Shelli's Box

I was just on Shelli's blog (SU Guru Queen) and she has posted the instructions to make the cutest box.  Thought you might like it too!  She presented it last weekend at the Portland Regionals.  Portland was the first regional I ever attended.  I had just started with Stampin' Up and didn't know anyone other than my upline but I knew I wanted to learn more.  So I talked Sonny into driving to Portland for the weekend and I went to the Saturday Regional all by myself.  But, that was ok because SU demonstrators are so friendly.  In no time, I had met a bunch of gals and was included in their group.  In the weeks and months to follow, I discovered that many of them were part of the "Dirty Dozen" on Splitcoast Stampers!!  I also met the couple who started Splitcoast and was given one of their tees!  Anyway, I disgress!  Here is the box:

And if you follow THIS LINK you can get the instructions and "how-to."

Tag - You're It!

I spent all last week making tags I think!  I had an old SU holiday kit  with a lot of chipboard pieces that were pre-cut into shapes with matching DSP.  So, I got busy and made up a bunch of the tags.  Then on Thursday, I got a shipment from SU and one of the items was the "Tags Till Christmas" stamp set from the Holiday Mini.  That is such a great and easy way to make tags!  I highly recommend it along.  Most of the tags in the set match up with SU punches so it makes it so easy!!   

These are the tags that I made from the Tags Till Christmas set. 

These are some of the chipboard tags I made

Close up of a snowflake tag - using a corduroy button (from Clearance sale!)

So, with all these tags, I needed someplace to store them.  I love these Tag Holders and usually make a few each year for friends and family.  These will be offered for sale in the craft fair in November.

This has velcro for a closure - the button is just decorative.

The blue ribbon holds this one together.

Another velcro closure - button is decorative.  I used white cardstock and stamped all over it.

The red gingham ribbon is the closure.  I used the circle for reinforcement.

Velcro closure with Scallop Punch decorating the flap.

These are super easy to make.  You need 6"x6" page protectors and cardstock or DSP.  Cut a piece of DSP 6" x 5 7/8" and slide it into the page protector.  (I put a little adhesive on the back of the DSP just to keep it in the page protector.)  Next cut a piece of cardstock or DSP (best if cardstock weight) 6 1/4" x however long you want it to be.  You will score it lengthwise to fold over the page protector and adhere the page protector to it.  Decorate as desired.  I use a little piece of velcro to hold it shut or tie ribbon around it.  You can see the different closures I did above.  If you have any questions, let me know and I will try to help.

Great Birthday!

I had a great birthday yesterday.  I got so many sweet wishes from family and friends via Facebook, e-mail, telephone, in person, Skype .....!!  It was wonderful.  I am so blessed.  I missed hearing from one person who is very special to me but I hope in the future, I will hear his voice again.  I can not dwell on the "what ifs" at this time.

We went out to dinner last night at the Boathouse Marina on Hwy 150 (right on Lake Norman).  If you have never been there, it is not a fancy place by any means.  The food is good and inexpensive.  We love going there on Friday nights for their catfish special - catfish filets, 2 sides with dessert for $6.95!  Can't beat it!  They also have great BBQ since they are owned by the Lancasters.  Give it a try! 

I got so many nice things yesterday - gift certificates, new kitchen towels and potholders, a wine "coozie", new printer (which I've had a few weeks so no surprise there), a pretty miniature rose plant.  My best surprise was a beautiful bromelaid plant from Ashley!  She had planned with Marianne to get it for her.  Of course, Marianne doesn't know the first thing about plants or where to find it.  She had to do a little detective work with Sonny and my Mom but she did good!  It is beautiful!  When Ashley moved into her house last year, one of her best friends gave her a bromelaid plant and I told her I had always wanted one.  Every time I visit her, I water her plant and take care of it, drooling over it probably!  So, she decided I needed my own! 

I also received some great cards - some store bought and some hand-made.  I want to share a few with you.



from Carol, my upline - love those inchies!



from Marianne!!  didn't she do great!

inside of Marianne's

from Judy - just beautiful!

Happy Birthday

I've had a fun couple of days and hope to be enjoying tomorrow as well even though I'll be older!  Friday is my birthday but I'm not one of those gals who hate to admit I'm getting older.  I think age is a matter of how you feel and right now, I am feeling ok! 

I got my hair cut yesterday .... really cut - not just a trim - and I love it!  My hair is very thick and I can't stand it falling into my face all the time.  Most of the time, when I am home, I use a clip to hold it back.  So, I decided it was time for a change.  Here's a picture I had Sonny take of me last night with my new "do".

What do you think?  Sonny's not so sure about it - too much of a change for him.  Guess he's one of those people that likes the same old, same old. 

Today was our Frugal Fashion Show (Newcomers).  We had about 15 models and it was just amazing to see the fashions everyone came up with.  If you haven't shopped at Goodwill or Salvation Army before, you might want to stop by and check them out!  You can get nice jeans for $3.75, slacks - $4 and more.  One of the gals found an Anne Taylor silk dress for $4. 

This is one of my outfits.  The slacks are Talbot brand ($4).  The top is two separate pieces.   

Even though the picture makes the jacket look pink, it is a deep embossed red.  The buttons and the trim at the collar are rhinestones.  The skirt is Jones of New York brand ($3)!  The jacket would be great for a Christmas party.

Here's a group picture of the finale.  We had dressy as well as casual clothes.  It was really fun!

I even made a scrapbook page using MDS!

I haven't talked to Ashley in a couple of days.  We have gotten in the habit of talking about every day for about 30 minutes and I am getting spoiled!  She has been telling me how spoiled she feels.  She is being kidded a lot about how many packages and letters she receives.   On Tuesday, she got 8 packages!!  She had to have a truck take her home that day!  She keeps telling me she feels like she is at Girl Scout camp again when, if you received too many letters, you had to sing!  She's mentioned this several times so my guess is she must have had to do that a lot and it left a lasting impression on her.  She keeps telling the other soldiers there that she has a lot of friends and family who really care!  And that is the TRUTH!  Seven of the boxes were filled with books from the volunteer organization "Operation Paperback."  You can read about them HERE.  If you have paperbacks that you have read, consider donating them to this great group!  Or if you know a soldier overseas, tell him/her to register and they, too, can receive seven boxes of books! 

Happy Birthday to ME!

MAKE A SOLDIER'S DAY!

Go to this link and make a soldier's day! 

Write to a Soldier Online

Do your part and write to a soldier TODAY!   The soldier receives a free CD.  Read about the program HERE.

Monday Mailer Christmas Collage

I've had the Christmas Collage stamp (from Holiday Mini) for a couple of months and haven't been totally thrilled with anything I've made with it .... until I made this card!  I love it and hope you do too!

 It wasn't the quickest card to make but that's probably what makes it so special.  I stamped two pieces of Very Vanilla cardstock with the whole stamp in Early Espresso.  One was used as my card base  and the other was cut up - I tore the top corner and cut a rectangle of the song (Silent Night) to use.  I sponged all the edges with Espresso.  The base piece was adhered to the Always Artichoke card.  Then I layered the corner piece with a strip of torn Cherry Cobbler in the right corner.  I used my blender pen and squeezed a little ink (Cherry Cobbler & Artichoke) in the lid of my ink pad and colored the holly leaves, berries and poinsetta.  I used So Saffron marker for the bell.   I punched two holes in the small rectangle Silent Night piece and threaded the Cherry Cobbler seam binding (love it!!) through it and adhered it to the card at an angle.  I stamped Merry Christmas from the Bells and Boughs stamp set and adhered it to the card (with dimensional tape).

Here is a close up view of part of the card.

So, what do you think????

Monday Mailers from Last Week

I want to share a couple of Monday Mailers with you tonight. 

This is the one I received - another thank you card.  What is so great about this card is it is made with one of the SU Single Stamps you can purchase (pg 18-20).  They are such a great deal - check them out!

The color combo of Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizazz and Early Espresso is great!  Martinette added a tiny clip with a piece of thread tied onto it.  I have no idea how she tied that tiny bow!!

This is the card I sent to Becky last week.  I love it & it just may be my Christmas card this year.  The set is called Peaceful Seasons and it is a Hostess Level 2 set (found in the Holiday Mini).  I used two scallop punches.  The one in the middle is the  new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border and the bottom one is the Scallop Trim Border (pg. 201).  The DSP is Deck the Halls from the Holiday Mini.

Busy Weekend

I've had a busy weekend.  Last Thursday was my nephew, Harrison's, 16th birthday.  We celebrated his birthday on Friday night at JJ Wasabi in downtown Mooresville.  It was pretty yummy!  Saturday Sonny and I went to the movies to see Secretariat.  It was a really good movie with a good story.  Then Saturday night, we drove to Matthews for my Aunt Sally's 70th birthday party.  She's just moved into a new home - 3 weeks ago - but you couldn't tell it.  There was a tent set up outside for the party with a full bar, wonderful buffet (prime rib, salmon, chicken cordon bleu ...), a dance floor with a great DJ.  He played a lot of beach music and I was able to get Sonny up on the dance floor a few times.  This weekend was my high school get-together at Ocean Drive where there is always a lot of beach music.  Since I decided not to go, I was able to get my "beach music" fix at Sally's party.  What do you think .... she looks pretty good for 70 years old!

Sally with my Mom - my mom was married to Sally's oldest brother

One of Sally's daughters - she put the party together for her mom.

 My mom, Angela & I put together a basket to take to the party for our gift.  We bought some wine, glasses, kitchen towel, candy, crackers and cheese in the basket.  At the last minute, I decided it would be nice to include a few thank-you cards so she could send them out later.  I put this card (and 3 others just like it) together in about 15 minutes using My Digital Studio.  It is so easy!!!

Of course, today we went to our Steeler bar and watched some football.  Big Ben returned today and we won!  It wasn't the blow-out I was expecting, but it was still a great win. 

Pinchable Cheeks

I made a trip into Mooresville today and bought the cutest little snowman stamp!  I just love his little rosy cheeks .... so pinchable!  Just like little chubby faced children.  You always just want to pinch their little cheeks.

Here is what I did with two of the stamps in the set:

 For Santa, I used Cherry Cobbler, Black, and Pear Pizazz cardstock.  The patterned paper is some I found in my stash and thought the colors went nicely with the Pear.  I used my Copics for coloring, put a little Stickles in the ball on his hat, a little Liquid Applique on his cap and added a little Silver Spica pen to his beard.  The snowflakes are from an old die I had - just ran it through the Big Shot.  The black "pearls" are some I picked up at CKC this summer (for $1 per package!)

 This little fellow is just so cute!  I colored him with Copics and again used the Cherry Cobbler & Pear Pizzaz cardstock - I love that combo!  The polka dot paper is actually a transparency that SU sold last year.  I bought it and never used it.  I have it layered over a piece of white cardstock.  The snowflakes are from SU's punch.

A close up of those pinch-able cheeks!

I talked to Ashley this afternoon and was asking her about the food there.  She said it is really good ... probably too good!  On Wednesday, they had crab legs for lunch - it was the Navy's birthday so it was a special celebratory meal.  She said normally they have a Caesar Salad Bar, a regular salad bar, a section where you can order paninis - with ham, cheese, and other items; a grill area where you can get sandwiches;  vegetables, meats, some fresh fruit (bananas, apples), and a dessert area with ice cream and other goodies.  She walks to the dining hall every day - about 1 1/2 miles which she said is a good thing so she can walk her food off after eating.   She got a couple of boxes in the mail yesterday and was quite happy with her Aunt Marianne.  She sent her a Steeler tee & Steeler pants!  She has settled in pretty good over there and seems to have adjusted well. 

A productive day!

We went to Davidson last night to hear the Charlie Daniels Band play at the Brickhouse Tavern.  Friends called us in the afternoon to see if we would be interested in going.  Sonny & I both enjoy Charlie Daniels' songs - Sonny even has his "Greatest Hits" on his Ipod playlist - so of course, we said YES!  I had planned on playing Bunco in my neighborhood, but Charlie Daniels Band definately won out.  What is funny is that our friends had never heard of Charlie Daniels!  I couldn't believe it, but guess when you live in New York, you don't listen to much country music!  Those Yankees don't know what they are missing. 

Today I had a very productive day and finally got a few card sets made.  I had made the card box a month ago and it has been sitting on my desk begging to be filled with cards!  It seems like I have just been spinning my wheels the past few days without getting anything accomplished.   So I am quite proud of my progress today.


This first set uses the stamp set, Word Play, which is a very versatile Greetings stamp set.

Card Box

How do you like that bow?  I made it with the Bow Maker that  "girlfriend" sent me!  Easy peasy!

This card uses a lot of retired stuff!  The DSP, the Crushed Curry cardstock (still available in Clearance items!) and the My Way punch.

More retired paper - DSP & Dusty Durango.

 This one is way out of my comfort zone - using 3 different DSP pieces but I like it.

 More retired paper.

This card set uses Awash With Flowers!  I just love this stamp set.  It is a two-step stamp which is what attracted me to Stampin' Up in the beginning.  Again, I am using retired Cameo Coral cardstock in the cards.

These are card sets that I will have for sale in the November craft fair.