Shower Invitations

Today's post is a very simple, yet elegant, shower invitation I was hired to do last week.  My dear friend, Pam, was in charge of getting shower invitations out for a wedding shower she is helping host.  The day she was going to work on the invitations, she woke up with terrible vertigo.  She has never had vertigo, and has no idea what caused this problem, but she had a terrible bout with it last week.  Thankfully, she is fine now. 

We had talked a few weeks ago about the shower invitations, and I was just going to help her with them.  Once she became so ill, I told her I would take care of them for her.  I had to work fast, and use only the supplies I had on hand, but the reward was worth the effort. 

The wedding is not until sometime this winter, and it is in Mexico, but the bride lives in California and Labor Day weekend is going to be her only visit to her home state of Texas before the wedding.  YIKES!!!!  The shower committee has once chance to bless her, and hopefully they will. 

The only thing she told the hostesses was that she was using the blue and orange colors in a Bird of Paradise flower.  I searched the Internet to be sure I knew what those colors were, and then the search through my stacks of card stock was on.  I was happy with what I came up with, as was Pam, but not all of the invitations are exactly alike.  There were two versions, and I like both, but now my Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze, and Pacific Point card stock is virtually gone.  I also had to use some retired Cameo Coral, but thankfully I loved that color and had stocked up before it was gone forever. 

RECIPE FOR CARD ON THE LEFT:

Card stock:  Baja Breeze,  Poppy Parade, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Poppy Parade
Stamp:  Noteworthy (retired)

RECIPE FOR CARD ON THE RIGHT:
Card stock:  Pacific Point and Cameo Coral (retired), Very Vanilla
Ink:  Poppy Parade (stamped off and then applied to the card)
Stamp:  Noteworthy (retired)

This is the same format I used for my daughter's wedding invitation last fall.  Her colors were chocolate chip and ruby red.  The invitation was a 6X6 piece of chocolate chip, layered on top of that were the ruby red and very vanilla.  I stamped the little Noteworthy swirl in ruby red. 

Have a great Hump Day tomorrow,

Janice

Many things. . . .

Today has been very busy.  I had to drive Jonathan, my youngest non-driving teen, to and from several places this afternoon.  I had no errands to run, so it was just the back and forth sort of time killing kind of driving.  I live just far enough out of town for this to be a pain, but at least I got some quality time talking with Jon. 

I was busy over the weekend making 80 little mini-clipboards.  They are so cute.  I saw this idea on Angie Juda's blog http://chicnscratch.typepad.com/  a couple of years ago.  I have made many of these in the last couple of years.  I have used them as stocking stuffers at Christmas, to go in a gift basket full of goodies, as a little thank you gift for a workshop hostess, a little "just because" gift to many friends, and as a Make-n-Take at my most recent workshop.

The 80 clipboards I made this weekend will be used as little gifts at a women's retreat I will be attending in September.  I made them in different colors, since the ladies will be divided into smaller groups at the retreat.  I think they make the perfect little something for that special someone.  I have even made them with masculine paper for the guys in my life. 

RECIPE:  4-inch rectangular coasters:  I found these on the Internet, but can't remember where
                 Sticky notes and clips:  Wal Mart
                Paper:  Stampin' Up!:  Retired
                Ribbon:  Stampin' Up!:  Retired, but you could use any of the current ribbons that match your choice of current paper
                Stamp:  Refuge and Strength
               Ink:  SU Concord Crush

My summer is winding quickly to an end as school begins on Monday.  Actually, Jon is a manager for the football team, so our summer ended 2 weeks ago when football practice began.  It ended with a big bang as Jon had to be at the school at 5:45 A.M. for the last 2 weeks.  The coaches are trying to beat this August heat in Texas by practicing early in the morning.   This week practice is in the afternoon, since the teachers have workshops all week.  What a blessing to be able to grab one more week of sleeping in a little. 

Happy Stampin' and see you tomorrow with a shower invitation I made last week,

Janice

Busy days!

I don't have a picture of a project to post today, but I do have some things I will be sharing over the next few days.  I just haven't had time to photograph them yet.

The weekend flew by at our house.  I was in a meeting all day Saturday, and exhausted on Sunday.  Monday was spent at the doctor's office with my oldest son.  We thought he had broken his ankle, but it was just a bad sprain. The doctor has him take off work until Friday night, and it is already better.  By the time I got him to the doctor, went to Wal Mart twice to get his pain meds (the first time I forgot his prescription card), went to the pharmacy and got his boot, and took care of all the other numerous mommy things; my day was over. 

Today, I had a stamping job to take care.  A friend hired me to make the invitations for a wedding shower she is helping to host.  I will share those with you tomorrow.  I also hope to share pics of my stampin' space with you in the coming days.  It is a small area in my utility room, which I claimed about a year ago, but I love having my own space.  It is all green and pink and pretty, and I love it.  I just wish it was a little bit bigger.

Have a great rest of the week,

Janice

Necessity is the mother of invention...

I think I am going to like blogging, and uploading photos is getting easier each time I upload.  However, the big problem is my lack of current SU supplies.  As many of you know, SU did a major Color Renovation when the new Idea Book and Catalog came out July 1.  They also retired many stamp sets and accessories.  What with those 2 things and me being in a little hiatus last year due to my daughter's wedding, I am sadly lacking current papers, inks, stamps, etc.  Therefore, the name of today's post.  I am having to dig deep to find current items and substitute inks, etc. 

All this scrambling has caused me to think in a different direction than I usually do.  I named my blog True Elegance because that is my style.  I am very classic in the way I create, decorate my home, and dress.  The current popular "hot" colors are not necessarily my favorites. You know lime, orange, yellow---what I call the citrus colors.  Well today's card is all of those colors with a little of my favorite red and blue thrown in for good measure.  I really feel out on a limb with this card, and would love to hear what you think of this creation.  I am not sure how I feel about the creation, but here it is:

I tried taking my picture outside today.  I think it turned out a little better, but I thought I would melt before I finished.  I will be glad for some cooler weather in 6 weeks or so.

RECIPE:  Stamps--Friends Never Fade
                 Card Stock--Pacific Point, Poppy Parade,Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango,Whisper White
                 Ink--Pacific Point, Old Olive
                 Other--Stampin Dimensionals

The second thing I have to show you today are some Decor' Elements.  I placed these on my front glass door a few weeks ago with the help of my son, Jonathan.  The picture has some reflections of my yard in it, but I think you can tell what it looks like.  I really enjoy seeing my front door as I drive up to my house.  The circle is the Together Forever Circle Frame.  The letter "L" has been retired, however there is now a prettier alphabet available.  This set of alphabet letter is called Decorative Monogram Alphabet and each letter can be purchased individually. 

I hope you enjoy today's post.

Happy Stampin',

Janice

Scrapbooking and Love Letter DSP

After many days of agonizing over the process of posting some pictures of my work, I have finally taken the plunge.  I definitely have lots to learn about photographing my work, editing my work, and posting my work.  I am afraid the pictures are not great, but hang with me as I learn how to do this.  A special thank you to my husband for his help with uploading, editing, and posting the pictures.

Today's post is of 2 scrapbook pages I recently completed.  I had a workshop a few weeks ago and Darlene, the sweet hostess, asked me to demonstrate how to scrapbook using paper piecing.  Paper piecing is my favorite way to scrapbook.  It is the way I originally learned to scrap, thus my favorite.  I love the SU Designer Series Papers (DSP), and couldn't wait to use some of the new DSP. 

The pictures are my dauther's engagment pictures taken in early 2009.  Her wedding was last October, so it was about time I did something with some of these pics.  The new Love Letter DSP was just the inspiration I needed to get me started.  I love black and white pictures, and the Love Letter DSP worked great with the B&W prints.  Also, red was one of her wedding colors, so the Riding Hood Red cardstock was the perfect choice for a little pop of color.

How about that BLING!!!! She has even more bling now with her wedding band!!

RECIPE:  Stamp Set:  Artisitc Etchings
             DSP:  Love Letter
             Cardstock:  Riding Hood Red
                             Basic Black
                             Very Vanilla
             Ink:  Riding Hood Red
             Punches:  1 3/4 inch circle punch
             Other:  Stampin Dimensionals
                        to pop up the medallion

Have a fantastic Thursday and let me know what you think of my blog!

Happy Stampin',

Janice