Almost 2009...

Well, it is New Year's Eve... where will you be partying? I will be hangin' at the house, away from all of the crazy drunk people... yep, I'm pretty smart. Seriously, I have really become a bit of a hermit as of late. I don't know what it is, but I would rather stay home than go out... I am an old lady. Ok, maybe not OLD old, but you know what I'm sayin'.

On to today's bit of goodness. This is one of my DT projects from a few months ago, that I finally get to share with you. These are my

C-ya'round Coaster Cards. Pretty nifty play on words, right? :)

The purple & green one is made with TAC's retired Mulberry Meadow SWIC & cardstock, and the pink & green one is made with the Pop Rockz SWIC & DCWV Apple Green #2 cardstock. I also used Circle Sampler (inside), a retired alphabet set, Violette & Bordeaux Palette Ink, Winchester Hardware, Toodle Loo Hardware, Pop Dots, Yes! Glue, & foam tape

A couple of years ago, I had received a coaster card from Lori Betterly (my upline's upline) and I just loved the idea! Simply by using the Coluzzle Nested Circle to cut out the inner 'lining' of the card from a folded piece of cardstock, it creates the hinged part of the card.

We had to create something 'in the round' so-to-speak, and I had (have) a huge stack of round coasters collecting dust on my shelf :) Perfect. There isn't a lot of stamping on this one, but there is a lot of dimension and play, and I really like how it turned out. I can see this card being used for someone that is moving away, or that is not seen very often, or a 'just a note' kind of thing.

What do you think?

Escape to San Antonio, and a bit about 'Maggie'...

I can't wait for Jan. 22nd!! I'll be going to San Antonio again for a TAC leadership retreat, Escape! Attendees be getting the first look at the upcoming Magalogue (a hybrid Magzine/Catalogue) or, as I like to call it, a 'Maggie', by The Angel Company! TAC is going to implement a different Catalogue/Supplement concept:

"This new catalogue plan will involve a “Base Book” which will be our “core” catalogue. This catalogue will be released on an annual basis at each year’s summer Seminar and will offer a variety of merchandise including our top-selling stamp sets. To supplement that annual catalogue, two “magalogues” (cross between a magazine and a catalogue) will be released throughout the catalogue year…one during the fall and one during the spring. These magalogues will have a seasonal focus and will also introduce new products, including new hostess sets.

A new 48-page magalogue will be introduced at Leadership Conference at the end of January and will go “live” February 1, 2009. This magalogue will introduce a variety of new products. It will have stamp sets corresponding to the Spring/Summer seasons and will take the place of our Spring Supplement. This first-edition magalogue will also introduce an exciting new format that we look forward to incorporating into the 2009-2010 Base Book that will be released at Seminar. The items in the current catalogue will remain in circulation until the new catalogue takes its place in June. One of the most frequent requests that we have heard across the field is that our stamp images be reflected at 100%. Returning to an annual ‘base’ catalogue allows us to do that. Stamp images will also be 100% in our magalogues."

I'll also be sending some additional information to all of my customers and Hostess Club ladies shortly, so ladies, watch your email!! If you would like to be on my email Newsletter & update list, just shoot me an email (see sidebar to the right)!!

On to the fun!! The Maggie will be debuting on February 1st! Here are a few sneak peeks!!

Bizarre weather and a little bling...

The weather has been absolutely crazy! It made it up to 60-something degrees on Friday and then drops below freezing early the next morning... WTH? We had thunder storm & tornado warnings... TORNADO WARNINGS IN FREAKIN' DECEMBER... bizarre. And, of course, after it rained, it sleeted, and then finally turned to snow.

On to the fun stuff!! Suzanne sent me a cute little mini lunch box, in which Warheads candies had been packaged, with a challenge attached! I should have taken a picture before I started, [duh moment] but I didn't... it was lime green and yellow with a yellow handle. Yikes. I didn't have any yellow DP, but I did have some lime green from the Mimi collection!

I needed to tie in the yellow handle somehow, so I added a square of yellow Bazzill cardstock as a mat for my image. I also added three small dots of yellow Stickles.

Stamps: Fantasy Flourishes, This Girl
Paper: Mimi SWIC & Mimi cardstock, Bazzil Mono-Yellows
Ink: Chartreuse & Belle Rose Palettes
Other: Marvy Giga Scallop Square Punch, square punches, Diamond, Yellow, and Pink Stickles, misc. ribbon, pink boa feather

I LOVE the little pink boa feather... does that not SCREAM diva? The image needed more bling, so I traced the word with Pink Stickles, and filled in the background flourish with Diamond Stickles.

Hopefully, I'll be able to find time to create a matching mini-book soon!! I wish I had some new little baby girls around me...

I'm sure my nieces will be popping out some more babies soon, so I'll just tuck it away until then :)

Thanks for the challenge, Suzanne!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I {heart} U...

I hope everyone's holiday festivities went well! I had a very relaxing couple of days, which is definitely out of the norm! We had about a dozen family & friends at the house... Poot smoked a mean brisket and we also had shrimp, cheesy potatoes, and french bread... simple, fattening, and yummy.


Several people asked me what free stamps I chose for winning one of TAC's contests, so here they are: TA-DA! Thanks to TAC!!!


So I guess it is time to move on to the next holiday: Valentine's Day. I really like how this card turned out. It has a very vintage, scrappy feel to it. Vintage I {heart} U card:

Stamps: Fancy Bet, Running Stitches
Paper: Lilly Anna cardstock, Mimi SWIC (which is still BOGO-free for a short time!)
Ink: VersaMagic Pixie Dust, Belle Rose & Burnt Umber Palettes
Other: Tan Scrapper's Floss, Coluzzle Nested Circle, Paper Piercer, misc. twill & ric-rak, MM buttons, foam tape, Glue Dots, Hydra Sponge, Edge Distresser

To create the look of stitching on the heart, I pierced holes and then scratched off the color layer of the paper between them. Some are scratched lightly, others notsomuch :)



I stamped the letters in Belle Rose and then used the Pixie Dust pad to pat the lighter pink over the image... I also edged with BU to add dimension. I like the subtle soft look to the letters.

At first, I didn't have the zig-zag stamped stitches... it felt like something was missing. I think these really added to the final piece.



WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Recycle...

A lot of the TAC Angels have been trying to come up with more and more clever ways to recycle & re-use the plastic clamshell packaging in which our rubber stamps are shipped. Heather, Diana and so many others have come up with some fantastic ideas... thanks, ladies! But there are only so many of certain projects you can give away and sell, and you are still left with more packaging. So, for the past year or so, I have been building my stash of clear die cuts created from the clamshells with my Big Shot and Sizzix dies. I've got shapes, tags, flowers, and now, snowflakes. I LOVE the look of these babies.

I created a large clear tag for a baby gift: with just a small piece of white cardstock with a sentiment, backed by a scallop border, and a flourish stamped in StazOn on the rest of it. Clean, simple, and elegant (no, I didn't get a picture... sorry). But I did get these pictures of the last two Holiday cards I made this season! The plastic clamshells that I was working with were on the smaller side, so I didn't get the entire snowflake cut... which was perfect, since I only needed half of one for this design anyway.

Stamps: Just for You (current hostess set), Simply Christmas, Tag Tidbits
Paper: Bazzill Mono-Blues & Bazzill Basics cardstock
Ink: Starry Night & Seascape Palettes, VersaMark (w/ Silver EP), MM Spotlight Paint
Other: Winchester Hardware, Blue Scrapper's Floss, misc. ribbon

I used a sponge brush and swabbed a bit of MM white paint to make the clear snowflake stand out a bit off of the navy background. You can't tell from the photos very well, but there is also a small stamped snowflake border along the light blue cardstock strip with Stickles at the centers. The large sentiment was heat embossed in silver, and the small sentiment was stamped onto a frosted acrylic tag with Palette ink and tied to the ribbon w/ Scrapper's Floss.

Please post a comment with links to your recycled clamshell projects... we love more options!!

This is so much prettier in real life. You'll just have to trust me. :)

What do you think?

Random thought for today...

Hello again, my friends... I say friends as if I know you, as if we hang out on weekends and go shopping... why do I do that? For all I know, you could be a crazed raving lunatic [ hi, and welcome :) ], or worse yet... completely normal and boring, without an ounce of dysfunctionality [is that even a word?]. Scary.

I bring up dysfunction because it is, after all, the holiday season when most of us get together with our immediate and, sometimes, extended families. I have never met anyone without some kind of craziness somewhere down (or up?) the family tree. What's funny, is that since most everyone comes from some sort of dysfunctional family, should it really be deemed dysfunctional... wouldn't that just make it 'normal'? Wouldn't those that lead perfect lives be out of the norm?

Yes, people... it is questions like these about which I think. Shall we instead move on to some fun stuff? Since Christmas is a mere two days away, I'd better get in the last of the Holiday cards quickly!

Peace, man... and a blog award...

I took on my own Random Stamp Challenge! I had created this peace medallion & file tab last Christmas (yes, that is Christmas 2007), and threw them in my 'maybe I'll use this sometime' pile. And I DID!

I really liked how the snowflakes were on the circle around the peace image... I wish I would have used some Stickles on them before I mailed this card off!! Dang it.

Stamps: Holiday Magic, Circle Sampler, Tag Tidbits
Paper: Bazzill Mono-Violets & Mono-Blue Greens, White UltraSmooth
Inks: Violette & Water Lily Green Palettes
Other: McGill File Tab punch, Marvy's Giga Scallop & Super Jumbo Circle punches

The front of the card base is cut short so I could attach the tab, and the bottom teal piece of cardstock is actually on the inside base of the card. This was a VERY quick card (duh, Barb... since half of it was already done before I started), and I really like how it turned out.

What do you think?

A fellow Angel, Maria, was a sweetie and gave me a blog award! She also happened to be my Paper Wings Secret Sister this year!! Thank you so much, Maria!! Here is the little award excerpt:

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement [although, I did give myself 'props' in my last post!!]. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I hereby send these off to all of the wonderful ladies that have participated in my Random Mail Stamp Challenge:

Kim - SunShinyDays

Danni - Danni's Dreams

Shannon - U Name It

Michelle - Creative Journey

Seleise - Amethystcat Designs

Debi - Oz-Inkspired

Suzanne - PapercraftingInParadise

Doin' the Happy Dance... :)

Can I please get a 'WHOOP WHOOP'?! I am totally psyched... I won a TAC demonstrator-only contest!! CLICK HERE for the link to see all of this month's winners on TAC's website... mine is the Amelia Chocolate Abundance Tin in top left box!! This is such an honor... there are so many talented Angels, that's it's tough to win. FREE STAMPS! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! :) Tonight, I'm going to show you my Reece Chocolate Abundance Tin.

Stamps: More Abundance, Joy of Christmas, Juliette Florals
Paper: Reece SWIC & cardstock
Ink: Burnt Umber & L'Amore Red Palette, VersaMark

Ribbon: Reece, Angelee, Hemingway, & misc. from stash, Brown Scrapper’s Floss
Other: Marvy's Giga Scallop Square, Marvy's ¾” & 1" Circle Punches, Crop-O-Dile II, Hydra Sponge, Pop Dots, foam tape, and an empty Godiva Pearls metal tin (yummy!)

I must say, that I had a mighty tasty time emptying that tin in order to alter it... Godiva chocolate is beyond decadent :)

The CDII was perfect for punching a hole in the top of the lid... just don't try to set an eyelet in there... it doesn't work & you'll torque the lid to where it doesn't want to close... TRUST ME. :) That's why I popped up a decorative circle for the ribbons to go up, around & through.

This tin is pretty tiny, and is perfect to hang on the Christmas Tree! Instead of making the little accordian abundance list, you could have family member write their own 'Abundance is...' on slips of paper every year on Christmas eve. Then later, when you're scrapbooking your Christmas photos, you can include these slips on your layout. How fun would this be every year?!

What do you think?!

A little break from Christmas...

This was one of the notecards I sent to my secret sister at Paper Wings. It's pretty spring-y feeling, but I thought you might want a break from looking at all of the Christmas stuff on the net :)

Stamps: Fresh Air Favorites, Tag Tidbits

Paper: Bazzill mono greens cardstock, Lengthy Notes (Lasting Impressions)

Ink: Aloe & Sage VersaMagic, Jardin Moss, Sunflower & Raw Sienna Palettes

Other: MM flowers, Foofala button, & misc. ribbon

My secret sister loves flowers & green... so that's where this started. :) I also stamped on the envelope... I think this really finishes off the card.

What do you think?

A couple of quickies ;)

First off, the photos are horrible again... I wish Santa would bring me a light tent set up for Christmas!!

I needed an extra DOZEN Christmas cards in a flash for the Young Shriner's Christmas party tonight! So, here are two VERY QUICK AND EASY cards that take hardly any time at all!

I had purchased these red MM pre-made card bases about a year or two ago (yes, sick, I know). They already had a window punched in the front, and they included the white interior cardstock sheets as well.

I traced the window onto the white so I would know what would show through. I then stamped the snowman angel in the corner, so just part of him was peeking through the window. I stamped scrap piece and cut it out to use as a mask. I placed the mask over the angel and stamped the red square sentiment.




I stamped the front sentiment in VersaMark, and stamped the tree in Jardin Moss. I went over the angel wings, halo, star, and snowflake w/ a glitter pen. DONE!




Stamps: Ready Set Snow (sentiment), Sweet Goodies (square), Simply Christmas (tree), I Love Snowmen (retired)
Ink: VersaMark, Jardin Moss & L'Amore Red Palettes
Other: Stardust Clear Glitter Pen

I repeated this card in a smaller version. I reached for some pre-made, green tag-shaped card bases that I had in my stash. I punched a window off to the side w/ a Marvy Mega Square Punch and repeated all of the steps from above except for the VersaMark part.

Instead, I picked up my Swirlies set and used the corner image. LOVE it. I finished addressing the envelopes today and they are ready to hand out tonight or mail off to those who don't make it to the party [it is snowing a ton here today, and I'm thinking a bunch will be cancelling party plans!].

Not my absolute best work, but ok for a quickie.


What do you think?

Something else from the vault, and I think I'm getting old...

My lower back is killing me. I have NO flippin' idea what I did, but it hurts like a mofo. I don't remember doing any extra heavy lifting or anything... jeebus.

So, very quickly, here is another blast from the past: Merry Matchboxes. I picked up these large white matchboxes (they're like 3"x4" or so) online from Oriental Trading Company.

I covered them with TAC's Merry Wishes paper, and created some small accent tags. I also created gift tags w/ a Sizzix large paper clip die, Palette inks, and a couple of TAC stamp sets (Snow Tag and I Love Snowmen). I LOVE that little snowman with wings. I also included a little sheet of pink tissue paper inside.

These are perfect for gift cards, bracelets, or you can cover chocolate nuggets [mine usually don't make it into the box :) ]

That's it! I'm going to bed (at 9pm... what an old lady). Anyway, about the boxes...

What do you think?

A tisket, a tasket...

I've dug into the vault, people. Yep, it's true... I've got nothing new for you. But, please enjoy this little tidbit for tonight.

I created several of these little baskets for last year's craft fair, and had a single lonely one left... so I kept it :)

I found them at Michael's, and dyed them with Willow Spray Ink, which is a green color that matched perfectly with this retired Merry Wishes paper. After cutting all of the paper pieces out, I aged them with Walnut Spray Ink and a sponge.

After gluing all of the paper to the basket, I stamped the little tags (I Love Snowmen and Snow Tag - retired, & Tag Tidbits) and tied them to the handle w/ jute & Scrapper's Floss, 'lined' the inside w/ tissue paper, and voila!

Ready to be filled with candy or some other little trinket.

I hope you enjoyed a trip to the vault. And don't worry... there will be more trips to the vault over the next several days because I will be up to my eyeballs in a little double-top-secret sumpin' sumpin' for my Winger DT projects.

What did you think?

"Baby, it's cold outside"...

... [que music, scene from the movie 'Elf'] ... love that movie. I don't know why, but the best line: "Smiling... smiling's my favorite" :) Yes, I am a dork, but I am sitting next to the sliding glass door and my legs are freakin' popsicles.

That being said, I am going to try to make this as quick as possible so that I can fix a hot cup of orange-spice chai tea and go snuggle in bed with the babies (my favorite).

I picked up this wooden photo holder from JoAnn's for $10. It was painted white and the letters were robin's egg blue, hot pink, and purple... uh, eeewww. But, for $10 I knew I could fix it!

Paper: Lilly Anna SWIC

Other: misc. ribbons, buttons are MM, pink rhinestone, white Scraper's Floss, glue dots, PVA glue, sanding block & nail file

No stamps! Whatup w/that? Well, I decided to go minimal with this one, so that the future photos would take center stage :)

By the way... if there are any other 80's buffs out there, I think you know what song was playing in my head the entire time I was working on this project! ('Oh my god, Becky'...). Cindy, YOU know what I'm talkin'bout.

What do you think?