2012 Artisan Design Team Projects for December - Part 3

I am a few days behind in posting this ... caught myself a nasty headache which put me out for a few days (all is well now, though!)! I am finally feeling back on track ...

I am VERY excited to share with you this little mini photo album. I have made these before, but it has been about 4-5 years. They are REALLY fun to make! This one is an "ode" to my little toy poodle "Daisy" ... she owns EVERY single person in my family!!

Here is what it looks like with the "belly band" pulled off ...

When you open the album like a "book", this is what you see inside ...

After untying the little flaps, here is a peek inside (it just keeps getting BIGGER and BIGGER!)!

TA-DA!!!! This thing folds out QUITE large!!

If I flip the three photos on the left over (kinda like turning a page in a book), here are the photos on the back ...

And here is the same view on the right side ...

Now ... BEFORE you ASK ... I AM going to be doing a tutorial on this little beauty ... but NOT until after all the holiday craziness is OVER!! So, STAY TUNED!!


Also, because SOOO many of you have asked about my ribbon rack ... posted HERE ... here are the dimensions:
55" Tall
24" Wide
4 1/4" Shelf Height
3 3/4" Shelf Depth

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!! Come back tomorrow night/Thursday morning for a look at the December version of the Control Freaks Blog Tour!!

Stamps: Morning Post Alphabet, Simply Serif Alphabet
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Marina Mist
Accessories: Simply Scored, Small Oval Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Boho Blossom Punch, Blossom Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Punch, Itty Bitty Punch (Circle), Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Mini Silver Brads, Linen Thread

2012 Artisan Design Team Projects for December - Part 2

Part of what we get to play with each month for the Artisan Design Team comes in the form of MDS downloads ... MOST EXCELLENT!! Sooo ... this month I wanted to be sure and take advantage of that and play with some of what we got ...

I have been making a concerted effort in the past few years to make sure that my hubby and I get pictures taken TOGETHER ... too often, one of us (usually ME!) is behind the camera. I realized when I went through some photos of my parents a few years ago that they didn't take enough photos together and want to make sure that I don't end up in the same boat ... so that is where this layout came from ... me and my bestest friend in the WORLD!!

Stamps: Natural Composition Overlays, Freehand Phrases, A Split Second (Splatter 1), Ink Splatter (Splatter 3), Greatest Moments II
Paper: Good Life DSP
Embellishments: More Candid Frames, Piece of Cake (Flags), Fan Fair (Stitching), Mis-Stitched

And SPEAKING of my hubby ... and how he is the BEST ... LOOKIE WHAT HE MADE ME!! (It is actually my Christmas present, but he finished it a little early and hung it up the other night!) Isn't it DIVINE and AMAZING!! OHMYGOSH!! I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how happy this has made me!! HAPPYDANCE!! I haven't finished organizing all of my ribbon in it yet (still sorting and deciding WHAT to keep).

I LOVELOVELOVE how the little dowel allows me to feed the end of my ribbon spool under it. I spent the longest time the morning after he hung it up just sitting and STARING at it after I got the ribbon put in ... this is the BEST EVER!! I guess that is because my hubby is the BEST EVER!! I am one lucky girl!!

And because SOOO many have asked ... I am amending this post to add the dimensions for this lovely ribbon rack:

55" Tall
24" Wide
4 1/4" Shelf Height
3 3/4" Shelf Depth

2012 Artisan Design Team Projects for December - Part 1

My brain is SOUP!! I have been running from one project to another for the last few weeks, and I frankly can't remember if I'm coming or GOING!! Sheesh!

I was able to take a bit of time this morning to play with some of the goodies that came in my latest shipment from Stampin' Up ... this really DID start out as a "dude" card ... but knowing how I struggle with those, it took a turn in the middle and came out kinda "girlie" ...

This Natural Composition DSP is GORGEOUS!! I have a hardly used it at ALL (Hoarder's Syndrome??) ... want to make sure that anything I use it for is "worth" cutting into it, know what I mean?? I think I'm gonna have to get over that ... someday!!

I am still frantically working on Christmas cards. We FINALLY got a family photo taken yesterday, so now I can't use that as an excuse to finish any more! I'm hoping to get through most of the rest of what I need to do with them tomorrow ... wish me luck!!

Have a happy Monday!!

Stamps: Morning Post Alphabet, Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Marina Mist, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Natural Composition DSP, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Large Scallop Border Edgelits Die, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Bitty Banners Framelits Die, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Fab Friday #8

Here we are again for another Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge ... except that it is SATURDAY!! With the onset of Facebook Friday for the Artisans yesterday, I had to postpone posting my Fab Friday card until today ...

This week's Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge was a color challenge. I struggle when I have to work with LOTS of colors at the same time, BUT I hafta admit that I LOVELOVELOVE this color combo!! Soooo fresh and fun!! And I also hafta admit that I used this over on SCS as the sample for my Free for All Challenge yesterday, which I called Springtime in December.

As this combo so EASILY could lend itself to a Christmas-y card (as you will see if you go and check the samples of my other Fab Friday friends), I had a GREAT time turning it into something Spring-y. AND I got to play with some of my new preorder and Sale-a-Bration stuff ... which was ALSO very fun!

Stamps: Madison Avenue, Bloomin' Marvelous
Paper: Real Red, Gumball Green, Pool Party, In Color DSP
Ink: Real Red, Gumball Green, Pool Party, Primrose Petals
Accessories: Small Butterfly Punch, Oval Punch, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, Large Rhinestone Basics, Rhinestone Basics, Cloudy Day Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Without further adieu, here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Amy O'Neill
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman

I am headed off to a fun Christmas Party/Shoebox Swap Extravaganza with Pam Morgan and a bunch of her stampy friends!! Sooo happy I got invited to go!! It's gonna be a FUN day!!

2012 Artisan Facebook Friday #3

Hey, friends!! Welcome to another Stampin' Up 2012 Artisan Design Team "Facebook Friday!" OHMYGOSH!! Can I say that my doors were TOTALLY BLOWN OFF by all of the amazing things my Artisan friends created for this month!! Like Sarah Sagert (whose blog you just came from if you are following the hop around!)! Her card is GORGEOUS, don'tcha think?? LOVED the vintage-y feel of that!!

This month I wanted to make a "garland" ... primarily because my daughter is away at college and I wanted to give HER something to hang (and she LOVED it, by the way!)! This is a view of the overall thing ... (sorry I can't make the photo bigger ... Blogger won't LET me!! Click on the image to see it more "up close and personal"!)

And here is a closeup ... (I hafta admit the little square ornament with the gingerbread man is my favorite!!)

And another one ... I think the champagne glimmer paper is DA BOMB!!

And another one ... you get a better idea of how all the ornaments look in this one!

And ANOTHER one!! All the crazy ribbon and tulle!! I really LOVE how this turned out!!

Before you ask HOW I got the little "Scentsational Season" dudes in the little clear ornaments, let me just say that is was EASY-CHEESEY!! I just kinda rolled them in on themselves a little and STUFFED 'em down in the hole on the top of the ornament. There is a little piece of linen thread stuck to the top-back of each little image via a glue dot ... the glue dot/thread is then covered by a little punched 1/2" circle. I threaded the thread back through the metal finding at the top and tied it on. That's pretty much it! (And for those of you old enough to remember ... I kept hearing Mr. Bill's voice scream "Ooooohhhh nooooooo!" as I was stuffing the little gingerbread men in!! It made me giggle!).

The sad story that goes with this is that I originally started out with round GLASS ornaments ... hung them on my mantle with painter's tape (since it is what was handy AND I didn't want anything PERMANENT!). I went to go get a quick shower as it was late in the day and my hubby and I were headed out ... he came and knocked on the door and said, "Wendy ... there was a LOUD breaking glass kinda sound out in the front room just now!" "WHAT??!!??" All stinkin' day and TWO jars of champagne glass glitter ALL OVER THE PLACE!! As my hubby dragged out the vacuum and started to prepare to vacuum up the mess I shouted, "NO!! I NEED TO RESCUE MY GLITTER!!" And so, you guessed it!, I spent over an HOUR picking little glass ornament bits outta my glitter so I could use it again (since I had NO MORE GLITTER LEFT!)! The GOOD news is that the really fun and funky-shaped ornaments I ended up using (bought at a big box craft store named after a dude) are PLASTIC!! YEP!! PLASTIC!! And I love the little square one! You can't tell from the photo, but the one with the tree in it is actually kinda disk shaped!! AND, when they fall down they won't SHATTER!! YAY!!

Stamps: Scentsatinal Season
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight
Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Candlelit Christmas DSP, Champagne Glimmer Paper
Accessories: Holiday Collection Framelits Dies, Delicate Doilies Sizzlets Die, Typeset Alphabet Bigz Dies, Snow Flurry Bigz Die, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 2 1/2" Circle PUnch, Large Pearl Basic Jewels, Pearl Basics, Rhinestone Basics, Crumb Cake Scalloped Tulle Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Scalloped Tulle Ribbon, Early Espresso Scalloped Tulle Ribbon, Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Champagne Glass Glitter, Linen Thread, Clear Plastic Ornaments and Hooks

Moving on to the oh-so-amazing Amy Bollman and her OVER-THE-TOP-WONDERFUL advent project. You are gonna LOVE it!

More Little Chocolate Cards ...

I occasionally take a bit of time and make some cards for our wonderful little neighborhood chocolate shop - Hatch's Family Chocolates!! That place has caused me some SERIOUS addiction issues! And since my son AND my nephew BOTH work there, I have to make a trip to "visit" them at least once or twice a week ... you know ... to be SUPPORTIVE!! And, OF COURSE, I have to let them keep working while I am there ... so I just HAFTA order something!! It's a hard-knock life ...

These are the latest versions of gifts cards I made for them to take them through the holidays. The "larger" ones are 3"x3". The smaller little "gift cards" are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". They don't take me TOO long to make, and it's fun "supporting" a local business!

Stamps: Button Buddies, Sweets for the Sweet, Snow Much Fun, Scentsational Season, Make a Mitten
Paper: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Shimmery White, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Midnight Muse, Night of Navy, Early Espresso, 2012 In Color Designer DSP, Lemonade Stand DSP, Watercolor Paper
Ink:  Basic Black, Real Red, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Black Stazon, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Snow Flurry Bigz Die, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Creative Memories Snowflake Duo Punch, Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch, Rhinestone Basics, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Real Red Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Silver Ribbon, Real Red Dazzling Details, Clear Dazzling Details, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

December Already??

Why is it that, when you are a little kid, time just seems to draaaaggg by?? Birthdays and Christmas seem to take FOREVER to come around ... and the older you get the more RAPIDLY these events go whisking by! This year has been such a BLUR!! No idea where the time went!!

Take this card, for instance ... it is for my sweet little niece, Marci. She just turned one ... UNBELIEVABLE!! Seems like she was JUST BORN!! Sheesh!! So this card is for her birthday. Before ya know it, I'll be making her a card for high school graduation!!

Next task on my "to-do" list is to get going on my Christmas cards. I hope to be able to get those made this week (IHOPEIHOPEIHOPE!). I'm such a ding-a-ling that I FORGOT to take a picture of my family when we were all together on Thanksgiving Day, so I'm HOPING that we can all pose for one next weekend ... that is IF I can get everybody in the same place at the same time!!

Stamps: Create a Cupcake, Simple Serif Alphabet
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Twitterpated DSP, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Build a Cupcake Punch, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Rhinestone Basics, Word Window Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch

MDS-in' ...

It's been a little while since I've shared some MDS fun with y'all, so today's as good a day as any ...

I have been going to girl's camp for so many years I can't even begin to count them (it's totally TRUE!! I know I started going around the time my oldest turned 1 ... he is 24 ... and I know I have missed a summer, here and there, when I had my other babies or strange commitments, but it has been pretty consistent. I absolutely LOVE it!! See that MOOSE??? Seriously??? He was HUGE!! And right outside our tents!!! (These were the leaders' tents, and lucky for us, he showed up AFTER we were all OUT of the tents for breakfast!!)

Stamps: Natural Composition Overlays, Contempo Alphabet, Happy Camper Memories
Paper: Fan Fare DSP, Very Vanilla
Other: Get It Done Punch 1, Soft Blooms, Antique Brads, Taffeta Trimmings (Very Vanilla); Font - Bernard MT Condensed.

And here I am with my BESTIES at Convention this past summer ... what a MAGICAL week THAT was!! I felt like I was walking around in a DREAM (being picked as a member of Stampin' Up's Artisan Design Team was truly a dream come true! It STILL is!! This year, so far, has been WONDERFUL! And HUMBLING!!)!

Stamps: NONE!
Paper: Convention 2012
Other: Convention 2012 Large White Frame, Dahlias, Delicate Doilies Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Fan Fair Stitching; Font - 2Peas High Tide

I'm still working in OVERDRIVE on a HUGE project I can't tell ya about ... yet ... but I hope to be finished by this Friday ... but I STILL won't be able to tell ya about it until JANUARY!! Looks like this weekend will be Family Christmas Card Creation! I have NO IDEA where I'm gonna go with THAT!! Stay tuned ...

AND ....

TODAY is the LAST DAY of our Online Extravaganza Sale!! Don't miss out!!

Wednesday, November 28, midnight - 11:50 PM (MT)

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	24-Hour Sale Price
7	118941	Clear Block Bundle (Blocks A-I)	$66.95	$53.56
7	120279	Clear Block Storage Caddy	$16.95	$13.56
175	109127	Stack & Store Caddy	$34.95	$27.96

You can visit My Online Store to see all discounted products or view this PDF.

The Fine Print

• Discounts range between 20 and 50 percent--awesome!
• Discounted products are available on all order types (customer, demonstrator, workshop, and online).
• There's no minimum purchase required to participate in this promotion. Sale on!
• For product bundles, you need to use the bundle item numbers provided. If you use individual item numbers, you won't get the discount--bummer.
• You can buy additional products from any of our current catalogs on the same order. 

Two by Two ...

I have the cutest nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews in the world!! My little grandniece just turned two this past week, so I broke out and inked up my Two by Two stamp set (finally!)!

I haven't colored with my reinkers and blender pens for a looonnnnggg old time, either! It was really fun, actually ... I had kinda forgotten how much I love doing this! (And I was taught by the "master" ... Kittie Caracciolo herself!!

I have until FRIDAY to finish a BIG project I am working on ... it seems I work well under pressure 'cause I NEVER seem to be able to get things done "early"! YIKES!

Back to the grindstone after a long weekend ... but I got a LOT done! I got my Christmas decorations up, as well as my mom's, so I'm feeling pretty good. Hoping for another productive week ... or two ... how come Christmas seems to come around about twice a year??

Stamps: Two by Two, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Watercolor, International Bazaar DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, More Mustard, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Island Indigo
Accessories:  Rosette Bigz Die, 3" and 3 1/2" Bigz Circle Dies, Small Oval Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Fab Friday #7

Welcome to Fab Friday! It also happens to be Black Friday ... and I was out shopping until 1:00 (and plan to go back at at 5:30!). Once y'all are done with the shopping and decorating you can play along with us!

I have just NOT been ready to give up all my fall-lookin' supplies for wintry stuff just yet ... this card started out as a winter card (complete with Pool Party cardstock). I just was NOT feelin' it, so this is where I went instead!!

Stamps: French Foliage, Family Reunion
Paper: Early Espresso C'oredinations, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade, Orchard Harvest DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Ribbon Slider, Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Word Window Punch, 1" Square Punch, Paper Piercing Essentials

Here is a graphic of the sketch we were working with this week:

Love it!!








AND, here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Jason Casper
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Eat-stamp-shop ... great way to spend your weekend!!