Thursday, April 21, 2011

Aloha!

Aloha & Happy Thursday to you all!  Yep I made it to Maui and as some of my friends said "Maui may never be the same!" LMBO!  It is absolutely stunning here, just like I knew it would be and I am soaking up lots of sun and enjoying every minute of it all.  It has been a dream of mine to come to Maui since I was 6 years old--so this is truly, truly a DREAM come true for e and I get to spend it with my family.  And we ALWAYS know how to have a good time! After 14 hours of travel (11 in the air) we were tired but excited when we arrived at 3 pm on Tuesday (Hawaii time) and checked out our resort and then found a great place to eat dinner and watch the sun set over the ocean.  We have an ocean view room that is spectacular as well with a balcony and I got up early this morning to watch the sun rise---beautiful.  We were all in bed by 9:30 pm last night which was around 3:30 am EST and we got about 8.5 hours of sleep--we were all exhausted (me especially as I was up for more than 48 hours at that point, ugh). I loved, loved the 767 jet we flew from Dallas to Maui on---we got seats all together in a row in the middle section of the plane---so there were 4 rows with 2,3 & 2 in each row.  Riley and James has 2 seats each and then Alexa & I shared the middle 3 rows.  It was quiet and dark in our little section with mostly newlyweds which was nice. We watched "Tron" and napped and played games during the long 8.5 hour flight.  Yesterday we had yummy breakfast (lovin' all that fresh pineapple) and did both the fabulous beach & pool and just took it easy.  We all got a bit of sunburn as to be expected I guess, LOL. But I did get knocked down by the waves and lost my bikini top not once but TWICE and my sunglasses (boo hoo) but it sure was fun! But we'll be doing the Road to Hana trip, a snorkel/whale expedition on Alexa's 15th birthday (25th) to Molokini, some ziplining and going to see the volcano.  So lots planned and you can always keep up with me on Facebook---I update it regularly in case you want to see some pics :)  Also below is a slideshow of some pics so far---I know I'll have 1000's by the end of the trip!

Maui Slideshow #1:



**GINA K PREVIEWS!! We are very excited to extend an invitation to Gina K. Designs April Release Party. We have a fun evening planned for you - chatting, prizes, challenges, stamp sets reveal, design team shares, and most importantly, at the end of the party you will be able to go shopping!


If you came from Sharon Harnist's blog, you're at the right place. If not make sure to head over to StampTV where you will find a list of all those participating in today's hop!
Hope to see you at the party, here are all the details:

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Preview of Gina K's "Branching Out"


Today I get to share a preview of one of the beautiful (1 of many) NEW sets that Gina K is releasing tomorrow night.  This one is called "Branching Out" and it is so versatile and so many ways to use it--very elegant and a must for your stamp collection in Suzanne's PO (personal opinion, lol)!  I kept it elegant and simple--no patterned paper used at all (GASP) just 3 colors of black, white and a gray blue.

I stamped the main branch elements in black ink and then went back in and accented the branches with small white berries with my Sharpie Poster Paint pen to highlight it just a bit.  The smaller branch/frame element was stamped separately and matted with black & white cardstock and then put on the larger frame with dimensionals to make it pop a bit.  The sentiment I used is from an older Gina K set that I adore called "Hope is Faith"embossed in white EP.  Then I finished it off with a bit of stickles on the branches (gotta have some sparkle) and some fun b/w gingham ribbon.


Now you have seen this beautiful set from me, go to each of the designer's blogs below to see them use some of the new sets in many more fabulous ways.  You are sure to be inspired!  I'll be back on the 25th with another fun project for you----until then ALOHA to you all!




35 comments:

  1. This is beautiful Suzanne...must be so hard relaxing in Hawaii...oh my.

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  2. i love the white dots, they really pop! this is a gorgeous card, thanks for previewing my set today! :)

    lost your bikini top twice? oh my! You need to double knot, girl! LOL!

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  3. What an elegant and beautiful card. Enjoy Maui, it is one of my favorite places on earth...true paradise.

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  4. Stunning! I love how black mats make everything that much more vibrant - look forward to seeing you at the party this evening!!

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  5. I enjoyed your photos of Maui and your family! It looks beautiful and you had good weather. Your card is so nice - I love the way your stamp continues a little on the focal piece. Great color combo!

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  6. ohhh wow Suzanne, this awesome.
    Enjoy your vacation dear.

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  7. Congratulations on a dream come true for you. This is a stunning card. Can't wait to see the set. Thank you for sharing and don't forget your sunscreen! :D

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  8. LOVe it Suzanne! You should be holding up a 'wish you were here' sign in those shots, haha!

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  9. Thanks for sharing your adventures in Hawaii, it is an awesome place, we lived on the island of Oahu for about 4 years and travel to the different islands beautiful place; you can really see just how creative God is :) Enjoy your stay and again TFS! Oh yeah, Happy Birthday Alexa!

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  10. Hi! Beautiful pictures!!! Makes me home sick! Most of my relatives are on Oahu... Haven't been back in a while. It is always so peaceful when we visit! Enjoy your stay and the very beautiful atmosphere!!! :D

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  11. gorgeous photos! so glad you're enjoying your time there! what a pretty card!

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  12. Very pretty. I love the photos. You are one lucky girl.

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  13. Love the card in blue!

    Aww your vacation sounds awesome!! Beautiful picture BTW!

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  14. Aloha and welcome to Hawaii Suzanne! Have a fabulous time here on our islands, TFS your pictures with your beautiful family!

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  15. Beautiful card, can't wait to see the stamp set

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  16. Oh man - I want to go to Hawaii! Looks so beautiful! Enjoy - love the preview too!

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  17. Love your elegant card! Great use of the branch image and adding the pop of white and I, too, love that Gina K sentiment!!

    Glad to hear you made it safely to Maui! It's been 30+ years since I was last there. Oh my, I'm really dating myself here. One of my biggest taste pleasures in Hawaii is the bananas. They are fantastic and nothing like the bland ones we get in the supermarket here. Oh, I have a hibiscus blooming in a container on my front porch that looks just like the one in your pix!

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  18. Aloha Suzanne! Love the black and blue colors.....lovely!

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  19. Aloha, you lucky dog! I recognize the GW because we stayed there Nov. 2009 and it IS fabulous! We did all those things, too! Having your own ocean view lanai to relax on is just the best! I'm so excited for you! Arlene from Buffalo's Nov. class

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  20. Your trip looks amazing. I beat the zip lines will be a blast.

    Your card pretty, I really like that stamp set.

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  21. Gorgeous pics, Suzanne! So glad you had an uneventful trip to Maui.
    Have fun & thanks for sharing your trip with us.
    Huggies ~
    Sharron♥

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  22. Love your simply elegant monochromatic card!

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  23. Thanks for sharing some pics of your vacation. Made me feel that I was on the beach rather than in the middle of the South. Love your card. Love the simplicity of it and the gingham ribbon is perfect. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

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  24. So glad you made it safe and sound and having a much needed break!!! Pics are just beautiful!!!!!
    Have fun!
    Hugs,
    Marie

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  25. Aloha, girlfriend!!! Glad to see you're having a great time over there with the family. Lord knows you sure deserve it after the last few weeks, huh??? This is God's way of saying, "I'm putting you in heaven for a few days." Hope you continue to have a wonderful time, enjoy Hana, it's beautiful!!! Thanks for updating us here on your blog for those of us that don't do Facebook. :)

    As for your card, it too is just beautiful, what a great color combo!!!

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  26. What a beautiful card Suzanne.

    Hugs Riet.xx

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  27. So pretty. I love how the little white buds just pop the design.

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  28. what beautiful pics, very jealous. Hope you continue to have a fab time x

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  29. There's a famous saying in Hawaiian: Maui No Ka 'Oi meaning Maui is #1.
    Glad to hear you're having a blast in Hawaii! I was born & raised on Oahu (now living in California) & Hawaii will always remain home in my heart. I try to fly home once a year to visit family on Oahu but I still miss the islands dearly.
    Enjoy the rest of your Hawaiian vacation! Aloha, Vina

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  30. Beautiful cards...how do you keep working in paradise?? Love the new stamps.

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  31. Love the card. The colors are just perfect.

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  32. Great card, luv the blue! Pics of Hawaii are beautiful, enjoy!

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  33. Ohhh wow Suz...What an elegant and beautiful card! Janine

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I appreciate all your lovely comments and taking the time to stop by! hugz,Suzanne

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