Branch Out - Valentine

Hi Everyone.  Welcome to Jaydee's SU stampin' space.  Today's card uses the Stampin' Up! Branch Out set .... I just had to use it at least one more time before it retires on Jan 4.  I've really enjoyed making cards with this set and it will remain one of my favorites.  You can see the other cards I have posted using the Branch Out set here.  Before we get down to the card, I wanted to say thank you again to all of you who sent me emails or left comments wishing us a Merry Christmas and for indulging me when I was worried Lou wouldn't get home in time for Christmas.  

We had a great day yesterday and had fun exchanging presents, playing with them and just relaxing!  I couldn't hide Lou's presents because they were a little large.  Including his snowblower!  Yep, after all these years he finally gave into getting a snowblower!  We thought that with such a massive storm on the horizon, with so much ice accumulation, a snowblower was required.  Well, that was all great in theory.  Except.... we had very little snow and he hasn't been able to christen his snowblower yet:-)  However, we did get a little of the fluffy stuff on Christmas Day.  It fell for about half an hour - those big fluffy flakes.  Really magical.  Here's what the edge of our deck looks like this morning.  On the right hand side of the pic you can see where Lou hasn't shoveled snow.  It's covered the planters that were left over at the end of fall.  Those of you who follow my blog regularly will know that I made quite a few cards using Dasher.... from the metal ornaments on our deck (we purchased these last year)... you can see that I have a passion for Dasher - so the SU stamp this year was perfect for me.

Doesn't that look like a winter wonderland?  You can see how crisp the snow is, too!  You can see the animal tracks leading to the feeders in our garden, although I managed to take the pic without a single animal or bird in the picture :-)

Anyway, on to today's card.

I really love my Branch Out set and wanted to use it a little differently.  I played around to see how best I could create a Valentine's/Love card out of it and this is what I ended up with.

Card recipe:

• Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Whisper White card stock
• I stamped the tree in Rich Razzleberry
• I used my En Francais background stamp and stamped it onto a piece of Melon Mambo card stock, in Melon Mambo.
• I used my heart to heart punch and punched hearts using the smallest of the three hearts.  I punched from plain Melon Mambo paper as well as the paper I had stamped the love poem from En Francais on to
• I began layering the hearts and adhering them with snail, until I got the coverage I wanted.
• I backed the Whisper White image onto a Rich Razzleberry matt
• I stamped "love you" from the Short and Sweet set in Rich Razzleberry and then mounted the focal point onto the base of Melon Mambo

I was really happy with the end result and love the fact that it can be done in any color combination!

So, no stamping stuff under the Christmas tree for me.... I'm waiting for January 5th and the start of Sale A Bration and the new Mini catalog.  There are a number of key things I want from the mini and am thrilled that SU has decided to allow us to take free goodies from the current 2009/2010 catty for our free goodies.  I really think it's a great idea.  I'm also loving the clear mount stamps and will be buying more of those.  (You can see my clear mount stamp tutorial here.)  I'll also be buying more of the new punches, including the corner punches.  As Lou will be buying me some goodies in Jan... that means I get to keep the Christmas pressies going just a little longer :-)

Talking about pressies.... don't forget.... BLOG CANDY is still in play.  Comments left on my blog will be entered into the draw on New Year's Day.  Bilbo Baggins will be choosing a winner again.  January's blog candy will have a different requirement for entry... but I'll be posting details about that on New Year's Day.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas filled with joy and laughter.  Presents are wonderful.... but it's being together with those that you love that feeds us all :-)

Have a fabulous Boxing Day... yep.. that's what we English call the day after Christmas Day.  Thank you for visiting my little area of the stamping blogosphere.  Your visits - and your support - are always appreciated.

Peace

Jaydee

Comments

[Sandi MacIver]

what a GREAT idea, awesome card.

[Lesley]

Jaydee,

Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog!!! Love your pretty card! I am also waiting for SAB before buying stuff out of the mini. I am thinking of the corner punch to match the new edge punch in the SAB. I also love the little Fox and Friends set...I think it is adorable.

Hope you had a great day!
Lesley :)

[Sophie]

very beautiful... why I didn't think to do this?

[Kadie Labadie]

Jaydee - love the card you created....just beautiful (can see making that in red and pink and coral and...well, you get the idea). Thanks for sharing your fabulous creation.

Your deck is beautiful and love the reindeer. We live in Arizona and I can see putting our tree out on the ramanda and enjoying it while we are out there eating and splashing in the pool during this busy holiday season.

LOVE visiting your blog and am thrown back every day I visit by your amazing creative talent. Thanks again for sharing all your fabulous talent with us. Kadie in Arizona.

[Donna]

very cute and original idea...I may have to steal it! LOL

[Missy]

Oh my goodness, Jaydee! That is just plain stinkin' cute! You never cease to amaze me! I would have never come up with something even half as cute as that! I wish I could see just an inkling inside of your creative brain! Where do you get all of these ideas? I love it! Whoever gets this card will love it too!

[Patricia Hoffman]

Lovely card! Guess what...I'm English also, been here a number of years now and am well Americanized, but still miss Jolly Old England. Love your deck and backyard. You and Lou are truly blessed. I can't wait until I can put in my big order the first week of January. I would buy it all, if I could. There is a lot to like in the New Mini, I can't say enough about it. I wish Valentine's were a Season and not just a day. I love it too that you can pick from the Big Catty this year. Have a wonderful day and treasure those around you. May you be blessed today and always.

Trish in Wisconsin

[Kelli]

These Valentine's Cards are right up my alley! I have that punch and I'm sure I will be using it a lot in the next month. Very cute card and very creative. How do you come up with this stuff...amazing!