Blog Candy mini book

Here is a photo of the mini book I sent to Cheryl for leaving a comment on my blog!

The embossed paper I got from our local scrap store, A Scrapbooker's Dream in Delta, CO. The stickers I think are K&Company or BoBunny...sorry, I don't remember anymore!! I did use some stamps from TAC, you can see the LOVE from the heartitude set on the front cover and for the heart in the bottom photo. The other stamps came from a limited edition set.

This mini book is made from coin envelopes. I love these little guys! Each envelope has a journaling page tucked inside, you can see these on the first photo at the top.

I submitted a similar book for the Mini book contest this past weekend. I'll post that one later too.

Bunny in a basket

This was inspired by Sarah's card challenge #8 on the Paperwings Forum. I did use a bunny instead of a bug, and eyelets instead of brads... but the rest of the elements are there! I just couldn't resist! I just love this bunny!! Now that I give him a look, wouldn't he be really cute holding an easter egg? You could simply use a swivel blade and cut around his little paws and slide an egg shaped punch or better yet a stamped Easter egg underneath. The ribbon is discontinued from the TAC line but produced by MakingMemories and it's one of those stash items I needed to get used up! The bunny, flower, and saying are all from the I Love Easter set. I used the Palette Noir for the bunny and Belle Rose for the flowers & saying. Wouldn't you love to get this little bunny in your basket?

Winter Angel Roundup Swap Card 3

You've already seen a couple of the swap cards I used for the event this past weekend....one was my first photo on this blog, the second was a birthday card I showed on this blog to demonstrate the use of different colors with the same concept. (I hinted that might be a swap card...I aslo used it for TAC444 B-day swaps!)This one is the third. I really like the Everyday Events set. It's a great set to select if you are just starting out with stamps since it offers multiple greetings and images that can be used year round!

Here is a tip: although the set claims it has 9 stamps, the greetings can be cut away from the images doubling the amount of stamps to 18 and multiplying the usefulness of this set.

The card base is Golden Yellow & also the layer behind the chair. The decorative paper is Miss Moxie, as you know, my new fav! Hello is stamped with the Kinder-bet, punched with a 3/4" circle and attached with foam mounting tape. I like the foam mounting tape better sometimes because it is not as thick as the pop dots, but it still gives your creations a bit of dimension. I colored the chair with the chalk pencils and blended with a Q-tip. That's one of my favorite ways to color! The colors blend very nicely, which is hard to see in this photo, but the chair has darker lines in it to help make it look like wood grain. Enjoy! & Have a fabulous day!

I'm Back...

Did you miss me? I think my family did, but not because they missed ME but because they need a maid!! Oh well! I'm busy this week with a large FUNshop coming up on Saturday so they will just have to consider the cleaning help on STRIKE!!

So, I promised LOTS of posts with cool cool stuff and I will not let you down! Here is the big news!! I won the "Best in Show" item!!! YEA!! Here is the photo since I gave it away...I'll make another that will match my own decor since this one actually looked more like our home in Helper, UT.

Anyway, the background & tag are from the new Amberley Grace paper collection and the ribbon rose is made from the matching sheer ribbon in the collection. I did have to use some of my own green for the leaves. The saying in the upper right corner was embossed in gold over the modge podge used to adhere & seal the paper for the clock face. I won a box for my Crop-0-dile. How cool is that? For me it was justification that my work is not unworthy. Well, I will have more for tomorrow!! I'll start with all my stuff....contest entries, trades, & prop swap stuff and then move on to the projects so...stay tuned!

Nano PaperPro

Okay! Just one more thing before I leave for Kansas! I was working on a couple things last night and grabbed my new toy and thought, "I'd better share this little gem!" As you all know, the PaperPro staplers are phenomenal!! I nearly have the entire office at Bowie Resources converted. Anyway...while I was perusing our local Clubb's store, look what I found!! It's a mini stapler that actually holds standard staples and really works!! There were a variety of colors to choose from but I had to go with the pink since it matches my crop-o-dile in my Tote-ally cool tote 2. Admittedly there is not much of a reach with this little guy. You'll just have to use your standard PaperPro for that. But it certainly packs a punch and talk about handy, handy, handy! Gotta love it!!

...and the winner is...

Cheryl!!
Yea!! Good thing I said to the first comment...since I only got one comment! Thank you Cheryl! So, I know I said your goodie will be out on Monday, but silly me forgot about President's Day therefore, it will go out in the mail tomorrow! I won't post pics of your mini album for a bit since I want you to be surprised.
Also, I probably won't be posting for about a week. I'll be headed to Kansas for a Winter gathering of TAC angels! I'm definitely getting excited...but very busy getting swaps and other items ready!! So, hang in there!! When I return there will be lots of posts and more great stamping ideas!

Heart-itude...& Class Updates

Just a little reminder to keep the love in your heart every day, and not just once a year! Kind of like keeping the Christmas spirit alive all year through. Tell someone you love them, not just today, but everyday!!

Here's a simple little card. This is done with Mimi paper on Pink3 cardstock. Take a look at the hardware. I thought from the photo in our catalog it would have been more pewter colored, but what I received was more copper. Looks great with the Mimi paper! The heart flowers, from the Heartitude set are stamped with Landscape on Ivory and the hearts are filled in with Tropical Punch stickles. I know TAC carries 14 different colors of Stickles...but really, can one ever have enough colors of stickles? No, I think not!! Wouldn't you agree, Lisa!?! "Love" is stamped directly onto the Mimi paper with Burnt Umber. Hey, one more thing, can you see the small distressed areas on my fold line? This was made BEFORE I had my Scor-pal. How did we ever live without these? You know they would make fabulous 1/2 price items for hostesses!!

***Be absolutely sure you check the calendar!! Some dates & events have changed from the January Newsletter***

Also, just a heads up for future events! TAC-nique Tuesdays will continue the first Tuesday of every month. Stamp Camps will be decreased to every other month. So, they will be the second Wednesday of May, July, September, & November for the remainder of '08. Thursday Scramp nights have been cancelled altogether and those items will be included in the Stamp Camps. The Spring Stamp-a-stack has been moved a week to the 22nd of March. If you'd like to get your schedule pencilled in the 3rd annual Christmas Stamp-a-stack will be on Sat. Nov. 22, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Just one more little teaser..... in December there will be a special event only for FUNshop hostesses during 2008. So, Jen & Christy, right now that's you!! If you'd like to participate, think about scheduling your FUNshop now!!

If you would like to get your stamps indexed or maybe catch up on TAC-nique Tuesdays, please contact me to schedule a time!

Many blessings to all of you!

Happy Valentine's Day

Well, I had to slip in one more Valentine card, of course. Afterall, today is the day! Here is a card I actually copied from a card in the Current catalog. (One would wonder why I even receive those. I've never ordered anything!!) Anyway, theirs had only one envelope (or picture of an envelope, can't remember right now) but I like the this better. I love these little stamps in the Forever set! They really go together quite nicely. Who wouldn't want to hear, "Be mine forever love" on Happy Heart Day. The envelopes were created from pink vellum with an envelope punch I own.

The cardbase is white textured cardstock from the Neutrals cardstack and the words are stamped on a scrap of Glossy White with Claret ink. My DD Rebecca says it needs something else, like a ribbon under the envelopes or across the bottom, and maybe it does. I kind of like the simplicity and the words stand out much better this way. What do you think? The first person to leave a comment on this post will get a special Love minibook just ready for photos!! How's that for a tempting offer?? My first "Blog Candy!"

Sorority Goodies

Last night we had our Sweetheart Dinner for Beta Sigma Phi. It was quite the gala event...for Paonia anyway! I thought I would share with you a couple things I put together for this dinner. We had a few rushees for the evening and we gave them each a little gift. (That's one of the things I have to admit that I love about sorority....secret sister presents!!) I had some tin can candles on hand, but, of course, had to alter them so they were "pretty." I used the Pop Rockz paper which is on special right now. Check it out here. The stamp set used on the candle is one of our new hostess sets till June. The flower was a red spot special from Target. (You never know what treasures you'll find there!!)

I also used Pop Rockz on the bag, also a Target deal buy, and for the mini clip and the tag which is tied with paper floss.

I really think it's funny how I'm thought of as the creative one...it's all just paper & glue ladies!! You can do this too!!

This photo is the placecard/favor used for our dinner, and it also became the Valentine treat for teachers this year, as well as for my gals at work. The suckers & picks were held in place with styrofoam in the bottom of the pail. I found the suckers at Wal-Mart. The picks were made from the Love Doodles set and a Greek letter set I own (don't know the manufacturer on that one.) I put the names on the pails with Kinder-bet. Sooo easy!!! And lots of fun to put together!

Dahlia card

Here is my version of the Dahlia card. I first found this on Vicki Hook's blog. I took a page from the Rockin' Roxie Matchbook set. I liked it because the paper is double sided but I have to tell you, it was difficult to fold because it is such nice heavy 100# weight paper!! The edges distressed a bit, but I used some matching Bordeaux and Chartreuse ink and covered the white inner core that started to show through. I really wanted to keep this a simple card to show the flower at it's best. Miss Moxie provided the perfect background for the flower. It really brings out the yellows and oranges in the red side of the paper! The card base is Apple Green 1 and the saying from the Just Because set is stamped in Bordeaux also. Hope you like it!

I've been busy working on more Samplers, Valentine's for the kids, and sorority stuff for the annual Sweetheart Dinner. I'll post some of those goodies next week.

March Technique Tuesday Preview

For March one of the techniques we will do will be the "Faux Suede" featured on this card. The background for the tiger face was created using liquid applique. Of course you can't feel it on the computer screen, but it has fabulous texture.

Don't worry! We will have a different card to make! Gotta keep that creative energy flowing...

We will do 2 tech's as usual along with 2 cards. Come check it out and try something new!!

Technique Tuesday...

Okay.... it was yesterday....

But, here is what we did! Jen, Christy, Nancy and Lisa came by for a fun and fabulous time making sample insert cards for our Technique books and using those techniques to make cards.

The first one is an example of the Faux Batik. I used the card sketch layout from Heather's sketch 10 from Feb 4. If you haven't, you TOTALLY need to check out her blog. She is chock full of specTACular stuff! This card uses the Love Doodles set and one of our new GWP stamps. The heart behind the saying is from Heartitude set. I also used Mulberry paper for the Batik. Can you believe we don't sell that anymore either? Bummer!

Technique 2 for the evening was "shattered glass." Of course, if you don't want the shabby chic shattered look, you wouldn't have to crack the glass. The effect can also be obtained by using regular clear EP, but the UTEE is so much quicker!

So, I know I post a lot of cards...but, as I pointed out to the gals last night...these techniques are GREAT for enhancing and embellishing your scrap pages too!

If you missed this class & would like to get caught up with our technique book, please call me to schedule some stamp time!

Next Wednesday will be Stamp Camp at 7. Don't forget to call & let me know your coming! As you know the Cave only holds about 10 people. We will be doing a Frosted Votive, a shaker card, a gift bag...OH! and one more thing!!

You'll just have to come & find out what it is!!

Hope to see you there!

The Craft Cave

So... here it is... my hovel, my escape, my hideout... my sanctuary, my sanity saver!

How fortunate I am to actually have a space for all my stuff! When we moved from Utah, I had no idea I would go from a very small space, about 6x8 ft, to an actual room...or basement. But therein lies the problem...of course, when you have more space, inherently, you fill that up too!

I'm actually looking for some decorating, better organizing ideas. Obviously this space needs something... I would like to have EVERYTHING right within reach of my desk, but that's a bit unreasonable with the amount of stuff in here, huh? The rolling chair helps a lot though! I'd like to come up with something better for the punches. I am in the process of slowly accumulating the Clever Lever punches we sell in the catalog.

Anyway, it's a work in progress... and I wanted to share that it's very nice just to have a crafty space!

Snowflake Plate for contest

TAC does contests for Demonstrators every month. This is a photo of a plate I sent in for a contest title of "Creative Christmas." I'll let you know if I win the contest. (Cross you fingers...I haven't won any of these contests in 10 years...)

I have some memory slides and think I will try this same technique on those. They definitely have card/scrap accent potential...or maybe even a necklace or pin! Hmmmm.....

Stash items

Speaking of "stash items," here is a card done with papers from the DCWV paper stack. The paper must be at least 3 years old! Needless to say, I'm getting over my "save everything" attitude.

I copied this card from a Papercrafts book I own.

It needs something though, doesn't it? Maybe not...I can't decide. Maybe a different color?