The Elf Is Makin' Resolutions!

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything. I’ve been a busy little elf trying to get gifts completed before Christmas sneaks up on me. I’m still not finished with everything, so this may be my last post before Christmas. Once the holidays are over, I’ll be sure to post photos of what I’ve been working on.

A friend asked me, the other day, if I make New Year’s resolutions. My response was “no”. I used to make resolutions, but I never stuck to them for more than a couple of weeks to a month, at most, and so I just quit making them. After a lot of thought, though, I’ve decided that I’m going to set goals for myself for the upcoming year. You can call them resolutions if you’d like. Here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about and these are in no particular order:

1. Eat Healthier – For the last five years, I’d say I’ve probably eaten out NO LESS than three times a week and as many as five to six times a week. And that doesn’t even include lunch, only dinner. I’ve almost always gone out for lunch and there really aren’t that many healthy options when eating out. I’ve already started taking my lunch to work most days and will continue trying to eat out less for evening meals.

2. Be more physically active - In past years, when I DID make resolutions, I always resolved to lose X amount of pounds. That lasted all of two weeks or until I was presented with some sort of dessert that I just couldn’t resist and then I’d decide that eating that dessert was going to make me far happier much faster than losing weight. I’ve decided, this year, that if I try to eat healthier and be more physically active the weight loss will follow. We’ll see…

3. Spend a LOT less time on the computer – My job revolves around working on the computer eight hours a day. When I come home from work every day I’m checking two e-mail accounts, checking for updates on the Stampin’ Up! website, looking at new projects posted to SplitCoast Stampers, checking my Facebook account, checking my MySpace account, reading my hometown, local, and national news, etc. It just gets to be addictive and all-consuming and then I’m more tired than I would have been had I been out being more physically active.

4. Make time to write “real” letters with pen and paper – This kind of goes hand in hand with #3. We’ve become so reliant on e-mail as our primary means of communication and I just don’t find it as personal as an actual letter. I think the recipients of those letters will enjoy them much more than an e-mail, as well.

5. Be more frugal – I’m one of the world’s worst about clothes and shoe shopping. I can never have enough. And if there’s a sale or I have a coupon for Penney’s or Kohl’s, you can bet I’ll be there so I can “save” some money. Going back to #1 and #2… If I eat healthier and am more physically active I’ll probably lose some weight and be able to get back into all those clothes that now make their home on the top shelves in my closet. If that happens, I won’t NEED to buy more clothes and will REALLY be saving some money by not going shopping at all. I have also found, by volunteering some time and making donations at the Salvation Army this past year, that they often have very nice name-brand clothing and it can be purchased at yard sale prices. Plus, the money you spend there goes to a VERY good cause. Stamping has also been a VERY expensive venture for me and I’m going to cut WAY back on that, as well. This will be the most difficult cutback for me!

6. Recycle more; be more “green” – I have never recycled much on an ongoing basis and am ashamed to say that. I have been doing some research, lately, and there are lots of options for recycling in my area and most of them don’t cost a thing. It will just require a little more thinking and planning on my part to separate everything so it winds up in the right place. I’m going to start using the reusable canvas grocery bags instead of using plastic every time I go and I’ll be making those bags myself. That way I can have them in some trendy colors and patterns and maybe even add a little bling!!

7. Read more – I LOVE to read. It’s always been one of my favorite things to do. Going back to #3, though, in the last several years most of my reading has been done on a computer screen. I’ve seen the new Sony Reader and would love to have one since I’m a technology geek, but there’s nothing like holding a real book in your hands. I’ve also been bad about buying all my books brand new from a bookstore or an online book club in the past. I LOVE the smell of the pages of a new book! Along with reading more, I’m resolving to borrow my books from the library or from friends, which will also help with #5 (being more frugal). There are a group of us at work who enjoy most of the same authors, so we’re already doing a little book swapping, anyway.

8. Spend more time with friends – There’s a LOT to be said for really good friends! Another of my favorite things to do is to get together with girlfriends to just chat. If we wind up stamping or sewing or doing something else, that’s great, too. But I LOVE just sitting with friends and chatting over a glass of wine. Getting together for a good board game or several rounds of Dance Dance Revolution on the Xbox360 is always fun, too!

9. De-clutter and be more organized – I know, I know… some of you are thinking that I’m already dangerously anal (to put it bluntly). ;) I DO still have a lot of clutter, though… things that are sitting in my garage because “I MIGHT need it someday”. I’m resolving to get rid of all that extra stuff that I’ve had sitting there for more than a year untouched just because I MIGHT need it. It’s just taking up space and making my life more stressful because it prevents me from finding the things I really DO need.

10. Be more diligent in paying off debt - This, too, will go hand in hand with being more frugal. The more I can save in other areas, the more I'll have to apply toward debt. Hopefully, I won't have to get a second job to accomplish this!

This list may grow between now and New Year's but, for now, these are the things I'm going to focus on the most. I think I'll print my list out so I can put it in a very visible place where I'll see it every day. What kinds of resolutions will you be making?

Toodles!

Stampin’ Up! Spreading Holiday Cheer With Thought

With recent economic strains and a possible recession looming in the minds of many, holiday shoppers are transforming from a shop-till-you-drop mentality back to the pace of simpler times. In fact, based on an annual survey, the National Retail Federation recently forecast the lowest increase in holiday spending by consumers in at least six years, and for the first time in the survey’s history, those surveyed said they plan to spend less on family gifts than the previous year. With this in mind, this year’s budget-conscious shoppers need suggestions for spreading holiday cheer with thought—not debt!

Two for One Giving

Charitable gifts are an emerging trend in holiday gift giving. In fact, many corporations are embracing the holiday spirit by teaming up with non-profit organizations to donate proceeds from the sale of exclusive products, allow individuals to make donations to particular charities on behalf of others as presents, and some corporations will even match donations during the holiday season. If you decide to go this route with your holiday shopping, try to choose an organization that is near and dear to the recipient’s heart. For instance, the Ronald McDonald House Charity has a variety of corporate donors who match donations or donate proceeds from the sale of special products back to their charity. Giving a Two-for-One gift this holiday season is a financially smart choice and one that will help according to GuideStar.com, many non-profit organizations that expect a drop in donations this holiday season when most donations are normally made.

Volunteer Your Time

If you can’t afford to give a monetary donation this holiday season, give your gently used unwanted belongings or volunteer your time or professional services. Non-profit organizations are always in need of helping hands and hearts as well as supplies to help supplement their holiday activities. For instance, your entire family could get involved and share a heartwarming experience of cleaning out their closets and delivering clothes to the homeless shelter or delivering meals to the elderly or serving soup at a soup kitchen. The act of service will be a gift you can give to yourself and your family that will last a lot longer than the expensive gifts of years past.

Give Handmade

This season, shoppers will find that making handmade gifts, packaging, holiday décor and baked goods are a great alternative for stretching the holiday budget. The value of a handmade gift is priceless, and for many budget-conscious holiday shoppers, much less expensive.

One company helping shoppers do more with less is Stampin' Up!® The company will host a Holiday Extravaganza sale with up to 50% off select product bundles Nov. 26-Dec. 1, 2008 only online at www.stampinup.com/holiday. “I love to give handcrafted gifts. It is often less expensive, plus the people I give the gift to usually appreciate them more,” says Shelli Gardner, CEO and Co-founder of Stampin’ Up! “Creating and giving handcrafted gifts also provides and opportunity to appreciate the spirit of the holiday season by spending more time at home with the ones we love, sharing our talents and spreading holiday cheer the old-fashioned, handmade way.”

To learn more about exciting offers during the Holiday Extravaganza sale, unique handmade gift ideas or to attend a holiday crafts demonstration, please contact me.

This sale is only good through December 1st, so place your orders now. Just visit my Stampin' Up! website and click on the "shop now" button in the upper right-hand corner. Once you're there, you'll need to click on the photo of the shopping cart when it's displayed. If you're impatient, like I am, click on "Holiday Sale" directly under that image and then you can click on the shopping cart image. You'll save as much as 50%, so you don't want to miss out on this opportunity!



Click here for a complete listing of all sale items.

Toodles and have a VERY happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

I'm Finished For The Day!

I wasn't going to go back to my stamp room again today... guess it was calling my name! I got the layout for this card from Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #61. I started with a base of Very Vanilla CS. The scalloped layer is Purely Pomegranate CS (retired) with a piece of retired DSP from last year. The sentiment was stamped in Always Artichoke classic ink and is from the "Holidays & Wishes" stamp set. The angel is from "Holy Triptych" and was stamped in Jet Black StazOn ink on a piece of transparency. On the BACK side of my stamped image, I used my two-way glue pen to apply adhesive to her wing and then added Dazzling Diamonds. I used the glue pen again to add Fine Cosmo glitter in Rose Pink to her gown. Her hair was colored on the back side of the transparency, as well, with a So Saffron Stampin' Write marker. The transparency was then layered over a piece of Very Vanilla in the same size with gold brads. The gold brads are NOT from SU! and probably came from Hobby Lobby. The main image was matted on a slightly larger piece of Always Artichoke CS and then added to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals. Ribbon is Always Artichoke grosgrain.

I LOVE this stamp set! The only thing I don't like about it is the amount of time it takes to color the images. These images just scream for lots of different colors and it takes a while to get all the detail filled in. I used a card base of Baja Breeze on this one and the Ski Slope DSP. The image was colored with SU! Stampin' Write markers and layered over a piece of Real Red and a piece of Chocolate Chip CS. I added a piece of Real Red grosgrain ribbon to the bottom panel. The "very merry" came from "Holiday Tag Team", which retired last year (BOO-HOO!!!). I punched it out using the 1" circle punch and then matted it on Real Red and Chocolate Chip pieces cut with my Nesties.

Here's the cool part of this card! On the snowman apparel that I wanted to leave white, I added fabric puff paint and used my heat tool to "puff" it. Yep... it works on paper, too! I love the way it looks on cards. You just have to be careful to not "smoosh" (that's a technical term) it before it cools. If you do, you'll have flat puff paint and where's the fun in that?

I WILL NOT GO BACK TO MY STAMP ROOM TODAY. I WILL NOT GO BACK TO MY STAMP ROOM TODAY. I WILL NOT GO BACK TO MY STAMP ROOM TODAY. Don't know if that will work or not. I don't think it ever kept me from talking in class as a kid, so I'm not going to hold my breath! Toodles!

It's a Card-Makin' Day!

I think I've mentioned before how much Smith and Wesson like sitting under my Ott task light when I'm trying to be creative. Today was no exception. I managed to get one card made before Wesson had parked his buttocks under the warmth of the lamp.

It was okay while he was sitting off to one corner of my work table since I still had the majority of it to work with.

Then the little bugger decided he'd take a bath while enjoying the warm light. Smith slept through the entire thing, which is unusual. He's usually the one beating a path to the light as soon as it comes on!

This card is one that my Mom made as one of her Christmas cards this year. We worked on them last Saturday and they turned out GORGEOUS! We started with a card base of Pale Plum. The large snowflake from "Snow Swirled" was stamped on another, slightly smaller, piece of Pale Plum in Pale Plum classic ink. We matted that on a slightly larger piece of Chocolate Chip. A piece of Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon was added about 1/3 of the way from the top of the card. The tree (Lovely As A Tree) was stamped in Chocolate Chip craft ink on Pale Plum CS and was heat embossed using the Heat and Stick Powder. While that was still warm, we sprinkled Fine Cosmo glitter in Orchid on it. We tapped the excess off and heated the image again to set the glitter. That piece was matted on Chocolate Chip CS and then added to the front of the card. The sentiment comes from the "To You And Yours" stamp set and was stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink on Pale Plum CS and then punched using the small oval punch. The large oval punch and Chocolate chip CS were used to create a mat for the sentiment and it was added to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Here is a close-up of the card, although neither of these photos do this card justice. It is absolutely STUNNING in real life!

Ok... so that last card was done in non-traditional colors, but I wanted to get REALLY funky with it! Here I stamped the same tree in Taken With Teal craft ink on Pink Passion CS and heat embossed it using the Heat & Stick Powder again. While it was still warm I added the Turquoise Fine Cosmo glitter and tapped off the excess. I heated the image again to set the glitter. The back panel on this card was stamped using the same image from Snow Swirled, only I stamped it in Whisper White craft ink this time. The card base is Whisper White and the other panels are done in Tempting Turquoise and Pink Passion. This is definitely funky and, although I like it, it probably won't be the card I send out this year.

Here's the closeup of the glitter on this one and, again, the photo just doesn't do the bling any justice!

This is my favorite card of the day. It just looks so stinkin' fun! I wanted to participate in Beate's Weekend Sketch challenge and this stamp set came to mind immediately! my card base is Bashful Blue. The patterned paper panel is Frosty Day Designer Series Paper from this year's Holiday Mini Catalog, matted on Close to Cocoa CS. The main image was stamped from the "Holiday Lineup" stamp set. I used my AquaPainter and Bashful Blue classic ink pad to create a shadow behind these guys. Once that was dry (I'm impatient and used my heat tool) I colored the image using Stampin' Write Markers in Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, and Close to Cocoa. The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink on Whisper White CS and punched out with the 1" circle punch. Mats were created in Tangerine Tango and Close to Cocoa using the Spellbinders Nestabilities. A piece of Tangerine Tango striped grosgrain ribbon was added behind the sentiment before adding it to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.

This card started with a Kraft card base and uses the Ski Slope DSP. This also follows Beate's layout for her weekend sketch challenge. The DSP was matted on Chocolate Chip CS, as were the main image and the Felt Flurries embellishment. The main image was stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink on Whisper White CS. The edges were sponged with Baja Breeze classic ink and a sponge dauber. I used my two-way glue pen on the dove to add Dazzling Diamonds. A rhinestone brad from the Pretties Kit was added to the center of the snowflake. I used my Signo White Gel Pen to add "swirlies" around the edges of each piece before adding them to my card front. A piece of Chocolate Chip felt ribbon from the Alpine Ribbon Originals (Holiday mini Catalog 2008) was added to finish the card off.

Hope you've enjoyed my cards and more cat antics! Toodles!

Only 44 Days Until Christmas!

Before we get to the whole Christmas discussion, I just have a few things to get out of my system. I am SO excited because my mom and my sister-in-law, Tammy, are coming for a visit on Saturday (the 15th) so we can work on Christmas cards together. My mom has never stamped before even though she's a super crafty lady, and I'm SO super-duper excited about spending that time with her. Tammy is one of my regular stamp cronies and it's always exciting when she's coming to play, too!

MY BROTHER IS A LICENSED INSURANCE AGENT!! WOO-HOO! Derek took his insurance exam yesterday, for the very first time, and passed it!! I'm so excited for him! He's been running the Springfield newspaper route for years, which is AWFUL hours and is 7 days a week, 365 days a year. With a one-year old in the house, he'd like to have a little more freedom and "regular" hours so he's not sleeping when the rest of his family is awake. I'm SO proud of him and I know he'll do well!

Can you believe there are only 44 days left until Christmas?? It sneaks up on us every year and I THINK I have a head-start on the cards this year. Before I get to the cards, though, I want to let you know that I'll be having a Christmas "Stamp-A-Stack" class on Friday, November 21st, from 7 PM to 9 PM and again on Saturday, November 22nd, from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. The class will be held at my house and we'll be making 16 Christmas cards. They'll be designs that are easy to duplicate after the class if you need more than 16 cards. The cost of the class is $25 and includes all the supplies you'll need to make your cards. I do ask that you bring your own adhesive, paper snips or scissors, and a paper trimmer if you have one. If you aren't signed up for my monthly newsletter and would like to be, you can go here and click on 'Request My Newsletter' in the upper right-hand corner to sign up.

Now... on to the cards... All of these cards have been made using the 'Ski Slope' Designer Series Paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog. They all use the same coordinating cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, and Whisper White. Rub-Ons are from the 'Seasonal Sayings' set.


For this card, I stamped the snowflakes from 'Snow Swirled' in Whisper White and Chocolate Chip craft ink and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The snowflakes were punched out using various Stampin' Up! circle punches and then arranged on my card front. The smallest snowflakes were mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals. The greeting is also from 'Snow Swirled'.

This image was just stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink and cut out using the Coluzzle. It was layered over a piece of Real Red CS and then I trimmed that layer with my paper snips. I, originally, used the Coluzzle for the mat, but the next sized circle was about twice as much matting as I wanted for my image. The sentiment is from the "Many Merry Messages" stamp set and was stamped in Real Red classic ink. Ribbon is the Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon from SU!

This image was stamped in Real Red classic ink. I created a template for the "ice" by using my large oval punch and a piece of scrap paper. I placed the template over my stamped image where I wanted the appearance of ice and used a stipple brush to add Baja Breeze classic ink. The snowflake in the upper left-hand corner of the image is from the "Felt Flurries" kit and the brad is from the Rhinestone Circles "Fire" brads. The sentiment is a rub-on.

This is just a "felt flurry" with some Dazzling Diamonds added for bling. It's layered over three different sized squares and then I added a build-a-brad to the center. Ribbon is the Baja Breeze striped grosgrain ribbon.

This image is one of my favorites. It just reminds me of home and being all toasty on a cold, winter day. The image is from "To You & Yours" and is stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink. I used my two-way glue pen and some Dazzling Diamonds to add snow to the rooftop and the ground. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and was punched using the small and large oval punches. Ribbon is Chocolate Chip Taffeta.

This image is from "Snow Swirled" and was stamped in Old Olive classic ink. I added Dazzling Diamonds to the star (small star punch) and to the snowbursts on the tree for some extra bling. The greeting is from the same stamp set.

Here's my favorite house again! I used the same techniques as the previous card with the same image. I added a felt flurry with a silver brad. The notched end of the sentiment was made using the "photo corners" punch and was added to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

This image was stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink and then I added Dazzling Diamonds with my two-way glue pen. Ribbon is from the Holiday Mini Catalog Alpine Originals. The greeting is a rub-on from "Seasonal Sayings".

And... last, but not least... this is a full sized A2 card (5 1/2" X 4 1/4"). All the previous cards were 3" X 6". I used Julee Tilman's sketch challenge from her Poetic Artistry blog. I ran out of room at the bottom of my card, so I didn't get the three embellishments added that her sketch depicted. The image is from "A Cardinal Christmas" and I used the stained glass technique. The image is stamped on vellum using Basic Black craft ink. It was heat embossed using Basic Black detail embossing powder (please ignore all smudges! :) ). I colored the BACK of the stamped image using SU! Stampin' Write markers and an AquaPainter. Ribbon is the "Alpine" ribbon from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

WHEW! I've got to go plan for my upcoming card class now! Hope you're having a splendiferous Veteran's Day! Toodles!

What's That Saying About The Best Laid Plans?

I had planned to make about five cards tonight, but that didn't happen. I made ONE card in response to Beate's Be Inspired Challenge #29. The challenge was to use this photo as the inspiration for a card...



...and here's what I was inspired to do. I started with a card base of Kraft CS. I added a layer of Chocolate Chip CS and used the scalloped edge punch along the bottom. The images, from the "Pocket Silhouettes" stamp set, were stamped in Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss. It doesn't show up in this photo very well, but the Whisper White panel at the top is scored every half inch to duplicate the paneled look of the wall in the inspiration photo. The horizontal slot punch was used so the Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon could be run behind the image on the top panel. Three half-pearls from the 'Pretties Kit' were added to finish the card. Hope you like it! Toodles!

I've Been Inspired!

Today, I received this beautiful card from my brother and sister-in-law, Eric and Alysia. I loved it first because it came from Eric and Alysia, which always excites me. Eric is one of three birth brothers, all of whom I was able to meet for the first time last summer. The second reason I loved this card was because glitter outlines each of the larger butterfly wings. The third reason I loved it so much was because it absolutely screamed "Flight of the Butterfly", which is one of the new stamp sets in the current Stampin' Up! catalog. It was also one of our free sets for attending convention this year and I had only used it a couple of times before today. When I saw this card, though, I was just beside myself with excitement. I couldn't wait to get off work so I could come home and play!! I have NEVER made a card with no layers, which is difficult for me. I RARELY make a card with no bling, either, so adding the Dazzling Diamonds to this one was right up my alley. I'm not going to list each color I used because the list is so long. If you'd like to see the full list, though, you can view the card in my Splitcoast Stampers Gallery. Once you get there, just click on the image to view the details.
This is a perfect example of the versatility of Stampin' Up! products. You don't have to have lots of layers, embellishments, and tools to create a beautiful card. I DO, however, encourage you to buy all those products FROM ME just in case you need them. ;) (Proceeds will, most likely, be used to buy a plane ticket to see my baby brothers and their families.) Hope you like my card and a big THANK YOU to Eric and Alysia for inspiring me!! Love you! Toodles!

The Rest Of Today's Projects

Before I get started, can I just get an "OOH" and an "AHH" because these guys are just so darned cute (when they're sleeping)? This means that they weren't in the middle of my stamp table, trying to take a nap under the warm bulb of the Ott task light. Not sure how I managed to make three cards undetected... they must have been pooped!!








This card is the same as one I made last week, only I made a small change. I couldn't decide if I liked the look of the jumbo eyelets and ribbon on the original card, so I switched it up a little. I'm still not sure which one I like best.








This is the Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge (TECC39) for this week. I started with a card base of Pink Pirouette and added strips of Bella Rose DSP matted on Chocolate Chip CS. The cupcake stamp was colored with Chocolate Chip and Pretty In Pink Stampin' Write Markers and then stamped on Whisper White CS. I punched those out using the 1 3/8" circle punch and matted each one on a Chocolate Chip scalloped circle. I tied three little bows using the Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon and added them to my card using mini glue dots. The cupcakes have Dazzling Diamonds sprinkles, although you can't tell in this photo. It's much prettier in real life.








This is my favorite card of the day. I used this weeks color challenge (Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, & Pink Pirouette) and this weeks sketch challenge from Splitcoast Stampers. I used the "Snow Swirled" stamp set and added dazzling diamonds to the larger snowflakes (see next photo). I added a rhinestone brad to the center of each of the Chocolate Chip snowflakes. A piece of Pretty In Pink taffeta ribbon was added to the Kiwi Kiss panel. The Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette panels were embossed with the Cuttlebug snowflakes A2 embossing folder. I really like the way this one turned out! Toodles!

A Onsie And A Tu-Tusie...

I saw this idea for a "onesie turned tu-tu" at a craft show not long ago and knew I wanted to try it (Click on image to enlarge). The very next week Hobby Lobby had tulle on sale for half price so I knew it must be a sign. I sewed three layers of tulle around the waist and only sewed the crotch into it two times. Thank goodness for seam rippers!! After adding all three layers of tulle, which was gathered, I sewed a piece of ribbon around the top layer to give it a more finished look. The little flower on the right side is a piece of wide white grosgrain ribbon that I gathered into a circle. I added a pink flower shaped button to the center of that and sewed it on the onesie. It turned out pretty "onesie tu-tu cutsie", but I'm not sure I'll do another one unless I have requests. Hope your Sunday is just splendiferous! Thanks for stopping by and toodles!

Simple Birthday

Amy came over to stamp today and, once again, I chatted more than I stamped and didn't get ANYTHING done. I decided to go back to the stamp room later tonight and give it another shot. This card is the outcome of that attempt.

This layout is Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #63. I started with a card base of Certainly Celery. DSP is the retired paper called "Cutie Pie". The cupcake image was colored with Basic Black and Rose Red Stampin' Write Markers and then punched out using the 1 3/8" circle punch. I layered that over a Basic Black scalloped circle punch. Images are from the "Party Hearty" stamp set. In true Beate fashion, I added the photo corners punch in the upper right-hand corner. Her cards are WAY prettier than anything I've done, so you should check her blog out sometime. She's absolutely AMAZING!! Toodles!

Last Of The Weekend Projects

This is the last card I'll share for the weekend. This is another 3" X 6" card with a base of Old Olive. I used Au Chocolat DSP matted on Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip CS. Ribbon is Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain. The sentiment is from "Hugs & Wishes" and was stamped in Chocolate Chip classic ink on Very Vanilla CS. It was punched out using the new wide oval punch from SU!. I punched another wide oval from Chocolate Chip CS and layered the sentiment over it, offset slightly. This card was so simple that I feel like I cheated!!

When I finished making this card, I stood up from my work table and turned to put some supplies away. I had no idea Smith & Wesson were even in the room, let alone sitting on the second shelf from the ceiling staring at me! Sorry I didn't take the time to correct the color of their eyes... it's getting late and I'm pooped!! Toodles!

I'm Hooked!

I think it's safe to say that I'm hooked on faux embossing! This card was created for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. My card base is Pacific Point and was faux embossed with the snowflake image from the "Winter Post" stamp set. I stamped the main image on watercolor paper with Jet Black StazOn and watercolored it with markers in Pretty In Pink and Old Olive and my Pacific Point classic ink. The main image was matted on Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette CS. I thought, for sure, that I had already ordered the "Felt Flurries" from the Winter Mini. After turning my stamp room upside down looking for them, though, I finally decided that I hadn't really ordered them. Then it dawned on me that I had some white felt and an old Sizzix snowflake die. So I said to myself... "Self... since you own the Big Shot, why don't you make your own Felt Flurry?" And that's how this little felt flurry came to be. After I had run my felt through the Big Shot, I used a spray adhesive and covered the snowflake. I then sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds over it and Wah-Lah - A Dazzling Felt Flurry! (Click on images to view larger)

You can really see the shine on the snowflake here. The ribbon is the new Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin (to-die-for) ribbon from SU! I added one piece to the Pink Pirouette matte and then folded another small piece into a bow. I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole in the bow so I could add my Ice Rhinestone brad.






Here's a closeup of the main image. I added Dazzling Diamonds with my glue pen to the cuffs of the girl's sweater and to her hat brim and pom-pom. This card measures 6 1/2 X 3 1/4 and will fit in the open ended envies from SU! I hadn't ever made a card this size and I REALLY like it. You should try it the next time you get a chance! Toodles!

Faux Embossing ROCKS!!

For some reason I hadn't gotten around to trying the faux embossing technique. Well... tonight I did and all I can say is "OH... MY... GOSH"!! I am loving this and can't wait to try it with some other stamp sets.

This card was made for today's "Limited Suppy Challenge" at Splitcoast Stampers. The challenge was to use only cardstock and stamps with one piece of ribbon and eyelets as the only embellishments. Oh... and we were supposed to use the color blue on our cards. As much as I love the faux embossing, though, it looks to me like this card needs a little something else. Suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome, so leave a comment if you have any good ideas for me! Maybe the ribbon would look better if I used black. Hhhmmmm.... I almost think the card would look better if I left off the ribbon and eyelets and just went with the simple stamped image. Anyhooty... My card base is Pacific Point. The image is from "Upsy Daisy" and was stamped on Kiwi Kiss CS with Whisper White craft ink. The image was then offset a little and stamped again with Kiwi Kiss classic ink. The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig comes in super-duper handy-dandy for this technique. The stamped image is matted on Basic Black and Whisper White. I used the Crop-A-Dile to set my jumbo eyelets and added the Pacific Point striped grosgrain ribbon. Be sure to let me know what you think! Have a splendiferous weekend! Toodles!

Fall Is Here!

It started raining yesterday afternoon when the temp was about 70 degrees. The temperature started dropping not long after that and by the time I went to bed last night, it was probably in the mid-50's. I left the windows open all night, so I woke up to CRISP fall air this morning. I LOVE THAT!! The only thing better would be to wake up at my parent's place (they live out in the woods) and smell the fall leaves. Some things just aren't the same in the city! The temp in my house when I arrived home from work, this afternoon, was only 60 degrees, and we're expecting a low tonight around 38 degrees. I've got the windows shut and have put my dearly loved sweat pants on and am enjoying a steaming cup of french vanilla cappuccino. I'm thinkin' chili sounds good, too!! Maybe tomorrow night...


Pizza anyone? Jen Del Muro posted this FABULOUS mini pizza box template not too long ago and I've been wanting to try it out. Tonight, I was flipping through my SU! catty and saw a sample similar to this and knew that was how I wanted to decorate my pizza box. I used CS in Basic Black, Whisper White, and Pumpkin Pie. The stamp set was "Tasty Sweet" from the current catty and the ribbon is Old Olive grosgrain. The decoration is actually a belly band and will slip right off the box so the lid can be flipped up to reveal the contents. Isn't it great that SU! offers so many great ideas in the catty? And that our fellow stampers in the stamping community are so willing to share their ideas? I love how this turned out and may have to make several since they're so quick to make. Toodles! (Click on photos to view larger)

A Few Spooky Things

Here are a few things I've been working on lately. I've been trying to come up with some ideas that I can use in my PMS class this weekend. We'll be creating some of these projects. I just haven't decided exactly which ones yet.
I've been seeing these Frankenstein cards on Splitcoast and just loved them. They're so super-duper simple to make and are just adorable. I made a matching bag topper for a small bag of candy corn.


This is the ever-popular nugget box. It holds three Hershey Nuggets, which are all wrapped in DSP. The box has a cover that slides on, which you can barely see on the right side of the photo.



This is a small basket, which also holds a bag of candy corn.


I'm still working on getting this perfected. I got this idea from fellow blogger, Jami, and just HAD to try them. This one turned out super cute, but I want to make several in varying sizes and use them for a centerpiece on the table for Saturday's class.









And this little guy has been seen quite frequently around Splitcoast these days. This little spider is made entirely from punches and has a Peppermint Patty between his front and his back side. He's a real cutie-patootie!!

I need to get to work on some other projects, so I'm going to keep this short. I have several cards I need to get made for upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, expectant families... OOOOHHHHH... have I told you that my brother, Tim, and his wife, Tiffani, are expecting their second child? Peyton, their daughter, was born last September and can expect a little brother or sister next summer. How exciting!! Toodles!

Here's your post, Christy!

Christy has been after me again to post to my blog. I admit that I've not been very faithful in keeping up with it since I moved. I don't know if it's because my blogging surroundings have changed or if I'm just not quite settled in yet. Anyway, I'm going to make a better effort to blog on a regular basis.

Isn't this cute?? Well, you're not getting any deets (details) on it because this is one of the projects we're going to be making during October PMS (Paper-crafters Monthly Support Group) on October 18th. If you haven't reserved your spot, you'd better get your rear in gear... seating is limited and you're gonna LOVE, LOVE these projects. The cost of the class is $10 and that includes products used for the projects as well as detailed instructions you can take home with you for future use. If you have basic supplies and don't mind to tote them to my house, you can bring those. If you have your own scissors, paper cutter & scoring blade, bone folder, adhesive, etc., you don't have to wait on everyone else to finish with mine. If you bring a friend who is a new customer to me, and they place an order of $25 or more, you can both attend the class for $10. Class will begin at 2 PM and will (ideally) end at 5 PM. If you've been to these classes, though, you know that you can leave as early or stay as late as you'd like. E-mail me if you need more details or need directions to my house. Toodles!!

One Last Card For The Day

Yep... I've got the fever again. After posting my last blog entry, I headed straight back for the stamp room to see if I could come up with anything else. This card has a base of Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie cardstock. (Click on photo to view larger image) I added another layer of Basic Black and Orchid Opulence. The Orchid Opulence was stamped with the stars stamp from "Haunting Halloween" and Basic Black Classic Ink. The cat and the rest of the sentiment are from the same stamp set and were stamped in Jet Black StazOn ink on watercolor paper. The image was watercolored with Stampin' Up! markers and an AquaPainter. "Witching you..." was stamped on Pumpkin Pie cardstock in Basic Black classic ink and punched out using the large oval punch. I matted it on a piece of Basic Black cardstock that was punched using the designer label punch. Ribbon is the striped Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon from Stampin' Up! Toodles!

Gettin' My Mojo Back

Many of you know that I've been in the process of moving since August 15th. I know that's been a LONG time, but I've had a few setbacks during that time. The same day of my last post, I found out that the chimney in the new house leaked. I got that fixed and on that same day, my attic fan sucked one of the shutter louvres into the attic and basically tied it in a knot. It is NOT salvagable. I haven't had any major catastrophes since then, so HOPEFULLY that's the last of it for a while.

My friend, Amy, came over yesterday so we could work on getting some swaps done for our upcoming Stampin' Up! Regional Seminar in Kansas City on the 26th of this month. Amy accomplished a LOT more than I did. After taking a break from card-making, it's taking a while to get my mojo back. Here are a few things I've worked on lately...



This card has a Pretty In Pink card base. The DSP on the bottom of the card is Berry Bliss from the Spring Summer 2008 collection and retired with the release of the current Idea Book & Catalog. I stamped the hippo from "Bundled In Love" three times - twice on Berry Bliss paper and once on Purely Pomegranate Cardstock. I cut each of the three pieces out (body, head, and ribbon) and pieced them together. The head was mounted on dimensionals, giving it a 3-D look. The ribbon is "traitor" ribbon from Hobby Lobby. I used my Spellbinders Nestabilities to cut the rectangles for matting.

It seems like I always need a masculine birthday card and never seem to have a stash. I have plenty of cards stashed that would be great for anyone EXCEPT a man, so I made several of these the other day to keep on hand. The card base is Chocolate Chip. I used the Outlaw DSP (retired a year ago) and matted it on Sage Shadow cardstock. The ribbon is Chocolate Chip Twill. I stamped the mustang from the "Wanted" stamp set once on Very Vanilla cardstock (image on the far right). I inked the same stamp up again and stamped it off once on my grid paper and then again just behind my first image. I inked that stamp up again and stamped it off twice on grid paper before stamping it behind the second image. It gives the card the appearance of motion and is my favorite technique for this stamp set. The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip Classic ink using the "Happy Everything" stamp set.

This was an attempt at a swap. I don't know if it will be a swap or not. It was fairly time consuming, although I really like the way it turned out. The base of the card is Pumpkin Pie cardstock. I used Summer Picnic DSP and added it to a layer of Old Olive. The ribbon is striped Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain. The images were stamped on watercolor paper using Jet Black StazOn Ink. I used markers and an AquaPainter to watercolor the pumpkins. The image was matted on a piece of Old Olive cardstock and adhered to the front of the card. The leaf is from the "Seasonal Icons" set. I colored the stamp directly with my Pumpkin Pie marker. I then "thumped" the stamp with Old Olive and Close to Cocoa markers so the leaf would be multi-colored. I stamped that image on watercolor paper and punched it out using the 1" circle punch. I stamped the leaf again, directly over the original image, using Versamark ink and added Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I heat set the powder and then layered the image over a 1 1/4" circle of Old Olive and a 1 3/8" circle of Pumpkin Pie cardstock. That piece was added to my card front using Stampin' Dimensionals. Turned out pretty cutie-patootie if you ask me.

Guess I'll head back to the stamp room to work on gettin' my mojo back. Toodles!