Wednesday, February 24, 2016

YAY to you!



March is upon us and with that I will have several birthdays, so I better get busy making Birthday Cards, as I know I will need each one of them.


Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, dsc, birthday card, sweet li'l things dsp, cupcake punch, labels collection, big shot, pretty petals dsp, balloon bash stamp set, sky is the limit stamp set, decorative dots tief, su

And how timely the Dostamper Stars challenge 170 was. How wonderful to get more inspiration for all those cards that I need to make it for next month. Today I used the fantastic Cup Cake Builder Punch, but I could not have that cute cupcake all alone in that ocean of Very Vanilla. The Labels Collection framelit came to rescue and the pop from Watermelon Wonder card stock made it stand out as it should. The Sweet Lil' Thing DSP was used for the side panel and for the top of the cup cake, while the base is from the Pretty Petals stack DSP. The balloons are from the Balloons Bash stamp set and they were stamped in Watermelon Wonder, Old Olive, Pool Party, and Hello Honey. The beautiful sentiment is from the Sky is the Limit, which I hope you were able to get it. It is such a pretty set. And a party cannot be complete without some decoration; the Decorative Dots TIEF took care of that. How wonderful! Yay to you on your birthday!

Thank you so much for visiting today. I hope to see you again soon and please do take the time to visit other Dostamper Stars for more inspiration. Be well

Miriam

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A bit to enjoy.



I am very thankful that our weather got a bit warmer over the weekend and I am now ready to get started with my seeds for my garden. Are you planting a garden this year?

Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstmapinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, rs, thank you, bohemian dsp, sassy salutations, gorgeous grunge stamp set, white perfect accents, su

Well, a Thank you card seems adequate, don't you think? I got the sketch from the RetroSketch challenge 203 and decided to go with bold colors. Guess what? The Bohemian DSP is as bold as it gets, and I had some stripes cut out already, making this card a snap to put together. Considering the "funky" feel of the layout and Bohemian DSP, the Sassy Salutation blended right in and the touch of the Gorgeous Grunge also gave a nice touch. Since there is a lot already in this card, I went for the gorgeous Bermuda Bay ribbon and it balanced out the other elements. Now, using buttons is something that I am working on it, so instead I went for the White Perfect Accents, which besides being beautiful it is also flat, which makes mailing a bit easier.

Thank you so much for visiting today. Please note that I have not added a Supply list as I am having a small difficult with creating the list. I am working to have this resolved soon. If you need the supplies, just send me a message. Be well

Miriam


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Monday, February 22, 2016

Perfect day.

PPA-288-Feb18


Wow, our Friday around WI was a day of high winds. The winds was blowing fiercely all day on Friday and way into the evening. There was still a bit of it on Saturday, but both days the sun was shinning, the temperature was higher and all the snow is melted.

Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, ppa, birthday card, schoolhouse dsp, vintage verses, big shot, labels collection, su

The cold air is due to return, but we hope that it will not stay for long. Let's celebrate the beautiful days, the mild winter, and the Spring that will soon sprung. Today I am inspired by the Pals Paper Arts challenge 288. I wanted a neutral Birthday Card and this one fits the bill. The sentiment is from the Vintage Verses, a retired Stampin' Up! set, which was cut with the Labels collection framelits. The paper is the Schoolhouse DSP and a bit of rhinestone and a bold ribbon suffice to make a final statement. A perfect card, for a perfect person, in a perfect day.

Thank you for visiting today. Please do come back again. Be well

Miriam


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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

A world of thanks.


Over Valentine's Day weekend, we were so busy that I did not have much time to update you in all the happenings. This has been a busy violin time of the year for us with many pieces to polish. One of them was the Bach Double Violin Concert in D Minor, which was for a competition. My daughter was one of the winners and will perform this piece with the other winners and with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. We are truly proud and humbled by her accomplishment.

Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstmapinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, dsc, thank you, a world of thanks, itty bitty accents punch, chevron ribbon, su

Let us not forget to be thankful for her dedicated, loving, and firm teacher. She is the best and deserve many, many thanks. As I was preparing to create a card for today's Dostamper Stars challenge 169, I thought about all this and how could I not make a Thank you card? So, I pulled out the A World of Thanks, stamped in Wisteria Wonder and again in Pear Pizzazz. I did do a bit of fussy cutting to pop up that Thank you, add the same colors ribbon and a touch of flowers just for fun. A super simple card but it does deliver the message, don't you think?

Thank you for visiting today. As always, do visit our other Stars to get more inspiration on today's challenge. Be well

Miriam


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Serene



As part of life, we all will eventually come to an earthly end and that is unavoidable. However, for those that stay behind the departure can be painful and friends and family play a vital role in comforting the living. Recently so many artists have died and I hear so many people in a terminal phase, that I could not help but make a Sympathy card.

Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, mm, sympathy card, sweater weather, serene silhouettes, teeny tiny wishes stamp set. big shot, papillon potpourri, bitty butterfly punch, su

I find that when I make a Sympathy card I hope that the person receiving it will find comfort in the beauty of the card. I try to keep a calming perspective to it, but also want to incorporate a bit of color. Today's card is based on the Mojo Monday challenge 435 and has a masculine feel to it. I used a piece of the retired Sweater Weather DSP for its neutrality. The image is from Serene Silhouettes and the sentiment for Teeny Tiny Wishes. The butterfly add a bit if color without being too much. I think it has a serene, calming look to it and I hope the person receiving it will feel just so.

Thank you for visiting today. Please do come again and remember you can always subscribe to my blog and follow it. Be well

Miriam

MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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Friday, February 12, 2016

Pouring Elegance and Simplicity.

CCMC393

The cold has returned fast and furious and it will last for few days still. Certainly I was not looking forward to that and was getting ready to start my seeds. I guess I will put that on hold for now.

Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, ccmc, wedding card, brushed gold card stock, shimmery white cardstock, simply scored,su

I did, however, get some work done in my craft area. I clean up my cabinets, got rid of a lot of stuff that I was keeping for no reason and have kindly requested my husband for a new shelf in the cabinet. I also made some cards and prepared one for CCMC 393 and given the nature of the sketch, I went to the safer route and kept my card extremely clean. I was considering adding a sentiment, but my daughter said, "oh, what a beautiful wedding card" that was enough for me no to put a sentiment. I did use Shimmery White card stock, but I treated it to a vanilla finish with the Shimmer Smooch Spray. The diagonal lines were easily done with the Diagonal Plate for the Score Board and I did them 2" apart. I love the touch of the bold Gold Ribbon and the final touch of the bow. A perfect card for a perfect wedding.

Thank you for visiting today. Be well

Miriam

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Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Flowers, please.



Indeed, I feel like counting down the time to change my clock and to see the seeds sprouting in preparation for another planting and harvesting season. I love having a garden and my children love it too. They eat so much of the fresh vegetables straight from the garden and most of the time they do not even wash them. It is wonderful to be playing outside and just reach out for a snack right then and there.


Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, dsc, birthday card, pretty petals dsp, flowering fields, and many more stamp set, scalloped edge border punch, su

While I wait ever so patiently for all that to come about, I have my dreams of flowers come to fruition in the form of cards. The Dostamper Stars challenge 168 asked for a nice and cheerful color combo and I like my interpretation of it. The Field of Flowers stamp set is perfect for a diverse garden and the little flowers are perfect for coloring. The And Many More stamp set gave a nice gentle sentiment. For the lower panel I used the Pretty Petals DSP stack. The center scallop was cut using the Scallop Edge Punch. The paper was cut in each side from a single stripe, the black was added to the top, the Melon Mambo ribbon added along with a perfect little bow.

Thank you for visiting today. It is my pleasure to have you over. Be well

Miriam

As always, I invite you to look at more inspiration for the other Dostamper Stars.


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    Monday, February 8, 2016

    Springing?

    CCMC392

    The snow is almost completely melted, the birds can be heard a bit louder, the grass is showing a bit more greenery, but the weather man says a cold front is coming our way. I sure hope he is wrong, but I fear he may not be all that wrong.

    Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, ccmc, thank you, best of flowers, simply sketched, big shot, banner framelit, su

    In any event, considering the early arrival of Spring - or so I hope - the CCMC 392 has an adequate color combo for those of us waiting for the flowers to sprung up and bring extra happiness to us all. Because of all this, I picked up the Best of Flowers stamp set for the images and the Simply Sketched stamp set for the sentiment. The dsp used here are the wonderful DSP Stack in Subtle and Neutral. The banner was cut using the Banner framelit and I add Candy dots to the corner just for an extra touch.

    Thank you for visiting today. Have a fantastic week. Be well

    Miriam


    MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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    Saturday, February 6, 2016

    Forth?


    Just saw that a friend of mine made an official announcement that they are pregnant with their 4th child. I was rather surprise and happy for her. When I was pregnant with my last, she was pregnant too, so our children is just about 2 month in age difference.


    Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, fms, baby card, sweet li'l things dsp, and many more stamp set, su

    For the talks I hear they anticipate this baby to be a boy, so I went ahead and got a baby card ready, as I know I will be using soon... well, relatively soon. I am sure I will be making a neutral, and a baby girl card too. Just in case. For today's card I used the FSM challenge 222 for the sketch. I used the Sweet Lil' Things DSP for both layers and the sentiment from the And Many more stamp set. A simple card for a new baby, the perfect expression of life. Simple and Pure.

    Thank you for visiting today. Please come again. Be well

    Miriam


    MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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    Wednesday, February 3, 2016

    Ahhhh, the love!



    I know I made several love cards lately, but heck, soon wedding season will be here and I know I will need them. So, for that here is another one.

    Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, dsc, wedding card, heat embossing, rose wonder stamp set, first sight, su

    This card is very subtle and I intended that way. The big rose was stamped in Blushing Bride and since I was using Vellum I immediately sprinkled the clear embossin' powder. This gave a bit of color to the flower without becoming too much. The sentiment from the First Sight stamp set was inked, but part of it covered as I only wanted the shown part and I want a small punch of color on that. I like how the pearls anchor the corner of the card while adding some elegance to it. The inspiration photo from the Dostamper Stars challenge 167 is wonderful and how could I resist making a love theme card?

    Thank you for visiting today. Please come back soon, remember to share some love, and also to check out the other Dostamper Stars' take on today's inspiration. Be well

    Miriam


      MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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      Rough start


      I have heard from a few friends that they got a bit of rough start for the new year and mainly because of health issues for them or family members. It is not exactly how anyone want to get a fresh start and I hope this will all soon be over and all will be well.


      Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, mm, get well, pretty petals dsp, perfectly penned, painted petals stamp set, note tag punch, su

      It is not a bad idea to send a card to the loved one who is trying to recover from a sickness. I believe in the power of a cheerful card and try to make my Get Well cards always with a touch of cheer. Today is not different. I kept most elements mute to allow the beautiful ribbon and bow to do all the talking. The background is from the Pretty Petals DSP stack and both the image and sentiment are from retired sets. The sentiment is from the Perfect Penned stamp set, which I am always happy that I got that one; the image is from the Painted Petals stamp set from Sale-a-Bration 2015.To keep some truth to the design sketch from Mojo Monday challenge 433, I punched out the sentiment to place it centered and the gorgeous bow to finish the card with drama. I love this ribbon and the bow it makes.

      Thank you for visiting today. I hope you got inspired, but I mostly hope to see you around again soon. Be well

      Miriam

      MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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      Tuesday, February 2, 2016

      Love, that's what it is.



      What is there to love? Well, I say life itself. It is a very grateful feeling I feel each and every morning when I wake up and get up to get my day start, thinking of all the things in life that I love.


      Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, anniversary card, bohemian dsp, pp, what I love stamp set, su

      The new Sale-a-Bration stamp set What I Love is perfect for a love everything card, but will work fabulous for an anniversary, wedding, and even a birthday or thank you card. Today I am using a bit of Bohemian dsp along with the What I Love stamp set. I prepared this card for The Paper Players challenge 280, which was a bit hard to choose 3 items to work on. I did like my choices and hope you will too.

      Thank you for visiting today. Please come again soon. Be well

      Miriam

      MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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      Monday, February 1, 2016

      Oh no, it is coming again.

      PPA-285-Jan28

      The birds are chirping and singing, but perhaps it is wise of them to take cover as we are expecting a winter storm this week. I hope it dissipates and does not make it at all.

      Miriam Castanho-Bollinger, #mstampinwithyou, stampin up, demonstrator, ppa, thinking of you, summer silhouettes, thoughts & prayers, texture boutique machine, filigree frame tief, su

      However, I think across the country people are enjoying a much milder winter and it certainly is a nice break from last winter. That was brutal. Anyway, I am glad to spend time in my craft room and play away. Today I prepared a card for the Pals Paper Players challenge 285 in which I used the Summer Silhouettes and a sentiment from the Thoughts & Prayers stamp set. I do not mean for a sympathy card, instead I think this card can easily go to anyone that we are thinking of. A Thinking of you card is more suitable and it certainly can be used at any time. The beautifully ornate Filigree Frame TIEF framed the image so well that I can hardly get my eyes off of it. The touch of ribbon and a perfect bow finish it off.

      Thank you for visiting today. I hope you will come again. Be well

      Miriam


      MY STAMPIN' UP! SUPPLIES LIST:  All Stampin' Up! products listed below are currently available for purchase. Click on product images for more details and easy, on-line shopping! There's a handy supply list at the end you can print.

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