finally ... precious time to post

Sorry - I've been rather sporadic with my posts!  It's that time of year plus being a procrastinator doesn't help!!  Sonny & I offered to volunteer a few months ago with the Red Cross so we've been having to do training.  A few weeks ago, we took a CPR and First Aid class and last week we went to a Disaster training session.  Sonny also offered his services with their transportation so he has to do 20 hours of training for that!  Last Friday & today, he has had to go to the Red Cross in Charlotte to ride along with a guy there.  He should complete that training next Friday & then I guess he'll be on his own.  They really believe in training!!

On Monday, I went to my bridge Christmas party.  We played a little bridge and then had lunch.  Someone brought the most delicious pineapple casserole.  I think they said it was a Paula Deen recipe.  I am going to make it tonight to take to a party.  Here is the recipe if you are interested in trying it.

• 2 (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained
• ¾ cup sugar (or Splenda)
• 6 Tbsp. juice from pineapple
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• ½ cup melted butter
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed

Mix sugar and flour. Add pineapple, pineapple, juice, butter, and cheese. Mix well. *Place in 2qt casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers. Bake at 350 F for about 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 8        *Note: rectangular casserole dish is best

After all the good food, we exchanged gifts via the Chinese Auction style (you can steal a gift from someone two times, etc.).  So, I have been working hard on my gift for this as well as for gifts for my Bunco Christmas party which was on Tuesday night and my Mahjong party which is next week!  Here are a few of the things I made for these:

This is a set of cards using my Nesties and my favorite SU Cardinal.

This is a box I made to hold some tags (seen below)

Set of tags using a clear stamp set and Deer Friends and my wonderful Big Note Die.

I also included in each basket one of the Season's Calendars shown on THIS post.

Let it Snow!

Think it will snow???? I'd love a white Christmas. Ashley called us yesterday morning from New Orleans. Seems she was looking out her window - 35th floor of the Marriott - and could barely see the street for the snow!! Whoda thunk it would snow in New Orleans???? Think I heard it was the first time in 7 years!! She is a snow freak so was really excited. Meanwhile, it has been in the 60's here and raining like crazy. I heard an old wives tale last week that if you have thunderstorms in December, you'll have snow in 7-10 days. Maybe ...... a white Christmas! In the meantime, you can sing this song while working on your Christmas presents -


(Let it Snow)

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the inks look so delightful
So while the winter is cold and damp
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!
It doesn't take much convincing
And I've brought a tool for crimping
Choose some paper, turn up the lamp
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!
When we carefully press just right
How we smile as the image unfolds
Add some color, so bold, so bright
The result is a sight to behold.
Our projects are quickly drying
And there's new techniques for trying
So until we get finger cramps
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!

Jingle Bells

(Jingle Bells I )

Dashing through the snow
To the hostess house we go.
O'er the streets we pass
Anxious to spend cash.
Stamps are everywhere
Making spirits bright.
Oh what fun it is to sing,
The stamping song tonight!
Stampin' Up!, Stampin' Up!,
Stampin' all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to stamp
In the good old fashion way!S
tampin' Up!, Stampin' Up!,
Stampin's here to stay!
Oh, what fun it is to stamp
All the gifts you give today!

Winter Wonderland - stampin' style!

Here's a Christmas Carol for you today! Hum this is your head all day!

(Winter Wonderland)

Brayers roll....are you listening.
On the card... ink is glistening.
A beautiful sight... we're happy tonight, Stamping in a winter wonderland.
In the kitchen we can build a snowman.
Then add color to his carrot nose.
You'll say: Are you finished?
I'll say: No ma'am, I need to add some glitter to the snow.
When we stamp... ain't it thrilling.
Even when... the powders spilling.
We'll create and we'll play...the art stamper way,
Stamping in a winter wonderland.

I'm a winner!!

I recently entered a contest on a blog to guess 10 stamp sets that would retire. I guessed 8 out of 10 correctly!! My first blog candy win!! She's going to stamp me 25 images and looks like she had lots of stamp sets. I've got to pick my 25 now - so many choices!!!

Here's the website if you want to check out her work - http://www.layinrubberink.blogspot.com/

I also did pretty good with the retiring stamps - I didn't lose too many this go around and there are not a bunch dying to get in my stash. Gonna order Crab & Company for my sister - she & I have been wanting it for a while and I figured it would retire. There were not a lot of surprises for me this time - mainly Wonderful Words. I also hate to see Riot of Petals leaving - I really like that background. Seems a lot of the backgrounds are retiring - Canvas, Paisley, Twill - interesting!

RETIRING!!

Stampin' Up has announced it's RETIRING stamp sets today. Check it out HERE. Dozens of stamp sets from the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog are retiring. Now's the last chance to get them--these sets are only available through January 18, 2009 ... And they're 10 percent off from December 9-23, so don't wait to order! (Here is the list reflecting the 10% off during this time.)

Call me or e-mail me now to get your stamps!!

more calendar pages

As promised, here are the other calendar pages from my Alley Stampers meeting.  I shared my calendar pages on THIS post.  Well, turned out, I messed up - I was supposed to do January and July .... not August!  So we have 2 Augusts!  I just have to print out a July and paste it over August.  Anyway, here are the other months the gals created:

Patty did April, May, November & December.  She used Digital Paper.  I've never tried that but the pages are gorgeous!  Also the Snowflake and saying on December is a free download from Creative Memories (magazine) that she downloaded and printed on cardstock.

Getting in the spirit of the season

I've been busy today.   Sonny and I decided to buy a real tree this year instead of using our artificial one (really didn't want to drag it out of the attic, if truth be told!).   We bought a nice tree yesterday.  Sonny grew up with a long needle Christmas tree and that's what we've always had.  I grew up with the Fraser Fir (think that's what they're called) with the little compact short needles and that's all we could find in the lots we stopped at (which was about 6!).  So, that's what we got.  We decorated it today and it looks really pretty.  So far, that's as far as I've gotten with my Christmas decorations!!  I'll post pictures when my house gets more festive!

I also spent a lot of time working on Christmas presents.  I made this today using SU's Decor Elements, a tile that I got at Lowe's and the red striped ribbon that is in the Holiday catalog.   I really like the way it turned out.  Hope the recipient likes it!

Did you know?

Arthur Wynn, the man who invented crossword puzzles, originally called them "wordcross" puzzles but a printing error accidently transposed the words and created "crossword". Since "crossword" appeared as the title of the puzzle on it's first day in the newspaper, that's the name that stuck.

A man named Adi Dassler took his first name and combined it with the first three letters of his last name to create the moniker for his brand of shoes: Adidas.

Rolls-Royce automobiles were named after two British engineers - Charles Rolls and Henry Royce.

~Strange & Fascinating Facts about Famous Brands

Calendar Obsession

I think I'm obsessed with making calendars.  I have made every type of calendar I believe .... big ones, coasters; CD's; etc. .....  Today, this is the one I made and I think I like it the best!!  I saw it first on Splitcoast and then on several blogs.  The black card base is actually a folded card (8 1/2 x 5 1/2") with winter, spring, summer and fall each on different sides (front, back, and inside).  I made a base for it to stand up on (you can see it in the side view) that can be removed when it's time to flip it inside out and slide it back on to stand up.

I cut designer paper with my Top Note die on my Cuttlebug and used the front and back of the designer paper to coordinate.

This is Fall made with Autumn Vine designer paper found in the SU mini catalog and felt flowers.

 

This is the Winter side.  I used Ski Slope designer paper also from the SU mini catalog and some punched snowflakes.

Here is Spring using the Bella Blossoms paper and the Filigree brad.

This is the Summer page using Summer Picnic paper and a cherry stamped from the Tart and Tangy set.

This is the side view so you can see how it stands up.  I just made a stand cutting the kraft cardstock 4" x 3" and scoring it 1" on 2 sides and slid it in (I didn't put adhesive on the bottom of the page).

Hope you have a splendid weekend!!

Sharon