Stamp Savvy

Fun & Easy Cards for Kids and Lots of Thanks

2011-02-14T16:09:00.009-05:00

Early last week a friend called and asked if she could come Friday and make cards all day. Umm, let me think...yes, yes,YES! I had no plan, just asked her to bring along her "All Wrapped Up" set. The only thing I had ready when she got here was the cinnamon coffee cake in the oven. Guess that reveals the real reason I like to have folks over...I tend to have something in the oven cooking when they get here. We both had a set of SU fresh-cut notes and that became the first thing we tackled. I saw some great cards on SCS and we both decided to case the same one. The result - the black and white cards in the middle...and the first fifteen cards done!

The cards on the left are packages of embossed thank you cards. That's another 32 cards.
I needed valentine cards for Bree and Ty and also made them 2 gift pouches that I filled with dollars instead of candy.
Don't think that I made all these cards on Friday. Other than the fresh-cut notes, I only stamped images from Donna's stamp set on Friday. I finished the cards on Saturday and Sunday evening. Here's the result. There were 19 of these cards - I used 2 already!

It's sounds like it took a long time - but it really didn't. I only spent a couple hours on Saturday night, about 2 hours last night and then finished up this morning. Here's what they look like all together!

Mmm...Yummy Mocha Cupcakes!

2011-02-10T14:50:00.003-05:00

Last year I found Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage blog. Then while browsing that blog I found a few more blogs which are now are favorites. One of these is Inside BruCrew Life...lots of great ideas and recipes. And, last night I tried one of her recipes! Here's the picture of my first Caramel Mocha Cupcake.

I love the cupcake...it's so me - dark chocolate, mocha...mmm! They look better than I expected and I will definitely make these again especially since Julie is so far away and can't taste one of these. You can find the recipe here on Jocelyn's blog.

2010 Book List

2011-01-04T10:12:00.003-05:00

Last year I set a goal of 52 books to read. I'm happy to report that this is one goal I met last year. Looking over the list I see that free kindle downloads play an important part in the books I read. Some of them I probably would not have read if they had not been available as a free download. Some of them I liked well enough to purchase other books in the series. The Wimpy Kid Diary books were read for my nephew Caleb. He and I sat on the swing on my mom's deck and started the first book, then I finished it that evening and asked for another. The next week we went to see the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie playing at the Maumee Theatre...perfect! Some of the books are written for young adults (8th-high school perhaps). These are some of the free downloads and are quick reads. I read them looking for books I could recommend to my nieces and nephews.
Books that stand out - Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black and White by David Barton; Tuck by Stephen Lawhead; Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and Cure by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones; and The People of the Mist by Henry Rider Haggard.
Well enough said. Here's the list:
Books I've Read (2010)

* ESV Bible
* The People of the Mist - Henry Rider Haggard (free kindle)
* The Judge Who Stole Christmas - Randy Singer (free kindle)
* Safely Home - Randy Alcorn (free kindle)
* A Simple Amish Christmas - Vanetta Chapman (free kindle)
* On the Run - Bill Myers (free kindle) (y)
* Counterfeit Gods - Timothy Keller
* I Come Quietly to Meet You - Amy Carmichael, arranged by David Hazard
* Dawn's Prelude - Tracie Peterson (free kindle book)
* Buried Sins - Marta Perry
* A Christmas to Die For - Marta Perry
* Wild Goose Chase - Mark Batterson
* Hide in Plain Sight - Marta Perry (free kindle book)
* Staying True - Jenny Sanford
* The Malacca Conspiracy - Don Brown
* Nightmare's Edge - Bryan Davis
* Eternity's Edge - Bryan Davis
* Beyond the Reflection's Edge - Bryan Davis
* Setting the Record Straight: American History in Bland & White - David Barton
* Stealing Bradford - Melody Carlson (free kindle
* Mixed Bags - Melody Carlson (free kindle)
* The Scarlet Thread - Francine Rivers
* Her Mother's Hope (Marta's Legacy series) - Francine Rivers
* War of Words - Paul David Tripp
* Living Organized - Sandra Felton (free kindle)
* Highland Blessings - Jennifer Hudson Taylor (free kindle)
* The Overton Window - Glenn Beck
* Homespun Bride - Jillian Hart (free kindle)
* The First Drop of Rain - Leslie Parrott (free kindle)
* A Passion Most Pure - Julie Lessman (a free kindle download)
* Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, Anne Barrows
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - Jeff Kinney
* The Edge of Apocalypse - Tim LaHaye & Craig Parshall
* The Slave Across the Street - Theresa L. Flores
* The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley
* Reflections on the Psalms - C.S. Lewis
* Same Kind of Different as Me - Ron Hall & Denver Moore
* The Still of Night - Kristen Heitzmann
* A Rush of Wings - Kristen Heitzmann (free kindle)
* Spiritual Depression-It's Causes and Cure - D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones
* Breaker's Reef - Terri Blackstock
* River's Edge - Terri Blackstock
* Southern Storm - Terri Blackstock
* Cape Refuge - Terri Blackstock (free kindle)
* Christmas in my Heart #13 - Joe Wheeler
* Vanish - Tom Pawlik (free kindle)
* Christmas in My Heart # 12 - Joe Wheeler
* La's Orchestra Saves the World - Alexander McCall Smith
* The Shunning - Beverly Lewis (free kindle)
* Where the Blue Begins - Christopher Morley
* Parnassus on Wheels - Christopher Morley
* Summer of the Midnight Sun - Tracie Peterson (free kindle)
* 12-Day Body Shaping Makeover - Michael Thurmond (free kindle)
* Dark Pursuit - Brandilyn Collins (free kindle download
* Tuck - Steven R. Lawhead

Operation Write Home

2010-10-23T10:41:00.005-04:00

Operation Write Home is an organization whose mission is to support "our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." This is something I've wanted to do and finally stopped long enough to make it happen. I had a stash of Christmas cards and also stamped for a couple of hours yesterday to give me this assortment. I hope to make another quick dozen before I send them on their way next week. If you're a stamper/crafter, you may have an abundance of supplies that could easily translate into cards for soldiers. What a perfect way to support our troops and clean out that ever growing stash of paper, ribbons, stickers...

Loving this transformation stuff!!!

2010-08-05T15:41:00.007-04:00

A few months ago I stumbled upon Transformation Thursday at "The Shabby Chic Cottage." There are some talented people out there and lots of great ideas. I've been wanting to replace the dated light fixture in my dining room, and with all the other makeovers and repairs going on, a new light just keeps pushed back. A few years ago, when I could no longer stand the brass light, I borrowed some of Julie's silver rub and voila...new light. I added some small shades (never really liked them) and then one Christmas added the beads and just decided to let them stay a while. So the picture on the left is what I started with today.
I really wanted to use black rub to cover the light...I have a tube somewhere...but after searching for a couple of months, I gave up and bought some metal paint at Lowes. I listened to 2 lectures on C.S. Lewis while I worked on the light. That really helped make the project go by faster. The picture on the right is what I have now and as you can see, I need to buy 8 light bulbs that match. Gary should be bringing those home tonight.
The two pictures below are Julie's. She repainted a couple of frames and made them chalkboards. They're hanging in her home office and help her keep track of her photography events and work schedule.

Mojo Sketch Inspired

2010-06-26T16:26:00.005-04:00

Yeah, I know, it's been ages since I've posted any work. It's not because I haven't made anything...I just haven't had the time. You know how it is - 45 min trip to work, 45 minute trip home, dinner, dishes, do this, do that and it's 11pm. Fortunately, I'm taking advantage of a few weeks off (thanks, Gary). While I'm tackling a list of long overdue projects, I'm pausing occasionally to share some of the things I've been making.
This afternoon I looked through some old mojo monday sketches and decided to try one from April. I used the new SU color coach to find a color combo for real red. It had real red, early espresso and pumpkin pie (wasn't really sure about this combo at first). But since I wanted to add some designer paper to the mix, I decided to switch to choc chip. It worked, I'm done, and I have another card to add to my growing stash!
Stamps:Pocket Silhouettes, Sanded, Matchbox Messages
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Ink; Real Red Marker, Pumpkin Pie marker, and Soft Suede marker

My Perfect Little Model

2010-03-29T11:28:00.008-04:00

I've been busy making fabric flowers using the Big Shot and the SU flower folds die. I thought the best way to share some is by using my perfect little model - Bree. And even better...we were at Julie's and she took the pictures. They took a walk in the woods and Bree had fun posing in front of the camera for her Aunt Julie.
Here's a sampling of their "work"

After many weeks...

2010-02-04T17:02:00.008-05:00

...and what seems like months since I shared any cards I've made, I finally grabbed my camera and took a few pictures. This whole thing takes a few days. I took the pictures last Monday when I had an hour of sunlight in my computer room. You know that little room we used to call the black room. The room where Julie watched a lot of movies, I had early morning devotions, Gary now has early morning devotions and it is now my home office. That room (just a bit of information that is not really necessary but shared nonetheless)! Yesterday I thought about editing the pictures, but took some medicine for my cold and went to bed. So today I took advantage of having a day home from work and uploaded the pictures and voila...a post! Anyway, here are 3 pictures of some recent projects. I used a sizzix die to make the tiny envelope on the first card. The white border was created with the new Stampin Up border and corner punches. And the border punch was free - it's a Sale-a-bration product.
The next little card (yes, it is only 1 3/4 inch square, tiny) was one of the projects made at my valentine card class last month. I then made several more to go with boxes of heart truffles. The glassine envelope is a new item in the SU occasions mini catalog...so cute! I named the little cards hugs and they add a nice touch to the top of the truffle boxes.
The last 2 cards are from a shoebox swap that I participated in with other SU demonstrators. It was fun to go to somewhere else and use other people's "toys" to make cards.
Okay, that's enough for now. Gary is coming in the door...gotta go!

Books Read in 2009

2010-01-03T19:55:00.003-05:00

It's time to start a new list for Books I've Read this Year (2010). I like to remember what I read the year before, so listing them in a post helps me find them later. I'd really like to read more this year. Cheryl keeps telling me about free kindle books, so I should always have a bunch of free material to read. I downloaded 5 on New Year's Day and started the year off by reading one of them that night. One down! Now if I could just read and exercise at the same time...

Anyway here's my list of books read in 2009
ESV Bible
Christmas in My Heart (#5)- Joe Wheeler
Christmas in My Heart (#10) - Joe Wheeler
Fireflies in December - Jennifer Erin Valent
The Christmas Lamp - Lori Copeland
Christmas Stories by North Carolina Writers (didn't really enjoy this one- there was only 1 or 2 stories worth reading)
The Christmas Bus - Melody Carlson
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and Not Be Overwhelmed - Carolyn Mahaney
The Women of Troy Hill - Clare Ansberry
Scarlet - Stephen R. Lawhead
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built - Alexander McCall Smith
The Miracle of Speedy Motors - Alexander McCall Smith
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive - Alexander McCall Smith
Blue Shoes and Happiness - Alexander McCall Smith
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies - Alexander McCall Smith
The Cupboard Full of Life - Alexander McCall Smith
Hood - Stephen R. Lawhead
Liberty and Tyranny - Mark R. Levin
The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith
Morality for Beautiful Girls - Alexander McCall Smith
Tears of the Giraffe - Alexander McCall Smith
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The Principle of the Path - Andy Stanley
it - Craig Groeschel
Respectable Sins - Jerry Bridges
A Violent Grace - Michael Card
44 Scotland Street - Alexander McCall Smith
The Cross Centered Life - C.J. Mahaney
Humility: True Greatness - C.J. Mahaney
Treasuring God in our Traditions - Noel Piper

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...

2009-12-24T21:14:00.002-05:00

...baking, decorating, creating, giving (& wrapping) presents, blessing someone in need, listening to carols, watching Christmas movies, my special time with my close friends, and having my family home. But all of these things would be meaningless if I didn't reflect on the person around whom the season revolves, Jesus Christ, God's gift to us. I try hard to keep Him the center of my thoughts and daily life. So I read! I read the Christmas story. I read advent stuff. I read books like Joe Wheeler's "Christmas in my Heart." I listen to Christmas music while at home by myself (a favorite this year, Chris Tomlin "Glory in the Highest"). And what was so very, very cool this year...Gary and I were able to attend PC3's Christmas Eve Service. It was incredible!
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. Blessings, Doris

Caroling Parties

2009-12-22T21:04:00.002-05:00

Another memory from Jill...
When I think of Christmas I think of those awesome Caroling Parties. They were so fun. These didn't start until we were in high school and we try to continue these as best we can; there's nothing like the old Calabash neighborhood. They so loved to see us and listen to our carols (that's because we had those awesome singing Walters! ;) and others of course, like Becky Stover.)
Lots of fun memories from these parties...
Like the year I leaned back on the bar and caught my hair on fire! Yes that's right I went up in flames, but everyone quickly got it out, nothing bad just a few singed hairs! We enjoyed learning a couple of country line dances one year. And simply all of the faces of appreciation from our neighbors (most were elderly) who enjoyed our company so much! And of course the gobs and gobs of cookies and yummy Snyder food!

Jill Writes...

2009-12-19T16:03:00.003-05:00

When I think of Christmas I think of...
Baking, baking, baking. I remember helping Mom bake cookies at Christmas time. We still do today. We bake so may different kinds of cookies. And then we make trays to give to customers of The Shipping Station (used to be all of the beach realty companies too when Dad still had Snyder's Lawn Care). I hope we continue this tradition, even though I don't own a business that requires that I make trays and trays of yummy goodies for my customers! I love to look through Mom's cook books. Although I now like to collect my own too! ;)

Gingerbread Men

2009-12-15T11:17:00.004-05:00

When Becky and Richard were preschoolers -many years ago- I used to read them the story of "The Gingerbread Man." I remember reading it over and over and over. After Jon was born I remembered the gingerbread story when I saw these cute cookies at Apple Annie's in Wilmington. So I bought one for Jon and sent it with his Christmas present. The first set of pictures was taken that year. The next year I sent another gingerbread man from Apple Annie's and you can see from the pictures that Jon was very excited when he recognized the box.

Every year I send Jon, Caleb, Butch and Becky each a gingerbread man. A couple of years ago I started making my own gingerbread men. I don't know if they are as good as Apple Annie's, but I do enjoy making them for the Rahes and for my family. Of course now, I keep the storybook on hand to read to Bree...especially at Christmastime when the gingerbread men make their annual appearance. Somewhere I have pictures of Bree with her gingerbread men. Hopefully I will post them soon.

Cookies and Peanut Brittle

2009-12-13T22:41:00.002-05:00

Whew! I am finally sitting down. I just finished stuffing over 90 little bags with peanut brittle..and I should add...after making 3 batches of cookies. Yes, it's that time of the season when Gary and I are busy making lots of goodies for his customers. I have no idea when this tradition started, but we've been doing this for many, many years. In 1993 I started keeping a journal of some of our special dinners, celebrations, parties, etc. Most of the entries tell my menu and the guests. Occasionally I actually made comments about food that didn't turn out or something that became a new favorite. It has definitely helped to have a Christmas cookie list from years past. So what did I make in 1993 that I am still making? Cranberry cheesecake bars, mexican wedding cookies, buckeyes, chocolate dipped social tea & vienna finger cookies. What did I make then that I haven't made in a while? Chocolate walnut minis (a small tart), Barb Weaver's sugar cookie recipe, and raspberry coffee cake. The first 2 take a lot of work and I can't get the raspberry filling to make the coffee cake (but I still look for it every year.)
Oh, the cookie trays will be done tomorrow! Yeah!

Julie remembers...

2009-12-11T21:58:00.002-05:00

"I remember before Jill got married we would sleep in the same bed the night before Christmas. I think it was so that Jill could wake me up. I knew the presents would be there when we woke up, but I guess Jill thought we better get to them before they disappeared. I remember being kinda sad when Jill got married and we couldn't keep that tradition up. But. at least I'm married too." Julie Snyder Mixon

Thanks for sharing

Christmas Stockings

2009-12-09T14:35:00.004-05:00

"When I think of Christmas I think of...stockings.
Stockings are my favorite. I love all the different stuff that would be in there! And we had really long stockings when we were growing up. So the gifts just kept coming and coming. I love to load Bree, Ty and Chris' stockings with unique candy that they will love and cool gifts too." Jill
I think what Jill really, really likes in the stockings is chocolate...especially if that chocolate has peanut butter with it! I don't think Julie complained about the chocolate either. And I will admit I always made sure there was chocolate for me and Gary! Wow...all this talk about chocolate...just gotta have some!

Christmas when you're 1

2009-12-08T20:33:00.007-05:00

More pictures of Christmas at the Naves home. Just think, there were only 3 grandkids at this time. Can you imagine what it looked like a few more years down the road when the grandkids kept coming and coming! Stacy had just turned 1 in November, Jill's birthday was just a few days away. I'm not sure they were all that impressed with the whole thing.
Becky, Richard, Corey, Stacy and Jill. I wonder if this picture was taken before the presents were opened. Either that or mom had already cleaned everything up...or maybe this is another room???
This is Julie on her first Christmas. She looks like she hadn't been awake long and was probably wondering what the big deal was all about.
I know it seems like presents are a big focus of our Christmases, but these are the glimpses we have because of pictures taken. We don't have pictures of singing carols or reading the Christmas story, or advent devotions. So enjoy these old pictures and I'll share stories about the other traditions and celebrations later.
Blessings

Holden Beach Christmas

2009-12-07T21:47:00.000-05:00

In August of 1984 we left family and friends behind and moved to Holden Beach, North Carolina. We rented a house on a canal on the island and somewhat enjoyed beach life for a while. The girls were so glad to have their Aunt Becky join us. It really helped adjusting to life away from cousins, grandparents, etc. Twenty-five years ago the beach became practically deserted after Labor Day. So we had a very quiet (silent) holiday. One thing I remember was walking on the beach on Christmas...barefoot. It wasn't really warm enough to be walking around barefoot...we just wanted to be able to say we were on the beach with sand between our toes.
I asked Gary what he remembered about our first Christmas here and he said, "We got the girls bicycles, it was 70 degrees and the girls were able to ride their bikes. So perhaps it was warm enough to go barefoot.
On the back of the Becky's picture I wrote, "Becky's First Christmas Away From Home." I'm sure she missed Mom & Dad and Richard, but we were all very glad she was a part of our home for our first Christmas here. (At least it looks like she enjoyed her gifts.) Don't the girls look so cute in their Strawberry Shortcake nightgowns!

From John

2009-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I can always remember dad running out at the last minute to buy something from mom. We always opened gifts on Christmas eve, and one year I got a lionel train set. We set it up on the kitchen table, and dad had it going wide open. It flew off the table and broke. Then I was sad, but dad went out and got a new engine for it!!!
God speed...John

Thanks for sharing that memory with me. I had forgotten all about dad's last minute shopping trips. And opening gifts on Christmas eve must have started after I was older ...maybe after I left for Nashville? I guess you guys got a jump start before the crowd came in on Christmas Day. In one of the pictures from Friday's post there is a huge dog. This was John's dog, a great dane (?) named Goliath. Man, that dog was like a small horse! Merry Christmas, John!

North Myrtle Beach Traditions

2009-12-05T07:00:00.002-05:00

When the girls were young, we bought a timeshare at Peppertree by the Sea in NMB. Our week is the one following Thanksgiving, so I guess you could say that it became one of our Christmas traditions. But like many traditions it too has changed over the years. When we first started going, the girls were homeschooled so part of the day was spent studying, part going to gymnastics and the rest enjoying the beach and the indoor pool. The last couple of years Jill and Bree have been able to come a couple of days. Jill would bring her computer and work from there, Bree and I would just hang out and enjoy the beach on warmer days. I'm not sure but I think one year Julie took some pictures on the beach that are now on her website. They're in the art section - alternative processes. - (I think #s 12-14 in the slide show - Is that right Julie?)
Anyway, over the years it's provided an opportunity to get some shopping done, Christmas cards done, catch a movie or a show, make truffles and buckeyes, and just enjoy family time at the beach. I love to watch the sunrise over the ocean and love to hear the waves crashing. It provides a glorious backdrop for morning devotions. Both Gary and I cherish these peaceful moments. I think that's the best part of the week.
"With the loving mercy of our God, a new day from heaven will dawn upon us. It will shine on those who live in darkness, in the shadow of death. It will guide us into the path of peace." Luke 1: 78-79
"Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words." 2 Corinthians 9:15
blessings!

Christmas at Grandma Naves

2009-12-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas at Grandma Naves has changed over the years. John and I don't live near, so our families aren't able to participate in that wild event. I say wild because that's what happens when that many kids gather in one place. But our hearts are there even when we aren't. I'm trying to think about Jill's age in these pictures and I believe in the first one she is 3, in the second one she's 5 and in the third one she's 4. Am I right? Anyway, from the pictures you see that Christmas at Grandma's was fun for the kids!

"Santa Claus" author unknown

He comes in the night! He comes in the night!
He softly, silently comes,
While the little brown heads on the pillows so white
Are dreaming of bugles and drums.
Who tells him I know not, but he findeth the home
Of each good little boy and girl.

He rides to the West, and he rides to the East;
Of his goodies, he touches not one;
he eats the crumbs of the Christmas feast
When the dear little folds are done.
Old Santa Claus does all that he can;
This beautiful mission is his;
Then children, be good to the little old man,
When you find who the little man is.

Becky's Thoughts

2009-12-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Becky shares these thoughts of Christmas.
This year as the holidays approach, I find myself singing old Christmas songs from grade school, songs from church and reminiscing of Christmas Caroling. I remember the innocence and excitement of waiting for the Christmas decorations and my mon's endless energy to get the house clean and all decorated. I can smell the aroma of cloves placed in an apple or orange and placed on a shelf. I see mistletoe hanging in the doorway as you go into the kitchen. Since we didn't have the luxury of having sweets all year round or just anytime at the touch of our fingers, the glorious fragrances coming from the kitchen as mother baked for the wonderful celebration was were highly anticipated.
I loved looking at our beautiful Christmas tree. I remember the light with color wheel shining on the tree. I would lay under the tree looking up and the lights were like stars shining. I would imagine the Star shining over Bethlehem that first Christmas. I always, from then on, wanted as many lights on my Christmas tree. I felt that it was my way of remembering that Jesus, God's precious gift to us is truly the Light of the World.
I also remember we always dressed in our very best and had all the family over! We couldn't wait to exchange gifts. I was always excited for Aunt Mary and Uncle Charlie to arrive, because I knew they always brought us a gift. Remember when we were children, we didn't get toys and gifts all year round so even underwear was exciting to get! I am thankful for the joy and love I felt at Christmas. It was such an exciting time, and I was so thankful for my 3 gifts and my stocking! (remember Jesus received 3 gifts on that first Christmas, so why do we think we have to break the bank now?) I still have my Christmas stocking from my childhood. I remember the nuts and little personal items. I really appreciate what I received and am so thankful. Now as a parent, I realize what it is like to try to find "the gift" to make our children happy. When as we have to realize is that if we would just keep it simple and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, we will make the holidays memorable!
Thank you mom and dad for giving me wonderful memories, especially you momma!
Becky

Nashville Christmas

2009-12-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

Wow, this was a few years ago. So young (and skinny)! Gary and I were in school in Nashville and it looks like we had 2 little cats. There wasn't a plan or theme for my trees back then...just whatever I had. I think icicles were the only requirement. I don't think the tree was as brown as it looks in the second picture. We had so much fun and were beginning to lay the foundations for future Christmas celebrations.
In my English class at Bible college I used Christmas as the theme for a poetry assignment. I think we had to choose a subject, find poems and somehow put them all together. I do remember that I got an A even though it was a bit "cheesy."
One of the poems I used..."Christmas is Remembering" by Elsie Binns.

Christmas is remembering
Shy shepherds on a hill
And voices echoing
"Peace--Good Will!"
Christmas is remembering
A stable and a star
And wise men journeying
from afar.
Christmas is remembering
A new-born baby boy
And all the world caroling
Songs of joy.

Christmas is Remembering

2009-12-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

I love Christmas. I love the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes of Christmas. I'm so glad I'm part of a family who loves Christmas. I can't imagine being married to one of those "bah humbug" persons! Ewww! I'm also very blessed to have some "kindred spirit" friends who also adore Christmas....definitely some great memories of past Christmases there!

For the next couple of weeks, I'm going to look back through the years and remember. I welcome you on my journey.

A few years ago, we started taking a family picture on Christmas day. This one is from 2007. Bree had so much fun helping Julie push the button on the timer and then running and jumping into place. And how cool is it to have a photographer in the family? Way cool!

Tomorrow we'll go back to Christmas in Nashville 1974.

A Few Cards to Share

2009-10-24T17:15:00.006-04:00

I finally took a few minutes and quickly edited some pictures of some cards from some recent classes and card swaps. The first card is from a swap using hostess sets from the new SU IB&C. I used "Of the Earth" a level 1 hostess set. The colors for the card came from the designer series paper "Tea Party". You wouldn't know it from these pictures, but "purples" aren't colors I normally choose.

The next card was from a class last month and when I made it I knew exactly which of my friends would be getting this one. And it was made knowing that I would be giving it to her to cherish the memory of someone she loved very, very much.

The last 3 cards were made at a quick and easy class I had last week. I had to go back to some basic layouts and work really, really hard to keep some of the cards simple. That's not an easy thing. But it worked and everyone completed all 12 cards in 2 hours. That's a good thing, especially when you have people who've never stamped before.

The other stamp sets used are medallion, fun and fast notes, and sentiments from thoughts and prayers and from warm words.

Blessings!

Julie's on Etsy

2009-09-28T16:47:00.003-04:00

Julie has a shop on etsy. It's called "Design Pile" and currently features photo christmas cards. It's a great value for one of her designs. She also offers printing service if you like a better quality print - you know something other than wal-mart, snapfish, sams, etc.

Check out her shop here

And remember her designs when you get ready to order your Christmas Cards.

(And FYI Julie is my younger daughter and also has an addiction to paper. It runs in the family - Jill has it too!)

Blessings!

Friends 24-7

2009-09-21T19:06:00.005-04:00

So hard to believe that more than a month has gone by since my last post. I really have made more than this one - single - solitary card. Really!

I've taken pictures twice. And realize that on my wish list I should be dreaming of a new camera - as in Canon Rebel (whatever camera that Jill bought on Julie's recommendation). Did I mention dreaming? Anyway, if I do get the camera how do I get in Julie's classes? She will be having a workshop in Southport in the spring, so if you have a digital SLR camera, I'm sure this class would be well worth your time and money.

I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, Julie bought a big new mac computer and her old one now resides in my home office. I'm having a difficult time transitioning to Photoshop. Again, I need classes. Julie needs to move closer. Wouldn't it be great if Brunswick Community College would add a photography/arts program and hire her. Dream, wish, hope!

Back to the card. This was one of the cards from my last class. The layout is from the 2009-10

SU Idea Book & Catalog. The stamp set is called Friends 24-7...such a great set. I'm so glad I have a 24-7 friend!

Blessings

Happy Birthday Bree!

2009-08-12T08:53:00.005-04:00

Today's is Bree's 4th birthday. When I called her this morning she proudly told me that she is now 4, that when she goes to school (childcare) today she will be 4, and that she will be 4 for a long time. I guess when you're four a year does seem like a very long time.
Bree is all about pink. Her bedroom walls are pretty close to the pink layer on the card. She likes cupcakes and princess stuff, but is not afraid to pick up the worms that get caught on the driveway after a rain. She gathers them, places them back on the grass, and then waters them hoping they will plump back up and live again.
I used the scallop edge punch to make the cupcake bottom and a circle punch for the top. I had to add some pink rhinestones to dress it up a bit. And the sentiment - well, it says it all. So Very Sweet! At least I think so.
Happy, Happy Birthday Bree!

Mojo Monday Challenge

2009-08-03T15:51:00.006-04:00

I made a card for todays Mojo Monday Challenge, and then I switched out the center of the card to give it a whole new look. Choosing a patterned paper from SU Sale-a-bration collection determined the color combination. The ribbon is also from last February's Sale-a-bration. The circle background and thank you stamps are from Inkadinkado (at least I think). The Japanese doll was made from punches.

This layout would be great to use for a brag book or mini album. Okay, now there's one more card challenge I would like to try before I begin dinner. If I keep it simple, I just might make it.

New Baby Card

2009-07-31T17:26:00.005-04:00

My niece Stacy had a baby boy a couple of days ago. She lives in another state so I'm glad my sisters have posted pictures so quickly to facebook. He's a cute little guy - only weighs 5lb 5 oz. Stacy and Will are home now and are doing great. Congrats to Stacy, her husband Eric and their sons Ian and Bradley.

I used Taylor's Challenge layout to make the card for Stacy. I found the soft sky patterned paper pieces near the top of my dp stash, so that determined the colors I used. The sweet bundle of love stamp is from Sweet Celebrations, the little baby from Tag Time and sentiment from Congrats (all retired SU sets). I used Blue Bayou ink for the image and sentiment.

On her post, Taylor said this was an easy layout and she was right. Check out her blog and see some of the other great cards using this layout.

Catalog Inspiration

2009-07-28T09:14:00.003-04:00

Most of the time I refer to the Stampin Up Idea & Catalog as just "the catalog." But it really is more than that. It really is a great place for ideas and inspiration. At the first Stampin Up workshop I attended, I purchased a catalog (see there I go again...calling it "a catalog"). Of course, I could have held a workshop or something and received it free, but that's another story or lesson learned. Anyway, the point is that I saw the value of having in my hand a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration. The card today was made using a sample on page 15 as the inspiration.
There is a level 2 hostess set in the new SU catalog called Asian Artistry. I really like the set and will hopefully be able to add it to my collection. But for now I pulled out a retired set (Calming Garden) to make this card. I used the same layout, kept the colors similar, and left off the ribbon. I also added a layer to the inside of the card. There is another sample on the same page that I think I would like to try with another stamp from Calming Garden. And then perhaps when I get the new set I can try both cards again with new images.
The original card can be seen in the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog.

Japanese Doll Card

2009-07-16T16:36:00.006-04:00

Sorry about the awful pictures. I guess you can tell I didn't take much time making sure the light was right, etc. There was a lot going on and I was trying to make sure I snapped a couple of pictures before the little dolls got packed away in a suitcase. My sister Becky and her family were here for a couple of days before they headed to the beach. We had been having problems with our well and were waiting for a new one to be dug. We had a temporary fix - yeah, right! That's difficult and inconvenient all by itself. Add six more people to that mix and I guess it was just bound to break. Saturday morning we woke to no water at all. Needless to say it was an interesting morning. We were able to get water from the neighbors to get things cleaned up before we all left for the beach. How did they do this 100 years ago? Oh, and while all this was going on, the little cat decided to give birth to her kittens. One did not survive the day and the other only survived 3 days. Sad.

Anyway, back to the subject. I saw some Japanese dolls made from punches on Kirsteen's blog.

I knew right away that Becky would want to make some. Kirsteen had listed all of the measurements for the card and the dolls. So Becky and I made a bunch of the dolls and one card. We knew we didn't have enough time to make a bunch of cards, but at least we made the dolls. Hopefully Becky will be able to make a bunch of cards when she gets home and things get back to normal - well just crazy normal (she knows what I mean.)

Check out Kirsteen's blog and see her other samples as well as the instructions

Finally...some new cards!

2009-07-03T20:33:00.006-04:00

Between working and helping Jill when I can, I haven't had a lot of time to make cards nor to post. So I snapped a couple of pictures to share. These are some that I have made over the last couple of weeks.

This first card was one of two made for Chris' birthday. This was my favorite and was the one made for Jill to give to Chris. I used a retired set called Fly Fishing. It's one of the first SU sets I bought. I don't have a lot of "guy" stamps, and this is one that I've just not been able to part with.

The patterned paper is from Parisian Breeze...so sorry to see the end of this paper pack.

I cased these cards from some fellow stampers. They are made with patterned paper and the large scallop sizzix die.

All of the patterned papers are from Stampin UP retired designer collections. Sure is nice using up some of my stash.

These are packed in a cello bag, tied with ribbon and sold at our store. They complement the Hype Strype collection we sell.

Next I want to make some of the cards with the little Japanese dolls on them. I really need to get busy on those before Becky's visit. She loves things with an "Eastern" look.

Have a blessed Fourth of July - Celebrate and read Mark Levin's book "Liberty and Tyranny."

Mojo Monday Challenge

2009-06-15T19:32:00.003-04:00

Wow...I managed to make another challenge card! I was beginning to think that perhaps these were a thing of the past for me. There's way too many things I should be doing on my Monday at home. Today, I painted some baseboards (should have been done months ago), washed the dishes, did some laundry, and...began the process of cleaning the grout on the kitchen floor...how gross is that? So, the Monday Mojo Sketch Challenge sounded like a good thing!
I used the Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper...it's on SU "going, going, gone" list. Baja Breeze was one of my favorite In Colors this year...I'll miss this one. Thanks to the Mojo Design team for another fun card sketch. Check out all of the cards here.

My card components:
Paper: kraft, baja breeze, Parisian Breeze Specialty, white
Ink: close to cocoa, chocolate chip marker, baja breeze reinker (with blender pen)
Accesories: close to cocoa ribbon, oval punches, flower fusion, CB folder

Happy Birthday Taylor

2009-06-12T17:11:00.004-04:00

Today is Taylor's birthday...Happy Birthday to one very talented lady!
The layout for the card is today's cupcake challenge. A couple of months ago I ordered some stuff from Taylor's store, so I pulled out some of it to make today's card. The paper, ribbon and flowers are all from that pack. The image is from TE Sweet Spring. I cut out a party hat, added a brad and some "fru-fru" ribbon (I have no idea what that stuff is called).
You know what, today's Stamp Simply challenge is "half circles" so this card meets that challenge too.
That's cool...2 challenges.

Anyway, it was nice to be making a challenge card again...it's been a long, long time.
Check out all the great cards on Taylor's blog

Catching Up

2009-05-31T21:07:00.003-04:00

Wow...it's been a long time since I've posted anything! I've not done much stamping, but I have been busy. One big project has been painting picture frames. The frog in the corner is actually stamped. That took a bit of work getting the correct amount of ink on the stamp. There has to be a better way. Anyway...he looks like he belongs with Bree out on that old boat. Of course this is one of Julie's pictures. Check out Julie's post here for more of Bree's "3 year old photo shoot."

You may notice from recent posts that one of the things I've been trying to do is use up some of the random things that have found their way into my stamp room. I found these containers and decided to paint them. The easiest thing for me was to stick with polka dots. I used rubber stamps for a couple of the sizes and a pencil for the very smallest one. Now what did I do with them?
I took them to the store and am using them as "props" around some of the gift displays.
I've also been working on bag tags...those have been fun!
And I am trying to learn how to use an Apple computer...well, really trying to learn photoshop.
Last weekend I went to visit Julie and she was able to show me some of her actions. Oh my goodness!!! I can't wait to try some of them. If you have photoshop or elements it would be worth it to buy Julies textures and borders dvd.

Clean and Simple Cards

2009-04-13T22:53:00.014-04:00

Last Monday my friend Donna was finally able to come for a few hours to make cards. She recently went back to work, so it's been more difficult finding a free morning. We decided that we wanted to make clean and simple cards. Donna sells some of her cards at a local shop...so these cards are easy to make and the cost is lower because they don't have a lot of embellishments.

Most of these cards are a combination of cards I saw on Splitcoast Stampers. The gallery section for clean and simple cards provided loads of inspiration. We spent about 15 minutes looking through some of the samples and then picked out a few stamps we thought would work well for these cards. We made almost the same cards...just changed colors or stamps.

These are a sample of the cards Donna made. She actually made multiples of each and will finish them later at home. She will be adding a sentiment and perhaps a piece of cardstock along the top or a ribbon...or leave them simple...which looks quite nice. She also made some similar to the first 2 cards.

The last card is also based on a card I saw on Splitcoast...I think the original card had a bouquet of flowers. I have already given the card away. She should have received it today with "a little something." Hope she likes it.

So...Donna left 2 containers of designer paper and card stock for me to plan ahead for our next stamp day. She really needs to make some things with all the product she has...boy, does that sound familiar. The plan is to have a plan! Perhaps then we will get more accomplished in a short period of time...
yeah, right!

2 Challenge Cards

2009-04-06T15:42:00.005-04:00

The sketch for the first card comes from Jen's Saturday sketch challenge. The card is for my nephew who turned 13 on Saturday. I know I'm a bit late in making the card. It's not that I don't remember these birthdays...I just remember too early and then put off making a card...then when I remember again...I'm late! I need a better system.
The sentiment on the card is from the retired SU set called Alphabet Soup (this set is one of the retired sets that I am selling).
Stamps: Alphabet Soup, Sanded background
Paper: baja blue, not quite navy, basic grey, white, not quite navy dp
Ink: not quite navy and going grey SU markers
Accessories: punches
I made this card for a friend using the mojo monday sketch. Papers: white, baja blue, Parisian Breeze Specialty paper. Ink: Not quite navy, baja blue, SU markers (not quite navy), reinkers (baja blue and kiwi kiss) with blender pens
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Cheep Talk, Think Happy Thoughts
Accessories: grey satin ribbon, punches, ice brads

Yummy Bunny

2009-04-05T21:16:00.004-04:00

I didn't think I would have the time to make a card for Taylor's sketch challenge this week, but thanks to Jill I had an excuse to make this one. She needs a card for her nephew and everything I've made so far has too much "girl" stuff on it. So I took out TE's Sweet Spring set and chose the cuppie and bunny and used lots of blue. The bunny and little boy blue cuppie were both colored with SU markers. I used a white glaze pen on the bunny's tail. I could probably add another layer of glaze and make the tail "pop" a bit more.
The background paper is from SU SAB paper set.
So that's it...simple, but cute.

My 2008 Books I've Read List

2009-03-31T06:22:00.001-04:00

I realized that I still had my book list was still from 2008. So I'm going to list them here and create a new list for 2009. I love to read and have been disappointed to find that I am reading less. Perhaps I am on the computer too much. I know it's not from exercising more! That said, I need to push away from my desk and just read.

2008 Books I've Read

The Bible (NLT)
My Christmas Assortment (3)
Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg
Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock
True Light by Terri Blackstock
Night Light by Terri Blackstock
Last Light by Terri Blackstock
My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas
The One Minute Entrepreneur by Ken Blanchard and Don Hutson
Breaking the Discipleship Code by David Putman
Mudhouse Sabbath - Lauren Winner
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
The Shack - William P. Young
Courageous in Calling - a Catalyst collection of assorted authors
Death in Berlin - M.M. Kaye
Epicenter - Joel Rosenberg
I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy t-shirt - Vince Antonucci
Looking for God - Nancy Ortberg
the organic God - Margaret Feinberg
The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren (was the 2nd time I read this one)
The Small Rain - Madeline L'Engle

Mojo Monday #80

2009-03-30T17:49:00.003-04:00

Card sketch challenges are a wonderful inspiration when making a card. But even then I sometimes have a difficult time choosing colors or stamps. But today's Mojo Monday card was much easier for me because I had a specific kind of card to make. I needed a card for a new baby boy and I wanted to use the retired SU set "I'm Here." I couldn't believe I still had some papers from SU "Splash" designer paper collection. Now all I need to do is make a couple of scapbook pages for Ty and I should be able to use up ALL of that paper.)

Gotta go, Gary will be walking through the door any minute and I need at least look like I'm making dinner. :)
Paper: barely banana, certain celery, bashful blue, white, Splash dp
Ink: bashful blue, barely banana
Accessories, punches, certain celery grosgrain ribbon

Hoppy Birthday Card for SFYTT

2009-03-29T17:24:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I took care of Ty while his mom and dad were painting and working at their new house. Ty's sleeper had a pocket on the front with frog eyes coming out of the top and frog legs sticking out the bottom...so cute! When I took the picture, I had already made the card, but got an ink smudge on the white card stock next to the frog image and was quickly stamping and coloring another frog. I put a couple of blankets on the floor and let Ty play. He figured out how to grab one of the hanging rattles and was having a great time. Such a cutie!

Anyway, his frog was the inspiration for the card I made for Jen's SFYTT challenge. All of the stamps are from the retired SU set called Unfrogettable. Everything was first stamped in Garden green and then colored with SU markers. The toadstool/mushroom is cutout and attached with a pop up dot. The patterned paper is on of the SAB papers (still available for 2 more days).
Check out the other samples posted on Jen's blog.
All supplies Stampin Up!
Paper: barely banana, SAB print, bashful blue, white
Ink: Garden Green, SU Markers - gable green, only orange, bashful blue, barely banana, garden green
Accessories: brads, Stampin Dimensionals

Cupcake Challenge #61

2009-03-28T13:08:00.006-04:00

This is the card layout from yesterday's Cupcake Challenge. It also fits the Stamp Simply challenge found here. That challenge is called "Let's Forget the Rules." It requires the use of either stripes or dots and if desired another print or pattern. That was easy...I chose one of the patterned papers from Taylored Expressions Easter Key Ingredients Kit. It had stripes on one side and polka dots on the other.

The image and sentiment are both from TE Sweet Spring set. I used SU markers to color the cupcake and jelly beans and of course added a TE brad on top. Bree really likes this brad...it sparkles. The felt flowers and light pink brad are from SU. I remembered to stamp a cupcake on white paper for the inside of the card.
The black border is one that Julie made for me.She sells her absolutely fabulous textures and borders (for printshop) on dvd. The dvd also includes a video tutorial and extra photoshop brushes. This is how she describes her textures and borders dvd:
Each texture and border was handcrafted for the purpose of making art. By mixing the elements of texture and line you will discover techniques to bring fine art elements to your own imagery. The video tutorials introduce techniques to get you started, but I encourage you to experiment with your own digital manipulation techniques…there are so many possibilities! Here are the specifics of what is on the disk: 31 different textures (I know, why couldn’t I have made it an even 30), 11 borders, 8 bonus Photoshop brushes and 4 video tutorials to get you going. Fun Stuff!

Check out her blog...

Mojo Monday

2009-03-23T19:20:00.007-04:00

I made a very quick card for today's mojo monday sketch challenge. The flower is a Hero Art stamp I have had for a couple of years. I colored it with SU markers. I stamped the green layer with the sanded background stamp and then used the scallop border punch on the bottom. The patterned paper is from an Old World Textured paper pack. I was trying to finish this in less than 10 minutes so I could go for a walk before dinner...and in doing that I took the picture before I realized I had not added a sentiment. On the sketch it is positioned above the green panel, right side. I'm not sure what I will use...birthday, thank you, thinking of you...any of those will work.
The best thing about today's card...10 minutes...it took longer to take the picture and post it here!

Cupcake Challenge #60

2009-03-21T14:29:00.004-04:00

Both Bree and Ty spent the night Thursday...it was Ty's first overnight visit. We all did fine even though I kept waking up to check on him. I took time to check out Taylor's sketch early so I could think about what I wanted to make. I just needed to find a few minutes to hide out in my stamp room. So after they were gone (and after dinner at the Mexican restaurant), I pulled out TE Sweet Spring stamp set and got busy.
I inked the image in basic brown and colored it with SU markers. Then I put this aside and finished the card this morning.
Instead of the oval layer on the sketch, I used the basket for the "oval." The egg on the left is cut out from dp from TE Easter Key Ingredients. The black dots on the egg and the eyes were made with a black glaze gel pen. I cut out the basket, added a pastel green brad on the ribbon and then popped up the middle of the basket with foam dots. I used a SU real red marker to color the dot on the top of the cupcake. Then I put Crystal Effects on it to make it look like a brad. The scallop border looked plain and boring, so I added a bit of bling. This could be considered a simple card if the basket was not cut out. To me, simple does not mean this much cutting.
Hop on over to Taylor's blog to see more cards using this week's card layout.

Thanks A Bunch for SFYTT

2009-03-21T13:34:00.004-04:00

This was supposed to be a quick card for today's SFYTT challenge, but it has taken forever (or so it seems). Part of the reason is trying to take a picture correctly. I really need to take some (lots) of lessons from Julie. I should start by looking at some of her blog posts and following the photo tips.
For this card I used SU pocket silhouettes stamp set and Parisian Breeze specialty paper (again). I know it seems like I've been using these quite a bit lately...that's because I have been using them quite a bit lately. I like them, they are both in the current catalog, and it makes sense to use what I have. Am I rambling? Ok..I'll quit!

Paper: Kraft, Baja Breeze, white
Ink: SU old olive, not quite nave markers, baja breeze re-inker
Accessories: Felt flower, flower and circle punches, blender pen, dotted swiss embossing folder

Mojo Monday #78

2009-03-16T13:23:00.003-04:00

It's Mojo Monday and another great sketch to inspire all of us (well, me) to make a card. The flower from Pocket Silhouettes is probably the only SU stamp (current) I have that fit in the parameters of the white panel. But that's ok...it's one of my favorite stamp sets. I used a not quite navy marker and a blender pen with baja breeze re-inker to color and stamp the flower. The patterned paper is from Urban Garden and the texture on the baja breeze panels was made with cuttlebug embossing folders. Circle Ice brads filled some of the empty space at the top, and gray satin ribbon "tied" the whole thing together.

I remembered to stamp and add an inside panel. I don't know why I don't do this more often. It only takes a minute and easier than adding it later.
I've enjoyed Mojo Monday sketch challenges and hope I'll be able to continue participating. My work schedule changes and I'm not quite sure where this will fit in. Oh well, it was fun!

Hello There, Somebunny Loves You Challenge Cards

2009-03-15T21:58:00.006-04:00

Last Wednesday I got my first Taylored Expressions stamp set (Sweet Spring). What can I say? They are soo cute. Unfortunately I had to wait until Saturday to try them out. Thursday I was helping a friend make her daughter's wedding programs. Friday was a mad rush cleaning and cooking for book club - and tea at my house. Julie came home Friday night (she photographed the wedding and she also brought an assistant with her). Of course when she comes, Jill comes. After all Julie needs to see Bree and baby Ty. Then some other friends stopped by. It was like old times. And what a great day for them to stop by...lots of goodies and chocolate.
So Saturday afternoon, I found an hour alone and pulled out my new goodies from TE...Sweet Spring and Easter Key Ingredients. I used Friday's sketch challenge and made this card. The blue and patterned paper, along with the green rick-rack, brads and flowers are all from the Easter Key Ingredients pack. The other papers are SU Gable Green and Pretty in Pink. I colored the images with SU markers. I'm sending this card to Bree. She loves getting stuff in the mail and is sure to love the bunny, especially the pink brad!

I also made a card for Jen's SFYTT. SU's Cheep Talk provided all the stamps for this card. I used SU markers to color the branch, leaves, and birds. The ribbon is from the SAB catalog...love that free stuff! I used Jill's CM oval cutters to make the oval layers and a punch to make the dragonflies. You can't see it in the picture, but there are 2 white dots on each of the dragonflies. They were made with white glaze pens.
Paper: Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Always Artichoke designer prints, white, and a 5x7 card from my "stash"
Ink: SU markers - night of navy, always artichoke, so saffron
Accessories: So Saffron ribbon, SU button, dragonfly punch, CM cutter

So here I am at the end of a fantastic weekend...tea with my very best friends, both girls were home...and Bree and Ty, saw some friends I haven't seen in a while, church was awesome today...and I made some cards.

Mojo Monday and Divine Design Challenge

2009-03-09T14:06:00.005-04:00

Today's Monday Mojo sketch provided the inspiration to make this month's Divine Design Bible Verse Challenge. I just finished reading Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney. (My book club is reading it this month.) It's a great book and I highly recommend it. C. J. Mahaney offers some advice on how to weaken pride and cultivate humility in our lives. Number 14 is identify evidences of grace in others and number 15 is encourage and serve others each and every day. It is in the discussion of encouraging others that he encourages the reader to memorize Ephesians 4:27 and to take it with you into your many conversations day by day. So I chose this verse for this month's Divine Design Challenge.
I used my computer to print the verse. The words "Good" and "Grace" are printed in baja breeze (I used RBG color to match). I wanted those 2 words to stand apart - just to help get the point across.
Perhaps if I have time I can make a couple more of these to give to my friends in the book club. Maybe I can make it like blog candy for them...a "treat" for reading my blog.
What did I use on the card: Cardstock - Chocolate chip, baja breeze, white, and Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer paper. Ink - baja breeze and chocolate chip markers, kiwi kiss re-inker and blender pen. Accessories - 5/16" brown brads, large scallop punch, cricut to make circle.
Last Word - Read the book if you have the opportunity.

Taylor's Cupcake Challenge

2009-03-07T16:41:00.003-05:00

Taylored Expressions is one year old and they're having a Par-tay. Hop on over to her blog, say congrats, and join the TE Birthday Bash.

This is the card that I finally finished for yesterday's sketch. Those little squares and I were really struggling last night. I tried different images, stamps, techniques, and colors. Then I said "enough" it just isn't happening. So this afternoon I pulled out the SAB designer pack Stampin Up and tried again. I cut the squares with a CB scallop square die, then used some temporary adhesive to keep them together so I could apply the black rub-on (from Love & Happiness - retired SU). I didn't do a very good job of lining them up when I attached them to the white card stock. Oh well.
I layered that on bashful blue cardstock and added a button and butterfly (MS punch). The certainly celery layer is stamped with Sanded, the sentiment is a rub-on from Love & Happiness, and the ribbon is one of the freebies from SAB. I guess what's so nice about participating in challenges is that I make myself make things that are out of my norm. And then even better, I get to see some really great cards made with the same layout. I loved Stephanie's card. Such talent!

SFYTT Challenge Card

2009-03-07T10:53:00.002-05:00

It's going to be a gorgeous day today. Lots of sunshine and some nice warm weather. I've had my coffee and I will soon take the advice on the card and "enjoy life's moments." After this post I'm going outside and hope to thoroughly enjoy working on my yard.
I made the card for Jen's SFYTT Saturday challenge. The designer papers are from SU Parisian Breeze Specialty collection...love this paper pack. The coffee cup is from the retired SU set "Like It a Latte." The polka dotted cup is a piece of the dp trimmed to size and attached with SU dimensionals.
Thanks Jen for another great sketch!
Now - off to enjoy some of life's moments! Hope you are too.

Becky's Cards

2009-03-06T17:18:00.010-05:00

Last Sunday I shared some of the things my sister Becky made while she was visiting. These are are a few of the cards she made. I was supposed to post these Monday, but you know the saying...better late than never.
Becky made a total of 15 cards and took home the "ingredients" for some Christmas cards that were left over from a Christmas class and only need to be stamped and assembled.

Becky's a very busy mom and wife, so I wanted to help her make some quick and easy cards.
These cards were made using Stampin Up designer papers. What you see on the cards are the 2 sides of the same piece of designer paper. Either a strip of coordinating paper or a ribbon was attached where the 2 pieces were attached together. The sentiments were stamped and punched with either the curly label or circle and scallop punches or the window punch.

The next 2 cards use the same flower, just different colors. flower is colored with SU markers, stamped across the bottom of a single layer card. Easy!

I made a card similar to this a couple of weeks ago, but used more mustard and kiwi kiss. Usually the image colors are determined by the color of ribbon I have available.
Another set of cards we made (sorry no picture) had grass (from Inspired by Nature) colored in Old Olive and Kiwi Kiss. Butterflies (MS punch) and/or dragonflies (an old punch I have from???) were attached and a sentiment stamped across the top. I CASED the card from one I saw on Splitcoast Stampers.

The flowers and sentiments from Thoughts and Prayers helped create a great sympathy card to add to Becky's collection. The lovely lilac layer was embossed with the swiss dot CB folder. The flowers and stems were colored with SU markers.

It's hard to tell how much time it took to make 15 cards. Most of the time was spent choosing papers and colors, but these cards could easily be don within an hour! Sweet!

2 More Challenge Cards

2009-03-02T14:49:00.006-05:00

It's Mojo Monday and boy did I struggle with today's card. I like the sketch, I just had a hard time settling on the stamp for the center layer. I think it's all because I have way, way, way too much other work to do to justify stamping. And perhaps there was a bit of guilt there, even some stress starting to mound. But oh well, what's done is done.
What I do like about the card are the colors and the designer paper. The paper is from the Parisian Breeze Specialty collection. I love the texture and colors (baja breeze, chocolate chip and kraft). I use sanded on the baja breeze layer (inked with the same color.. The flower is from Heartfelt Thanks and the sentiment from Cheep Talk.

I made this card yesterday for Jen's sfytt challenge. The house mouse stamp is called Confetti Rain 2 and is a stamp my sister Becky gave me a couple of years ago. It was lost in my stash (I remembered it after Becky's visit). The paper and ribbon are two of the free products from Stampin' Ups Sale-A-Bration. The paper and ink colors were chosen to match the colors in the designer paper: certain celery, so saffron and bashful blue.

I'm sure I left out some other details, but paper work, dishes, and laundry are among the things calling me right now. The paper work is in stacks all around me, so I think I will walk out of this room, shut the door and do anything but that on my list. Surely that will count!

Cupcake Challenge and Becky's Visit

2009-03-01T10:11:00.010-05:00

Wow...lots to share today. First of all, last Sunday my sister Becky came for a visit. This is her with my grandson Ty. We stayed so busy that we didn't realize until the last minute that we hadn't taken pictures. So she got one with Ty, but not Bree (she was in Wilmington at ballet and gymnastics).

I'm going to jump ahead to the card I made for Taylor's challenge,

It was a quick and easy card for me. I used my Inkadinkado cupcake stamps and made a birthday card that Bree can give away or for Gary and I to give to one of the girls in his small group. I used chocolate chip, regal rose, pretty in pink, mellow moss, and brocade blue markers to ink the image and sentiment. The bottom edge of the mellow moss layer was punched with the scallop border punch. The mellow moss strip was embossed with the dotted swiss cb folder, inked with white craft ink, then tied with pretty in pink grosgrain ribbon. The dotted paper is from a designer prints pack. That's it...done.

Now back to Becky's visit. Besides eating, spending time with family,eating, seeing the new baby, and eating, we managed to make a few things. Becky made 15 cards that she took home with her (I'll post some of them tomorrow.) She also made 2 mini photo albums and 2 flip scrapbooks for her boys Jon and Caleb.
One of their favorite vacation spots is the beach. So the set Shore Thing provided perfect images of enjoying sand and sun. After using Jill's cricut to make their names, Becky realized that she needs her very own cricut.

The last 2 things we made were flip scrapbooks. Jon plays a lot of sports and I think the colors of his team are red and blue, so that's what we chose for him. Jon is in the 7th grade and will have no problem filling his book with pictures and stuff.

We used chocolate chip and mellow moss for Caleb's book. He's in the 3rd grade and I hope he has fun with his book. Both of the title pages were made on my computer. I used RGB color numbers to match the books colors. We used some stamps, punches, cricut cut-outs and designer papers to decorated the inside. And Becky will finish embellishing them with stickers and stuff that she has at home. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Mojo Monday

2009-02-16T18:04:00.003-05:00

It's Mojo Monday and time for another sketch challenge. I checked it out first thing this morning, printed it, and then thought about it while I was cleaning (finally) the utility room. The room is now clean...even under and behind the washer & dryer. Of course I'm having a hard time breathing after all that dust. But it was worth it.
So I took a break and made my card. What's nice is this is an all Stampin Up! card. The designer paper is from Urban Garden. The stripes are the reverse side of the paper I used for one of the layers. The card base is baja breeze with a layer of not quite navy and then the printed layer. The flowers from Upsy Daisy were colored with Not Quite Navy marker and blender pens inked with baja breeze and kiwi kiss re-inkers. The sentiment is from Mark the Date, and the ribbon is basic gray taffeta. I like the results and the sketch. Mojo Monday is NICE!

Cupcake Challenge

2009-02-16T09:10:00.002-05:00

It took a couple of days, but I made a card for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge. OK...why did it take a couple of days? Well, I was waiting for Sunday when I knew I would be purchasing an Inkadinkado set from ac moore. It's so nice that the store is not too far from my church (PC3). It only takes a minute to run in with coupon in hand and make a quick purchase. Yesterday Gary took a coupon in with him and bought the MS butterfly punch for me...he's so nice...doesn't complain about stopping there and is always willing to help me use coupons!
Moving on...for the card, I used wild wasabi designer prints paper and so saffron cardstock for the layer beneath that. The scallop is chipboard which I inked with So Saffron craft ink and then added tiny rhinestones (from Walmart). I punched out a purely pomegranate circle and attached it with dimensionals. I used a water pen, purely pomegranate ink and brown colored pencil to color the cupcake. I cut it out and added some stickles. The celebrate sentiment is from the same cupcake stamp collection. After I stamped it, I went over the letters with a glaze pen. The 3 brads are from my brad stash. I think these were the last of this color :) yeah! I'm gradually using these things and will be so happy when they are gone. The next thing I want to do is sell some of my older and seldom used stamp sets. They need a new home. Watch for a list in the next couple of days.
Have a blessed week!

Kindred Spirit Card

2009-02-14T17:25:00.004-05:00

This morning I checked out Saturday's Sketch For You To Try on Jen's blog iheart2stamp. Even though I wanted to make something right away, I stuck to my plan and worked on taxes instead. I thought I would only be a couple of hours...wrong. I worked on them until 4:00 and then I said, "Enough!" So I retreated into my stamp room and made this card with today's sketch.
I started the card by choosing the 3 embellishments on the left side...fusion felt flowers and buttons...both items on my list of seldom used things. When I first started using Stampin Up products, my favorite color family was Earth Elements and I used old olive, more mustard, ruby red, and really rust a lot. I thought about that and remembered a card I made for a swap a few years ago. I couldn't believe (well, yes I can)...I still had a piece of cardstock that I used for the background of that card. I made it using the wax paper resist technique. So this is what I used for the bottom layer of this card. Well, that made the rest of the card easy to create. I pulled out the giraffe from In the Wild, stamped it in old olive and sponged some old olive around the edges. You can't tell in the picture, but the ruby red layer is embossed with a Sizzix texture panel. It actually goes well with the giraffe and background. I then remember how much one of my friends likes these colors and this stamp set so I stamped kindred spirit (from So Many Sayings) on twill tape and layered that on old olive grosgrain ribbon.
If you want to know more about wax paper resist, splitcoast has a great tutorial on it. It's really easy.

One Cool Dude

2009-02-10T13:21:00.004-05:00

I don't have any cards or projects to post right now. But I think it's time for an update on the little guy. The clothes and hat are from his Aunt Julie and Uncle Shannon. What can I say...he is so cute! His big sister Bree is keeping a close eye on him. I don't think she wanted him to go to sleep. Being a grandma is wonderful!
I would really like to add a texture or border to the pictures, but I haven't experimented enough with them. FYI...Aunt Julie does awesome work! Check out her blog.

Mojo Monday Sketch #73

2009-02-09T12:19:00.004-05:00

Participating in sketch challenges has been very beneficial to me. I try different card layouts, I actually make cards, I'm using more embellishments, and I get to see some awesome cards made by other stampers. I guess if there is a downside it is that I'm also seeing some really, really great stamps that I don't have!
This card is for the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge At first I wanted to try making a valentine's day card, but decided I didn't really need another one. So I made something I could give one of my friends. . . for a birthday, a thank you, for any reason. I can wait and add an inside verse later.
Two great things about today's card: I used some retired SU stuff - the ribbon and hodgepodge hardware. I kinda decided that I should try and use what I have before spending more! That's not always easy.
Paper: Brocade Blue, So Saffron, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla
Ink: Mellow Moss
Markers (to color the flowers) mellow moss, brocade blue, so saffron
Accessories: small oval punch, ribbon (from Theatre pack), hodgepodge hardware, button, linen thread

Friday's Challenge Card

2009-02-06T17:45:00.008-05:00

I learned late last night that a friend's father passed away a couple of days ago. I wanted to make a card and mail it right away especially since I was not able to attend the visitation nor the funeral. It's difficult to suddenly lose someone you are very close to and I am praying for the family.

I was hoping Taylor would have a challenge sketch today to help get some creative juices flowing...and she did.

It was difficult choosing colors. Many of my sympathy cards are done in softer colors. I hope these brighter colors will help convey the hope that she has in God that she will see her father again.

The Purely Pomegranate layer is embossed with a cuttlebug folder (I think textile). The tulips are from the retired SU set Watercolor Garden II- one of those sets I can't seem to part with.
The sentment is from Hero Arts.
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, and Purely Pomegranate (one of last year's in-colors.
Ink: same colors as paper
Accessories: Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Curly Label Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, brads

Sketch Challenge Cards

2009-02-03T11:01:00.008-05:00

Here are yesterday's Mojo Monday sketch and my card. I'm still on this kick of using some of my forgotten and seldom used supplies. The patterned paper is from a K&Company Designer Mat Pad. (That's a lot of words.) The papers are really designed to be mats for 4x6 pictures and I wish I would start scrapbooking more and using them for that purpose. But...
Anyway the colors for the card were chosen to coordinate with the colors in the dp. I used creamy caramel, pacific point, and riding hood red.
I used one of the cuttlebug folders to emboss the riding hood red layer. The flowers are a SU retired set - Easy Elegance. I used a mellow moss marker and a blender pen (with pacific point re-inker to color the flowers. I used a large scallop punch and then distressed it with creamy caramel ink. The sanded background stamp adds some texture to the creamy caramel labels and to the small punched flowers.
The monkey card was made with Jen del Muro's Saturday challenge. After rejecting 4 other colors and various stamps, I decided to pull out the stuff I have left in my Creative License Simply Scrapping Kit. I used a piece of dp and some of the stickers. The strips at the top and bottom, the FYI, the circle and star in one of the circles are all stickers from the kit. The monkey is from Zoofari, a current stamp set, and isavailable for purchase. The sentiment is from a retired All Year Cheer set, but you could easily use another stamp (like one of the stamps from On Your Birthday #111664). The monkey and colors make this a great card for kids.

Splitcoast Stampers has a limited supply challenge on Fridays. Last week the challenge was to make a clean and simple card. Gotta love this one. The card probably took 5 minutes to make. There are a lot of great cards in the gallery that will provide inspiration for many, many cards and I will definitely be be checking them out!

Taylor's Cupcake Challenge

2009-01-30T23:27:00.010-05:00

This is the sketch for the Taylored Expression Cupcake Challenge #53. And here's my card. The hogs and kisses stamp is by Inkadinkado and is probably 20-22 years old. I found the stamp among some seldom used stamps and remembered how much fun we had with this stamp oh so many years ago. I wish I knew then (about stamping) what I know now. I used a corner rounder on the black card base and pink pirouette and white layers. The little black dots were added because I just couldn't leave the white layer plain. The patterned paper is from Bella Rose dp series. And the black gingham ribbon was found in my ribbon stash. I'm really working on trying to get down to 1 drawer for my non-SU ribbons. I think I need to give some away!

I stamped the image with classic black ink on pink pirouette paper, then used a 2" circle punch to cut it out. I trimmed around the top of the hogs and layered it on a black scallop. I used Jill's new creative memories heart punch and used the inside heart for to add to the mix. Can you see all the little kisses on the hogs. Wouldn't it be cute if the kisses were in red. Maybe next time.
Thanks to Taylor for another great sketch challenge.

Busy, Busy Cupcake Day

2009-01-29T19:42:00.007-05:00

Last Friday Taylor posted her Cupcake Challenge #52 It was the one anniversary for her cupcake challenges on her blog. There were 8 other sketches to try from 8 of her friends. They were all great, but I only had time to make 3 of them.
This card is Taylor's sketch.
Bree has a pink cap with a cupcake applique'. It is so cute. I used her cap as inspiration for my cupcakes on this card and the next 2 cards. She said it is a "beautiful card" and so I guess she gets this one.
The only stamping I did was the "sweet" sentiment and the little red heart. The cupcake is made from Bella Rose designer paper. I used the scallop edge punch for the top of the cupcake paper and the 1 3/4" punch for the cupcake. The pretty in pink layer is embossed with the CB Swiss Dots. The "sweet" flower is punched out with the boho punch. I added flower fusion with pink brads. What a fun card to make!
This is Stephanie's sketch. Again I used Bella Rose designer paper. I made the cupcake with the designer paper but replaced the ribbon with a rhinestone brad.
I used the chocolate chip marker to define the edges and add dots to the cupcake. The cupcake is actually attached to the inside of the card. I punched a 1 1/2" hole on the front of the card. It's had to see but I used a stipple brush to give the cupcake a background.

Monika's sketch was a bit more challenging for me. I have a mega scallop punch which is great, but it was difficult to cut through 2 layers. It would definitely be easier to use the scallop circles with the Big Shot. (Those are on my list.) Again I used Bella Rose designer paper for the cupcake. The pink with brown stripe ribbon came from Gary's store (I ordered a roll when I had to order merchandise bags...so easy to just slip a little roll of ribbon on the order.) The pink organza ribbon is from the many rolls of ribbon left over from Julie's wedding. I'm thinking about getting red suckers and attaching them to the inside. This could be Bree's valentines for the kids in her Cubbies class. I guess I could change to colors to blue and brown for the boys.
Vicki's sketch took me away from cupcakes. Bree needs a birthday card for one of her friends. The card base, the ribbon and the ink for the sentiment are certainly celery. I stamped the tugboat with tempting turquoise craft ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. The blue strips and wave are bashful blue designer papers. The life preserver is attached to the boat with black hemp. The circles on the turquoise layer were made with a cuttlebug embossing folder. And last of all, there are 2 rhinestone brads. At this age, I don't think her little friend will even notice the bit of bling!

One Little Baby for Taylored Expression Cupcake Challenge #51

2009-01-20T17:20:00.007-05:00

It's nice to be back at home and really nice to be able to post a new card on my blog. I have been at Jill's house for the past few days helping her take care of her new baby and Bree. She had an infection and has been on antibiotics and pain medication...so I've been changing a lot of diapers...all that baby stuff! She's better and I'm home! I miss the baby!
So that said...I'll move on to stamp stuff.
I really enjoy looking at Taylor's blog and especially enjoy her cupcake challenges. This was last Friday's challenge and the card I made.

If you look at Taylor's blog, you will see a card by Jenn Diercks. When I saw her card using the elephant from Happy Heart Day, I knew this was what I wanted to do for a card for Ty. I used markers to color the image so I could put different words over the elephant. The "one little baby..." is from Curvy Verses. I inked the first half of the verse with certain celery marker and used the stamp-a-ma-jig to place it over the top of the elephant. I wrote "Ty" inside the heart. And it's true..."One little baby...many happy hearts!"
Thanks Taylor for a great card layout and a big thanks to Jenn for a great card to CASE. Check out her work on her blog I Got Stamps

Mojo Sketch Challenge #69

2009-01-13T12:54:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I went with Jill to take Ty for his 2 week check-up. He's doing great. Bree wore her big sister shirt and kept a close watch as the nurse practionor checked him out. So cute!
Anyway, we were gone most of the day and after they went home there was little time left for stamping. Well, I guess there could have been...but I couldn't miss Jack Bauer and 24!
So today, after working on tax stuff I took the Mojo Monday challenge.
This is another weekly sketch challenge that is definitely worth checking out.

Along with the challenges, I am trying to use some of the stash I have collected. You know...things you find on sale or clearance and think "I can use that." But then they come home with you and get buried in a box or drawer and quickly forgotten about.
So when I saw the round circles on this challenge, I remembered the buttons. . . packages of buttons. . . white ones, red ones, green ones, yellow ones...you get the picture. Yes, they were still in a little storage drawer just for buttons! It didn't matter that the red ones were not "real red." They were close enough. The patterned paper is from an Old World pack given to me for Mother's Day (or maybe my birthday?). There was a small piece that was perfect for this card. The other papers used are SU real red, pink pirouette, and basic black. I stamped sanded background stamp in both pink pirouette and real red inks on the pink paper. And I sponged some ink on the edges to distress it a bit. I don't have any nesties (they're on my wish list), but I do have a couple of punches that I was also very happy to use. The heart flowers and sentiment are acrylic stamps I purchased at a store last year. It's difficult to see in the picture, but the dots on the scallop circles were made with a Glaze Gelly Roll pen.
Wow...that felt good! I made a Mojo Monday card and used up some stuff!

Just a Little Sweet

2009-01-12T09:00:00.006-05:00

This sketch is from Taylor VanBruggen's weekly Cupcake Challenge. Her blog is awesome and is full of "sweet" stuff that is guaranteed to inspire. But be careful! You may find yourself suddenly craving a treat from your favorite bakery (Apple Annie's in Wilmington).

On her blog are links to some other great samples using this sketch. I think there are some scrapbook pages made using this layout...so if you're a also a scrapbook addict, check out the links.

I made up my mind to participate in this week's challenge. I decided to use a tiny little cupcake stamp (even tho cupcake images are not a requirement in the challenge) and I made a tiny (3x3) little card. I used SU chocolate chip and pink pirouette paper. The polka dot "ribbon" is a strip of paper from Bella Rose DSP. The cupcake is an incentive stamp from SU and actually has a candle on top and the words "make a wish" under it. So I used the chocolate chip marker to color just the cupcake and then used the fine tip of the marker to finish the line on top where the candle had been. The pink icing is done with stampin pastels. Baja Breeze flower fusion are under the cut out cupcake. "Sweet" is from Everyday Flexible Phrases which is a retiring set and is only available until January 18th. There was a container of glitter on my table, so I couldn't resist adding just a sprinkle.
I enjoyed the challenge and hope to try one again.

More Coaster Calendars

2009-01-06T22:37:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I still have more mini calendars. Why did I ever buy so many? These were much easier. . . just paper and ribbon. I chose the paper based on the colors of ribbon. Here I used real red, striped kiwi kiss, and double stitched chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon. The kiwi kiss paper is the only current designer paper. The others are retired. I'm really trying to use up that stash of retired designer papers. I need to find some bigger projects to make!
The designer paper is glued to the front of the coaster and a matching solid color to the back. I used the crop-a-dile to punch the holes for the ribbon, then added 2 magnet strips to the back.

New Years SCS Challenge

2009-01-05T22:06:00.007-05:00

With Christmas and the new grandson, I haven't been able to do much stamping. So I decided to try some of the New Years Eve challenges on Splitcoast. The first challenge was to make a card for a friend incorporating a "food" stamp. This was the perfect choice. The sentiment says it all! One of my very best friends enjoys coffee just like me.
I used the cuttlebug dotted swiss on the card base (front). The layer under the coffee cup is retired SU designer paper. Both the cup and the sentiment are stamped in close to cocoa. This is one of my favorite color combos.

Another challenge was to use a retired stamp and another was to use stamps with an Eastern Influence theme. This stamp (from Calming Garden) fit both categories. I really like the set, I just rarely use it. So it was a nice to dust it off and ink it up.
On page 9 in the Fall/Winter Idea & Catalog is a color scheme for eastern eclectic. So I used this to choose the colors for the card...tangerine tango, so saffron, very vanilla, and old olive. The different colors on the stamp are achieved by using markers to ink the stamp. I also used Sanded background stamp to give some texture to the old olive layer.

This card was more of a challenge. You were limited in what could be used...like 1" of ribbon, 2 brads (or buttons, or flowers), certain colors, 1 punch...stuff like that. The color choices were a bit unusual for me (not something I usually use). This is sage shadow and chocolate chip. The patterned paper is from my ever growing stash of retired designer papers. I'm trying really hard to use them up. The flowers and sentiment are from Pocket Silhouettes (absolutely love this set). I used sage shadow and chocolate chip markers to color the image, then used the curly label punch.
I saw another challenge today that I would love to try, but I will probably be heading to Jill's to wash her dishes and play with Bree while she tends to the new baby. Sweet!

Ty Harrison Hall. . .

2008-12-30T20:18:00.002-05:00

was born Saturday, December 27th. He is sooo cute! Jill is doing well and both are now home (along with Chris - he stayed at the hospital with them, and Bree - she stayed here with us.)
Bree loves being a big sister. She calls him "baby brother" and was happy to tell everyone all about him. I don't have pictures to post because I left my camera at the hospital with Jill and then forgot to bring it home today.
However...Julie has great pictures on her blog
She's coming back this weekend for Ty's first "official" photo shoot.

No more baking...almost

2008-12-23T21:47:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. And what have I been doing? Baking, making candy and packaging all the peanut brittle Gary has made. I think this is a record year for him. He and Debbie (from the store) gave out almost 100 bags to their customers. If you have ever made peanut brittle...especially a lot of peanut brittle...you know what a mess it can be when you break it apart. Well, all is done now and there is no more sticky residue on my kitchen floor. I made about 250 truffles, lots of buckeyes, vanilla cremes (that's new for me this year), and toffee crunch candy bars. I used snowflake stamps to decorate the cookie boxes, the candy wrappers, and tissue paper for the peanut brittle. (No, I did not stamp 100 pieces of tissue paper for Gary...just a few for some friends). I also stamped snowflakes on white cardstock and made pillow boxes with the Big Shot.
Here's what a few of them looked like.
Inside the pillow boxes were lip gloss and a mini candy bar. I made about 60 of these for my sister Becky. Almost all of them were on cardstock that I had stamped on. Just a few were made from designer papers. The pillow box die is a really great tool to make great favor boxes.

So what did I do today, now that most of the baking is done and the kitchen is finally clean? I helped Bree make her Christmas gift for her papa.
We took a giant pinecone, smeared it with peanut butter, and then covered it with bird seed. If you see smudges on her face, that's where she sampled the peanut butter. She did a great job and we had lots of fun. A couple of hours later we put it in a gift bag and hid it behind the tree. I explained that she was to keep this a secret until Christmas. Yeah, right! When he walked in the door, the first thing she said was I made you a present. She started rambling about birds and feeding them all the while I'm laughing telling her she isn't supposed to tell. But then that's what happens when you're three.
So, now we're a few hours away from Christmas Eve, and then everyone is here Christmas afternoon. We have one day to catch our breath and then on Saturday it's to the hospital where Bree's new baby brother will make his grand appearance. So the next pictures you see will undoubtedly be of Ty Harrison Hall.

Stampin' Up!'s Fall 2008 Retired List...Plus Free Shipping!

2008-12-10T11:06:00.006-05:00

Stampin' Up! just released their list of retiring stamp sets. And the best news is that Stampin' Up! is offering 10% off all of these stamp sets if purchased by December 23rd.
There's more! FREE SHIPPING on orders of $70 or more.

View the retiring sets and prices here

To place an order visit my Stampin Up website
http://dorissnyder.stampinup.net/
Be sure to click the "shop now" button in the top right corner.
This is the perfect time to purchase these stamp sets before they're gone for good.

Stampin Up Holiday Extravaganza Sale

2008-11-26T09:11:00.004-05:00

From November 26-December 1, get up to 50% off select Stampin' Up! products. See the discounted bundles here and place your order here. Click on the shop now button and start shopping!

Fall Fun

2008-11-16T18:34:00.005-05:00

Sometimes Jill works from my house. She camps out in the outbuilding while Bree and I have fun in the house. We usually play games and have little tea parties. But last Tuesday I was busy getting ready to paint the ceiling in my bedroom, so Bree had to watch more cartoons than she should have. So after lunch I decided we needed some outdoor time. Instead of grabbing the ball and bat we grabbed our rakes and got busy. Ok, I know you can see my rake leaning against the tree, and Bree busy with her little rake, but trust me...I raked!

See, I really was doing my fair share (which translates to most of the raking...after all she is only three and I am?). As soon as I had a little pile of leaves, Bree would come over, walk through them, kick them around, and wait for me to start over again.

Does this look like fun or what? I am so blessed to be able to spend this time with her.

Christmas Organizer

2008-11-15T19:45:00.012-05:00

Last year I saw some Christmas organizers that were made using half of a simply scrappin' kit. I think the first one I saw was made by Jan Tink. She makes some amazing things. It was on her blog that I found organized Christmas. Lots of ideas on that site to help you get organized for Christmas. They also have gift ideas and recipes. So first I made one from last years kit (there's a picture on my SU website or a description and picture on this post). I gave that one to my mom. So, this is the one I made with the I Wish simply scrapping kit. I love the colors, real red, chocolate chip, and old olive. I was thrilled that the Shipping Station had red pocket folders for my organizer. I'm sure Gary had them in stock just for me!
This is what it looks like inside. There are four pockets; one for my receipts, one for my gift idea book, one for a little note pad, and one for random things.

The little notebook is a junior legal pad cut at 3 inches. And yes, they also came from the Shipping Station. The other book is a list of gift ideas. I don't remember if I got the list from Organized Christmas or from someone else. But I ended up making one of my own in excel because my their list just didn't work for me. I added things like cd/dvd, gift cards, toys.

Here's a close up of the front.
Now all I need to do is shop a little and put this thing to work!

Advent Calendar

2008-11-06T22:24:00.010-05:00

I've been working on Jill's advent calendar and got side tracked making this one. Jill bought a rustic "house" calendar from Target last year. It has 25 little doors on it and is so cute! She's been busy with her research, work, and family and then the baby is due at the end of December. . .so I'm helping get the calendar ready for Bree. I'm printing the verses, etc to put behind the doors and Jill will add any little candies or surprises.

Last year Beate Johns made an advent calendar using small tins. Her tutorial for it is on Splitcoast Stampers. I think she used the Wilton favor tins that have a clear top. Mine have a solid top. I bought them on clearance a couple of years ago at Wal-Mart and was very happy to finally use them. I found the frame hiding on one of the shelves in the back room of The Shipping Station. It was a display piece for magnets. The paper is not attached to the frame; it's held in place by magnets that are behind each tin.

Most of the patterned paper is from Holiday Treasures designer series. I covered the "25" chipboard with the red with brown polka dots and sanded the edges. The "Days of Christmas" is cut from a set of cuttlebug dies. I decorated the tops with stickers from I Wish Simply Scrappin Kit, rub-ons from Season of Cheer, sizzix snowflakes, and stamped snowflakes.

I used a different set of cuttlebug dies for the numbers. They were the most time consuming part of this whole project. I used a glue pen and am hoping they will stick. If not I will apply a thin layer of Mod-Podge over the top.

On the last tin is baby Jesus! I colored this part of the stamp (from Season of Simple Grace) in chocolate chip and added the star.
Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to put in the tins and who's going to open them. Do you think this is something Gary is going to do?

Note Card Folder

2008-11-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

I think these folders are a nice way to give someone some cards or notes. Many of the ones I have seen contain monogram notes. But I chose to just make four cards. Two of them say "to you from me" and two say thank you. I could not remember where I placed the directions for the folder, nor could I find it on Splitcoast or Sudsol. So I just looked at some other samples, took a 8-1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock, folded it in half, folded it to make the inside flap, and that was it.
As you can see, I trimmed the inside flaps which makes it easier to close (and it looks better). The ribbon is threaded through to hold the envelopes and the cards in place and then it's tied to keep the folder closed. I used the Inspired by Nature set on the outside of the folder.
On two cards I used one of the stamps from Pocket Silhouettes. I used the Not Quite Navy marker and the blender pen with kiwi kiss reinker to color the flower. The designer paper is from Urban Flowers.
For the other two cards I used the sanded background stamp and the flower/vine from Fresh Cuts.
After making this first one, I see how easy the folders are to make...definitely faster than boxes. And four cards don't take long to make either. So this is definitely a great project for quick gifts for teachers, co-workers, friends...

Sudsol Challenges

2008-10-25T16:55:00.002-04:00

Wow, it must have been a month since I have participated in one of Sudsol's challenges. The design was for a square card...which I don't usually make. So this was good for me. I kept the card small-4"x4"- and limited the layers. The images and verse are all from the Season of Simple Grace set. The "texture" on the kiwi kiss card base is made with the sanded background (ink-kiwi kiss). The designer paper is from Holiday Treasures - one of my favorites. Now, my challenge is to create other things - decorations, favors, cards, etc-with this set and with the designer paper. And, I need to do this quickly in time for my upcoming open house. I have already been working on the other important samples for this event...truffles and new kinds of chocolates! As a matter of fact, I just finished one of those new creations...it's good, but I just don't know what to name it yet.
What...you want to know what it is! You'll just have to check back in a few days. Perhaps I'll take some pictures.

A Fall Page

2008-10-18T12:45:00.006-04:00

At the scrapbook retreat Jill made an autumn border for everyone (the one with the pumpkin).

One of the ladies, Marcie Burke, used the border from Jill and made another like it for the other page. The tree was made using the Cricut and all of the leaves are made using a Creative Memories punch. And look at the word "jump"...the position of the letters show action. Cute!

I love how the leaves "pile" up in the center of the 2 page layout. I think her pages turned out great.

There were so many great pages made at Jill's scrapbook retreat. I wish I would have taken pictures to share. I'll try and remember next time.

At the beach

2008-10-17T15:36:00.008-04:00

Last weekend I went to Jill's scrapbook retreat at Ocean Isle Beach. The weekend weather was dreary and rainy...and yes, that's good weather for scrapbooking at the beach. You scrapbook and you don't go for walks on the beach. The first group of ladies went home and then Bree came to spend a few days on the beach. The rain, drizzle, and dreary skies were replaced with sunny days. It was gorgeous.

Gary took Bree and her friend Cole to the beach to feed the seagulls. This is always one of Bree's favorite beach things to do. Next they went to the water's edge...feet in the sand, waves washing the sand away, gentle ocean breeze...absolutely wonderful!
These are future scrapbook pages!

Top Note Christmas Tree Card

2008-10-08T11:47:00.009-04:00

The top note die strikes again! Look how easy it is to make a card. I stamped the tree and star from the Wondrous Gift set. The tree is stamped in encore silver, the star in encore gold, then both embossed with clear SU embossing powder. I used the double circle punch to make little ornaments from night of navy card stock. I used Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive to attach them to the tree. You can use either the horizonal slot punch or the double rectangle punch to make a slot for the ribbon to slide through.

Using crystal effects on the little blue ornaments adds a 3-D effect to them. It's difficult to see that in the photograph, but they really do look like small, round, shiny ornaments. Allow enough time for them to harden.

The words "Christmas" and "joy" (from Everyday Flexible Phrases) added to the top of the top note layer would be a nice touch. For the inside I will use a computer generated verse printed in Night of Navy on white card stock, then use the top note die and cut it out to match the outside.

On the finished card you can see the snowflakes stamped on the Brocade Blue layer.

Stamps: tree, star and snowflake from Wondrous Gift (109467); snowflake from Season of Joy (110384)

Paper: Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Whisper White

Ink: Encore gold, Encore silver

Accessories: Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon, horizontal slot punch or double rectangle punch, double circle punch, clear embossing powder, crystal effects, Big Shot, Top Note Bigz die

Big Shot Top Note Bigz Die

2008-10-05T16:12:00.009-04:00

This week I bought the new Top Note Bigz Die (#113463). It's great and so easy to use. The first card I made was the thank you card using the flowers from Upsy Daisy. I used the die to cut 2 "top notes," one in white and one in almost artichoke.
I colored the flowers with pumpkin pie, really rust and always artichoke, stamped the sentiment in always artichoke, and sponged pumpkin pie and really rust around the edges. I trimmed this layer at the perf marks and then put it on the always artichoke layer. I tied more mustard ribbon around the card and then attached the stamped layer.

I've been seeing these cute little owls made with this die cut, so I had to make one. Simple! Use this Big Shot die, some circle punches, the 5 star punch (or just cut his mouth out freehand). Add white gel pen and you can be finished. I've seen some with eyelashes and all kinds of other embellishments. But this guy gets the job done!

Yesterday I had a Christmas card class and knew that I had to include a card using this die. The nativity scene and sentiment are from the Season of Grace set (111778) from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The card base is naturals ivory with a ruby red layer, the bottom layer note is kiwi kiss and the top layer is naturals ivory. Kiwi Kiss striped ribbon is layered on a 1" strip of chocolate chip paper and is the only embellishment I used on the card. The only tedious part of making this card is trimming the top layer. At least there is a perforated line that you cut along. If the card base was ruby red instead of the naturals ivory, I would stamp or print my sentiment on the ivory, run it through the big shot and have the big note cutout on the inside as well.

Kitty Thanks

2008-09-30T15:25:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my neighbor took care of Kitty while I was in Ohio. While there I bought her some candy coated chocolate sunflower seeds to say thanks for taking such great care of Kitty (and also the little cat someone abandoned). The sunflower seeds have been sitting on top of my desk waiting to be delivered. Why the wait? Well, I was supposed to make some cards to go with them. So I finally made them today. I used 2 of Beate's weekend challenges from SCS as inspiration. The cards have 3 basic colors: So Saffron, Ruby Red, and Close to Cocoa. (The thank you card on the right is in barely banana and is embossed with a cuttlebug folder. I don't know why I grabbed this paper instead of the saffron. But it's close enough.) All of the images on the cards are from the Pocket Silhouettes set and were colored with markers.
So, what do candy coated chocolate sunflower seeds taste like? I'll let you know...I bought another container for me!

Christmas Card

2008-09-29T11:37:00.000-04:00

I've been busy making cards for an upcoming class. Although this is one of my favorites, it will not be one of those cards. I used a 2"x5 1/2" piece of designer paper from Holiday Treasures. I had to select a section of the paper with the red poinsettia in a position where I could trim the top of it. Because of this I will be limited in the number of cards I can embellish with this paper. That would be fine for making a few, but not for making multiples for a class.
I also like the simplicity of the card. It's not difficult to trim the poinsettia, just time consuming. But you do get faster with practice.
Kiwi Kiss card stock: 5 1/2" x 11"
Riding Hood red: 5 1/2" x 2 1/2" (approx)
Holiday Treasure designer paper: 5 1/2" x 2"
Riding Hood Red Classic ink pad
Sentiment from Best Yet

Another Chipboard Calendar

2008-09-24T07:15:00.005-04:00

Unlike the other chipboard calendars I've been making, this one is for a desk. The others have a magnet on the back and are great for the refrigerator door or filing cabinet, etc. I decorated 2 coasters, used jumbo brads at the top, and tied them together with taffeta ribbon.
The colors of the picture are not true...the ribbon and paper strip along the bottom are both gray.
Julie will be home this weekend, so perhaps she can give me a quick lesson. She made a dvd with textures and borders that you can use to make great pictures. The dvd even has tutorials on it to help you with the process. It should be available for purchase any day now. Check out her blog for more info and for great photo tips.

Quick Projects

2008-09-18T12:45:00.006-04:00

Small pieces of card stock and designer paper may seem like trash to some people, but to me they are potential elements for future cards and other projects. I had a 2" piece of striped paper from the Holiday Treasures pack, a small piece of Riding Hood Red and small pieces of white. I used them to make this Christmas card.
The red layer under the sentiment is 2 scallop squares cut apart and pieced together. It's even difficult to tell that it is not one piece. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder on the card to give the background some texture. Gotta have texture!

It was time to make more bookmark clips. So, again, I looked through the scrap papers, chose some colors and started punching. These are so easy and fun to make. Debbie (at the Shipping Station) told me yesterday that her mother had so much fun when she made one of these at my open house in the spring. They're a great little add-on to a gift or card.

Decor Elements

2008-09-15T11:54:00.005-04:00

I've had this decor element for at least a month and today I finally put it on the wall. Gary and I are in the process of a major makeover for our bedroom. This is the tiny room in my bathroom that houses the toilet. It has always been plain...very plain. One concern I had about the long-stem silhouette decor was its size (52-3/4" x 12-3/4"). I didn't know if it would seem too large in this room. But it looks fabulous. I absolutely love it! Next I'll add a piece of Julie's art to complete the room.
So, was it difficult to put on the wall? Not really. I was a bit apprehensive about the size and doing this by myself. Having another set of hands would definitely make it easier, but I took my time did fine.
Stampin' Up's Decor Elements Phase 2 will be available in a couple of weeks. There will be new phrases, seasonal items, and art for the babies room. Check out the current items here.

Upsy Daisy Challenge

2008-09-11T12:18:00.007-04:00

One comment I hear from many people is, "I'm just not that creative." They love coming to classes where everything is done for them, but don't think they could make cards (or scrapbook) on their own. It really is not that difficult. There are so many wonderful inspirations out there. The first card is like one made by Maria Pobre, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator from Guam. The only difference between her card and mine is in the coloring of the flowers. Mine has more orange.
The image is stamped on the very vanilla card base, a strip of garden green is added to the bottom and a black ribbon is added. Easy!
Then I took the same card idea, thought of someone and her favorite colors, and went from there. I used naturals ivory for the card, mellow moss for the accent color, and pale plum, perfect plum and mellow moss for the daisy. So who is this friend who likes plum (well actually purple)? I hope she is visiting my blog today. If she is and comments, I have a surprise for her.

Card #3 For this card I went to the new in-colors. I used Baja Breeze and Pacific Point for the daisy (garden green for the stem). I used the distressing tool on the bottom panel.
All of the flowers are colored with stampin' write markers (or in the case of the in-colors, a blender pen and ink refills). Use the lighter color first, then use the darker color on the edges of the flower, color the stems and stamp.
Your challenge - use this layout and make a card. If you don't have this stamp, just use one that is similar. Then take the same layout and same stamp, choose different colors and make another card. Be the first to send me a picture of your results and I'll send you a set of four cards made with the upsy daisy set.
Remember the Upsy Daily stamp set (as well as Heard from the Heart) is on sale this month. You can order through my Stampin Up site by clicking on the "Order Here" button on the left and following the link.

Wow! 24/7 Shopping with Stampin' UP!

2008-09-09T16:11:00.003-04:00

Online ordering is finally here! How cool is that? Now you can order Stampin’ UP! ’s awesome products from me day or night from the convenience of your own home. It's so easy...all you have to do is visit my demonstrator’s web site www.dorissnyder.stampinup.net , click on the "shop now" button on the top right hand side of the page and place your order.

The first 10 people to place an online order of $50 or more will receive a special gift from me!

Purse in a Box

2008-09-08T20:24:00.003-04:00

I followed Andrea Walford's directions to make this "purse in a box." I'm glad I used retired dp for the first one, because I made lots of little mistakes. I didn't line up the paper correctly on the sides...but overall, it turned out okay.
I love the new stamp set Upsy Daisy (#11672) and love that it's on sale this month.
The sentiment "Birthday celebrations" is descriptive of the contents.

Birthday Cards! I only made four, but the purse could easily fit a few more. I used the daisy stamp on 2 of the cards and used stamps from Pocket Silhouettes (#111626) on the other 2. This stamp set is also on sale until the end of the month. (Check out the sale here.)

Diaper Fold Card Holder

2008-09-05T09:24:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago this pattern was used for an activity in a children's lesson at church. Of course, they only used plain paper, but I was already thinking "designer paper." Then just a couple of days later Beate had a tutorial on SCS showing how to make this paper holder. I made a small one right away...5 1/2" square. I covered a tube of lip gloss with matching dp and tied ribbon to a small bottle of nail polish. So cute! But next time I would try a 6" square.
This is my second diaper fold holder. This time I started with a 8 1/2" square. I used paper from the Urban Garden collection and attached the fusion flowers with a brad. The sentiment is from Pocket Silhouettes; it is stamped in baja breeze and punched out with the window word punch.

The pouch makes a great holder for these 3x3 cards. I used the same paper from the Urban Garden collection. The basic gray card has a layer of night of navy under the dp layer and the white card has a basic gray layer under its dp layer.

Chipboard Coaster Calendar

2008-09-01T16:00:00.002-04:00

How cute! I finally ordered some little calendars from vippies and made my first chipboard coaster calendar. I cut the flower out from a piece of designer paper. There's magnet strips on the back - perfect for putting on the refrigerator!
I took it with me to Toledo and gave this one to my niece Stacy.

Thank You Trio

2008-08-25T23:26:00.004-04:00

I needed to make 3 cards for Bree to give to her preschool teachers. I still have quite a bit of retired designer paper left, so I used some on these cards. And now I still have quite a bit of retired designer paper left. I think I need to find bigger projects.
Any way. Bree loves chasing butterflies, so I knew she would love having some on her cards. I stamped the image, then used the paper snips to cut it out. The snail is from a retired SU set. He's so cute with his little buggy eyes. I used a cuttlebug embossing folder (thanks or thank you) on each card, used the scallop edge punch and added a ribbon. Voila! Finished!

"Swap" Cards

2008-08-25T18:09:00.016-04:00

These are four of the cards I received in the card swap I mentioned in the previous post. The first one is by Kim Innis. The images are from the Happiness Always set (a level 3 hostess set in the new cattie.) These colors - old olive and tangerine tango -look so good together.

This card by Karenlee Atkin also uses the same stamp set. The butterfly is cut out and is a great touch to the card.

Susan Wright used the Wow Flowers stamp set for her card - and the new in-colors - pacific point and baja breeze. You may not be able to tell from my picture, but Sue put crystal effects on each "dot" of the flowers in the center panel. Looks great! Sue posted my card on her blog. To see more of her work...check out Sue's blog

The last card is made by Jenn Rivera. It's a stunning card. Pink and brown are one of my favorite color combos! The two rows next to the word amazing are made with the paper piercer. "Amazing" card! Jenn's blog

My "Swap" Card

2008-08-21T11:48:00.003-04:00

I recently swapped cards with some other SU demos and this is the card I made. The diagonals on the old olive layer were made using my scor-pal. If you don't have a scor-pal or another scoring tool, you can still make this layer. Use grid paper as a guide; start on the diagonal and make pencil marks every half inch; score the lines here; turn paper and make half inch scores in the other direction and score.
I stamped the image with elegant eggplant craft ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. I used re-inkers to color the flowers and leaves. It's hard to see, but I stamped the canvas background on the so saffron paper before I punched them out with the small oval. I like the texture it adds.
I plan on posting pictures of some of the cards I received from the swap. It's always fun to see what others have made.

Sudsol Challenge

2008-08-19T10:24:00.009-04:00

This is a card I made recently for achallenge on Sudsol. I used designer paper from the new Bella Rose collection and the stamps are from the Serene Spring set.

Happy Birthday Bree

2008-08-11T12:47:00.010-04:00

Tomorrow is Bree's birthday...she'll be 3! It's been a busy week in the Snyder family. 2 anniversaries and 1 birthday. Bree will be having a "jungle" theme birthday where else but at Jungle Rapids! Jill and I made her invitations. We used the Zoofari stamp set. There was a lot of punching and coloring going on. I don't have any "vine" stamps so we used a stamp from the Baroque Motifs to make them. We really liked colors from the Bold & Bright family, but Jill decided on these softer colors...they look a bit more like a little girl's colors -regal Rose, mellow moss, brocade blue, and so saffron.

This morning there was another Chat & Challenge on Sudsol, so I used the pattern to make Bree's birthday card. I used the new in color - kiwi kiss and was supposed to use tangerine tango...but I picked up another similar color -pumpkin pie. I was in a hurry...but I guess it works.

Ever since I saw a tutorial on spring cards, I have wanted to make one. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. The "spring" is a vine with monkeys hanging from them. I hope Bree enjoys her card tomorrow. Now I just need to get it in today's mail.

Happy Anniversary Jill & Chris

2008-08-10T18:32:00.004-04:00

Today is Jill and Chris' anniversary. I made a card for them similar to the one I made for Julie and Shannon. These were the colors in Jill's wedding. I hadn't discovered Stampin Up yet...the colors would have been perfect (mellow moss and perfect plum). This card was so simple...paisley embossing folder for the card front and swiss dot embossing folder for the plum paper band. I used the same stamp that I used on Julie's card...just changed the colors. And the little green flower in the middle is a rub-on. That's it!
FYI the fern behind this card is from Jill's wedding. We bought 35 ferns (most were boston ferns) to decorated the church. I don't remember if I kept any others...but this is one of 2 that I still have. They're outside my front door and come in during the coldest winter weeks. Happy Anniversary Jill and Chris!

August Verse

2008-08-09T19:04:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I was reading in chapter one of 1st Peter (New Living Translation). Peter was talking about the new life we have in Christ and in verse 23 he reminds us of the promise that "this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. Then he quotes the prophet Isaiah "People are like grass that dies away; their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers. The grass withers and the flowers fall away, but the word of the Lord will last forever." and then adds "and that word is the Good News that was preached to you." (NLT) Wow, what an awesome reminder!
I have a birthday this month and am amazed at how the years are rapidly slipping by. Maybe that's what caused me to take a second look at this passage. But I didn't dwell on that long...the words of Isaiah ring true to my heart....the Word of the Lord will last forever.
Take a few minutes and read the entire 1st chapter - it's good!
OK...the card. I used the verse in Isaiah (NKJV) because it was the one that I learned years ago. But I like the NLT verse also...and I am going to print it and stick it in my August file. Take time to memorize God's Word...hey, you don't even have to make cards to do it...it's just more fun!

Get Organized for Christmas!

2008-08-05T08:31:00.002-04:00

Ever since I saw Jan Tink's Christmas organizer I knew I had to make one. I used the same SU scrapbook kit that she used. And I think the front covers are almost the same. . . guess it's an easy thing to do when you use the same paper pack. Instead of a white folder I used red (mainly because that's what The Shipping Station had in stock...so nice to have an office supply store). This kit is no longer available but the fall SU catalog will have a Christmas/winter kit. . . can't wait to see what that one looks like.

On the inside of my organizer I have a Christmas gift list, an envelope for receipts, and a pad for all your lists. I used Jan Tink's idea of cutting a junior legal pad, covering and decorating it.
I left one pocket empty...just not sure what I want to use that one for.
I hope to offer a class to make these. It will be a breeze since I do all the measuring and cutting. And perhaps I will have the kit available for purchase if you can't make the class. I will post the date next week or you can check the event calendar on my SU website.

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-04T15:01:00.003-04:00

It's Julie and Shannon's wedding anniversary! 2 years. The card is mellow moss and chocolate chip. Those were the colors in the wedding. The asparagus fern in the background is from the reception. Julie and I painted 24 clay pots white and added either pink or green sheer ribbon around the top. Each pot had 1 plant with some height in the center and 2-3 plants around it - asparagus fern, or some kind of ivy. These were used on the center of the tables at the reception. We made the favors - small brown boxes with a homemade truffle inside. I think we made about 225 of those (well, I made the boxes and was very happy to have help from my family with the truffles.) I don't know how I got sidetracked - talking about wedding stuff. I just want to wish Julie and Shannon a very blessed and happy anniversary.
But I will confess that even though there's a lot of work involved, I love planning parties and weddings!