The Teen Scene #1

I had three fabulous young ladies at my class this evening. A rising 5th, 7th, and 10th grader. They enjoyed picking out the DSP they would use from my HUGH stash, and finding the rhinestone brad that best coordinated with each bracelet/charm set. I didn't have chains for the necklaces, but they were okay with that. Hopefully while they're wearing their stylish new jewelry they can get some more friends interested in coming to my classes. We'll be making journals with coordinating pens at the next Teen Scene on Thursday, July 10. RSVP by Wednesday, July 9 if you're interested!

Sweet wishes!

What a weekend

Okay, so after my post yesterday, we went out to Johnson City to see Disney/Pixar's WALL-E. It was great! After the movie, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Cheddars. On the way there, Michael jokingly said, "I should have brought a tent and camped out." He had a grant writing workshop to go to today in Bristol, VA, and we were half-way there. After dinner, we decided, "why not?" We drove over to Target, picked up some toothbrushes and a change of clothes, and headed up to Bristol to find a hotel for the night.

We are so NOT spur-of-the-moment-type people, but we had a blast. Even though Michael set the alarm, it didn't go off; we woke up at 8:30 and he had to be at the workshop by 9, so we took really quick showers and ran out the door. After dropping Michael off, the kids and I went to McDonalds for breakfast, and then went back to the hotel to play for a while. The shirt I got at Target last night had a hole in the side seam, so after we checked out of the hotel we found the local Target and got a new shirt. As luck would have it, there was a PERFECT playground right across the street from the Target, so we hung out there for a while, and then picked up a Starbucks peppermint mocha for Michael on our way to get him.

We had seen signs for a Chick-fil-a at that exit on the highway, but in our brief search at breakfast time, we determined that it must have been inside the mall, which didn't appear to be open at the time. So we went there for lunch instead. After wandering around the mall for a bit and making a few minor purchases, we headed back home. We had so much fun, though, and it was a much needed break after going non-stop for the past two weeks!

Sweet wishes!

VBS banner and group photo

Here is the banner that I promised I'd post if it turned out okay. Everyone loves it! The kids had a great time stamping the images and writing their names, and they were all so proud to see the final project. Today we had a short program during worship where the kids sang a few songs and some of them shared their experiences during VBS, including what they learned about Jesus and what their favorite part of the week was.

Sweet wishes!

Not according to the plan

Well, today I was supposed to have my Stamp Till You Cramp stamp camp where participants were going to create 10 projects for $25.00, but I only had one lady RSVP. :( However, my one faithful friend also needed to make up a scrapbooking event she had missed back in May, so it all worked out anyway. Cindi was able to complete her scrapbook, I was able to have less prep work (though it did take me a while to find the materials I had prepared last month), and I can reschedule my stamp camp for a time when it will better fit more people's schedules.


So, here's what we made. The original idea came from Susy Miller, who shared this at one of Joann Weimer's WONDERFUL retreats a few years ago. Susy designed a one-sheet-wonder pattern that produced eight 2-page 6x6 layouts. I took her idea and developed a second sheet to produce 10 more layouts, which when combined and paired with a title and credits page gives you a 20 page brag book!

We made these scrapbooks for my Stampin' Scrapfest this year. I offered my customers four designs to choose from, so this was just one of the options.

Cindi brought the retired Balmy Breezes stamp set, and used that along with Seaside and another retired set, Do The Hula, to complete her album. The "patterned paper" is actually two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 Whisper White CS that you randomly stamp and then burnish. Burnishing is another Susy Miller thing. You simply take a sponge dauber inked in the same color as the image you stamped, and rub to shade the image; the idea is to cover up most of the white. Then you cut up the two sheets according to the two one-sheet-wonder patterns, add the mats (which are made from two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 colored CS and cut with slightly altered 0ne-sheet-wonder patterns of their own), and put it all together. To conserve paper and bulkiness, we used both sides of each 6x6 page.

Sweet wishes!

ETA: So this whole album was made with four sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 and two and a half sheets of 12 x 12 card stock!

Stamp Till You Cramp-sneak peek

Here are two of the 10 (yes, that's TEN) projects we'll be creating at my Stamp Till You Cramp stamp camp tomorrow. The camp will run from 1:00pm-5:30pm, and the registration fee is $25.00 for all ten projects, or just $3.00 per project, if you can't be around to make them all. RSVP by midnight tonight if you are interested in attending! The above pictures are two different views of a candle stamped with the Seaside stamp set in Blue Bayou, River Rock, & Soft Sky. Below is a grocery or to-do list that is perfect for hanging on the fridge.

Sweet wishes!

My eScape Event

I had three new stampers attend my eScape event yesterday, and we all had a great time. The projects I planned were relatively simple, but they served the purpose: to get cards made for hand written notes to be put in and mailed out, to escape from the “e,” and to get them all hooked on stamping!!! :D

This first project was CASEd from JenniferO on Splitcoast (SCS). You can see her cards here. I didn’t use Tart & Tangy because I was going to do a different card with it, but I ended up not using it at all. L The Tart & Tangy set that Jennifer used as the center of her flowers, as well as the flowers themselves (called Die-cut Blooms), are only available through Monday, June 30, so if you’re interested, contact me to place an order today!

Our second card was this sweet and simple creation, which I again CASEd. This time the original artist was MCrum1—also an SCS user. Here’s her card. You can see she used a few more layers and embellishments, but remember, I was going for simple.

Now this next project is one I did last year when this set was first available in the Spring mini catalog, so I had to go back and search to see if I could find the original artist, because I was sure that I hadn’t come up with this idea on my own either. Sure enough, here is the original card created by SCS user, stamperjen30.

Next we made this gorgeous card. I was thrilled with how well it turned out. Again, simple, but stunning, if I do say so myself. I CASEd this idea from Kim (nutsymuhl on SCS). Here’s her creation.

Finally, we made this card, with a few variations. This project was from a Make-N-Take kit that was available for demonstrators to purchase sometime during the ’06-’07 catalog year. It uses two retired In Colors, so I modified it a bit to use Tempting Turquoise ink on the Cool Caribbean CS, and So Saffron instead of Marigold Morning for the yellow center and “tab.” The thin stitched Rose Red ribbon is from a retired Ribbon Originals too, but it was pre-cut and perfectly usable.

So there, not a single original idea, but that is how I am able to do what I do. I network with some AMAZING ladies, mostly through Splitcoaststampers, and I get FABULOUS ideas that I then CASE (Copy And Share Everything) for all of you!

Sweet wishes!

VBS projects

***WARNING, this is not an SUO (Stampin’ Up! only) blog entry!*** But I wanted to share with you what we’ve been doing that’s been keeping me occupied this past week. This year we chose Group Publishing’s Power Lab VBS. The theme of the first day was, “Jesus gives us the power to be thankful,” so we made thank you cards. We used the VersaMark® resist technique by stamping some Oriental Trading foam science themed stamps in VersaMark® ink on glossy card stock and then brayering over that using a retired spectrum pad. We used Green Galore for our card base, and yes, I gave them all non-SU envelopes, but we did not stamp the enves to match.

We started on Sunday evening, so Monday’s theme (day 2) was, “Jesus gives us the power to help others.” We made first aid kits and prayer bracelets, but I don’t have pics of those.

Tuesday’s theme was, “Jesus gives us the power to be brave.” I found this totally awesome paper called “Nature Prints.” Check out their website here. So we made these prints, and then we got to make slime…were they BRAVE enough to touch the slime? That’s how it all tied in…sort of…but, oh, they loved it.

Wednesday’s theme was, “Jesus gives us the power to live forever.” I totally forgot to tie in the theme last night, but the point was that even thought Jesus died on the cross for our sins and because of that we will have eternal life, our earthly lives will one day come to an end. But what I do to keep the memories of our earthly lives forever is take pictures and scrapbook them. Instead of making scrapbooks, we made these picture frames. The kids wrapped the binder clips and tied the ribbon knots to secure the photos, and then they stamped their chosen images with VersaMark® ink (several of the images they had to choose from were SU!), then took their paper to the embossing station and chose gold or silver EP, and the adults poured the powder and embossed the images.
Today’s theme is, “Jesus gives us the power to tell others.” Hopefully, I will remember to tie in all the projects we’ve done throughout the week, and then we will be making a banner for our church using those Oriental Trading foam science themed stamps again. If it turns out okay, you can bet I’ll post a pic on here.

Sweet wishes!

Break free from the 'e'!

Stampin' Up! has designated June 25, 2008 as eScape day—a day to put away your cell phones and laptops and focus on reconnecting with your "wireless network." Technology is great and often makes our hectic lives a little easier! But sometimes it's nice to take a step back and communicate the "old-fashioned" way--with a handwritten note.

Tomorrow, those attending my eScape class, will be making five cards for just $5.00. But the best part is that the coordinating envelopes will include postage, so they will be able to mail the cards out as soon as they need to!

So this is one last reminder, too, that I will not be blogging tomorrow. I also don’t plan to check my email, so if you need to get in touch with me, please call. However, I may be logging on to my computer long enough to do my daily click on The Breast Cancer Site. I had an entire post devoted to their “Make June Survivor Month” campaign…click here to see it. They have currently reached 77.9% of their goal, and there are only SIX days left in June, so be sure to tell everyone you know to click every day!!!

Sweet wishes!

Guys I'm sorry...

...but life still hasn't calmed down here. Granny, Brett, and Kelly left shortly after lunch, but I didn't even get to say goodbye to Brett & Kelly because Michael was showing them around the church and community center when I had to leave for my follow up appt. with the Orthopedic dr.

THAT was a pain in the rear...not to mention the wrist. I think I told him more than he told me. He looked over my chart and said that the MRI results indicated that my problem is just chronic tendinitis. (Well, duh, the nurse called me and told me that over a week ago.) He said that it can sometimes respond well to a steroid injection, or we could just do an oral anti-inflammatory. He said he would let me choose, so I reminded him that I had been on a prescription anti-inflammatory back in November, and I've taken two Aleve a day since then, but to no avail. So, he then decided that we would do the injection. I HATE NEEDLES! I was freaking out, but I guess it was all good. It still hurts and is WAY more swollen than it had been before, but hopefully in the long run...

Then he told me I should wear a brace, and I thought, "Like the one I brought last time that you said wouldn't help at all with the problem I probably had?" But I just reminded him that I had a brace that I was reluctant to wear because it makes the palm of my hand break out in a heat/sweat rash. So he said he'd see if they could find another brace that would work. The nurse came in with something extremely similar to the brace I own, and when she put it on me and I told her that it was extremely similar to the brace I own, she said, "Oh, you already have a brace?" The doc obviously did a fabulous job of telling her the information I had just shared with him. The nurse gave me the helpful idea of cutting a cotton sock to put between the brace and my skin to try and help with the rash problem. And then the insurance lady, who is a member of our church, gave me a wrist support glove that has been helpful already. (THANKS FRANKIE!)

Anyway, on top of all that I had to get more supplies for VBS crafts, and FINALLY get everything organized for the rest of the week. (Well, not everything, but at least it's all written down so that my helpers will know what is going on and can actually help me instead of just following my hasty orders--sorry ladies.) Oh, and DJ and Michael are both sick now, so keep them in your prayers. PLEASE, God, don't let me be next (although I am currently trying to ward off a UTI)!

Alright, I will make no promises as to when there may be craft themed posts appearing on this blog again, but I will remind you that there will be no post on Wednesday in honor of Stampin' Up!'s "eScape" promotion. Contact me for more info!

Sweet wishes!

Another blah blog post

I'm sorry that this post is yet another pictureless one. We're still super exhausted from AFFIRM, and with VBS starting today, we've had a few other things on our minds. Plus, my step-sister left around lunch time, and we had to turn around and get ready for an overnight stop from my brother, his wife, and Granny on their way back from Granny's family reunion in Williamsport, PA. And Tina left feeling sick, and by this evening, Michael was headed that way too. He has a super busy week ahead, even without directing and leading music for VBS, so I hope it's nothing that a few OTC drugs and some MUCH needed rest can't handle.

I think I've finally got a grip around my craft projects for the week, though the plans changed about 5 times this afternoon alone, and hopefully by tomorrow there will be power in the building I'm doing my crafts in. Long story, and I don't feel like going there right now.

I will take a quick second to say that this Wednesday, June 25, is Stampin' Up!'s first "eScape" day. I'll be sure to give you more information in the next day or so, but in honor of the promotion, I will not be blogging on that day. So for those of you who have threatened to let me have it when I skip a day of blogging, I'm letting you know now that Wednesday doesn't count.

Sweet wishes!

A post for Saturday

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date! No time to say, "Hello," "Goodbye!" I'm late, I'm late, I'm late. ~The White Rabbit

AND, I have nothing to blog. We've been hanging out with the kids and grocery shopping and thinking about catching up with the laundry, and Michael had a funeral today, and we went out to dinner; and VBS starts tomorrow, so I'm still trying to get all my ducks in a row for the crafts. Of course I realized tonight...after we got back from Walmart...that I need about a million other things for the projects I've got planned. YIKES! Tomorrow we'll be using the VersaMark© resist technique to make thank you cards because the theme for the day is: Jesus gives us the power to be thankful! I'll post my sample sometime tomorrow.

Sweet wishes!

Back home

Hi everyone,
We made it home safely from AFFIRM. The week was amazing! The youth that we worked with had awesome gifts and talents to share with the AFFIRM community and the city of Florence. I was on staff of the Missionaries unit and for two days our groups went out and did local mission work at two Boys & Girls clubs, a clothing closet and food pantry called Loaves & Fishes, the animal shelter, and the Ritz Theater. I am so proud of our kids and the work they accomplished!

GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME!!!!!

However, despite the wonderful week I experienced, I am glad to be home. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight, and since I'm completely exhausted, I think I'll go do that now. Good night!

Sweet wishes!

Still no time

Embrace Life stamp set. Water colored w/ In Colors using ink pooled in the lid of the pad and aquapainters. I'm loving the layered sentiment look these days and used my large oval, 1" circle, and Designer Label punches here.

Sweet wishes!

No time to blog

I'm running late this morning, so I'm just gonna post a pic. See yesterday and Monday's posts for a little more info.

Sweet wishes!

The Freshness continues

Here is a second card made with the fun, new Fresh Cut stamp set. A simple, but classic design makes this card appropriate for any occasion and the color palate of Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, and Wild Wasabi makes it great for either a guy or a gal. Add the equally "gender neutral" twill tape and GENUINE Hodgepodge Hardware brad for the perfect finishing touch. This card, along with a modified version of yesterday's creation and the card I will post tomorrow will be part of my second Stamps in the Mail (SITM) kit for June. Stay tuned for more information about my new SITM program, or take a look at this post for a little more information.

Sweet wishes!

Here's something Fresh

Hey everybody, the new Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog is coming out in August, but you can get a sneak peek right now! The brand new Fresh Cut stamp set and gorgeous Fresh Cut Notes are available for a special price through June 30. Click on this link to view details about the promotion. And here's my first creation using this great new set and coordinating laser die-cut notecards .

Purple has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember, and lately I've had a weird obsession with Elegant Eggplant. I also love Rose Red, so I'm lucky they coordinate so well.

Sweet wishes!

On a different note...

Not to try and take away from wishing all the dads out there a Happy Father's Day (I don't really believe there are many dads who visit my blog, but still), but today, Stampin' Up! released its latest list of stamp sets that are to be retired. Each year there are a number of stamp sets that are discontinued to make room for fun, fresh, new stamp sets. The release of the retirement list brings both sadness to see some of my favorites going away, but also excitement about the anticipation of what great new things are coming next. The stamp sets on this list will be available until August 10, 2008, and then they will be gone forever, so if you see one or two or more that you'd like to have in your collection, don't hesitate to contact me to place your order!

Retired Stamp Set List (by page number)

Retired Stamp Set List (alphabetically)

All of the sets listed can be found in the current Spring-Summer 2008 Collection except the last two. If you don't have a copy, you can click on the catalog pictured to the left to view the online catalog. The last two are currently on the dormant list. For more information about the dormant list, contact me.

Sweet wishes!

Happy Father's Day!

To all you dads out there, I hope you have a wonderful day today! These are the frames that our kids made for Michael at a Vacation Bible School last week. They gave them to him on Friday morning before we left to come to camp, so he brought them with him. DJ's (the one with the writing--"Dad I *heart* you") has the "theme" of daddy animal with two babies to represent Michael, himself, and AJ. And that was mostly his idea. He also insisted that they be water animals, and then added the hippo saying, "Hippos like the water too!" And most of the times we went to see the hippo at Riverbanks Zoo when we lived in Columbia, it would be underwater. He's so smart! :)

Sweet wishes!

While we're away, the children will play!

My step-sister, "Aunt Tina", is staying with DJ & AJ while we're at AFFIRM. With permission, she bought them a belated birthday gift that I know they will enjoy while we're gone, and throughout the summer. THANKS SO MUCH, TINA!!!!!

AJ looks like she's cold in this picture, but she's just posing for a "funny face" pic. Our kids RARELY do regular smiles any more. Just take a look at DJ! Michael said he reminds him of the Alltel comercial, "Wizard!"

Sweet wishes!

The results are in

A week or so ago, I mentioned that I was finally going to get my wrist looked at by an orthopedic dr. It has been hurting constantly since April of 2007, and I just haven't gotten around to seeing anyone about it until now. Well, my appointment was this past Monday, and the doc basically said he had no idea what was wrong. Great, that's just what I wanted to hear after arriving at 12:45 for a 1:00 apt, and not being seen until after 2:00. I had already had x-rays taken back in February, and they didn't show anything, so, the doc scheduled me to have lab work done to determine if it might be arthritis and to get an MRI.

If you have never had an MRI, I pray that you never need to. It was a miserable experience. Only after I was strapped in and cushioned and ready to go, did the nurse inform me that it would be a 40 minute process. I was mistakenly thinking it might take 5-10 mins, and had I known, I definitely would have used the restroom prior to going into the MRI room.

Also, just before sending me into the machine, which looked like a GIANT waffle iron, the nurse mentioned that it would get pretty loud. Now for those of you who don't know, I have a hearing deficit, and have been advised to wear ear plugs when I fly on planes, go to concerts, or am in a situation where there is ridiculously loud noise--this qualified--but again, I wasn't able to do anything at that point. She did put ear phones on that had a radio station playing, but the music was turned down so low, that it was completely pointless. My mom said I should have asked her to turn the music up, but had the music been loud enough that I could hear it, it would have been ridiculously loud too.

ANYWAY, a nurse from the orthopedic dr's office called this morning, and it seems that I have tendonitis. She said, and I suppose that I agree, that that is a good thing because it is treatable. I go for my follow-up apt on Monday the 23rd, so we'll see where we go next then.

Well, sorry for the lack of a pic two days in a row, but we're supposed to be leaving in an hour & 15 mins, so I needed to be quick. I'm not positive that I will be able to update while I'm at camp, but I will try. If not, have a great week, and I'll be back on Saturday the 21st.

Sweet wishes!

Thursday's post

Hello,
It's after midnight, so not only am I late on my Thursday post, I also am too tired to be creative. DH and I are leaving tomorrow for a week at AFFIRM, which is the Southeastern Synod youth gathering. We actually met at AFFIRM '92 at Shorter College in Rome, GA! We didn't start dating until 5 years later, but AFFIRM is near and dear to us for many reasons, including helping Michael discern his call to ministry.

Anyway, along with planning my wardrobe for the week, I've also been trying to plan my blog entries since I won't be able to create anything new while I'm away. Well, I need to go finish packing, so I'll post more from Florence, AL tomorrow. TTFN!

Sweet wishes!

Bells will be ringing...

These intricately carved wooden bells (I thought they were bird cages at first) hang in the lobby of the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in north metro Atlanta, where Synod Assembly was held this past weekend. The explaination, which I only briefly skimmed over, talked about how bells throughout history signified a bringing together of people. Kinda cool. Unfortunately the hotel overbooked their rooms, and we ended up staying in a different hotel. I didn't really care one way or the other until we walked in and I saw the gorgeous lobby. The rooms were very nice too (although our room did have a refrigerator, and these rooms didn't). Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Sweet wishes!

A Simple Father's Day Card

I have signed up for several organized swaps at this year's convention. One of the swaps I am doing is a one layer swap. The other day I was playing around with my idea, and mis-cut my card front, but wouldn't you know, the Happy Father's Day stamp from the All Holidays set fit perfectly in the opening. I grabbed my Always Artichoke classic pad, and added the sentiment. However, when I went to punch the holes for the brads, they were too big and too close together, so I had to do something to cover up my mistakes. The coolest thing about the band is that it wraps around to the inside, so it covers up the back of the brads too.

I was able to complete my cards for this particular swap over the weekend, but I'm not ready to show them yet. I may even wait until after Convention so no one in the swap will see the design ahead of time. I'll think about it. Anyway, I love it when a mistake turns out like this!

Sweet wishes!

My Teen Scene Class #1

This Thursday, June 12, I am offering my first class of my new "The Teen Scene" series. This month we will be making super fun and super cute bracelets with coordinating pendants. Contact me by Wednesday, June 11, if you or someone you know would be interested in participating. The class is open to girls age 8 and older (but don't worry moms, I've got a little jewelry project planned for you at a later date). The registration fee is just $5.00 per person, so reserve your spot today!

If you would like to make more than one bracelet set, there is an additional charge of $3.00 per set. Please let me know how many you want when you RSVP.

Sweet wishes!

Help me Make June Survivor Month!

Hi Blog Readers,

If The Breast Cancer Site receives 8 million clicks on the pink button in June, their premier sponsor--bare necessities®--will donate $10,000 for more free mammograms.

Please help fight breast cancer today! Visit the site daily (you can click on the link in the left-hand sidebar) to make your click and see the updated tally showing their progress toward the goal.

Although I am fortunate enough that I have not personally been affected by breast cancer, I know several remarkable women who are survivors, and even a few who are still battling this terrible disease. Join me in taking a moment each day to click and help fund free mammograms!!!

Sweet wishes! ~Kelly

P.S. Spread the word! They need all mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends to click daily! When you go to click for the day, you can send a personalized ecard just like this to everyone you know!

Baby stuff

As I get ready to post this blog entry, I am enjoying a slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake with a free decaf coffee from the hotel lobby. It has been a fun weekend, but tomorrow is back to reality.

Back in February we went to visit some friends in Pennsylvania. That was another great weekend, but one of the highlights was being able to attend the baby shower for one of our newest friends, Lilly. Lilly's grandma wanted to wait until after she was born to give her and her mama a baby shower, so I got to meet Lilly, celebrate her birth, and even hold her for a while! Here are the gifts I stamped for her.

And here is an ADORABLE card that my friend Beth made for Lilly. I made her a card too, but Beth's is so much cuter! I may post mine later along with one we made together and one AJ made (yes, she was only 2, but it still turned out so sweet), but they aren't exclusively SU! supplies, so I may not post them here...we'll see.

Sweet wishes!

Better late than never

So back before Mother's Day, I made the "Mom" sample for a MNT class I had. I only had one daughter and her mother attend, but Abby had SO much fun making this notepad with matching pen and a coordinating gift bag to hold it (her mom had fun making a separate card too). I had a few extra supplies, so I made some additional ones for my hostess gifts. Anyway, I FINALLY gave the "Mom" one to my Mom today, so now I can post it. :)

Synod Assembly went well today. We got to see a lot of friends whom we hadn't seen in a while. There was a lovely reception for rostered clergy and spouses, and then another reception to recognize those clergy celebrating anniversaries of ordination. We thought they were also going to introduce those new to the synod (which would have included Michael), but they didn't. Oh well. Since we are childless for the weekend, we left the reception and went on a date to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was great to have a night to ourselves, and the movie was good too. Well, we've got a very full day tomorrow, so I should get to bed.

Sweet wishes!

ps. this is Friday's post

Enchanted Swap

This past February I was invited to participate in a swap inspired by the movie "Enchanted." Unfortunately, I still haven't seen the movie, but I did participate in the swap, and this was my card. I used the retired Dreams & Dragons stamp set. I stamped the main image with Jet Black StazOn ink and watercolored it with my aquapainter and ink pooled in the lids of my classic pads. I used Groovy Guava & Soft Sky as my two main colors, plus Wild Wasabi & Purely Pomegranate inks, Naturals White CS, Silver Encore pad on the edges of the sentiment, and silver eyelets. I also covered the focal point image with a used dryer sheet to give it a cloudy, dreamy look and feel (it also made it smell nice).

We are in Atlanta for the weekend because Michael and I will be attending the synod assembly of the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA. We got into town late last night, and had an amazing day today. We got Chick-fil-A for breakfast, had lunch at Sangria's with my Granny, my sis, her bf, and two of my step-sisters, came back and spent the afternoon in Granny's pool where my BIL, SIL, two nieces, & nephew, mom & step-dad, and 3rd step-sister joined us, and then some of the crowd went to Schlotzsky's for dinner. Here are a few pics from the pool.

You really can stamp on ANYTHING

Okay, let me give you the background on this card. The Very Vanilla cardstock base was originally cut for a card we made back in October for my World Cardmaking Day event. One of my customers rolled her Stampin' Around wheel upside down, but I assured her that I would still be able to use the card. So the lighter blue Porcelain Prints DSP is covering up the wheeled design. Well, then when I went to adhere that layer, it was a little crooked, but as I tried to lift it back up (which normally isn't difficult), I tore the card, so the darker blue strip at the bottom is to cover up the tear. Next I went to de-stitch the Wild Wasabi double stitched grosgrain ribbon, and had heard that it was an easy thing to do, but it must have taken me 30 minutes and I snagged the ribbon in several places along the way. Finally, the flower accents were punched with our Boho Blossoms punch. And this part is important: when you get a brand new punch, it will have been well oiled prior to leaving the manufacturing plant. If the first thing you punch is a piece of cardstock, chances are you will have an oil mark on your design. Having actually remembered that fact this time, I punched the punch about 20 times on a folded paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Do you think I would actually throw away the paper towel shapes? Of course not. I sponged on some ink, put a vintage brad in the center and voila! The stamp set is Word on Word, a retired hostess set. But, recipient of this card (I know you'll read this), you're worth it! ;)

Sweet wishes!

Simple gifts-CD/DVD holders

I made these CD holders for DJ's teachers on the last day of school. I had taken a few pictures over the course of the year (they had over 200 files on them). And being the procrastinator that I am paid off because I was able to include the picture I took of him with each teacher on the last day of school.

These are super easy to make. You simply take an 8 1/5 x 11 sheet of card stock, and holding it vertically, score at 5 1/2". Turn the paper horizontally so that the score line is toward the bottom half of the paper. Apply 3" of sticky strip to each edge from the score line to the bottom, and fold the bottom up to make a large pocket. Now take the 5 1/2 x 11 pocket and fold it in half so that it makes a 5 1/2" square and creates two pockets. Use a bone folder to get a nice crisp fold. I added a 1/2" piece of sticky strip to the center to keep the pockets separate. For the three above I kept the 5 1/2" square and added a layer to decorate; for the ones below, I added a 6x6" sheet to back the whole thing and decorated the entire front. Here is a picture of the inside with the tag (that's what the ribbon is sticking out the top).

I got this idea from my wonderful upline, Crystal. She made these as hostess gifts. She used the Statement of the Heart stamp (Stampin' Up!'s mission statement) on the tag and included a copy of the First Impressions DVD.

The CDs to the left are a collection of pictures that I took at a baby shower. I gave a copy to each of the four mothers-to-be. So you see they can be perfect for any kind of gift giving any time of year!

Sweet wishes!
(btw, this is my official Tuesday post)

Flat Stanley-home at last

I talked with Micah's mom today, and Flat Stanley made it safely home to Clearview Elementary. So for those of you who were concerned (okay, there was only one of you out there besides me), he did arrive before the last day of school.

I also wanted to say that even though this post and the Tart & Tangy post are technically dated Tuesday, June 3, I haven't gone to sleep from Monday yet, so they still count as Monday posts. And I'm still on track for posting every day. Just to let you know. ;)

Sweet wishes!

My current favorite

I am sure that during the life of this blog, I will have MANY favorite stamp sets, color combinations, and techniques. Right now, my favorite set is the Tart & Tangy stamp set from the Occasions Mini Collection. It is PERFECT for summer, and the coordinating Summer Picnic Designer Series Paper (DSP) is totally yummy! This past weekend I had a pre-order class featuring this set and DSP, and here are the projects we made.

If you LOVE these projects, but weren't able to make it to my class, don't worry, I have the perfect solution. Join my new Stamps in the Mail program! The program will feature a new stamp set each month and you can participate as often as you want: every month, every other month, or just once. Click here for more information.

Sweet wishes!

ETA: the cherry pouch was inspired by Robin at About a Girl. You can view her post along with some helpful information here.

Flat Stanley visits Tennessee

So our friend Micah, whom we met while on internship, is in the 3rd grade at Clearview Elementary School. His class read the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. Micah sent Stanley to visit us here in Tennessee. We had a wonderful time with Stanley, and I made a mini scrapbook to send back with Stanley to tell Micah and his class about the fun we had. (Click here to find out more about Flat Stanley from Wikipedia.)

This album was super easy! I used Night of Navy & Old Olive card stock for the base pages. Elements from old Simply Scrappin' Kits and Quick Strips made up the page accents. The cover is two pieces of chipboard from our On Board Book Basics Small. I did all the journaling on the computer and sponged the edges of each journaling block with navy or olive classic ink. The Crop-A-Dile made punching holes to assemble the album a cinch, and I used Old Olive Polly-Twill ribbon for the "binding."

Sweet wishes!