Life has been crazy busy for the past few months and I just haven't had the time to sit down and put a few thoughts on my blog!  Health challenges for some family members, weddings – 2 of them this summer, a new grandson, Convention, Fairs, and a new part time job for me have been filling up my time.   Sounds exhausting – doesn't it?!

Convention in July in Salt Lake City was inspiring and fun!  So good to meet other demonstrators that I have met over the past 15 years and spend time catching up and getting excited about the new catalog and the upcoming Holiday catalog – Woo Hoo!

Here is one of my WOW card swaps that I participated in at Convention in Salt Lake City – what do you think?    I am using the new hostess set called "Bloom with Hope" – my favorite new stamp set in the 2014-2015 Idea Book and Catalog.   Was it a "WOW"?  Just post your comments at the end of this blog post – I would love to hear them!

Supplies Needed:

Card Stock:

• Pool Party – cut one piece at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and fold in half for base of card
• Crushed curry – cut one piece at 2 3/4" x 4" and one piece at 3 1/4" x 4"
• whisper white – cut one piece at 3" x 3 3/4"
• scraps of whisper white, hello honey and lullaby designer series paper

Step by Step Directions:

1. Run the 2 3/4" x 4" crushed curry card stock through the Big Shot and using the square lattice embossing folder.  Attach to the pool party – base of card.
2. Stamp the flower from the Bloom with Hope stamp set using black staz on ink onto the center of the 3" x 3 3/4" whisper white card stock.  Stamp the greeting in the top right corner using black staz on ink.  Color in the flowers using the coastal cabana blendabilities.  Color in the stem using the old olive marker.
3. Stamp the grid on the left side (as shown) using pool party ink from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set.  Stamp the splatter in crushed curry ink as shown and also in pool party as shown.  Attach to the 3 1/4" x 4" crushed curry card stock.  Wrap a  4 1/2" piece of hello honey around the bottom part of the card stock (at the base of the flower) and secure on back with tape.  Take a smaller piece of ribbon and tie in a knot around the left side of the ribbon already in place to create a faux box.
4. Punch out 2 of the designer series paper patterns using the banner punch.  Punch out one from the whisper white scraps.  Attach all to the back to the crushed curry card stock.  Punch out a little flower from a scrap of hello honey card stock and attach to the whisper white banner.  Attach a pearl in the center of the flower.
5. Attach half of the paper doily to the back of the hello honey card stock and cut off excess on the ends so that it is flush with the sides of the card stock.  Put 4 dimensionals on the back of the hello honey card stock and attach to the front of the card as shown. 
6. Put a pearl in the center of each of the flowers.
7. You are finished!