Inky Images

Holiday Gifts #4

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

My last post with our Holiday Gifts!

This next one was made by Angela and I was lucky enough to get this gift at Mary's party. I immediately brought this home and hung it in my foyer. Isn't it fantastic? I would love to make some more of these as they would be great gifts for next year. The little felt snowflake, wreath and mittens can be found in the current Holiday mini catalog, which means they will be gone as of January 3. So if you want some, be sure to order them right away. They are called "Winter Wishes" and are on page 30 in the mini. I will give you the link at the end of this post. The scallop squares are done with a Big Shot die, as well as the big letters. Other punches and dies are used as well. What a great project!

And I love this picture too! This was made by Stacey. My favorite part of this project is the rosettes, which are done with punches and scoring.

And this is the gift I received at my downline party. These are magnets created by Courtney. Soooo nice! She stamped them on tiles and colored in the flowers. She blinged them up with gloss and glitter and added magnets to the back. Love it!

And finally, here is the gift I made. It's a magnet board, and the 3 snowflakes in the center are magnets made with paper and crystal effects. I bought the painter's canvas, unstapled one end so I could slide a metal piece behind it, then restapled. Then I stamped and sponged with Craft ink and stapled on a ribbon. Pretty easy, and lots of fun.

Okay, don't forget that the Holiday mini catalog ends on January 3. If you want anything from it, let me know and I can order it for you. (email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com). Or you can go to my website at http://suehyer.stampinup.net, and go to Shop Now. You can also view all the catalogs, including the Holiday mini at the same place. Just click on Products and then Catalogs, and it will take you right there. Also, we just found out that Stampin' Up! will be discontinuing the Stocking Builder Punch and the matching Stitched Stockings stamp set, which are in the Holiday mini too. I was quite surprised about that, I never thought they'd retire a punch after just 4 months! So if you were thinking it would be in the big catalog this summer, that's not going to happen. Order those things now before it's too late!

Happy New Year!

Holiday Gifts #3

2011-12-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

Another round of Holiday Gifts!

This is gorgeous! How clever to create a wreath using a flower die! The colors are so bright and cheery, you really could display this all year long. Pam I. made this.

Another use of our Flirtatious fabric! Toni is quite a seamstress, and she really wowed us with this adorable dress form. It could be used as a pin cushion, or even to hang jewelry on. I think it's just cute to look at too!

And what can I say about this amazing lamp?! It's beautiful, created by Mary. She used some brand new items that will be found in the Occasions mini catalog next month, including designer paper, a Big Shot die, and the pleated ribbon.

And here is an awesome memo board, complete with magnets, memo pad and even a little basket to hold pens, etc. I love this idea!

One more post tomorrow with the last four projects! See you soon...

Holiday Gifts #2

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Time for some more holiday gifts!

This first one was done by my upline, Mary, who is definitely one of the most creative people I've met! This was a much coveted gift, as you can probably tell! I'm sure it took her hours to make and I doubt she'll ever make another one. It involved folding more paper flowers than you'd ever want to count and then attaching them to a styrofoam ball. She then put it all into a vase. Isn't this gorgeous?

The photo above is a really cute and really big ornament! Attached to the ball are tons of buttons and then mica flakes were added for the bling!

And the next gift is an origami folded Christmas tree! How clever! Don't ask me how she did it, I don't have a clue!

And the last one is an Advent calendar. All the flaps open to reveal "How many more days till Christmas"!

There will be more to show you tomorrow!

Holiday Gifts

2011-12-24T14:53:00.008-05:00

Every year our Stampin' Up! groups get together for a holiday party and we have a gift exchange. We have to bring a handmade gift and we need to use SU! product to make it. Over the next few posts, I want to show you the gifts that were at both Mary's party (she is my upline) and at my downline party. These girls are VERY creative!!!

The first one I made, and it was really very easy. It's a card or photo display board. You just slip the cards under the ribbons and they stay. I just took a canvas (the kind you'd paint on) that I got at the craft store and attached the fabric and ribbons to that with a staple gun. First I laid some batting onto the front, then laid that and the canvas on top of the fabric. By the way, the fabric is from the "Flirtatious" set. I stretched it so it was tight, then stapled all the way around. To add the ribbon, I just lined it up, pulled it tight, and stapled. And then I just sewed the Bitty Buttons on by hand with the White Baker's Twine. So easy! I plan to make some more of these, including one for myself!

The gift in the photo above is a beautiful serving tray. I'm guessing it was stamped with Stazon and colored with markers. You'd probably have to seal it with something so the images don't rub off.

This next gift took a long time to make, I am sure of it! I didn't make it, but I think she cut all different widths of designer paper, scored them and then stacked them to make a tree. Hopefully she used the Simply Scored tool to make the job a little easier!

And the last one for today is this beautiful handcrafted picture. Lots of punches were used, and I especially like how the lace ribbon punch was turned into a snowflake.

Stay tuned over the next few post to see the other great gifts!

Happy 100th Birthday Grandpa Jack!

2011-11-25T10:02:00.006-05:00

Today is my Grandpa's 100th Birthday! He was born on November 25, 1911. He's had quite a remarkable life, living during the Depression, raising 4 children with my grandmother, living in a small town in Minnesota. He still lives on his own in an apartment, his sister lives 2 doors down. He goes a few blocks to the cafe in town to eat everyday, and of course, everyone knows him.

Back in August we had a big birthday party for him with all of his family! His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there to help him celebrate. It was fantastic! And I think it was a good lesson for my kids just how important family is.

We all gathered at the cabin at Birch Lake, in Minnesota. As a kid, my family would come here every summer. That was our vacation. Back then the cabin seemed much larger! It was fun telling my kids about the swing that hung from the tree, and that this was where I learned to water ski, and how we'd go horseback riding. (Grandpa loved horses and had quite few of them out at the lake.) It was even fun for me to go into the boat house and just the smell of that brought back memories.

I am thankful for my easy childhood and thankful that I get to share my memories with my kids!

And very thankful for my 100 year old Grandpa Jack! Happy Birthday! By the way, he's having a big party tomorrow and the whole town is invited - all 200 of them!

Just a few cards

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today I want to show you just a few cards that were done by the girls in my downline. We meet once a month to talk a little business, do a card swap, and stamp! It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy getting to see them every month. They are a talented group of ladies!

This first one is the perfect masculine card. The stamp set is "Need for Speed". The background was done using the Houndstooth Embossing Folder, and then sponged with the same color ink. Very striking!

Next is a beautiful autumn card using the Day of Gratitude stamp set. Very simple, and I love the colors!

This card used the Flower Fest stamp set. The images were stamped on tissue paper, and then that was adhered to the underlying card stock. Okay, I know that technique has a name, but I can't think of it right now. Does anyone know?!

And finally, a card using the "For Everything" set. I have resisted buying this one, but every time I see a sample, I start to rethink that! What I love about it is that even though it's a line image set, you really don't have to color it. (I don't like to color...).

So there you go, just a few cards for your enjoyment! See you next time...

My Latest Find!

2011-11-08T15:58:00.006-05:00

If you've been reading my blog, you know I am on a quest to get my house organized. Okay, that's progressing very slowly. My best excuse is that we've decided to do a small kitchen renovation (new lighting, granite counterop, new sink, faucet and cooktop, new tile floor and backsplash). This has taken way more time than I ever imagined! Not to mention the fact that I have to keep dismantling my kitchen for each bit of progress. And... the amount of dust being manufactured is unbelieveable! I feel like I am just trying to stay ahead of that.

Anyway, I digress. I am also always on a quest to find the quickest and easiest way to clean something. Recently my aunt was telling me about a company called Norwex and their antibacterial microfiber cloths and polishing cloths. She said they clean windows and glass in a flash, with just water and no streaking or left-behind lint. She was going to a home party, so I told her to order me these cloths. Well, she was right!

They are amazing! The microfiber cleans with just water, picks up the dirt like crazy. And the polishing cloth is even better. Dries so fast and without streaks or lint, unlike paper towels. I was sold. Then after reading a little bit more about these cloths, come to find out they are not just your ordinary microfiber cloths. The microfibers in the cloths are about 1/100th the size of a strand of hair, so the absorbency is amazing, way better than the cloths you can buy at the store. But, there's more! They are also antibacterial. Embedded in the cloth is a silver-based agent that inactivates bacteria. So the cloth will pick up 99.94% of the bacteria on a surface, and then the silver will gradually inactivate the bacteria that is in the cloth. All of this is just done with water as the cleaner.

This really interested me, since who doesn't want less chemicals in their house. And then I realized how great this would be to clean my new granite countertops in the kitchen. I won't have to spray any chemicals on the counter to clean them. I can just use the antibac cloth and then wipe dry with the polish cloth. Easy and bacteria-free! And everyone knows you don't want bacteria on your kitchen counter, where you have food and cooking supplies.

Below are before and after pictures of when I cleaned my sliding glass door. Pretty dirty, especially with the sun coming thru.

And below is the after picture. I swear, it took me no more than 5 mintues to clean all 4 panels of the glass door. I wiped down with the wet microfiber cloth, then polished, and the glass was clear! I didn't have to go back over any streaks, and I wasn't chasing away paper towel lint.

And I have to tell you, I love these cloths on my bathroom mirrors too.

Yes, I sound like a commercial, but I really wanted to share this with everyone. Norwex has lots of other environmental-friendly products and I wanted to try a lot of them out. So guess what, I signed up as a consultant so I can get a discount on the products. They are a bit pricey, so that was the easiest way for me to get what I wanted. I have loved everything I've tried so far, and I will occasionally post about some of the other products and let you know how they work.

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the products or see the catalog, you can go to http://www.suehyer.norwex.biz/ to view the catalog. And because I am really not interested in starting another business, I would love to give everyone a 15% discount on everything you purchase. There is a flat $4.95 S&H fee, no matter what you order, so the discount would be just on the merchandise (not tax and S&H). Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you want to place an order. This is good stuff!

Craft Room Tour again...

2011-11-08T08:35:00.003-05:00

Let's continue the Craft Room tour! Today I'm going to show you how I've set up my Big Shot and how I store a lot of my embellishments and punches.

I love my IKEA shelves! They are the perfect size, and you can stand them up vertically or horizontally. They work great under the windows. On top of this shelf I keep my Big Shot and my Cricut. It's great having a "countertop" like this because I don't have to keep putting away my tools when I'm not using them. They are always ready to go! Underneath the Big Shot I keep all my dies, embossing folders, etc, etc. The longer dies I just store on their sides and slide them into the shelf. The smaller ones I keep in a plastic shoe box. I like that I can just pull the box out and see what dies I have, since the boxes don't have lids on them. If you look closely at the two bottom right shelves, I have also added hanging baskets. These are perfect to hold the Sizzlits and small alphabet die sets. I found the baskets at Lowes.

On the bottom left shelf I have a slide-out box that I also got at Ikea. They are made specifically for the "Expedit" shelving units. I keep some of my Cricut supplies in this box. On the other shelves I have card samples and other random things that still need more organizing. The good thing is that there is plenty of space and I can move stuff around if I need to.

Next to the Ikea shelf I have a 4-drawer bin that I keep miscellaneous things in, like my scrub pads, plus some leftover supplies from old projects. Next to that is a 4-foot table and this holds a ton of stuff! Starting from the right is my ribbon shelf. I think I got it at Target and was able to find some extra shelves to add to it. I bought baskets at either Michaels or Joanns, and they fit perfectly. I keep all of my ribbon in the baskets and it's really easy to use. I just pull out the basket and find the ribbon I need. This basket system holds more ribbon than anyone should ever need, and I like that I can take the ribbon to the table, sit down, and cut what I need.

Next to the ribbon shelf are drawer bins that I keep my punches and other embellishments in. The bottom drawers hold the punches, since they are heavy, and in the top drawers are brads, buttons, eyelets, etc. In the white bottom drawers on the left side is where I keep my jumbo wheels and cartridges. As you can see, these drawers also hold a lot of stuff! On top of the drawers I have a Color Caddy and that's where I keep my ink pad doubles.

Way back in the corner is another Ikea shelf. It's narrow and tall and works well in this space. I store markers, ink refills, and just a lot of other extra things that need a home. On the very bottom shelves I keep things that I don't use very often, since it's hard to reach down there. I added one of the baskets from Lowes here as well, and that enables me to use the space more wisely.

So don't try to look under the table! I'll show you that next time. That's where I store my 8 1/2 x 11 card stock and I love my system!

See you next time!

Craft Room Tour

2011-10-29T08:36:00.004-04:00

Okay, let's start the tour of my craft room! I'll do this over a few posts, since there's a lot to see...

I'll begin on the wall with the sliding glass door. From there I look out onto a patio and my backyard. I planted some flowering bushes this spring, so the view is really nice! By the door is my cutting station. It's not quite as big as I'd like, but I'm working with what I have. I put my cutter on top of an old microwave cart, and I chose this piece of discarded furniture because it's a little higher than a table, so less stress on the back. (gotta think about things like that at my age!) Plus, it's great for storage. Right now on the shelf I am keeping my new Simply Scored tool, plus some hanging folders that I am in the process of getting ready for my Designer Paper files. Underneath I've stashed a bunch of retired stamp sets that I still haven't cut out, so of course, never used! However, I can't part with them just yet.

Next to the cutting table are the "Crop In Style" filing cubes. They are 2 separate units, and I am storing all my Designer Paper in there. They hold a lot, but I still had to purge quite a bit so I could fit everything in these 2 cubes! They are high quality, very heavy, and I got them on a website called "Create for Less". Here's the drawback... Crop in Style makes these great filing cubes, yet they discontinued the hanging files that go in them! What???? So I purchased the hanging folders online (they are Cropper Hopper brand), but now I have to modify them so they actually fit in the cubes! They are a little too wide, so I have to cut down the sides and also make the metal hanger shorter. Yes, this is a real pain, which is why I'm not done yet! Then, to really complicate things, I got the cubes at 2 different times, probably a year apart, and they've changed the hanging bars inside, just enough that one cube requires the hanging folders to be about 1/4 inch smaller than the other - ugh! So now I have to modify the folders in 2 different ways. Anyway, I just wanted to warn you in case you were thinking about using this system.

Next I want to show you how I store my stamp sets. I'm using 2 bookcases that aren't very deep, maybe 12 inches. I've labeled all the sets on the side of their boxes, and they are organized by theme, such as Greetings, All Occasion, Flowers, Christmas, Halloween, Alphabets, etc. This has worked really well for me. On one shelf I have all my clear mount stamps, which definitely take up less space! But as you can see, I've already filled one shelf, so will once again need to reorganize just a bit. On the top of one shelf is where I keep my embossing powders and glitter. I have transferred them out of the tiny bottles they come in and keep them in plastic gladware type containers. I find it a lot easier to use the powders like this, with less mess. On top of the other shelf I have some displays set up.

Coming around the room, next you see how I organize my 12x12 cardstock. These are Crop In Style cubes, and they are perfect! They come separately and stack very nicely. They are also pretty heavy and sturdy. I store my card stock alphabetically by color name. To help them stay upright, I use the paper holders and dividers, which can be found in the Stampin' Up! catalog on page 226. I actually turn them sideways so I can just slide the paper in and out easily. And on top of those cubes I have a Color Caddy, where I keep retired ink pads.

So there's the start of the tour, we've made it about 1/4 of the way around the room! I think if you click on the photo, it will enlarge so you can see things up a little bit closer. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will answer you. Or you can email me at Sue@WeLoveToStamp.com.

My New Craft Room!

2011-10-25T15:24:00.008-04:00

As promised long ago, I have finally cleaned up my new craft room and taken some pictures! Today I am just going to show you the view from all 4 corners, just to give you an idea of the whole picture. Then over the next few posts, I will go from area to area, and show you how I've organized things. As most of you know, organizing a craft room is always a work in progress, but I do feel like I've got it pretty well under control, at least for the moment!

In this photo you can see I have 2 work tables in the middle of the room. I can comfortably seat 8, or I can work on 8 different projects at once! I just move from seat to seat, depending on my mood for the day! If you would ever stop by unannounced, the room would not look like this, I can guarantee it! There is usually stuff all over the tables...

What I really love is that now I actually have some windows that let in light! Two double windows plus a sliding glass door, it's like a sanctuary. I did lose some wall space because of that, but luckily I was able to turn 2 Ikea shelves on their sides, so I still have storage under the windows. I painted the room "Baja Breeze" and I LOVE it! So calming.

For the flooring, I used Pergo, and now I don't have to worry about ink pads being dropped on the carpet. I was originally going to make my own curtains, but then I found the perfect ones at Country Curtains. So it cost a little more, but it saved a lot of time.

And as you can see in the photo below, my husband has hooked me up with the latest technology! In the back corner is my new TV (I swear, it wasn't that big in the store!), plus I have a DVR and a Blu-Ray player. Believe me, I didn't think I needed all that stuff, but since he was buying, I agreed! It really is nice to be able to watch TV or listen to music while I'm working. Truly the most incredible craft room, don't you think?!

More next time...

September Stamp Camp Cards

2011-10-11T06:39:00.004-04:00

Since tomorrow is October Stamp Camp, I decided I should hurry up and show you what we did in September!

This card uses the single stamp called Triple Treat Flower. The neat thing about this image is that it fits 3 punches, the Fancy Flower, the 5 Petal Flower, and the 1/2" Circle. So we stamped it in 3 different colors, then used the 3 punches to make the layers. Added a rhinestone brad to the center circle and it was done. If you look closely at the background piece under the flower, you can see how we made decorative score lines using the new Simply Scored tool - so easy! And the white strip is embossed with the Snowburst embossing folder and the Big Shot.

The second card uses the new Designer Frames embossing folder. The nice thing about this is that it was made to perfectly fit the Extra Large Oval punch. So for the inside image, we just stamped the flowers, punched it out, and laid it inside the embossed circle! The Designer Series Paper is Spice Cake - so gorgeous!

Stay tuned for this month's Stamp Camp cards - they are really cute!

Surprise - it's a Bookmark!

2011-10-04T11:54:00.004-04:00

I CASE'd today's card from my dear friend, Deb's, blog. Thanks Deb! This is an adorable card that comes with a little gift, a bookmark!

The base is done with Daffodil Delight, and the next layer is Island Indigo. To make the bookmark, you fold a strip of Daffodil Delight card stock in half and put it on the Two Tags die, making sure the fold is just below the cut on the die. If you lay it over the cut, guess what - it will cut it! Then I put 2 pieces of magnet sheet inside and that will hold the bookmark on your page.

The flowers are done with the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch, and I added some circles done with the Punch Pack to the middle of the flower, and topped them off with the Rhinestone Jewels. So easy! And pretty darn cute!

30 Days to an Organized Home - Day 3

2011-09-30T19:47:00.004-04:00

Okay, I know it says Day 3, but it's more like "almost a month"! Needless to say, I haven't been as focused as I'd hoped, but I hear slow and steady wins the race!

So Day 3 is the Living Room. Now this room doesn't look as bad as it has in the past. In fact, my husband refers to it as "Shipping and Receiving", because this is where I sort and store all the Stampin' Up! orders that are waiting to be picked up. Today there is only one box sitting there, and I've been pretty good about keeping it down to that. However, you can see that I am not the only one who uses this room as a dumping ground!

Notice all the papers on the floor - those are not mine! (okay, the Target bags are mine, just look away...) My youngest son, Kevin, just finished an SAT prep course and for some reason all the papers ended up on the living room floor. I think it might be because we needed the dining room table!

In the book, the author understands that the living room probably isn't the hardest room to organize. It really only took me about 15 minutes to just pick up. But she did say this was a good time to look around and fix up something you've been wanting to do. Well, don't get me started, I really would like to redo the whole room (can you say area rug, get rid of curio cabinets, repaint, and boy would I LOVE new couches!), but that's not going to happen any time soon. But I did finally take down the picture over the piano, which I think I've had since "early marriage", about 27 years or so, and put up another picture I recently purchased. I also centered it over the piano and moved the sconces.

And that's what I ended up with. It certainly looks better and I do feel like I accomplished a little something! Now the hard part will be to keep it like this, since this room really is the perfect spot to put stuff that need to be out of the way "just for now, until I can find a better place for it"! Wish me luck!

More cards!

2011-09-20T22:37:00.003-04:00

So how am I doing? I've actually been blogging! I put it on my daily "To Do" list, which means it has a better chance of getting done. Now why didn't I think of that before?!

The first card I want to show is you is a favorite! Using the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch, Essel (who is in my downline) made this awesome card! She punched and layered and used the Big Shot and she said it was a lot of work. (Plus she has a new baby boy, so don't ask me how she found time to do this, I don't know!) But it was well worth the effort, don't you think?

This is a moveable card made by Pam, also in my downline. When you pull up on the top tab, the greeting in the middle comes up too. Very cute!

And for the last card of the day, this one uses the new Delicate Doilies set. Don't you love the colors? I sure do! This card was made by either Stacey or Courtney, both in my downline, and both very talented! If either of you want to claim this card, let me know and I'll give you credit! (We used to put our names on our swap cards, but then decided that we could use them if we didn't do that, so now I have to try and remember who made which card...!)

Happy Stamping Everyone!

Day 2 - Organized Home - Front Closet

2011-09-14T12:37:00.007-04:00

Well, at this rate it's going to take me 30 weeks rather than 30 days to get to my organized home! I'm going to try and set a goal of 2 tasks per week, so we'll so how that goes!

Day 2 is the Front Closet. My closet is very small. We don't keep most of our jackets in there, just the ones we only use occasionally. However, I do keep all of the hats and gloves in a "shoe holder" hung on the back of the door. That has worked out great for me. I also keep a vacuum cleaner in there, which I don't like doing, but I have nowhere else to put it! In the book the author tells you that the front closet IS NOT for storage! So I guess I am guilty of that when you look at the shelf...

So, cleaning out this closet didn't take that long. I reorganized the gloves and hats, cleared off the shelf and made room for the vacuum cleaner on the floor. The plastic bins on the shelf don't look that great, so I will keep my eyes open for a nicer option whenever I'm out shopping. I also bought a few wooden hangers so that when guests come, I can hang up their coats.

Here was my revelation doing this chore - I have a serious tote bag problem! I could not believe how many useless tote bags I had stuffed onto the top shelf! I really don't need all these bags, and as you can see, I was able to fill a whole box of bags that I can now donate! I was telling some friends about this problem of mine, and one of them said "You've had that problem for years"! Friends should not let friends collect tote bags!

So now the closet looks good, but turn around and there is the table in my entryway - ugh! Four drawers filled with "stuff", plus 2 big baskets on the bottom shelf. My son keeps his school things in the baskets, but I'm sure there are some things that don't need to be in there. And as far as the drawers, well that will have to be another day. And once again, one organizing chore created another one!

So has anyone else jumped on the organizing band wagon with me? Let me know how you're doing!

Punch Away!

2011-09-11T20:53:00.004-04:00

Today I want to show you 2 cards that use lots of punches! Being able to punch your images certainly makes the cards very quick and easy, don't you agree?

The first card uses lots of punches, more than I realized! 2 3/8" scallop circle and 1 3/4" circle for behind the ice cream cone. Then for the ice cream cone I used Petite Pennants Builder and Cupcake Builder. And finally, for the greeting, Word Window and Modern Label. Add in the Big Shot for the Pink Pirouette background, and that doesn't leave much stamping! But just think how quickly you could crank out a bunch of these cards.

The second card uses one of my favorite new stamps, Triple Treat Flower. It got that name because it works with 3 different punches - the Fancy Flower punch, 5-Petal Flower punch, and the 1/2" circle punch. That's just for the flower. Then I also used the new Lace Ribbon Border punch for the back border piece. So can you see why I like punches so much? Quick and easy, my favorite way to stamp!

Thanks for checking in, I'll be back soon!

Getting Organized...or trying to...

2011-09-07T16:35:00.010-04:00

The other day I was reading a blog called "30 Minute Martha" , and the blogger, Lain Ehmann, was talking about a 30-day organizing project she was getting ready to do. It was based on an e-book titled "30 Days to an Organized Home". Each day she was going to do the challenge and then blog about it. Well, I am all about getting organized (when I was a kid, I loved to clean out my closet, I was organizing at a young age!) and I thought it might be kind of fun to try the same thing. So I ordered the book here, it downloaded immediately, and I was ready to get started!

Day One:

The challenge today was to clean up "The Spot". This is the area that I'm sure we all have, the place where all those papers and other miscellaneous things land. The place where you put all the stuff that you will get to later! My "Spot" is a counter top in my kitchen. I have a file basket there for my kids' papers, plus another basket that I keep notepaper and writing utensils in. And that is where the organized part ends! I am pretty good about going through the mail and immediately recycling or shredding what I don't need. But then I seem to put every piece of paper I DO need into piles on my "Spot", and that's where the piles get bigger and bigger. This was the perfect place for me to start on my 30 day quest to organization!

So I cleared out all the papers and other stuff, and that's when I realized it was going to take me a lot longer than 30 days to get through the book! Because once I cleared out all the papers I had to sort everything and figure out where they needed to be filed. You can see below how I parked myself on the family room floor and got to work. Plus I had to find homes for all the other items that had been living on that counter top! And that was going to take more than one day, since believe it or not, I do have other things that need to get done around here!

So once I came to the realization that I could take on this project, but it would take a bit longer than originally planned, I was determined to do this! Below you can see my beautiful clean counter top! The things you see behind the sink are actually the clay pots and other "sculptures" my boys have made over the years. I cannot part with them just yet, so they are part of the decor. I have also decided that I need to add another file to my basket for all those papers that will need attention in the near future. So hopefully when I add that, then I won't be tempted to just make piles again, and maybe the counter top will stay clean! Yikes - this is harder than I thought it would be!

I will keep you posted on my progress! And I challenge you to join me and get an organized home too! Really, this could be fun!

I'm Baaaaack!!!!

2011-09-02T10:50:00.007-04:00

Yes, believe it or not, I'm back! I haven't posted since January, and it's been on my mind lately, so I just decided to jump in and blog today! And hopefully now I'll keep up with it, at least more than once every 9 months!

For those of you that don't know, my Dad passed away in April, and he had some difficult months before he left us. I have never had anyone that close to me pass away, so it was emotionally draining. I've found that people grieve differently, and for me I lost all desire to create or even spend time in my new craft room. So I gave myself permission to take some time off, and that has helped. The only thing I felt like doing was scrapbooking, and it was very therapeutic to be spending time with my photos and and archiving my memories. So thank you to all my very dear family and friends for being there in my time of need. I miss you Dad.

Okay, I have also decided that my blog will not only be about stamping and scrapbooking, I will also post about other random things going on in my life. Which means I will be showing you the final product of our big construction project, which was finished this spring! But that will have to wait until another post...

Today I want to show you just a few cards.

This one I made for a swap and I CASE'd it from the catalog. You're allowed to do that, and I've been doing it more and more! It uses the "It's a Wrap Occasions" set. Check out the other samples for this set on page 59 in the catalog. I've also made the cute candy box and it's pretty easy. They used the Matchbox die and just cut the lid to make the flap opening. (I guess I'll have to take a picture of the one I made!)

Yep, here's another one I CASE'd! If you look closely you can see the score lines on the Lucky Limeade piece of card stock. I used the new Simply Scored scoring tool and it was a breeze!

This was one of the cards we made at my August Stamp Camp. It uses the Flower Fest stamp set. What I love about this set is that just about every image has a matching punch! And, since I don't like to color, it is very easy to just sponge to get a watercolor look.

And finally, a great birthday card that is soooo easy! I like this one so much that I used it for my son's birthday back in July! Talking about matching punches, this card uses the "Pennant Parade" stamp set and the Petite Pennants Builder punch. Perfect for the lazy stamper, like me.

Well, that's it for today. It's my DH's birthday so we are headed out for lunch! I promise I will try to blog more often. Maybe now that school is starting, I can get back on a schedule. See you soon!

December Stamp Camp Projects

2011-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting around to showing you what we made in December Stamp Camp! This card uses the Northern Flurry embossing folder, and the snowflake is from the Northern Frost die. It's hard to see, but we painted the snowflake with Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink. To make the layered back behind the greeting, we punched out two of the Extra Large Decorative Label, cut one in half, then layered one on top of the other. The oval punch was just a tad too big to fit on one label, so that was my solution.

And I just love this next card! It's actually a gift card holder! I got the idea for the elf from a customer of mine. She had given me a gift with it last year, and I tucked away the idea for future use! So glad I did. The elf is done with punches, just add eyes and some ink for his blushing cheeks. To make the folded Top Note, you take a 1/2 sheet of card stock, fold it in half. Then lay it onto the die, but put the fold just below the cut line. That way it won't cut thru the top half and you end up with a card! Cool!

Holiday Gifts Continued...

2011-01-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here come the last our our holiday gifts! This first item is a little purse I made for my upline, Mary. I cut out all the pieces, except the handle, using Big Shot dies. I put quilting batting in between the inside and outside layers and stitched everything together. It was actually pretty easy to make!

Yes, we do have some seamstresses in our group! This apron was done by Essel Linton. She purchased the apron, took off the original pocket, then made her own pocket using our designer fabric. The accent flower is done with a Big Shot die.

And this memo board was made by Mary Hall. She covered a magnet board with designer paper, and Mod Podged it. The circles are magnets, and then she attached a memo pad. This gift was a big hit!

More Holiday Gift Ideas

2011-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Time to show you some more projects from our holiday gift exchange. The first thing is a ribbon wreath, that was made by Linda Bobb. She bought one of those wire wreaths, then proceeded to tie ribbons on it. I think she said it took her about 5 hours to complete it!

Next is a pillow made by Lisa Hale. She used our designer fabric for the ruffle, wreath, and ribbon. The wreath was made with a Big Shot die. Yes, you can put fabric thru a Big Shot, it will actually cut thru quite a few layers at once!

I love this project done by Angela Khan! She used a bible verse as her theme, and then framed it. There is so much detail in this project, including distressing, sponging, punching, etc! As you can see, we have very talented stampers in our group!

One more post coming soon, with the last of the holiday gifts....

Catching Up Some More!

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm still catching up, and will be for the next few posts! The projects I want to show you today are gifts my upline, Mary Hall, made as door prizes at her holiday party. Such awesome ideas!

The first one is a gorgeous jar that she embellished with decor elements, ribbon and vintage brads.

Next is an adorable frame, also using decor elements, on the outside of the glass. There is designer paper inside. The button is on the outside. This is the prize I won!

Isn't this star gorgeous? I think it was done with a Big Shot die, and designer paper. The picture really doesn't do it justice.

This is a glass cube that has decor elements on the outside, and lights on the inside! Absolutely beautiful!

And last, another framed project. The ornaments are done with a decor elements stencil, and it looks like the ribbons are on the outside of the glass. We have some fantastic decor elements, as you can see from all of these projects!

That's it for today. Stay tuned for projects that were done for our gift exchanges.

Catching Up

2011-01-08T13:29:00.007-05:00

I am so far behind in posting, I've decided to just play catch up for the next few days! The first things I want to show you are three of the projects from my Holiday Gifts Class. I know, this doesn't do you any good right now, but you could get started on next year, right?

The first project is an adorable hand sanitizer holder. The reindeer is made with all punches, except for the antlers, which are a Big Shot die. This idea was perfect because...

when I was looking for a holiday hand sanitizer, I found this reindeer one from Bath and Body Works! So I actually think I decided on that first, and then used the punched reindeer for the front of the box.

This next project is a cute little post it note holder made with the Two Tags die. The snowflakes are also from a die. I used the Crop-a-dile to punch the hole for the ring, and I punched thru everything at once, including the post it.

Here's what it looks like when opened. It's a great size to keep in your purse.

And last, a little set of gift tags. I used these as pre-Christmas gifts, for people that I exchanged gifts with before the holidays. Then they had something they could use.

So that's just a few leftover Christmas ideas!

Latest Construction Update

2011-01-03T19:38:00.012-05:00

Things are moving right along. Over the past 2 weeks, the electrical work has been in progress, so not much to show there. But let me show you what's taken place since the beginning of December!

We now have windows and a sliding glass door in my stamp room, which is under the screened porch. They also finished the roof on the porch.

You can see the beginning of the deck from this point of view as well.

Let me take you inside to my old stamp room! It certainly doesn't look the same. It's all torn apart and they have been turning it into a media room. What a mess!

But it's going to be fantastic when it's finished!

This is the platform for one row of seats in the media room.

And this is where there will be a countertop with bar stools. This room is Bob's vision, I am just along for the ride!

And the most recent bit of progress is the patio, with the brick edging. I think they did a great job, it looks so good!

And as you can see, we now (sort of) have stairs to the deck. I'm told they will finish building it in the next week or two.

Finally, here is a shot of the flooring in the screened porch. Since it's over an actual room, they can't do regular decking, it has to be something waterproof. It's like a thick rubber over the whole floor. I can't wait to sit out here for the first time with my glass of iced tea!

Someday soon we will have the grand opening! I can't wait to get into my new stamp room and start organizing everything. And then we'll have a big stamping party!!! I'll keep you posted...

Shadow Boxes

2010-12-17T08:44:00.003-05:00

One thing I really like to do with the Decor Elements is make shadow boxes with them. You just line the back with designer paper, fill the inside of the box with 3-D things, then place the Decor Element on the outside of the glass. It's so easy, and makes a great gift.

This is one I did as a birthday gift for a friend. I just got the artificial leaves from a craft store and hot glued them to the designer paper. Then I put all of that inside the frame, put the Decor Element on the outside, and it's done.

This next one is what I made for my BFF, Deb, for her birthday. She loves sunflowers, and I was pretty excited when I found these artificial ones. I decided that I was too messy with the hot glue gun, so I just strategically placed the flowers inside the frame, laid the designer paper over it, and then closed the back of the frame over all of that. It seemed like everything was in there pretty tight, so I figured it would be fine to mail.

Well, I was WRONG!!! After Deb opened her gift, she posted it on her blog, and of course, I read it. Here is what I saw!

Oh my gosh! Everything had shifted and I was mortified that not only had she posted it, but that she actually thought I meant it to be that way! I quickly emailed her and told her how to fix it, but she thought it looked just fine. Ugh! Okay, we have had many a laugh over that one. Then the other day she told me that the frame had tipped over and the flowers shifted again, into another "interesting" pattern. This is definitely the gift that keeps on giving. Moral to the story, use hot glue!