Polar bear in a snow storm

Happy Monday!  Happy Christmas Eve!

Whaaaatttt?  I seriously can't even belIEVE it's Christmas Eve!!!  I'm still not sure what happened to the first 24 days of December!

Everyone ready for the Big Day?  I THINK I am but quite honestly I'm just taking things one hour at a time!  This week feels like I've been trudging through thick molasses!  I had a cold last week for 2 days (anyone who knows me knows I don't GET sick so that really just pissed me off!).  I was better ... but then Saturday apparently the cold decided it WASN'T done with me and opted to settle in my chest.  Argh!  You know what I'm talkin' about - feels like there is a vice on your lungs, you cough and try to clear your throat but it hasn't broken yet so you really just end up with a sore throat and annoying everyone around you by making disgusting grunting noises *lol*.  Today is no better but I DO have a bit more energy.  That's good because it's "go time" around here.  Christmas dinner for 20 at my SIL's and I'm on ham, veg, buns and condiments duty so I'm heading over shortly to help set up ... and of course stop at the grocery store AGAIN, then home to help the kids finish off their 9 gifts and cards for relatives, bake edible treats for uncle and grandpa, make dessert for Christmas dinner at mom's tomorrow and get the ham in the oven.  All mom's out there know EXACTLY how it goes.  NO time for being sick!  Gunna chug some drugs and get on with it!

I just HAD to pop in to post one card that I whipped up in a matter of minutes Saturday night.  As you can see from the above, I'm scrambling this year - Christmas cards haven't even been sent out!  For a gal who LOVES sending cards this is a bit of a big deal!  Oh sure, I have some cards left over from previous years but send out the same card two years in a row?  InconCEIVABLE!  I needed a super quick card STAT!  Now, any demonstrators who were at the Convention in Orlando in November will "get" this card.  Dale Hampshire had us all in stitches with his "Polar Bear in a Snow Storm" card .. which was simply a white card base folded in half.  It was noted that now we would all end up mailing out blank cards (NOT great for a business that sells ink and rubber stamps! *lol*).  I took his idea one small step further and came up with this little piece of brilliance!

Bahahahahahahahaha!  I love it!

I made this one out of our notecards and envelopes, which are 5" x 3 1/2".  I cut a layer of 4 3/4" x 3 1/4", stamped the face from "Foxy Friends" and popped it up on dimensionals.  I then just headed to my computer, printed off a sheet of sentiments, trimmed them, used my paper snips to flag-end them and popped those up on dimensionals too.  BAM!  CRAZY quick, easy key-UTE card that everyone will love.

I made a larger version to mail to Dale and Carrie at SU Calgary office.  Of course you can jazz this up by using the Softly Falling embossing folder and I saw fellow demonstrator Janice Thomson use the face from Cookie Cutter Christmas for the faces - there are LOTS of options you can use!  If I lived in Arizona or Nevada I'd use a Crumb cake piece and have it as a Camel in a Sandstorm *lol*

So there you have it!  If you need a few more cards for events this week try this one out - if you're anything like me you need the time you'll save for 1,000 other things you need to get done!

I'd like to wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas.  I hope you have family and friends to spend time with this week.  Enjoy!


xo
Tam

Mini Coffee Cup Gift Card Holder / Treat Holder

Happy Saturday!

How's THAT for a nice, long title?

I don't have time to chat for long ... I have my team Christmas Stampin' Social in less than an hour and should probably finish setting up! *lol* (no, I'll never change!)

I wanted to post the video I made showing you how to make these ADORABLE little coffee cup gift card/treat holders (and the links to buy the cups and lids).

They are REALLY easy to make and pack a real "WOW" factor!

Here is the video (I had to laugh when I watched the replay as I mentioned you could fill the cups with cinnamon hearts ... for THANKSGIVING! lol .. ya, kinda meant Valentine's Day!)

Here are the links for the coffee cups and lids ...

Cups:  here
Lids:  here

Right!  I better fly.  That coffee isn't going to brew itself!

Have a FABULOUS, stampy day!


Tam

Epic Project Catchup!

Happy Saturday!


Ahhhhhh Saturday ... and the first week of December gone.  You know what THAT means??  I get to start to relax a little!  Yes, while other moms around the world are getting busier than ever this is my "down time".  I have crossed the finish line!  Yes, I have a few small Christmas gifts tucked away for the family but no, I haven't given any SERIOUS thought to "the big gifts", or Christmas dinner, or baking, wrapping, parties ... and of the CHRISTMAS stuff.  My focus has been making it to Saturday, Dec 6th and I'm here and still upright!  Last night was my second last class of the year.  I have the same class again Monday morning but all I need to to do for that is tidy up from last night and make sure I have enough supplies cut for my Monday stampers.  The designing and prep for this year is DONE!  I have LOVED the last few months of crafting with some of the most amazing women I know but it is now time to breathe and get on with my favourite time of year.  Oh, you better believe I'll still be sending a few hours a day planning projects and classes for the new catalogue in the new year but I won't have the same time pressures as I do the rest of the year.  I have 3 weeks to do a LITTLE work and a LOT of fun and family.

So! I wanted to share a SWACK of project from Oct, Nov and Dec that I simply didn't have time to blog about!  If you follow me on Facebook (and you SHOULD!  Find me at "Tamara's Paper Trail") you will have seen all of these at some point.  Yes, I had PLANNED to give detailed instruction on all of them alas, blogging takes a LOT of time and THAT I just didn't have this fall.  If there are any projects you can't figure out and want help with recreating please don't hesitate to snd me a message and I'll help you out!  Oh!  On that note ... I don't know WHAT has happened on my blogger page but I can't ever reply to anyone who comments!  My reply goes into some sort of black hole, never to be sen again!  So know that I SEE your comments, I just can't REPLY to them.  ONE DAY I'll figure out what changed ... but not today *lol*.

So here we go ... my swack of projects for your viewing enjoyment ...

 LOVE this bow!!!

 CASEd from Mary Fish ...

LOVE THIS ONE!

 Yes, we can colour those sacks!

 LOVE!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

 My favourite card this year ...

 CASEd from another demo ... can't remember her name!  Sorry!

My 3" x 3" swap card for Convention ...

... pop 5 in a pizza box for a quick and easy gift!

 CASE'd from The Pampered Stamper ...

 CASE'd from Brian King ...

 Zipper Gift Card Holder (SO fun!)

Quick, easy notecard!

Winter Birthday Card!

 ... used home made shimmer spray ...

 Notecard size ...

 Mailable Desk Calendar (I did a video on this one ...)

Made this one last night - I DO plan to do a blog post on it this week ...

 So there you have it!  LOADS of inspiration in one post!

I'm sure you know by now the Year End Closeout Event is going on.  Holiday Catalogue items that are retiring are only while supplies last so don't wait to order them!  Many are discounted, too.  Check out my website here and Canadians can have items shipped directly to their door.  Be aware that delivery before Christmas is no longer guaranteed!  I find MY packages arrive within 7 business days but at this time of year it's a gamble for sure.  Get those orders in!  Anyone who uses the hostess code FKUEU7EF at the checkout will get at thank you in the mail from me.

Whatever you are up to today I truly hope you have a lovely, stampy day.  Me?  I'm take Daughter #1 skating with a friend ... and ya, I *may* be taking my Occasions Catalogue, pen, paper and calculator with me to plan a few classes while I wait ... 'cause I LOVE what I do and I do it whenever and wherever I can!

Happy Saturday Friends! xo



Tam

2018 Year End Clearance Sale starts tomorrow ...

Happy Tuesday!

Have you heard???


TOMORROW!  December 5th .... the Year End Clearance Sale starts!!!  Shop EARLY as the best items always sell out FAST!

Oh!  Another thing! The long-awaited Stamparatus carrying case will also be available for purchase!  Only $39 CAD (plus s/h/gst).  PErhaps your husband/mother/sister/kids need to buy one for you for Christmas?!

*** As an added bonus, local (Edmonton, Alberta) customers who order the carrying case will receive a laminated Stamparatus-sized grid paper from me as a thank you!  Use it over and over and just wipe it clean between uses :)

Canadians can shop my online store here as early as 12:01 am Dec 5th and have items delivered directly to your door!

Use hostess code FKUEU76F at the check out to receive a thank you in the mail from me :)

Have a stampy day!


Tam

QUICK QUICK QUICK and cute tea or gift card holders

Happy Monday!

No time to chat - a million things to do ... but I wanted to share these RIDICULOUSLY quick and cute standard size cards that hold a little treat inside - tea sachet or gift card ... and you can mail them!

Aren't they CUTE???  They come together SO quickly ... and a GREAT way to use up some of that gorgeous designer series paper you've been hoarding!

Check out my video ...

Any questions, let me know!

Have a stampy night!


Tam

Stunning Snowflake Showcase

Happy Thursday!

I'm still in "full go mode" around here so just a quick one to share from last month!

You can still purchase items from the Snowflake Showcase - but only until November 30th!  The gorgeous velvet paper is sold out but these MUST HAVE DIES are still available!

This cards is so quick, easy! 

I used Shaded Spruce for the top layer.  The snowflake is popped up on dimensionals.  The small snowflakes are retired sequins we had many years ago (and which I STILL have 3 or 4 packs of.  I loved them SO much and hoarded them for my Stamp-a-Stack classes for years to come!)

The sentiment is heat embossed.  The sentiment is from out hostess set "Warm Hearted".  It's in the Holiday Catalogue so that one is only available until the end of December.

Quick, easy, cute and a pop of WOW colour.  My kind of card!

That's it for today.  I'm off to cut more templates for my Advent Calendar class on Friday.  Have a stampy day!  (and Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends!)


Tam

Mailable Desk Calendars

Happy Sunday!

Wow!  Two posts in two days!  I'm either really on top of things or I'm procrastinating on something!  (no prizes for correctly guessing which one!)

I just HAD to share my video on how to make these awesome little desk calendars!  Check them out!

I LOVE it!  ... and it was SO quick and easy to make!  I cracked off 16 in about an hour (the bow is what took the most time, once I figured out exactly what size to cut the layers of white!)

The video tells all ...

Did you catch those dimensions?  *lol*

4" x 2" PLUS 2 ticks
3" LESS 2 ticks x 2" LESS 2 ticks

The calendars are from Taylored Expressions and can be found here

That's it for now!  I'm early to start on today's "Yay!" List, designing the Advent Calendars for class this week.  I have 17 people who will be a little upset if they show up and have nothing to make!

Have yourself a super stampy Sunday!


xox
Tam

Zipper Card and Convention Hilights ...

Happy Saturday!

Well!  It has only been two weeks since I posted but it feels like I've lived 6 months worth of fun and excitement in that time!

If you follow me on Facebook ("Tamara's Paper Trail") you will have seen alllll my Facebook Live videos from last weeks Convention in Orlando.  I really don't have the word to describe the depth of emotions I felt that week.  There were SO many and they were SO intense.  Truly.  In fact, I had been on SUCH a wave of adrenalin, nerves, smiles and lack of sleep that I ended up hugging the toilet in the week hours of the morning Friday morning.  It was all just too much for too long for my system!  I'm happy to say, though, that I was up and at 'em Friday morning for more fun, prizes and laughs (although I DID take a brief nap on the Convention Centre floor mid afternoon! *lol*)

If you would like to see all the swaps I got from other stampers how over to my Facebook Page.  I have some in picture form and some in video form.  They're all lovely - check them out!

Today I wanted to share my video on how to make a "Zipper Card".  I had received a swap using this "technique" last April and vowed I'd make one *one day*.  Thursday was that day.  It's CRAZY quick and easy but packs SUCH a wow for the recipient!  Here's a picture of the project ...

... and here is the YouTube video on how to make it ...

*** PS *** in the video I showed the tape in the INSIDE of the perforated line.  That's wrong!  Don't put tape there or your gift card will be trapped inside! *lol*.  I got a little carried away with the tape!

Doesn't it make you want to run right down to your Craft Cave and make one??  SUCH a fun idea and, if you're like me, you give a LOT of gift cards for Christmas and Birthdays.  This is a fun, quick packaging idea that everyone loves (and a FAB way to use up some of the designer paper you're hoarding!!) . Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Right!  I need to walk my Doodle Bug, design my Advent Calendar for class next week and hit Ikea for accessories for my youngest daughters room (Craig painted her room while I was in Orland so now she apparently *needs* all new EVERYTHING! lol)

Whatever YOU get up to this weekend, I hope you have a stampy time!

(I'll leave you with a few pics from Convention ...


xox
Tam