I'm Just Stampin'

Father's Day Cards

2010-06-07T09:21:00.016-04:00

Hi guys!

Today I want to share with you the cards I made for Father's Day. I'm really pleased how they turned out.

Here they are:

When I finished them, I thought, great! I have one for my Dad, my FIL, my step-dad, my husband's step-dad, and my BIL, who's expecting his first little one later this summer. After I finished all of them, I realized I hadn't made one for my own hubby! Doh! Instead of making him the same as everyone else, I got a bit lazy and made him a different card, which I'll show you later.

The first thing I did for this card was to find a cool nautical map image online. I then printed it out in full color on Very Vanilla cardstock. The first prototype I made I printed it out on Whisper White cardstock and tried using some brewed tea sponged over the map image. Instead of giving it a worn and weathered antique look, it made the ink run. So, I got over my disappointment and printed it out on Very Vanilla with no extra steps.

Next, I stamped the boat image onto Watercolor paper with craft ink and embossed it. Then I pulled out the old aqua painter and an armful of classic inks and painted away. To make the graduated sky, I brushed on Almost Amethyst on the top, Pretty in Pink in the middle, and Appricot Appeal on the bottom, making sure to pull the color together for a more soft and natural look.

Finally I stamped the sentiment onto Very Vanilla and used a stamp-a-ma-jig to make the one-line stamp into a two-line image. Cut it out so it fit into the rectangular hodgepodge thing and tied it on with some linen thread and secured it with brads.

I hope these cards give you some inspiration for your own Father's Day creations!

Recipe:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Words and Winds of Grace

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Bashful Blue, Almost Amethyst, Appricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink, Creamy Caramel,and Close to Cocoa CRAFT ink.

Paper: Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Confetti Cream, Watercolor paper

Accessories: Clear embossing powder, heat gun, aqua painter, stamp-a-ma-jig, Vanilla Hodgepodge, Linen thread, printer

Have a great day!!

Super Simple Note Card

2010-06-04T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hi guys!

Another super quick project to share with you today. This is a No Stamp Special!

I just felt like making an all-purpose note card and this is what I came up with:

I really think it turned out swell. What do you think?

Recipe:

Stamps: NONE BABY!
Ink: NOT A DROP!
Paper: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Sweet Pea DSP
Accessories: 'NARY A ONE!

Sometimes these simple cards really hit the spot.

Happy not-stampin'!

June Calendar

2010-06-01T20:00:00.001-04:00

Hi guys!

Just a quick post today to share with you the calendar page we made for June.

Have a great one guys!

Card from Owl of Us

2010-05-31T08:00:00.005-04:00

Hi guys!

This weekend was our Godson's 8th birthday. It's amazing out time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday he was toddling around and now he's 8 years old! He just received his first communion earlier this month, too! It's been a big month for our family this year!

Since I wasn't able to celebrate with him, I made something a little more involved than I normally do for a kids' card. I broke out one of my favorite sets, Owl Together Now and had a little fun with it!

To make the tree, I masked off part of the paper and sponged Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel in a long swiping motion. I did the same thing for the sky, but with Bashful Blue. For the hole, I just punched a piece of Basic Black with the Oval punch. To give the balloon more of a true read, I stamped and colored it on white paper, cut it out, and adhered it to the card front.

Recipe:

Stamps: Owl Together Now

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Ruby Red, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue

Paper: Close to Cocoa, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Accessories: Oval punch, dimensional (on the owl to give him some flight)

Happy birthday little man!

Have a great one guys!

Congratulations Leeny

2010-05-29T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hi guys!

My little sister is graduating from high school, so I had to make her a way cool card using her school colors!

Before Hurricane Katrina, they lived outside of New Orleans and I know they really miss it down there. So in honor of her "heritage," I added some fleur de lis stickers. This particular pack of stickers was a bit of a pain in the butt. The image came off the sheet, but the sticky part didn't come off with the image. Grr. Anyway, I got over it and created this:

Recipe:

Stamps: Lovely Letters

Ink: Basic Black

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Green (sorry, the name of this color has totally left me and is not coming back. If you remember it, please chime in!)

Accessories: stickers, Scallop Edge and 1 3/8" Square punches, Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, So Saffron brad, embroidery floss, Perfectly Polka Dots embossing folder

ConGRADulations (hee!) to all the graduates out there in cyberspace!!

Have a great one guys!

Birthday Sunflowers

2010-05-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hi guys!

I'm all about birthday cards anymore, because it seems that the spring is a busy time of year!

This is a card I made for my aunt using my favorite stamp set, Serene Sunflowers. It's retired now, but still one I break out from time to time. It's another simple card, not many layers, but I think it's got a really clean look.

Recipe:

Stamps: Serene Sunflower, Teeny Tiny Wishes (I really get a lot of milage out of this set, don't I?!)

Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, retired DSP

Accessories: Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, distresser tool, dimensionals

Have a great one guys!

Belated Mother's Day

2010-05-25T20:34:00.009-04:00

Hi guys!

Long time, no type! Sorry about that. I've been wanting to share my Mother's Day cards with you forever, but I haven't been able to get my act together to upload the photos, let alone write about them! But check back again, I have bunches of projects in the queue to share with you all, including my Father's Day cards, which I'm really excited about! They turned out so good, if I do say so myself!

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day! Jimmy and the kids let me sleep in and they made me Monkey Bread and fruit salad for breakfast. It was the best breakfast ever because Jim told me that for the first time, both kids actively helped make it. That meant more to me than anything they could have bought me.

Now on to our belated project.... You'll see that I made it simple this year, but I really like how they turned out. I made five of them for all the mom's in my life, my own dear mother, my step-mom, my MIL, my step-MIL, and my SIL. Yup. My sister-in-law is expecting her first baby in August so this was her first Mother's Day!

Here's a close up of the biggest butterfly to show you that I added a dimentional to give it some lift.

Now hold on to your pants! I actually decorated the inside!! Really, I couldn't believe it either, but I'm kinda excited about it because it's my first non-Stampin' Up! set. This is from Papertrey Ink called Butterfly Dreams.

Recipe:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU!), Butterfly Dreams (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Taken With Teal, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Paper: Whisper White, Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, and a retired SU! DSP
Accessories: SU! Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Beautiful Wings embosslits die, Scallop Oval and Oval punches, matching SU! ribbons, except for the white one, which I got at Michaels

I really enjoyed this layout and will likely use it again for other things.

Have a great one!

May Calendar page

2010-05-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hi guys!

Happy May Day! We are a hair's breath away from Cinco de Mayo, so it's time to stock up on margarita mix, tequila, and Tacate!

In the meantime, here's the calendar page we made for may. We used some softer colors for this one. Enjoy!

Get Well Soon

2010-04-19T11:52:00.005-04:00

Hi guys!

I have another cell phone camera wonder to share with you today! This is a Get Well Card I made using a sketch I found on www.kwernerdesign.com. I stumbled across the sketch last summer and finally got around to making it. I think it turned out pretty.... pretty! I love pairing Sage with Chocolate!

Here's the front:

Here's the innards:

Recipe:

Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow
Paper: Sage Shadow, Whisper White, To the Nines DSP (retired)
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, an old oval-shaped coluzzle-type thingy, corner rounder punch.

Have a great week everybody!

Pretty Littles Daises

2010-04-06T19:59:00.005-04:00

Hi guys!

I wanted to share I birthday card I made recently. It's very simple, but because of it's simplicity, it has become one of my favorites!

I have to tell you, my favorite flowers are sunflowers and daisies, so when Stampin' Up! released their Flower, Daisies #2 die last year, I had to have it! The only thing I don't like about this die is that there is a hole in the center that is pretty large, so you need a pretty good sized button, brad, or knot to cover it up. For the center of these flowers, I tied a loose knot in some So Saffron ribbon.

Sorry about the picture. I took it with my cell phone because I couldn't find the camera! Be forewarned: you will see a few more posts with cell phone pictures! :)

Recipe:
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Bordering Blue
Paper: Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Bella Birds DSP (retired)
Accessories: Wide Oval and Scalloped Oval punches, Flowers, Daisies #2 die, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (retired 2009 SAB)

Have a great weekend everybody!

April Calendar

2010-04-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hi guys,

Just a quick post today to share with you the April calendar we made in my old stamp club.

Have a fabulous day!

Get Well Wishes to No One in Particular!

2010-03-23T12:05:00.003-04:00

Hi guys!

Today, I'm home with a sick little monkey. Actually, CJ's absolutely fine now, but because she got sick at school yesterday, they asked me to keep her home today. In fact, she is so fine right now that she's jumping into a pile of laundry yelling "Cannonball!" It actually worked out well because now I've got some extra snuggle time with her and some time to play catch-up in my craft room! I got to finish up my Mother's Day AND my Father's Day cards! Can you believe how ahead of the game I am? I'll share those cards with you in the next few weeks. I'm really pleased with how they all came out and can't wait to share them with you!

Today I'm sharing a Get Well card I made. I don't know why I made a Get Well card, since no one I know is sick right now, but I had the idea and ran with it! I CASED this card from one I saw on Inking Idaho. If you haven't read her blog, go check it out now--it's fabulous. Go on, I'll wait.... :)

Here's my take on her card. I wanted to add a little interest to the apple image, so I colored it with my markers and spritzed it with a little water before stamping on the paper. I like the muddled, watercolor look it gives.

Recipe:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Tart n' Tangy
Ink: markers: real red, old olive
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Real Red, Glossy White, Summer Picnic DSP (retired)
Accessories: Scallop circle, corner rounder, 1 1/4" circle, and 1 3/8" circle punches; Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Bashful Blue brad, water spritzer.

I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Happy birthday, Dad!

2010-03-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hi guys,

Today is the first day of spring. It is also my Dad's birthday. The card that I made for him is pretty simple, although I did use more accessories than I usually do! And for the first time in God-knows-when, I didn't CASE this! It is an Original Amy. :)

Recipe:
Stamps: Vintage Labels
Paper: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, To the Nine's DSP
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: Vanilla hodgepodge brads, jumbo eyelet, 1" circle and scalloped circle punches, Chocolate Chip double stitched ribbon.

Happy stampin!

March calendar

2010-03-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

Hello guys,

I just thought I'd quickly share with you the calendar card I made for March.

Have a good one!

My first Decor Element

2010-03-12T14:12:00.003-05:00

Hello guys,

Several months ago I bought the decor element growth chart. I had planned on putting it up... just as soon as I painted! :) Well, since I didn't have anything better to do during the blizzards last month, I painted the kids' bathroom. I always make Jimmy pick out the paint colors, because he's so much better at it than I am!

Anyway, the growth chart is like six feet high, which was too much for little ol' me to handle by myself. So I enlisted Jimmy to help. It took us a bit to figure out how to get it on the wall straight, but once we got the stalk up, the rest was gravy! Those little measurement marks were a great bugger though. There are so many of them and they didn't want to transfer. Needless to say, if any of you are thinking of getting this chart you must have patience when putting it up!

It was rather difficult to get a decent picture of the final product, since the bathroom isn't very wide. The kids were laughing watching me try to melt into the wall to get the shot!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Bright Butterflies

2010-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've got some major cabin fever here and I think that is obvious by the card I'm sharing with you today. It's a CASE of a card I found on Splitcoast using the Beautiful Wings embosslet die. I really like how this came out! It's so bright and cheerful, don't ya think? I used real dimensionals as well as faux dementionals to give the butterflies flight and texture. I think what I like best about this card is that I didn't use a single stamp and only a smackrel of ink! I tore the edge of the DSP and sponged it with Old Olive ink.

Here's a close up to give you a better idea of the texture of the card.

Recipe:
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Lavender Lace, Barely Banana, Taken with Teal, and Raspberry Tart DSP (retired)
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: Beautiful Wings embosslet die, D'vine Swirls embossing folder, dimensionals, sponge

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

Today I'm sharing with you some of my Valentine's projects... OK, all of my Valentine's projects! I tell ya, it's feast or famine around here, and lately it's been pretty famished!

In an effort to keep my family sane during the blizzard over the weekend, we got ready for Valentine's Day. I went out to Michael's and bought a little Valentine mailbag kit and we all made our ow nmailbag and valentine's for each other. Even Jimmy and little Sean got into the action!

Notice the clicker and Cheez-Its are always close at hand!

Here are our mailbags:

I mentioned in my post earlier this week that I was completely underwhelmed with what I made for the kids' friends. I usually don't put a lot of 'stuff' into what I make for the kids to pass out to their friends, but for some reason this year, I had absolutely no mojo for these projects and it's completely evident.

For CJ's friends, I got some pencils from the Target Dollar Spot and made little flags for them. I used the Owl Together Now set, since it's my only set that's even remotely Valentiney.

I think I would have liked them better if I used a border punch around the edges and a background stamp for the red card stock. Alas, there's always next year!

Recipe:
Stamps: Owl Together Now, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Basic Black; Real Red, Blush Blossom, Close to Cocoa, and Apricot Appeal markers
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, and Whisper White

For Sean's classmates, I decorated the top of a baggie of York Peppermint Patties. I was really disappointed when I opened the bag when I got home to find that they changed the packaging! It totally messed with my original idea!

Recipe:
Stamps: Love Bugs
Ink: Chocolate Chip; Real Red, Perfect Plum, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, and Pretty in Pink markers
Paper: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White
Accessories: Wide Oval, Scalloped Oval, and Scallop Trim boarder punches; cellophane bag

May your Valentine's Day be full of peace and love.

It's Going to Snow, Snow, Snow, Right Here in DC!

2010-02-09T14:42:00.008-05:00

Hello everybody!

Well, the mid-Atlantic is getting dumped on. Again. We got 24" here in Gaithersburg on Saturday, and we're supposed to get another 10-20 again tonight! I haven't been to work since Friday morning and I don't suspect I'll be back at all this week! I am beginning to go a bit stir crazy... I am not used to this kind of weather and would love to be back in the warmer climes of Knoxville right about now! :)

We got so much snow that even the kids were overwhelmed by it! I have to say, though, I loved the names everyone was coming up with for these storms: Snowpacalopyse, Snowmageddon, and my fav, Snowtorious B.I.G. Here is what the place looked like on Sunday:

And this is my poor mailbox!

Since I'm no longer demonstrating, I thought the best way to get out and meet some local crafty folks was to join a stamp club. Well, that club is over now and I'll be showing you our last project over the course of the year. We made a little calendar using a plastic CD box. Everything was already done for us, except the stamping. Here is the page we made for January:

And here's the page we made for February:

I'm not sure where the calendar came from exactly, but I believe you can find them on Splitcoast Stampers. The page measures 5" x 5".

I have some Valentine's projects that I'll share with you later in the week. I'm completely underwhelmed by them, but they are what they are: stuff to share with wee children!

May you all stay warm and dry! I'll type to you again soon!

Box O' Cards!

2010-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi guys,

The project I'm sharing with you today is a little box full of note cards. Again, I've kept this project very simple--the note cards are all one-layer and use one of my new favorite stamps: Medellion! It was fun for me to make these, because if you've seen my blog, you know that I love me some layers! They hide a multitude of sins! It was really brave of me to just go right at the card front!

The box measures 4 1/5" wide, 1" wide, and 2 1/2 " tall. I also adorned them with one of my favorite Big Shot dies: Daisies! There are four 4 1/4" square note cards inside.

Here's a picture of the box with the cards inside:

Here's the first note card:

Here's the second note card:

Here's the third note card:

And the fourth note card:

Recipe:
Stamps: Medallion, Baroque Motifs
Ink: So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss
Paper: Confetti Cream, Very Vanilla, Bella Birds DSP (retired), To the Nines Specialty DSP (retired)
Accessories: Daisies Big Shot die, Summer Sun corduroy buttons, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (retired SAB), eyelet border punch, Vanilla Hodgepodge, Very Vanilla and Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, Chocolate Chip and Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, Soft Subtles and rhinestone brads

Have a great day everybody!

Big Birthday Cupcake

2010-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi guys,

I know you're probably so sick of seeing birthday cards from me, but this is the last one, I swear! This one isn't meant for anyone... yet... but I really like how it turned out. I made it by piecing together all different pieces of paper.

For any of you who don't know what paper-piecing is, all you do is stamp the same image on several sheets of card stock, cut them out, and piece them back together. Kinda like building a Frankencard.

I really liked how this one turned out. It's perfect for a young girl, or a big girl who's young at heart!

Recipe:
Stamps: Simple Birthday Thanks, Best Yet (retired hostess set)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Raspberry Tart DSP (retired), To the Nines Specialty DSP (retired)
Accessories: Rhinestone brads, Soft Subtles brads, tag and small tag punches, 1/4" Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, Whisper White taffeta ribbon

Have a great day everybody!

Birthday Easel Card

2010-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hi guys,

Earlier this month, there was a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers for an Easel card. That week also happened to be my friend Wanda's birthday. She's an Stampin' Up! demonstrator, so anything I make for her has to be well thought out, or in this case, well CASED! (I CASED this from the card in the tutorial.)

This card was uber fun to make. If you haven't made one of these yet, give it a try! Here's a view of the front:

Here's the view from the side. It really gives you a good idea of how this thing works:

Recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Garden Wimsey, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: White Craft, Chocolate Chip Classic
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, So Saffron, Summer Picnic DSP (retired)
Accessories: White embossing powder, distressing tool, 1/4" Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, Daisy Big Shot die, rhinestone brad, eyelet border punch

Have a great day everybody!

Masculine Birthday Card #2

2010-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi guys!

Today I'm sharing with you the birthday card I made for my hubby, whose celebrating his 36th birthday today! Happy birthday, Jim! We celebrated his birthday last weekend with couple-friends of ours who were also celebrating a January birthday. You can see the card I made for him in the post below. It was Restaurant Week here in DC, so we took advantage and went out for a swanky dinner.

I found inspiration for the layout of Jimmy's card on Splitcoaststampers. Again, I apologize, but I found it several days ago, and can't find it now! Someday I'll remember to bookmark the ones I CASE! If this looks familiar to any of you, please link to the card so we can share credit where credit is due.

At any rate, I used all different colors, papers, and stamps from the original, I just CASED the sketch.

Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Bella Birds DSP (retired)
Accessories: Paper piercer and piercing template, scalloped edge punch, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (retired SAB from last year)

I hope you all have a great day!

Masculine Birthday Card #1

2010-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi guys,

I HATE HATE HATE making masculine cards. I'm really not good at it. Of course, it doesn't help that all my stamp sets are rather girly. The set I used today, though, is one I bought for cards for my husband. It's a great set to have on hand for making elegant or masculine cards. Today, I went for simple elegant masculinity.

This is a card I made for a guy friend's birthday. This uses a Stampin' Up! In Color from last year, Baja Breeze. I didn't buy the stamp pad, but I did get the refill. I've never really been a fan of any of SU!'s In Colors, but since the refills are cheaper then the pads, they're a great way to experiment. I colored the images by squirting some ink onto a baby wipe. I like this technique because it gives it almost a watercolor feel. I also cut about an eighth of an inch off the bottom, distressed it, and wiped some ink on the edge.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Baja Blue

Paper: Whisper White, Baja Blue

Accessories: Distressing tool

I hope I've inspired you to make something with your own stash. If I have, please share your creation with me by linking to it in a comment.

Have a great one everybody!

Belated Christmas Card

2010-01-16T10:07:00.003-05:00

Hi guys,

Better late than never, but here is what I sent out as our Christmas cards this year. They were nothing terribly spectacular... I made 40 of 'em on Veteran's Day while my daughter napped on the couch! I found the layout on Nichole Heady's blog and I thought it looked simple enough to duplicate, so I did!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Snowfall and Warm Words (both retired SU! sets)
Paper: Whisper White, NIght of Navy, Bashful Blue
Ink: Night of Navy, White Craft
Accessories: Scalloped Oval, Wide Oval, and corner rounder punches; navy ribbon from Michael's; faux dimensionals

Check back later this week! I had a day off all to myself and I got all inky!!

Have a great weekend!

Cherish a Tree

2010-01-02T20:57:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite cards I made recently, and my recently, I mean over the summer! I got the idea for the layout from Splitcoaststampers.com, but I couldn't tell you who it was! Sorry!

This is a picture of the outside of the card. To open it, you untie the ribbon.

Here's the inside. I actually decorated it! Usually for me, the innards of the card are forgotten territory.

I'm not going to write the recipe tonight, since I'm writing to you from the confines of my son's dark room. He's moved out of his crib and into a big-boy bed. Now, we have to hang out in his room with him until he falls asleep or else he wanders the house like a zombie. Tonight is especially interesting since he doesn't want to go to bed and is escaping at every opportunity.

So now I'm off to chase him. I hope your evening is much more relaxing!

Happy stamping

Merry Christmas Teacher Gifts

2009-12-21T09:46:00.005-05:00

Hi all!

Sorry I've not been posting lately. Life gets in the way sometimes. The good news is that I have a new job and I should have a *little* more time to post stuff! You may notice that I'm posting in the middle of the day on a Monday. Well, that's because the East Coast is blanketed in 20+" of snow! I should have started my new job today, but the snow has essentially shut the region down. Us Mid-Atlantic-ers are not equipped for such a dumping!! Here's what our front yard looks like:

Those little glowing lumps are 3 ft pre-lit trees that line our sidewalk! They're almost completely covered!!

Anyway, on to our show....

Below is a picture of the gifts I made for my kids teachers. No real stamping involved here, but I made a little spa basket for them which includes bath salts, sugar scrub, hand lotion, and a bar of soap; all handmade! (Scroll down for the recipes.) My sister-in-law came over last weekend to help CJ and me make these, and we made sure to make enough to keep for ourselves! These products are absolutely awesome to use and make my skin feel great! Although I wish I read Annie B's post before I packaged them. She and Angela Lemmons came up with a great idea to package them: in glass ornaments! Check out Annie's blog for pictures.

The best thing about this gift is that I bought all the ingredients for the salt, scrub, and lotion in the grocery store! The bar soap ingredients came from Michael's. I found the jars for $1.97 a piece in Walmart.

Bath Salts:
2 bags Epsom salt
1 container sea salt
1-2 cups baking soda
a few drops of essential oil, fragrance oil, or flavored extract

Stir to combine. This makes a TON of salts. Scale back if you need to. This recipe filled 7 10-oz jars, plus a freezer bag!

Sugar Scrub:
2 cups Sugar in the Raw
1/2 cup avocado oil
1/4 cub grape seed oil
1-2 tablespoons honey
a few drops of essential oil, fragrance oil, or flavored extract

Stir to combine. This fills 2 10-oz jars. I found this recipe on cathiefilian.blogspot.com. She's one of the hosts of Creative Juice on DIY network. Check out her blog for tons of other cool projects.

Hand Lotion:
4 bottles baby lotion
2 containers Vaseline
2-3 tablespoon Vitamin E oil

Stir with your beater to combine. Again, this recipe makes loads of lotion. Scale back the recipe if necessary.

Bar Soap:
Glycerin soap
Lavender flowers
a few drops of essential oil, fragrance oil, or flavored extract

Melt the soap in a double boiler or microwave. Stir in lavendar and oils to combine. Pour into molds.

These gifts come together in very little time, perfect for that one last-minute gift that you just remembered this morning you still needed to get!

Merry Christmas everybody!!

Nautical Card

2009-09-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

Hi guys!

Wow, two posts in two weeks! I told you I had stuff to show you! Here's a card I made for Jim's Step-Dad. He and Jim's mom live at the beach, so I thought this card was perfect for him! It's uber simple (that's about all I can handle these days!), but I think it turned out pretty awesome if I do say so myself! And I just did! :)

Recipe:
Stamps: Winds of Grace (retired)
Paper: Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, To the Nine's DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, retired ribbon slidey thing (technical term)

Have a fabulous weekend ya'll!!

Wedding Card

2009-09-03T21:50:00.001-04:00

Hi guys!

I'm back! Twice in one week! Shocking, I know. Tomorrow we're off for a long weekend in Ohio visiting my Dad. It's hard to tell who's most excited about this trip: him or us! We haven't been out there since last Thanksgiving, so this visit is LONG overdue!

The project I wanted to share with you today is a card I made for a wedding we went to back in June. Let me just tell you: this wedding was Da Bomb! Truly. The wedding itself was in a fancy hotel in my hometown of Scranton, PA and was really swanky. What I didn't know until I was chasing my kids in the hallway during cocktail hour (while balancing a glass of wine, by the way), was the Def Leppard and Poison were in town for a concert the next night.

I learned this interesting tid bit when I turned to my husband and said "Wow, that guy really looks like the guitarist from Def Leppard." To which he replied, "Honey, how many Scrantonians do you know have pierced ears, wear black, and speak with a British accent?"

It was at that exact moment when my vocabulary deteriorated from full sentences to "EEEEEKKK! OHMIGOD, OMIGOD, OMIGOD, OMIGOD, OMIGOD!" I'm seriously getting excited all over again just typing this! Anyway, here's the proof that I finally met Phil Collen, a man I drooled over when I was 13!

Note that I am actually holding the card you see below! Be still, by hyper heart! And he still looks good! Sorry for the dark picture, girls: it was taken with my cell phone because I was totally unprepared and without my camera! Later that night, I made my husband take me back out to the bar across the street from the hotel where I met Rick Savage, though that picture is on hubby's blackberry. Perhaps I can upload that one next week....

Alas, no face time with Bret Michaels. I couldn't find him!

Anyway, on to what you really came here for, the card I made for the happy couple, blissfully unaware that hairband greatness was within their grasp:

Recipe:
Stamps: Warm Words
Paper: Whisper White and Sage Shadow
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: D'Vine Swirl embossing folder, eyelet border and wide oval punches, silver brads (silver brads! It's Christmas time in the city!--sorry, it was in my head and needed to get out), white taffeta ribbon

It's a simple card, but I think it's very elegant.

I hope you all have sweet dreams of the guys you drooled over when you were 13!

Tree card

2009-08-30T14:34:00.002-04:00

Hi all!

It's been a million years since my last post. So much has happened since then, but most importantly, my husband rearranged the living room and disconnected the computer in the process. So, while I had access to the internet on my laptop, I couldn't get to my craft gallery which is stored in a file on the downstairs computer! Needless to say, he finally reconnected it last night! Of course, that computer is 10 years old, so there's really no telling how long it will last! (cue ticking clock...)

In other news, I am no longer a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I really enjoyed my time meeting new people and demonstrating all of Stampin' Up!'s fabulous products, but now I have a demanding job and demanding family and that leaves very little time to stamp, let alone plan for events. But don't count me out! I'll return to demonstrating when I retire (in about 30 years....)

Anyway, on to the card I made back in June for Father's Day. This one was sent to my step-father, Tom.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Branching Out, Studio G stamps from the Michael's Dollar bin
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Basic Black Classic ink, Sage Shadow and Handsome Hunter markers
Paper: Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, To the Nine's DSP
Accessories: Corner Rounder punch

I hope your day is fabulous!

Father's Day, Part One

2009-06-23T19:36:00.003-04:00

Hi guys!

I've been a stampin' fool lately and I've been crankin' them out like nobody's business! Of course, I've had deadlines to meet, what with Father's Day, and everything that happens in June for our family. So now that I've actually uploaded all of the pictures off my camera, I can start sharing them with you! Today I'm sharing my favorite of the Father's Day cards. This one was made for my FIL, Frank. If I'm a stamin' fool, he's totally a grillin' fool! He grills in the dead of winter, in monsoons, in blazing heat, you name the weather and he's cookin' in it! Anyway, I saw a bunch of apron-shaped cards and I though how perfect for Frank!

I cut my cardstock lengthwise, so the card opens on top, then I cut two ovals to create the neckline. I sponged black ink all over the edges of the card and on the ribbon to make it look like it got a little too close to the grill. Oh, and what do ya think about the grill itself? That's aluminum foil! All I did was stamp my image on the foil and cut it out. Viola! Shiney happy grill.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Studio G clear stamps from the Dollar bin at Michaels ( non-SU!)
Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie (for the inside of the grates)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Basicgrey patterned paper ( non-SU! paper too?! What can I say? I'm brancing out!)
Accessories: Aluminum foil, Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, sponges, and an old oval-shaped cuter outer template thingy.

Hope you all have a fabulous day!!

Genie Box

2009-06-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hi guys!

Remember how I told you that I'm CASE-ing most of my stuff? Well here's another one! Actually, the design is closer to an original than a case, I suppose, but I did find the idea on a blog I regularly follow, Stamping Up North. She made these genie bags that are actually boxes perfect for holding those little Russell Stover candy boxes. I forgot to take a picture of the side view of mine, but check out her's, complete with directions here.

I made this to go along with the flower pot card I showed you a few posts ago for my co-worker's birthday. I filled it with Hershey Kisses, rather than the Russell Stover's.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Yummy (retired 2009 Sale-a-Bration set)
Ink: So Saffron pad and marker, Bordering Blue marker
Paper: Bordering Blue, Whisper White, Bella Birds DSP
Accessories: SAB So Saffron ribbon, crop-a-dile, Big Shot, Top Note die, Simple Flower die, sponge dauber, corner rounder punch

Have a great day!

White Trash

2009-05-25T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hi guys!

Today I wanted to share with you a recipe card I made a while ago. I'm still rather slow with my stamping lately, and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'll have much time anymore to devote to it. This breaks my heart, but after a long day working, commuting, and tending to family, I just don't have it in me to be creative. Most of the stuff I've done lately has been CASEes of other folks stuff, and I'm relatively certain that you don't want to see me rehash stuff you've already seen on Splitcoast. Suffice it to say, though, that when I do make something unique-ish, I'll share it!

This recipe was given to me by my Aunt Charlotte and let me tell you, it's a crowd-pleaser! As you can see, I was very literal when I created this recipe card! :)

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Loads of Love
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Really Rust, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels, dimensionals

Food Recipe:
1/2 box Frosted Cheerios
1/2 box Chex cereal
1-2 c m & m's
1/2 c peanuts
1 bag white chocolate chips

In a large measuring cup, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave, 1-2 min, checking every 30 seconds.

In a large bowl, combine the cereals, m & m's, and peanuts. Add the melted chocolate and mix gently.

Let cool--it will clump-- and serve.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Yay! I Have a Craft Room Again!!

2009-05-11T21:45:00.005-04:00

Hey guys!

I had the most wonderful Mother's Day this year. Jimmy and the kids made me breakfast in bed which consisted of freshly ground coffee, Monkey Bread, and strawberries. Yum, yum, yum!

What made the day even better was the unearthing of my new craft room! On Saturday, I made a trip to Ikea to buy two new desks, one for me and one for Jimmy. We've decided to share the room and half will be his home office and the other half will me my home office. Shh! Don't tell him, but I think my papers and stamps will quietly migrate to his side of the room....

Quick sports news flash: Caps just one game 6!!! Yay! We're going to game 7, kids!!

Back to our regularly scheduled post...

I was so excited to see all my toys again, that I put together two desks and unpacked all my stuff Saturday night so that on Mother's Day I could get down to business and make a belated birthday card for my co-worker. Her birthday was last month, but I can't give my hard-earned money to Hallmark! I need to make my own cards! You know what I mean, right?!

I've been seeing tons of flower pot cards online, so I just had to make one. Mine's not as embellished as some of the ones I've seen, but this is the first time I've stamped since January! I need to ease in a bit...

Here's what the insert looks like:

Now for the recipe:

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, To the Nines DSP
Accessories: So Saffron SAB ribbon, Big Shot, Simple Flower and Birds and Blooms dies, white gel pen, Apricot Appeal marker, scallop edge punch

Hope you have a great one!

Happy Birthday, Dad

2009-05-09T09:07:00.000-04:00

Hello Everybody!

Long time, no type! It's been wildly hectic around here. Let's see, since I've typed to you last, we've traveled just about every weekend visiting family, sold our house in Knoxville, bought and moved into our new home in Gaithersburg, MD, and started unpacking.

My God the boxes! I'm the kind of person who will spend a month packing everything up and then have to have everything unpacked, in place, and cleaned within a week. This time, however, I didn't have enough vacation time to take a week and get everything done. So here we are, two weeks later, and there are still more boxes full of crap then there is stuff put away. Heck, we just found our computer two nights ago!! I'm hoping to get to Ikea later today to get some new desks for our office/craft space so I can finally get my stamps unpacked and start playing! I've been going through major stamping withdrawal (which is rivaled only by my Facebook withdrawal)! I bought a ton of new stuff from the Spring SU! catalog, but I haven't even opened them yet! Oh, the horror!!

Anyway, enought ranting. Here's a card I made a lifetime ago for my Dad's birthday back in March.

Here's the Recipe:
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Upsy Daisy
Ink: Chocolate Chip; Old Olive, Real Red, and So Saffron Stampin' Write markers
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Accessories: Large Oval punch, Crop-a-dile, Chocolate Chip double stitched grosgrain ribbon, faux dimensionals

To all you mom's out there: Have a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Butterfly Birthday

2009-03-29T21:20:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

I know it's been a while since my last post. I actually started writing this two weeks ago! But, I've had a restive weekend with my in laws at their beach house, so I'm all full of vim and vigor and can now finish my regularly scheduled post!

But before I get on with it, I'm only $10 shy of my sales goal, so if anyone is interested in taking advantage of the last days of Sale-a-Bration, gimme a call!

So you guys know that we're living off the generosity of my Aunt Karen right? She has been so gracious to us, letting us live with her until we can get into our own home. It really is amazing that she hasn't kicked us out on our ear by now. Let's see, the baby has broken a sink and we've learned that the overflow in the bathtub is not actually hooked up to a pipe. Yeah, that last one was a hard lesson to learn when there was just as much water in the dining room as their was in the tub. (sigh)

Besides vertually condemning her house, it's worked out wonderfully. CJ and Karen have really become very close, which has helped CJ adjust to life outside Knoxville. Although it's gotten to the point that I don't think CJ will want to move out of Karen's house! N

Anyway, Karen's birthday was earlier this month. So CJ and I made her a special Princess Cake (because CJ loves princesses!) and a special dinner and this card:

Purple is Karen's favorite color. (And previously CJ's fav as well, until about a month ago. Apparently, princesses like pink better.) Here's the gratuitious artsy-fartsy close-up:

Now, I made this card before we left Knoxville, so let's see if I can remember the recipe!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Inspired By Nature
Ink: Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Mellow Moss
Paper: Kraft, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Whisper White
Accessories: Big Shot, Birds and Blooms Sizzlets, Silver Brads

Have a great day guys!!

Wacky Cake Recipe Page

2009-03-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

Hey you guys!!

I'm watching The Electric Company with my daughter right now. Have you seen the new one yet? It's so cool! I used to love the old Electric Company when I was a kid and the new one doesn't disappoint! It's really a fun little show with a beat box guy and Tiki Barber makes a guest appearance in one of the episodes. Really, he's a hottie.

Speaking of kids shows, did I ever tell you about my crush on Bill Nye the Science Guy? When I was in college I told anyone who would listen that I was going to marry him. You can imagine my disappointment when I learned that he got married to someone else a few years ago.

But I digress...

Today I wanted to show you another recipe card we made in January's class. This one was my grandmother's go-to chocolate cake recipe. I think it's called a Wacky Cake because the ingredient list is, well, a bit wacky. No milk. A bit of vinegar of all things. And two cups of warm water. Kinda strange, huh? But it is sooooo good! It's the only chocolate cake I would eat as a child.

My grandmother would also make some yummy homemade vanilla icing too. We made a page for this recipe, too, but I forgot to save that recipe in my blog queue, so I won't have access to that picture until our desktop computer gets hooked up into whatever new house we end up in. Whenever that happens... (sigh)

Here's the card recipe:

Paper: Blush Blossom, Taken With Teal, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Double Stitched Ribbon, 1/4" Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, Baja Breeze striped ribbon

Wacky Cake recipe:

3 c flour
6 T cocoa
2 T baking soda
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
10 T melted butter
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c warm water

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix butter, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Add to dry mixture, mixing well.

Pour into a 9" x 13" cake pan and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Happy baking you guys!

Hello girls! I'm Baaaaccckk!

2009-02-27T22:07:00.001-05:00

Hi guys!

It's been quite a while since I've typed to you last! Our family has moved, although not all of our stuff has (grrr). The kids have adjusted well to their new school, and Jim and I are still recovering from our DC-sized commutes! We officially arrived in Fort Washington, MD on Valentine's Day and our new lives got going in earnest that following Tuesday. Last week was a bit of a blur: we were all so exhausted that we were in bed by 9 every night! Talk about no life! This week was much better as far as exhaustion is concerned, but getting used to the work-a-day world has been, well, tough. I'll muddle through somehow, though! I'm glad that I horded up some pics to share with you, because I have not had a single moment to stamp! That'll change soon enough, 'cuz I'm finally putting in my next toy order on Sunday (cue trumpets and angelic choirs).

This week I'm going to share with you some simple thank you cards I made. Last month was my husband's birthday, so he needed a couple of thank you's to send. I'm still trying to use up some of my retired DSP, so I figured I'd use 'em here!

Recipe:
Stamps: Elegant Thank You
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired), one of the holiday DSP's from the Holiday mini--sorry! the name escapes me (retired)

Happy stamping!

Elegant Valentine

2009-02-10T13:51:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my last week here in Knoxville. It's a crazy week here, and I'm going through some serious DT's since I packed up my craft-dining room last week. I keep going in there to do something just to be painfully reminded in the doorway that anything good is in a box in the garage.

I have squirreled away some projects to share with you over the next few weeks, and I've been trying to be good about spacing them out. I think I mentioned in a previous post that we'll be moving in with my aunt until we can get settled in a new house, so my crafting time/supplies/space will be really limited. So that being said, I'm sure you've noticed that my posts have become less frequent, and that will stay that way at least for the foreseeable future. But stay tuned!

Today's card is one I made for my husband for Valentine's Day. I wanted to keep it simple and masculine, and this is what I came up with:

It's kinda reminiscent of a tuxedo, isn't it? At least, that's what I was trying to go for! I wanted to avoid all the girly reds and pinks that are so prevalent for Valentine's Day, since my husband isn't exactly a girly-man. :)

Have I told you about my love for my new stamp-a-ma-jig?? If I haven't, my Lord! This invention is da bomb! I could never have even attempted lining up the letters without it!! How did I ever craft without it?!

Alright, enough blathering. Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Lovely Letters
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Big Shot, Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder, Scallop Edge punch, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, and Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

My goodness, I cannot wait to get my hands on the new eyelet border punch and those textured dies for the Big Shot! But alas, I must wait a little longer..... But you don't have to wait at all! It's still Sale-a-Bration time and I can still process orders during my transition! Call me tonight!

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

2009-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi guys!

Before I get on to my regularly scheduled post, I thought I'd tell you about the SNOW we got here yesterday! It was unbelievable! Ya see, here in East Tennessee, we don't see much snow (which is just fine by me!), so when it comes down, even just a little, it's a Big Event. Today, it came down so hard and with such big flakes that it knocked out our satellite for a few hours. When CJ came home from school, it was still snowing and there was actually enough to make a snowman! I'd share a picture of our snowman, but I'm a bad camera mom. Sorry! Suffice it to say, CJ had a blast. And, surprisingly enough, there is still snow on the ground! I've never seen snow last for more than a few hours here!

Today I thought I'd share with you another of the recipe cards we made at my class this month. This recipe came from my humble upline, Wanda. It's a crowd-pleaser and so super simple.

Here's the recipe for the page:
Stamps: None
Ink: Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive
Paper: Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Hawaii Papaya DSP (retired)
Accessories: Large Oval and Scallop Circle punches, Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

It's kinda hard to see, but I sponged the Pumpkin Pie ink on the Tangerine Tango ovals to add some depth. I also sponged the Old Olive around the edges of the DSP to age it a little.

Now here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Spice muffins:
1 box Spice cake mix
1-15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Mix ingredients and bake according to Spice cake directions.

Seriously, that's all that goes into these things and they come out so moist and delicious! I made these for CJ to take to school for her birthday instead of cupcakes. Her teacher told me that all the kids devoured them!

Happy stamping!

Baja Butterflies

2009-01-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hi guys!

First off, for all of you in the Knoxville area, don't forget about my

MYSTERY HOSTESS CONTEST!!

There are only a few days left to enter! All you need to do to enter is submit a $50 order! It's just that simple. Check out my post below from 23 January for more details.

It's a dreary rainy Wednesday here in Knoxville, so I thought I would share with you some bright thank you cards I made. Earlier this month, a bunch of my girlfriends got together for a good-bye party for me and we went for a Hibachi/sushi dinner and bowling afterwards. It was so much fun and I was so touched that they would do that for me, so I had to make them some hand-stamped thank you cards to show my appreciation.

Here's a close up of one of them:

I'm getting a lot of use out of my swirly Cuttlebug folder, aren't I? Man, I can't wait to get my hands on the textured embossing plates Stampin' Up!'s selling right now! But alas, I'm trying to be good and wait until after the move to buy anything... Anyway, I couldn't decide which color scheme I liked best, so I made them all slightly different. Here's a group shot:

Now for the recipe:

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly
Ink: Cameo Coral
Paper: Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral, Whisper White
Accessories: Baja Breeze striped grosgrain ribbon, D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder, Big Shot, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Large Oval and Word Window punches

Happy stamping!

Valentine Treats

2009-01-27T09:19:00.005-05:00

Hi guys!

Today I thought I'd share with you the treats I made for CJ's classmates for Valentine's Day. With our move looming, I've been trying to get everything done because I don't know when I'll be able to stamp again! My aunt has been gracious enough to let us move in with her until the Knoxville house sells and we can get on our feet a bit. I am so grateful to her because we could not make this move without her generosity. Anyway, I don't want to junk up her house with all of my stamping paraphanalia, so I'll be working with really limited supplies, like, what I buy for myself after I get there!

But I digress...

I got this idea from Chick 'n Scratch. I altered it a little to fit the supplies I had on hand. I also changed the dimensions to conserve paper.

I cut the Real Red paper to 4" x 8" so I could get 4 treats out of one 12" x 12" piece of card stock. I scored it at 2 1/4" and 5 1/2".

Here's what it looks like when it's opened:

I used the Ticket Corner Punch to make indentations in the sides so the ribbon closure would sit properly without slipping.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Owl Together Now
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, More Mustard, Old Olive
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, ticket corner and scallop edge punches, blender pen, faux dimensionals.

Happy stamping!

Knoxville Mystery Hostess CONTEST!!

2009-01-23T10:16:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

This is a bitter-sweet post today. Just like many others around the country, the time has come for me to find a job, and lo and behold, I found one. In Washington, DC. So I'll be heading back from whence I came in mid-February.

It's bitter-sweet because I have thoroughly enjoyed my short time in Knoxville and staying home with my kids. But I'm also looking forward to seeing old friends and getting back to the work-a-day world and finishing a cup of coffee while it's still warm! :)

At this point, I plan on remaining a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. For the next few months, all the classes that I'll be offering will all be done in a Class to Go style. I'll write more about my Classes to Go next week.

As my last hurrah in K-town, I'm holding another Mystery Hostess Contest for anyone living in the Knoxville area! In order to take advantage of Sale-a-Bration which starts on 1 Feb, this contest will run until Monday, 2 February.

Sale-a-Bration works like this: For every $50 you spend, you get to choose a free item from the brochure (linked to above). So if you buy $100 worth of stuff, you'll get to choose 2 items, etc., etc. Mystery Hostess will work the same way! For every $50 you spend, you'll get another chance to win! So anyone who submits an order for a minimum of $50 will not only receive a free Sale-a-Bration item, but your name will be put in a hat to receive all the hostess benefits for that order! It's like having a workshop without getting your house all messy! :)

The perks of being the Mystery Hostess is that you not only get all the regular hostess benes, but if the order totals $300 or more, you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration product! Yay for more free stuff!!

After the Mystery Hostess name is drawn, another name will be chosen to win today's project:

It's a box of eight 3" x 3" note cards! Great for just about any occasion! There are four different cards, two of each design. Here's a picture of the group of cards, with their matching little envelopes! Aren't they adorable?!

Here's a gratuitous close up of one of the cards, just because I was getting all artsy-fartsy with my camera:

Wanna participate but don't have a copy of the fabulous new catalog? I'll have a free make-n-take for anyone who wants to stop over and check it out! There's no formal time, just come on over when you can! Just give me a call, my number's over in the left-hand column. I'll be accepting orders starting today until Monday, 2 February.

For those of you who are interested in the recipe for today's project, here it is:

Stamps: Tart and Tangy, Fun and Fast Notes
Ink: Real Red and Old Olive markers; Barely Banana and Basic Black Classic ink pads
Paper: Summer Picnic DSP (retired), Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue and Whisper White
Accessories: Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, paper piercer and piercing mat, Chocolate Chip Double Stitched grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot, and Scallop Envelope die

Hope to see you soon!

My New Catty Must-Haves

2009-01-22T12:08:00.011-05:00

Hi guys,

Wanda has asked that I share with you all my 'must-haves' from the new catty. Really, this is my wish list, and I hope to amass at least a few of these, particularly the Decor Elements! :) I've limited my wish list here to include only those items which are new to the Spring-Summer catalog. If I were to be all-inclusive, my list would be a mile long! Regardless, I am not one to disappoint, so here's my list:

Stamps:

1. Special Blessing

2. That's Funny

3. Sweet Stems (if you liked Pocket Silouettes, you love this set!) I already have this set, but I'm adding this as a Must Have.

4. Three Little Words

Accessories:

1. Circle Scissor Plus (This is at the TOP of my list!!)

2. To the Nines Specialty (it's textured and cover-weight!), DSP in Tea Party, and Bella Birds

3. Fleurettes (these are hand-made, crocheted flowers)

4. Eyelet Border punch

Big Shot:

If you don't have a Big Shot, this machine should be at the top of your list!!

1. Box #2

2. Frame, Oval Scallop

3. Big Bold Cupcakes

4. Backgrounds I (texture plates, similar to Cuttlebug folders)

Decor Elements:

1. Tree, Thoughts & Prayers

2. Direction of Your Dreams (in case you're having trouble with this one, the quote reads: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. --Henry David Thoreau"

3. Flower Garden

4. Build a Fairy Tale (my daugther has requested this for her bedroom!)

Here's The Project I Shoulda Posted Yesterday

2009-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey guys,

Here's the project I intended to post for you yesterday. This one actually uses new stuff! Today's project is one of the recipe cards we'll be making at this weekend's class. It uses the Big Shot and the new Raspberry Tart DSP.

The recipe stand is handcrafted by my modest upline's husband, Rich. He does beautiful work. You can check out more of his artwork at www.bingamanwoodcrafts.com. The stand you get at my class is the Original stand and it comes all nekked so you can stain or paint it to match your kitchen.

Here's the recipe for the card:
Paper: Real Red , Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White card stock; Kiwi Kiss textured card stock; Raspberry Tart DSP
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, clear button

Now here's the recipe for the cake:
4 tablespoon flour
4 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoon oil
Splash of vanilla
Optional: 3 tablespoon chocolate chips

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.

In a separate cup, blend wet ingredients. Add to mug and mix well.

Add chocolate chips.

Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.

Happy stampin'!

Oh, Happy Day!

2009-01-19T07:44:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone!

Today is the launch of the new Stampin' Up! catalog!! I'm so excited about it! There are some really awesome new products this year, including a circular cutting system!! I cannot wait to get my hands on that one!! Plus--ALL the stamps are die cut now! That's right, no more cutting!!

I don' t know if they planned it this way, but it's really cool that the launch coincides with Martin Luther King Day. Now you have the day to take it all in and not have to worry about pesky work! :)

Unfortunately you can't view any of it until it goes live at 2 pm eastern time. I'll update this post later this afternoon to add the link.

UPDATE:

View the new catalog HERE!!!
In honor of New Catty Day, I thought I would post a card I made for my husband's birthday on Wednesday. I'm using some of the Ski Slope DSP becuase I need to use up my retired papers!!

Actually, this isn't the project I wanted to post today, but as it turns out, the project I wanted to show you today hasn't been uploaded from my camera yet. Sorry! I'll show you that tomorrow.

Anyway, this card is a CASE of a card I found here. I really need to invest in more masculine stamp sets. I have a hard time coming up with manly cards on my own! I changed the card stock and DSP, but that's about all I changed.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White cards stock; Ski Slope DSP (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Baja Breeze striped ribbon

Have a great day!

Warm Thoughts

2009-01-14T14:42:00.008-05:00

Kinda like Deep Thoughts, except I'm not Jack Handy. :)

I know, I know, I've been totally MIA for what seems like forever!! You see, things have been all topsy-turvy in my little corner of the world. Things have settled down for the moment, at least for now! So I had to take advantage of this relative calm by making a birthday card for my humble friend and upline, Wanda whose birthday is tomorrow. Stop over at her blog and drop her a birthday wish!

Here what I created for her:

Isn't it super cute?! I hope she's gotten it already! Otherwise... surprise! :)

Here's what the inside looks like:

I was having a ton of fun with some new toys! I decided I wanted to make a complete card using the Top Note die for the Big Shot and I originally created the decorated part. Then I decided it was too small. Michaels was having a huge sale on Cuttlebug stuff, so I went and bought myself an embossing folder. I was super siked about my purchase and I wanted to add it to Wanda's card, so I created the base. Here's a better picture of the embossing:

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Sweet Stems (available 19 Jan) and Crazy About Cupcakes
Ink: Chocolate Chip; So Saffron, Regal Rose and Rose Red Stampin' Write markers
Paper: Old Olive, Glossy White, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Rasberry Tart DSP (available 19 Jan)
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note Die, D'Vine Swirl Cuttlebug embossing folder, Whisper White taffeta and Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbons, Ice rhinestone brad, sponges, dimensionals, faux and otherwise :)

I'm sure you've noticed by now that I used some things from the new catalog! Sweet Stems and the Rasberry Tart DSP will be available on 19 January! The new catalog is amazing!! I can't even begin to tell you... but brace yourselves for some sweet new accessories for the Big Shot!! I'm so siked about those!

More details on the new catalog and another Mystery Hostess contest next week!

Happy birthday, Wanda!!

It's Been a While...

2009-01-03T23:12:00.003-05:00

Hi guys,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Nothing to post today, but I do have a few things in the works. I've taken some time off to enjoy the holidays with my family.

In the meantime, there's some awesome sales going on! The first one is the Inventory Blowout! Here's the link to the items with their awesomely discounted prices.

The other big thing going on is the list of retiring accessories that was announced yesterday. I know, I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I have an excuse! I was getting new carpets so I didn't have access to the internet! At least that's the story I'm sticking with... :)

Remember: these items sell quickly and when they're gone, they're really gone!

Item #	Product Description	Availability
111377	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS ROOF GARDEN
112012	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS SEASON TO SHARE
112088	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS TRUE ELEGANCE
102782	ALBUM LEATHER BLACK 12X12	Not Available
104188	ALBUM LEATHER BLACK 6X6
105384	ALBUM LINEN POST MELLOW MOSS 6X6*
104516	ALBUM LINEN POST NAVY 6X6
105381	ALBUM LINEN POST REAL RED 6X6*
103977	BUTTONS BOLD BRIGHTS*
103978	BUTTONS EARTH ELEMENTS
103981	BUTTONS EARTH ELEMENTS & NEUTRALS
105446	BUTTONS RICH REGALS
105445	BUTTONS SOFT SUBTLES
103604	DAYS-TO-REMEMBER CALENDAR 12X12
102174	DAYS-TO-REMEMBER CALENDAR 8 1/2X11
112465	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER BANBURY
112462	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GEORGIA PEACH
112463	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GHOSTLY GREETINGS
112040	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GREEN TEA
112470	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER HAIKU
112460	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER HAWAII PAPAYA
112469	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER HOLIDAY TREASURES
112458	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER JUNIOR VARSITY
112459	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER MAINE BLUEBERRY
112466	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER MUIRFIELD
112149	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PARISIAN SUMMER
112467	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PRESTWICK
111355	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SUMMER PICNIC
112039	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER WINDSOR KNOT
112963	ELEMENTOS PARA TARJETAS DIAS FESTIVOS HECHOS A MANO SIMPLY SENT
106523	ENVELOPE TEMPLATE FIVE-IN-ONE CARD COVER
104104	ENVELOPE TEMPLATE MINI
107298	ENVELOPES CONFETTI WHITE MEDIUM
110695	ENVELOPES OPEN END KRAFT SMALL
109115	ENVELOPES OPEN END VERY VANILLA SMALL
103372	METAL EDGE TAGS ALUMINUM WHITE SQUARE
107925	ON BOARD BITTY BOOK*
109190	ON BOARD CLIPBOARD 9X9*
109180	ON BOARD SIMON UPPER
112086	ON BOARD SOMETHING SEASONAL
107923	PAGE PROTECTORS RING 3.25 X 3.25
104942	PUNCH 1/4 INCH CIRCLE
104943	PUNCH 1/4 INCH SQUARE
107273	PUNCH 3/4 INCH SQUARE
104389	PUNCH DOUBLE CIRCLE*
100391	PUNCH HANDHELD 1/8 INCH CIRCLE	Not Available
104830	RIBBON GINGHAM CARAMEL
104829	RIBBON GINGHAM LIGHT BLUE
104828	RIBBON GINGHAM LIGHT PINK
104831	RIBBON GINGHAM MOSS
109037	RIBBON GROSGRAIN MORE MUSTARD 1/4 INCH
110282	RUB ON ANCHORED
111806	RUB ON CHILLS & THRILLS
111805	RUB ON SCHOOL DAYS
111417	RUB ON WORD FLURRIES
110283	RUB ONS TAKE NOTE
112193	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN I WISH
112186	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN PINA COLADA
112068	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN SUMMER HOME
112043	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN U R SWEET
112061	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN WINTER RETREAT
112016	SIMPLY SENT CARD ELEMENTS HANDMADE HOLIDAY	Not Available
109868	SIMPLY SENT CARD KIT LIFELONG NOTES
103647	STAMPIN STORE MINI
105813	WRITE ME A MEMORY FONT CD VOL II
107212	MATEYS MAP
106749	BRIGHT BULBS
109672	BRONCO
104100	MAKING TRACKS
108978	SANDY SHELLS
110332	SNOW
101233	SNOWFLAKE
109694	SWEET STARS
111249	TAKE A NUMBER

*This item is discounted and included on the Inventory Blowout.

Have a great day everyone!!

Snowman Soup

2008-12-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hi guys!

This is going to be my post until after Christmas. So much to do around here! Wrap presents, prepare for our Christmas Eve Fiesta, cook! So much to do, so little time! But that's part of the fun of the season, right? It's like a race to see who wins, you or the calendar! :)

Before I move on, I just wanted to remind you that there is only one day left to take advantage of FREE SHIPPING and discounted retiring stamps. Scroll down two posts to see more details.

On Friday I promised to show you the other gift I made for some of the moms in my MOPS group. I made little paper mugs of Snowman Soup for the members of the Steering Committee. They do such a great job running our group, that they deserve something special.

Aren't the adorable? I think I found the template over at stampingvideos.com. I made the packages the same way I made the Reindeer Food, using my Top Note Bigz die and my Big Shot. If you don't have one of these machines, let me tell you how awesome and easy they are. I was always intimidated by the die cut aisle in the craft stores, but once I got to try one of these machines, I fell in love. So easy and so much fun. I can't wait to get more dies for this bad boy!

But I digress....

The poem I used was one that I tweaked from my smart and sassy upline, Wanda. But I loath hot chocolate made with water, so I changed the poem to work with what I like (because, let's get real here: it's all about ME!)

When icy fingers, nose, and fee
are wishing for a warming treat
don't let your frosty spirit droop!
Make some tasty Snowman Soup!

First, pour the packet in a mug.
Add the marshmallows, too.
Now throw in some chocolate kisses,
that are special just for you.
Next, stir in warm milk with the candy stick
then sip it slow and it will do the trick.
Even though it may be snowing,
your insides will be warm and glowing!

I made the mugs in all different colors, but I'll give you the recipe for the one pictured here:

Stamps: Merry & Bright (Retiring!! See the post two posts down for more info on getting this stamp set at a fabulous discout!), Snowfall (retired looong ago)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Accessories: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle punches; blender pen; white gel pen, Big Shot, Top Note Bigz die, medium cello bags.

I hope you get everything you wished for this holiday!

Christmas Gifts

2008-12-19T13:32:00.009-05:00

Hi guys,

Sorry I've been so quiet lately. Soo much has been going on in our house that my head is still spinning! And that doesn't even include Christmas! But I'll fill you in on all that after the holidays...

First off, I want to share with you Stampin' Up!'s newest promotion that starts on Tuesday. I know it's not even Christmas yet, but us crafters need to always think a holiday in advance, right?! Anyway, the promotion is outlined below. The stamp set and paper are super cute and you get a coordinating punch for the hearts! How awesome is that? No more cutting!

Here's the 4-1-1 on the Sneak-Peak Valentine's Bundle:

Love You Much Promotion

Dates: December 23, 2008 - January 31, 2009

Promotion details:

Get ready for Valentine's Day with the exclusive Love You Much Bundle (item 115405). The Love You Much Bundle includes the following:

Description	Retail Value
Love You Much stamp set	$25.95
Candy Lane Designer Series paper (Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla)	$9.95
Heart To Heart punch	$15.95

Bundle Retail Value	$51.85

Love You Much Bundle (20% off; item 115405)	$41.48

Check out the link under What's New?! for a better view of the DSP.

Yesterday was our MOPS Christmas party. Basically all we did was sit around chatting and eating. Quite frankly, there's nothing in the world I'd rather do than sit around chatting and eating. Alas, I didn't get to chat or eat much. My little girl's been sick with some tummy bug, so I didn't get to stay any longer than it took to drop off some goodies.

For each of the moms, I made some Reindeer Food. I thought it was a super cute gift for them to add a little more magic to Christmas Eve for their kids. All it is is a few tablespoons of oatmeal and some sprinkles mixed in (though I bought the tiny sugar sprinkles, so you can't see them very well).

The poem on top explains it all:

Just a sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon will make it sparkle bright
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam
This treat will guide them to your home.

Everything in this package is eco-friendly, so there's no worry that any animals will be harmed in the making of this Christmas fun. :)

Here's a close up of the package:

As you can see, yup! I got myself a Big Shot! I gotta tell ya--this machine totally rocks! The Top Note Bigz Die is perfect for these little projects! Adds so much cuteness with none of the work!

Anyway, here's the recipe:

Stamps: Merry & Bright (Retiring! Get it now at a terrific discount!! See the post directly beneath this one for more info on that.)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Ski Slope & Frosty Day DSP (I only used one or the other DSP on each package)
Accessories: Small Tag and Tag punches, blender pen, 1/4" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, glue dots, Big Shot, Top Note Bigz die, medium cello bags, 3 tablespoons of oatmeal, sprinkles.

To make this, all you do is run your paper through the Big Shot, score it in half, staple it to the top of your cello bag and decorate. So quick and easy-peasy.

I'll share with you my other MOPS gift on Monday. Have a great weekend everybody!!

Retiring Stamp Sale AND Free Shipping!!

2008-12-09T08:20:00.005-05:00

Hey guys!

Today Stampin' Up! announced the list of stamp sets that are retiring. If there is an image that you've been putting off getting, now's the time to pull the trigger on them, because after 18 January, they're gone for good.

To sweeten the deal a tad, Stampin' Up! is offering 10% off ALL RETIRING STAMP SETS! Isn't that cool?? On top of that, I'm offering ANOTHER INTERNET SPECIAL!! Buy any retiring stamps and I'll give you another 10% off! For the complete list of retiring stamps, click here.

PLUS: All orders over $70 will get FREE SHIPPING!!!! This is only good until 23 December, so contact me now!!

For quick math, here's the final price of the retiring stamps which includes both sales:

Ahoy, Matey = $19.40
Baby Jesus Is Born = $112.92
Beautiful Life = $16.97
Big Birthday Candle = $18.59
Brocade Basics = $19.40
Bronc Buster = $15.35
Bundled in Love = $22.64
Bursting with Joy = $15.35
Calendar Cues= $8.87
Canvas = $14.54
Classic Backgrounds = $12.92
Crab & Company = $22.64
Dad's Day = $18.59
Dots Are Hot = $19.40
Elegant Notes = $16.97
Everyday Flexible Phrases = $33.98
Everything Baby = $14.54
Fabulous Flowers = $18.59
Floral = $14.54
Form & Function = $14.54
Fruit Stand = $15.35
Ginormous Flowers = $23.45
Happiness = $14.54
Hattitude = $20.21
Haunting Halloween = $15.35
Hi & Hello = $12.92
It's All Good = $10.49
Just Golf = $10.49
Just Hockey = $10.49
Keep Christmas = $16.16
Kind Thoughts = $21.02
Light unto My Path, A = $15.35
Merry & Bright = $12.11
Moose You = $14.54
On the Fly = $16.16
Paisley = $14.54
Perfect Timing = $10.49
Pictograms = $11.30
Posy = $14.54
Pretty Peony = $29.93
Riot of Petals = $14.54
Seasonal Whimsy = $19.40
Seriously Sassy = $19.40
Sleigh Bells Ring = $12.92
So Cool = $15.35
Spring Pictograms = $11.30
Starstruck = $8.87
Stemming From = $12.92
Stitched = $14.54
Summer by the Sea = $23.45
Take Three = $14.54
Text & Texture = $21.02
Thanks for Everything = $14.54
Thoroughly Thankful = $18.59
Tree for All Seasons, A = $10.49
Twill = $14.54
Warm Words = $16.97
Well-Worn Alphabet = $33.98
Well-Worn Numbers = $18.59
Winds of Grace = $16.16
Wishing You Cheer = $11.30
With Gratitude = $18.59
Wonderful Words = $16.97
Wondrous Gift = $18.59

My Favorite...

2008-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey guys!

Sorry it's been so long since I've typed to you last. Lots has been going on that I will fill you in on later.... Suffice it to say, though, that beyond my millions of Christmas cards, I haven't gotten much stamping done. The good news is that the last batch is hitting the mail today! Yay!!

So since I don't have anything new to show you today, I thought I'd entertain you with my all-time favorite Christmas song EVER, Enjoy!

Christmas Cards and Holiday Specials!!

2008-12-02T16:25:00.008-05:00

Hey Guys!

Sorry for the late post! It was a dark and icky day yesterday, so I wasn't able to get a good picture of the card I wanted to show you today. Then today I started this post about a million times, and I'm now just getting around to actually posting it!!

Today I'm going to show you something I've been designing for a few weeks now. Yes! It's my family's Christmas cards!! I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I've gone through several prototypes before settling on one that both Jim and I are pleased to send. So, drum roll please...... Here it is:

This is a group of only four of them (oh how I wish I had only four to make!). The insides aren't quite done yet. The kids get their Christmas picture taken tomorrow, so once I get them back, I'll figure out what I want to do inside. If it's really cool, I'll post it. Below is a close up of one of them. You'll see that I used some Dazzling Diamonds glitter on some of the tree's boughs.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Snow Swirled
Paper: Baja Breeze, Glossy White (used for the base mat), Whisper White, and Ski Slope DSP
Ink: Mellow Moss
Accessories: Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Little Felt Flurries, Rhinestone brads (ice), Dazzling Diamonds glitter, 2-way glue pen, faux dimensionals

Now on to the good stuff! I've got some awesome specials for you, by loyal blog readers!

First, Stampin' Up! is offering 20% off any stamp set featured in the Fall/Winter Sampler (click on the Sampler picture in the left column) when you spend $20. This sale runs through 18 January, but you'll want to act soon so that you get your goodies in time for Christmas.

*** WEB SPECIAL!!! ***

Now's the time to put your wish list together because on Sunday, 7 December and Monday 8 December, I'm offering 1/2 OFF SHIPPING! Go ahead and browse through the catalogs linked in the left column and fill out this wish list! When you're done, e-mail me or give me a call to take advantage of this special offer!!

Just click on the Wish List below to enlarge and print.

Hope you have a great day!! Happy stamping!!

Joyful Baby Card

2008-12-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you all had a terrific and relaxing Thanksgiving. We traveled for the big feast for the first time this year. I thought I was going to go through terrible withdrawal from not cooking, but it turned out to be more relaxing than I expected! It's not that I thought I wouldn't enjoy someone else's cooking, but I'm a bit of a control freak and Thanksgiving has become "my holiday" so I really thought I was going to miss it. Turns out: not so much! We had a fabulous time with my Dad at my step-mom's family's place. It was wonderful to see everyone and eat food someone else prepared (which was delicious by the way)!

My Dad has always talked about how the Columbus Zoo puts on a huge Christmas thing each December. Huge does not come close to describing it! 'Wow' is a little better. Every tree in the park was decorated with hundreds of different colored Christmas lights. It was really beautiful. My Dad is part of a model train club up there and each year the club sets up a big train display for the zoo's Christmas thing. It was wonderful to see my Dad take his only grandson in his arms and walk him around a room surrounded by his favorite things in the world. I thought my heart would explode! Here's a picture taken with my cell phone of the two boys in all their model train glory (notice the train hat on Sean?!):

Now we're home and trying to get back into the groove. The card I have to show you today is one I made for a friend of ours who just had her first baby. She and her husband have been trying for many years to have a baby of their own and earlier this month their prayers were answered with a beautiful baby girl. I knew I wanted to give them a book as a gift (One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish--one of my daughter's all-time favorite books!), so I wanted to incorporate a bookmark into the card. I took this layout from the Fall/Winter catalog and adapted it to fit a card designed for a newborn.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Always, Best Yet (Hostess Level 1)
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst, Berry Bliss DSP (retired)
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst, Versamark
Accessories: Scallop Circle, Scallop Edge, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, Small Tag, and Tag punches; white embossing powder, heat gun, jumbo paper clip (from Walmart), non-SU! white ribbon, faux dimensionals, glue dots

I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but I did the rock n' roll technique on the flower in the center of the bookmark. Also, I stamped the stem from the Always set twice and embossed it in white on the white paper. Not sure if you can see that either... Wow, I guess that picture isn't as good as I initially thought... Oh well...

I hope you guys have a great Monday! Type to you again tomorrow!!

Holiday Extravaganza Sale!!

2008-11-26T08:38:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you guys know that starting today and ending Monday, 1 December, Stampin' Up! is having a HUGE-MONGOUS sale! Take a look at the flyer posted below and you'll see that you can save up to 50% off some of these bundled products!

If you see something that tickles your fancy, call me quick! Quantities are limited!!

If you're having trouble viewing the flyer (I was having issues trying to make it big enough to read clearly!), click here.

Ooh, Ooh! One More Thing Before I Go!

2008-11-21T14:44:00.004-05:00

I know I said that my last post was going to be my last post until after Turkey Day, but I couldn't resist showing you our craft from MOPS this week. (MOPS is the mother's organization I belong to. For more information, or to find a group near you, check out www.mops.org) I wanted to show you this before Thanksgiving because I think that it's a wonderful project to share with your kids.

To make this, you need a piece of cardboard for the base (this one measures 7 1/2" in diameter), pine cones, assorted nuts, glue (Elmer's is fine), polyurethane spray, and a candle.

Here are the directions:

Center your candle on the cardboard and trace around it to mark it's place. Remove candle.
We ripped apart a pine cone and used it's little spiney things (technical term :) ) to rim the edges of the cardboard. This was used mainly to disguise the cardboard. As you can see, I didn't do so well there... Glue into place.
Glue the nuts into place in the area around where you marked your candle. I piled mine for a more organic look. Let the glue set for a moment.
Spray the entire piece with polyurethane and let dry. Place the candle back in the center and viola! You're done!

To disguise the cardboard even further, place some holly or pine sprigs or some pretty ribbon into the areas not completely covered by the nuts.

This is such a simple and inexpensive project that will look fabulous as the centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table. Added bonus: bonding time with your kids. Gotta love that!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tart-n-Tangy Tile

2008-11-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey guys!

Here's yet another dry erase board I made recently, this one using the Tart and Tangy stamp set. Can you tell I absolutely love making these things?? This one I made as a door prize for a workshop I presented recently.

It was difficult making a tile with this set because I wanted the cherries and apples to be red and green. Normally when I use this set I ink up the stamps with my markers (I color directly on the stamp), but you really can't do that when tiling. I ended up carefully inking up the two-colored stamps by pressing half in the red pad, then flipping the stamp around and pressed the other half in the green pad. Once I stamped them on the tile I used my blender pen to fix any sloppy inking. The blender pens work great as little paint brushes! Because the tips are so fine, you can really get into the nooks and crannies very neatly.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Tart and Tangy, Warm Words
Ink: all CRAFT--Real Red, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: 12 x 12 glossy tile (from Lowe's), Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, ribbon, dry erase marker, felt (for backing), oven set to 350 degrees

This is going to be my last post for a little while. My in-laws are flying in from PA this afternoon then we're off to my Dad's in Ohio for Turkey Day. When I come back, I hope to have some really neat stuff to share with you, including the final version of my family's Christmas cards!! (Yes, I've finally come up with a design I like and I hope to have a few done soon.)

I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Type to you all again next Monday!!

Christmas Card Prototype #3

2008-11-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey guys,

I don't know why, but I always get sooo excited for Christmas somewhere around mid-October thru mid-November. By the time 25 December finally comes around, I'm usually ready for it to be over. So, in true Amy Christmas spirit, here's yet another attempt at my family's Christmas card... this one was actually completed in late October....:

Just like the other ones I've posted, this one's heading in the right direction, but it doesn't feel quite right. I'm not sure if you can make it out from the photograph, but the Artichoke base is covered in irridescent-embossed snowflakes. Back to the drawing board!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Snow Swirled, Warm Words
Ink: Versamark; Basic Black; and Old Olive, Rose Red, Ballet Blue markers
Paper: Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, Ski Slope DSP
Accessories: Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, Irridescent embossing powder

I hope your Christmas cards are much easier to design than mine! Have a fabulous day!!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my November Rub-on special!

Last Gift Card

2008-11-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

Today I'm going to show you the last, and cutest little gift card holder. It's a Diaper Fold pouch, so you can put in something besides the gift card if you wanted to. For instance, if you really like the person, you could share your chocolates. If you don't particularly care for the person, you can give them Reindeer poop! (hee!!)

Anyway, here it is:

The best part about this folding technique: it requires absolutely NO ADHESIVE! The folds keep everything together. Just to add a little bling to mine, I added some of the Little Felt Flurries and a rhinestone brad.

Have a fabulous day everybody!!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my November Rub-on special!

And now: Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Holiday Hype

2008-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

This morning I'm tempting you once again with another super cool gift card holder. Don't forget, Saturday is your last chance to take advantage of my Gift Card Class!! For only $10, you can make four gift card holders, including this:

Looks totally unassuming, right? Well, here's the sha-BANG:

It's a Slider Card! You pull out the insert on the left side (sorry folks, I'm left handed!), and the other insert slides out the right side! You can attach your gift card with a glue dot, and VIOLA! Instant adoration. How cool is that?

For those of you who live outside the Greater Knoxville Area, shoot me an e-mail, and I can send this class right to your mailbox.

Have a fabulous day!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my November Rub-on special!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like--Aw, Gimme a Break!

2008-11-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

Hey guys!

Today I'm taking a break from Christmas to share with you a pretty fall card I made. I know what you're thinking: How can you take a break from Christmas before Thanksgiving?!? I realize I've become part of the Holiday Juggernaut lately, but I really, really wanted to share this card with you!

Don't you just love it?! It feels all retro and autumnal, doesn't it? In a funny way, it reminds me of the DC Metro system--the interior of most of their subway cars are orange and brown, very 70s! But for some reason this year I'm totally groovin' on the 70s colors.

I made this card initially for some thank you's I needed for a workshop I presented back in October. I liked this card so much, I reproduced it for the workshop I had earlier this month. I don't think you can tell from the picture, but the main image frame is popped up on faux dimensionals (the bits of left-over foam-backed rubber I have from mounting my stamps).

To create the image, I stamped the daisies with Chocolate Chip ink on Vanilla card stock. Then I sponged So Saffron in a circular motion over most of the card stock, starting in the upper right corner. I then sponged More Mustard in a similar fashion diagonally in the middle of the card stock. I finished by sponging Pumpkin Pie in the lower left and up the left side and across the bottom.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Ink: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie; Old Olive marker
Paper: Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Hawaii Papaya DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, sponges, faux dimensionals

Don't worry, guys. This was only a momentary weakness. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled hyper-holiday tomorrow!!

Until then, happy stamping!

P.S. Don't forget to check out November's Awesome Super Cool Special

Rub-On & Blog Specials

2008-11-16T16:26:00.009-05:00

Ooh, I forgot to tell you about another Awesome Super Cool special I've got goin' on this month! It's been hanging out over in the What's New?! section for a while now, and I've forgotten to point it out to you. Bad Amy!

Until 30 November, when you spend $20 in Stampin' Up! merchandise, you get 20% off any package of rub-ons in both the regular and mini catalogs. So instead of paying $10.95 per package, you'll only spend $8.76! And best yet, there's no limit to the amount of rub-ons you can get once you spend the $20!

But really Amy, what can I buy for only $20 in the Stampin' Up! catalogs? Well, how about all the makings for a quick and simple, yet elegant Christmas card?

Stampin' Around Jumbo Handle ($5.95)
Jumbo cartridge-any color avaliable ($7.50)
Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel stamp ($8.50)
8 1/2" x 11" single-colored cardstock ($5.50)

That comes to $21.95!

Just run the wheel over your cardstock to create a pretty background then use one of the sentiments or images from your rub-on package. A no-layer card perfect for beginner stampers!

If you order from me by the end of this promotion (30 November), I'll give you the above package (including one pack of your choice of rub-ons) for only $27!* That's 10% off retail price!

Here are the rub-on packages you can choose from (the colors it comes in are in the boxes next to it):

This Christmas sets: Old Saint Nick & Seasons of Cheer & Word Flurries

Anchored & Chateau Bella

Chills and Thrills & Chit Chat

Greatest Moments & Hidden Garden

A Perfect Day & Hidden Garden Blossoms

School Days & Take Note

E-mail me before 30 November to take advantage of these Awesome Super Cool Specials!!

*Price does not include s&h and tax.

Still Working out my Christmas Cards

2008-11-14T09:46:00.006-05:00

I'm still working out the design of my family's Christmas cards. Here's my second attempt:

I'm getting closer, but It's still not *perfect.* This is a no-layer card. The snowflakes were embossed with white, clear, and silver embossing powder. I trimmed the front cover with the Scallop Edge punch and adhered a bit of Ski Slope DSP to the inside bottom so it would peek out. Perhaps I don't like it because I wasn't so neat with my stamping/embossing. Perhaps I don't like it because it requires me to emboss with three different powders! I have to make 50 of these, you know! Simpler is better!

Anyway, I'll share more of my prototypes as I do 'em.

Here's the recipe for this card:

Stamps: Snow Swirled
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Baja Breeze, Ski Slope DSP
Accessories: Clear, Silver, and White embossing powders; heat gun; Scallop Edge punch.

Have a fabulous day, guys!

More Temptations...

2008-11-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I showed one of the GORGEOUS gift card holders we'll be making in this month's class. I know, you can't stand it. I can sense that you're just itching to get your hands on some paper and make one of your own.

Today I'm going to tempt you even further with THIS ONE:

Isn't it just fabulous?!? But wait! There's more!

Here's the inside:

The little green slot is where you tuck in the gift card. Isn't it just the cutest thing ever?!

Check out my Events page in the left-hand column or e-mail me for more details.

Happy stamping!

Catching Up From a Very Busy Week

2008-11-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hey all,

I've had one of the busiest weeks in a while, which is why I've been so silent.

Here's a brief recap of my week:

My husband and I make a big deal out of Election Day. We really want to instill a sense of patriotism and duty in our children. We voted early this year, and we always take our kids with us when we fill out our ballots. Come election night, after we put the kids to bed, Jimmy and I spent the evening channel surfing between ABC (I love me some Charlie Gibson!) and CNN. We made some yummy snacks and drank waaaay too much wine! So, definitely no stamping on Tuesday! Although it would be kinda funny to see what I'd come up with after a bottle of wine! :)

On Wednesday I had a workshop where we stamped some beautiful ceramic tile coasters. I love workshops because it's always so much fun for me to see what others gleem from my samples! I had a great time hanging out with the girls! I made another cool dry erase board for the door prize, and I'll show that to you another day.

On Friday, Jimmy & I got an Honest-to-God date! It was soo much fun! We've brokered a deal with our neighbors that once a month, they'll watch our kids so we can go out, and the next week we reciprocate. We didn't end up doing a whole lot, just went out to dinner at an English-style pub downtown. We were both still exhausted from Election Night!! But, the absolute best part of the night was both our kids slept!! All night!! I know, I'm totally nerdy when the best part of my date was that I was able to sleep!

Now that I've completely gotten you side-tracked... I wanted to share with you one of the gift card holders we'll be making at this month's class. Here what the outside looks like:

And the inside:

If you haven't checked out my Events page, you must! I've just updated it to add the classes I've scheduled for the spring.

This month, though, I'm getting you ready for Christmas. We're making four gift card holders and one treat box. I'll be tempting you with the class projects for the next week.

When can I come to this class, you ask? Well, I have one scheduled for this Wednesday evening, 12 November, and Saturday morning, 22 November.

But Amy, you live in Knoxville and I live in Hawaii! How can I take your class? First off, I'm jealous that you're in Hawaii and I'm not (say hi to my sis, if ya see her!). Second off, if you're interested in doing it "correspondence style," shoot me an e-mail and we'll work out how you can get my class in a box.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Christmas Prototype #1

2008-11-03T09:52:00.006-05:00

Hey guys!

How was your Halloween? Ours rocked. Our neighbor across the street procured a commercial-grade projector and projected Monster's Inc. against the wall of his neighbor's house. The nice thing about that is CJ was more interested in watching the movie than actually trick-or-treating! We only did one small loop before she was done. Since I totally overbought candy this year, it worked out nicely not getting a ton of extra in her bucket!

On top of that, our other neighbor set up a smorgasbord of chili and other nummy stuff. And our next-door neighbor served Adult Punch. It Was Awesome.

Anyway, on to all things stamping...

Just a quick blurb about the Country Living Kit. You can click on the link under What's New?! to get more info, but here's a list of what's included in the kit. It really is a great value. For $49.95, you get:

Holiday Collection stamp set (six stamps)
Four 12" x 12" sheets of die-cut chipboard
Eight 12" x 12" sheets of die-cut Designer Series paper (2 ea. of 4 double-sided designs)
Four 12" x 12" sheets of Designer Series paper (2 ea. of 2 double-sided designs)
Two 12" x 12" sheets of Whisper White card stock
25 yds. Silver Metallic cord
Whisper White taffeta ribbon
Pretties Kit brads (20)
Stampin' Dimensionals
Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter (1/2 oz.)
Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive
Riding Hood Red Classic Stampin' Spot
Old Olive Craft Stampin' Spot
Uninked Stampin' Spot
Whisper White Craft Ink refill

OK, so I'm experimenting with my family's Christmas cards. Here's the first attempt:

It's rather masculine, for sure, but I think it's kinda elegant too, doncha think? Anyway, I like it, but I'm not sure if it screams MCNULTY. Well, I guess it could if I got one of those little doohickies Hallmark puts in their cards nowadays. But I digress.
Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Snow Swirled
Paper: Basic Black, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Silver embossing powder, Whisper White taffeta ribbon

My week is shaping up to be pretty hectic, so I'll update when I can. Have a great one guys!!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

Oooh, I can't wait for tonight! Our neighborhood is wall-to-wall kids on Halloween. We bought 3 huge Sam's-sized bags of candy, and I still don't think we got enough!

I already showed you all the Halloweeny stuff I've made, so today I'll show you the card I made for my step-father-in-law's birthday earlier this week. If you read my blog regularly, you can tell that we're a large blended family (all of our parents have remarried giving our kids 8 grandparents)! My MIL & Step-FIL live at the beach, so what's more appropriate than a sailing card, right?

To create this scene, I used the moonlighting technique. First, I stamped and colored my sailboat image. I embossed my image with iridescent embossing powder to give it a little moonlight shimmer, though I don't think you can see it really well in the picture. Next, I punched a circle in a Post-It note and adhered it to the card stock then sponged around itwith my lighter blue first, then again with my dark blue. Then I removed the Post-It and sponged in the color for the moon.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Winds of Grace
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Really Rust, Bordering Blue, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Ink: StazOn Black, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel, So Saffron
Accessories: Post-It note, 1 1/4" Circle and ticket corner punches, sponges, Versamarker, Iridescent embossing powder, crop-a-dile, jumbo brads, twine

Have a safe and sugary night!! See you again on Monday!

One More Halloween Treat Box

2008-10-30T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody!

Today is CJ's Fall Party at school. Remember the days when kids had Halloween parties? In my day (cue Dana Carvey's Grumpy Old Man) we had school Halloween parades and costume contests where prizes were awarded for the prettiest, scariest, and most original costumes. Now you're not even allowed to wear scary costumes! Ah, whatever. It's still the most fun day ever!! CJ's going to be a fairy princess and Sean will be Charlie Brown.

Moving on...

I already showed you the treats I made for CJ's classmates here. This is the gift I made for CJ's teacher, Ms. Marge:

It's a fun little Bag in a Box. Isn't so stinkin' cute?? These things really seem to be the hot thing now, so I had to jump on that wagon! :) I filled this one with mini Pumpkin muffins, Ms. Marge's favorite. It was really hard to keep CJ away from them--they're her favorite too!

Here's the recipe (for the bag, not the muffins!):
Stamps: Batty for You
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Ghostly Greetings DSP
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Scallope Edge, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1" Circle, Round Tab punches; Crop-a-dile; jumbo eyelets, brad, white gel pen, 1/4" Basic Black grosgrain ribbon, silver rope-type ribbon I found in my drawer, probably left over from a box of candy.

Of course, if you want the recipe for the muffins, leave me a comment and I can post that tomorrow!

Have a great day guys!

P.S. Don't forget to check out the retired stuff for sale!

As promised...

2008-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the treats that were originally made for the kids I watch during the Ladies Bible Study meeting. I didn't decorate them very ornately because, well, they were going to a bunch of preschoolers! I don't usually go crazy when I'm making stuff for children because--let's face it--they couldn't care less. I did use lots of DSP though, becuase I have a bunch of it left over and what use is Halloween paper in November? :)

Anyway, I wrote the scoring measurements in this previous post. These things are so stinkin' easy that you can totally bang out a million of these in just a few minutes, which is why I chose to make them for the kiddies (I totally forgot about them until Monday afternoon!). Well, now they're going to the hard-working folks at HGTV.

Here's the recipe for this batch of matchbooks:
Stamps: Batty for You
Paper: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, River Rock (retired)
Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive
Accessories: Staples, Fun Size m & m's

Have fun stampin'!!

Fire Sale! Everything Must Go!

2008-10-28T18:02:00.003-04:00

I just posted some stamp sets I have for sale. Check out my I'm Just Sellin' page for pictures and pricing information. You like that title, doncha? :)

Another Day Another Stain on my Thumb

2008-10-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday guys!

So, typically on Tuesday mornings I babysit at one of the local churches during a Ladies Bible Study group. I'm low on the totem pole there, so when one of the women who happens to have four children doesn't make it, I don't make it either. This generally wouldn't bother me at all, but I had just finished making Halloween treats for the kids when I got the call to stay home yesterday. Oh well, I guess Jimmy's co-workers will be getting some cutely wrapped m & m's! I'll try to post a picture of these treats tomorrow. Today was really overcast and not ideal for picture taking.

Since I don't have the picture of the treats yet, I'll entertain you with yet another card from my upline's Stamp A Stack. This card was billed as a sympathy card, but I don't think the sentiment has to be pigeon-holed to "sympathy." "From the Heart" seems to cover just about anything, and I'll probably use it as an all-purpose card. Regardless of it's purpose, it's a beautiful card.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Pretty Petals (on the dormant list), Holidays & Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss
Ink: Always Artichoke
Accessories: Scallop Edge punch, Whisper White taffeta ribbon

Have a great one guys!!

Happy Birthday Brandi!

2008-10-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Today is my girlfriend Brandi's birthday, so today's post is dedicated to her and her culinary talents.

Brandi is a world-class cake decorator. The cakes she makes for her kid's birthdays are absolutely breath-taking. (For her son's 3rd birthday, she made a replica of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!) I love her work so much that I asked, nay, begged her to make the cakes for CJ & Sean's birthday party. Since this was Sean's 1st birthday, I challenged her to make two cakes, one for each kid, with a Princess theme. How the heck do you make a masculine cake with a princess theme? Brandi made a dragon:

Isn't he adorable??

For CJ, she made a massive castle. I swear, it was life-sized. Here it is:

Our "little" dragon looms in the background. Kinda like Godzilla.

So in honor of her amazingly decedent hobby, I made her this card:

I've seen this storefront layout all over Splitcoast, so I had to give it a try for Brandi.

By the way, the Crazy for Cupcakes set used in this card is on sale this month!! Check out the Birthday Special under What's New?! in the left column.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Upsy Daisy
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Berry Bliss DSP (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Creamy Caramel, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose CRAFT
Accessories: Blender pens, Iridescent embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, Whisper White taffeta ribbon

Oh, before I forget, Lynnephelps left a comment on my last post asking me what the heck I do with a 350 degree oven when making tiles. I gave a brief explanation in this post and I will write more in upcoming posts.

BUT.... if you want to try it out for yourself, and live in the greater Knoxville area, I'm offering a class on this very topic in December. Check out my Calendar of Events page for more details. Register early, though. This class is filling up FAST!

Happy Monday everybody!

Weekend Tiling

2008-10-24T10:52:00.008-04:00

Morning all!

Today I wanted to share with you a tile I made using the Baroque Motifs set. I really love this set--it's so elegant! To make this decorative tile, I just used a tile I got for under a buck at Lowe's.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Ink: All CRAFT--Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Ultra Thick Embossing powder, 350 degree oven

One more thing...

Only a week left to take advantage of the Birthday special! When you spend $20, you get 20% off one of the sets listed on this flyer. A good birthday stamp is really a must-have since we all send at least one birthday card each month!! This is a great special that allows you to get all the paper and accessories you need, plus save some money! Drop me a line today!!

For a larger view of the flyer, click on the Birthday Special listed under What's New?!

Have a fabulous weekend everybody!!

WOW cards

2008-10-23T19:36:00.004-04:00

Hey guys,

I wanted to share with you another card I made at my upline's upline Stamp-a-Stack. Ya know, when I first saw the WOW Flowers set I was really underwhelmed. But once I stared seeing what people were doing with it, I think I must have it now. This is a really simple card that isn't overtly feminine, like most of my other cards are.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: WOW Flowers, Fundamental Phrases
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Pacific Point 5/8" Striped Grosgrain ribbon

Happy Stamping!

Tea Bag card

2008-10-22T08:03:00.006-04:00

Hello all!

Today I'm sharing a cute little tea bag card I made for Jimmy's Step-Mother. She spent the better part of August in the hospital and has recently gone back to work. She's doing much, much better now. Anyway, she's a huge tea drinker, so I thought what better gift to send her back to work with than her drink of choice?

Here's what the front of it looks like:

I wanted to add a little flair to the scene, so I dyed some fishing wire! All I did was run it across my ink pad. Super easy. WARNING: Dying fishing wire is not for the short-tempered! It takes absolutely forever to dry. I tried hitting it with my heat tool (which ended up melting the wire a little and crinkling it--which I decided was a happy side-effect) then I tried freezing it. There is just no substitute for time. I'm sure if you look closely enough you'll see the spots where the ink from the wire transferred to the image. But you'll keep my secret for me, right??

Here's a side view with the tea bag peeking out:

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the Groovy Guava poking out, but I decided that it was only on the innards of the pockets, so I was able to live with it.

Here's another view of it opened up:

By the way, if you want to make one of these cute cards, Dawn's Stamping Thoughts has a great video tutorial. If you don't feel like taking the time to watch it, here are the directions:

Cut cover of card to 6 ¾" x 3 ½". With the long side of the paper parallel to the ruler of your cutter, score at 3 ¹/₈" and 3 ⁵/₈". Set aside.
Cut the insert to 5 ½" x 6 ½". With the 5 ½" side of the paper parallel to the ruler of your cutter, score at ½" and 3". Turn the paper so the 6 ½" side is parallel to the ruler and score again at 3 and 3 ½".

Place sticky strip parallel to the ½" score line. Remove liner and form into a tube by adhering to the other side of the paper. Fold along score lines to form two pockets, one on either end.
Place the spine of the insert into the spine of the cover and attach by punching two holes and tying with ribbon.

And now for the recipe:
Stamps: Winds of Grace
Ink: StazOn Black, Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Appricot Appeal, Brocade Blue, Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Versamarker, White gel pen
Paper: Bordering Blue, Night of Navy, Glossy White, Ginger Blossom DSP (retired)
Accessories: Ticket Corner punch, Crop-a-dile, Night of Navy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, fishing wire, sponges, clear embossing powder, heat gun, freezer (not recommended :) )

You can really make someone's day with today's project. It's simple and economical and really very thoughtful.

Take care everybody!

Party Like it's Your Birthday

2008-10-21T08:02:00.006-04:00

Hey guys!

Now that I've totally put 50 Cent in your head, let's carry on...

I don't know about you guys, but October has been absolutely crazy around here! Halloween is just around the corner, and I don't feel totally ready yet, you know? I guess it doesn't help much when your kids are on Fall Break and aren't really interested in sleeping. When is that magical age when children finally understand the joy of sleeping in? I would really love a lazy morning when I don't have to get out of bed until 8 am! Dare to dream...

Anyway, my upline's upline had a Stamp-a-Stack recently and here's one of the cards we made. It's a cute little Sock Monkey birthday card (sip Bacardi like it's your birthday...).

I don't know what it is, but Sock Monkeys frighten me. I kinda liken them to clowns, and I seem to channel Bart Simpson when I see either (Can't sleep, Clown will eat me!). This card, however, is much less frightening than a real sock monkey.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Sock Monkey; Hugs & Wishes; Happy, Happy Birthday (wheel)
Ink: Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black
Paper: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black
Accessories: 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, and Scallop Edge punches

Oh, and just in case you need to hear the song to get it out of your head, here it is!

Halloween is Almost Here!

2008-10-20T08:38:00.005-04:00

I can't wait for Halloween!! It really is one of my favorite days of the year.

Anyway, here are two little matchbooks I made recently. I should have taken a picture of them opened, but I forgot. Suffice it to say that it opens exactly like a matchbook!! Inside I stapled two bags of m & m minis.

To make these cute treat holders, I cut Basic Black card stock to 3" x 8 1/2" and scored it at 1", 4 3/4", and 5 1/4". I'm a bit anal about my finished project, so I hid the staples under a ribbon on one and DSP on the other.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Batty for You
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Ghostly Greetings DSP
Ink: Basic Black, White Gel Pen, Black marker
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, and 1" Circle punches; staples, m & m minis.

Have a great one, guys!

Fun with the Kiddies

2008-10-17T07:19:00.000-04:00

Hey all, no actual stamping today, but I wanted to share with you the craft I just finished with CJ. I saw this wreath in a magazine not so long ago and knew I had to copy it. It was so much fun to make!

I hot glued three black feather boas around an 18" grape vine wreath. Then I cut styrofoam balls in half and CJ & I painted eye balls on them and hot glued them on the wreath.

I wanted to hang this on my front door, but leave it to me to not think things all the way through... My front door is black, so you would never see our adorable creation! So we have this one hanging in our living room. Next year, I'll get different colored boas so I can put that one out front!

I hope you use this post as an excuse to get silly with your kids. Happy crafting!!

Cute Card Folder, Part Deux

2008-10-16T12:50:00.008-04:00

In yesterday's post, I showed you the cute card folder I made for the Hostess of last week's workshop. Today, I'm going to show you the cards I tucked inside the folder. I wanted the whole package to coordinate, so I used the same stamps, inks and paper all the way through.

The first one is a birthday card. To color the main image, I first inked it up on my Bashful Blue ink pad, then colored in the stems with my Old Olive marker and touched the tips of the flowers with my Night of Navy marker.

Recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Inspired By Nature
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Summer Picnic DSP
Ink: Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Night of Navy and Old Olive markers
Accessories: Round Tab punch, Whisper White taffeta ribbon

The second one is a thank you card. For this one, I tried the Misting with Markers technique. Basically all you do is color your stamp with your markers then gently spritz it with a little water. It really softens the image and gives it a more water colored look.

Recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Summer Picnic DSP
Ink: Brocade Blue and Old Olive markers
Accessories: Word Window and Scalloped Edge punches

Have a great day everybody!

Cute Card Folder

2008-10-15T11:54:00.012-04:00

Quick post today. I just wanted to share with you this super cute card folder I made as a gift for Amy, the hostess of my workshop last week. I wanted to tell her thank you for allowing my into her home and letting me demonstrate some of Stampin' Up!'s cool stuff. Thanks, Aim!!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: none
Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Summer Picnic DSP
Ink: none
Accessories: White taffeta ribbon, crop-a-dile

Here's what the folder looks like when it's open:

I'll post the close-up pictures of the two cards I included in her gift tomorrow.

Have a great one!

More Halloween treats

2008-10-14T08:21:00.000-04:00

I told you I was playing catch-up! I've made a whole bunch of Halloween stuff while I was away on my blogcation.

I stole today's post from Ms. DarkSide Stamper herself. I saw these on her blog, so I had to try them for myself! I love these little Dum Dum pots. They are so easy to make that you can make them for your whole neighborhood in no time!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Batty for You
Paper: Ghostly Greetings DSP, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: StazOn Black
Accessories: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, and 1" Circle punches; brads; Dum Dum I stole from CJ's candy stash.

Yes, I said I stole a Dum Dum from CJ's candy stash. I'm not that bad of a mom, really! She has candy she hasn't touched from every candy holiday since last Halloween!! Besides, she gets a new one every time we go through the drive-thru at the bank, so don't worry, she's not being deprived of her candy! :)

Have a fabulous day, everybody!

Halloween Treats

2008-10-13T08:15:00.003-04:00

Here's what I'm making for the kids at CJ's school this year for Halloween:

Aren't they stinkin' cute?!? I learned how to make them from the Chic n' Scratch blog. She has some awesome ideas. I also used this treat box for a workshop I had last week. The girls really dug them. They fit a snack-sized Kit-Kat or Hershey bar. I ended up modifying the size just a little bit: cut them to 9 3/4" x 2 1/2" and score them at 2 1/4", 2 3/4", 6", & 6 1/2". The DSP is cut an inch shorter (8 3/4" x 2 1/4").

Here's what it looks like when it's opened:

And here's what it looks like from the side:

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Batty for You
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Old Olive, Whisper White, Ghostly Greetings DSP
Ink: StazOn, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive
Accessories: Word Window, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1" Circle punches; Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; velcro; my faux dimensionals; LOTS of tape

These are really easy and sooo much fun to make! Happy stamping!!

I'm Back On Line!

2008-10-11T21:57:00.006-04:00

Yay me! I successfully installed the photo software on my laptop! I know, I know. I'm a dufus when it comes to computers, but tonight I actually completed a techie task without the aid of anyone!!

Our desktop monitor is still sitting on the floor, although it did move from the living room to the bonus room, which is a step, but we're still waiting on a cord that fits. Details, you know? Well, I got sick of waiting around and I went a-hunting for the camera software. My Dear Husband said that he thought it was lost in the wind, and for about two weeks I believed him. Until I actually looked for it. It's amazing what you can do when you do it yourself, you know? :)

Anyway, I have tons of catching up to do on here, so I'll be sharing things little by little. Tonight's card is the one I made for our last sketch challenge. I used the moonlighting technique here. Here it is:

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Owl Together Now
Paper: Night of Navy, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Night of Navy DSP (from Hostess pack)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, More Mustard, Brocade Blue, Apricot Appeal
Accessories: White Taffeta ribbon

Have a great night everybody!!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-10-02T14:46:00.003-04:00

Wow, I've been tagged by not one, but two people!! I guess both Annie B & Wanda want to know the dirty details of my crazy life.

Are you sure you're ready for this???

1. I am a certified chocoholic. If there is chocolate within 20 feet of me, it's mine. I don't care if I have to run over small children to get to it and I've been known to lie about it's presence in my home so that I can horde it all to myself.

2. I love plants, but hate gardening. Really, my yard will never, ever win any beautification awards. Every spring I vow to be different, and every spring I buy a hundred bucks worth of greenery that all die by late June because I forget to water them.

3. Fall is my favorite time of year. Just like Leigh Ann & Wanda, I totally dig Halloween, and all the trappings that go along with it. I love the crisp weather and the colorful leaves, and the cozy sweaters. Yup, fall is my favorite time of year.

4. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Since before we were married, we always hosted it, and I love it! It gives us a full weekend to hang out with our family without any huge expectations or gift-giving. Oddly enough, it's the most stress-free holiday for me, even though I have to plan a meal for a dozen people.

5. #4 segues nicely into #5: I love to cook. In fact, I have decided that I'm Rachael Ray's biggest fan. She was on a book tour a few years ago and I took the day off of work to wait in line to meet her. She was awesome and just as cute as she is on TV. Should my dear hubby get around to hooking up the monitor, I will upload pics of the signed cookbooks. She signed one for me and her kid's cookbook for CJ, who was just about a year old at the time.

6. My other crafting-related hobby is cross-stitching. I always liked cross-stitching because it was something I could do while watching TV. Although I haven't picked it up since Sean was born. He'd probably try to eat the needles, anyway.

7. My favorite TV show (aside from GH, of course) is Dirty Sexy Money. It's season premier was last night and It Was Awesome. If you guys haven't seen it yet, you totally need to check it out. It airs Wednesdays at 10 on ABC.

OK, now according to the rules, I have to tag seven other people. Problem is, just about all the people I would tag have just tagged me or have been tagged by them! So, I'm going to tag Jimmy. He hasn't updated his blog in a while, but maybe this will be the creative punch he needs to get out of his writer's block!

Have a great day, everybody!!

October Specials

2008-10-01T13:00:00.003-04:00

Well, I finally got a luxury pre-owned monitor! Yay! Of course it's of no use to me sitting on the floor in my living room... Baby steps.

Anyway, I thought I would take the time to tell you guys about all the specials I've got going on this month. But first, today marks the first day you can start ordering from the Holiday Mini Catalog! There's some really pretty stuff in there. Take a look over on my sidebar for a link to check out the new Mini.

October marks Stampin' Up!'s 20th birthday (cue cheers). In honor of this milestone, one of this month's specials is on Birthday-themed stamp sets. When you spend $20, you'll get 20% off the following sets:

Item #	Page #	Description	Retail Price	20% Off Price
109439	62	Big Bold Birthday	$27.95	$22.36
112895	62	Cumpleaños genial y divertido (Spanish Big Bold Birthday)*	$27.95	$22.36
111532	63	Party Hearty*	$26.95	$21.56
110994	64	Bitty Birthday	$12.95	$10.36
111618	64	Crazy for Cupcakes*	$23.95	$19.16
111546	65	Simple Birthday Thanks*	$17.95	$14.36
111702	65	Time to Party*	$16.95	$13.56
108559	68	Crab & Company	$27.95	$22.36

*These stamp sets are die cut.

This Saturday is World Card-Making Day. Next week only (4-11 October), all Simply Sent card kits and Simply Sent Card Elements are 20% off.

Are you beginning to sense a theme here? 20% for 20 years??

Carrying on..

In October and November, when you host a workshop that nets $350 or more, you can choose any one stamp set from the Fall-Winter Sampler for FREE. You can also click on the image in my sidebar to view the Sampler. Here is the list of sets you can choose from:

Item #	Description	Retail Value
111564	Flight of the Butterfly	$31.95
112911	Vuelo de la mariposa (Spanish Flight of the Butterfly)	$31.95
111676	Puns from the Past	$27.95
111660	Just Jawing	$25.95
111624	Dreams du Jour	$18.95
111700	Thank You Kindly	$13.95
111714	Wow Flowers	$12.95
112955	Flores llamativas (Spanish Wow Flowers)	$12.95
111600	Bella's Bloom	$12.95

If you have any questions, or wish to take advantage of some of these fabulous specials, shoot me an e-mail!

Have a fantastic week everyone!!

Monitor Update

2008-09-29T09:00:00.004-04:00

Well, we are a lot closer to a luxury pre-owned monitor... Now it's just a matter of actually picking it up... Once we get it set up (hopefully later this week) I will have so much to share with you! I do have to admit that I'm getting antsy enough to start taking grainy pictures with my cell phone!!

Until then, happy stamping!

No pics today (sigh)

2008-09-21T20:10:00.005-04:00

Sorry guys, I have no pics of any of the cool stuff I've been working on this weekend. I've been a busy little beaver, too! I have so much I want to share with you, but, alas, I cannot. You see, it finally happened. Yup. Our computer monitor died. It really isn't shocking since the thing is 7 years old. Not to mention that a few weeks ago Jimmy dropped something on it and scratched the screen. He assures me, however, that the unfortunate accident had nothing to do with it's current deadness.

You may be asking how in the heck I'm writing this post if I'm monitor-less. I have a laptop that I do the majority of my work on. But the camera's photo program is attached to the desktop. So until I can figure out how to upload stuff from my camera to my laptop (or find the hardware to install), I won't be posting any pics.

I did do the challenge this week. It involves owls. And it's super cute. You'll just have to take my word for it, though. If you want to play along, here's the sketch, as designed by Annie B:

Of course you can check out Annie B and Angela's samples for your inspiration today. Eventually I will show you mine.

Don't forget, send any of us your challenge creations and we'll post 'em.

Have a great day everybody!

More Dry-Erase Boards

2008-09-16T08:47:00.006-04:00

Quick post today. I just wanted to share two more dry-erase boards I made over the weekend. I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

If you've never made one, they're so easy. Just stamp your image, cover it in Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, and bake for 10 minutes. That's it!
Here's the first one, very similar to the doorprize I posted here.

Recipe:
Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Paper: Summer Picnic DSP (wrapped around marker)
Ink: Old Olive, Summer Sun, Close to Cocoa craft inks
Accessories: glossy bathroom tile, Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Expo dry erasee marker, microbeads, felt for backing, oven set to 350

Here's the other one I made:

Recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Warm Words
Paper: Summer Picnic DSP (wrapped around marker)
Ink: Elegant Eggplant craft ink
Accessories: glossy bathroom tile, Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Expo dry erasee marker, microbeads, felt for backing, oven set to 350

Have a great one guys!

Sketch Challenge

2008-09-15T07:35:00.000-04:00

Morning everybody!

It's sketch day today and the talented Angela Lemmons created today's sketch. Don't forget guys, you can play along with Angela, Leigh Ann, and me. Just send any of us a comment with a link to your creation. We will ooh and ahh appropriately and post your picture on our site. Here today's sketch:

Here's my sample (outside):

Here it is again with the first flap opened: ............................ And here it is again with both flaps opened:

You will notice that mine is backwards. That's because when I stamped my image panel, I stamped it on the wrong side! So instead of redoing it, I thought I'd flip the sketch. See? Happy accident. :)

I wanted to do my own version of a still-life painting for this one. To make the bowl, I traced a circle from a little candy tin I have. Then I cut off the tiniest bit from the bottom to give it a flat base and cut the top with the Scallop Edge punch. I stamped it with the Linen background stamp to try to give it a woven quality. I popped it up with some leftover foam from my stamps. To give the fruit some dimension, I adhered the orange slice directly to the background, used an honest-to-God dimensional to pop up the apple a little, and finally, I adhered the strawberry to the back of the bowl.

To create the background, I used my brayer to create the table, and I dabbed with a sponge some Bashful Blue and Brocade Blue for the wall.

Now for the breakdown...

Stamps: Tart and Tangy, Warm Words, Linen (retired)
Paper: Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, Creamy Caramel, Summer Picnic DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Pumpkin Pie; Real Red & Old Olive markers
Accessories: Corner Rounder; Scallop Edge, 1 3/8" Circle, and 1 1/4" Circle punches; dimensionals; leftover stamp foam; scissors

Have fun with this sketch, I know I did!!

Have a great one!

Halloween Treat Class

2008-09-09T14:48:00.007-04:00

Hey guys,
Here's some of the cool things we're making at this month's class! This class is soo much fun! Not only are we making super cute treat holders for the trick-er-treaters, but we're making a card and stamping a candle! The fun never stops around here!

Here is a group shot of the treats we're making:

Sorry for the shadows guys. It was rainy and overcast the day I took this. Not a good combo for picture-taking! Notice the little candy corn in the back? Looks familiar, doesn't it? Well that's because it's a CASE from Annie B's challenge sample this week. I thought it was so cute that I had to add it to the class!

Wanna get out and have some fun making these sweet treats? Yes, the candy is included! Did you think I'd hoard all the chocolate? Really, I wouldn't hoard all of it! :) Check out my Events page for dates and times.

Have a great day everybody!!

Inspired by an Open House

2008-09-09T14:33:00.007-04:00

I just wanted to share with you the thank you cards I made for the girls who placed an order with me at my Open House last month. Sorry for the shadows, guys. It's been a rainy day here in Knoxville, so getting a clear picture was rather difficult. I'm loving how this turned out though--it's a CASE (Copy And Share Everything, for those of you not familiar with stamping acronyms) from a card I saw on DOstamping with Dawn.

By the way, I made the cool little medallion with my Scallop Circle punch. I just cut V's into every other scallop. Simple and what a pretty effect! Also, the flower panel is popped up with some double-sticky foam I had leftover from cutting out my stamp sets.

I just want to say Thank You again to everyone who attended my Open House. I had a blast with you guys!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Very Vanilla
Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Chreamy Caramel, Old Olive marker
Accessories: Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" Circle punches, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, leftover double-sticky foam, blender pens.

Have a good one everybody!

Sweet Sensations

2008-09-08T07:00:00.003-04:00

Oh that's great. Now I've totally got Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch stuck in my head!! "Good Vibrations?" 'Member that? Don't you just hate it when a random phrase pops in your head and that reminds you of a song which gets completely embedded for the rest of the day? Especially when you can only remember a few lyrics?

That song brings me back to high school football season! Which is apropos since the NFL season started yesterday. Our family are Philly Eagles fans, so there was much whooping and hollering yesterday afternoon when they completely embarrassed the St. Louis Rams. The final score was 38-3, which is also reminiscent of my high school football team, although we would have been lucky to score 3 points. Yeah, we stunk. Moving on...

Unofficially, it's fall, but you'd never know that here in East TN! It's still in the upper 80s here! I am sooo ready for fall! And in the hope of encouraging Mother Nature's autumnal finger, here's today's sketch:

Yes! Candy Corn! I love candy corn, although I think I'm in the minority there. Anyway, here's my sample:

I was totally loving my creation until I decided to mount it on the pumpkin paper. Then it seemed to loose all it's cute-ness. Oh well. I'm going to try this again, and when I do, I'll post it for you.

Here's the recipe:

Paper: glossy white, pumpkin pie, Ghostly Greetings DSP
Ink: Summer Sun, Creamy Caramel (sponged around the edges of the pumpkin pie paper)
Accessories: sponges, paper piercer, mat pack, Burnt Orange embroidery floss, needle

Don't forget to check out Annie B's sample!

That Marky Mark song is hopelessly lodged in my brain now. The entire time I was typing this post, I had it on a continuous loop in my head. So, of course, I had to Google it. Hee! Here it is guys!

Have a great day guys!

New MOPS year and an Awesome Super-Cool Special

2008-09-02T13:42:00.013-04:00

Hey everybody! I just wanted to share with you the way-cute treats I made for the new members of my MOPS group. MOPS, a Christian-based mothers organization, stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. I've been a member since I moved to Tennessee two years ago and I have absolutely loved it. The moms in my group are awesome, and I encourage any new mom reading this to find a MOPS group near you.

This year, I'm serving as the Hospitality Chair on our steering committee. To make new members feel welcome, I've made these altered baby food jars as a little "Welcome" gift.

View of the front... and view of the top....

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Tart and Tangy and Warm Words
Paper: Summer Picnic DSP, and an assortment of matching card stock, including Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Ink: Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery stamp pads
Accessories: Assortment of 1/4" grosgrain ribbon including Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, and Night of Navy; 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, and Word Window Punch.

Now on to the Awesome Super-Cool Special:

Yesterday Stampin' Up! began offering it's own die-cutting machine, the Big Shot. Not only are there beautiful, exclusive dies to go with it, but you can use the Sizzix (and some other) dies you already have.

Buy the Big Shot Special Edition Starter Kit in the month of September and you will also receive a Bigz die FREE! (That's a $19.95 value! You can choose from nine different dies.) Plus, you will also receive the Level 1 Hostess Only benefits AND $20 to spend on whatever you want in the catalog! How cool is that?!?

Here's what's included in the Special Edition Starter Kit:

Big Shot Die-Cut machine
Multipurpose platform and standard cutting pads
2 SU! Exclusive Bigz dies (Scallop Envelope & Top Note)
1 SU! Exclusive Sizzlits 4-pack (Birds & Blooms)
1 SU! Exclusive Decorative Strip (Join the Cheer)
Decorative Strip cutting pads and extended spacer platform

Click on the picture of the Big Shot above for more information on the Big Shot and its accessories. You can also click on the link in the left-hand column under "What's New?!?" to view a copy of the sales brochure. The list of Bigz dies you can choose as your free gift are listed on page 6 of the brochure.

E-mail me today to take advantage of this limited-time special offer!

Have a great one, guys!

Monday Morning Sketch

2008-09-01T06:00:00.006-04:00

Happy Monday everybody! The lovely Annie B designed today's sketch. It's a great one and very challenging for me. I always have trouble with circular sketches--seems I can't wrap my head around them! :)

I'm pretty happy with how my sample turned out, though. It's a mixture of some things old and new. I used some designer paper from both last year's and this year's hostess-level prints pack. The flower centers are stamped with a retired background stamp (Linen), and the brand-new Upsy Daisey set was used for the sentiment.

To make the flowers, I punched some DSP twice with the Scallop Circle punch. I then cut slits in between each scallop to make the petals. I popped up the centers with some dimensionals. (Actually, I used some foam remnants from when I mounted my stamps--I'm cheap that way!)

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Upsy Daisey, Linen (retired)
Paper: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pin, Whisper White, Always Artichoke DSP (from hostess-level prints pack), Pretty in Pink and Bashful Blue DSP (from retired hostess-level prints pack)
Ink: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Ticket corner, scallop edge, scallop circle, and 1" circle punches

I'm think I'm going to send this card to Jimmy's step-mom (my step-MIL). She had surgery at the beginning of August and was re-admitted to the hospital last week. The doctors don't seem to know precisely what's going on, so we're just waiting to see what will happen. I hate Wait and See. She also lives in Pennsylvania, so there's very little we can do for her, besides sending her well-wishes. It's been a little hectic around here, but I'm certain that she'll pull though. I'm thankful for my kids and my stamping to keep me from worrying too much!

Wishing you all a fabulous day!

Projects from the Open House

2008-08-29T16:10:00.009-04:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out to my Open House this week. I also wanted to share with you one of the projects we made. Isn't it the cutest?! We used SU!'s new Owl Together Now set. I love seeing how everyone interprets my samples! You guys got really creative with this set! It was awesome to watch!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Owl Together Now
Paper: Old Olive, Ruby Red, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, More Mustard, Rose Red, Old Olive
Accessories: 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, blender pens

I also wanted to share with you guys the little "thank you for coming" gifts I gave to everyone who attended. I made these cute little post-it note key chains using a couple different stamp sets. I used some of the Owl Together Now owls, Tart and Tangy, the little pumpkin from Batty for You, and the ladybug from Garden Whimsy.

Have a fabulous day everybody!

New Fall Classes

2008-08-28T22:14:00.005-04:00

Nothing new to show you tonight, simply because I haven't taken any pictures of them yet!! I will do that soon, though. I promise!

I just wanted to let you guys know that I've added some really fun classes for this fall. Check out my Events page to see all the details. Don't forget to register early! Space is limited and will fill quickly!

Have a great night guys!

Sketch Challenge Part Deux

2008-08-25T06:00:00.006-04:00

Happy Monday to you! I love Mondays anymore. I'm really not as weird as that sounds. OK, maybe there is some truth there, but that's a story for another day...

I love Mondays because it's Sketch Day around here! This week was my turn at designing the sketch for ya'll to try. This is the sketch partnership with me and Annie B (hee! that rhymes!) that we started last week. Here's this week's sketch:

And here's my sample, a little something I like to call Embrace the Sketch!

Become one with the sketch... See? Very Zen. Now all I need is a little rock garden...

Sorry for the quality of the picture guys. I attached it to my display board for Wednesday's Open House, and for some reason, I was having trouble lining up the camera to take a straight shot. But you get the idea, right?

I popped up some of the blooms in the middle panel to add some depth. I stole that idea from SU! new catty. I use this set all the time and I can't believe I hadn't thought of that before! I guess that's why they call it the Idea Book & Catalog, huh? :) Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Embrace Life (you'd swear that I don't have any new toys around here, but really this is my favorite go-to set)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Ginger Blossom DSP (retired)
Ink: Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Blender pen, paper piercer, dimensionals

I'd love to see how you interpreted this sketch! E-mail me with you creation, and I'll post it for all to admire!

Oh, and for all you General Hospital junkies, today's the day Laura's coming back!! Yay! Can't wait until 3:00!

Have a great day everybody!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2008-08-20T16:27:00.004-04:00

Hee! I always think of that old Staples commercial this time of year. 'Member it? It was a wide shot of one of their aisles and you saw a man gleefully gliding back in forth through the shot with his two kids totally moping behind him. It still makes me giggle and I haven't seen that commercial in years.

I do love back to school time--always have. There just so much excitement starting a new year with a clean slate. CJ started her "Big Girl 4-Year-Old School" this a.m. True to form, she walked into the classroom, sat down at a table, and wouldn't even have said goodbye to us had we not gone over to give her a kiss on the forehead. The old, "Yeah, yeah. Bye Mom. I'm done with you." When she was real little that kind of response would have saddened me. Now that she's older, and very independent, I'm glad she's so self-assured.

Well, I'm getting really siked about my Open House next Wednesday. I've been totally immersed in all my new toys that Mr. Brown delivered on Monday (a whole day early--yippee!!). The first thing I made was this dry-erase board:

Oh, and did I mention that this is one of my door prizes?!? You know you want it. :)

I used the new Inspired by Nature set for this one.

Sounds like "quite time" is over for another afternoon! Off to play with the kiddies!

Have a fabulous day!

Sketch Challenge ALERT!

2008-08-18T06:36:00.001-04:00

OK kids, wanna have a little fun with me and Annie B? We're starting a weekly sketch challenge today! *Cue thunderous applause and raucous cheers*

Here's the dealio: Every Monday, both Annie B & I will post a new sketch on our blogs (it will be the same sketch) along with our sample. These sketches just serve as a jumping off point. If you see a card in a particular sketch, make one! If the scrapbooking bug bit you, create a new page for your album! It's all good!

If you want to play along, e-mail a photo of your creation to either of us and we'll post it! If you have a blog yourself, write a comment directing us to your card on your blog. Or you can upload it to Splitcoast! Just copy our URL's into your description of your card to direct others to our little challenge. Oh, and don't forget to leave comment so we can appropriately oohh and aahh over your creation, too!

This is gonna be soo much fun, guys!! So go grab your stamps and some paper and play along!

Here's our First Official Sketch created by the lovely Leigh Ann Baird:

And here's My First Official Sample:

I decided to make it a scrapbook page today. Admittedly, I'm not much of a scrapbooker. 12 x 12 pieces of card stock completely stymie me. I think this page serves as only the 5th page I've done for either of my kids baby albums! Anyway, you may see a lot of scrapbook pages from me because it seems like a good enough excuse for me to ~~finish~~ start their albums! I'm also really anal about my journaling. I left the big space on the left empty so I have a place to write all my profound thoughts about the picture. Problem is: I don't have that many profound thoughts. Shocking, I know.

Here's my recipe for this 8 1/2" x 11" page:

Stamps: Always
Paper: Ballet Blue, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, and Garden Green cardstock; Ginger Blossom DSP (retired).
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Ticket corner punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Word Window punch, white gel pen.

Let's see what you got!

Later gators!

Inspiration in the Mailbox

2008-08-15T14:24:00.009-04:00

OK folks. It really seems to be feast or famine in my little corner of the blogosphere! Sorry about that! My excuse is that I'm busily getting ready for my Open House on the 27th. Wanna come? Let me know by sending me an e-mail!

So, I got a little care package in the mail the other day from my wonderful, beautiful, amazing, (did I mention modest?) upline, Wanda. She went to Convention last month and she didn't forget the little people! Among other things that I'll post in a moment, she sent me a keyring. Not just any keyring, but the kind that you can hook on your purse. I'm blathering on about this because it couldn't come at a better time. Ya see, I had a cute little butterfly keyring hooky thing that broke on Monday. I was really sad about it because I really loved this key ring. Now, I've got a replacement!! Here's a pic of my new Stampin' Up! keyring and my poor broken butterfly:

It's even the same color! Thanks Wanda!

Wanda also sent me a whole slew of cards, many of them will be on display at my Open House on Wednesday the 27th from 7 'til 9 pm. (plug, plug, plug!! :) )Here's one of 'em:

And another:

And my favorite. She used the Fresh Cuts Notes for this one:
I hope Wanda has inspired you to break open some of your toys, new or old. Have a great day everybody!

It's New Catalog Day!!!

2008-08-11T12:06:00.003-04:00

Happy New CattyDay everybody! I am so siked about the Fall-Winter Catalog because there are so many awesome new sets... and they're all DIE CUT!!! Well, the new ones are, anyway.

To celebrate New CattyDay, Stampin' Up! is offering 15% of selected stamp sets 'til 11 October! Here's the list:

Item Code	Pg. #	Description	Regular Price	15% off Price
111690	32	Snow Swirled	$24.95	$21.21
111586	55	It's a Stretch	$23.95	$20.36
111544	81	Putt Putt (Not available until August 18)	$24.95	$21.21
111626	91	Eastern Blooms	$21.95	$18.66
111672	98	Pocket Silhouettes	$18.95	$16.11
111710	101	Upsy Daisy	$18.95	$16.11
111556	109	Under the Stars	$29.95	$25.46
111644	145	Heard from the Heart	$22.95	$19.51
111570	157	Contempo Alphabet	$40.95	$34.81
109381	23	Felicidades Siempre*	$17.95	$15.26

Really, these sets are BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait to put my own order in today! But alas, I must wait until the sale officially starts at noon mountain time. That means I have to wait until 2:00 eastern time to place my order, but that ends up working out pretty well, since that coinsides with the beginning of "quiet time!" Wanna place your own order??? Shoot me an e-mail!!

Don't forget too--today is the day you can start signing up as a new demonstrator and getting the special $99 mini kits!

Oh, and if you guys want to get your hot little hands on a new catty, e-mail me (my address is in the sidebar) and I'll get one out to you ASAP!

Have a great Monday, everybody!