Thursday, November 15, 2012

Be Still, My Peaceful Pinecones

Today's Card

Okay, Peaceful Pinecones is my new favorite Christmas stamp set, for today's card alone. It's everything I love in a well-designed stamp set: pretty, simple images in a variety of sizes combined with useable sentiments in readable yet interesting fonts that aren't too big or too small. Plus, it's timeless and classic...nothing trendy about it. I'll use this stamp set as long as I can stamp.

Papertrey Ink, I'll expect my check in the mail soon. Seriously, you should be buying this sort of advertising.

Nichole, do you hear me? *tap, tap* Is this internet thingie on?

Oh well. Here's the card.




Let's spend a few minutes talking about floating images. You see, without the DMC floss bow on this adorable little pine sprig, this card, technically, wouldn't work. The sprig would be floating around on the card without anything to anchor it visually.

(And can we take a moment to pause and admire how perfect that little bow is...I've made precisely four perfect DMC floss bows in my life and this is one of them.)

Now, as a clean-and-simple stamper who loves, reveres, kneels at the altar of white space, I'm not too fashed by floating images. If they're cute enough or elegant enough or pretty enough or cool enough, they can float all they want and I'll love them anyway.

But the design gurus scorn floating images. This little bow makes the gurus happy.

Me, too.

And thus endeth the lesson on floating images.

Go forth and float if you feel like it.



My Birthday

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Sue and Patti and Linda for sending me birthday cards. They are beautiful and I love them and the three of you. After my birthday, I'll share them and any others I receive because it's just so nice that some of you think to send me cards for my birthday.

Oh, have I not mentioned that my birthday is coming up? How remiss of me not to fish for birthday cards in advance! My birthday is on Thanksgiving this year. Isn't it cool that the whole country will be celebrating my birthday with the traditional birthday pumpkin pie?

I love America!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Ink
ink: Memento markers and pads
paper: PTI white
accessories: DMC floss, glue 




15 comments:

  1. You so made me smile on a day when I most needed that. Happy Birthday! May this year be the best ever for you.

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  2. Happy forthcoming Birthday......to make you a card would take me forever if I had to take on board all the rules and regulations you make yourself comply with!!!
    Have a wonderful day...may God bless you and bring you many more birthdays.

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  3. Thanks for another great card lesson, Susan. You certainly grounded your image nicely. Happy birthday in advance. I hope it's great.

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  4. First of all--Happy Birthday. My brother is a Thanksgiving baby, and it is such a fun day to have a birthday. Great card, too. I always learn so much from your blog. I have a question about today's lesson. I get that the bow grounds the image. But, what grounds the bow? How is one to decide what needs to be grounded and what is the thing that grounds? Am I making any sense? Perhaps there could be a future lesson on this?

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  5. Happy birthday! My birthday is in October very close to Canada's Thanksgiving. So I celebrate with family at Thanksgiving with a birthday pumpkin pie as well. Great minds and all that! ;-)

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  6. Another lovely card, I just want to tell you how much I love your blog and your crafting style. This week I've been sending my SU! customers to your blog as I find your cards so inspiring. Happy upcoming birthday.

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  7. Happy Birthday! Mine is the day before Thanksgiving! I love your blog! I learn so much from you! Thanks for sharing your awesome talent with us!

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  8. We share a birthday month! Mine was yesterday. For those that don't live in Michigan, November 15 is opening day for deer hunting with rifles. I was born that day because my mother's Dr wanted to go hunting. Two weeks late, she was induced on the 14th, and I dawdled.

    My tagline with family and friends is that it always snows by my birthday! It almost didn't happen this year; but somebody up there sent me a few flakes last week.

    I'm not stalking you, I promise! Will you send me your snail mail address via email? I can't promise lots of white space or one layer; but I would love to send you a card my internet friend!!

    By the way, I LOVE this stamp set. Thought so when you used it the other day; and now I MUST order it.

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  9. Susan -- We are kind of birthday buddies -- some years my birthday is also on Thanksgiving! When we got married, I made sure my husband understood that pumpkin pie was NOT a birthday cake. It need only be a cupcake, but there must be something cake-y about it!

    I'd also love to receive your snail mail address via email to send you a card as a little thank you for all the wonderful inspiration you have shared. (we3roys (AT) comcast (DOT) net). If you don't feel comfortable with that, then accept my online wishes for a very happy day.

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  10. Your card is beautiful, peaceful and joyful. Happy Birthday!

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  11. Happy Birthday Susan! Mine is the 24th.

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  12. My immediate and extended family has lots of late November birthdays so there has almost always been a birthday cake served with pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. It just makes the day more special! Hope your birthday is great...

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  13. Happiest of birthday wishes for you next week! This is a fabulous card and now I know why sometimes CAS works and other times not. It's the floaties...totally spaced that concept. Thanks for tip and the inspiration.

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  14. What a beautiful card. This pinecone set is also my fave. Your post made me smile, so witty! - Irma

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  15. You are so funny, Susan - you really should be on TV :)

    Very elegant card, and really quite serene!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!