EASTERN ELEGANCE RUB-ONS

ETA: The top of the tin appears brown due to the overhead light and camera flash; I didn't emboss or otherwise color it.

Mercy me! Look what I decorated today! I took one of the tins that the Build-A-Brad comes in and decorated it with some of SU's brand spankin' new Rub-Ons! There are actually four packs of these from which to choose in the new catalog, but the ones that I used are from the "Eastern Elegance" collection. Can you say "EASY PEASY?????" It's kind of hard to read "Life is Beautiful" on the tin, and I guess I should have used white instead of black there. Oh well . . . I'm still learning! The packs of Rub-Ons come with two sheets . . . one with all black images and one with all white images. Go ahead and put "Rub-Ons" on your wish list because you are going to NEED them! You might as well get a couple of Build-A-Brads, too, because it's an equally fun and useful product, plus you get the tin to decorate!

TIC TAC TOE & DOODLING

I've never considered myself much of a "doodler," but I find myself reaching more and more for that white gel pen! I suppose I could get a bit more creative with my doodle art, but I seem to use the same squiggles and dots again and again. This tic-tac-toe project was stamped with the new "A Beautiful Thing" stamp set, and I chose Purely Pomegranate and Basic Gray for the colors.

To make the board sturdy, I used a 6x6 portion of the thin card board that comes with packs of designer paper and just covered it with Purely Pomegranate card stock. The Basic Gray card stock served to add a coordinating color, but it also became a mock grid once I put the punched floral-stamped squares in place.

BOATLOADS OF LOVE

Here's a little "Valentine-ish" card for you to feast your eyes upon. This is my first creation with Boatloads of Love, and it appears that I might need to go back to the drawing board. When I tore the colored image, my intention was to go for a totally different layout but something happened along the way. This was definitely one of those designs that you can't wait to finish so YOU can see how it pans out. ;-) BTW, I used a craft knife to make a slit in the tugboat so the cut-out hearts could be tucked inside.

STAMPIN' GOOD TUNES

I suppose it won't take you long to notice that the holiday music has packed its bags and gone away. I added a couple of new songs to the playlist. Have you ever heard of Jonny Lang? I found a couple of his songs while I was searching for holiday music a month or so ago, and I really like his style! I also added a song by Wynonna Judd about "you can't go home again." I love that one! The first time I heard it (recently), it reminded me of my mamaw because she bakes the BEST sugar cookies! I guess the older I get, the more in touch I'll be with those nostalgic tunes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the music!

"EMBRACE LIFE" TUNNEL CARD

Now that Christmas is behind us, it's time to pick up the stamps again! In this post, I'm sharing pictures of a tunnel card that I made using the brand new "Embrace Life" stamp set. All the flowers were watercolored using ink and an aqua painter. To cut the oval for the "tunnel," I used a Coluzzle template.

If you're thinking that I should have cut the ovals a bit larger, you're correct. ;-) At the time, I wasn't sure what I would stamp inside the tunnel , and I should have waited to cut the oval window after deciding.

CHAD'S NEW RIDE

What a fun day this has been! Earlier this month, we bought this vehicle for Chadrick's Christmas. We felt very lucky to have found one of the few vehicles he liked AND a color that he liked. The hardest part of all was remembering to NOT say anything about it! The funniest part was that the Jeep was parked in our neighbor's driveway, and Chadrick NEVER noticed it! We kept thinking that he'd surely make a comment about "that nice Jeep," but he never did. There was one time when I came pretty close to just handing him the keys and telling him he had a vehicle sitting right outside--that's when he was fussing because he wanted to go to a friend's house, but Fadi was gone in his truck, and I was going shopping and needed the van. Of course, he didn't just want to "go" to the friend's house--he wanted to drive himself there! Anyway, he went on a scavenger hunt today that led to the Jeep, and he was quite shocked at what was waiting after the last clue. He took me for a ride to Walmart this evening--not a really smart thing to do on Christmas Eve--but it was a really fun trip! I'm so happy for Chadrick to have one of his "dream" vehicles, but it's also a gift symbolic of giving him more freedom--letting him go a little more, and that's kind of hard to do. For the past 16 years, he has been my best buddy--my favorite companion. Maybe if I don't try to drive so much from the passenger seat, he'll let me tag along with him from time to time. ;-) I hope everyone who reads this post is having (or has) a Christmas as blessed as mine has already been!

SU RUB-ONS

This past week, I received two Spellbinders' dies that I had ordered, one of which was "Flower Creations." OMG!!! This is a wonderful die! Just look at the layered flowers I created! I have all kinds of paper and card stock in my stamp room, so I grabbed a pad of DCWV paper and used five coordinating colors/patterns to make the cuts. Choosing which ones to use for the layers wasn't easy! In the center of the three flowers, I used a pink SU rhinestone brad, which is a perfect embellishment for them! While very little of this card is made with SU products, a very important detail is SU . . . the white "you make me smile" sentiment. It's one of the images on the "Eastern Elegance" sheet of rub-ons, which is one of the new products in the Spring/Summer Collection catalog. It's been a while since I used rub-ons, but this was easy-peasy! I just cut (from the sheet) the image that I wanted to use, peeled off the backing, placed the image where I wanted it to appear on my card, and used the craft stick to rub the top of the image. Voila! Instant image transfer! Sooooooo easy and such a nice look! In case you're wondering, each pack of SU rub-ons contains two sheets that are FULL of designs (images, sentiments, words, etc.) . . . one sheet of black rub-ons, and one sheet of white rub-ons. When January rolls around, these little gems will certainly be on my first order of the year.

ANOTHER "EMBRACE LIFE" SAMPLE

The floral image on this card was colored with watercolor pencils and a blender pen and then accented with an Orchid Opulence marker.

PRODUCT REVIEW: ATG

What is an ATG? It's an Adhesive Transfer Gun (dispenser) for which you can purchase rolls of excellent adhesive! Your projects will NOT fall apart with the adhesive that fits this dispenser. BTW, I always purchase the 924 rolls, but there's a Gold adhesive that you can purchase if you particularly want something acid-free and photo-safe. If you've been to a framing store or the framing department of a craft store, then you've probably seen a couple of these dispensers (either red or yellow)lying on the counter/table.

Even though it's much larger than most tape runners, such as Tombow Mono Adhesive or SU's SNAIL adhesive, it's quite easy to get used to. I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive about using the ATG when I first got it, but it didn't take long at all to get used to it--I even use mine on really small pieces of card stock! I thought for sure it would be top heavy, but it really isn't! I'm not exactly the most coordinated person, but all you have to learn about the ATG is to put the unit on your card stock, squeeze the trigger, pull the ATG across the card stock, release the trigger, and lift the ATG off your project. That's it!

When used with card stock, it's fairly easy to lift a layer that's been adhered so that it can be re-positioned, and you can always just rub off excess adhesive that gets on your project where you don't want it. This is a REAL plus!

I'm happy to report that I have never had a project fall apart when I use the ATG. When I used the Tombow Mono Adhesive or SNAIL, I noticed that my projects, over a short period of time, would begin to come undone, and who wants that to happen???? As a SU Demonstrator, I feel a twinge of guilt for not using the SNAIL product, but I just don't have faith in it. If I won't use it, I won't demonstrate it and, fortunately, I won't say that about most SU products! When you compare the hold strength and cost of the ATG adhesive, I know of no other product that comes close to beating the ATG.

The best price that I've found for the ATG dispenser and tape is www.framingsupplies.com. I'm not affiliated with that company, nor do I get anything for referring people to their web site . . . I'm just a satisfied customer. I believe that a good adhesive is a very important tool for every stamper and/or paper crafter, and it's my opinion that the ATG is the best bang for your buck!

A BEAUTIFUL THING

The only name I know of for this card design is "Bib." The circular cut-out was created with the Coluzzle. If you're beginning to think that I like that tool, then you are correct. This is actually the first design I've made with the brand new "A Beautiful Thing" stamp set and Bali Breeze Designer Series Paper. Other SU products used include Scallop Circle Punch, Rhinestone Brad, Designer Label Punch, Taken with Teal, Basic Black, and Pumpkin Pie markers, Pop-Up Glue Dot, Slit Punch, Blue Bayou Double Stitched Ribbon, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, and Old Olive card stock, and the 1-3/8" Circle Punch.

I KNOW "CLUMSY" ISN'T A HOLIDAY TUNE, BUT . . .

I just had to add it to the Playlist! That is my current favorite song and, since I never hear it on the radio, I needed a place to hear it whenever. Chadrick set it up as the ringtone on my cell phone, but I don't get many calls, and now I just want to let the music play when a call comes in. ;-) The first time I heard this song, by Fergie, I hated it! The DJ said something about this song being popular and a chart-buster or award-winning tune, but I just didn't see how. The other day I was shopping at Old Navy, and this song came on. I totally forgot what I was shopping for and fell in love with it. Chadrick really doesn't like Fergie, so I knew he'd be disappointed with my new fave, but he took it pretty well. Search for it in the Playlist and listen to it if you've never heard it. If it doesn't put you in a peppy mood, then I guess chocolate would be your only cure.

EDITED: Chadrick, being the dear, sweet son that he is, embedded the video for this song, so all you need to do is scroll down to the green box and turn off the music that automatically started playing, and then watch this video.

WE GOT ELFED!!!

What a fun thing to do for the holidays! Check it out at http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1423058294. I could have taken the time to choose better pictures, but . . . I didn't have time. ;-)

I also created one that included my parents, niece (Haley), and great-niece (Malena). http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1427682982

EMBRACE LIFE & GINGER BLOSSOM PAPER

If you've studied your Spring/Summer Collection Preview Brochure, then you have caught a glimpse of the Ginger Blossom Designer Series Paper and the "Embrace Life" stamp set. The flower image used on this card is from that stamp set and, of course, that delicious paper is from the Ginger Blossom collection! I used Crystal Effects to outline my flower, which was colored with the Watercolor Wonder Crayons and an Aqua Painter, and accented with a Blush Blossom marker. The doodles on the River Rock layer were created with a Basic Black marker. I used the Coluzzle to cut the three layered circles. That's another new product--in my stamp room--that I'm really enjoying!

BAREBACK & BUILD-A-BRAD

If you haven't tried Build-a-Brad yet, you're cheating yourself out of a quick and fun embellishment! On this card, I stamped one of the star images from "Starstruck" onto Kraft card stock, punched it with the 1/2" circle punch, and made a brad that coordinated with my card design. BTW, this card features the "Bareback" stamp set which, sadly, is retiring. I'm not much of a horse enthusiast, but this little stamp set is great for masculine cards. I used the "Weathered" background stamp on this card and, of course, the sentiment is from "Define Your Life."

CHRISTMAS "CRACKER"

Goodness! It's been a while since I posted to the blog, huh? Sorry about that! It's been a busy time, and I'm sure you've been feeling the squeeze and rush, too. This "cracker" is one of my newest projects--just completed it a few minutes ago--and I wanted to post it here. This is no small package! From end to end, it's approximately 10.5" long, 2.5" deep, and 2.5" wide, and it is filled with my favorite Truffles . . . milk chocolate with a "smooth melting white filling." This is my grandmother's favorite Truffle, too, and this Cracker is for her . . . unless I decide to make another Cracker with a snowman theme. I really should since the Truffles are wrapped in white and blue paper with a snowman image. I'll try to do that tomorrow and decorate the project with a little more umph. This is actually an easy project to make! I used my Scor-Pal, which I L-O-V-E. Begin with a piece of 12x12 card stock, score it at 2.5" intervals which will leave a 2" strip on the end. Turn the card stock 1/4 turn and score vertically at 2.5" from each end. Trim the two ends that you just scored with decorative scissors. Fold on all scored lines to crease them well, and then place Sticky Strip on the 2.5" end of the card stock. Fold the project into a square with the 2" scored panel on the inside. Remove the protective covering off the Sticky Strip and secure the shaped box. After you have decorated the four panels, pinch one end of the card stock and tie closed with ribbon. Fill the Cracker and then pinch the other end of the card stock closed and tie with ribbon. That's it!

WANNA SEE SOMETHING CUTE?

This little guy is a pin made from a bottle cap. Not just any bottle cap . . . it had to be an unused one. If you have all the supplies needed, this is really an easy project. I began by using the heat tool to heat the cap so I could easily remove the rubber ring from inside the cap. Then, I ran the cap through the Wizard die cut and embossing machine to "mash" it. I stamped the snowman image from "Wishing You Cheer" with black StazOn ink and used Stampin' Up! markers to color it. The stamped and colored image was punched with a 1" circle punch, adhered to the inside of the bottle cap, and then Crystal Effects was poured on top. Waiting for the Crystal Effects to dry is the hardest part! I still need to put the pin on the back, but these bottle cap creations could just as easily be made into refrigerator magnets. The possibilities are about as limited as your imagination!

MORE "TIME WELL SPENT"

For many people, the daunting task of holiday shopping began today . . . really early! I think I joined the "day after Thanksgiving" shopping warriors once before, and it's just not for me. I don't like crowds, and I especially don't like for other shoppers' rush to ruin my day. It can be really cut-throat at malls and department stores, you know? But I will say this . . . it's a GORGEOUS day to be parking a mile away from a store and having to carry heavy bags all the way back to the car, sometimes to unload and go back for more. If you're among the shopping troops today, more power to you!

The real purpose of this post was to share with you another "Time Well Spent" card that I made this week. I am LOVING this stamp set!!! This card, like the other one, is a gate fold, and the two front stamped layers are adhered to opposite "gate doors." This is a really fun card design, and I think my club members will be making a gate fold card soon. I seem to be addicted to them! BTW, can you see the jumbo eyelets on this card? If you haven't tried them yet, you MUST! They are quite awesome! I was afraid they may seem too heavy for this card design, but they added a fair amount of charm.

Whatever you're doing today, I hope things are going your way! I must step away from the computer now and clean out the pantry. Chadrick reminded me last night that the pantry was on my list of things to do yesterday, and we all know that children promptly complete their list of daily chores . . . daily. Right? Watch out for lightening!

SO VERY . . . SORRY

I've been busy with chores today, but I had to take a moment to make a sympathy card. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I used the "rock & roll" technique with Soft Sky and River Rock Classic inks on the main stamped image. Layered on top of that is a Soft Sky accent punched with the Snow Blossom punch and embellished with one of those gorgeous little rhinestone brads. Card stock colors are Soft Sky, River Rock, and Whisper White.

TIME WITH SU IS TIME WELL SPENT!

If you're going to spend time representing a company, you should really like the company, right? Well, I REALLY like SU!! Granted, there are many companies that offer products which could possibly cater to my stamping addiction, but I can honestly say that SU treats me better than any of them! Last Thursday, I received a FREE stamp set . . . delivered to my front door. As a way of letting Demonstrators know that they are appreciated, SU sent us this awesome stamp set . . . "Time Well Spent" . . . which is a Level 3 Hostess set in the Spring/Summer Collection (new catalog) which will debut in January. The "happiness" sentiment is from a current Level 2 hostess set (Word on Word). My sister's birthday is on 11/22, so I made this card for her. Shhh . . . don't tell her that it's on my blog! I watercolored the stamped images on this gate fold card using watercolor pencils, Classic ink, a blender pen, and an aqua painter. The faux stitching was created with SU's white gel pen.

FALL FLOWERS

It seems like I've been working on Christmas projects for quite a while now and skipped the Fall season. Of course, Mother Nature tried to skip it, too. I have to remind myself that Thanksgiving hasn't even come yet! So, to celebrate Fall, I created this assortment of flowers. I doubt if birds actually build nests in flower pots, but this pot has two nests. ;-)

These flowers were made from SU's "Fall Flowers" designer paper, which is just gorgeous! The flower centers were created with a mix of products . . . punches, designer paper, chipboard, etc. I had a lot of fun making this project! The flowers are made like the paper stars except you don't make any cuts to the top and bottom of the accordion-folded paper.

REMINDER: SU is having a Paper Party, and you're invited!!! When you purchase three packs of designer paper, SU will let you choose a fourth pack FREE! That's a pretty nice party favor, huh?

LOOK WHAT LAURA SENT TO ME!!!

If you attend my workshops, classes, and other events, then you've probably often heard me mention "my friend, Laura." Well, Laura is a very talented stamper and fellow Demonstrator, and she sent me the above decoration which she made from coasters. Isn't it just great???? It's rich with coordinating colors and textures, and I just love it. She even made a coordinating birthday card! What a special friend, huh?

CITY OF DAVID

The other day, I needed a card for a swap and didn't have any idea what I wanted to make, so I just reached for City of David and the Holiday Harmony designer paper. Once I completed this card, I thought it might be a good design for one of my personal holiday cards. Features of this card are the gold-embossed image, designer paper used as "filler" on the card, and elastic gold cord.

Designer paper really comes to the rescue when your card needs just a little something OR when you're short on design ideas. Designer paper can enhance a design or it can BE the design! Now is a great time to try several of SU's designer papers because during the month of November, you'll get a FREE pack of designer paper when you order three packs.

NON-STAMPIN' UP! PROJECTS

When I bought this tree stamp, I was planning to ink it, stamp it, and then add some Swarovsky Hot-Fix Crystals to it. Once that was complete, I decided to add some gold Stickles to the ribbons of garland. I think "garland" is the wrong word but, for the life of me, I can't remember what the decoration is called . . . when you wrap ribbon around a tree. Sorry! Anyway, this card actually looks very nice and sparkly in person; however, it does NOT photo well. And the sun won't be up for a few more hours, so I can't open the blinds and let in natural light. The card stock is by SU . . . Forest Foliage, Ruby Red, and Whisper White.


And now for the second non-SU card. I got some fun things for my birthday . . . some Spellbinders' dies (scallop ovals, classic ovals, and Sleigh Ride) that I couldn't wait to play with! The sleigh on this card was cut (from aluminum) and embossed with the Wizard. It's such a pretty sleigh! The packages and bows were also cut and embossed with the Wizard, although the designer paper and card stock are by SU.

PAINT JAM

This guy is fun to watch! Enjoy!

HIM WAS MAD ABOUT HEMPZ!

Chadrick was looking for a receipt and other stuff that came with a part he ordered for his paintball gun, and I had put it in my purse but couldn't remember
what I did with it when I took it out of my purse. That's a normal occurrence, right? I looked in a few places and then told him to go look on my dresser since I may have "unloaded" there. He came back in a few minutes, with a stern look on his face, showed me a bag he'd found and said, "Just what is this? I'm very disappointed in you!" He was partly joking, but still unsure of what was in the bag. I started laughing and told him that it was a gift from the girl where I tan. Earlier this month, they had gone to a show for the indoor tanning industry and, obviously, a lot of vendors were there, giving out free samples, so the shop owner was sharing with her customers. I told Chadrick that he had not uncovered a secret stash and that the two-pocket zippered pouch contained several samples of tanning lotion. He checked it out and was relieved, somewhat. Now, he and I need to talk about that ring tone on his cell phone. It rang last night, and this is what I heard, "Roll, roll, roll your joint, take out the seeds and stems . . ." Once again, they put unpleasant lyrics to the nicest music! And he was concerned about my little green leaf????

HA! AN ACETATE BOX THAT I WILL MAKE AGAIN . . . AND AGAIN

After a little more digging, I found instructions that could be modified for this acetate box, and it is MUCH easier than the one I made yesterday! I'm trying to finalize projects and set a date for a holiday stamp camp, so look for this box to be one of the projects! ;-)

Stampin' Up! products used to create this box: Bashful Blue card stock, Blizzard wrapping paper, Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon, The Snowflake Spot stamp set, Chocolate Chip Classic ink, and White StazOn ink.

The snowflakes are hard to see in the picture, but they're really there!

CAN YOU SAY "EYE CANDY?"

Isn't this a cute box? I'm going to enjoy it because it's the only one I'll ever make! I didn't have any nicely wrapped candy to put in it, but that's just as well.

In case you'd like to make one, the acetate is made like a 2-4-6-8 box (only larger), and then the top and bottom pieces are attached to it. The instructions I had totally STINK because they leave a LOT to your own devices, and the measurements for the top and bottom Chocolate Chip pieces are scored exactly to fit the acetate box; however, don't we all know that won't work???? I know, I know . . . so why did I do that? I think I would have been better off to not even score the Chocolate Chip card stock and just wrap it around to fit. Images from Stampin' Up!'s "Priceless" stamp set were used to decorate this little dilly. White StazOn ink was used on the acetate (it worked GREAT and dried VERY quickly), and White Craft ink was used to stamp the Chocolate Chip card stock.

If nothing else, it does make a nice picture, and it really is something sweet for the eye to behold. ;-)

Have a stampin' good day!

BOY, DID I FEEL STUPID!

I'm sure you've felt stupid before, but how long has it been? For me, it actually happens quite often, but I had one of those moments today. Well, it actually started about two weeks ago when I put on a new shirt that had been freshly laundered. This was a brand new shirt that I was sure would become a favorite. It's a gauzy fabric that has a fair amount of "give" to it--the kind that feels like you're not wearing anything. And . . . best of all . . . I got it for like $12 at Dress Barn. When I put the shirt on, I was so angry because it had drawn up! And I didn't even put it in the dryer!!!! WTH? I didn't throw it away, though, I just threw it in the closet. For the past week or so, I have continued to look at that shirt each time I went in the closet for something to wear, getting mad all over again because I wanted to wear THAT shirt! Today, I tried on several shirts and didn't like any of them, which was making me kind of mad. So, I picked up the new shirt with the intention of putting it on . . . just to see if it looked as bad today as I remembered. Or maybe I just wanted to top off my frustration with something REALLY frustrating. Shrunk clothes never unshrink, so it was still shrunk and shriveled-looking. Argh!!!! In my heightened frustration, I just started pulling on this shirt to make matters worse but then I noticed . . . it was actually unshrinking!!!!! OMG!!!! Why didn't I think of this before . . . gauzy fabric does that . . . it wrinkles, shrinks, and then the shrinkage just disappears when you put it on. I am so loving this shirt today!!! I could be mad that I've wasted time kicking it around in the closet when I could have been wearing it, but I'm just thankful that some old knowledge finally came to the forefront of my brain.

The moral of the story: It is often during times of great distress that we discover that which has once before been discovered. [slap forehead with palm of hand]

WAKE UP CALL - NEW MUSIC

I started getting a little tired of hearing some of the songs on my Playlist, so I made a few changes recently. One of my current favorite songs is "Wake Up Call," but it has a dark side. A guy murders his girlfriend's lover . . . and disposes of the body! I saw the video and wasn't too impressed--I'd never promote murder--but I still like something about this song! If it should happen to pop up while you're visiting my blog, just enjoy the music and "tune out" the lyrics. ;-) Now, "Bubbly," on the other hand, is a happy little tune. Another new song on the Playlist is "Everything." I don't even know what this one is about . . . I can't seem to concentrate on the lyrics for listening to the music (ADD kicking in, I guess). Since Chadrick and I spend a lot of time in this room together (his computer is at the other end of the countertop), I hear a LOT of the music he listens to and, while I hardly ever listen to the words, I manage to pick up on a few choice words, if you know what I mean. For instance, there's an interesting song by Afro Man that I really like, but the lyrics REALLY turn vulgur. Why do they have to ruin songs with words that prevent the song from getting air time????? I hope you enjoy the music!

SNOWFLAKE BOX

It's that time of year . . . time to start thinking about the holidays. I don't really mean to skip over Thanksgiving but--truth be told--it's time to prepare for Christmas, particularly if you're planning to make gift items, decorations, etc.

I found the pattern for this little box and thought it might be a good holiday item. It is a good one--and would be a fun one to receive. The problem, for me, is that I don't really like working with patterns . . . I would much prefer to have measurements so that I can work solely with my paper trimmer and avoid having to copy a pattern onto card stock. Your printer might like card stock, but mine would just as soon chew most of it up and spit it out . . . if it didn't get choked on it. ;-) I have to admit, though, that I looked at the pattern, took some measurements, and used my paper trimmer to create this little gem. Between now and December, this might be a workshop or camp/class project!


The first picture (of the top of the box) doesn't really depict just how glittery the punched snowflake is. I used Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder on the punched snowflake, but I used Hologram Highlights Embossing Powder on the snowflakes that are randomly stamped on the outside of the box. Other snowflakes are stamped with Brocade Blue Classic ink on the box, too. In the second picture, you can see that there's a piece of acetate covering the window, which gives the recipient a peek at what's inside.

FYI: RIBBON ORIGINALS - COLOR MATCHES

Have you ever wondered which SU colors coordinate with the Ribbon Originals (p. 191)? Well, wonder no more!

BEACHFRONT: Basic Gray, River Rock, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Whisper White

DISTRICT: Basic Gray, Blue Bayou, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Sage Shadow, Whisper White

FAIRY TALE: Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Rose Red, So Saffron

JERSEY: Basic Black, Brocade Blue, More Mustard, Real Red, Wild Wasabi

SHERBET: Groovy Guava, Mellow Moss, Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky, So Saffron, Very Vanilla

THEATER: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, River Rock, Very Vanilla

ARLENE'S APPLE CIDER'D, HARDWARE'D, Z-FOLDED B-DAY CARD!

Arlene had a birthday this week. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. Her sweet husband ordered a HodgePodge Hardware Kit for her, and I thought she'd appreciate getting a birthday card with some hardware on it. And she did!

Apple Cider designer paper was used to decorate this card, and I used SU's Cutter Kit to distress the edges of the front panel. Card stock colors were Really Rust, River Rock, and Wild Wasabi. Stamp sets used were "A Tree for all Seasons" and "It's Your Birthday."

Shhhh . . . don't tell Arlene that by the time I was finished with this card, I REALLY wanted to keep it! Had to push myself all the way to the mailbox!

SO VERY . . . SORRY

One of my favorite SU Sell-A-Bration stamp sets of all time is from last year . . . "So Very." I "so very" wish that it didn't have to retire at the end of the SAB sales period. I had an opportunity (a need, really) to use it this morning. I found out that a person whom I've done business with a few times lost her home, her business, and three pet poodles to a fire this past Saturday. Fortunately, her family was able to get out of the house. I cannot imagine the magnitude of such loss--it's unfathomable! When I sat down to make a card for this family, the one and only stamp set that would work to convey my message was "So Very." The inside of the card just reads "sorry." What more can one say?

SO MANY STAMPS . . . SO MANY SAYINGS

Have you noticed SU's "So Many Sayings" (level 1 hostess set)? The stamp set comes with three stamps that are full of phrases/sentiments! I have one of the sets that I mounted on the three wood blocks that came with the set, but I have another "So Many Sayings" stamp set that I wanted to mount differently. This time, I cut the phrases apart and mounted them on long, narrow wood blocks that came with a Jenga game that we hardly ever play anymore and it is AWESOME! I no longer have to use a marker to ink the phrase/sentiment that I want--I just reach for the stamp I need, and ink it with an ink pad!

SCALLOPED FLORAL SNOW BLOSSOM

What does this card need???? I wasn't sure what to do with the "flowers" I created this morning, so I put them on the white panel. It was boring, of course, so I added some "doodling." It still wasn't exciting, so I added the red photo corner. I came home this afternoon and thought it still looked boring, so I added the "make a wish" sentiment . . . and then I added the three brads. It still seems to need something, but I'm afraid whatever it needs is something that should have been done before the doodling--maybe even before the flowers were put in place. Argh!

How did I make this card? I began by punching the Snow Blossom on three pieces of card stock (Real Red, River Rock, and Soft Sky). I then centered that punched out portion in the Scallop Circle punch, and added some doodles to the flowers. I used three pieces of Xyron tape (cut to size) on the backside of the flowers, and then sprinkled them with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. A mini glue dot was used to adhere the small buttons to the flower centers. Can you see how sparkly the flowers are?

I like the flowers, but the overall card design doesn't do them justice. I'll have to go back to the drawing board with this one. ;-)

WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to see what kind of monster I am. I took the short quiz, and this is what I got. Fortunately, I play well with vampires!

You Are a Werewolf

You're unpredictable, moody, and downright freaky. You seem sweet and harmless, until you snap. Then you're a total monster. Very few people can predict if you're going to be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. But for you, all your transformations seem perfectly natural. Your greatest power: Your ability to tap into nature Your greatest weakness: Lack of self control You play well with: Vampires

What Kind of Monster Are You?

HELP WITH "TAKE-AWAYS"

This is so funny!! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZA7Hhc_MnE

ANOTHER LICENSED DRIVER IN THE HOUSE

I knew this day would come, but still I'm not ready for it. Chadrick got his drivers' license today! We were both really dreading the process after the horrible experience at the Lincolnton DMV last week, but the longer drive to the Maiden DMV made a HUGE difference! The word "difference" seems to be quite an understatement because the Maiden office was absolutely NOTHING like that sleazy, depressing, worthless, crappy Lincolnton office! Can you tell that I have an extreme dislike for the Lincolnton DMV? Our experience today was so pleasant--and quick--that Chadrick and I were both in a state of disbelief. The Maiden office was big and clean, there was no waiting in a hot hall, we were treated politely, and Chadrick's driving test was super simple. He was much more at ease in Maiden--unintimidated--and don't we all know what a difference that makes? Now, there's a chance that the person who "helped" us last week in Lincolnton may have taken offense to something I said (not to her, but she overheard), but whatever! I've already cast imaginary spells against her and predict that she'll be a miserable louse for as long as she works in that dreary office. Last Monday, I was reminded of a boss I used to have. He was quite a character and it was hard to believe that he ever worked with the public. He said that whenever he had to visit clients and, basically, take a lot of verbal crap as they complained about the company, he would always be as pleasant as possible and NEVER let them know that they had squashed his last nerve. After he stepped outside, though, and was headed to his car, he would say, "Son of a -----, I hope you die!" I have to admit that I, too, have had to use his phrase a time or twenty, and it's almost as good as a working voodoo doll! This milestone in Chadrick's life had a rocky start, but everything turned out positive today. For that, I'm very grateful! Let's just hope I've told him all he needs to know--and that he's been listening!

STAMP-A-STACK CARDS

I totally forgot to post this last night when I wrote about World Card Making Day. In observation of World Card Making Day and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I hosted a Stamp-a-Stack on Saturday, October 6th. A portion of the event fee and orders placed on the 6th will be donated in my sister's honor to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

I designed these four cards for the SAS, and my guests got to make two of each design. Their bonus project for this fun event was getting to make their own two-pocket bag like the one that I made for their "thank you" gift.

Thanks again, ladies, for your support of this very worthy cause! I appreciate you!

WORLD CARD MAKING DAY

Yesterday was World Card Making Day, and I celebrated with a Stamp-a-Stack! My guests made eight greeting cards, and they each got one of these two-pocket bags for attending. Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, each guest (in their two-pocket bag) received two pink ribbon pencils, a pink ribbon book mark, a pink silicone bracelet, and an assortment of pink and white card stock. As a bonus project for attending my event, they also got to make one of these fun two-pocket bags!

Each bag had a shaker tag with pink ribbon confetti. The tags were created with a Sizzix die and acetate for the "window".

Thank you, ladies!! I truly enjoyed this event with you!

IT'S A POINSETTIA THIS TIME!

It's another tag punch creation, although this one didn't get to be a snowflake. When I started on this one, my plan was to make two of them, emboss them with Iridescent Ice, and use them as a snowflake just as I did on the previous card. All was going well until I started pouncing the VersaMark ink on the first one. I had dropped the ink pad, which landed upside down, so I just lifted the bottom and started pouncing it on the first flake. OMG!!!! It was a metallic gold ink pad!!!! Yikes! I tried to wipe the gold ink off the snowflake, but it was still somewhat discolored. I wasn't sure what to do with the other half of the snowflake until I remembered that one of the Wintergreen designer papers had a poinsettia design! And this half of my snowflake, all glittery and ready to go, was a perfect fit! Unfortunately, my picture neither portrays the sparkle on this card or the true colors of the paper. BTW, "Merry Christmas" is silver embossed. I was hesitant to use the silver embossing powder on that light green paper, but it actually turned out well. The rhinestone brads, in my opinion, turned out to be a perfect finishing touch on this card! I would like to have added some ribbon, but I couldn't decide where to put it.

CANDY CORN

The other night at Walmart, I bought some Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters. Chadrick tossed some candy corn in the cart. We had never tried Indian Corn, but we decided to get a bag of it, too. I saw where Chadrick had tried it tonight. Apparently, he doesn't care for the chocolatey end. ;-) He didn't seem interested in throwing away what he didn't eat, either. :-(

TIME TO LAUGH (OR CRY)

STAMP HEAVEN

A woman who was near death insisted she be buried with her stamps. As she passed away, she saw a white light and followed it until she found herself in a mystical place, surrounded by men and women who wandered about admiring all kinds of paper . . . beautiful paper on shelves stretching as far as the eye could see . . . and all the rubber stamps one could imagine. Overjoyed, the woman turned to a lady who was running her hands with pleasure over a rich and costly paper and said, "This is a wonderful place! Is it Heaven?" The lady replied, "No this is HELL. There aren't any ink pads.”

Author –Unknown

I think the moral of this story is to ask to be buried with stamps AND ink. Hee! Hee!

I've attached a sample (technique: Cuttlebug Smoosh) to this post so it won't look so boring.

TAG PUNCH SNOWFLAKE

Can you say "COOL BEANS?????" This is my very first snowflake created with Stampin' Up!'s tag punches, and I'm quite pleased with it. Although it was quite easy to make, it was somewhat tedious and time-consuming. The blue snowflake in the center was cut with a Sizzlits die, and the embossed snowflake background was created with a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder. Stampin' Up! products used to create this card are: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, and white Vellum card stock, Antique Brass brad, Crop-a-Dile to set the Antique Brass eyelets, white Mulberry paper, and the jumbo "Snow" wheel. Dazzling Diamonds glitter was applied to the edges of the white snowflake with 2-Way glue.

CHIPBOARD and DESIGNER PAPER

Have you ever purchased a product that you really wanted to use but, at the same time, you didn't want to use it? I'm like that with several products . . . like chipboard. The chipboard pieces are relatively easy to use. On this card, for example, I got the flower from "On Board Blossoms and Basics," but I saved the round center for something later. ;-) All I did to the flower is sponge Rose Red Craft ink on it! You can use Classic ink, but the Craft ink doesn't tend to get absorbed by the chipboard. For my flower center, I stamped an image from "Big Pieces" with So Saffron Craft ink and then embossed it with Iridescent Ice, although this picture doesn't allow you to see how it sparkles. And that gorgeous paper is from the "Cutie Pie" designer paper collection. If you look really close, you can see a couple of mess-ups. As I was putting adhesive on the back of the chipboard, I forgot that runner-type adhesive doesn't work well. Then I accidentally got too much glue from the glue stick on the chipboard. When I tried to clean it off, some of my ink came, too, so I had to sponge more ink on two spots . . . they're the dark ones . . . by the sponge-like smears. ;-) What can I say? This is a hand-crafted card--an original--mistakes and all.

I DIDN'T FORGET MY BLOG!!!

I can't believe I haven't posted to my blog in six days! Goodness! I have to admit, though, that it's been a busy week!

Believe it or not, I managed to crank out a couple of holiday cards last night and this morning with SU's "Big on Christmas" stamp set. It took me a while to convince myself that I needed this stamp set, and I'm lovin' it! I had a hard time getting a photo of this card that showed the icicles, but I hope you can see them . . . they're above the word "snow." I created the icicles with Crystal Effects, dusted with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. The stamped image was colored with markers, and the snowflakes are from "The Snowflake Spot" stamp set.

The "noel" card was actually the first one I made, and I wasn't sure how the design was going to turn out, but I knew I'd be using Chocolate Chip, Bravo Burgundy, and Blue Bayou card stock. BTW, the neutral color is Very Vanilla. It's hard to tell, but I used SU's "Weathered" background stamp on the burgundy card. The edges of the blue layer were distressed with SU's Cutter Kit (love, love, love that distressing tool). I really like this card, but it's a few steps from the look I normally go for. Doesn't it have a nice, warm appeal to it?

I have another "Big on Christmas" card that I made this morning, but I haven't been able to get a good photo just yet. I'll try to do that soon.

In the meantime, have a great weekend and don't forget to play with stamps and ink!

SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE . . .

Congratulations, Cindy and Brian, who were married last night at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens--beautiful outdoor ceremony! My sister, Renee, and I had the privilege of assisting at the rehearsal dinner on Thursday night and attended the wedding last night. We had a blast and felt that we were among our own family and friends!

Cindy gave me permission to post this card on my blog. For quite some time, I tried to think of what kind of card I wanted to make for them, but I wasn't all that thrilled with anything that came to mind . . . until I was looking at all the sweet photos on their wedding web site--they had SO MANY of them! So, I sniped a few and created a black & white photo collage. And that's when the card design just fell into place. I used a transparency sheet for the actual card. The swirl design (from "Doodle This" stamp set) was stamped and white-embossed on two corners. Aren't they a sweet couple? They're just as sweet in person as they are in pictures, and I wish them all the best!

I'M HITLER?????

WHAT FAMOUS LEADER ARE YOU?

Hmmm . . . I took this online quiz this morning, and it came back with a picture of Hitler! The irony is that before I took the quiz, I amused myself with the thought that Hitler would be involved in my results! I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw that little moustache! Take the quiz and find out with which famous leader you have something in common.
http://similarminds.com/leader.html

WHO WANTS TO PLAY THE NAME GAME?

Play along with me! Just follow the easy instructions:

1. Find your ROCK STAR NAME (first pet & current car): Ty Odyssey
2. Find your GANGSTA NAME (favorite ice cream flavor & favorite cookie): Rocky Road Oatmeal
3. Find your FLY GUY/GIRL NAME (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name): Rand
4. Find your DETECTIVE NAME (favorite color & favorite animal): Blue Dog
5. Find your SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name & city where you were born): Suzette Mocksville
6. Find your STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name & first 2 letters of your first name): Andre
7. Find your SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color & favorite drink): The Pink Cheerwine
8. Find your NASCAR NAME (first names of your grandfathers): Charlie William
9. Find your STRIPPER NAME (favorite perfume & favorite candy): Light Blue Truffle (sounds sweet, huh)
10. Find your WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (mother's & father's middle names): Ann Preston

GOOD COUSIN/BAD COUSIN & NEW MUSIC

I spent some time last night adding some new songs to my playlist, but I wasn't really searching for anything in particular. I really like all kinds of music. There are days when I'd probably choose all Fleetwood Mac songs for my playlist. I think we all can remember a particular time in our life that was heavily influenced by music--in our memories. My cousin (Teresa) and I used to ALWAYS listen to Fleetwood Mac whenever we were driving around, cruising, or whatever. There was also a time when it was highly likely that Kenny Rogers and Dottie West blasted from the 8-track, but I couldn't find my favorite song from that time. The title/lyrics are, "I feel sorry for anyone who isn't me tonight." That is a GREAT song!!!! Find it and listen to it if you've never heard it! Chances are, you have just forgotten about it if you're over the age of . . . 30ish. Ha!

In this picture, you see me and Teresa (I'm the tall one with the really cute hair cut) on the first day of school, waving goodbye to our mothers. Who knew that sometime during that school year I'd suffer the consequences of not "following along" and have the living daylights shook out of me by grumpy Ms. Brannon!! That woman scared me badly! I was timid/shy anyway, and I can tell you firsthand that it is dang near impossible to sit rigid in a chair while someone's old and mad hands are using your shoulders to shake the daylights out of your head as it is flung back and forth into next week! I'm glad Ms. Brannon's teaching era was "way back then" because she'd be kicked to the curb today!

Good cousin/bad cousin . . . some of you have met my cousin, Dena, at some of my stamping events. Dena is/was the good cousin. Now, you shouldn't think that Teresa is a bad person--she's not. I call her the bad cousin because she was a little more on the wild side than Dena. Well, a lot more. We spent so much time together, but there were times at school when it was dangerous to be near Teresa because the principals were ALWAYS watching for her to make sure she was still on school grounds--and in class. Seriously! Mr. Suiter probably STILL remembers the number of Teresa's parking space! Teresa lived close to me, and we were together much more often than Dena and I, but there were times when I didn't "hang out" with Teresa because some of her other friends were what I called "really wild!" You couldn't even walk sideways through the halls at school with that group without being under close supervisory scrutiny! Whew! Those were the days! I remember one time during our senior year . . . it was a gorgeous sunny day--not too hot, not too cool--PERFECT! Teresa and I decided that we didn't need to be at school all day because it was just too pretty to be confined by cinder block walls. I think a book report was due that day, too, and we just needed another day to complete (translated to mean "start") the project. Anyway, we went to a couple of classes before we called it a day. Once we left the school, we weren't exactly sure where to go because we lived in a really small town and if your parents didn't see you, you could guarantee that someone you knew would just happen to run into you or see you driving by. So, we chose the only hidden corner of Mocksville where no one would go . . . the little drive at Rich Park by the tennis courts that ended up at the trash dumpsters. Yes, indeed, the "perfectness" of that day that prompted us to just go enjoy it was spent parked in front of those smelly dumpsters! Who cared?!? We rolled the windows down, opened the doors, and propped our feet through the open windows and listened to Kenny and Dottie. I'm sure we must have had conversation and laughter (we always did!), but the music and the mood (can't even remember a smell from the dumpsters!!!!) is what got etched in my memory with the bad cousin that day. At the time, there was a little overshadowing of possibly getting caught, but I'm thankful for that day! How many of us can look back on our life and remember such a perfect day--even if it was just a couple of hours, until time to get home from school? Teresa and I had so many fun times, but I can't look back on our youth and exactly label us as . . . totally reliable. ;-) We kind of went whichever way the wind blew. I think Teresa must have been as ADD as me because we sure got side-tracked . . . a lot! During our junior year, we were on the yearbook staff and were supposed to be out selling ads. We had our priorities in order, alright! We spent most of the time goofing off . . . until we "had" to buckle down and get something sold. We would go to a restaurant and end up eating instead of selling. We'd pull in the parking lot of a manufacturing plant, discuss who would do the talking inside, not come to an agreement, and just leave. Ah, yes. I feel sorry for anyone who wasn't us back then!

So, stay a while and listen to some of my music selections. Maybe you'll find one that speaks to you! ;-)

A WONDERFUL WORLD

Do you enjoy YouTube videos? My niece, Hollie, shared this one with me, and I thought it was quite interesting. I just added it to the "Internet Places of Interest" section on this blog so we'll all have an easy time finding it. Thanks Hollie!!

LOOKING FORWARD TO WINTER

If I ever loved Summer more than Winter, I surely don't remember it! Or maybe I just like it less the older I get. All I know is that I'm ready to see snow! Of course, I realize that I may have to stamp the only snow I'll see. And today I did! This little dilly would hold five Hershey's Kisses--if I had any. ;-) To create this project, I used all Stampin' Up! products . . . Vellum and Night of Navy card stock, "Perfect Presentation" stamp set, and the jumbo "Snow" wheel that's in the Holiday Mini Catalog.

EDITED POST: I have replaced the first photo with this one since it's actually a better picture of this project. Now you can see how the Vellum card stock comes up around the sides of the box that holds the candy.

WANNA BUY AN ALTERABLE PAINT CAN?

I have ten (10) of these cans to sell, and the price is $7. They have a matte white finish that's easy to cover with paper or paint, stamp, etc. The best thing about these cans is that the handle can be easily removed so you can cover the can with paper! The handle slips into (or out of) two small punched holes, so there's nothing to cut around! If you'd like one of these cans, just shoot me an email at randari@hotmail.com, and be sure to put "Paint Can" in the subject line.