BIG Kisses to Santa Baby!

This Christmas was wonderful. It is so much FUN with little ones! Our girls are 7, 4 and 2 and they were so excited about Christmas! Our oldest is so sweet and polite and would love just about anything for Christmas. This year she asked for a Bible of her very own. Isn't that sweet. The 4 year old just kept saying, "Can't you get that out? I want to play with it!" She doesn't understand how long it takes to unwrap those 102 wire twisty ties! (I HATE THOSE THINGS!) Here is a photo of her on one of the things she asked for. A simple pony head on a stick to ride around the house on! So simple - and NO WIRE TWISTY TIES! The 2 year old kept saying, "More presents me mommy?" In a way it made me sad to hear that. Did we miss explaining to her that Christmas is all about a tiny baby born long ago in Bethlehem? Probably not, we did attend a Jesus walk a couple weeks ago, they have been talking about Jesus' birth for several weeks at church in class-I had to cut her some slack and remind myself she is just 2! I guess I was surprised at how excited she was. I don't remember the other two getting so excited at such an early age.

Anyway, can I tell you how good Santa was to me? My sweet Santa hasn't really been a great romantic type Santa. My dh and I have been married for almost 10 years and together as a couple for 14. He has never been real romantic and to be honest tends to buy me things I NEED rather than fun stuff I want. Last year I got plastic mixing bowls from Big Lots and flannel pjs. This year he brought me to tears twice!

I really wanted a Vera Bradley purse but was sure my guy was not going to be caught dead picking out a purse! But, Santa brought it. A beautiful Mesa Red On The Go bag! I love it. But honestly more than anything, love that he really listened and he was so excited to give it to me!

But the best gift---a trip tomorrow -- just him and I -- to the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit to see Irving Berlin's A White Christmas!!!! He plans on taking me to Greek Town for lunch, on the People Mover and to the Casino to look around. I don't know if I am most excited for the fact we will be without kids, he arranged the sitter or the fact he came up with this whole trip on his own. Even as I write I am about in tears.

This has been a hard year for us and he has really scored some points this Christmas!!! In the next couple days I hope to show you some stampin goodies this same Santa got for me-like a Marvy Square Scallop Punch, how about the pink and brown striped bag from Scrap, Paper, Scissors....I must have been very good this year.

UHU Review

A couple week's ago I discovered that UHU was giving away free samples of its adhesives to any crafter with a Blog as long as you would use the product and post a review of the product on your blog. SO, without hesitation I sent them an e-mail requesting mine. It arrived rather quickly and in my package was the UHU Glue Roller and the UHU Scrapbookers Pen. UHU GLUE ROLLER

The glue roller is a lot like the Stampin' Up! SNAIL, or Tombow's Mono Adhesive. The mono is my adhesive of choice at the moment. I was excited to try something similar but different in hopes it would be better. The Glue Roller is not refillable (at least the one they sent me is not). Rather than being a gluey tape thing like Mono, it is small adhesive dots. I will say that I like the dots better than the tape because there is no clogging. Also, I noticed that if you work slowly and precisely, the entire strip of dots is released onto your cardstock. Often with Mono half the glue remains on the applicator or clogs the applicator so you have glue boogers to remove. The UHU is also very smooth when applying it. The adhesive quality is about the same as Mono. It holds if you use it on all the outer lines. BUT, if you are looking for some super holding power, this is not for you.

Scrapbookers Pen

The Scrapbookers Pen is just liquid glue. There is no pen like applicator at all. I am not a huge glue fan when papercrafting. Its just too messy. I hate when I use it and it oozes out the sides. This glue is no exception. It is actually messier than any glue I have used with paper crafting (again, keep in mind I have only used about 3 types). When you take the lid off there are glue strands already so I knew it was going to be messy. I actually used this to try to glue a button onto my cardstock. It worked great for that! It held. The only problem was that it oozed out the sides and the holes in the middle of the button. I will probably continue to use my Crystal Effects for buttons as I like how easy it is to control it. But, if you like using glue, you might want to give this a try.

Merry Christmas to Me!

Yet another reason I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator---all demonstrators were told that Shelli (the co-founder of Stampin' Up!) was sending each of us a Christmas gift, but they didn't tell us what it would be. A few years ago when Stampin' Up! moved to a new facility we experienced terribly long shipping times, at Christmas they rewarded us for the trouble by sending us all a NEW stamp set as a gift!

When they announced we would be getting a gift I was just dreaming for free rubber! And, my package came yesterday! FREE STAMPS IT WAS! The set is called Polka Dots & Paisley and will be released in the Spring Mini Catalog. Here is the first card I have done using my new present. I'll try to play with it some more and post more samples soon!

I Bought Another Company's Stamps?!?!?

As everyone knows, Stampin' Up! is not the only rubber stamp producer. As you may or may not know, Stampin' Up! is not the only home based sales of rubber stamp sets. There are 2 other companies that I am familiar with - TAC (The Angel Company) and CTMH (Close to My Heart).

The main difference that I have heard about our companies is that SU! sells wood mounted stamp sets whereas the former companies sets are acrylic mount. What does that mean? Well, our rubber images are permanently adhered to wood blocks. The other companies images are removable and adhere to acrylic (plastic clear blocks). People who use acrylic blocks rave that your storage space is increased immensely because your sets are only as thick as a CD case and you store them in those to save shelf space. You have an acrylic block which your rubber images are stuck on to and them removed when you don't need it. This way you may have say 4 blocks that you use for all your images. I had heard it said too that the rubber images are clear so that you can see exactly where you are stamping an image. I was curious....

A friend had a book party with TAC and I found one set that I really liked so I ordered. It got the stamp set today and this is what I noticed:

1) The images are not the same size as the catalog. I know it says somewhere in the book that the images are only a certain % of the size shown, but I hate being expected to visualize the size of an image!

2) The images are not perforated at all on the rubber-it is literally a sheet that you just have to cut around the separate images, maybe not a big deal, but just different.

3) NO DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO MOUNT THESE THINGS! The rubber is separate from the foam! I assume that I mount the really sticky side of the rubber to the rubber image itself and not so sure about the other side. It is hardly sticky at all. This must be the side that attaches to the acrylic block. I wonder how long this thing will stick to the block if I change images frequently.

4) No sticker for the outside of the plastic container to label your box.

5) The rubber is not clear. It is blue...I always thought that the great thing about acrylic mount stamps is that the images are clear and you could see right through the block and rubber image to see exactly where you are putting the image. NOT so with TAC.

Once I buy an acrylic block (I neglected to get one when I placed this initial order), I will let you know about how they stamp. Let me just end by saying that I am so happy I found Stampin' Up!!! I love the images on the stamp set I purchased and TAC definately has a different style than Stampin' Up! I'll have to wait and see if I feel the desire to purchase any more.

Giving Up on Christmas Cards!

Not forever, just this year. I have lost count of how many I have sent out. Near 70 I am sure. I just can't keep doing it! The cost in postage alone is crazy! If you haven't gotten one from me, be sure that I am wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year but our postage fund has gone bankrupt!

Winter Mini Friend

This was made with Friendship Matters, a set from the new Winter Mini catalog. This mini catalog is incredible and everytime I look at it, there seems to be yet another set that moves up my WANT list!!! This is the only one I have purchased as of yet because I know that in January I can earn Sell-a-bration sets with the other goodies I am eye-balling! I made this card this morning for the Splicoaststampers color challenge for the week. CC#92 is Cool Caribbean, Whisper White and Real Red. Ever since Cool Caribbean was released I have been pairing it with Red and have LOVED those colors together...so bright! Anyway, I'm sending this one to a dear friend who needs a pick me up! Lisa is not a stamper so she won't see this to know she is getting it. Hopefully she will consider it a "fun" mail day when she gets the mail this week.

To do the scallop I used the scalloped decorative edge scissors which are no longer in the catalog! What a shame. I used the itty bitty circle hole punch to make the holes on the scallops and then using my white gel pen stuck the tip inside the circle and spun it around. I think it is rather cute!

Got to Get Busy.

I am still not done with my Christmas cards! Some people have received them from me but still others aren't even in an envie! I picked up stamps to send the last of the ones that are done, but I still have a few to finish-my stamp clubbers, some SCSer's that I wanted to send them to, and I still have a couple ornaments to make for Christmas gifts. Maybe tomorrow I can get some time to finish! At that time I will try to make something to post on here too! Don't give up on me!

I Was Challenged

Splitcoaststampers is celebrating their 100th Sketch Challenge this week. Every Wednesday they post a sketch of a layout that you are able to follow to get ideas and inspiration. This week is their 100th challenge! They have challenges everyday of the week. It is a great way to get inspiration! I created this Christmas card for the SC100. I have always really liked the Merry set but have to admit I have only created a handful of things that I like with it. I know that a big reason is that the hat looks so cute with multi colors and I have been too lazy to color all the stripes in. Well, I gave into it yesterday and am so pleased with the outcome. I already have my Christmas cards done for this year, but I like this so well it might be one of the ones I do for next year.....lest I remind myself that a new catalog comes out in just 7 months, who knows which holiday sets I will have on my shelf next November!

Happy Birthday....

Here is a card that I made for a customer who is now more of a pal than a customer. Claudia's birthday is this week and I finally got a chance to sit down and play the other night! On splitcoaststampers I found this adorable card in the Wild About You gallery and loved the layout, so I just copied the layout, changed the colors and -pow - here is her card. Hope she likes!

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was so excited coming into the holiday knowing that my husband would have a couple extra days off of work-surely I would get lots of stamping/scrapbooking done! It wasn't in the cards! I got sick on Friday with a terrible cold, I am thinking a sinus infection, and I really didn't have the drive to create anything! Furthermore, we have decided to replace our kitchen and livingroom floors. My husband is doing the work himself (with the help of my dad) and it is taking awhile. The kids were running around like animals so there would be no "me time" in the cards this weekend. Regardless, it was a peaceful holiday and I am hoping that this week will afford me some time in my playroom!

Confession Time

I confess, often I see a stamp set and I scream, "I HAVE TO HAVE THAT ONE!" It happened with City of David, I have never really been to impressed with the christian Christmas sets that Stampin Up! has offered. They are typically too artsy fartsy for my taste. I can't stamp elegantly. I have a dear friend, Jennifer, who can make those artsy fartsy images look breathtaking. She has a style that continually amazes me, whatever she touches looks so elegant. I am so jealous of that! So, when I saw City of David in the new catty, it was on my wish list immediately. A christian stamp set for Christmas that is drawn in a style I can create with. But, then I got the set and have not been happy with hardly anything I have made. Until now, I just finished this and I love it! I don't know why, maybe it is the colors, but this one card will make me keep this set! Enjoy....

Here is another....

Here is my 2nd creation tonight.

My Favorite Time of Year.

Fall is my favorite time of year hands down. I love sweater weather, curling up with a blanket and the smell of wet leaves. But in my stamping, I hardly ever stamp fall creations. As a matter a fact I traded away my only "fall" set, Fall Whimsy, I always seem to jump from summer to winter/holidays. Tonight I actually stole about 45 minutes while Megan was working on homework and had fun creating winter season cards. Here is one of the ones I did. The snowflake is heat embossed with white embossing powder on vellum. Yup, vellum. I stole the idea of embossing this snowflake and putting a brad in the middle from regionals. I was so afraid of heat embossing on vellum, but it worked great, my first try too. The giant buckle card is one that I have done in the past, but not often. I forgot how cute they are! And that Word Window Punch works great for the slit!

Christmas Card Stamp a Stack

My Christmas Card Stamp a Stack's are coming up. I have one scheduled for Saturday, November 4 at 10 am and also one on Friday, November 10 at 6:00 pm. Both are nearly full so if you are interested contact me today! Here is a sample of one of the cards we will be making. It is a card desgined by Amy Cloncs and it is just beautiful! So shimmery! It uses our Brushed Silver cardstock as well as Irradescent Ice Embossing Powder! Isn't this a clever way to use the Oval punch? As soon as I saw this card I knew it had to make the cut! We will be making 5 cards, 2 of each. We will use the following sets for our cards that day- Peaceful Wishes, City of David, The Snowflake Spot, Cold Play and It's Snow Time.

Peaceful ---

I love this new set, Peaceful Wishes. I loved it the first time I saw it but continued putting off buying it. Then I got a $100 product bonus from Stampin' Up! and I picked this as one of my freebies! It is such a simple set to use but still make classy cards.

Stampin' Up! Regionals in Lansing

The regional conference was Saturday in Lansing and it was such fun! I made about 150 swaps total. It is so much fun trading card samples with other demonstrators. There are always amazing ideas and even those that you kind of scratch your head and say, "What were they thinking?" We had a Splitcoaststampers dinner get together afterward at Clara's and it was much fun! The swaps were awesome! We did a winter/Christmas theme and everyone put some real effort into those! Here is a photo of myself and Shelli Gardner. Shelli is the co-founder of the company. She shared with us this weekend that just before Stampin' Up! was started her and her husband were being advised to file bankruptcy. She was a stay at home mom and her sister and her were looking for a stamping company that sold stamps in coordinating sets. They never did find one, so they decided to start one themselves! And the rest is history.

SOOO Neglectful!

I can't believe it has been so long since I have added a post to my blog! I apologize! I recently decided to be a co-leader to my daughter's Brownie Troop. This is her first year and I have never been involved with scouting before. It has been taking alot of time and I have not spent any time stamping! BUT, tonight some friends are coming over and I will be working on my Christmas Card Stamp a Stack cards and some swaps for regionals. So, with any luck I will have posted back here shortly!

September 11....

I have been thinking alot about this day. I hope you all have. I am remembering where I was and what I was doing when Clint called from work and said, "Are you watching T.V.?" I turned it on to the Today Show and saw it all happening. I was shocked. I didn't know what to say. I remember getting off the phone with him so I could sit in stunned silence and watch the remainder of the morning play out. Megan was 2 at the time and I remembering weeping for her. I remember being angry that I had brought a child into the world to live in a world where we were no longer safe. Clint and I have been watching the TV mini series The Road to 9-11 (I believe that is the title)and I am so frustrated with the events that led up to that terrible day. Frustrated that so many times our nation has been just teetering on the edge of some sort of terrorist attack and luckily it was stopped in time. When will our luck run out? It is so creepy to think that amoung us there are people who want us to die, want our innocent children to die, while we run to the grocery store, take the kids to the bus, go to church. My immediate question is, "How do things like this happen?" But I know the answer. Satan happens. He laughs each time that one of these evil people suceeds. As scary as the world we live in now is, I am so glad I have found the love of God and the peace He brings to me. Just last night Megan told me that at school they practiced a "lock down". We knew what it was about. It is for events like Columbine (another event Satan controlled). Our initial thought as parents is "Darn that public school for scaring our 2nd grader." But instantly Clint said, "I guess it is no different than our parents practicing for bomb raids in school." He's right, Satan has always been here but it seems so different when it is happening to your child. I told her that if she ever has to be in a lock down for real that there is one thing that is most important to remember. I expected her to say "Yes, Mrs. Stone says to keep quiet. That is the most important." But she didn't. She said "Yup, Jesus, Jesus is in my heart." I guess with all the fears we have as parents, we must be doing something right with our children.

Glitter and Ribbon Stamp a Stack

My Glitter and Ribbon Stamp a Stack is coming up September 16 at 10 am. Glitter and ribbon are my favorite embellishments to use on projects - they dress them up so nicely and take your art to the next level! We will be making a total of 10 cards at this stamp-a-stack for $15, with the incentive that if you place a $50 order, you get $10 off your order! CHA-CHING! 10 cards plus $50 worth of product for just $55!! You know you love me! Here is a card we will be doing at the stamp-a-stack. I completely CASED (copy and share everything) from another demonstrator on Splitcoaststampers, Lisa Alberding. I love, love, love pink and look----there is some glitter AND ribbon on this one! Hope to see you there.

Rock and Roll baby!

We all know that the set Roses in Winter is a beautiful set that is very difficult to "mess up". An easy and enjoyable 2 step stamping set for sure. But I finally figured out how to do the "rock and roll" technique and now I love it even more! This was created using Apricot and Burgundy ink. How do you do it you ask? Just ink the largest rose stamp in apricot then gently roll the edges of the stamp in the burgundy ink around the entire rose and stamp. Do the same to the middle sized rose and then the smallest portion just do that in burgundy. It just looks so pretty. It reminds me of the roses my grandmother used to grow in her garden. They were HUGE and I think this is so pretty that it makes an otherwise simple card look beautiful!