Beautiful Season

Heidi Ho Stampers :)

Not much to report today - it was an "easy" day.  Got up, drank coffee, did my butt & thigh pilates DVD (I love any excercises I can do lying down!) then headed to the park with the girls.  Brrr!  It was a cold breeze a blowin' out there ... then again, not as cold as it will be a month from now so we bundled up and made the most of it.  Headed home for some lunch, a few dishes, an e-mail or two then we jumped on our bikes and headed to the park by the Girls' school.  They really wanted to go ... I pointed out they would be going to that park 3 times a day for the whole school year but ... as they put it ... "still!"  So off we went.  I figure the riding into the wind might have shaved off two or three more calories so it was all good :)

Home to put the dinner on, feed the kids (who actually ATE their dinner WITHOUT a SINGLE complaint!! .... then again, I didn't TECHNICALLY give them any lunch ... hee hee ... more than one way to get a kid to eat their dinner!) and tidy up.

While the kids were outside playing and Craig was making home-made tomato sauce (with his own garden grown tomatoes & carrots) I hit the craft room for half an hour and came up with this:

I think it looks better in person.  It's the Beautiful Season stamp set in Basic Gray ink.  It's matted with Cherry Cobbler card stock and the whisper white base is embossed with the Tulip folder.  I used a finger dauber in Basic Gray ink to highlight the tulip edging.  Cherry Cobbler seam binding finishes it off.  Hmm.  I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  It only took about 5 minutes so I'm not sure I'm allowed to like it.  I think I have to invest at LEAST half an hour in a card before I'm certain it's nice.  I like the simplicity of it ...  I like the "pencil drawing" effect of the gray ... I like the ribbon ... I think I like that there is no sentiment ... does it look weird because it isn't coloured?  Hmmm.  Not sure.  I'm going to have to sit and contemplate this one for a while.  Then again ... I can do what I usually do - post it on the Stampin' Up site and if I get a lot of hits and/or "likes" on it then I'll know it's good!  Right!  Off I go!

Have a fun night :)


Tam

Back to School!

Yep - it's just around the corner!  Back to school for the girls this Thursday.  I'm not gunna lie - I am DREADING this week.  It's gunna be brutal (and yes, that is my POSITIVE spin on it!!!)  I've started trying to get the girls to bed earlier and waking them up around 7:30 for the last two days.  You can imagine ... it's been nothing but sunshine and rainbows around here!!!  Ugh.  Add to that the fact that Alicia has already decided she HATES school (yes, she's going into Grade 1 ... which means it's going to be a VERY long 11 more years!!) and that both of them are nervous about Day 1.  Rebecca has a lot of anxiety issues and over the last week she has been eating less and stressing more about it.  We go to talk to a pyschologist on Monday (after a 3 month wait!) to try to get her some coping skills.  Sigh - yep ... it's going to be a loooong, hard week. 

Having said that - although I'm not looking forward to it I'm doing my best to not stress myself and keep things light and positive around them.  I'm playing up all the "new" things they get to look forward to - the new backpacks, new lunch kits, new shoes (two pairs eah!), new clothes, new school supplies, new desk ... hmmm ... I guess I should stop that ... that could be adding to their stress ... sigh again ... this being a parent really is a land mine, isn't it??!!  OK - well, hopefully this card will make them smile on Day 1 - it makes ME smile!

Do you love it??!!  I do!  I get all giddy when a card comes together so absulutely effortlessly and quickly!  The girls' favorite SU color is Melon Mambo so the color choice was simple.  I knew I wanted the "Go Confidently" saying from the Word Play set.  From there it was a 5 second search for an image set to go with it.  Up, Up and Away was the obvious choice!  I stamped the balloons in Mambo and Elegant Eggplant.  I then stamped them on scrap and cut them out to pop them up with dimentionals.  I added some Dazzling Diamonds to everything I could and Wa-low!  One fabulous card!!  I can't believe I have them done 4 days before school starts!  I rock :)

OK - that's it for today - my mission now is to make another Christmas card using my new Beautiful Season set.  I already have this one figured out in my head so it should only take 10 minutes to make!  It's gunna be a hot one so hopefully I'll make it to the basement today ... then again ... it might be the last day to hit the spray park so it may have to wait :)

Whatever you do today, have fun!


Tam

Thank You Treats

Phew - is it HOT in here!  I only like it above 21 degrees if I'm by a pool or an ocean with a "grown up" slurpee in my hand!  On the bright side, when it's this hot in the house I have a great excuse to head to the basement .... I'm THRILLED with the Back-to-School card I made for the girls ... I'll post that tomorrow(ish) as the lighting right now isn't great and I have trouble taking decent pictures of my projects at the best of times!!

Here is what I made my club members and customers this month as a Thank You for their orders.  Do you think I'm a little obsessed with these darned candy labels??

 Yes, this time I used the Halloween stamp (in black, old olive, pumpkin pie and rich razzleberry) on the Costco chocolates and put them in the little Matchbox boses that I made using my Big Shot.  The Halloween paper was from last year ... maybe 2 years ago ... it was a great way to use up some of my scraps.

That's it for now ... come back soon to see my FABULOUS school cards :)

Have a fun night!

Tam

LMAO!

HAAAAAAAAAA - I crack me up.  My husband calls me "quirky" ... I usually have to agree.  He marvels at how I will START to do one "thing" but 6 hours later I may or may NOT have even started that "thing".  What is certain, though, is that I will have started (but likely not completed) about 6 other "things".  You guys know what I'm talking about, don't you??  There is an e-mail that floats around from time to time along the same lines ... a woman says she's going to bed ... on the way up the stairs she picks up this, puts away that, and so on and so on and 45 minutes later she finally MAKES it to bed.  That's me.  Every day.  That's me.  Can't seem to do anything from start to finish in one sitting.

Case in point.  Today I had a mission.  Go down and make a "Happy First Day of School" card for the girls.  Seems simple enough, right?  You would think so.  As I tried to step over the pile of toys the children were playing with they spotted me and  hoodwinked me into helping them assemble their Marble Race thingy.  OK.  20 minutes later - oh - I should go start the dinner.  Right.  Done.  Back to the craft room.  I get comfortably seated ... I can't see the top of my desk thanks to the creative mess I made yesterday.  Right.  Half an hour later I strike desk top.  Ooooo - look .... my new Christmas stamp set that is begging to be assembled.  Check.  Ooooo - Christmas ... I love Christmas!!  Gasp!  Oh!  Look - my new Stocking Big Shot Die ... isn't it pretty?  It looks so sad sitting there still in it's packaging.  Gasp again!  Oh!  I wonder if this stocking would fit on a card??!!  Oh - no - too big ... right ... focus Tamara ... First Day of School Card ... Oh!  Look - there is my other new Holiday set - it's assembled ... but it looks so sad never having had ink touch it's lovely rubber.  Oh alright - I'll make a SUPER quick Halloween card with it for an upcoming 6-year old's birthday party.  (notice how I somehow switched from Christmas to Halloween??!)  Hmm ... well I like the color and paper layout but no ... the stamp set isn't quite right - oh ... I'll dig out all my OLD Halloween sets and forget this new one ...

It's hard being me ... actually I should probably change my catch phrase to "it's hard being a train of thought in me"

ANYWAY ... now that you are all probably looking up the phone number to some sort of mental health clinic that can help me .... here is what I came up with three ... yes THREE hours later ...

ROTFLMAO!!!  Ahhh - yes, I crack me up.  Am I the only one out there who sets out to make a First Day of School card and ends up with a Halloween card?  The part that really makes me laugh is I DON'T EVEN SEND HALLOWEEN CARDS!!!!!!!!  HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!  It's just so damned ironic it's rediculous.  Seriously.  I think I need help - been sniffin' that Staz-On too much lately!!!

So - about this non-school-related work of art :)

I used my Batty for You stamp set - the sentiment is from a new set in the Holiday Mini called Perfectly Penned (LOVE it!!!)  I used Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry (the PERFECT Halloween purple!!) and Peach Parfait (go figure!).  I topped it off with 2 Black Glimmer brads for a little bling.

So ... that's it for today.   Happy stamping ... whether it's a back-to-school project or a Halloween project ... let's try to stay focused people!!

(oh - and tune in tomorrow'ish for a look at my Club Member Thank You gifts ... I couldn't really post it here before they get to see them!)

Have a fun night :)


Tam

Easy Christmas

Yawn .... happy Wednesday :o

Struggling a bit today - thank you my children for reminding me how much "fun" it is to be woken in the middle of the night and spend a few hours in the bricks we call your beds!  Wow.  I seriously think the floor is softer!  Well, on the bright side being exhausted gives me an excuse to have a "home day" and do nothing more stressful than craft - yippee!!

Right.  I promised you another card so here we go!  In my continuing efforts to use stamp sets I BUY I pulled out my "Easy Events" set.  In THEORY I love these kinds of sets.  This one is very similar to the now retired Pun Fun.  In PRACTICE, however, I struggle to use the sets with these smaller images.  I love coloring them but I have trouble filling all the blank space on the page.  I tried to make a Christmas card using the Christmas Stamp.  The result was so horrific I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture of it.  The next day I went down and tried again.  This time I LOVE the result.  I'm thinkin' this will we a card I use for fall parties and maybe even my Stamp-a-stack.  Here it is:

Cute, yes?  I changed it a little since I took the picture.  I added some glitter to the berries using a new product (in the holiday mini) called Dazzling Details.  Let's just call it what it is ... Glitter Glue!  Love it ... am ordering more of it today :)  Soooo - I used the Easy Events stamp set - I used Always Artichoke ink, cs, marker and seam binding (LOVE the seam binding!!!) along with Ridinghood Red cs and marker.  I used the Perfect Polka Dot emboss folder for texture and ... you know what's coming, don't you? ..... Wa-low!  A quick, easy, cute card.  Yay me!  The really great thing about this card is that I now have a layout that will work with any of the other stamps in this set.  I love it when a plan comes together *lol*

OK - now ... I have one more card that I made the other day.  I am absolutely, positively in LOVE with this card!!!  IT sits beside my computer and I just keep staring at it.  (I know ... I need help ...)  It is simply perfect and makes me smile.  It is SO perfect that I don't think I can share it with you ... not yet, anyway.  I think I have to enter it into the SU contest and try to win 3 free stamp sets.  Yes, it's just that lovely :)  (a little full of myself this morning, no?)

Have no fear, though - The Stampin' Man is coming today with my August orders.  That means I need to whip up 15 little "treats" for my club members and customers so hopefully I'll something lovely to show off tomorrow.  Come back soon and see what I come up with :)

Have a fun day!

Tam

Christmas Stockings

Yep ... I'm in full Christmas mode this week.  I love the 3 month run-up TO Christmas as much (maybe even more) than Christmas itself!!  I've really been enjoying my crafting this week - it's been much more relaxed than usual.  I'm crafting because I WANT to and because I have the time ... not because I have a class or project deadline.  It is sooooo much easier to get those creative juices flowing when you don't have time pressure!  Lately I'm trying to make a concerted effort to USE the sets and supplies I BUY (novel concept, isn't it?!)  Whenever a new catalogue or mini catalogue comes into effect I get a HUGE box of new supplies landing on my doorstep.  I then either FORGET what I have or get into a time crunch and don't spend 10 minutes figuring out how to use the product or what to create with it.  Soooo - I've been digging out new and old stamp sets and making myself play with them (sounds rough, doesn't it?!)

Here is a case in point.  In the upcoming Holiday Mini (effective September 1st) there is a new punch available - the "Stocking Builder Punch".  I debated weather or not to get this punch right away as I don't like "fiddly" things and this punch definately qualified as "fiddly".  I wasn't sure I would use it.  I also eyed up a new stamp set that coordinated with the punch (MAN "they" know how to get me to part with my money over at S.U.!)  The "Stitched Stockings" set was too cute to pass up ... I decided if I had to have one I'd have to have both and if nothing else the Girls would have fun with the punch.  With my new determination to USE what I buy I sat and played with both items.  Yes, it was a little fiddly but it was FUN!  Here is the first one:

For this one I simply stamped the stockings and then punched them out with the new punch.  I popped them up on a piece of Whisper White card stock tht had been put through the Perfect Polka Dots emboss folder (matted with Real Red c.s.) and added some silver brads.  The sentiments is in Concord Crush from the Many Merry Messages set.  Cute!

Well ... I was on a roll so I played with just the punch ... it was definately more fiddly ... and I had lots of littly scraps of paper everywhere but it was fun coming up with different color combinations (and of course I also had to make a few little stockings for the girls' stuffies!)  Here it is:

LOVE this one!!!  I used Concord Crush, Cherry Cobbler and Pear Pizzazz for these little cuties.  The punch punches the stocking and the 3 little pieces for the tuft, toe and heel.  You can see how you end up with lots of little pieces once you're done!  The sentiment is from the Curly Cute set (in Concord Crush).  I glued the pieces to the stocking using my 2-way glue pen.  Cute, no? 

Well .. that's it for today .. BUT I DO have 2 other cards to show off ... you'll just have to keep coming back ;)

Have a fun day!

Tam

Christmas is coming!!!

Yep ... only 4 months away!  I've already bought a few stocking stuffers ... and I have a list started with gifts the girls and Craig would like ... and I've started my FAVORITE type of card making ... Christmas cards!!!!  Here is a very quick, very simple card that I really like.  You can't see it in this picture but the white shimmers thanks to the Vanilla Smooch Spritz that I sprayed on it:

I used the single stamp "Something for Christmas" in Cherry Cobbler ink (and card stock).  I used the new "Snowburst" embossing folder that is available in the upcoming holiday mini (September 1st).  In order to keep the image from embossing in the middle of the paper I used a wooden oval frame that I picked up at the craft store.  You use the wooden frame instead of the bottom cutting pad when you put it through the big shot.  I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to get the sentiment centered in the oval (LOVE that too,!!)  I used the Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz to give it shine.  Love it!  I made another card ... but you'll have to come back tomorrow to see it :)

Have a fun day!

Tam

Halloween ... in August ...

Yep - I called it.  I have now officially finished the Teacher's Gifts for Halloween.  I was slightly off my target though ... last post I figured I'd be done by Thursday.  I had these finished Wednesday.  Yes, I'm a freak.  Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE the It's A Wrap sets??  Here are the treats (again, wrapped around the Swiss Delice chocolates from Costco) ...

Yummmm ... I think I only ate about 5 while making these 100.  Sigh.  What chance do I have to lose weight these days???  But I digress ... as usual ...
I was thrilled that I stumbled across a second quick project to work on to HOLD these chocolate masterpieces.  Back in June I bought the small "Spooky" Decor Element vinyl thingy.  I figured it would be PERFECT on a tall vase filled with the treats.  Was I wrong?   NO!!  I totally rock!

There you have it ... a few days late in posting but there you have it. 

Hope you're having a fun day ... I"m off to the craft room to beat the heat  :)


Tam

It's a Wrap!

OMG - you guys HAVE to buy these stamp sets!!!!  There are two - It's a Wrap, which is in the current Idea Book and Catalogue, and It's a Wrap Holiday, which isn't available until September 1st in the holidy mini catalogue.  These sets makes gift giving quick, easy and FUN!!!  Look what I whipped up in EXACTLY 30 minutes:

What are they?  They are 100 Swiss Delice chocolates (bought at Costco - only available at the 50th Street store at the moment) that are wrapped with one of the images from It's a Wrap.  I stamped the image on Avery Labels and stuck 'em to the candy.  It's as easy as that!!  The 30 minutes it took to make 100 OF THESE included the time to count out the candies, stamp the images and stick them to the chocolates.  30 MINUTES!!!  It was so much fun to actually start and FINISH a large project like this in 30 minutes.  I am now ready to take these to school for Day 1 and leave them in the Staff Room for the teachers and assistants to help them make it through the day :)  My plan is to make another 100 for Halloween ... and for Thanksgiving ... and Christmas ... and Valentines Day ... and I'll probably have done them all by Thursday - I LOVE this project!!!  Here is a close up:

Do you know of anyone getting married or having a baby any time soon?  These would be PERFECT to make for the showers, thank you's and/or tables!!!  Honestly - these sets are a MUST!!!

Have a fun day :)


Tam

Leaves of a Tree

Well wha'd'ya know?  I actually made a card!!!!  Wow.  It felt great! .... for the 5 minutes it took to whip this little baby up!  I needed a very quick, very simple card to have as a Make-and-Take at the Bon Accord Harvest Day Festival I was at this weekend.  VERY luckily Ralph, aka "The Stampin' Man", aka my UPS delivery man arrived with my shipment of new products from the upcoming Holiday Mini Friday afternoon (yes, I had to leave at 7:30 am Saturday for the show ... nothing like leaving things to the last minute Tamara!!!)  I whipped out this adorable little single stamp "Leaves of a Tree" and just KNEW that it HAD to be stamped on Very Vanilla paper.  So I did.  (I used Soft Suede ink).  Then I just KNEW some of the leaves had to be Pumkin Pie, Old Olive and So Saffron ... so I colored them.  Then I just KNEW it needed to be matted with Pumkin Pie cs and stamped with an Old Olive sentiment.  I used a sentiment from the new "Pursuit of Happiness" set.  Then I sat there.  And sat there.  And sat there.  It needed something ... but I had to keep it quick and simple (and cheap!).  I sat there some more.  Then I called my friend Roxanne to chat for a while.  Then I sat there.  I really wanted to use the Big Shot for the trade fair ... then it hit me.  Run it through one of the embossing folders.  For some reason the new "Houndstooth" just seemed to say "Fall" to me so in it went.  Wa-low!  Love it!  A quick, easy, WOW card.  This will be one that I use for my fall parties.

Now ... I received a whole BOX of new stamp sets, punches, glitter glue, jingle bells and paper ... let's just hope I get into that craft room in the next week to actually USE it!!!!

Have a fun day - sorry it took so long for me to post an actual CARD!


Tam

Virtual Garage Sale ...

Yes, I'm still here.  I can't BELIEVE I haven't been near my craft room for WEEKS!!!  This having the kids 24/7 is REALLY messing with my routine!!  Well, that and the fact that I've been excercising 6 days a week.  No wonder I rarely excercise - who the hell has half a day every day to dedicate to it??  Seriously - by the time I'm done, cleaned up and fed the kids it's noon!!!  Something's gotta give!  Today I put EVERYTHING (including feeding the kids!) on hold until I got some stamping paperwork done.  Well ... at noon I stopped to fill up the kiddie pool ,... at 2:00 I stopped to feed them lunch (I THINK I fed them breakfast at some point *lol* and by 4:00 pm I had sent the 2 e-mails I wanted to send and re-vamped all my promotional material to reflect the new catalague page numbers and prices.  Sheesh!  It's 6:30 pm - I still haven't made dinner ... or excercised ... or showered for that matter ... guess I should get on that sooner rather than later!!

OK - onto more exciting things than my personal hygiene ... MY VIRTUAL GARAGE SALE!!  (If you aren't currently on my e-mail list and want to be so you can see what is up for grabs just send me a message)

How it will work.

This Tuesday, August 9th I will send you all an e-mail listing the items I have for sale and their prices.

• You have until Wednesday, August 10th to check out the items and make a list of what you would like to purchase.
• THE SALE STARTS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10TH AT 7:00 PM. Starting at 7:00 pm you E-MAIL me what you would like. Don't e-mail me BEFORE 7:00 pm ... it starts AT 7:00 pm and will be on a first-e-mailed-first-get-basis. This will allow everyone the same chance to see the list, go through it and get their orders in.
• THE SALE GOES UNTIL THURSDAY, AUGUST 11TH AT 7:00 PM. I am attending a Trade Fair Saturday morning in Bon Accord and I will be (hopefully) selling any remaining items then.

That's it - that's the sale.  Clever, huh?  This way I don't have to nail down a date and time to have everyone over (and I don't have to clean my house!!!) ... and people can shop even if they are on holidays!  Love it :)

Oh - I guess I should also mention the current SU promotion that is going on - the "Buy 3 Get One Free" Designer Series Paper promotion.  The promotion funs through the month of August and is limited to the $13.50 Designer Series Papers.  Contact me if you would like to place an order or want more details.

Have a GREAT weekend ... guess I should go feed the children :)



Tam