This Little Piggy

Happy Saturday!

Right!  My mission is to get caught up on all my OLD projects!  So ... rather than sharing ONE project today I'm sharing three, all using the same stamp set, This Little Piggy.  I just LOVE these little fellas!  Check them out ...

Aren't they just the CUTEST???

This is the stamp set used ... $27 CDN clear mount; $37 CDN wood mount

I have plans to use this set (along with Bella and Friends and Pretty Kitty) to do fundraiser cards for the Edmonton Humane Society.  That's the PLAN, anyway.  Add it to the "to-do" list!

I can't take credit for the ideas of these cards.  In fact, the first one (my personal fave) is a direct CASE from fellow demonstrator Diane Gibbs.

Yes, I had to stamp the pigs on scrap paper and fussy cut them "old school" with my paper snips but just LOOK how cute the final project is!  SO worth a little cutting!!   Now ... what colors did I use?  Hmmm - I made them so long ago I have to think .... I stamped the piggies on Blushing Bride (I believe) and then added a little depth of color/shadowing with the same color using my blender pen.  Pretty sure I used Soft Suede for the brown shading.  When you want to add shadowing just add a little color to the left of the stamped image.  Easy!

The next two cards were inspired by a number of different projects I had seen on Pinterest ..

I used the Woodgrain embossing folder on the card base, punched out a 2 1/2" circle (I think ...maybe a 2") for the piggy and used Soft Suede card stock with my Classic Label Punch ($23.50 CDN) for the fence.  The sentiment (totally PERFECT for this card!) is from Here For You ($24 CDN clear; $33 CDN wood)

The last card ...

...is similar to the first, I just punched the hole through the top layer using my Circle framelits rather than with the punch (the punch doesn't reach far enough to put the hole where I wanted it).

They are all SO cute!  This set isn't the one to get if you want to mass produce cards - the coloring/shading will slow you down ... but it IS a great set and it's one I will keep in my stash for sure!

If you are in Canada and want it shipped to your door pop on over to my online store here .  If your order is under $200 and you enter the hostess code VU6P7GYW at the checkout I will mail you a gift! (make sure that your account gives Stampin' Up! permission to provide me with your name and address!  If you have checked off "no contact" I can't see who has ordered in order to thank them and/or send them a gift!)

So that's it for today.  I have to stroll Doodles then pack up my gear for a road trip!  I'm off to Calgary to do a Ladies Night Christmas Card Class with my dear friend Kris and her friends.  Whatever YOU get up to this weekend I hope you have a stampy time!


Tam

Just Breathe CASE #2

Happy Wednesday!

Look at ME posting two days in a row! ... makes you wonder what I'm procrastinating on, doesn't it??  *lol*

Well ... truth be told there are DOZENS of things I'm procrastinating on, as usual!  My life starts to implode beginning tomorrow as my calendar of events just keeps growing!  It's a great problem to have, as that means business is booming and I'm well on my way to earning that incentive trip to Greece (!!!) but it also means I have to work my tail off ... and I'm procrastinating on all that needs to be done.  All good, though.  I realize I NEED the pressure to actually stay focused and Get 'Er Done.  Only problem is it's a fine line between pressure and mind-crushing STRESS and I often fly a *little* too close to the sun!  Part of my charm, I think (at least that's what I tell myself around 3 am when I can't sleep from stress! hee hee)

ANYwhoooooo .... let's check out a card I CASEd from Jane Caines over at "inthecatcave" (who hoo! I remembered to flag where I CASEd it from!  Go me!)

Jane's card is much more "polished" than mine but I wanted a SUPER quick and easy card and this fits the bill perfectly!  It's not often I make a no-layer card!

This is simply made with our Whisper White card stock.

Grab your Tempting Turquoise ink pad, drip a bit of reinker in the open lid.
Grab your Aquapainter, pick up some ink and scribble a blue blob on the card stock.
Grab your sentiment "Just Breathe is from Colorful Seasons - a MUST have bundle!) and stamp it in Archival Black ink
Cut out the chair from the Colorful Season Thinlits, pop it up on 2 mini dimensionals, add some bling and BAM!  You're done.

I *may* have whipped up 12 of these bad boys to have on hand.  It seems EVERYONE is really stressed out these days and I know I could send at least 6 of them out to friends this week (and about 3 to myself!)

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the whisper white card stock will get wet and soak up that ink FAST so you really only get one shot at it!  You can't move the ink around, like you can on the glossy white paper or our watercolor paper.  It's all good, though - just have a quick scribble!  The more "organic" or "rustic" the better!

That's it for now - if I procrastinate on stirring that hamburger much longer it's gunna burn so off I go!

Have a stampy evening!


Tam

Carols of Christmas and a Catch Up

Happy Tuesday!

Right.

I have 17 minutes before dinner is served so let's get started!

Wanna see a card before I hit you with my post-holiday pis?  Ok!

This little cutie is one of the cards we are making in class tonight.  SUPER quick, SUPER easy and VERY duplicatable.  Yes, I will be making a LOT of these for Christmas this year!

I got the inspiration from fellow demostrator ... oh for Heaven's Sake ... WHEN will I learn to note these things down??  I totally took the idea from someone and can't find the post!  Sorry to the creator!!

It uses the "Card Front Builder" Thinlit Dies (for the trees).

The sentiment comes from Holly Berry Happiness

The Designer Paper in behind the trees is from the Merry Little Christmas DSP

The top layer is 4 3/4" x 3 1/2"

Sequins are attached with glue dots and the fine tip glue pen.

Easy Peasy!

Next up - HOLIDAY PICS (I still have 6 minutes!)

What can I say about my Mom/Daughter one-on-one vacation to Disneyland with Alicia?  It was absolutely EVERYTHING I hoped it would be.  Oh sure, the line up were too long, there were too many strollers and 16 hours of walking hurts my back ... but ya know what?  Didn't bother me a bit.  I was smiling the whole time and enjoyed every single minute of it.

I highly recommend taking a trip with YOUR children at some point.  Where you go doesn't matter - it could be the Motel 6 down the road.  It just matters that you spend time together. One-on-one.

It matters.

Here are some pice of our FABULOUS time away ...

That me OUTTA here!  With 1 minute to spare!

I'll get back into the groove of posting projects ... I hope ... a BUSY month playing catchup after all my little get-aways (and one more to come in early November!)

Hope you have a stampy evening!


Tam

Stampin' Up! Blends ... and Living the Dream!

Happy Saturday!


Tamara!  It's the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada.  What are you going to DO??

"I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!!"

Wa-hoo!!

Yup.  One more sleep and my Baby Girl and I are off to the happiest place on earth for 3 full days of Mommy/Daughter quality bonding time.  Ska-WHEEEEELLLLL!

If you've been following me for a while you will know that a) I love making memories with my family b) I love Disneyland and c) I love making memories with my family in Disneyland!  Hee hee

Yes.  Disney has a very special place in my heart ... and in the heart of my girls (Craig would rather have his bikini line waxed than ever step foot on Disney soil again but us GIRLS ... well ... we kinda LOVE it there!)

So ... backstory ...

YEARS ago, loooooong before I was ever a mom, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be going to Disneyland with my kids, when I had them.  Heck before I had kids I had already been to Disney 5 times - twice as a kid and 3 times as an adult!  In 2010 I WAS a mom and, thanks to the money I had saved from my Stampin' Up! *hobby* (which it WAS at that time!) my dream came true.  It was everything I dreamed it would be.

Fast forward a few years.  There were a number of deaths in my friends' lives that profoundly affected me.  My husband's cousin, Todd passed away.  My friends Corina and Carol lost their friend Carmela and my friend Lisa lost HER dear friend Shirley.  All three of these very special people had children who were the same age as mine.   It was through the processed of watching these families go through hell that I recognized just how precious and short life is.  Just how important it is to "live now" to "be in the moment" to "make memories" and to "do what makes you happy".

The thought occurred to me that "one day" I would like to have a one-on-one vacation with each of my children.  I tucked that dream on the shelf ... saving my money ...  planning my "One Day" trip with my girls.

Last year I TOOK that trip with Rebecca, when she turned 13.  It was truly beyond words.  It was EVERYTHING I wanted and hoped it would be.  Rebecca and I now share those memories and hold them in our hearts forever.

The "plan" was for Alicia to go when SHE turned 13.  That plan was brought forward a year ... we leave tomorrow.  ONE reason I moved the date forward a year was because I wanted the surprise of the trip to BE a surprise!  She knew she was going to get to go next year ... but it's not as much fun KNOWING your 13th birthday present ahead of time, now is it??  No!  I moved the date forward.  Two other reasons to move it?  1) Life is short and we need to grab the moments when we can and 2) Life is short and we need to grab the moments when we can!

Yes, I know I just said the same thing twice.  That was on purpose.  Why wait???  Heck, I could be taken out by the #6 bus heading Westbound tomorrow.  Trump could close the borders to Canadians next week.  The dollar could crash and I may not be able to afford to GO next year.  You just never know what is around the corner.  We all KNOW life can change on a dime so why wait?  Go.  Make the memories.  Live the dream.

We leave tomorrow.  My heart is so very full :)

Revealing her surprise was pretty amazing ... and again, a memory I will keep forEVER.  It was so special to watch as she realized her present.  The look on her face.  The eye contact.  The tears.  The gratitude.  One of those rare moments in life when time stands still.  It was HER birthday but the present was all mine!  Priceless!

So stay tuned for pictures of our grand adventure.  They will come ... next week.  I would post pics of her birthday but I actually don't HAVE any!  Nope. I was "present" and "in the moment".  My camera was across the room.  It WILL, however, being seeing a lot of action over the next 4 days and I will share them with you :)

Right!  Enough soppiness for one morning!  I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends before I go and one is something that is VERY time sensitive!!  Yes, you only have until the 15th of October to get in on purchasing the Stampin' Up! BLENDS!!!

The "Blends" replace the old "Blendabilities Markers"!!

These alcohol blending pens make color shading a BREEZE and at only $12 for 2 pens they are VERY affordable. Only "problem" is they aren't available to the general public yet! How do you get around that "problem"? 

Buy the "Discount Purchaser Kit" (as I like to call it). You can order the pens for a FLAT charge of $135. 

Of course you COULD wait to buy the pens ... but then they will cost you $187.11. Hmmmm - what to do, what to do ...


Click *** here ***, then click on "Join The Fun", then scroll down to "Join Now" and get your Blends for less!

I would LOVE to have you in my group of Tamara's Trail Blazers!  Make sure you get your pens before October 15, though.  They won't be available for purchase by the general public for months!

OK - I best walk Doodles and start to think about packing (*insert squeal here*).

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend is filled with memories, yummy food and lots of laughs!

xoxox


Tam

Stampin' Up! Promotions!

Happy Thursday!

As always, the week is FLYING by as I try to get ready for my latest get-away this weekend ... and prep for my youngest's birthday .... which is TODAY!  (I'm happy to report I actually made her card yesterday (I always seem to be doing it ON her birthday ... or a week after *lol) AND I was reminded by both my girls "don't post it on Instagram before you actually GIVE it to her!"  Right!  Noted!)

Since I DO still have to wrap the presents, plan the party and do all the other "Mom Chores" by 11:30 am (short day at school) I'm just going to share the latest (and AWESOME) promotions going on with SU right now (ya ya, I'm only 5 days behind on posting them but better late than never, right???)

A reminder - Canadians can shop 24/7 though my on-line store ***HERE*** .  This will get your items shipped directly to your door!  Orders under $200 should apply the hostess code 94MQZVM3 at the the checkout.  Those that do will get a gift mailed to them from me :)

Yes, you can combine both promotions onto one order!  As I mentioned, I'm heading out of town so if you are in Edmonton and would rather email me your order you can do so (it may save you some shipping) but it MUST be sent before 7:00 pm tomorrow night (Friday, October 6).

*** NOTE - the Buy1 Get 2 FREE on the Fast Fuse Deal has been postponed!  It was SO popular they had to turn it off.  It WILL be offered again in a few months, once supplies have been replenished ***

Happy Shopping!!  Now off I go to wake the Birthday Girl!  Have a stampy day :)))