Laura's Sketch #16: Hand Drawn Bundle

Happy Saturday! And finally a card! Thanks for your patience! lol! I started working on Laura's Sketch #16 over at 2 Sketches 4 You last night, but I was getting nowhere, so I picked it up again this morning. Either this sketch was tough, or I am rustier than I even realized! I'm not going to admit the hours I spent on this...it's one of those you know you should give up on, but I'm too dang stubborn...I finally flipped the sketch around and ended up with this...

I used the new Level 3 Hostess Hand Drawn Bundle that will be available in the new Spring Summer 2009 Stampin' Up! catalog coming out on January 19! I pre-ordered this bundle...it's really cute with a stamp set called It's A Loop Thing (which I didn't use here), Loop to Loop Rub-Ons, and Hand Drawn Designer Series Paper. My favorite rub-on is the "hey cupcake" one...here I cut the "hey" and separated it, then rubbed the "cupcake" right on the ribbon. I love the whimsical look of this bundle! Here's a sneak peek for ya, click to enlarge it:


Hope you're having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Recipe
Stamps: none!
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Hand Drawn DSP, Holiday Happenings DSP (Hostess Level 3 current catalog).
Ink: Chocolate Chip marker.
Accessories: 1" Baja Breeze Double Stitched Ribbon, Loop to Loop Rub-Ons, Tab Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Mat Pack, Dimensionals, Stapler.

Project 365: #2

Here's #2...Royal Doulton blueberry china. Our grocery store, Albertson's, had been giving out little stickers with grocery purchases for months and long story short, we got 7 free place settings. You had to redeem your stickers by January 6, so I went today and got them. Not sure what to do with them now, I really don't like the pattern. My father-in-law suggested donating them to charity and claiming the retail value for a tax write-off, which seems like a pretty good idea. Any other thoughts?

p.s. Thanks for the comments and the warm words on the first photo! FYI, those are the boxes (except the waffles) that I take to school for lunch! We can cook, Donna, (although I choose not to, hee! hee!), my dh is a great cook! The waffles are for when I work late and when I don't like what he cooks...they were buy one, get one free! lol!

Project 365: #1

As I was catching up on my Google Reader, I read a post by Kazan here about Project 365. She read about it from Margie here, who also read about it from other people, etc., and Becky Higgins has info here. It's basically about photographs and journaling. The photos and meanings and goals seem to be different for each person, but I thought it was a cool idea and I had just happened to take a picture of our freezer on the morning of the 1st...so it seemed like destiny!

Why a picture of the freezer? We had just stocked up on groceries on New Year's Eve and dh put most of them away. When I went to get a glass of ice for my diet soda breakfast on the 1st, I cracked up when I saw the "tower" that dh had built in the freezer! It's like a piece of art, like a sculpture...there's no way I can remove any of it!

Anyway, I thought the Project 365 might be a cool project to try. I like the idea of scrapbooking our everyday life, the boring bits. You forget so much stuff as you age, it might be fun to look back on 2009, say 30 years from now! Plus, we don't have kids, so there's only so much material I have to work with, ya know! I don't know if I'll be able to keep it up...I have trouble sticking to things...and most days are pretty boring, so I'm not sure what I'll be photographing, but I'll give it a go! Are you up for it too?

RAKs and Goodies!

I have to share some awesome RAKS and Blog Candy Winnings that I received in December!

First up are these yummy flowers and adorable card that I received from Chloe Danz when she offered up some blog candy! She's a GREAT artist with such a clean, striking style, you have to check her out! She even mailed these to me all the way from New Zealand! Thank you, Chloe!



Next up, I received these fabulous goodies from Brooke when Sankari's daughter randomly selected me the winner of the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge one week...if you haven't played along, you really must, it's great fun! I love that movie Sabrina and don't those Peeps look yummy?! There are also some clear checkbook covers down there if you can't see them, how cool! I've never tried one of those and at the craft show I did in December, several people asked for them, so it must be a sign! Brooke even included one of her Convention swaps that I had said earlier that I wished I had received, how nice! Thanks, girls!



I'll be back later with more to share! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Kristina Color Inspiration #36: Owl Together Now

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! So sorry I basically abandoned the blog there for so long, yikes! We were traveling around Missouri for ten days, all of which time I was sick, and I didn't always have access to internet service. Yes, my Google Reader was up to a scary 696 unread posts! I'm still catching up! Then upon returning to Texas, we've had one computer problem after another, ugh! But I think dh just about has it all fixed up now.

I haven't stamped for soooo long, then decided at 7:30 CST that I'd try and make a card for Kristina's Color Inspiration Challenge #36. I'm loving this new owl set, Owl Together Now, but ya know I'm a lazy water colorer, so I used my retired Pure Color Pencils...they make it so easy! I am so rusty with my stamping, I better get back in there and keep practicing! lol! It took me about a day just to get the room and desk cleaned up so that I could even have space to stamp! How does that happen?!

I'll be back tomorrow with more to share...some pictures of a "stalking excursion" I went on while in Missouri! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I promise, I'll be by to visit you soon! Hugs and happy stamping!

Recipe
Stamps: Owl Together Now
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Whisper White.
Ink: Staz-On Brown, Rose Red marker.
Accessories: Pure Color Pencils, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Double Circle Punch.

Kristina's Color Inspiration #35: Winter Post

Happy Saturday! What a crazy week with more craziness ahead!, but I wanted to get a quick post up for the weekend! I didn't get a chance to play in Kristina's Color Inspiration #35 before the deadline Thursday, but I love these colors so much, I still wanted to give it a try!

Don't you love the yummy combo: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, and Very Vanilla! (Oops! Just realized I used white instead of vanilla, drats!) This may be the *simplest* card of all times, even for me, but I made it in about 15 minutes with scraps! I found the over-sized card already made up in my Earth Elements bin, and the scallop circle made from the Pennant Bigz XL Die and Big Shot was a reject from last weekend, because one scallop got chopped off...hence, the strategic placement of the felt flurry snowflake! lol!

I will be challenging myself to create things with limited supplies in the next few days (but I will be making a stop at Archiver's, yay!) so hopefully I'll have more to post soon, because right now, I got nothing! After weeks of making Christmas items, I think I'm ready to branch out! lol! Have a great weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Recipe
Stamps: Winter Post
Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP, Parisian Summer DSP.
Ink: Staz-On Brown.
Accessories: Pennants Bigz XL Die, Big Shot, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Felt Flurry Snowflake, Vintage Brad, Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon.

"Guess Who Loves You" Ghiradelli Treat Holder

Happy Wednesday! Only 2 more days of school left until a two-week vacation....ahhhh, sweet!

We had a great time at Beverly's Christmas party/Stamp Club last night, and I thought I would share one of the other projects we made. It's another Ghiradelli chocolate square holder like I made here, that I learned from Kimberley Morris' tutorial here. I used my new Owl Together Now set for this one, isn't he cute?! I've wanted this owl set from the first time I saw it in the new catalog and I finally broke down last month and bought him...another customer did too, so maybe you'll see some more cute stuff with him in the days to come.

It's only about one month until the new Stampin' Up! catalog comes out with lots of new goodies and temptations, aye-yi-yi! And that's what I told dh I wanted for Christmas, which he didn't think was very romantic, but reluctantly agreed! lol! Did you ask for anything special for Christmas?!

Hope you're having a good week and having fun getting ready for the holidays! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Recipe
Stamps: Owl Together Now
Cardstock: Red Riding Hood, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP.
Ink: Staz-On Brown, Red Riding Hood.
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Double Circle Punch, Ribbon Originals from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

JOY Card: December Stamp Club

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a good day and survived the nasty weather across the country! I've been scrambling trying to get ready for Stamp Club tomorrow night. I've been so fried trying to come up with projects, you wouldn't believe the pile of rejects on my desk! lol!

This is one card we're going to do, and it's kind of like cheating because I designed it as a make and take for our scrapbooking retreat weekend back in October, but we didn't end up having time to do it, so I had to pull it out as a last resort! lol! Excuse the crooked ribbon...it's been packed away for several months! If the design looks familiar, it's because I did a Halloween card here with the same design. I like this version because the little circles look like ornaments.

My friend and club member Beverly is hosting a Christmas party Tuesday night, and I'm so grateful because she let us combine our stamp club night into her party! I spoke with her earlier and she was cleaning house...which meant I didn't have to! So thank you, Beverly, I promise you a special treat for saving me!

Guess I better get to bed so I can get my 5 hours in, sigh. lol! Thank you so much for all of your nice comments about my Christmas Bazaar! You really made me feel good! I was disappointed in myself for not getting more done...you know how it is when you have so many ideas in your head and not enough time to do them all...so you really made me feel better about it! Hugs and happy stamping!

Christmas Bazaar Re-Cap

Happy Sunday! Well, I survived the Christmas Bazaar, but just barely! lol! Let's just say I didn't unload the car when I got home and I was in bed asleep at 9:30! My cold had kicked into full force and I had a bright red nose and laryngitis, but it was still a lot of fun doing it with my friends Lori and Robyn. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to people all day...the old retailer and designer in me misses that part sometimes. Oh, and I also took advantage of a free health screening and got my cholesterol and blood pressure checked...all is good! lol!

I was pretty happy with what I sold, it added up for a lot of $2.50 items, but I still had a LOT left over. Guess I'll have lots of teacher gifts ready for my teacher friends and lots of candy treats to tie on my Christmas packgages for family and friends! lol! Here are some pictures of my items from the day.

Christmas cards, they sold very well along with all occasion cards too, (I sold about 50 of the 100 I took) and post-it note holders:


Jumbo paper clip bookmarks, also sold very well:


Binder clips and hanging frames with button magnets:


I had five different kinds of these precious ornmanets made from little metal containers that Lisa Pace taught on her 12 Days of Christmas blog and none of them sold for $4.00. They were my favorite items!


Snowman Kisses, sold two of these:


Snowmen Peppermint Patties, sold most of these:


Magic Reindeer Food, sold three of these I think:


Candy bar treats, sold several of each (too many left over, ugh!):


Set of Santa tags, had several different kinds of tags:


Once I've finished unpacking I'll dig out the things I purchased and show those to you! hee! hee! I'm looking forward to stamping "for fun" again, although I should think about stamp club/Christmas party coming up on Tuesday night, Christmas shopping (only about 1/2 done), wrapping gifts, and getting ready to leave town on Friday...yikes!

Hope y'all had a great weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Kristina's Color Inspiration #34

Happy Wednesday! I should have gone to bed at 10:30, but I decided to really quickly make a card for Kristina's Color Inspiration #34: Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Bordering Blue, Certainly Celery, and Sage Shadow. When I first started stamping, the Soft Subtles were my absolute favorite, especially Perfect Plum and Pale Plum, so I feel like I know these colors well! lol!

Since I was short on time, I took the challenge very *literally* and used my old snowman punch to make little snowmen going across in a row, just like her sample picture. Not too inventive, but I'll mail it off to a family member who will love it hopefully! I finally got the Polka Dot background stamp last week, and I'm loving it! The "merry" is from a retired set called "Cute Converse"...I saved it because I loved its little word sentiments. The star punch is also retired, but I like the "folk" look of it.

Okay, gotta get to bed. A cold came to visit me Monday night and it's kicking my behind, sigh...the joys of working with lots of little children! lol! Hope you're having a great week! Hugs and happy stamping!

Recipe
Stamps: Polka Dot Background, Cute Converse (retired).
Cardstock: Whisper White, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Bordering Blue, Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow.
Ink: Staz-On Black; Certainly Celery Classic.
Accessories: 5/8" Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Mini Glue Dots, 1/8" Circle Punch, Snowman & Star Punch retired, Marta Stewart Plum Linen Thread.