Stamping with Sweet T

2010-01-16T09:30:00.003-05:00

So I still can't seem to get a hold on this photo editing stuff. And life is crazy busy right now. I guess it's crazy busy all the time. Most of the time that's a good thing, but every once and a while I'd like for things to slow down a bit. Unfortunately today's post will have to be a post and run. I had a chance to make some cute things last weekend and I want to share them with you. But I don't have the time to give a lot of details or anything right now. Or, obviously, even time enough to be humorous. Sorry friends. Maybe I should have posted last night around midnight when I was silly from lack of sleep. That might have been humorous. Then again, maybe it was only funny to me. :)

Without further ado... projects!
First up - a mini milk carton using lots of new stuff from the mini catalog. I adore this little milk carton die for the Big Shot. New stamp sets, new punches and new dies, oh my!

Next is a Jr Legal Pad cover and binder clip. I used more NEW stuff for this one too. The DSP is from the Sweet Pea Stack and it is sooooo cute! The binder clip has an adorable precut and stitched felt flower from the matching Sweet Pea accents. I just sewed it to the handle of the binder clip. I also used some of the accents on the flowers on the front of the notepad, along with some buttons.

Here's the inside

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Close up of the binder clip. How Sweet, right??!!

Gotta run! As always, I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day! I would love to hear what you think of these little projects. Bye!

Technical Difficulties...

2010-01-08T08:58:00.002-05:00

Well, honestly, it's user difficulties. As I've told you, I am not a computer genius. I'm not even computer gifted. I am a computer try-as-hard-as-I-can-er. (-until-I-get-really-frustrated-and-turn-the-whole-thing-over-to-my-11-year-old-er.) I am envious of all these beautiful blogs I see and I do so want mine to look as nice as possible. So, for Christmas I asked my DH to give me Photoshop. I thought, "What a great program! All my friends use it and just look at the amazing things they can do! Posting pictures to my blog will be so much faster and easier with that program. I *must* have it." And because he is a wonderful DH, (and certainly not because I ordered it, shipped it to the house, opened the box, gave it to him and said wrap this and give it to me for Christmas. no certainly not that.) he gave it to me. As you can imagine, I was super excited to get it going and start fixing those pictures and post away.

First mistake - I tried to install it. by myself. That didn't go well. I have actually installed programs before and it's not too hard. That is until the computer gives me a warning that some other program is running and it can't proceed until said program is closed. And I can't find said program to close it! Ugh. I worked for a long time to find that program. (long time being 10 mins or so, but it seems like FOREVER!) And then I decided to wait for the computer genius, my 11 year old, to get home from school. When he did, I explained that I couldn't install the program because of earlier said extra program running. The boy looked at me and laughed. Really. Then, as he smirks, he tells me, "Mama, see this little button here, that is shaped like a blah with a blah blah in it? Just click on it and blah, blah, blah and that's it. HOW long did you try to do this? It's sooooo easy." And like a good mother, I sighed and said Thank You. And as soon as he turned around, I rolled my eyes at him!!

Mistake Number 2 - I tried to work the program. And there is no manual. When did they stop sending instructions with stuff? I need a book to read. You know, an actual book, printed out, on paper and maybe bound together so I can hold it in my hands and read it as I am trying to understand all the amazing things this program can do. Not instructions on.the.computer! *shakes head* This time, the boy genius is asleep, so I asked some friends how to create a watermark and use my "fun" new program to put it on my pics. Sweet friends that they are, they send me... links to videos. on. the. computer. (Thanks Spicy and NoJo. I know you were trying to help.) OK, I can do this. I click on the first link and follow all the steps and do everything he says and .... nope. It doesn't work right. The watermark won't show up on the card. I worked for literally 4 hours just on that one alone. And have nothing to show for it. So I try the second link. I follow all the steps and do everything she says and... yep, another no go. I worked another 3 hours or so on that one and again have nothing to show for my time. Still no watermark, still no pictures to post for you. At that point, I gave up and went and hung out on Facebook, because that is something that I know how to do.

Is there a point to this post? Yes, and no. I did want to let you know that I have made some super cute paper crafts that I want to share. And to post *something* so that you know I am here and that I haven't become trapped under the giant mountain of laundry. However, I can't post any pictures yet. I guess I'll have to get the boy to show his old mama how to make a watermark this weekend. That is, if I can take the ribbing he likes to give me. :)

In closing, I want to encourage all of you to check out the AMAZING new products and promotions that Stampin' Up! released January 5. The Mini Catalog is SLAM full of fantastic new items and stamp sets. And I am loving the new heart candy cups and matching stamp set. Plus, it is SAB time again - so be sure to check out that catalog too and see the choices for the FREE items this time. Adorable!!

I'll be back with pictures as soon as I can! In the meantime, I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!

Teacher Gifts

2009-12-18T14:15:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-12-08T08:03:00.006-05:00

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!

2009-11-23T14:12:00.007-05:00

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

2009-11-17T08:29:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-11-13T13:50:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-11-10T16:42:00.004-05:00

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...

2009-11-06T10:52:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-07-14T13:50:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-07-06T14:08:00.005-04:00

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?!

2009-07-01T19:52:00.007-04:00

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!

2009-06-23T07:46:00.003-04:00

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.

2009-06-08T21:41:00.004-04:00

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....

2009-06-04T10:47:00.005-04:00

...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!!

2009-06-01T08:39:00.004-04:00

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!!

2009-05-28T15:06:00.006-04:00

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!

2009-05-25T15:39:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-05-18T12:52:00.003-04:00

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!!

2009-05-17T10:26:00.009-04:00

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!

It's Friday!!! Plus I have my second tutorial!

2009-05-15T10:05:00.009-04:00

I love the weekends this time of year. Well, I love them all the time, but the weekends of Spring and Fall are my FAVES! Fall for Football season!! And Spring for yard work. My family and I moved to a new home last summer and so this is the first chance I have had to really do some work in the yard. I wanted to start a little garden this year, but time got away from me. Guess I'll try again next year. I may still get some fall veggies planted. I really, really love homegrown tomatoes and potatoes. And peas. And squash and zucchini. Oh and onions. Ok, there are a ton of things I would love to grow. Actually there are a lot of things I want to do. Like learn to play the guitar. And actually be able to play it, not just do some chords. I would also love to learn how to restore vintage cars, study interior design, and learn to build cabinetry. But for now, I will just stick with paper crafting. So today, as a nod to Spring and yard work, I have my second tutorial. I had a lot of fun making this flower. When I finished with it, I thought about all of the things I wanted to put them on... frames, altered tins, magnets, clothes pins.... the list is endless. But for this one, I chose to put it on a bag. I am thinking of sending it to a friend packed with some fun gardening tools and maybe some flower seeds. That is if I can part with it. Really the flower was fairly quick and easy to make so I can just make a bunch more! I have another idea using this same pattern but with a twist that I hope to get done today. I will share as soon as I get it done. I am equally excited about it and hope it turns out as neat as I picture it in my head.

So - yes, we are finally getting to the tutorial! I told you I usually go on and on ;) - here's the finished bag:

Isn't it cute? And here's how I made it!

You will need:
The Big Shot and the Scallop Circle Die
Scissors (I like SU's paper snips or CutterBee scissors)
Sponge
Pencil and ruler
Buttons (I used SU's corduroy buttons)
Tool kit (for the anywhere eyelet hole punch and hammer)
And of course, Cardstock and ink (I used Summer Sun CS and More Mustard Ink)

Die cut 3 circles. Then line your ruler up across the center of one of the circles in between scallops and draw a pencil mark from edge to edge. My pencil marks are dark here so you can see them, but I suggest making them lighter.

You will continue to make lines across the circle, like a pie, always going between the scallops.
I used a 1/2" circle punch to punch out a piece of scrap cardstock to place in the center of my flower. You will want to draw a circle (or trace the cs circle) in the center for your cutting guide line. On this flower I drew lines between every scallop. But after you have done this once or twice, you should be able to get away with doing maybe every third scallop. All of these pencil marks will be your cutting guide lines. Mark all three circles. Now you start to cut each petal.

As you can see, I have cut all three of my circles into petals. Cut from the edge just to the center circle line we drew earlier. DO NOT cut all the way to the center or you will have a mess of petals. And now it's time to assemble your flower.

Turn the circles over so your pencil marks are on the back. Then use snail or other double sided adhesive and tape the 3 circles together in the center. I just put a small strip of tape inside the small circle we used as a guide line. The flower will be held together by the button, so this is just to make assembly easier. I curled the petals of each circle just using my fingers and then sort of fluffed the petals up. This will give dimension to your flower.

Using the anywhere hole punch, punch a hole in the very center of your flower. Make sure to go through all three layers. (I know some of the stuff I am telling you seems like common sense, but I have found that too much information is better than not enough. at least in the case of tutorials)

Now we sponge!! Sponge the color all around the edges of the flower. This will add another layer of depth. I sponged the center of the flower a bit heavier than the edges. It helps to sort of anchor the button visually.

Now, just add your button, re-fluff the flower and you are done!! Yea! You made it!

Here's a close up of the flower:

I finished my flower off here by adding a stem, just cut a wavy line from cardstock, and some leaves. For my leaves, I used SU's large oval punch and an embossing tool for the veins. I sort of pinched the ends to give the leaves more dimension. I used a white paper lunch sack for the bag, covered it with turquoise cardstock and punched a handle using SU's Key Tag punch. Super easy and lots of fun? I think so!

As always, I would LOVE to hear what you think! I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day and a Springy weekend!

Good Monday Morning!! My First Tutorial!

2009-05-11T13:29:00.011-04:00

Yes, I know it's Monday and I am late in showing you the card I made for Mother's Day. Sorry about that! But my mother didn't get her card until today. I'm so embarrassed that I didn't get it mailed in time for her to have it on Mother's Day. *hangs head in shame* Well, at least now she has it and I am very happy about that. So here it is! What's that? You say that I usually go on and on before showing you my card? Oh, sorry... hmmm, what can I talk about to prolong the suspense? Well, my Mother's Day was nice for the most part. DH took me out to eat (3 kids in tow) to Outback for supper last night. We drove almost an hour to get there (yes, we live in the middle of nowhere) and then we had to wait for 1 hour and 20 minutes before we were seated!! It was crazy busy! And we even got there before 6 pm, so I thought we'd have a 30 minute wait at the most. I was very proud of the kids, though, because they behaved well. Once we sat down we ordered a yummy....I'm sorry, what did you say?... oh! now you *want* me to get on with it and show you the card?? Ok, Ok, geesh there's just no pleasing some people. JK! You know I love y'all!

Here it is!! This is the card all closed up.

And here's what it looks like opened up!! Isn't it cool??

I got the basic layout from This Card over on SplitcoastStampers. Isn't this such a great idea?!

What a neat way to showcase some great DSPs! In fact, Stampin' Up! is having a sale on Double Sided Papers, as well as Textured Cardstock, this month! When you buy 3 packages of DSP or Textured CS, you get one for FREE!!! You can mix and match and there is no limit to the number of packages you can get for Free! If you are interested in seeing more, just click HERE and visit my Stampin' Up! website. You can click on the Shop Now button at the top of the homepage and shop 24/7. Don't miss out on this fantastic deal!

After I made this card, I realized that it was too big to fit in a standard card envelope. So in the future I would modify the measurements to create a bit of a smaller card. As it is, it worked out for me. Because I was mailing the card to my mother, I wanted to use some padding around my card to make sure it didn't get crushed in the process of mailing. So I used a larger envelope and wrapped the card in some thin bubble wrap. (I love that stuff! I had such a hard time not popping the bubbles before I sent it off in the mail!! lol)

You can find some basic instructions under the comments on the card in the link. However, I have made up some that are a little more detailed, just in case any of you are like me and you need more instruction. Woo Hoo, my first official tutorial! Bear with me. :)

You will start with a piece of cardstock that is 6" x 12". Here I used a textured cardstock in Certainly Celery, but in the card above I used Kiwi Kiss Textured Cardstock.

Using the scoring blade, score at 2", 4", 8" and 10".

(in my pictures you will see an extra score line in the middle. Just ignore that, I got a little score happy!!)

Replace the score blade with the cutting blade. Turn the cardstock and place the left edge on the 1 1/2 " mark (on the silver part of the base). Now put arrow of the orange blade thingy at the 2" mark on the plastic ruler guide and cut the cardstock from the 2" mark down to the 10" mark. The pictures are blurry, but I hope you can see what I mean.

Now repeat this step for the other long side. And you should have a piece that looks something like this:

Now you are ready for the folding. First, fold the far left panel to the back and the far tight panel to the front.

Next you will work with your 4" set of score lines. (we are working left to right, and you have already folded the 2" and the 10"lines) Fold the top and bottom score lines in valley folds and the larger middle line in a mountain fold. Then move onto the 8" score lines and fold them in the opposite direction. ie, fold the top and bottom lines in mountain folds and the larger middle line in a valley fold. After you have folded them all you should have something that looks like this:

Now you are ready to carefully fold it all together and really crease the score lines. When you have it nice and creased you are ready to decorate.

And just because I love y'all so much, I am even going to give you the dimensions of the panels that I made to decorate the card. (I did vary from this a little for my middle 3 panels)
The Left and Right Vertical Panels are 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 and 1 x 5 layered.
The 4 small rectangles are 1 x 1 1/2
The 2 long rectangles are 1 x 3 1/2
The Left and Right Middle Panels are 2 1/2 x 3 and 2 1/4 x 2 3/4 layered
The Middle Panel is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 and 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 layered

I used the Bella Toile DSP and Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Cardstock, and the Kiwi Kiss Textured Cardstock. Heartfelt Thanks and All Holidays Stamp Sets. Chocolate Chip, Rose Red and Kiwi Kiss Ink. The Bigshot with the Birds and Blooms dies for the flowers. Hodgepodge Hardware for the silver brads and slide. White Satin and Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbons.

Well, that's it for today's post. I hope you like the tutorial. I would love to hear what you think! Thanks for stopping by and have a Stamptacular Day!!

TGIF!

2009-05-08T13:46:00.002-04:00

I'm so glad it's Friday! I am looking forward to the weekend. Especially Mother's Day.

So I am just popping in to let you know that I am almost ready to release my "Card Kit by Mail." I just have a few little loose ends to tie up. The basic idea is that you can purchase this kit from me and you will get all of the cardstock, ribbons, accessories and so forth that you will need to make 12 different cards. (Envelopes are also included in the kit.) You will need just a few items at home to complete these cards - like adhesive, paper trimmer, a stamp set and ink. You will also get detailed instructions with pictures that walk you through the assembly process. It's super easy and you can work at your own pace. So be on the lookout for more information about this great kit!

Also, I will be back on Sunday to post pictures of the Mother's Day card I made for my Mama. I am really excited about how it turned out and I am anxious to share it with you. BUT I don't want her to see it before she gets it in the mail! And she should have it by Saturday (at least I hope so!! I'll be embarrassed if it is late...) so I can post it on Sunday for all the world to see. Or at least this little corner of the world. :)

For now, have a Stamptacular Day!

Another Monday, Another Week of Fun!!

2009-05-04T11:02:00.006-04:00

This week is going to be a crazy one for my family and me. We have soccer, band, Church, choir, Scouts, and more. I have been asked to bake a cake for a friend's graduation party and it's a pretty big one. So I'll be working furiously on that this week. In addition to all of the regular family stuff, and now a fairly involved cake, I have also signed up for a swap. AND, as if that wasn't enough, I am also signed on as a Secret Sister. So I will be working away on cards in between the baking and the shuttling around of children. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about (almost) all of it. I am just a little worried about how I will fit it all in. Thankfully, my DH will be around in the evenings to help with the kids. It's hard to get a whole lot done with a toddler under foot during the day, so my most productive work hours are after all the kids are in bed. I will probably be awake at odd hours for the next 3 days. It reminds me of college when I stayed up to study (hahaha). Actually I was an Art major and I did find that I am more creative at 1:00 or 2:00 AM. I'm not sure why that is, but now that I have kids, it seems to be a blessing.

Today is Monday... so you know what that means! Yep, it's Mojo Monday Time! I did take some time this morning to make a card for the Mojo Monday week 85 sketch. I have to admit though, my mojo took a while to wake up this morning. I couldn't wait until tonight to work on it though because I'll be up to my elbows in cake batter. yummy!!! When I first saw the sketch, I thought it looked fairly straight forward. Then I started trying to decide on a stamp set and patterned paper that I wanted to use. I'm not sure why, but sometimes that is the hardest part for me. I picked a set and then went to look for DSP. I'd see some paper that I wanted to use, but then I'd think the stamp set would need to be different. I'd pick out another set and go back to the paper, only to rethink my paper choice and start all over again. This went on for quite sometime. BUT I finally decided and got to work. I got the background papers done and the sentiment stamped and matted. Then I chose the ribbon. And then a WALL! I couldn't decide on the vertical mat and the embellishments. I think at one point I had out just about every punch, button, brad, etc that I own. I know I made at least 3 different embellishments to go on the vertical mat. I knew I wanted something, but nothing was really jumping out at me. After much debate and a Diet Dr. Pepper (again, yummy!) I came up with the final product. And so...drum roll please.... aww, come on, I said please! ...drum roll please!(thank you)... here it is:

It's a bit more than I usually do on a card, but I am pretty happy with it. I have found myself being drawn to cards with lots and lots of layers lately. (Say that 5 times fast!) Oh, and because I wanted to fit so much on here, this card is a 5x5" square base.

Here's a picture of the side. I was trying to show how layered it is, since it's hard to really tell in the last picture. Plus you can peek at the inside, which is also decorated. I keep telling you how happy it makes me to finish the inside of the card. I don't do it every time, but I Never regret doing it!

Stuff I used: SU only, Stamps: All Holidays Paper: Washington Apple DSP, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Bashful Blue textured and smooth, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie Ink: Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron Markers, White Gel Pen Other: Button Bouquet, Button Latte, Pumpkin Pie Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, 5/16 Brad, lots and lots of popdots, and punches: 1 1/4 circle, 1 circle, 3/4 circle, scallop circle, scallop edge.

That's it for me today. I'm off to the store to buy cake ingredients and lots of Dt. Dr. Pepper! Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to hear your comments! I hope you have a Stamptacular Day!

It's Gifts for Girls!

2009-05-02T09:26:00.009-04:00

My daughter has been invited to a couple of birthday parties lately. There's a store in town that has a back room that they rent out for girl parties. The walls are all painted with murals of flowers and castles and princesses, oh my! They have a little stage where the girls can have a fashion show or sing karaoke. And then there are the dress up clothes. All kinds of fun clothes for the girls to put on. Plus they get to have their hair and makeup done. There is a lot of glitter involved. I personally am not a girly girl, but my daughter sure is. She has loved these parties!

Anyway, for two weeks in a row, I needed a gift for a young girl that I don't know. So what do I turn to... Paper Crafting of course! I made a set of gifts for each girl and a box to match. I really have had a lot of fun doing these. The second set (I just made these last night) are some of my favorite cards I've made. Yes, I am patting myself on the back! lol! I can't help it. I love these cards. Now, the only thing about these gifts is that I am using retired Double Sided Papers and Simply Scrappin' Kits. You see, I am a hoarder. I hoard. Especially patterned papers. They speak to me and I must have them. But then I don't want to use them up, so I save them. A lot of them! Lately I have been running out of space and so I decided this would be a great chance to use up some of my old papers.

So do you want to see what I made?? Well, OK, I *guess* I'll show you. *wink, wink*
(I kept the pictures a bit small since I have so many to post today.)

Here's the first set. It was for a girl named Heather.
First I made a little picture frame:
Then I made a matching notepad:

And finally I made a set of notecards with envelopes:

But of course all these cute gifts needed an equally cute box to hold them:

The belly band holds the box closed.

And here's the second set. This one is for a girl named Addy. I made a notebook, a set of cards with envelopes and a box to hold it all.

Well now I have to get ready to take my daughter to the party. And I am having issues with the layout of this post (as if you couldn't tell that already! lol). Those of you who know me, know that I am really technologically challenged. Paper crafts I can do, but this whole blogging this is a challenge for me. So I will come back later today and give more details on these projects. For now...as always, I would love to hear what you think and Have a Stamptacular Day!!

Sick of being sick....

2009-04-30T14:44:00.006-04:00

I am so over being sick and having sick kids, but it seems that the germs have other ideas in mind. This week we have started round 3 with strep throat. The littlest one and I both have it again. We'll see how long it is before the others come down with it. I am doing my best to keep the germs at bay, but with 3 kids, it's hard to really keep them separated. Although, they fight so much that you would think they would want to be separated. Oh No, they are all in each others space. It's crazy.

And then things get put into perspective...A friend called me this week and asked if I would be interested in donating some cards to a silent auction being held for one of her family memebers. He has cancer and the auction is to raise money for his care. Of course, I am honored to be asked and I can only hope that my little donation will raise some money. So this morning I sat down to create and I'd like to share what I made. (That is the whole reason for this blog right? lol) I ended up making a set of four cards with envelopes and a cute little box to hold them all. I used some retired Stampin' Up! Double sided paper for these projects because I was basing the cards on some I made a few months ago. And also because I just love that paper. I don't think I have met a DSP that I didn't like...

So, here it is:

With the top off:

And here are the cards:

sorry about the blurry picture. I don't have another shot of this one. :(

And here's a shot of the envelopes that I lined to match:

I made the card box with a window in the front so that people at the auction could maybe see what's inside. Or they may take the cards out of the box to display at the auction, I don't know. But either way I really like the window on the front. I haven't done a tutorial before, but I may try to do one for this little box. Let me know if you would be interested in that.

Stuff I used: All Stampin' Up! Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks Paper: Retired DSP Cerise, Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal, Real Red, Very Vanilla Ink: Markers in Celery, Apricot, Red, Old Olive and Celery, Apricot, Red and Always Artichoke pads Other: Ribbons in Celery, Vanilla and Red, Distressing tool, Tool kit (paper piercing), Retired Hodgepodge Hardware, Vintage Brads, pop dots, glue dots, transparency, Corner Rounder Punch, Sponges

As always, thanks for dropping by. I'd love to hear your comments. And Have a Stamptacular Day!

Viva-las-VSN!!

2009-04-25T14:38:00.005-04:00

If you were around for the last Mini VSN challenge that I participated in, then you know that our theme is Viva-las-VSN and all challenges are inspired by things in Vegas (BABY! I'm not sure why I feel compelled to yell out BABY!! every time I say the word Vegas (BABY! - see, there I go again!) but I do. Besides it's fun! Try it!) If you missed the last go around, then click HERE to check it out!

Alright, I finished the first 3 challenges from this morning's MINI VSN. They were lots of fun. I found out a little later that there was a 4th challenge posted at 1pm, but I had to scoot off and cook for a youth group party tonight. I'll do that one later if I get a chance.

Take a lookie at what I have done so far. And as always, I would love to hear what you think!

Challenge Number 1: Inspired by the game of Black Jack. Each element of a card was assigned a points value and we had to choose our elements, add up the points values and try to hit 21! See how clever these ladies are??!! This challenge was harder than it first sounded because I kept going over 21 and going Bust. Finally, I came up with this little card and I am quite happy with it. This is how the points were figured:

Each Layer - 1 point
Each Ribbon - 2 points
Each Stamp - 5 points (Very hard because Each Different Image was 5 points!)
Each piece of Hardware - 1 point
Each Pattern of Patterned Paper - 3 points

Here's my card:

So my Points were: Layers 6+ Ribbon 2+ DSP 3+ Stamps 10 = 21!! Black Jack!!
I used Stamps: Trendy Trees Paper: Good Morning Sunshine, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White Ink:Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip Other: Sponge, Scallop Edge punch, So Saffron Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
I cut a piece of Kiwi Kiss paper in a hill type shape to go under the trees and sponged on Kiwi Kiss ink to give the paper a stippled look, more like grass.

Challenge Number 2: Inspired by Gold! Gold! Gold! We were to use gold on our cards. Could be gold paper, gold embossing, gold hardware, whatever... The only thing I had on hand that was gold was embossing powder, so I went with it! I made this little Rock Star card for a friend's daughter who is turning 14 soon. The "Rock Star" star was embossed on black cardstock with gold powder and punched out. I backed it with another piece of black cardstock. The other gold stars were made by embossing a piece of black cardstock all over with the gold powder. Then I just punched them out.

Stamps: A Little Somethin' Hostess Set Paper: DSP Hostess Pack, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion, Basic Black Ink: Versamark Other: Star punches, White gel pen, Gold Glory embossing powder, Turquoise Ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, popdots

Challenge Number 3: Inspiration was the Cirque de Soile featuring songs by the Beatles. We were to choose a song as our inspiration. I love the Beatles and all of the songs were good ones. I had a hard time deciding. So, I went with a combination of 2, Strawberry Fields and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. For this card I made a faux quilt using DSP and the Top Note die. This was the first time I have tried a quilt and it was a lot of work, but so much fun. Now that I know how to do them, it won't take as long. I also ran the quilt through the Big Shot using the diamond texture plate. So the colors were inspired by the Strawberries and the diamonds were from Lucy!

Stamps: Oval All Paper: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose DSP, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip Other: White Satin Ribbon, Scallop Oval punch, Wide Oval punch, Small Oval punch, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Diamond Texture Plate, Zyron, popdots.

I cut a piece of white cardstock 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 for the base of my quilt. I ran it through the Zyron with the adhesive cartridge. I cut the DSP out in 1 inch squares and arranged them on a scrap piece of paper. When I was happy with my pattern, I transferred each square to the white cardstock. If you don't have a Zyron, just cover your base cardstock with adhesive of your choice. I would recommend using SU's Anywhere Glue Stick. After all of the squares were applied, I ran the whole thing through the Big Shot with the texture plate to add a quilted effect to the cardstock. It is impossible to see in this picture, but in real life it looks very cool. Next, I ran the cardstock through the Big Shot again, this time using the Top Note die to cut out the quilt. I can't wait to try this again. The hardest part was deciding how I wanted the squares laid out. Other than that, it was pretty easy and lots of fun.

So I have just about worn myself out with this post! But now I have to go finish cooking the desserts for my son's youth group party. I hope I'll be able to participate in the rest of the challenges, and if I do, I'll be back to post the rest of my creations. Thanks for stopping by!!

Happy Saturday!

2009-04-25T11:49:00.003-04:00

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping... the mosquitos are biting... ick! Yes, it's a beautiful day, but the mosquitos and gnats are already out in full force. My solution? Stay inside and Stamp, baby!!

Today is another Virtual Stamp Night over on SCS. Yes, I know it is day time right now and the title says Stamp "night", but it goes on from 10-1 and 7-10, so part of it will be during the night. Today is actually a warm up for the real VSN in May. And that one is the biggie. There will be challenges Friday night and into Saturday. It's also mega fun! Anyway, today is a mini version and is a fun challenge that has 6 parts. Each hour (10,11,12, &7,8,9) our hostesses put up a challenge. We, the challengers, have 45 minutes to plan and create a card that follows the guidelines of that challenge. So, I am going to try to play in all 6 challenges today. I'll take a little time during the break and try to post my 3 creations from the morning. The 3 from later tonight will probably not make it on here until tomorrow, but we'll see.

Check back later today and let me know what you think of my creations. Thanks and Have a Stamptacular Day!!

Tuesday! Tuesday! Tuesday!

2009-04-21T16:13:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I know it's supposed to be Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!, but it's only Tuesday today. And I just felt like using my monster truck rally announcer voice. Tell me you didn't do the same when you read it... come on now, you can be honest. Umhm, that's what I thought.

One of the challenges on Tuesdays (on SCS) is the Color Combo Challenge. Today's combo was Pink (Pretty in Pink or Pink Pirouette), Basic Grey and Rose Red. I love grey and red together. Probably because I love red and black. But you see, I am not a pink kind of girl. I tried to use it. Really, I did. But I just couldn't make it work in the end. So my card only has Grey and Rose Red. Well, and white of course. The layout I used was from MojoMonday Week 75 (February 23, 2009). I have had my eye on that layout since it was released and I am so in love with it. I think it is all those brads (or buttons, dots, stickies, whatever) lined up that do it for me. But I haven't actually used the layout until today.

Take a look see:

Isn't it just Stinkin' Cute?? I thought so. lol
Here's a close up of the cutie skunk:

This shows you how much dimension there is on the card front.

And here's the inside of the card. You have started decorating the inside of your cards now haven't you?? I just did a simple border and a Sentiment. Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy

Here's the deets: All SU: Paper:The double sided paper I used is from the Hostess Pack (that you can earn for FREE just by hosting a SU workshop with me!), Basic Grey, Whisper White, Rose Red. Ink: VersaMark, Rose Red, Going Grey, Bashful Blue. Other: Black embossing powder, Aqua Pens, Tool kit, Scallop Edge Punch, popdots, glue dots, Pretties Kit (flowers and pearl), Vintage Brads.

I stamped the skunk in versamark and then embossed it in black. I used the Aqua pen to watercolor him in using grey for the skunk, rose red for the flower and bashful blue for the shadow. The embossing helps contain the watercolor and won't smear like it would if you used just a Basic Black ink pad. Another option would be to use Black Stazon ink, as it won't bleed or smear either. The skunk and red frame are popped up, and the grey layer with the brads is also popped up. I used a pop dot on the back of the large flower and glue dots to hold on the small flower and half pearl.

So that's it for today. Hope you like the card and I would love to hear what you think! Have a Stamptacular Day!

Just a Quicky!

2009-04-20T14:08:00.004-04:00

Super quick post today. But hopefully I'll be back later to add some more. We are super crazy around here!! I haven't been able to participate in Mojo Monday for about 3 weeks now and boy have I missed it. Today I took the time to put a little something together. Now... please ignore the smudges on the circle of white. Long story, and I'll explain later, but I just didn't have time to change it out and take new pics before I am off to carpool, soccer, scouts, etc, etc...

Anyway, here's my entry for Today's Mojo Monday Sketch!

All SU! And I'll add details later, but I used Trendy Trees Stamp set and Washington Apple DSP. Hope you like it!! (told you I was going to be quick!!and if you read it like I feel like I posted it, you'd now be doing this --> ) Have a Stamptacular Day!!

OK, life has slowed down long enough for me to finally add some deets for you. Of course, life will speed back up soon because carpool starts up in about half an hour. Wait, can one call it carpool if one is only toting around one's own children? And does one ever feel strange having to refer to one's self as one? Yes, one can and yes, one does. At least if you ask me. But I digress...
Ingredients: All SU: Paper:Bashful Blue, Robin Hood Red, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie Cardstock and Washington Apple DSP; Ink:Robin Hood Red, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa; Other:Scallop Circle punch, Scallop Edge punch, 1 1/4 circle punch, Clear Rhinestone Circle Brad, flower from Pretties Kit, Pumpkin Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, popdots, White Gel Pen.
A couple of notes: All of the flowers in the pretties kit come in white, but can easily be colored using one of several methods. For this flower, I wanted a fairly intense color so I put the flower onto my Robin Hood Red ink pad and used a sponge to press it into the ink until it was covered. I did both sides. It takes a LONG time to dry on it's own. So I used my heat tool and tried to help the drying along. Obviously I didn't get it all the way dry, and that's why there are smudges all over the little circle behind it. And I will tear that all apart and make a new one. I just was running so late yesterday and I really wanted to go ahead and post, so I left it smudges and all. The middle tree was stamped twice, once on the main image and once on scrap paper. I cut out the scrap one and popped it up. The circle/flower detail is also popped up.

Well, that's it. Thanks for stopping by!

Whew....

2009-04-14T13:17:00.009-04:00

Warning!! I'm a bit wordy today!! :) Boy, Spring Break really wore me out. And now I'm home facing a huge pile of laundry and an empty fridge. I must go to the grocery store! Actually, I should have already gone, but I have been playing around with my goodies today. I got the box in right before I left town and so I really didn't get much time to play. My mojo seems to be a little off today. (Payback for not doing the laundry and shopping, maybe??)

I managed to finish one card today. I started out this morning thinking that I would like to do the last two Mojo Mondays sketches since I had missed both. The card that I finished uses the sketch from last week. Let me tell you it was a challenge! Now, I am sure you are talking to the screen and asking me where this card is already. I know this, because it is what I would be doing. But here is my dilemma, I am trying to decide if I am going to enter into a contest that Stampin' Up! has for their demonstrators. The contest is called the Artisan Award and they choose just 10 people out of thousands of entries to become Artisans of the Year. Demos who enter must send in 3 cards, 2 scrapbook pages, and 1 3D item. They have lots of rules and it is all very interesting, but one of the rules states that the projects sent in can not have previously been posted to a web site or sent in to a magazine, etc for other contests. If I want to send in something that I have made, I can not have posted it here or uploaded it to Splitcoaststampers. So, here I am thinking that I really want to post some of the things I have made (because I am excited with how they turned out) but I am hesitating because I don't know if I am going to enter the contest or not. AGHHHHH! It's so hard to decide. I really really really want to share with you, but I think I also want to enter the contest. See my dilemma?? I am hesitant to enter because I know for a fact that Jan Tink, whom I follow online faithfully and in awe, is entering this year. And I know she should be one of the ones chosen! Don't get me wrong, I am proud of the things I create, but when I think about all of the amazing talent out there, I get a bit weak kneed. I just can't decide. I have to decide soon because the deadline is this week. (EEEKKKKK!!) I'll let you know what I decide....

In the mean time, so you won't hate me (I hope), I will post a couple of projects I did a bit ago. I made these cards with some retired SU double sided papers because at the time I was still waiting on my new kit to arrive. I saw some cards in the gallery on SCS that I instantly adored. I went to the creator's blog and have really enjoyed looking at her stuff. She does a weekend sketch challenge almost every week where she picks 4 sketches and makes a set of coordinating cards using those sketches. I saw one set that she did using the A Little Birdie Told Me set and had to try my hand at it. You can see her blog and creations HERE. Remember that when I made these, I did not have my new stuff in and most of what I owned was retired. I was trying my best not to use any retired items and make do with limited supplies. However, I needed some DSP so I had to use what I had, even though it is retired. I think they turned out nicely just the same. I would love to hear how you think I did!!

Here are my cards:

And here is a little box I made to go along with the set.

I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day! I'm off to carpool and soccer...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T14:16:00.004-04:00

So I hope you don't think i have abandoned you! I am still out of town enjoying the last little bit of spring break. We have been so busy and I am getting to the point that I am ready to be back home. Then maybe I can get some rest after this vacation! Of course, I won't get much rest because there will be about a billion loads of laundry to do. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Laundry Multiplies!!

Anyway, since I am away from home, I can't upload any new projects for you just yet. But I did manage to get a couple of things made after my BBOG* came in on Monday. (*that would be Big Box O' Goodies.) So I will post as soon as I get home.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter weekend! Have a Stamptacular Day!
Tonya

It's Friday!! Woo Hooo!!

2009-04-03T13:42:00.011-04:00

I am mostly happy it's Friday. You see, schools were canceled because of flooding, so the kiddos are home today. And I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I am not excited to have them here today. I had so many things on my to do list and they have this knack for getting in the way. So I am not getting much checked off the list. But I am happy that the weekend is almost here! Maybe I'll get some uninterrupted crafting time. OH, OH and also, because on Monday my box of new goodies will be here and I can't wait to play!!

So, today's post will be somewhat short. I'll just share with you a few of items I have been working on over the last couple of weeks.

Here is a shot of some Easter Gift Ideas.

A quick but super cute Easter Card.

Here, again, I have to apologize, because I can not find the original creator of this card. I changed a few things, but the basic idea and layout are not originally mine.

And finally a card using the Faux Stained Glass Technique. This is a super neat technique and if you want to give it a try check out THIS TUTORIAL over on SCS> (yes, again.) You get such a beautiful result. It's another one that you need to see in real life to appreciate fully. Which reminds me, that if you are in my area, be sure to check out my Stampin' Up! website for my Calendar of Events. I will be holding technique classes soon, where you can learn hands on how to do many different techniques.

I will be back later to post all of the details for these projects and to connect the link to the tutorial(SCS is down for a bit)when the kids are in bed and I can actually think!

That little duck has nothing to do with anything. I just saw him and had to have him in my post. lol Isn't he so cute???

Monday Morning Hellos

2009-03-30T12:20:00.005-04:00

What a weekend I had here! The ceiling in my daughter's bathroom fell on Sunday! Ack!! A long story short: We had a leak last fall, the roofers came and "fixed" the leak, but left a bucket in the attic. I guess to catch anymore water or something??? Well, the bucket caught a lot of water apparently and then fell, hitting the ceiling of said bathroom, cracking the sheetrock and spilling lots of water everywhere. My husband went up and tried to stop the leak. The roofers were called. Almost a week later, when there was more rain and more water on the floors and walls in the bathroom(!!!), they were called again and finally came. The bucket was put back in place until they could fix the roof again. (Say what??) Then on Saturday we had VERY heavy rains...And sure 'nough the sheetrock was so soaked, that it fell, leaving a lovely view from the bathroom into the attic. Today I am still waiting on roofers and now sheetrock people to show up. Fun times. (OK, OK that wasn't *really* short, but hey, I tried.)

On Saturday, since it was too nasty to go out, I participated in a Mini Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) over on SCS. (yes, yes, that site again.) There were 6 challenges throughout the day. The theme was Viva Las VSN and so we had "Pit Bosses" who posted the challenges and each was based on a hotel in Vegas. Lots and Lots of Fun!! If you participate, for each challenge you have a set of rules specific to that challenge and you have 45 mins to create a card or project. I was able to participate in 5 of the 6. I did have a lot of fun, but by the end I was exhausted and my stamping area was a WRECK! It really pushed me to be creative and 45 minutes went by very quickly.

Are you curious about what I made?? Are ya?? Are ya?? Well, here they are then!

Challenge #1 Inspiration: Circus Circus. Special rules: Orange had to be used somewhere on the front of the card. I made a bird on a tightrope.

Challenge #2 Inspiration: The Bellagio's Lobby Ceilings. Special rules: Must use flowers somewhere and must use a transparency somehow. So I used a technique where I used a baby wipe and reinkers to make the background paper. It didn't really turn out like I had envisioned, but that's OK. Next time - when not under a time limit, I can play with it until I like the colors better. It's hard to see, but the transparency is on the outside of the celery card and the "heartfelt" is embossed in white on it. The ribbon holds it all together.

Challenge #3 Inspiration: The Venetian's Grand Lobby. Special Rules: Use the colors found in the lobby of Blue, White or Cream, Yellow or Gold, and Burgundy. Here is my card using the Soft Summer set that will be available April 1.

Challenge #4 Inspiration: Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef. Special Rules: Use a playing card somewhere on the project. It could be real or fake. I had to use a fake one, because I couldn't find a real one right then. And anyway, I ended up really liking the patterned paper that I used as my card back. This card was made for a friend who recently had a baby boy.

Challenge #5 Inspiration: The Paris. Special Rules: Make a View Finder Card. Wow! I had never made one before, but had seen several gorgeous examples on line. We were provided with a tutorial and it took me a little while to get it going. But now that I've made one, I think the next time will go faster. As you can see, I used the A Good Egg stamp set again. I am telling you I love this chick!!

Sorry the pictures aren't the best. It's hard to photograph when it's so dark outside. I don't have a professional type set up like some do. I rely on natural lighting and in times like this, I wish I had a better set up. Still, I hope you can enjoy them and I would love to hear what you think!!

Also, I am working hard to put the finishing touches on my Birthday to Go Kit. I hope to have it up by next week. Hope you have a Stamptacular Day!

A quick gift idea

2009-03-26T10:13:00.005-04:00

Morning! I see that Blogger is going to be down for a while today, so I am popping in with a quick post. I just wanted to share with you a little gift I put together for my hostess tonight. (Ginger, if you are reading this, look away...I mean it... shoo! Besides, you'll get to see it in person tonight!) If I do say so my self, this turned out really cute!! I found the basic idea over on SCS (yes, I spend a lot of time there!) and just changed some things to fit my needs. I ADORE the A Good Egg stamp set and find myself wanting to use it all the time! I just love chicks (man - for you Soup fans). They are so cute. Especially this one.

This is super fast to put together and you know teachers would love this. In fact, I think this is what I will be giving to the kid's teachers this year. (oh - goodness... if you happen to teach my kids...look away! Follow Ginger and shoo! Don't ruin the surprise already!!) Now, for those of you who are still with me, here it is:

Stamps: A Good Egg, Oval All Paper:DSP Delicate Dots(SAB), So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand Inks: Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Brocade Blue, Pumpkin Pie Marker Other: Large Oval and Scallop Oval punches, Medium Cello Bag, Organdy ribbon, Pop dots

Basic instructions for the box can be found HERE.

I added the DSP to the front and back panels of the little box/pouch thingy. I stamped the For You stamp (from Oval All Set) twice, once on Sahara Sand with Sahara Sand ink and once on Bashful Blue with Brocade Blue ink. I punched out the SSand with the Scallop Oval and the Blue with the Large Oval. The chick is stamped twice also, once on DSP and once on So Saffron cardstock. I popped the egg up from the chick and the whole chick up from the pouch. The ovals are also popped up from the pouch. I filled the cello bag with mini robins eggs whoppers candy. Yummy! I had to try one... or two... ok, ok a handful. I had forgotten that I like whoppers. But I had plenty, so not to worry, Ginger won't be getting just crumbs. So there you have it.

I'd love to hear what you think! Have a Samptacular Day!

Don't Pass Out!

2009-03-23T15:53:00.005-04:00

OK - watch out... I am going to post more projects today. I know you are shocked, and that's alright. After the crazy week I had, I am just so excited to be stamping again. And I just can't wait until tomorrow to share.

Here's a card I made this morning and I am really pleased with the way it turned out. I hope you like it, too.

Here's a close up so maybe you can see the scallop details.

Here's a peek at the inside. I'm telling you, it's rewarding to decorate the inside of a card. It finishes it off nicely and it really doesn't take a lot of effort.
Things I used: Stamps: Soft Summer and Oval All - both sneak peaks at what is coming out in the new mini catalog in April! Ink: VersaMark, Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana Papers: Whisper White, Rose Red, Barely Banana, Baja Breeze, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery Other: Black Embossing Powder, Heat tool, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Corner Rounder punches, Tool Kit, Pop Dots, Sponge, Bleach and Paint brushes.

The technique used here is Bleaching. I stamped the outline image onto Baja Breeze paper using VersaMark ink. Then it is embossed with black powder. Next, I brushed the bleach on with a fine paintbrush. Try your best to stay in the lines. The embossing contains the bleach so it doesn't spread too much. As the bleach dries, the paper will fade. Each color will react differently, so it's always good to test the bleach on a scrap piece of paper first. After the bleach has dried, I colored in the leaves, stems and centers with colored pencils. The ones I used were not SU - sorry, I try to use only SU as much as I can. You could color in using watercolor crayons or ink and an aqua painter. I left the petals of the dogwoods natural (just the bleach) because it's such a nice effect. I wish you could see it in person!! Don't you?

I cut out the Baja Breeze paper so that a little of the image hangs off the sides. Isn't that a neat look? I matted it on Cocoa and then on Rose Red. I paper pierced on the Red. I used the Scallop Oval Punch - also a sneak peek- and the Large Oval Punch to make the sentiment. The Oval All set has 4 stamps, two fit the scallop and 2 fit the large oval. Of course, you see that the large oval fits into the scallop. (Told ya they know what they are doin' out there!) The sentiment is up on popdots as is the Rose Red. It took 3 popdots on the right side of the oval and 1 on the left to get the frame to be even.

For the edge of the card, I used the corner rounder punch to create the scallops and then I backed it with a strip of Baja Breeze. Then I punched the holes in the centers of each of the scallops.

For the inside of the card, I simply used the ticket corner punch on Rose Red and Whisper White papers. I sponged on Barely Banana along the edges of the White paper. Then I used a Close to Cocoa Marker to ink up just one of the dogwood blooms to stamp on the bottom corner. I colored in the center with a colored pencil again here too, just a hint of color.

So there you have it. I'd love to hear what you think.

I'll be back later in the week with some more projects! Have a Stamptacular Day!

It's Time!

2009-03-22T16:59:00.014-04:00

Since the open house is over, I can finally show you the projects I planned. You can pick yourself up off the floor, yes I am actually going to post pictures of stamped items today! I hope you stuck with me this last week since I didn't post much. And I hope you enjoy the projects! Let me know what you think.

Here's the first one. It's a fun birthday card that works well for men or women. Sometimes it's hard to find good masculine birthday cards. You know, ones that don't have fish or deer or Dale Jr on them. Not that there's anything really wrong with that, cause ya know, round these parts those come close to the trinity. Sooooo, anyway, when I was planning this one, I thought these colors would work for either a man or a woman. And even Junior would like it, I bet.

I got the layout from a card I saw on SCS, but to my eternal shame, I cannot find the original post. I try my very best to give credit, as I hope any who CASE would do. So, original designer, if you see this card, please let me know it's yours. And I will keep looking so that I may add the name if I can find it. It's hard to see in this picture, but the top of the candle has glitter on it. It's super cute. Also hard to see, the cupcake top (the icing) is up on pop dots. I used the coco ink on coco paper and then cut out the icing. But then I turned it over so the inked side is not showing and I used the coco marker to add little sprinkles. I also think glitter on the sprinkles would be cute, but since I was going for a more masculine card, I reigned myself in and kept the glitter to a small area.
Stamps: Big, Bold Birthday Inks: Certainly Celery, Close to Coco, Baja Breeze, So Saffron Marker Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, Close to Coco Other:Tool kit, Pop dots, Large and Small Oval Punches, Word Window Punch, Sponge, Two Way Glue Stick and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

Next is a Happy little card that could come in handy for all sorts of occasions just by changing the sentiment. The stamp set from SU is called Happy Everything and has several different sayings to go along with the Happy! Well, idn't that just happy, she says in her best southern drawl.

Here's a picture with the Top Note Die Negative.

I don't have a big shot yet, but I am ordering it this week!!!! I am really excited! There are so many projects that I am just itching to try. Since I don't own one yet, I asked someone to cut me out a few and when she mailed them to me, she included, as a neat surprise, the negatives and a picture of a card using this sponging technique. I changed a few things about it to make it my own, and I am very happy with the outcome. I taped the negative over my white cardstock and used a sponge with So Saffron Ink and sponged the heck out of it. When I pull away the negative, which acts as a mask, I am left with the crisp white border. I know! Neat, right??!! BUT, before I took the mask/negative off, I went ahead and stamped my background images. This way, the images look like they are behind the white border. ummmhmmmm, I see you nodding in agreement. Here, I used a SaleABration set called Polka Dot Punches. It is called that because the stamps coordinate perfectly with our punches.... yes, they know what they are doing out there in Stampin' Up! land. It's cool I tell you. I used Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, the tool kit, sponge; Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral and So Saffron Inks and Papers, and Chocolate Chip (yummy)Ink.

And last, but certainly not least (actually it's one of my faves) is an adorable little box for chocolates. Everything's better with chocolate right? And this box perfectly holds 3 Ghirardelli Chocolate squares. Now, if you don't eat the whole bag (umm, I'm not speaking from experience here, nooooo) then you can make several of these boxes and fill them using one bag of the squares. Six to Seven boxes, actually. Plus, they are really fast after you make the first one. They would make great gifts for teachers for Easter or just for a little thank you or even a RAK (random act of kindness). And who wouldn't love a gift of chocolate. If they don't love your gift of chocolate, maybe you should consider crossing them off of your gift list...and then eat the chocolate yourself! There is a tutorial HERE on SCS by the fabulous Beate where you can learn how to make the box, then you can change the colors and theme to fit your needs.

and here it is open...don't drool on my chocolate, mmmm k?

I used A Good Egg stamp set on mine. Inks: So Saffron, StazOn Black, Pumpkin Pie and Regal Rose Paper: So Saffron, Regal Rose, Whisper White and the patterned paper is from the SAB pack. Other: Word Window and Corner Rounder Punches, Aqua Painter, Brad, Pop Dots, Tool Kit and the little flower is from a retired punch, but there is a really cute current one that would work as well.

Whew! What a long post. But after the week plus of non posting I have had, it's nice to get some stuff out there. I hope you enjoyed it, and comments are always welcome. Have a Stamptacular Day!

Almost there!

2009-03-20T10:44:00.003-04:00

Ok, so the Open House is tomorrow and after that I'll be able to breath a little easier. Not a lot to report today, still running crazy in preparation for tomorrow. But over at Stampin' Up! Shelli has created a great new video tutorial on how to use our Decor Stencils. I have added a link to the video in my side bar. Be sure to check it out! And I'll be back Sunday I hope with all the projects we are doing at the open house. Did I mention that chocolate will be involved??

2009-03-18T13:33:00.002-04:00

Good Afternoon. Well, sort of. I hope you don't think I have abandoned you! I know it has been over a week since I last posted. It has been a doozy of a time around here. I am getting ready for my Open House this weekend. It's insane! I can't believe it's already Wednesday! I was out of town last weekend and Monday. So I was already behind on Tuesday. I do have my projects planned, and the stuff to make snacks has been purchased. Now, if my house would just clean itself all would be OK. Well, that and the kids could get themselves ready and off to school/soccer/scouts/church/etc! Oh and maybe the dinners could fix themselves also. That would be great! Then today, of course, I have a terrible allergy/asthma attack and now my eyes are swollen and my head and throat are killing me. I have to put off stamping for a little while. I am so missing doing the challenges this week, too! As long as I am better by Saturday it'll be OK!

So, I am sorry I don't have any new projects for you today, but after the open house, I'll have several! Please don't give up on me. I promise I'll be back with lots of fun stuff soon! Hope you have a Stamptacular Day!

More Challenges! Yea!!!

2009-03-10T10:14:00.007-04:00

Just a quick drop by to post my card I finished this morning. I'll be back with more details after the little man stops demanding to use the computer to "go to my dot com games". lol OK - I'm back (1:30ish) to add details about today's card. Sorry I couldn't do it earlier! Forgive me???

Today's card used Tuesday's Color Combo Challenge from SCS. Rose Red, Always Artichoke, and Black. I love that combo. How fun! But I used a layout from Mojo Monday's from January 5, 2009. I love this layout. Isn't it pretty? So, let me know what you think of my card.

Here's the front

And here's a close up of the cracked glass technique used on the flowers. I hope you can see the detail. It's one of my favorite techniques but I don't use it as often as I should!

And this time, I decided to decorate the inside also. I always add a piece of white or vanilla cardstock inside of a card if the base is dark. But after seeing so many beautiful samples of decorated insides (mostly over on SCS again) I decided to step it up a little. Sorry the pic isn't great.

Like I said, I'll be back soon to give more details. I'm a little slow on the computer, so this has taken me quite some time to upload, and now the little man is *Really* making demands. Too bad Handy Manny couldn't last a little longer.haha

Here are the deets: SU only. Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, All Holidays (for you). Paper: Artichoke, Black, White, Rose Red. Inks: Rose Red pad and marker, Artichoke marker, Saffron pad, VersaMark. Other: Black grosgrain ribbon, Glassy Glaze Enamel Powder, Heat Tool, Sponges, Ticket Corner punch, Small and Large Oval punches, 1 1/4" circle punch, Vintage Brads, Pop Dots, Glue Dots. Umm I'm pretty sure that's it.

For a great tutorial on the Cracked Glass Technique go HERE. SCS has some awesome tutorials over there!!

And some tips from little ole me:

When using the BG technique, I like to use the versa mark pad inbetween each application of Glassy Glaze Powder. It's easier and it gives better coverage than trying to get the next layer of powder on while the paper is still warm.
You will need to use a good amount of adheasive when you stick down the image that has been cracked. Here I used my ATG (like a double sided tape gun) and put about 6 strips on the back of the flowers and then again on the back of the black mat. And the strips went from edge to edge. Use more than you normally would to make sure that your image and mats will stay flat.
Sometimes when you crack the glass, it takes bending the paper almost in half. Just go slow and you'll be fine.
For the brad placement here I used a pencil and a ruler to put little dots where I wanted the brads to go. That way, I could check the spacing before I punched the holes and not have to start all over with a new piece of paper after I punched the holes and found that they were lopsided. (Who me? Do that? Noooo.) Then I used the 1/16" punch to make the brad holes where my pencil marks were.
I sponged the sides of the flower image, the sentiment oval, and the white cardstock on the inside. This adds depth and is so easy to do. Just use a quarter of a SU Sponge to dab onto your inkpad, then swipe it over the edges of the cardstock. Start out gently at first until you get a feel for how much sponging you want. You can always add more, but you can't take it off, right??!
When you are wanting to stamp a sentiment onto a punched out shape, don't forget to stamp the word first and THEN punch it out. That way, it's a breeze to get the word centered. In fact this works for anytime you have an image inside a punched shape.

For a quick and easy background paper like the Rose Red paper you see here, just turn your ink pad upside down and gently drag it across the paper. I used the Rose Red pad on the paper, but this also works with different combinations, like a lighter cardstock with a darker pad in the same color family. I hold the cardstock in my left hand and the pad in my right hand (I'm right handed) and then just drag the pad across the paper a little at a time. Sometimes on the edge, to get the darker lines, and sometimes on the flat surface to get more of a shadow. Try this on a scrap of cardstock to see how it feels. Then go for it!!

And if you try these techniques, I'd love to see how you did! Thanks for stopping by and have a Stamptacular Day!!

One long Monday and finally some Mojo!

2009-03-09T16:06:00.005-04:00

Good Afternoon!!! Ok, it has been a Monday all day today!@#$#@$% eh,hem sorry. I feel better now. I won't bore you with all the details of today, but I will talk about my fridge for a second before I move on to the fun stuffs!! Our fridge decided to go on the fritz last Thursday. It has one of these funky control panels that is run by a computer I'm sure. Thursday night, I'm all comfy watching my Survivor when all of a sudden the little flap door thingy where the ice comes out starts opening and closing. And opening and closing. And Banging!!! And the lights start Blinking!!!! Well, we don't know what's going on. SO we plug the door thing with a towel so it won't make so much noise. We call the repair people on Friday. They'll come Monday. Guess when our one year warranty runs out? Tuesday. Thank goodness we got in under the wire!! Then, over the weekend, the fridge stops cooling so all of the food has to be taken out or thrown away. BLECH! I hate to waste food. We got it fixed today thank goodness. Listening to that banging constantly for 4 days was wearing down my nerves. Enjoying the silence, you ask? Yes, from the fridge, NO from the 3 year old. He has really been feeling his threes lately.

But now that the fridge is fixed, on to fun stuff. Today is Mojo Monday!!! Woo hoo! I am participating for the second time. It really is a lot of fun. You should check it out HERE. I worked for quite a while on my card. My mojo was just not flowing this morning. I'm sure it was mostly due to the fridge fritz. But here's what I finally came up with. Let me know what you think!
What I used: Stampin' Up! only. Papers: Certainly Celery, Pacific Point, Real Red, Whisper White, Vellum. Inks: Stazon, Pacific Point, Real Red Marker, Going Grey Watercolor Crayon. Stamp Set: Pun Fun. Other: Hodgepodge Hardware (this type is retired, but it's all I had right now), Vintage Brads, Word Window, Corner Rounder and Small Oval Punches, Celery Buttons, Paper Piercing tools, White Grosgrain ribbon, Aqua Painters.

I had to use the corner rounder punch for my scalloped edge on the vellum, because I don't own the scallop edge punch yet. Yet! The whale has been stamped twice and the top image has been colored, cut out and popped up from the bottom image. The red circle and the green oval have been popped up also. It's hard to see in the picture, but I have pierced the paper around the blue and under the oval. I wish you could see it better. I'm going to work on taking a better picture later.

I am fairly happy with the way it turned out. Even if it did take me all day. Tomorrow I hope I'll have a chance to play the color combo challenge on SCS.
Have a Stamptacular Day!

Mama said there'd be days like this.....

2009-03-06T13:05:00.005-05:00

But I don't think *my* Mama was talking about the fact that I haven't stamped at all today. Yikes! and ugh! and bleh! and so forth. I had to deliver the 5 dozen cookies this morning. Glad that's over. I made 1 dozen flip flops and 1 dozen sunglasses - all decorated sugar cookies, plus 3 dozen Citrus Shortbread cookies. Which, if I had not been soooo tired last night when I finished them, would have gone into some really cute tubes of DSP (double sided paper) that I like to make. As it was, I rolled each dozen in wax paper and just used some retired SU yellow organdy ribbon to tie the ends. Then we had to wait for the Termite inspector guy to show up. I didn't realize that they come in and look at all your baseboards, window sills, etc. I mean, like with a flashlight! And even in the closets!! Ok, yes, I want him to be thorough, because I don't want termites, but really? Every dust bunny (and I've got loads!!) was peered upon by this guy and his flashlight. And when was the last time I dusted the window sills behind the sofa??? Errmmm... when we moved in last year and I put the sofa there? Oy. Then it was off to the post office for supplies. Then we had to go to Taco Bell. The little man demanded that he have two cheese roll ups for lunch. I didn't want to eat there because I am trying to diet(haha), but we went anyway, of course. The drive through was to long, so we went in. I ordered two cheese rollups and one small drink. THEN, because I still wanted something to eat, we went to the drive through at Wendys for a salad. Uh-huh. I got a burger and a baked potato. At least I left off the cheese. So now we have food and we head home. I feel like I need to clean house thanks to Termite Man. And I am behind on laundry - am I the only one who never seems to get caught up with that?? Anyway, now it's almost time to pick up kids from school and I still haven't had a chance to stamp. Well, I had a chance, but as soon as I sat down at the desk, Little Man decides he needs paper airplanes and some tape and a punch and more paper and crayons and maybe some more tape.... I swear it's like the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books. So I can't stamp anything, because he'll want to stamp and use the ATG and the paper trimmer and he needs more ink and a different stamp and.... you see??

So today, sadly, I have nothing new to share. My stamping desk is covered with half done projects and scraps of paper, but nothing I can take pictures of yet. Maybe tomorrow the DH will take all 3 kids to Number One Son's Quiz Bowl. Maybe....

Check back tomorrow won't you? Oh and check out the video link in the post below. It's a way cool new die for the Big Shot machine. Have a Stamptacular Day!

2009-03-06T09:17:00.007-05:00

Just a quick post today. This week has been Craaazy!

Take a look at the awesome new video tutorial from Stampin' Up! showing how to use the new pop up ball die for the Big Shot!!

You'll have to click on the link below to go to the video until I can figure out how to put the video on here for you. Sorry 'bout that!

http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/11120_13873.asp

2009-03-03T13:11:00.005-05:00

Quick drop by just to show you the card I made for today's color combo challenge over on Splitcoaststampers. Today's colors are Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, and Pixie Pink. Now I don't love pink in and of itself because I am more of a red and black or maybe blues kind of girl. But when paired with chocolate, pink can be very pleasing. But then again, almost anything is better with some chocolate isn't it?? mmmmmm, chocolate..... oh, sorry, i was dreaming there for a second.

So here it is. Let me know what you think.
this card measures 6 1/2 x 3 1/4 and fits into SU's small open ended envelope.
Ingredients: Stamps: Schoolbook Serif Alphabet, Fundamental Phrases, Seeing Spots;
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Pixie Pink, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White; Ink: Kiwi, Chocolate, P. Pink; Accessories: brads, sponge, tool kit, dimentionals (which I doubled up on because I wanted the image to really stand away from the background.)

2009-03-03T09:15:00.014-05:00

I have a lot to share today, so I won't do much chit-chat. Also, I have a terrible cold and really just want to be in bed, but I have to make about 5 dozen cookies today. I guess that means no rest for the weary. On a more upbeat note, here are some of the things I have been working on.

This is a little 3x3 gift card I made for a gift my daughter had to take to a school mate's party last weekend. She tells me about the party the day before and so of course I have to run out at the last minute and buy a gift for this kid that I have never met. Always the way! Ingredients: Stamps: Big Bold Birthday; Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Summer Sun, Celebrate DSP from Bold Birthday Scrap kit; Accessories: Silver Brads, Tool Kit, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Heat tool, Dimentionals; Ink: Turquoise, Versamark.

These are some "Thank Ewe" notecards I made to give to my hostesses. I made the one on the left first and it was too girly for me, so I made the one on the right and liked it enough that I made several to have on hand. Ingredients: Stamps:Pun Fun; Paper: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Rose Red, Whisper White; Ink:Stazon, Rose Red Marker; Accessories: White grosgrain ribbon, tool kit(hard to see, but the one on the right is paper pierced), Embossing tool (the flowers on the left are dry embossed), Watercolor Crayons, Aqua Painters.
Last one for now. Whew, I'm worn out! This is a little grasshopper gift box I made that coordinates with the bug card I posted a few days back. It's a 2-4-6-8 box and is so easy to make. They are great make and takes for workshops. Ingredients: Stamps: Bugs and Kisses; Paper: Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Real Red, So Saffron; Inks: Celery, Red; Accessories: Small Cello Bag, Hemp Twine, Key Tag punch, 1 1/4 adn 1 3/8 Square punches.

Right - now I am off to take some serious cold meds and try to rest a minute before the baking begins. And don't worry, germaphobes, I will take care when baking the cookies! :)
Have a Stamptacular Day!

It's Mojo Monday! (my day is looking up!)

2009-03-02T11:17:00.005-05:00

Here's my entry for today's MojoMonday Sketch Challenge. So much fun!

Ingredients- All Stampin' Up!
Stamps: A Little Birdie Told Me, Sincere Salutations
Ink: StazOn, Basic Black
Paper: Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Other: Tool Kit (paper piercing), Dimensionals (pop dots), Turquoise and Celery Ribbons, Watercolor Crayons (Celery, Turquoise, Apricot), Aqua Painters, and Turquoise and Apricot Markers.

Good Morning?

2009-03-02T08:25:00.014-05:00

Is it a good morning? Well, not really. My dear husband gave me his cold over the weekend. Yuck!! The little one had a bloody nose in the middle of the night Saturday, so we didn't get much rest. Then last night he had some sort of fit in his sleep, which woke us all up. Then he got in the bed with me and decided to kick and flail his arms the rest of the night. So, not much rest last night either. And! it's Monday morning. I am dragging here. I need more caffeine! One of my (many) obsessions is Dt. Dr. Pepper, but I have been trying to only drink one a day. It's tough! Plus, I am trying to cut out chocolate. I know! The horrors! SO today may just have to be a cheat day, KWIM??

Let's move on to the fun stuff! I did get to stamp a little over the weekend. Not nearly as much as I wanted, but that's OK. I have several things to share today. First up is a WAY Cute ribbon storage box. I found the coolest tutorial on it by The Squareheaded Stamper. She is unbelievably talented and I spend way too much time on her blog. Unfortunately I don't have any of the new DSPs in the SU catty - which I am Luuuving, BTW. So I had to use some retired papers, which I hoard! Here's the front, closed:

And here's the top open, so you can see the ribbon holders:

The little ribbon holders are made with the rounded tab punch by SU! Love it!! But winding all that ribbon up took forever. I think there are 16 of them. It took longer to wind the ribbons than it did to make the adorable holder! Here's another shot:

And one last one (did I mention that I LOVE this little box??)
Sorry the pictures are not clearer. It was rainy here when I took them and I don't have a nice photo set up like some folks (green with envy!). But hopefully you can enjoy it all the same. I would love to know what you think.

If I keep adding pictures, this post is going to be way too long, so I think I'll wait on uploading the other projects until tomorrow. Besides, I need to go work on my Mojo Monday challenge!!! Right after I drink some more DDP!! Waaaaaahhh, I can't get my little smileys to work and the IT guy, my 10 year old, doesn't come home until 3!! oh well, I'll go old school :) Have a Stamptacular Day!

2009-02-27T11:09:00.011-05:00

Whew, this has been a busy week. A spaghetti o incident, PTO, laundry,fundraisers, laundry, school plays, laundry, church, and did I mention laundry?! Really, where does it all come from? Does it breed in the laundry basket? I know it must in the kids' rooms. There is no way they wear all of those clothes in just a few days! Oh well.

I have had a little time to stamp this week, but not much. I participated in a couple of challenges over at Splitcoaststampers (SCS). And I'll share those with you today. OH!! the exciting thing that happened this week is that my starter kit arrived late Wednesday!! I am always excited by new goodies. SU has made some changes since I have been gone. One change is that all of their new stamp sets are now die cut. So you don't have to trim them yourself. But they are still unmounted so you can place them on the blocks as you would like. I can't wait until my open house so i can order some yummy Double Sided Papers (DSP)! The catty is full of DSPs that I am drooling over. Good thing the catty pages are glossy, right??

So here's the second challenge card I made. It was for Wednesday's sketch challenge. The challenge master gives you a layout of a card and you go to work!

I used the Loads of Love stamp set. Papers are old olive, pumpkin pie, summer sun (like the color combo challenge) plus black and white. I used these super square clear buttons on two of the squares. And one of my go to ribbons, the black gingham. I water colored the truck, etc with watercolor crayons and aqua pens. That is one of my fave ways to water color. And of course, I paper pierced some, too. I love to PP. It's adds so much for a little effort.

Here's today's challenge. It was a Limited Supplies challenge, which is great for me. We had to make our own "printed papers", use only one stamp set (including for the sentiment), the only embellishments could be ribbon and/or brads, and we could not use die cut machines or punches (except for the sentiment if we wanted.) What a fun challenge!!
Here I used the Heartfelt Thanks stamp set, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Real Red, and Very Vanilla papers. Saffron, Celery and Red inks. Vintage brads and Celery ribbon. I sponged a little celery ink around the edges of the background paper. This stamp set is a 2 step stamping process, and that's how I am able to have the outline accented in a stronger color than the rest of the flower. It really gives the image depth. This one is much prettier in real life. Sorry it doesn't show well in this picture.

So there you have my challenge cards so far for this week. I hope to get some pictures up tomorrow of this Adorable - yes, capital A! - ribbon holder project I completed yesterday. It's overcast here and I am having trouble getting good quality pictures (as you can tell from the pic above, lol).
Have a Stamptacular Day!!

Playing with Food=Bad, Playing with Stamps=GOOD!

2009-02-24T12:32:00.003-05:00

Out there in the world of stamping you can find a lot of websites that post challenges for stampers and paper crafters to try. It's been such a long time since I have played and I have really missed it. So today I had a little time and decided to play a challenge over on Splitcoaststampers. I chose the color challenge, which comes out each Tuesday. The challenge master, as I like to call her, decides on a color combination for you to try out and then you create a card or project using those colors. Today's challenge was to use Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive (or Kiwi Kiss) and Summer Sun. These colors look so great together and many have already uploaded pictures of some adorable cards. Here's what I came up with for the challenge. I used Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun and Old Olive inks, White Grosgrain Ribbon, a Rhinestone Brad, the Pick a Petal stamp set, and the All Holidays stamp set (for the "for you"). All of these products are Stampin' Up! Playing with stamps is so much fun!! The only problem is, I loose track of time! I almost forgot it was lunch time for the babe... don't worry, he reminded me!

2009-02-20T07:17:00.005-05:00

I am so excited this morning!! My SU starter kit has finally shipped!! Yeah!!!! Can you tell I'm happy? I should get it sometime next week. I can't wait for my new goodies to get here. I have been away from the company as a demo for a little over a year and now I am getting back into it. I had to purchase a new starter kit, even though I had been a demo in the past. But that's OK with me. Right now SU is running a special for new demos plus I always like having new goodies and buying the kit allowed me to get some at a discount. Once my goodies come in, I hope to be stamping and paper crafting away, getting ready for my Open House in March. Well, that's all for now, I just had to share my good news.

he he he lookie what i found :

2009-02-19T13:55:00.006-05:00

OK - I am still trying to understand how to make a watermark for my projects, but since I am apparently going to take forever, I'll give you a picture without the water mark. NOW - I must tell you that the images are Copyright Stampin' Up! and that the projects are created by me. Please read the disclaimer and be a dear and do not claim my work as your own. See- we can all play nice, now can't we? I have seen some of the cutest smiley icons on other's blogs and I am wanting me some so so badly. Wait-- one thing at a time. I must get other stuff done first! Like get a water mark! ok, ok, I will.

With out further ado, here's a little peek at a card I made earlier today:

I cased this card from the 2008 SU IBC (that's demo lingo for the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalog, because who has the time to write all of that??). I love this little stamp set, but I almost never use it. Do not tell my husband how many stamp sets I have that I rarely use, cause there's quite a few. But I digress. I embossed the little cricket and the words. And I paper pierced along the bottom. Why the blank stares?? Have no idea what I am talking about? You are so missing out! Take a little trip over to my SU website and take a look around. If you are in my area you can host a workshop and I'll come over and teach you and your friends all about embossing and paper piercing and so much more. It's lots of fun!

Yikes, look at the time, I must be off to carpool! Have a great day!

2009-02-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

I am working very hard on getting some projects uploaded for you. So far, I have spent about 4 hours today taking pictures and trying to understand photo editing programs, and getting copyright watermarks, and so on. But, as you can see, I still haven't uploaded any projects. But they are coming.

What I have accomplished today can be seen in the right column. I have added many new links to Stampin' Up! catalogs, product information and projects featured on the SU website. I mean, between that and the 3 year old, the dog, the laundry, the phone, and the .... you get the picture, I think I have done quite well for today so far!

Hey, check it out!

2009-02-16T11:35:00.000-05:00

Well, look at me go. I added a cutie patootie background and even a little blinkie all by my self. I didn't even have to ask my 10 year old to help! So I am continuing to learn about blogging and so far I love it. Soon, I'll be adding info about my Stampin' Up! business. For the time being, you can check out my SU business website here. hmmm, new challenge for me - making that a link. ok, I'm on it. Hopefully that worked!

I never claimed to be a computer whiz, I am more of a computer sorta understand. My passions are more about the crafting and baking. I do so enjoy hands on crafts.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll return soon with more additions!

let's have a little test here

2009-02-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

hmmm...me...with a blog. this should be interesting. I am just dipping a toe in for now and I'll see how it goes. This blog will be used mainly to help share my experiences in the paper crafting world. However, knowing me, it will also include other aspects of my crazy life. And so, it begins...