
Paper:     Whisper white  CS    100730           $8.50 (40 sheets)
               Kaleidoscope DSP    132995          $10.95 for 12 sheets

               Bermuda Bay  CS      131197          $6.95 (24 sheets)  

Stamps:  Undefined stamp carving kit            Kit 133402 / refill kit 134808

               Bring on the Cake      128490Wood  $38.95        121958 Clear $27.95  

               Simply Stars              130889 Wood  $13.95        130892 Clear $10.95

               Itty Bitty Banners      132022 Wood  $15.95        126257  Clear $11.95 

               Starburst sayings       133182  Wood  $25.95        133185  Clear $18.95

Ink:     Bermuda Bay              131171 

            Versamark              102283

            StazOn Jet Black      101406

            Markers: Strawberry Slush, Pmmpkin Pie, Smoky Slate,  Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry     

Tools:  On Film Framelits     132969   $29.95

            Bitty Banners framelit  129267   $14.95

            Starburst framelit  132967  $26.95 

             black embossing powder     109133     $4.75

Envelope Liners Framelits Dies   132172   $26.95   (type in the name in search and you will find it in the store although it does not come up automatically when you look in the framelit section)

Dimensionals                                       104430            $3.95 (300 dots)

Multipurpose Liquid glue                   110755            $3.95

You can buy any and all of what you need at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lyndalee

Happy Easter! Purse handle basket

Ah, what to do with all those purse handles left over from the bunny purses I made for Easter treats?  I was playing and thinking about making a trellis , a background for a oval cutout, but I thought, hey, I need to make a Easter basket and it was perfect for it.
I make the basket by weaving the handles, tucked the ends over and put a strip on top and bottom to finish the edges and added the ruffle ribbon in brown sugar to "line the basket".  I used the Small Oval punch with white, daffodil delight, pool party, pumpkin pie, Pistachio pudding and Gold to make the eggs and used dimensionals to pop them out.  The base card is soft sky with grass made from strips of Pistaschio Pudding cut with Fringe Scissors layered- the top layer is attached with dimensionals as well.
The hello is from A Dozen thoughts stampset, punched out with  Deorative Label punch  twice to make it smaller -tied with Calypso Coral Bakers twine.  I put a left over strip to make a handle but left it  unattached at the top to make it more 3D and it works- although I probably can't mail it...
And the bottom picture was our Easter Sunday dessert - It was a gorgeous chocolate cake and yummy to boot!   Happy Easter to you all!  Celebrate Life.
Lynda

petite flowers Thinking of you

A friend's husband whom I knew well, suddenly passed away with a pulmonary embolism after surgery and I wanted to send her a card letting her know that I was thinking about her. 
The base card is pink pirouette with whisper white embossed with Framed tulip EF and stamped with the oval from Oh, Hello in Pink Pirouette. I stamped thinking of you in Soft suede onto  5 1/2x 5/8" strip of Pink pirouette CS with the edged punched with the hexagon punch.  I stamped several petite flowers on a scrap piece of whisper white and then some four sided flowers using the itty bitty shapes.  Cut some Little Leaves  with the Sizzlits from Pear Pizazz cardstock. I used liquid multipurpose glue to shape the leaves a bit around the stamped oval to frame it a bit.  Leave some of the leaves free to shape around the flowers.  I punched out the petite flowers and mounted it using dimensionals and the Itty bitty shapes using dimensionals and multipurpose glue for variable heights.
Stamp the butterfly onto a scrap piece of whisper white and then punch it out.  I used the pick pirouette marker to   add a little bit of color to the wings and the pear pizazz to the body of the butterfly to continue the card around the card.  Mount with a dimensional dot cut in half.
Pretty simple card that just looks hard- We will be making this card as one of the May projects- 

Things you need to make this card you need

Paper:     Whisper white  CS               100730            $8.50 (40 sheets)

   Pink Pirouette CS                111351            $6.95 (24 sheets)  

   Pear Pizazz CS                    131201           $6.95 (24 sheets) 

Stamps:  Papillon Potpurri  132058   Wood  $18.95             123759 Clear    $14.95 

                Four You         130535  Wood  $14.95             130538 Clear    $11.95  

                 Oh, Hello       131931   Wood  $25.95             130733  Clear   $18.95 

               Petite Petals      133152  Wood  $15.95             133155  Clear    $11.95

Ink:      Pink Pirouette   126956

            Soft Suede   126978

markers: pink pirouette and Pear pizazz

Tools:  Punch    Bitty Butterfly      129406   $15.95

                          Itty Bitty Shapes   118309   $16.95 (pack of 3)

                          Petite Petals Punch  133322   $12.95

                          Hexagon punch 130919  $15.95 (to make banner )

     Little Leaves Sizzlit 114511 $5.50 (A must have tool in my book!)

Whisper White Bakers twine              124262           $2.95 (25 yards)

Framed Tulip  Embossing folder      126128    $7.95

Accents:  Pearl Basic Jewels    119247   $4.95

Dimensionals                                       104430            $3.95 (300 dots)

Multipurpose Liquid glue                   110755            $3.95

You can buy any and all of what you need at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lyndalee

Easter Bunny Stampin' Up Purse

I dream cards.  Sometimes when I dream, I think of cards and projects I want to make and sometime they look just the way I dreamed and other times, I don't know what I just thinking.  For some reason, I had this bunny made of purse stuck in my head and how I wanted to make it. So I played with it and played with it until this came out.  It's the purse die from Stampin' Up diecut in whisper white.  I punche 4 large ovals from the left over white after diecutting the purse and put small ovals punched (I am so sorry it is retired but you can free cut it) with pink pirouette.
The face is made using the owl punch.  punch 2 black, the cheeks are punched from the same owl punch - the larger of the 2 round circles on the punch and the nose is the heart from the owl punch . I mounted the nose and cheeks with dimensionals.  Added the little toes with the pink pirouette marker to match. 

 The closure looked like the buck teeth so I used a little pencil to draw a line down the center but it is cute without it.

The bunny tail came from the Bojo Blossoms punch again mounted with dimensionals.

The feet was attached with dimensionals but the ears were attached using glue dots which makes it lay flat and not fall off.

So, this is the finished bunny. It was so easy and so cute.   Fill it with candy of your choice- little chocolate eggs are perfect for Easter!

Enjoy.  Lynda

 

to make the bunny purse you need:

 Petite Purse Bigz L         125606        $32.95

 Large Oval punch            119855        $15.95

Boho Blossoms punch      119858        $16.95

Owl Builder punch           118074         $16.95

Whisper white  CS         100730             $8.50 (40 sheets)

Pink Pirouette CS           111351            $6.95 (24 sheets)  

Basic Black CS                121045           $6.95 (24 sheets)  

dimensionals             104430               $3.95 (300 dots)

Glue dots                   103683                $4.95 (300 dots)

You can purchase any or all items here:  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lyndalee

Zoo Babies - make your own DSP

 This was such a straightforward idea of making your own DSP using the variety of animals and different ink colors using the Zoo Babies, I just love it.  I took Pistaschio Pudding base card, embossed with Striped embossing folder.   I stamped a piece of whisper white with the animals in Pistaschio pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, So Saffron, and Pool Party and bordered it with scalloped ribbon punched from Crisp Cantaloupe CS split in half. I stamped the lion in Baked Brown sugar on white and stamped sentiment in pool party punched it out with scalloped circle punch and lined it with a larger circle and mounted with Dimensionals.  Added a Very vintage button  tied with calypso coral Baker's twine and mounted that with a dimensional too.  I chose these colors to make it good for boy or girl but you can change up the color to make it for either sex.

Enjoy.   Lynda

Things you need to make this card you need

Paper:     Whisper white  CS               100730            $8.50 (40 sheets)

                Pistaschio Pudding CS         131294         $6.95 (24 sheets)  

   Crisp Cantaloupe CS            131298           $6.95 (24 sheets)  

   Baked Brown Sugar CS        131296            $6.95 (24 sheets) 

Stamps:  Zoo Babies   130453  Wood  $27.95             130456 Clear    $19.95 

Ink:       Baked Brown Sugar   131174

            Pool Party                   126982

Pistaschio Pudding         131177 

 Crisp Cantaloupe       131176       

So Saffron                   126957   

Tools:  2 1/2 Circle punch  120906    $16.95

           1 3/4 Scallop Circle  Punch     119854    $16.95

           Dotted Sacllop Ribbon Border punch  119275  $15.95
           Stripes Embossing folder      126128    $7.95

            Dimensionals      104430            $3.95 (300 dots)

Accents:  Very Vintage Designer Button  129327 $5.95  (24 buttons/ 3 designs)

               calypso coral Bakers twine   125573   $2.95 (25 yards) 

You can buy any and all of what you need at http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/lyndalee