Monthly Archive: May 2016

Stampin’ Up! 2016-17 In Colors

StampinUp 2016-17 In Colors with Celebrate Today balloons designed by demo Beth McCullough Please see more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

These cards are made with the awesome Stampin’ Up 2016-17 In Colors!  Do you have a favorite?  I thought Emerald Envy was going to be my favorite, but Peekaboo Peach is really pretty in real life.  I want to make a birthday card set for a friend and I am having trouble deciding which balloon and which type of string I like the best.  My thought is to make all five cards with the same design, but each with a different color.  Do you have time to help me?  If so, do you like the balloon being cut off on the edges (like the Sugarplum, Flamingo and Denim) or do you prefer the entire balloon being on the card (Emerald and Peach.)  Do you like the balloon plain like Flamingo, dotted like Peach, dotted with silver embossing like Emerald, speckled like Sugarplum or swirly and white embossed like Denim?  Only one more question… Do you like the Emerald cardstock string, Sugarplum and Denim curved string, Peach straight string or Flamingo Baker’s Twine string?  OK I forgot the very last question… what do you think of the tassel on the bottom of the Sugarplum balloon?

I appreciate any help you can give me.  Here’s a close up look at the cards:

StampinUp 2016-17 In Colors Emerald Envy with Celebrate Today balloons designed by demo Beth McCullough Please see more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

StampinUp 2016-17 In Colors Peekaboo Peach with Celebrate Today balloons designed by demo Beth McCullough Please see more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

StampinUp 2016-17 In Colors Dapper Denim with Celebrate Today balloons designed by demo Beth McCullough. Please see more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

StampinUp 2016-17 In Colors Flirty Flamingo with Celebrate Today balloons designed by demo Beth McCullough. Please see more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

StampinUp 2016-17 In Colors Sweet Sugarplum with Celebrate Today balloons designed by demo Beth McCullough. Please see more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

Can’t wait to hear your favorite color and also any design advice you can give me.  Yep, Abby was at work tonight so I’m depending on you!

I picked Sean up at the airport this morning and we went to La Mie Bakery for breakfast.  I think it’s his favorite place for breakfast because we seem to go there every time he comes to visit.  He did make a bee line for the strawberry patch when we got home, but most of the strawberries need a couple more days.  Superman, the kids and I are so happy when Sean comes home. I took the pups, Maya and Molly to the airport and they were besides themselves with joy when they saw him.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Molly so happy!  Whoever said a dog forgets people after two weeks, forgot to tell our pups.  They haven’t seen Sean in 5 months and they knew their “boy” was home.  We always say it’s a party when Sean comes home!

Blessings,

Beth 🙂

 

Swirly Bird

Guess what?  This card was chosen as a Pals Paper Arts pick of the week!  Thanks so much to the PPA design team for choosing my card!

StampinUp Swirly Bird and Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Dies CAS card designed by demo Beth McCullough. See more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom PalsPaperArts Pick Of The Week

My favorite stamp set in the new catalog is called Swirly Bird.  I also used the coordinating framelits, Swirly Scribbles Thinlits.  The Bermuda Bay water splatters are made with a stamp from Swirly Bird.  I used the Pool Party wavy water paper from Cherry on Top DSP stack.

PPA301

PalsPaperArts.com had an awesome color challenge this week.  If you know me, I think any color challenge including Bermuda Bay is awesome!  *Update- This card was chosen as a PalsPaperArts Pick of the Week!  I am so excited!!  #PPA301

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Sean made it safely home from his work trip to Amsterdam and London.  The EgyptAir crash happened while he was there, so we were happy to receive the text when he landed in Seattle.   It was his first trip to Europe and he loved it!  Tonight he is taking the red eye from Seattle to visit us in Iowa for a week.  Sean will be very excited when he finds out he’s coming home just in time for the strawberries to ripen.  I picked the first strawberry of the season last night.  Come to think of it, Sean LOVES strawberries!  Do you think he timed his visit knowing it was strawberry time?

We’ve enjoyed having Ryan home from college.  Last week he went to Davenport to visit Steve’s parents for two days (three hours from here) and planted flowers for his Grandma, played cards with them and went to a baseball game with his Grandpa.  He’s home the rest of the week and then heads to Okoboji to be a counselor at our church camp.  This is Ryan’s second summer as a counselor.  Last night was just like old times.  His high school friends were over jumping on the trampoline, playing Carpetball, ping pong and eating from the bowls of nuts, fruit and veggies that I leave on the counter each day.  I’m so glad he has stayed close to his besties from high school.

Abby had a great time with her friends at Prom Saturday night.  Her AP exams and most of her finals are over.  Abby has four regular days of school left and then a couple projects to do. She feels like most of the stress is over for her this school year.  Abby will be joining Ryan has a camp counselor this summer.

Keegan got the results of his singing auditions.  He made the select junior/senior choir and jazz choir.  He was very excited about making these two choirs.  The other select choir he tried for, he did not make.  He was a little disappointed, but Keegan shakes things off pretty well.  He’s already said he will try again next year.  He’s been finishing off his volunteer service hours this week.  Yesterday he was planting peppers at a community garden.  He’s going back to the garden and helping me with therapy dogs later this week.  All of Keegan’s finals happen next week.

Some of you have asked about the status of the garage.  Superman spent some quality time cleaning and organizing the garage this weekend.  He’s not done yet, but certainly making progress.  He kept telling me about a lot of things he wants to put in the attic.  Yep, the attic I organized last month is about to take a hit.  Oh well, I guess it needs to go somewhere.

It’s been beautiful in Iowa the last three weeks.  Sunny and 60-70 degrees.  The rain is supposed to start again this week.

Hope things are going well where you’re at.

Blessings,

Beth 🙂

 

Mother’s Day Weekend in Chicago!

StampinUp Mother's Day card made by Abby, daughter of demo Beth McCullough. See more card and gift ideas at www.StampingMom.com #StampingMom

Abby and Keegan were not able to go to Chicago.  I came home from our weekend to this beautiful Mother’s Day card and flowers from Abby.  Abby is a keeper!  Thanks Abby for the beautiful card, note that made me cry and flowers! She told me the card is an Abby original.  She also sweetly wrote out what she used to make the card. She used Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry and Bermuda Bay.  The stamp set is Petite Pairs and the flowers are made with the Sizzix Flower, Daisies #2, that is retired from Stampin’ Up! You did a great job on the card Abby.  I might have to promote you from design assistant to lead designer.

Superman, Ryan and I met Sean in Chicago for a fun weekend celebrating with our niece, Jenna, for her Bat Mitzvah. Her ceremony was Saturday morning and the party was Saturday evening.  In between, my sisters-in-law, Peg and Michelle, my niece, Rachel, and I went to Woodfield Mall to go to the Cheesecake Factory.  Peg had never been before.  We have one in Des Moines so I already knew it would be good.  We were not disappointed.  We then had time to go to IKEA.  I was very excited because there was a turquoise crafting cart I had my eye on and I haven’t been to an IKEA in a couple of years.  By the time we got there we had only 30 minutes, so it’s a good thing I knew what I was looking for.

IKEA cart

Isn’t it cute?  Superman put it together for me last night and he was surprised how sturdy it was.  I bought it for my craft room, but I would also like one for our master bathroom.  These are only $29.99 at IKEA. It comes in different colors, but turquoise is my favorite. What a deal!

The other thing I bought was a Watermelon Wonder colored pot for about $4.  I wonder if IKEA knows their pots are Watermelon Wonder colored?  I tried to find it on their website to see what they call it, but I never did find it.  I love the way it looks with my plant.

IKEA potted plant

At Jenna’s party Saturday night they had a “spray on temporary tattoo” gal.  Steve and his three brothers all got, ” I love Mom, ” tattoos and got their picture taken with their Mom.  How sweet is that!  Ruby felt very blessed on Mother’s Day with her four boys who love her so much!

Ruby and her boys

On Sunday we went to the Chicago Cubs game.  Superman has been a Cubs fan his entire life and so have our boys.

steve and Beth Chicago Cubs

The game went into extra innings and we stayed until after the tenth inning, but needed to get Sean and Ryan to the airport.  They ended up winning in the twelth inning and we listened as we made our way to the airport.  Ryan really wanted Giordano’s famous Chicago style deep dish pizza, so we ordered from the ballpark and picked it up near the airport. We also got a frozen pizza to take home to Abby and Keegan.

giardano's

giardano's-1

This is a piece of the frozen pizza after I baked it.  The pizza hot from the restaurant looks and tastes even better.  It’s safe to say that Giordano’s Pizza is our family’s favorite treat in Chicago!

The boys made it on their plane after running to a different terminal, going through security and running back again because of long TSA lines.  Sean has TSA precheck and Ryan does not.  I was very happy Sean helped Ryan get through security instead of leaving him to fend for himself.  Ryan spent the week with Sean in Seattle.

I then drove Superman home while he slept.  It was a memorable and fun weekend!

Blessings,

Beth 🙂