This card was inspired by one I saw on Shelli Gardner's blog. I love the new In Colors and used two of them on this card.  I also love the Elegant Bird Bigz die!  The bigz dies are able to cut so many different materials that the possible projects with it seem endless!  I can't wait to try some of the ideas I have for this one.  

Stamps: Reason to Smile* and Very Vintage wheel
Inks: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit
Card stock: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit
DSP: Paisley Petals (retired)
Accessories: Elegant Bird die, Scallop Edge Border punch, Antique Brad

*The Reason to Smile stamp set is brand new and will be available only in July for $5 when you spend $50!! 

A Father's Day card for my wonderful father in law. 
Stamps: Packed for Dad (retired) and Woodgrain
Paper: Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Pacific Point, SU markers
Punches: Word Window, Modern Label
Accessories: Twill Tape

Did you know that making cards is good for you?  Hobbies such as painting, sewing, scrapbooking, woodworking, and photography are more than just ways to have fun or make gifts for others.  They are powerful art forms that can “distract the mind, soothe the soul, and de-stress the body.”  A few of the ways they contribute to the mental, physical, and spiritual health of people of all ages are that they:

• Develop fine motor skills
• Give an opportunity for self expression
• Reduce stress
• Increase confidence
• Provide a sense of accomplishment
• Distract from the stress of work
• Provide an opportunity for social interaction
• Offer an excellent way to express feelings that might be difficult to put into words

Arts and crafts that include mental challenges, such as the math and geometry in quilting, protect us from cognitive decline as we age.  The rhythmic repetitive movements of knitting help prevent and manage stress, pain and depression by activating the same areas in the brain as meditation and yoga.  And, using bright colors in arts and crafts is uplifting!

So stop putting crafting and creativity at the bottom of your "to do" list or feeling guilty for taking time to relax instead of doing something productive.  According to Robert Reiner, PhD, a New York University psychologist, "the act of performing a craft is incompatible with worry, anger, obsession, and anxiety.  Crafts make you concentrate and focus on the here and now and distract you from everyday pressures and problems. They're stress-busters in the same way that meditation, deep breathing, visual imagery, and watching fish are."

http://www.family-friendly-fun.com/therapy/crafts.htm

http://aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2012march/myfamily.asp

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2002862/Why-quilting-uniquely-good-us.html

http://iheartartpdx.com/2010/08/23/the-healing-arts-and-crafts/

http://www.prlog.org/10179509-knitting-and-crochet-offer-long-term-health-benefits.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Health-Benefits-of-Knitting&id=6551073

A Mother's Day card featuring the heart Framelits, retired DSP, Very Vanilla card stock, the Modern Label punch, and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  Cased from a card posted to SCS by Inkpad.

This card is a case from a card posted to SCS by zipperc98.  It features the set Morning Cup and So Saffron, Soft Suede, and Whisper White card stock.  The ribbon is So Saffron and the images were colored with Stampin' Write markers.  I used the Stampamajig to "stack" the cups neatly.  Inside is a pocket to hold a gift card; probably one from Starbucks!

Here's a link to the list of stamp sets retiring May 31, 2012.  Don't miss out on any that may still be on your Wish List!  And here's a card made using one of my favorite retiring sets, Nature's Nest.

Stampin' Up! has some big changes to the catalogs coming up this year. The new annual Idea Book and Catalog will be available June 1st and will have fewer pages. Instead of three mini catalogs there will be two seasonal catalogs that are larger in page size and content. The Holiday catalog will be out in August and run through early January and the Spring catalog will run from early January through May. I'm excited about the changes and think they will provide us with many more choices and fantastic products for scrapbooking, cardmaking, and other fun crafting projects. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the list of retiring stamp sets. Since the annual catalog will be smaller, I anticipate a long list of stamps that will not be available after May 31. And this is the last month to order from the current Occasions mini catalog. Don't miss out on any that are still on your Wish List! If you don't have a demonstrator, you can place your order on my Stampin' Up! web site. There's a link to it and the Clearance Rack on the left.

And now for a card.  I really liked this one that I saw on SCS by snowmanqueen and decided to CASE it.  I used a different embossing folder and substituted Marina Mist for the Baja Breeze.  Otherwise, it's just the same.  The stamp set used was Upsy Daisy and the butterfly faux button is the Beautiful Wings embosslit.