Teacher Gifts

This has been a crazy, but fun filled week. Today is the last day of school before Christmas break and that means all sorts of activities: parties for all (from Scouts to Church to school), Singing programs, Band Concerts, and so forth. Plus I am getting the kids and myself ready for a 12 day trip home for Christmas. My husband has to work, so I will take the kids and go visit family. (He does get to join us for Christmas at least, so that's nice.) I am overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" that I need to pack for this trip. Three kids + one mother + Christmas presents + "stuff" = one weighed down mini van.

This past week, I worked on teacher gifts. I like to give them something homemade if possible and I really like making sweets or goodies to eat for them. So I have been cooking up a storm. I made Chocolate Drenched Chipotle Nuts, Spiced Sugared Nuts, Caramel Corn Crunch, Oreo Fudge, Hot Chocolate Mix, and Cinnamon and Sugar Biscotti. And I made lots of it! I wanted to share with you the quick packaging I did for some of the items and the cards I made for a few of the teachers.

Keep in mind that I took these pictures at 6:45 am and it was still very dark outside. But I wanted pictures to show and I had to deliver everything today. You do what you have to do, you know?

Here's the Hot Chocolate Mix and Biscotti.

This is the Cookies and Creme Fudge. I used glossy white cardstock for the snowflake. And you can't see, but I used the large scalloped square die and the big shot to cut squares out of real red cardstock and wax paper. I layered those on the bottom to hold the fudge up a little.

Here are the little cards for the teachers. I used some retired notecards in chocolate chip, added bella blue double sided paper and some of the new gorgeous vanilla satin ribbon. (that will be released in the mini catalog on Jan 5) I closed the cello bag with the top note die, a little scallop circle and a jumbo brad.


just another shot.
Okay -now I must dash away, dash away, dash away all. More carpool and packing to do. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Please be safe over the holidays!

Merry Christmas!

I know you are probably tired of hearing this, but, once again I find myself asking "where has the time gone???"!! I can't believe we have arrived at the end of another year already. Life around our house has been super busy since ... well, since forever. We went home for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time visiting family. My husband and I went to the Georgia vs Georgia Tech football game on that Saturday. This was our 16th year going to the game together. After that relaxing break, it was back to school full speed ahead. My littlest bit had a huge fundraiser at his school last week and I was in charge of doing individual and group art projects for his class. Then there was the volunteering for set up, etc. Next came the middle little bit's book fair at her school, where I worked for a couple of days. Then the biggest bit went to honor band in Alabama and I went to that concert. And of course, I am deep into decorating for Christmas, wrapping presents, planning a dinner party, etc. I joined the handbell choir at church, only to come to find out that we have two, and only two, rehearsals before we perform before the church. And I've never played handbells before. Oh, and there seems to be this crazy thought in my house that I still need to do laundry and cook food and do carpool and clean house and take care of little bits and sometimes even shower. Whew.... I think I need a nap.

So, with all of the goings on around here, unfortunately my stamping and blogging have been pushed, yet once again, to the back burner. I want to stamp. I even got some new organizers for my crafting space. But finding the time to do so has been difficult. I actually put aside my to do list yesterday and crafted for almost two hours. Can you believe it?! I am trying to come up with some fun, easy, and inexpensive gift ideas for my littlebits' teachers this year. Between school and church for 3 kids, we have quite a lot of teachers that I like to try to give a little something to. I can't afford much, but I want to thank each of them for the time they give to my children. I was out shopping at Sams (a wholesale club type store) and I found these cute containers of mints. They are only about $1 a container. I wanted to come up with a way to dress them up a bit for giving them as gifts. And here it is:






I broke out the Simple Seasonal Thanks snowman again, because I LOVE snowmen. I masked off the words on him and stamped him in black. I used Brilliant Blue and Bashful blue to color in his hat and scarf, Pumpkin Pie for his nose, and I added a little of the Bashful Blue to the sides of his body to add a bit of depth. Then I cut him out. I made a very simple open top box for the mints and stamped it with some snowflakes from the Serene Snowflakes set in Bashful Blue. The Merry Christmas comes from the Four the Holidays set and it is stamped in Brilliant Blue on Bashful Blue paper. I made the notches with a square punch turned at an angle. I think I may make the boxes out of Bashful Blue paper next time. What 'cha think? Isn't he cute?

I wanted to make some cards yesterday that were the "step it up" kind, where you start with a simple card and then step it up to a moderate card and then up even more to a complex card. I only had time to do the first two steps though. Maybe I'll have time to do the third one before Christmas gets here.

The first card is basically CASED from the demonstrator magazine that I get each month from Stampin' Up! I used the same layout and stamps, but changed the color scheme.

I used Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Ruby Red and Taken with Teal. The base card is textured cardstock, which I think adds a nice touch on a simple card layout. I used the paper piercer to punch the little holes that make the "thread" for the ornament. The stamp sets are Four the Holidays and Delightful Decorations. The ornament punch and 3/4 " circle punch were also used.


Here's the "stepped up" card. I used the same color scheme and stamp sets, but I changed the base card to Ruby Red, added some Holiday Lounge DS Paper and popped up the sentiment on it's own little banner. I simply used the ticket corner punch for that and added brads. And obviously I added a second ornament and punched two rows of holes. Still easy to do, but just has that something extra to make it a little more special.

I guess that's it for today. The littlest bit is home with me today and has been demanding chocolate milk since I started working on this post. I think I better be off to serve his highness before it gets any uglier. It's a good thing he's so darn cute.... ;)

I'm not sure how much I will get to post between now and the first of the year. After the kids get out of school, I usually take them to see my parents for most of the break. So, just in case, I'll go ahead and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Stamptacular New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

I am just poppin' in to tell you about the AWESOME sale that is going on right now at Stampin' Up! Check out all the fantastic stuff you can get at great prices.

Things to Remember:

• Orders may be placed as customer, workshop, or online orders.
• The sale begins Monday, November 23, 2009, 12:01 AM (MT), and ends Monday November 30, 2009, 11:50 PM (MT).
• Discounts range between 30 percent and 50 percent.
• For online orders, discounts will be shown in the shopping bag at checkout.
• The Distribution Center will be closed on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, 2009, for the US Thanksgiving holiday. No orders will ship on those days.
• Order deadlines:
  • Phone: Monday, November 30, 2009; 6:50 PM (MT)
  • Online: Monday, November 30, 2009; 11:50 PM (MT)

Product Offering:

Item	Description	Regular Price	Discounted Price
120280	Framed with Love Bundle Framed with Love stamp set Full Heart punc	$43.90/	$21.95
120281	Thank You Kindly Bundle Thank You Kindly stamp set Scallop Edge punch	$29.90	$14.95
120976	Thank You Kindly Bundle (French) Tous mes remerciements stamp set Scallop Edge punch	$29.90	$14.95
120282	Animal Crackers Bundle Animal Crackers stamp set Star Designer brads	$25.90	$12.95
120283	Corduroy Button Bundle Kraft Corduroy buttons Pumpkin Pie Corduroy buttons Summer Sun Corduroy buttons Basic Gray Corduroy buttons Chocolate Chip Corduroy buttons	$49.75	$24.88
120284	Game Night Bundle Card Games stamp set Game Night stamp set	$40.90	$20.45
120285	Four Square Bundle Four Square stamp set Scallop Square punch	$30.90	$15.45
120286	Heart to Heart Bundle Love You Much stamp set Heart to Heart punch Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$49.85	$24.93
120310	Heart to Heart Bundle (Spanish) Te Quiero Mucho stamp set Heart to Heart punch Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$49.85	$24.93
120311	Heart to Heart Bundle (French) J't'aime beaucoup stamp set Heart to Heart punch Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$49.85	$24.93
120287	Chipboard Letter Bundle On Board Timeless Type On Board Loads of Letters	$25.90	$12.95
120288	Double-Stitched Ribbon Bundle Bashful Blue 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon Rose Red 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon	$17.90	$10.74
120289	Ultimate Stampers' Starter Bundle* Best Wishes & More stamp set Eight Great Greetings stamp set On a Pedestal stamp set Earth Elements Stampin' Spots Earth Elements assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11") Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11") Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Flower Designer brads	$127.70	$76.62
120290	Build-A-Brad Bundle Calendar Alphabet stamp set Pewter Build-A-Brad Antique Brass Build-A-Brad	$40.85	$24.51
120291	Enjoy Every Moment Bundle Enjoy Every Moment stamp set Circle Designer brads Flower Designer brads	$43.85	$26.31
120312	Enjoy Every Moment Bundle (French) Profiter de chaque instant stamp set Circle Designer brads Flower Designer brads	$43.85	$26.31
120292	Cheep Talk Bundle Cheep Talk stamp set Note cards Pumpkin Pie Corduroy buttons	$42.85	$25.71
120293	Sock Monkey Bundle Sock Monkey stamp set Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set Chocolate Chip Corduroy buttons	$58.85	$35.31
120313	Sock Monkey Bundle (French) Sing-chaussette stamp set Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set Chocolate Chip Corduroy buttons	$58.85	$35.31
120294	Alphabet Bundle Jayne's Type Alphabet stamp set Lovely Letters stamp set	$87.90	$52.74
120295	Simply Said Bundle Simply Said stamp set Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Full Heart punch	$52.85	$31.71
120314	Simply Said Bundle (French) Amitié stamp set Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Full Heart punch	$52.85	$31.71
120296	On Board Bundle On Board So Tweet On Board Batch of Blooms On Board Essentials	$42.85	$25.71
120927	Christmas Décor Bundle #1 Holly Berry Wreath Décor Elements (Kraft, Real Red) Real Red Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements Chocolate Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements	$74.85	$44.91
120298	Christmas Décor Bundle #2 Holly Beary Wreath Décor Elements (Chocolate, Real Red) Real Red Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements Chocolate Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements	$74.85	$44.91
120299	Christmas Décor Bundle #3 Holly Berry Wreath Décor Elements (Old Olive, Real Red) Real Red Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements Chocolate Vintage Ornaments Décor Elements	$74.85	$44.91
120300	For All You Do Bundle For All You Do stamp set 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$36.90	$25.83
120315	For All You Do Bundle (French) Merci pour tout stamp set 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$36.90	$25.83
120316	For All You Do Bundle (Spanish) Por todo lo que haces stamp set 5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$36.90	$25.83
120301	Striped Ribbon Bundle Bashful Blue 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Pumpkin Pie 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Old Olive 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Pretty in Pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon So Saffron 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon Real Red 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon	$47.73	$33.41
120302	Bling Bundle Sticky Pages Sticky Cuts Sweet Fine Supernova Stampin' Glitter Fine Galaxy Stampin' Glitter	$43.80	$30.66
120303	Fresh-Cut Bundle Fresh Cuts stamp set Fresh-Cut Notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$37.85	$26.50
120317	Fresh-Cut Bundle (French) Fraicheur exuise stamp set Fresh-Cut Notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$37.85	$26.50
120304	Pendant Note Bundle Pendant Park stamp set Pendant notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$39.85	$27.90
120318	Pendant Note Bundle (French) Adorable parc stamp set Pendant notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$39.85	$27.90
120319	Pendant Note Bundle (Spanish) Un dia en el parque stamp set Pendant notes 5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$39.85	$27.90
120305	Sporting Bundle #1 Large Night of Navy Sporting Décor Elements Night of Navy Just Sports Décor Elements	$67.90	$47.54
120306	Sporting Bundle #2 Large Chocolate Sporting Décor Elements Chocolate Just Sports Décor Elements	$67.90	$47.54
120307	Sporting Bundle #3 Large Black Sporting Décor Elements Black Just Sports Décor Elements	$67.90	$47.54
114864	Ginormous Flowers I Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
114863	Ginormous Flowers II Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
112534	5/16" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$7.95	$5.57
112533	5/8" Neutrals Jumbo brads	$6.95	$4.87
112081	Scallop Square punch	$15.95	$11.17
113693	Full Heart punch	$15.95	$11.17
113694	Heart to Heart punch	$15.95	$11.17
112091	Scallop Edge punch	$15.95	$11.17
112571	Circle Designer brads	$5.95	$4.17
112579	Flower Designer brads	$5.95	$4.17
112572	Star Designer brads	$5.95	$4.17
114785	Small Wonderful Flowers Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
114786	Medium Wonderful Flowers Décor Elements	$69.95	$48.97
114791	Small Wonderful Leaves Décor Elements	$39.95	$27.97
114792	Medium Wonderful Leaves Décor Elements	$64.95	$45.47

*This bundle is only available while supplies last.


If you would like to shop on line, click here! and then click on the shop now button in the top right hand corner.

edited to add: sorry, but i can't seem to get the whole chart to show in the column. As I have said many times before, I prefer paper crafts over computer craft! So I can't get it fixed. But if you go to shop online, you will see the discounted prices. and just remember that everything listed is between 30 and 50 % off! Great deals y'all!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'll be back after this week to share more fun projects with you. Have a Stamptacular Day!

Giving Thanks

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving next week and then before we can turn around, it'll be Christmas. I don't normally send cards for Thanksgiving, but really, I should. I've been thinking a lot about that lately and I have been thinking that it is never a bad time to tell someone that you are thankful for them. It could be a family member or a friend or just some one that has done something that touched you in some way. Just think how it would make you feel if you got a card in the mail out of the blue that thanked you for something you did for someone else. You might not have even realized how much your actions or words meant to that person. Personally, I get the warm fuzzies thinking about it.

So today, to thank you, my cyber-friends, for hanging out with me and encouraging me here in my little corner of the paper crafting world, I have some thanksgiving cards to share. I wish I could send one to each and every one of you. But since I can't, just pretend that these cards were made just for YOU!


Before I start, I have to thank a couple more people. First, I want to thank Dawn Olchefske of DOstamping with Dawn. These cards are basically cased from 2 beautiful Christmas cards she has on her blog. I did change a couple of minor things and of course, made mine Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas. The next person I want to thank for inspiration is Gretchen Barron and her blog Inspiration in Action. She occasionally does something called Take it to the Top Tuesday, where she will make 3 cards using the same basic layout and colors, stamp sets, etc, but with each card, she adds a little more. I LOVE this idea and am going to try to do this more often here. Both of these women are very talented and I was inspired by their creativity.

On to the cards! Here's the first one. It's Step One. This is a great card if you are sending out several. It is easy enough for a beginner, but still very attractive.

I used the pine cone image from the Autumn Days stamp set. I colored the image with markers, stamped and punched it out. The sentiment is from the very versatile Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. All of the sentiments from that set fit into the Word Window and the Modern Label punches. I used only two colors of cardstock, two inks, one accessory (the ribbon), and one punch.

Step Two. Let's turn it up a little.
Here I stayed with the same two stamp sets, kept the basic layout and just added a little extra. I added some Double Sided Patterned paper, more ribbon, and more layers. I used the Modern Label punch to pop the sentiment up. I also sponged around the edges of the sentiment and the edges of the patterned paper.

And last, Step Three! Here's a card you would want to send to one special person!
I kept the same stamp sets and colors, but here I added a lot of oomph! I changed the base card to Chocolate Chip, added more layers, changed the ribbon, added some hardware, and added more of the pine cone image. I sponged on the colors this time instead of using markers, a tip I learned from Dawn, because it saves wear and tear on your markers and it makes the stamping go faster when you are repeating the same image over and over. I have to say that I am soooooo in love with the wide striped ribbons!!

I even finished off the inside.

I used the scallop edge punch to add more double sided paper and a layer of old olive, and I stamped the image on the inside too. The edges of the vanilla cardstock are sponged as well. It just ties everything together very nicely. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love finishing off the inside of the cards. It just adds such a fantastic richness to the card.

Well, I guess that's it for today. I hope you will tell someone Thank You this week.

As always, I would love to hear your comments and I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!

It's Snowing in the South!

If that were actually the case, I'd be out at the Kroger (our grocery store) buying bread and water and canned foods just like all the other southerners. Of course, it would take 5 hours to get there because no one knows how to drive in the snow down here. And all the kids would be sitting with fingers crossed, listening to the radio to see if school was going to be canceled. OK, OK... you see *I* can say these things because I was born and raised in the south. We do see precious little of the "white stuff" and when it's predicted, all kinds of craziness ensues. There are actually a lot of people who can drive in the snow and not everyone runs to the grocery store at the first mention of the word snow, but everybody does joke about it. Personally I LOVE snow. (and snowmen, did I mention I love snowmen?) I always hope for snow near Christmas. Even still after *cough-cough-number of* years and even though it's usually 80+ degrees on Christmas, I hold out hope that we'll have snow.

Maybe snow is extra special to me because it brought me my husband. Well, sort of. I met my now husband a little before Christmas. After we met, but before our first date, we talked on the phone for a long, long time over the course of a few days. By the time we had our first date, I was already head over heels for him. Before we went out, I told my mother that if it snowed that night, this would be the man I married. Out we went - to the 99 cent theater to see Jurassic Park. (Quick aside, not a recommended first date for any guys reading, but I guess it worked out for us.) As we came out of the theater that night, huge, soft, gorgeous snowflakes started to fall. sigh. I didn't tell him until much later, but I knew then he would one day be my husband. So you see, snow is magical!

But you probably didn't come here to hear about my sappy stories, so I'll move right along onto cards! The two I am sharing to day were done at the two workshops that I had last. Both cards use the snowflake punch. You need this punch! It is so cute.



Inks: Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery. Paper: Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, Whisper White. Stamp Sets: Four the Holidays, Serene Snowflakes. Other: Snowflake Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone Brads, Sponges, the Negative of a Top Note Die Cut, Certainly Celery Marker




Inks: Versamark. Paper: Sahara Sand, Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Holiday Lounge DSP. Other: Word Window Punch, Snowflake Punch, 1/2" circle Punch, Winter White Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Brad, Tool Kit - paper piercing tool and mat, popdots

This is a spinner card. What could be more fun than spinning snowflakes?? If you don't know how to make a spinner card, they are really easy and fun to make. Leave me a comment if you would like directions. I like the retro colors of this pack of double sided papers, too. I don't use a lot of teal normally. But it really comes to life with the white and Sahara Sand papers. You can see where on this card I made a boo boo. When I was stamping the words, I nudged the stamp a bit and it left a shadow of the word. Oh well, it adds a little character right? I'll just keep this one for my self and make a new one to send to a friend.

And that's it for today. I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day! As always, I would love to hear your comments or questions. In the mean time, I'll be Dreaming of a White Christmas!!

It's a rainy day in Georgia...

We are still getting rain from the tropical storms in the gulf and it's been raining all night and all day. So I am just pretending that I live in Forks (shout out to my fellow twihards! :) ) and making the best of it.

Now I promised that I would be back soon with pictures... and I hate to break a promise. So I am going to show you one picture. Why just one? That doesn't seem right after all this time that I am sure you have been waiting with baited breath for me to return, now does it? Well, you are right. However, once you take a peek at the one picture, I'll think you'll understand. You see, my camera is revolting on me. I took around 15 shots today and this is the best one. Ugh! I can't get the camera to do what I want it to do. Of course it's the camera's fault and not the lack of skills on my part. Right?? I thought so. Anyway, as soon as the rain clears out I should have better lighting and that will help a lot! For now, dear readers, please try to over look the shotty camera work and see the cuteness that is below....



I LOVE snowmen. LOVE them. I started decorating for Christmas a couple of weeks ago. (Again, yes, I know what some of you think about that. But that's OK. I'm gonna keep on doing that way. ;) ) I am planning on having a few friends over for dinner in December and got to thinking about place cards. So I came up with this cute little guy. I used the Simple Seasonal Thanks stamp from the holiday mini catalog. I made a mask out of a sticky note to cover up the writing in the center of the snowman and stamped him in Stazon Black ink onto Whisper White paper. I used a Pumpkin Pie Marker to color in his nose and Aqua pens and reinker in Real Red and Green Galore to color the hat and scarf. Then I cut him out. I added 3 brads from the Vintage Brads collection. I had to use the Paper Piercing tool and mat in the Tool Kit to poke the holes for the brads, because a regular hand held punch won't reach in that far. But it's very easy. I used a Two Way Glue Pen to add Dazzling Diamonds Glitter here and there. The sign, where I wrote the name of the guest in White Gel Pen, was punched out of Chocolate Chip using the Modern Label Punch. I used the Word Window Punch and Close to Cocoa to punch out the "stick" for the sign and added a little texture with by dragging my paper piercer down the front to scratch up the surface. I also sponged around the edges with Chocolate Chip ink. Attached the sign to the front of the snowman. My littlest bit and I went out into the yard in search of tiny sticks for the arms, which were taped to the back. I cut a strip of Chocolate Chip paper 1 3/4" x 8 1/4". I scored at 3 1/4", 5 1/4", and 8". Folded on those score lines to form an easel and used double sided tape to attach to the back. This covers up were the arms are taped on. And there you have it, an adorable little snowman place card.


OK, so I won't promise to post more pictures soon, but I do promise to try my best to get back into the groove of things and try to get back on track as soon as possible. One of the (many) things on my Christmas wish list is photo editing software, followed closely by a new camera. Of course I have tons of Stampin' Up! stuff on my list!! Maybe if I am very good this year I'll get all 3. LOL

I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day! And as always, I'd love to hear what you think of today's project.

Peeking out from under my rock...

Good afternoon y'all. I know I have been MIA since July and I am truly sorry. Life has been a whirlwind and unfortunately stamping got pushed to the back burner.

Lemme explain. No, no time. Lemme sum up... (I *heart* the Princess Bride) July I went to the ER with a serious sinus infection and didn't get rid of it for a month. The end of the month, a long weekend trip to see my parents turned into an almost 2 week stay. There were some complications that arose and so the stay just kept getting longer and longer. It was nice to get to see my parents and sister so much, but I was also ready to get home. August was back to school for all 3 kids - 3 different schools, 3 different schedules, etc. Also, I spent 3 weeks plus working on wedding cakes. (Quick aside, in my previous life as I like to call it, I owned a specialty bakery. Made custom cakes and cookies. I took a break when we moved and am doing just a little here and there now.) These cakes and the drama surrounding them, which I won't get into on a public forum, took over my life for almost 4 weeks. It was terrible and I can't tell you how relieved I was once it was all over. It was all-consuming. September brought a little relief. I went on vacation with my family to Disney. We had been planning the trip since February and we had a fantastic time. It was such a blessing to see my children, especially the 3 year old, get excited about the magic of Disney. Finally, I did my first bit of stamping in forever for a workshop for the last week of the month. First workshop in many many months. It felt good to be stamping again. October disappeared on me. I know we had all the normal stuff of soccer, scouts, schools, field trips, home work, church activities, and so forth. And then we did have a little bit of Halloween stuff to do. But honestly, I don't remember much of the month. It went by way too fast. And that brings us to November....

I start decorating for Christmas in October ... yes, yes, I know.... and the kids don't get it or like it, but I do it any way. lol I LOVE Christmas. And the holiday season, much like my October this year, goes by way too fast. I want to enjoy it as much as I can, so I get a head start on the decorating. Hey, at least I keep the decorating to the inside of the house until after Halloween. Wouldn't want to embarrass the kids... at least not that way. I've got other evil plans that take care of that. It's my job as a mom. muwahahaha. So I have been working on that for a few days.

However, I have actually stamped a little too. I have a workshop this weekend and I am very excited about it. So I have been trying to find my stamping mojo again. It's being a little difficult lately and doesn't seem to want to come out and play. I blame the dust bunnies. Sneaky little jokers.

I promise I will be back soon to post pictures of the fun bits of stamping I have been able to do. I apologize again for disappearing on you for so long. And I want to thank those of you who kindly sent me messages asking how I was doing. And thanks to any of you who came back and are willing to give me another go. :)

I hope you all have a stamptacular day!

Hey Y'all! Man, it has been quite a week for me. I wasn't feeling well last Monday, and by Tuesday I was in the Emergency Room! Yikes. Everything is OK. I had severe sinusitis and dehydration. So they kept me for almost 6 hours and I was given fluids and an antibiotic, etc. I have just been trying to get a lot of rest since then. Needless to say, I have not been stamping this week. I am still getting tired easily and I am getting sinus headaches daily. I am afraid that because of this, I don't have anything new to share today. :(

But, I have updated the Deal of the Week for you. Check out the super cute rhinestone brads on sale this week!

Also, I am awaiting a box of new goodies! They should be here sometime today. I hope that I'll feel better later this week and will be able to play with the new stuff. Have I mentioned how much I love the new catalog?? I ordered several new DSPs, a couple of stamp sets, and some new ribbon. I can't wait!! I hope that I'll be back by the weekend with new fun stuff to share so please check back with me then.

Sorry to type and run, but I have worn myself out just with this short time on the computer and I need to take another break. I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!

Don't miss the Deal of the Week!

Just wanted to remind you of the Deal of the Week promotion from Stampin' Up! You can view each week's deal over there ======> at the top of the right hand column. Click on the link to visit my website where you can read more information on the promotion, as well as see the other promotions for this month. You can also purchase the DOTW (Deal of the Week) while you are there. Simply click the shop now button at the top right of my website. The doctor's bag is so adorable! If you have the Big Shot, this bag is a great accessory. If you go to crops or scrapbooking events, or even just go to a friend's house to stamp or scrap, this bag is perfect for you. It holds the Big Shot and several dies in style! Just pack and go!


After I worked on the Christmas Tag Box the other day, I got to thinking about Christmas. It is my favorite holiday of the year. I start decorating my house really early. Maybe not July early, but pretty early. (Much to the chagrin of my DH and kiddos.) Hey, if it were up to me, I'd probably leave the decorations up all year! One time I even thought about working in a Christmas Shoppe just so I could be surrounded by all the fun goodies all the time!! Anyway, since I can't start getting out the decorations yet, I decided to break out my other Christmas stamp sets instead. I had one set(OK, OK, more than one. I horde them. There I said it.) that hadn't seen any ink yet. It's called "Big on Christmas" and has 3 stamps. So, I showed the set some love and inked it up! I made three fairly simple cards, one with each of the images. My thought was that maybe these cards could be used at a workshop. Even newer stampers could complete all three cards in one evening. I used the same color scheme for all three. This also helps keep things simple for beginning stampers, but is also a nice cohesive look for all stampers. I used Creamy Caramel, Always Artichoke, Real Red, Ballet Blue and Whisper White. I used 5/8" Red Grosgrain Ribbon for all of them. For the background, I used the coordinating Christmas Chatter Wheel. I didn't have ink cartridges for all of the colors I wanted, so I simply rolled the wheel onto the ink pad and inked up the wheel that way. That works just fine when you have a short ways to go. I inked, rolled, inked and rolled for each background ~ there are two lines of the wheel on each one.

For the snowman, I stamped the image a second time, cut out just the snowman and colored him in using an aqua painter. He has a Going Grey hat, Ballet Blue hat band, Pumpkin Pie nose, and Artichoke and Red holly. I used a pop dot to pop the image up. I used a 2 way glue pen to add glitter to the letters. Clear Rhinestone brads were added for a little more sparkle.

For this one, I stamped the image again on artichoke and on summer sun in those ink colors. I cut out the star and the tree and put each on a pop dot. For the star, I just cut a snip off the edge of the sheet of pop dots so it would be small enough and not show. This was the first time I have used my photo corner punch also. I love those things and it is so easy to make them when you have a punch! In case you haven't seen it, it has two sizes on one punch. Space Saving!! LOL I used the tool kit to add the paper piercing. The corners are also up on pop dots.


This one was the most time consuming, however it is still fairly easy. And it gives you great results, don't you think? I found the directions for the Ribbon Frame at Waltzingmouse's Blog. I do not own the slot punch that she used, so I simply used my exacto knife to make the slits. She has some beautiful examples of these ribbin frames on her site. I stamped the image twice here also, and colored it in with aqua painters. I used Going Grey, Artichoke and Real Red. I had to use the reinker instead of just the lid of the inkpad to get a decent red though. When I used just the ink in the lid of the pad, the color was very pink. I feel like this card needs a little something else. I am still pondering it. But I wanted to go ahead and share all three cards with you.

Thanks for stopping by and as always, I'd love to hear your comments and Have a Stamptacular Day!!

How did it get to be July?!

Wow! I can't believe it is July already! What happened to June? I am really sorry that I didn't post much last month. I do have a few exciting announcements and a (hopefully) fun new tutorial for you. Maybe this will make up for last month being so slack!

So let's get right to it! First, some announcements...

The new 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog is here! Woot! It is oh so dreamy! You can order from it now! Like NOW! You can go to my website and click on the shop now button at the top. I really think this year's catalog is one of my favorites! After you go take a look-see, be sure to come back and check out my tutorial below.

Also while you are over on my SU website, be sure to check out the awesome new promotion called Summer Fun. The first thing you will want to check out is the Special of the Week! This week's special is the scallop edge punch. A must have tool! And it is on sale this week only for $10.99. Be sure to check back each week of July for a new special.

Ok, now for the tutorial. On page 14 of the new catalog there is a Hostess Stamp Set called Christmas Punch. It is a set of 7 stamps that are for making gift tags. They coordinate with several of our punches, including the scallop oval, wide oval, and tag punches plus others. The sample for the set is a little divided box that holds 4 sets of tags. I have seen some other examples of the box on sites like SCS. However, they all have only the 4 sections. I wanted to have a box that I could put 6 tags in, because there are 6 stamps that make tags in the set. (The 7th stamp is a to/from stamp.) So I set about creating a box with 6 compartments. I hope you like it! Now, let's get started.

You will start with an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of cardstock. From this you will cut the following pieces: 6 x 6 1/2, 5 x 1 7/16, and 2 pieces at 7 15/16 x 2 3/16. This first picture shows you how I fit all the pieces onto the 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock. I slid them apart a bit so you could see the edges. Please excuse the puzzle - I ran out of space to take pictures. sorry! Maybe one day I'll be all rich and famous and will have a room, a big room, all to myself. And I will spend all my time in there crafting and taking amazing pictures and listening to music that is not by Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers.... well, maybe the Jo Bros can stay, I do like that Love Bug song ... but I digress.
Now for the scoring. Score the 6 x 6 1/2 piece at 3/4 inch on all 4 sides. Score the 5 x 1 7/16 inch piece in half (it's right around 3/4 of an inch). Score each of the other two pieces at 1 1/2, 2 1/4, 3, 4 5/8, 5 3/8, 6 1/8. (That is 6 score lines on each of those 2 pieces.) They will look like this:

Next, we will fold and assemble. Fold the 5 x 1 7/16 piece in half. (Later I added some adhesive on the inside to make it sturdier.)

Fold the 2 rectangular pieces into mountain folds. Like so:

You will need to cut 4 slits in the 6 x 6 1/2 piece at the edges to make the corners. Then you will fold up the flaps and use a strong adhesive (like SU's sticky tape) to make the box.

And now for the inserts. I ran a bit of snail (double sided adhesive) along the bottom of the inserts. I flipped each piece over and put the snail on the 3 flat spaces. This will help make the box stronger. Put in one insert, being sure to get it lined up in the corners, and smooth over where the adhesive is. Add the long middle piece next. (the 5 x 1 7/16 piece) No need for adhesive here. Then add the second folded insert, smoothing over where the adhesive is again. This should all make a nice snug fit. And look like this:

I put some tags in there just for the picture. These tags weren't finished or anything.
Now to make the cover. I used a window sheet (or transparency) that I cut to 5 1/8 x 11. Score along the 11 inch side at 2 7/8, 3 5/8, 8 1/4, and 9 inches. Fold on all of the score lines using a bone folder to be sure to get very crisp folds. You will have about a 1/4 inch overlap left to add the adhesive. This will make a sleeve to slide over the box. It's a bit hard to see here, but you know, maybe one day I will be rich and famous and have a room.... oh, you know....

And there you have it. Now all you have to do is fill it with tags and finish it off with some ribbon or what have you. Here is my finished project:


Now, go forth and make one of your own. And if you have an 8 year old, be prepared to answer the "Why are you working on Christmas stuff in July??" question. Because I can. Because I am dreaming of cooler weather. Because I can't wait for Daddy to buy everything on my Stampin' Up! wish list! I'm sure you'll think of something.

All right. I am done for today. I really hope you enjoy this tutorial and that you find it useful. I would love to hear your comments! And as always, I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!

Just checking in!

I am sorry that I haven't posted in so long! I am still on vacation and having a great time. I promise I'll be back in the routine soon!

In Stampin' Up! News... I can't wait for the new catalog that will go live July 1! There are way too many new and exciting things. Stamp sets, accessories, kits... it is one of the best idea books yet! Plus, I now have my copy of the new Definitely Decorative catalog and let me tell you... I want 95% of it! I can't wait to try some new vinyl projects. There are some super cute Halloween and Christmas images in this issue.

I hope to be back in the swing of things next week. I have missed my stamps! All those fun new goodies... just sitting there... calling to me! I am having withdrawals! So I hope that I will have some time to create and share soon. And I want to thank those of you have stuck with me these last several days!

I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!!

It has been a Monday all day today.

That's something my Dad says... or some variation of it anyway. Me: Hey Dad! How are you? Dad: Fair to Partly Cloudy. Me: Well, it *is* a Monday. Dad: Yep, aaaaall day today. He's got this great dry sense of humor, he's quite witty. There are a lot of other little saying he has and when I was a teenager I was sooooo embarrassed when we would go to a restaurant and the waiter would say "Hi, I'm Susie Q, I'll be your server tonight." and my Dad would say "Hi, I'm Bill, I'll be your customer tonight." Most waiters laughed (or at least chuckled a bit, thinking of the tip I'm sure), but I hated it when he did that. Now that I have kids, I find myself saying some of the things he used to say. (But I *don't* do the waiter thing!) I'm sure I embarrass my kids, too, but, hey, they'll get their turn one day. I have been thinking about the Monday phrase a lot today, because a lot has happened. We have been with out internet for most of the day. I thought my DS, the 10 year old IT guy, was going to have a breakdown! He couldn't get it fixed before he had to go to camp for the day, but he did finally get it fixed for me late this afternoon. I think it's a bit pitiful that I was somewhat lost with out my internet today! I don't do technology very well. I like to be able to sit down and check my email and a few websites, blogs, etc. And if it doesn't work exactly as it did the days before, I am lost! Sad. I know. I am trying to learn though. I even unplugged and replugged some wire thingies and flipped some switches and even rebooted the computer. (All of which got me nowhere, but at least I tried right?!) Also, my son locked my keys in the car today and I didn't have an extra set. I had to call the DH to come home and take the blank key (it's a long story!) to a dealer here in town so they could cut me a new key. Thankfully I had the title to the car (because they won't cut a key with out proof of ownership) and the extra blank key so I didn't have to call a locksmith. That would have cut into the stamp budget! We had some other minor things happen today, but this post is already too long and quite possibly boring! :) But hopefully you stayed with me, because.....

Since I didn't have internet, I actually stamped! I only got a couple of cards made, but I am super excited about them. These are more sneak peak samples because I used my new SU goodies!

The first one uses a stamp set from the mini occasions catalog. You can shop from that catty now over on my SU website. Most everything else is Sneak Peak stuff!
Isn't it just too cute?? I love that little deer! The cardstock is Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, and Whisper White. The DSP is from the new Razzleberry Lemonade set. The ribbon is the new soooo yummy polka dotted grosgrain. It will be available in all 6 of the new In Colors starting July 1st when the new Idea Book and Catalog is released, as will all of the other Sneak Peek items. I used the new Modern Label punch too! I used the window word punch for the sentiment and then mounted that onto Soft Suede (used the new punch). I am loving it! It's hard to tell here, but the main image and the sentiment are both raised. This was a simple and quick card to make and I think it turned out great.

For this next one, I was inspired by a new purse I recently purchased. It has all these great bold colors and I was looking at it the other day and realized that the colors are all SU colors! How exciting! So I went to work using the colors of the purse as my inspiration. And this is what I came up with:
Don't 'cha just lurve it?? Don't 'cha?? Ok, so maybe I'm a little biased, but I Lurve Lurve this one. This is a 5 1/2 Square card. I used Dusty Durango, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Chocolate Chip, and Night of Navy inks, Dusty Durango, Temping Turquoise, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White cardstock, Dusty Durango ribbon and several punches (Scallop circle, 1 ", 3/4 ", and 1/2 "). I used the new Circle Circus stamp set and the Thank You Kindly set.

I actually made one more card today, but it is headed out in the mail tomorrow for my secret sister. I don't want to upload it until after the secret sisters have been revealed at the end of next month. :) So you'll have to wait on that one a while longer.

OK - so now I have to head off to bed. This week is another crazy busy one. I think the whole summer might be that way. But that's OK by me. I like a certain level of busy~

So, as always, I would love to hear your comments and I hope y'all have a Stamptacular day!! Thanks for dropping by!

It's a rainy Thursday here....

...which is really ok with me for today. Why? Because I got my new 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog in yesterday!!!! WOOT!! I am sooo excited!
and this is how I feel when I look at it! It is so beautiful! I just know you are going to love it too. So it can rain all day for all I care, because I've got my nose buried in the catalog. Taking it all in... *happy sigh*.

Now, I also got in an order of sneak peek items from this new catalog. As demonstrators, we are given the opportunity to order a few items early. That way we can get them home and play with them and get things ready to share with you! There were a few stamp sets and some accessories, as well as all of the new In Color Line available for us to purchase. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to play with my new items. In fact, I only had time to make one card. Wanna see it?

Isn't it the cutest? This is the new Lots of Bots stamp set. I think it is great for boy cards or masculine cards in general. And we know how hard those can be. I embossed the robot and the sentiment in silver and then watercolored the little guy in. I used some of the new DSP also. This one is called Razzleberry Lemonade. Doesn't that sound fun? The cardstocks are two of the new In Colors... Rich Razzleberry and Bermuda Bay(these are also the colors I used for the watercoloring.) I used some of another new color, called Dusty Durango, to sponge on the edges of the white cardstock.

I can't wait for some more time to play with the new goodies and to share them with you. But I have company arriving today, so I'll have to wait a couple of days.

Don't forget to check out the Last Chance List and scoot on over to my website to shop for these stamp sets before they are gone for good! And while you are there, don't forget to check out the Occasions Mini Catalog items as well. Many of those are not in the new catalog. One of my favorites, Soft Summer, is going to be retired. Here's a card I made using the set. I was very pleased with the way this one turned out. I hope you like it too.



Ok, I better go finish cleaning the house before my company arrives! I had to put down my new catalog for a while. That was hard! I am already making my wish list!

And as always, I'd love to hear your comments and Have a Stamptacular Day!

Last Chance!!

First, I can't believe that it is already June!!! How did that happen?? Crazy!

Second, it is already time for the Last Chance List! The brand spankin' new Stampin' Up! catalog will be released July 1. That's only one month away. Just a measly 30 days! But before the new catalog is released you still have a chance to get some stamps and accessories from the fabulous current catalog!! Stampin' Up! released the last chance lists last night at 2 AM EST. And I got up to be there for the release! (Crazy? maybe. Exciting? YES!) I have added a button to the stamp set list in my side bar. The stamp sets will be available for order until June 30. HOWEVER - don't miss this part - the accessories will only be available as supplies last and a lot of them will sell out FAST! So you will want to get right over to my website and get to shopping for those now!

More exciting news!!! There is also a great promotion for June Hostesses. You can find more info about that on my website also. While you are there, be sure to contact me to get your workshop booked right away!

I plan on uploading a few projects that I have made with the sets that I own that are retiring. But there is a lot going on, so please be patient with me and look for those a little later this week.

Thanks!! I hope y'all have a stamptacular day!!

I'm finally back!!

Wow, it has been a whirl wind couple of weeks around here. But now the kids are out of school for the summer and they are so excited! Me, on the other hand... well, I wouldn't say that I am as excited as they are. I do enjoy the summer, but the older they get, the more the kids bicker. And I hate listening to that! Maybe I should find another summer camp or two to send them to. No, I really do want to spend time with them. They just grow up too fast! We did enjoy our time at the beach. The weather was great after about noon on the second day. So they played in the ocean and the pool, and we ate lots of yummy food, did a little shopping, a lot of relaxing, and even took in a movie. We took them to see Night at the Museum 2. I went in with low expectations, but I ended up really liking it. It was pretty funny. The 3 year old even seemed to find a lot of it funny. After it was over he looked at me and said, "dat big guy keeped telling de udder man hey dum-dum, you bring me gum-gum." and then he just cracked up! It was so precious. I really enjoyed our time away, but sure hated to come back and start all that laundry!! How is that that we came home with more (dirty) clothes than we took?? At least it seems that way. lol Anyway, I'm glad to be back and I have lots and lots of fun stuff to share, so I'll get to that now. Happy??

I'll start with the gifts I made for the teachers. Remember the notepad covers I talked about a few posts ago HERE? Well, I made one for each of my DD's 2nd grade teachers. Here is the first one.



Here is the second one:



and after I thought I was finished, I decided it needed a lady bug. So I made one with a few punches and added it to the cover. then I drew on the antennae with a black marker. sorry the picture is blurry.


For my DS's 6th grade teachers, I made little gift bags. I based them on the Easter gift bags I made earlier. You can see that post HERE. I had purchased gift cards to Sonic for each of them and then added that to the back using the slit punch. I filled the bags with M&Ms because 1) Who doesn't love chocolate? and 2) I though the colors went very well with the papers I was using. So here they are.

Here you can see the candies on the inside and the gift card on the back.




They were a lot of fun to make and everyone seemed to really appreciate their gifts.

Speaking of gifts... a friend had a little baby shower recently. I wasn't sure what I wanted to get her, so I went off to the store to see what caught my eye. I saw this super cute Lion onesie and decided that was what I would get. I also bought a little rattle to go with it. When I got home, I set out to make a matching card and a gift box to hold it all. Here's what I came up with:
This is the onesie and the matching card. I made the lion with several punches. The card template I found HERE at Lauren Meader's blog. She has some really cute onesie cards. I've seen them made before, but I really liked her basic tutorial. Then I just matched the colors, etc with the onesie I had purchased.

Here's just the card

and here's the box. I put a tiny bit of adhesive on the back of the card and just attached it to the top of the box. Cute Huh??

So there you have it. Hahaha. I hope all of these pictures help make up for not having posted in so long! And ... as always, I would love to hear what you think!! I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Hey Y'all! My family and I are still enjoying our time at the beach. The weather improved and we have had two days of sun!! We are headed home tomorrow, so I'll be back to post later in the week. Hope all of you are having a wonderful Memorial Day!! Don't forget to remember and honor those who have served or are serving our country so that we may continue to enjoy our freedom!

Have a Stamptacular Day!

Hey Y'all! It's super busy around here this week because it's the last week of school. So I probably won't be posting much this week. But I hope to be back in full swing next week as we kick off the summer!!

Just wanted to let you know that I have now added the link for instructions on how to make the ribbon rose/flower that is on the "green" card below. Thanks for looking!

Have a Stamptacular Day!!



Ok I am back again for a second... I have been asked about the Jr. Legal Pad covers (as seen below). You can find the link HERE. This will take you to the VSN challenge thread on SCS where you can find the template for the covers as well as a whole gallery of samples. The template was created by one of the members of SCS, the fantasctic Julie Ebersole (aka JulieHHR). They are so much fun and very quick to make. I am planning on making some for Teacher Thank You gifts!!

Back from Vegas, Baby!!

Whew! I am tuckered out! The main event - the May VSN - is over and it was soooooo much fun! There were a total of 15 challenges this weekend. We had 4 Friday night and 11 on Saturday. One challenge per hour!! I've explained it before, but just in case you aren't familiar with VSN, here's a little summary. Splitcoaststampers.com (where I spend a LOT of time) holds these events called VSN(s) which stands for Virtual Stamp Night(s). There are these fantastic women who organize and prepare challenges that get posted on the VSN chat boards. There is a new challenge posted each hour during the event. This time it ran from 7pm-10pm on Friday and Noon-10pm on Saturday. You have 45 minutes to complete each challenge and 15 minutes to clean up your workspace, take a break, etc before the next challenge is posted. Obviously it depends on the honor system to work. You then have until (usually) the following Monday to upload your work. That way, if you have to miss a challenge or twelve, you have until Monday to do them (still following the 45 min. rule) and get them uploaded. If you participate and upload while the challenges are being played, you have a chance to win a prize. I won an adorable stamp set called Build a Bouquet from the company "My Favorite Things". I was sooooo excited!! Woot!! I wasn't able to participate in all of the challenges, so I hope to do the ones I missed today and tomorrow and get them uploaded also. After the upload deadline, all of the challenge hostesses will select their favorites and put them in an honor gallery. There are no prizes for being selected... but it's an honor!! to be selected. So later this week, I'll see if I get selected. I've never been in an honor gallery and think it would be very flattering.

Anyway, I am going to post pictures of all of my projects that I completed yesterday. After I finish the rest of the challenges, I'll be back to share those, too. I'll try to give you a short description of each challenge as I go along. I won't be posting all of the details about each card though, because this post is going to be super long as it is. But if you have questions about something, just leave me a comment and I'll address it.

*It seems that SCS is having some technical difficulties this morning. I'll add links after they get back online.

So here we go.... the first challenge was "Double Down." We were to make two cards (just alike) and they had to be related to Vegas somehow. I hear the golfing in Vegas is great, and I needed a card for Father's Day, so I made these. I love that the challenge made us create two cards, because now I can sent one to my Dad and still have one to keep!! I am forever hoarding my cards because I don't want to give them away with out having a copy. I mean, what if I want to make that card again sometime?? I wouldn't have it here to copy! See .... dilemma! LOL. I always tell my self to go ahead and make two the first time, but I rarely do.

Next was a super fun challenge~ "Non Traditional Wedding Card". We had to think about all of the fun themed, non-traditional weddings Vegas has to offer. And we had to use bright colors, not the pastels or neutral cards so often seen with wedding cards. And here's what I came up with. The "bride" has on a tulle veil and the "groom" has a little black top hat made from cardstock.
This challenge was "Hitting the Tables." We were to use the colors red, black and white only! These colors are a nod to card suites, roulette tables, dice, etc. I LOVE this color combo. It's always a great standby.
This challenge was called "Card Buffet" and was inspired by all of the fantastic food and drinks Vegas has to offer. Our cards were to use food or non alcoholic beverages as inspiration. Yummy!!
This was one of my favorites, because it was inspired by one of my all time favorite TV shows, CSI: Las Vegas. Our hostess talked about crimes and solving them and "being framed" etc. So we were to use "frames" in our projects. We could alter a frame, as I did here, or use a cardstock frame of some kind. I made this frame for my DD's bedroom.


Next, we have a great sketch inspired by slot machines. Our hostess gave up this great sketch and off to work we went!

Next was the "Green is the color of Money" challenge. We were to use all green and one neutral. Even the accessories had to be green. (Things like brads, buttons, ribbon, etc. If you used it, it had to be green.) They are easy to make and look great! Don't you think?

Editing to Add link! You can find the instructions on how to make this pretty ribbon flower HERE. (be sure to look around while you are at Christine's blog. It's fantastic!)
I added two small pieces of ribbon, each folded into a cone shape and then flattened, as the "leaves." I just used glue dots to hold everything in place.


This was for the "Shopping in Vegas" challenge. Our hostess loves to shop while in Vegas and even had to buy an extra suitcase so she could get all of her goodies home. So she listed all sorts of things we had to include in our card (suitcase). I thought this was a really fun challenge. We had to have 5 layers, 3 ink colors, 1 image, 1 sentiment, sponging, ribbon, 3 dew drops or brads, plus something to glam it up (I used glitter on the wings).
Here is the "Glamor" challenge card. Our hostess loves all things glittery and blingy! So we had to glitter up an entire panel. I used iridescent ice embossing powder over the entire white panel. It's hard to see how shimmery it is in this picture. But irl, it is super shimmery and glittery and blingy and what ever other "y" word you can use. lol. I was covered in glitter when I was done.
Another one of my favorite challenges was to cover a Jr Legal pad. We were given an awesome pattern to follow. There is even a pocket on the inside of the cover! My DD wants me to make her one of these now. I have to say, they are super cute! I used the Morning Sunshine DSP because I am thinking about offering this at a stamp camp in June and I can get this paper in bulk. FUN!!


So that's all for today. I finished 10 out of the 15!! Now maybe I can get to work on those last 5. As always, I would love to hear your comments!!! Thanks for dropping by and I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!