Believe in Yourself

I made this card to send to a TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) friend. Dear, sweet Mary had reached her weight loss goal and became a KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly). Well, things happened in her life like happens to so many of us and she lost her KOPS status. When you're a KOP, you are allowed a 10 lb up or down leeway. Mary was out of her leeway & things just didn't seem to be going right for her to get back to that dr approved weight goal. I know how difficult that can be because it has happened to me. I gained 40 pounds and have not gotten it off yet. But Mary was working hard on getting it off and at our recent weight in, she succeeded! Mary is back within her KOPS weight range now and determined to stay there. Yea Mary!!

Materials needed:
Old Olive cardstock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Brilliant Blue cardstock 4 x 5 1/4"
Summer Smooches patterned paper (retired) 3 1/4 x 4 1/4" each of 2 different coordinating patterns
Whisper White cardstock 1 7/8 x 2 3/4"
Feel Goods stamp set (#129684)
Raspberry Ripple ink
Sycamore Street Buttons (#130923)
dark blue floss or thread
3 1/16" Corner rounder punch (#119871)
Glue Dots (#103683)

1. Round all four corners on the Brilliant Blue cardstock. Adhere it to the Old Olive so that the Old Olive borders show.
2. Angle a piece of the patterned paper cross ways on the card. Trim the corners that go over the edge of the card.
3. Center the other piece of patterned paper on top of that.
4. Stamp your greeting on the Whisper White cardstock in Raspberry Ripple ink. Round all four corners on the white cardstock. Adhere it to the center of the patterned paper.
5. Thread 2 pieces of floss through the button holes and tie a knot. Place glue dots on the back and press down onto the top right corner.
Add a special note to the inside of the card to congratulate your special friend for whatever her accomplishment was! Encouraging others is one of the best things that you can go for another.

The Sky's the Limit

I wanted to make a manly card to send to my grandson who is in Marine basic training. This is his second week. We've been told that every week gets harder. He can't receive any phone calls, text messages, emails, etc. The only way we can communicate with him is through regular mail. We can send him nothing except cards & letters. Anything other than that that he receives will be taken from him & put in storage until basic is over. I've been told & I believe it that the Marines is the toughest branch of service in the US. My grandson is a strong young man & I know that he can do it!

2 different patterned papers from Comfort Cafe DSP (#126898), one cut to 5 1/2 x 4 1/4", the other cut to 4 x 3"
Early Espresso cardstock 3 1/2 x 2 1/2"
Sahara Sand cardstock 2 1/2 x 2"
Up, Up & Away stamp set (#122757)
Need for Speed stamp set (#122717)
Bordering Blue classic ink (retired color)
Creamy Carmel classic ink
Crumb Cake classic ink
SU! Dimensionals (#104430)

There is plenty of room on the inside to write a note of encouragement.

Be the Star

I used some of the stamps in Every Little Bit stamp set (#120558) to create a Rebus message on the front to this card to encourage a friend in her weight loss effort.

In our TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) chapter, we have buddies that we try to encourage each week in our weight loss and just in life in general. TOPS is a great group for encouragement and support in weight loss. For more info on this international group, just Google TOPS.

On a strip of white cardstock that I used the Scallop Edge Border punch (#119882) on, I stamped the bee and star in Pacific Point ink and then inked the edges.

Next, I stamped balloons in Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango and Gumball Green. I used the Up, Up & Away stamp (#122757) set for this. Use Early Esperso ink for the strings. The greeting on the front is from the same set and cut out with the 1 1/4" Circle punch (#119868).

The background paper is from the Twitterpated DSP (#125406).

On the inside, I wrote a note of encouragement for my buddy.