Fun Quote Friday's

Lady Bug

Lady bugs are the best ever and I love this cute little card.  I wish I had done something a bit more with the white Top Note I have her on, just for a bit of texture, but she is cute regardless.

If you look real close you can see the scalloped black and white ribbon that is retiring.  I am definitely sad losing out on my favorite ribbons!!

This little cutie is going out to some of our Card A Month crew that ordered kid cards and I couldn't be happier!

Fun, fun, fun!

Bubble Gum Machine

My daughter got a really cool red cast iron bubble gum machine for her 6th birthday and it was the coolest!  She LOVED that bubble gum machine and then her dear mother accidently knocked it off the counter and the glass shattered and the gumball machine was no longer.

So, Jorgy, 13 years later here is your replacement!!!  =)

My favorite part of the gumball machine is putting the Crystal Effects on the gumballs.  They just make them POP!!!  Plus, you just can't beat the texture.

Now for my confession!

I WANTED to turn this gumball machine into a scratch off.  I saw a really cool recipe on Pinterest on how to make your own scratch off using paint and dish soap.  I originally tried it on a scrap paper and it worked out GREAT!

However, when I tried it on the card...uh, ya!  Out of 10 cards only ONE came out semi decent, BUT the colors of the ink smeared so it didn't really come out like I had planned.

The other 9, oh wow!  TOTALLY destroyed!  I wish I had taken a picture of the "silver" running down the paper, smearing my whole card and making a GIANT mess!  Making sure you have your paper pinned down to a flat surface is DEFINITELY a must.  I am assuming I added too much dishsoap and not enough paint and possibly that would have helped as well.

AND not using any ink under the scratch off part and just using a Sharpie to write a message would have been much better.

Oh well, live and learn and then make some more!

Happy Stamping!
Suzanne

Our Podcast is LIVE!

I used to LOVE my weekly podcast.  It was so beyond fun, so enjoyable and what better way to compliment our radio show?  Yep, little ol' me used to be on the air waves!  The best part?  When they did some finagling with the mic and made me sound "sultry" versus a Squeaky Suzy!   Eeeek!

It has been a few years and I figured, there is NO REASON why I couldn't spin making cards into a wonderful niche' marketing podcast.  =)   Oh ya, the creative juices were definitely flowing when I thought this one up.  Thus, the Greetings From Suzanne Podcast was born.

Originally, I was going to launch the Podcast on May 2nd, but being patient is NOT my strong suit so my hubby nicely persuaded me to go live.  Which translates to, "he was watching the Boston Marathon news and hollered, "Ya, babe, hit play!"  =)

I only have one show uploaded so far, one in the pipeline ready to play on Thursday and iTunes is taking its sweet time "approving" my content.

So, if you were of a mind to check out our first episode, please do!  Any feedback would be MORE than welcome!!

Thanks so much!!!
Suzanne

Fun Quote Friday's

Tufted Puff Craziness

I am going Tufted Crazy!  I am just having so much fun and it is so quick and easy with such a dramatic look.   Not to mention how easy it is to switch it out and make one card into another.  I needed a Thank You and a Birthday card so I just did two of the same card and switched out the sentiments.  =)

See more tufted puff cards:

Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake Tufted Puff
Bashful Blue Engagement

Definitely having fun plus I put Pink Pirouette to work since Pretty in Pink is going away.  <sniff, sniff>

Happy Stamping!

Newsletter Sign Up

If you haven't signed up for our Monthly Newsletter, don't forget to do it today.  =) - SIGN UP!

Our May 1st newsletter will be FULL of exciting announcements, more techniques and all kinds of goodies.

If you missed last months newsletter, go ahead and click through the link to see all the fun stuff.

APRIL NEWSLETTER


Thanks so much!

Suzanne

Keeping it Clean

When it comes to adhesive I am definitely a double sided sticky tape kind of gal.  I used some sub-par TomBow adhesive for a bunch of cards I made for the Antique Shop and a month later the cards were all falling apart!  It was embarrassing, humiliating and I was LIVID!   Needless to say, I stick to 3M.

However, there are times when I need a smaller piece of adhesive and one that forms to the shape I need tape on and that is when I go to my back-up.  Stampin' Ups! Snail Adhesive is wonderful!  It sticks, it holds and it hasn't annoyed me yet.

EXCEPT with the extra stickiness that clings for its very life on my grid paper.  Then when I least expect a finished product attaches itself to the minute area of adhesive.  Lots of loud screaming often ensues so I came up with a little area of peace.

I place a Post It off to the side of my grid paper and that is where I use the Snail adhesive for my projects.  No mess, no fuss and no temper tantrums.  When I am finished taping my paper, I can just move the Post It so I don't ruin my main project.  It works GREAT!

Now I am a happy stamper without a lot of worries....well, at least I have one less worry!  =)

Happy Stamping!
Suzanne

More Tufted Puff

I am in LOVE with Donna's Tufted Puff technique.  It is BEYOND fun and I am dying to work on another one.  I have some fun ideas in mind and I may just take the day to play.

I made this one last week for my ladies and I love the little Adorning Accents edge on the bottom of the front of the card.

If I was super crazy, I would have added some pearls to either the diamond points or the bottom swoop.  That would have been fun!  I just think it needs a bit more "sparkle" or fun.

Either way, it was a ton of fun and I love Donna's tutorial.

Stamp Set

Just Believe

Paper

Cherry Cobbler

Crumb Cake

Very Vanilla

Inks

Crumb Cake

Early Espresso

Punches & Framelits

Window Punch

Modern Label Punch

Adorning Accents

Happy Stamping!

Suzanne

Do Not Open Until.....

I am sure you have all heard of the color commotion going over at Stampin' Up! and I will whole heartedly admit I wept; long, hard and my heart is breaking.  But I did put on my "man pants" and wipe the snot from my face and put in my last desperate order of my favorite colors.

This year I was able to get almost all of the goodies I ordered so that is a good thing!  However, I am not brave enough to open the box and start rifling through the papers and inks.  I know that once I do, it will be the same as saying good bye to an old friend and I am just not ready yet.

Yep, Pretty in Pink is almost as wonderful as my best friend.  Certainly Celery has heard my squeals of delight.  Lucky Limeade is feeling quite left out being one of the only colors NOT being renewed and let's face it, I still hate Pear Pizzazz.

So there it sits on my floor just waiting for me to open it.  Softly calling out my name.  Pleading with me to come to terms with a sad good bye.  Seeing that I am BRILLIANT at pushing things aside and not dealing with them, I figured I would do the same with my lonely box and I have scheduled my little day of sadness for Tuesday.  I will be a big girl until then, no tears, no ripping of the hair, no stomping around throwing a temper tantrum.  I will be the picture of serenity and indifference.

Tuesday, however, will be BRUTAL!!!!  I should probably bring in another box of Kleenex just in case!

So there is my sad, pathetic, little story.

The good news is after a week in Arizona and an unexpected flurry of life Thursday, Friday and Saturday I should be back to making cards again starting tomorrow!!!  YEAH!!!!!!!

Until then, it is off to get my cottage back to working order.

Have a great weekend!
Suzanne

Fun Quote Friday's

Every Friday I will be posting another Fun Quote that I either have a stamp of or is just too cute to pass up!  Plus, it is always good to have a little chuckle on a Friday to start the weekend off right!

Oh wouldn't that be wonderful?!   Sophie, this is for you!!  Now eat that frikken cookie or dozen!  =)

Suzy's Sassy Stampers

YEAH!!!!  I am in Arizona this week and enjoying the family, sunshine and Outback!  Ok, yes, I did splurge and order almost everything on the menu at Taco Bell too.  Truth be told, if my mom hadn't blocked me this morning I would be at Chik-fil-a this morning too!  Have I mentioned I don't even have a McDonald's in the town I live in now?  Thus the reason for the insane splurging!

ANYWAY!  One of the reasons for coming back to Arizona is my very first Suzy's Sassy Stampers meetings with my gals.  I am so excited and I totally scoured the internet looking for some nifty techniques to show the ladies and how could I NOT share Karen Barber's White Wash Technique?

I don't have the Secret Garden stamp set, but I do love Fabulous Florets so I used this stamp set instead.

I absolutely LOVED playing with the technique and had a ball used stamping random stamp sets and getting my "white wash" on.  The Lobster from By the Tide looks great white washed with Cajun Craze!

The one thing I did noticed is you really have to have a lot of the "white wash" on the crumb cake paper to get the nice blending effect.

As for the rest of the weekend, I am spending it with a TON of the cutest little girls EVER and my family.  =)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Suzanne

Fun Quote Friday's

Every Friday I will be posting another Fun Quote that I either have a stamp of or is just too cute to pass up!  Plus, it is always good to have a little chuckle on a Friday to start the weekend off right!

Classy Quick Notes

How many times have you had to write up a quick little note and either mail out, leave behind or give to someone else?  A Post-It works fine, a scrap piece of paper will do the trick, but will it be professional?

Leaving a note for your kids are one thing, most of the time a piece of paper with a quick smiley face is enough to get the job done, but can the same thing be said about a client or a customer?  Sometimes including a classy note with an order or as a "thank you" can be a heck of a lot more memorable than a white lined paper you tore off a note pad.

Not to mention how they feel when they see a stunning envelope in their mailbox that does NOT resemble a bill!

Presentation is everything and setting yourself apart with a something as simple as a note, is a GREAT way to get you and your business noticed...in a positive way!

Plus, they are easy to make or even easier to order!

Enjoy!
Suzanne

Facebook Store Now Open for Business!

I have a new cute Facebook Store all ready to go!  Talk about simple, fun and easy!  I don't have all of my cards up there yet, but I am getting there!

Loads and loads of new things going on around Gooseberry Cottage and I am not sure I have time in the day to get it all done, but I am working on it!

Our first newsletter is all sent out, we have our Facebook store figured out and up and running, new products are in the mix, the Retreat is set, our Podcasts are being written and we have new announcements coming in May for MORE changes!

Of course, with change and new roll outs also comes new strategies, saying good bye to others, and making room for the new!  Of course, the decisions are heart breaking, foot stomping and often times hair yanking with squeals of frustration ensues.  Yaaaaaaa, I am not the most calm of people!

But hey, I have a Facebook Store now!!!   =)

Happy Stamping!
Suzanne

Paris in Spring

I am finally all finished with the cards for the World of Cards Retreat in June!  The RSVP's are in, the fun is coming together, the contests decided, the give-a-ways are being worked on and now it is time to get to work!

Ordering supplies, making kits, cutting paper, putting together all of the goodies and getting ready to travel back to Arizona!  YEAH!

PLUS, the Retreat is just in time for the new roll out for the Stampin' Up! Catalog!  I am thinking a Wish List party is in order as well!!

Oh ya, baby!

Fun to be Stamping!
Suzanne