Stampalicious!

New Halloween Stuff!

2010-10-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

New stuff for Halloween! Made some goodie bags for Emma's class party on Friday and a little Halloween card. Kept the bags super simple and fast, since I had to make 28 of them. Love how they turned out though!

Plan on making a few more Halloween treats....hopefully...

A Little Recycling

2009-08-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

A couple of the shirts I bought for my daughter for school came with these really cute tags on them. It says "So", the letters are raised and I thought it would be really cute on a card so I saved the tags. I used one on this card that I will be sending in her lunch next week.

The stamps are from The Angel Company, paterned paper is from DCWV, ribbon from Michaels. I colored the chick with my Prismacolor Pencils and used Palette Burnt Umber ink to stamp "sweet" and to ink the edges around the chick.

First Halloween Card of the Season

2009-08-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's definitely time to start with the Fall projects. Yesterday I pulled out some of my Halloween stamps and made this card. Hopefully the first of many!

The stamp is from The Angel Company, ribbon from Michael's, the brad in the corner is from Around the Block. I cut a circle out of a piece of printer paper with my Coluzzle circle template. Laid it over the cardstock and sponged on Pumpkin Spice VersaMagic ink with a make-up sponge. Then I just stamped over that with my black ink. Such a cool effect! I will definitely be playing with that some more and with different shapes.

Hello!

2009-08-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

I just made this card yesterday to send to a friend. So glad to finally do some stamping now that the kids are back in school!

The stamps and ribbon are from The Angel Company, paterned paper is from K & Company. Instead of coloring the body of the bird in, I did paper piecing, then just colored the flowers and grass with my Prismacolor Pencils. Super simple to make!

Moxie/Roxie Package Giveaway!

2008-10-09T11:06:00.001-07:00

The Angel Company is giving away this awesome Moxie/Roxie Package free! Click Here to Enter before 11:59 PM October 31st.

~Michelle

Halloween Tags

2008-10-09T08:24:00.001-07:00

I'm definitely in the Halloween mood right now. These are a couple of tags that I made using the Mega Scalloped Oval Punch. To make them you just punch the oval from a folded piece of cardstock. Just align your punch so that it goes slightly over the folded edge of the cardstock to keep the layers connected otherwise you will just end up with two ovals. Once you have them punched, decorate the fronts however you like. The one on the right I even ran through the Cuttlebug using the Spider Web embossing folder. I used the Extra Jumbo Circle Punch to punch out the spiders. Unfortunately the stamps are from a retired set. It was only available as a Stamp of the Month last year and has not been available since. It's a shame too because it is such a cute set.

I am really loving these tags like this. This is going to be a really fun and easy way to make tags/gift cards for all of the holidays.

~Michelle

Let's Do Coffee!

2008-09-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

I made this card for a Quick & Easy challenge. The finished size is 4" x 4" so it is a little smaller than the standard card. Paterned paper, punches, the Cuttlebug embossing and bold stamps make this one really quick. No coloring to do!

Here is the supply list for this card. You can click on any of the highlighted products to order them.

Stamps: Mini Occasions, Running Stitches and Circle Sampler

Paper: Pop Rockz

Cardstock: Brights Stack and Neutral Stack

Ink: Palette Burnt Umber and Palette Belle Rose

Other: Scalloped Circle Punch, Circle Punch, and Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder.

Emma's Birthday Party Invites

2008-09-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

I took Emma to the store the other day to get the stuff for her birthday party invites. Since we couldn't find any Barbie stamps or stickers, she ended up picking a package of Little Mermaid stickers. Since all of the stickers are different images and sizes, I decided that I would just make all of the invitations different. They all share the same colors I just changed the layouts and embellishments on them to suit the size of the image since some are considerably larger than the others. Here are four of the designs . . .

Emma loves them! Especially the ones with the little jewels on them. Because I used stickers there is hardly any stamping on them. The only thing stamped is the bubbles on the last two. I don't use stickers a lot, but they sure come in handy when you can't find the stamps!

It's Officially Fall!

2008-09-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Fall and it actually feels like it this morning! It's cool and rainy now but they are saying it is supposed to be in the 80's the rest of the week. Not good news for me...i'm ready for the cooler weather. But, even if the weather doesn't quite feel like it I can do some Fall stamping projects.

In doing so, I think I may have a new favorite Halloween stamp set! This haunted house stamp is part of a new set that was just released with the TAC Fall Supplement. All of the images in the set are bold like this house so there is no coloring and they look really good stamped over paterned paper. For this card I used the Cha Cha papers and cardstock which work really well for Halloween.

Stamps: Halloween Town, Happy Haunting, and Running Stitches

Paper/Cardstock: Cha Cha Soar With It Collection, and Cha Cha Cardstock

Embellishments: Cha Cha Hardware

Ink: Palette Noir

September SOTM

2008-09-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

There is still time to get this one before the end of the month! Click here to order.

I Remember When TAC-2822 • set of 9 • $13.95*

Compatible Acrylic Blocks: 1 1/2" x 1 1/2", 1 1/2" x 4", 2" x 2", 3"x3", 3"x5", 4"x4"

When you purchase $30.00* in merchandise, I Remember When (Retail Value $19.95) can be yours for a special price!

*Net total before shipping and handling and applicable tax. No other discounts apply.
So hurry! This offer ends Sept 30th, 2008!

First Halloween Card of the Season

2008-09-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

It is definitely that time of year! We had some great Fall like weather for a bit, but for the last week we have been hit with 80 degree weather. I'm ready for fall though so i've started on some Halloween stuff! I just got one of the new Halloween stamp sets that TAC just released that I plan on playing with today. If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Fall Supplement here to see all of the new releases for Fall!

For this card I used the Distressed Halloween set from Inque Boutique to stamp the background. I used the Orangerie and French Lilac and Noir Palette ink pads. The cat is from the Happy Haunting stamp set which is still one of my favorites!

Finally, some stamping!

2008-09-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a card that I just made for a stamping friend's birthday. After I got everything stamped and was considering extra embellishments I decided to just leave it the way it was. Sometimes when I look at cards in magazines, etc., things tend to get over embellished. It was hard to resist adding more, but I am happy with how simple it is.

For this card I used some DCWV cardstock and paterned paper. Stamps are from Deco Designs and Circle Sampler. The edges are inked with Burnt Umber Palette ink and the circle is stamped with Aegean Blue Brilliance. The punches are the Mega Scalloped Circle and the Super Jumbo Scalloped Circle.

Hershey's Nugget Boxes!

2007-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to do those Hershey's Nuggets that everyone has been making, however I never ordered any of the tins and really didn't want the extra expense of the tins. While at the store yesterday I bought a couple of bags of the Nuggets and figured that I would decorate them and just put them in some decorated bags to give as little gifts for the holidays.

While running through my supplies in my head trying to think of which bags I might use to put them in, it dawned on me that I have all of these little plastic boxes that I have saved from The Angel Company's gift with purchase (GWP) stamps. If you don't know what the GWP stamps are, they are the ones you get free with every $30 in orders. I always save the boxes that mine come in because they are great for storing little embellishments, etc. Turns out they work well for nuggets too!

Here is the outside of the box. I just cut a piece of cardstock to fit the top which is about 2 1/2" x 2 3/8". For this one I embossed a piece of cream cardstock with one of my holiday Cuttlebug embossing folders, punched it out with a scalloped circle punch, and added some Crystal Stickles to the snowflakes to give it some sparkle. Easy!

I used Papertrey's Holiday Treats stamp set to decorate the nuggets by stamping on the Avery address labels. Just stamp your label and wrap one around each Nugget.

I also made a small card to attach inside the bottom of the box. This was cut to the same size as the piece for the lid. I stamped a little holiday message on the bottom. For this one I used stamps from Tis The Season. My inks for the labels and the card on the bottom were Palette Moulin Rouge and Jardin Moss. These two colors are beautiful for Christmas!

And there you have it...so, don't forget to save those little GWP boxes!

Reindeer Joy

2007-12-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the card that I made for this week's sketch over on the 2P's board. If you want to see the sketch that Dawn posted, just click here. I'm always keeping all of those little scraps of paper and I hardly ever use them. This particular sketch provided a great way to use them.
I embossed the front of the card with the Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder. The Reindeer and the "Joy to the World" stamps are from the Tis The Season stamp set. The reindeer was colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

Swap Card & Blog Candy Winner!

2007-12-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a little card that I made for a Snowman swap that I got into. This one was just for a single card, so it was nice and easy...which is about all i'm up for right now so this was perfect!

The snowman on this one is from the Tis The Season stamp set, I used the Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder for the snowflake background.

And, random.org picked the #20 as my winner for the Blog Candy! The 20th post was from linda ss, so please send me your address so I can send out your prize.

Tutti Frutti Kit & Kaboodle!

2007-12-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

The December specials are now available from The Angel Company. This month's exclusive kit is Tutti Frutti Kit & Kaboodle. In it you will receive the Tutti Frutti 12x12 paper collection...
Plus, you also receive this limited edition stamp set...

Retail value of the kit is $35.90, but you can get it until December 31st for $25.95. This stamp set will NOT be available after December 31st! Click here to order your Tutti Frutti Kit & Kaboodle!
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December SOTM - This months SOTM is "Let's Toast". Get this stamps set for $1.95 with any $30 purchase. Click on the picture to order...

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December Vintage Set - For a limited time, the Snowflake Blocks stamp set has been brought out of retirement. You can get this stamp set for $6.95 with any $30 purchase, but only until December 31st. After that, it will go back into retirement. Click on the picture to order...

Blog Candy Time!

2007-12-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

With so many bloggers doing 12 days of Christmas activities, I thought I would join in some of the fun. With that, I will give away my first ever blog candy. The winner is going to get some button brads, no-set eyelets, some really cute chipboard tags, a cherries stamp, and a set of 5 little word stamps which are...explore, discover, imagine, dream, and journey. Here is a picture of all the little goodies...

So, what do you have to do to win? Just leave a comment on this post. In your comment, you have to tell me two things.

1. What is the #1 stamping/paper crafting thing on your Christmas wish list this year?
2. What is your favorite, yummy holiday treat? I'm looking for ideas, so recipes are very much so welcome! :-)

My answers?

1. All the Tim Holtz stuff. The Distress Inks, and powders, and some of the unmounted stamp sets. Cool stuff!

2. Chocolate Chip Cookies - Yes, I know, boring. My second is probably the cheesecake that I only ever make for Christmas. I always look forward to that.

I will draw a winner from the comments on Sunday, so check back to see who wins!

2-4-6-8 Joy

2007-12-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a little 2-4-6-8 box that I made for Christmas. These are a really good size for putting some little candies in, or maybe even a small ornament. All of the stamps on this one are from the Simply Christmas stamp set, and the cardstocks are from the Amelia collection.

Be Jolly Magnet

2007-12-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a really simple Christmas magnet that I made today. I colored the hat with Prismacolor Pencils, and added some white Liquid Applique on the trim of the hat to give it some dimension.

This one is a magnet, but you could punch a hole and tie some ribbon in the top to make it a gift tag, or a little ornament, etc.

Winter Flakes

2007-11-30T14:38:00.001-08:00

I made another card this afternoon using my sketch as a template for it. On this one I rounded all of the edges, and used circles for the main image just to change it up a bit. The white and light blue papers were both embossed using the Snowflakes embossing folder for the Cuttlebug. Plus I added a little gem to the snowflake to give it a little sparkle!

My First Card Sketch

2007-11-30T09:24:00.001-08:00

I volunteered to do this weeks card sketch over on 2P's. I've never made card sketches before, so this is a first for me. My hubby was good enough to recommend using PowerPoint to make the sketch, and that made it a breeze - thanks honey! Being my first sketch and all, I wanted to keep it simple. Here is what I came up with...

And here is the card that I made based on the sketch...

Give the sketch a try, they are always so fun to use and are great to get the creative juices flowing. If you do make something with it let me know, I would love to see it! You can also check out the Stamping Board over on 2P's for more sketch challenges every week.

Embossed Snowman Gift Bag

2007-11-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm up to two gift bags for this Christmas now...man, i'm on a roll! I was playing with embossing some punched circles in my Cuttlebug and decided to put them together for a snowman. I used the Marvy scalloped circle punches. I can't remember the names of the three sizes, but I used the Pink, Blue, & Yellow punches. After I punched them I just ran them through my Cuttlebug with the Snowflakes embossing folder.

To decorate him I used small brads for his eyes and nose, medium brads for his buttons, and I used Scrapper's Floss for his mouth and arms. Oh, and I added a little red flower brad on his hat.

The flakes in the background are from TAC's Snowflakes stamp set, and the "Merry Christmas" stamp is one that I picked up at Hobby Lobby.

Santa Gift Bag

2007-11-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving is over now, I guess it is time to actually get serious about Christmas. I'm going to try to make more of my own gift wrap this year. This gift bag is the first of what will hopefully be many!

I started with a gift bag that I got from the Dollar Tree. They were 2 for $1, so the price is right! I covered the front of the bag with paper from Vintage Holiday, which I believe has just sold out. The red cardstock at the top is from the Bazzill reds pack and the green is from the Bazzill Greens pack. The stamps, Santa and Santa's hat, are both from the Tis the Season stamp set.

Now I am going to have to make a trip to Dollar Tree to get more bags to decorate!

Jingle, Jingle, Jingle!

2007-11-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here is another Christmas card that I made. I've done a lot of snowman cards lately, so I was trying to stay away from those guys a little bit so I went with this ornament. The background paper is embossed with the Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder, and the sentiment stamp is one of the $1 stamps from Michael's that I picked up. The ornament is a TAC stamp from the Tis The Season stamp set.

Card Candy Swap Pieces

2007-11-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

I got into a swap over on MWS called a Card Candy swap. I had never heard of card candy before. Turns out it is where, instead of making an entire card, you make and trade smaller pieces that can be added to a card or other project. Here are the four pieces that I made for the swap.
These were fun to make. It was a nice change thinking in terms of smaller embellishment pieces instead of a whole card. I can't wait to see what everyone else has made.

Glittery Snowflake Embellishment

2007-11-14T12:24:00.001-08:00

I'm not really sure what to call this. Is it a star? Is it a snowflake? It could be either! In this case since I went with the blues and topped it off with the snowflake brad, mine is going to be a snowflake - or maybe starflake :-)

This morning I was pointed to a similar project made with two very specific tag punches. Punches that I do not have and the last thing I need to do is go buy 2 more punches for one specific project when I have so much here already to work with. So, I set out to make my own.

I first tried to use a tag die that I have for my Cuttlebug that is similar to those that were used in the original. The angles on the tag were different, and didn't allow for it all to line up right. Had to scrap all that.

Then I came across my Sizzix Star die. It worked very well! This is what I ended up with...

I haven't decided what to put this on yet. It would work on a card, but i'm thinking something a bit bigger. Will have to see about that later.

I'm going to make another one and will take pictures as I go to post it as a tutorial soon.

More Square Christmas Cards

2007-11-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

I made two more Christmas cards with my leftover Simply Square Notecards last night. They really don't get more simple than this. On both of these cards I used the Cheers stamp set. If you don't have this one in your collection yet, you want to get it now! It has been one of my favorites for the last 2 years and it is about to retire in December.

In this first card I just stamped the "Joy" stamp from the Cheers set in black ink. Stamped it again on paterned paper and cut out the ornament to piece over the image on my card.

In this one, I stamped the tree stamp from the Cheers stamp set with black ink. I used Green and Red Stickles to color the tree and Icicle Stickles on the star.

Using Up My Stash

2007-11-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

I have been cleaning up my table today and I came across a bag of Simply Square Notecards that I have had sitting around for a very long time. Time to use them up! Here is the first one that I have done...
I'm pretty sure that the Simply Square notecards have been discontinued by DCWV. I used the snowman stamp from the Hello Seasons stamp set and colored him in with my Prismacolor Pencils. Super quick and easy!

'Give Thanks' Candle Jar

2007-11-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

I have seen a couple of these lately that other people have made, so I had to make one! This was one of my favorite crafts that I made as a kid. The last one I made was in second grade as a Mother's Day gift, so it has been awhile. They are still just as fun to make though and will make great gifts!

The jar is covered with brown tissue paper, I glued some ribbon around the top, and the pumpkin is just on a piece of cardstock attached with a pop-dot on the outside. The pumpkin and the 'Give Thanks' semtiment are both from the Family, Food & Friends stamp set.

I took a picture of the jar while it was lit so you can see the glow that it gives off.

I have some more tissue paper that I bought yesterday to do some Christmas themed jars. I will post pictures when I get more done!

From Our House To Yours

2007-11-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is a card that I made for a challenge over on 2Peas that I forgot to post. I love this set of stamps that I got from Papertrey Ink. It is called Holiday Treats. I used Hint Of Pesto and Red Magic VersaMagic Ink to do the background. These two colors go together beautifully and they are a nice change from the traditional Christmas red and green; I really like it!

November TAC Specials!

2007-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! There are some amazing specials for November! I will try to squeeze them all into this one post. I think it may burst though ;-)

Spring Catalog Pre-order: I am now taking pre-orders for TAC's Spring catalog & idea book! The new catalogs will be coming out at the end of December. You can order yours now for $8.25, which includes Priority Mailing, and ensure that you are first on the list to get yours! As usual, you can expect tons of new stamps, exclusive papers, and hundreds of gorgeous samples. Send me an e-mail at webstampers@cox.net to pre-order!

Huge Paper SALE!! To make room for new paper collections, we have to say goodbye to some. Don't be too sad though because it also means a great deal! Bella Flor and Kaleidoscope Brites normally $19.95, on sale for $10.00! Also on sale: Surf Shoppe, Simply Spooky, Whimsy Blossoms, Finger Paints, Country Cottage, Metropolis, and Lap of Luxury - normally $6.95, on sale for $3.50! This is only while supplies last, so don't miss it.

Oh My Golly! In this months kit, you will get the Merry Wishes paper pack and the Merry Words stamp set for just $29.95 (retail value is $39.90)! Click here to order your November Kit.

Super Surprise Boxes: If you like a surprise, this is for you. For $50, you will get a surprise box filled with over $100 in product! I have seen these boxes before, and let me tell you that they are more than generous with what they stuff in them. These are not available online yet, so contact me directly to order one at webstampers@cox.net. These are only available while supplies last.

TAC Grab Bags Are Back! For $15.95 you will get a grab bag filled with an assortment of TAC stamps. These make great Christmas and Secret Santa gifts! These are not available online, so contact me directly to order yours at webstampers@cox.net. These are also only available while supplies last.

Holiday Notes

2007-10-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm getting started making little Christmas gifts. Here is one that I have so far. This is a Post-It Note holder.

This first picture is the outside. I used the little snowman from the Seasonal Scribbles stamp set. I pieced his scarf with a piece of green cardstock and colored his buttons with the black Souffle Gelly Pen so they are slightly raised. The paterned paper is from Merry Wishes. To cut the notch, I used the Basic Grey Notch & Die tool. I know that a lot of people bought that and didn't care for it a lot, but I have to say that I really like mine!

This second picture shows the inside. The Post-It Notes are from the $1 section in Michael's they were selling these last year so I bought several of them. I will be keeping an eye out for them again this year. They came in a package of 2; not bad for $1!

Had A Great Weekend Stamping!

2007-10-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

I got to spend the whole weekend stamping! I packed up some papers, stamps and goodies and headed to my sister's house for the weekend. She lives about an hour from me so it's just easier to stay a couple of days. So while the kids all played together, we spent the weekend playing! She had invited some friends over on Saturday to have a TAC workshop, which was a ton of fun!

Here are a few of the cards that I made over the weekend...

These first three cards are all made with stamps from the Tis The Season stamp set. I'm really loving this stamp set. I just got it last month and it's one of those great stamp sets that has everything you need all in one. I could easily make all of my christmas cards, tags, & bags with just this one set!

In this last one, the 'Joy to the World' stamp in the background is also from Tis The Season. The little tree stamp is from the Cheers stamp set. I colored in the tree with Christmas Red and Green Stickles. Around the bottom I tied some Red and Green Scrapper's Floss. If you haven't heard me say it already, Scrapper's Floss is one of my favorite embellishments. And talk about bang for your buck...you get 30 yards of it for $2.95. It just doesn't get much better than that! I really like how this card turned out; so sparkly and fun!

Double Stuff Embossing Part II

2007-10-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I have done some more playing around with this double embossing with the Cuttlebug. Maggieliz over on GW posted some pictures of some backgrounds that she made with Alcohol Inks and the Cuttlebug embossing folders on her picture trail site: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=18149906&uid=750005 . They are gorgeous! She wrote me and asked if I would play around with what she had done and do a tutorial. So, here goes.

For this one, you will use white glossy cardstock. I do not have any Alcohol Inks, so instead I used my Palette Hybrid Inks. Here are the general supplies for the card I ended up making: Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder, Brayer, Embossing Stamp Pad, White Embossing Powder, Prussian Blue Palette Ink Pad.

Start off by applying the ink directly from the ink pad to the glossy cardstock. Just keep working the pad across the entire surface until you have the look that you want. When the ink is completely dry, place it in the embossing folder and run it through the Cuttlebug. Letting the ink dry is very important to keep the embossing powder from sticking to it later.

Note: You can speed up the drying process with your heat gun!

Next, ink up your brayer with the Embossing ink. I have used a regular embossing pad, but you can also use a VersaMark pad to do this. Roll the ink over the entire surface, until you have all of the raised design inked.

Sprinkle on your white embossing powder. After you have completely covered the area, dump off the excess. You can clean off any excess embossing powder with a small paint brush.

Heat the embossing powder with your heat tool until all of the powder is melted.

When you are done embossing, your paper will look like this. Not only do you have those beautiful, bright white snowflakes, but if you look at the blue in the background, you can see all of the swirling color. In real life you can see all the gloss of the cardstock and it is gorgeous!

Here is the card that I went on to make with my paper. I put it on a white card so that the blue would really pop out. Because the background is so pretty I tried to keep what I was adding on top of it very simple and small so that I didn't end up covering too much of it up.

Things to try: Definitely try the alcohol inks like Maggieliz did, if you have them. On this one I just used a single color. Play around with more ink colors to create different looks.

~Michelle

Double Stuff Embossing!

2007-10-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been playing more with the Cuttlebug embossing folders. These things really are a lot of fun to use! This one I have decided to call Double Stuff Embossing, as it involves embossing twice, in two different ways. Dry embossing with the Cuttlebug, and heat embossing with regular embossing powder.

Here are the general supplies that I used for this project: Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder, Scrapper's Floss, Sparkle Embossing Powder, Embossing Stamp Pad, Noir Palette Pad, Prismacolor Pencils, Snowflake Brads, For All Seasons stamp set, Anti-Static bag, small paint brush, Heat Embossing Tool. In this particular card I used white, dark blue and light blue cardstock, but you use whatever you want!

The first thing I did was run my blue cardstock through the Cuttlebug using the Snowflakes embossing folder. Rub the anti-static bag across the paper. Give it a good coat so that you will have minimal excess embossing powder sticking to the paper.

Next, I used the Embossing Stamp Pad and ran it across the top of the embossed design. Be careful not to press down too hard, so that you do not ink the areas inbetween the design. You will be able to see when you have a good coat of ink because it will look wet.

Sprinkle the Sparkle Embossing Powder over all areas that you want embossed. Shake off the excess and use a small paint brush to clear any areas that have unwanted embossing powder. I did find that a lot of excess stays inbetween the designs. Most of it was easily gotten rid of with the paint brush, but some will inevidibly stay.

Heat the embossing powder with a heat gun until all of the powder is melted. This picture shows you the end result. If you look closely you can see the stray embossing powder between the designs. Since the Sparkle Embossing Powder is just clear powder with glitter in it, the strays just add a little extra sparkle! I am going to play with some colored powders as well, to see how they turn out.

Now that it is done you can trim it down to the size you want and use in on a card or other project. Here is a card that I made with mine. Glitter doesn't show up all that well in pictures, so this is much more sparkly in real life. It is really beautiful!

This is my first real attempt that this double embossing, and I really like the way it turned out. Those sparkly blue snowflakes are gorgeous and really add a lot of "wow" to the card! I can't wait to try different powders and different embossing folders to see how they will turn out.

~Michelle

Cuttlebug 'Smoosh' Experiment

2007-10-22T12:15:00.001-07:00

There has been so much talk just lately about that elusive "Cuttlebug Smoosh" technique that was in a recent Technique Junkies newsletter. Provo Craft even addressed questions about it on their blog. Since I don't subscribe to the newsletter and have only seen samples made using this technique, I decided to do a little bit of an experiment to see what I could come up with on my own.

All of my experimenting was done on plain white cardstock. When inking the embossing folders I used dye ink, which easily rinses out with water.

Experiment #1:

Here is what I used...Snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder, make-up sponge, and a VersaMagic re-inker.

After I ran my white cardstock through my Cuttlebug, I simply applied the VersaMagic ink directly to the paper with a make-up sponge. Just keep applying ink until you reach your desired color.

Here is the finished product. I added more ink to darken up some areas just to make it look more interesting.

Conclusion: The paper from this first one turned out very pretty, but it does not resemble the 'Smoosh' technique.

Experiment #2:

Here is what I used...A brayer, the Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder, and a Fruitcake Kaleidacolor ink pad.

I started by brayering the ink directly onto the embossing folder. Notice that I am doing it on the side of the folder that has the Cuttlebug name printed on it. Once fully inked, I put the white cardstock in, and ran it through the Cuttlbug.

This is what it looks like when it comes out. The ink does not get down into the detail, which is what ends up raised. As you can see, it is still white.

To color what was left white I just ran my brayer over the paper directly. For this one I didn't even re-ink it, there was still plenty of ink on my brayer and I didn't want it to be darker than the background.

Conclusion: This one looks really close, to me. I have noticed in some of the samples I have seen online that they seem to be done with two colors of ink. This particular way would allow for that because you could ink your embossing folder with one color, then brayer over the top with a different color. That could be very pretty!

Possible Option: Instead of brayering the ink onto the embossing folder, you could try to sponge the ink on and try to get it down into all of the grooves. Sponging the ink will probably take longer though, and your coverage is more likely to be uneven.

Experiment #3: I used the same supplies for this one as I did in #2. The Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder, a brayer, and a Fruitcake Kaleidacolor ink pad.

For this one I ran my white cardstock through the Cuttlebug.

Instead of inking the embossing folder, I used my brayer and went over the cardstock after it was embossed. To hit the raised pattern and the background, you really have to push down. Use two hands if you have to, that is what I did.

When you are done, your cardstock will look like this. Notice the white areas. Because the paper was already embossed your brayer will not touch all of the background leaving those white lines around the detail, which I think is a really neat effect.

Conclusion: This one looks really good too. The result is definitely much darker since you are repeatedly going over the paper. One nice thing about this method is that there is a little less clean-up, since you don't ink the embossing folder. Plus, you don't have to worry about staining your folder if that is a possible concern.

In the end: The last two methods that I tried are definitely the closest. Are either of them completely right? I have no idea, but they have to be awfully close. The important thing though, is that I had a lot of fun playing and even if it isn't exact, I have 3 new ways to make interesting and beautiful backgrounds!

Hopefully you will give these a try too. If you do, let me know, I would love to see your creations!

~Michelle

Not Your Traditional Christmas Card

2007-10-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Spoiler Alert: If you are in the Non-traditional Christmas Color card swap over on MWS, then you probably don't want to be peeking at this card!

For everyone else, this is the card that I made for a Non-traditional Christmas Color card swap that I joined. The rules of the swap are that you are to make a Christmas card where you do not use the typical red and green. I tried to stay away from the blue and pink snowflake themes because I figured next to red and green, those would be the next most common. So I went with brown...

Now that it is done, it looks like a cowboy/western Christmas to me. Something about the browns and the inked edges; it just has a really rustic look to it. I used copper brads, which really adds to the effect. I'm going to pull out some gingerbread stamps and use this same color scheme, that should be cute!

For this card I used the new Ornamental Joy stamp from the fall supplement and the background is stamped with a flourish stamp from Curls & Swirls. The card base is basic Brown, and the Joy is stamped on Kraft cardstock. Everything is stamped and the edges are inked with the Burnt Umber Palette pad and I used the corner rounder to round all of the edges.

Let It Snow!

2007-10-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

I know, it's only October, but I can dream, can't I? I always look forward to snow in the winter. This card is the combination of 2 different challenges. One was the challenge on Gingerwood to use an image that you haven't used in 2-3 years, and the second challenge is Dawn's sketch challenge from 2Peas. I have had the stamp set that this little snowman is from for about 5 years. It is from a set from The Angel Company called Fall Sampler, and it was one that I got in my starter kit when I became an Angel! Isn't he cute?

Since then, I have bought so many stamps! Especially Christmas stamps. This challenge was a great reminder to pull out the old and make it new again. Now that I have dug the stamp set out again, I plan to put it to good use again.

Paper Bag Card Tutorial

2007-10-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Supplies: Lil Craft Sacs (Wal-Mart), Crop-a-dile, tape runner, Centering Ruler, Merry Wishes Soar With It Paper Collection, Red Bazzill Papers, Green Bazzill Papers, Whimsical Greetings stamp set, Fun Filled Holidays stamp set, Mini Round Tab Punch, Paper Piercer, Ribbon, Eyelets, Snowflake Brad.

Start by laying your paper bag out with the bottom of the bag facing upward and on your left.

Run your tape runner along the edges of the paper bag and then fold it in half. This forms the body of your card.

Your card will now look like this...

Cut a piece of paterned paper to adhere to the front of your card. Since there are many different sizes of bags on the market, just measure the front to see what size you need.

I used my centering ruler to determine where to place my eyelets. I marked one at the top and one at the bottom using a pen.

Once you have the spots where you want your eyelets to be set, punch the holes and set an eyelet in each hole using the Crop-a-dile. If you don't have a Crop-a-dile, you can use whatever eyelet setting tool you have.

With the eyelets set in place, you can now run your ribbon through the holes and tie a bow as shown.

Continue to decorate the front of the card. I used the letter "B" from the Merry Wishes paper pack and layered it onto the dark red, and dark green from the Bazzill paper packs. I stamped "Merry" in the bottom right corner. You can decorate the front of yours however you wish!

Now you will also want to cut a piece of cardstock to go inside the paper bag. Again, since the bag sizes will vary, just cut it slightly smaller than the size of the bag. In this case, since I set eyelets on the left side I only measured up to the eyelets since the card will only slide in up to there.

Stamp your sentiment on the inside and adhere a tab to the side of the card. I used the Mini Round tab punch to make mine. I pierced a hole in the center of the tab with the paper piercer and attached a snowflake brad to it.

Now just slide the card into your paper bag!

Here is a picture of the completed card. The tab sticks out on the right so that your recipient can clearly see to pull the inner card out.

Making these is so much fun, and just imagine how fun they are to receive! What I have shown you here is just one. Play around with the different sizes and colors of bags that are out there and you will be amazed at what you can come up with.

~Michelle

October TAC Specials!

2007-10-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen the October Specials from The Angel Company, don't worry, it is not too late! You can get any of these special prices until October 31st. Click on any of the pictures below to see it full size.

First is the October Kaleidoscope Kit...

Click here to order your Kit or to see more detail!

The October SOTM is "Days Like This". Get the adorable stamp set below for just $5.95 with any $30 purchase. Click here to order!

Plus, during the month of October you can get the Country Cottage, Metropolis, and Lap of Luxury Designer Collection pads for just $3.50 (reg. price $6.95)!

If you have any questions about any of this months specials, just send me an e-mail at webstampers@cox.net .

Happy Stamping Everyone!

SOF Bird Challenge

2007-10-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is my last challenge project for Stamptoberfest. The challenge for this one was to use bird stamps. I used the new stamp set from TAC's Fall Supplement, Birdie Holiday, which is very pretty if you haven't seen it already. If you haven't checked out the Fall Supplement yet, you should...It is full of brand new stamp sets for the holidays! The background on this one is done with the Cuttlebug Swirls embossing folder. It is on matchmakers cardstock which has the white core so I sanded over the embossing to give it a distressed look. I'm loving the look, so I will be playing with it some more!

Stamptoberfest Color Sketch Challenge Card

2007-10-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! That is what made this challenge even more fun. We were provided a sketch to use as the basis of our card design, then we were to use the colors purple, orange, and green. Perfect colors for Halloween!
The cat and the sentiment stamp are both from Happy Haunting, which has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. The little stamps on the green card are a combination of two sets; Blossom Builders and Creepy Crawlies. I really like the asterisk and bullsey looking stamps from Blossom Builders. They can be used for so much more than making flowers! The paterned paper is from the Simply Spooky paper pack.

True Meaning Of Christmas SOF Challenge

2007-10-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

This was one of those cards that I just wasn't liking to start with. The colors were a bit hard to match up, the ribbon dealt me a fit, my bottle of Stickles kept clogging up on me, and it just was not looking right. In the end it all finally came together, and I really like the way it turned out; it just took a while to get there!

This is another SOF challenge card. The basic layout is taken from a sketch that ConnieP provided over on 2Peas for her Sketch challenge. Then I decided that I would go with the Christmas theme for Dawn's True Meaning Of Christmas challenge.

The thing that I really love about Christmas is the happiness or Joy that everyone seems to carry with them through the Christmas season. Even though that joy can come from completely different things. For some it is because it is a season that celebrates their chosen faith, and for others it is simply the time that they spend with their family and friends that brings them joy. And let's face it, we all love presents! I don't mean in a greedy "gimme" sort of way either. Honestly, it doesn't matter where that joy comes from; it's just nice to see everyone a little happier, more tolerant, cheerful, and more giving than usual!

The swirly paper on the left is done with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and colored with the Fruitcake Kaleidacolor pad. I stamped Ornamental Joy with the Red Magic VersaMagic pad, and added some Christmas Red Stickles just to add a little sparkle. The "to the world" stamp is from Tis The Season. It actually says "Joy to the World", so I just omitted the word "Joy" when I inked it with the black ink.

Thanksgiving Dinner SOF Challenge

2007-10-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

One of the SOF challenges is to make something for the Thanksgiving Dinner table, so I have made a place card.
The flower is one of the White Florals that I just brayered over with the Autumn Leaves Kaleidacolor pad. Super simple to do and you can make your flowers match any project! The background is stamped with the Autumn Leaves Kaleidacolor Pad, and the name strip is sponged with the same ink. The background stamp is from Curls & Swirls, and the letters are from Mini -bet. I'm so glad that I finally got Mini-bet. Not only is it one of the least expensive alpha's that I have bought ($7.95), but it is quickly becoming one of my most used. The letters are small enough that they will fit on just about anything.

If you haven't checked out Stamptoberfest yet over on 2Peas, you should. These challenges are a lot of fun!

SOF Tag Stamps Challenge Card

2007-10-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

Here is another SOF Challenge card. The challenge for this one was to use a tag stamp on your card. I have had this set of tags for a long time now, and I really need to use them more because they are so great. I now have the tag stamps sitting out on my table and I am going to put them to work!
I used the Fun Tags stamp set for my purple tag. I set an eyelet in the top to give it a more finished look and to run my ribbon through. The flourish stamp in the background is from Curls & Swirls and the sentiment is from Pumpkins. The paterned paper is from the Simply Spooky Pad, and let me tell you, these papers are just too cute! So much fun for Halloween! The pumpkin on the tag is from a sheet of stickers that I picked up at Michael's in their dollar section. Now i'm wishing I would have picked up more :-)

Brighten Your Day Challenge

2007-10-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to completing a challenge card for Stamptoberfest (SOF). This one is for the Brighten Your Day challenge...
The challenge specified that your card must be done using flower stamps so I used Salsa Flowers . I wanted bright and cheery colors so I used the Cha Cha Cardstock and the tag across the bottom is from the Cha Cha Soar With It Collection. These colors will brighten anyone's day! Now i'm off, hopefully to make some more challenge cards!

Darn That Packaging!

2007-10-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a sucker for packaging! While in Hobby Lobby last week I came across these little flowers. Nothing new and exciting, but they just looked so darn cute with all of the bright colors stacked up in these adorable little containers (which you can see just to the left of the card), that I just couldn't resist. After a hectic week of car shopping and dealing with insurance (minor car accident=new car), I finally got around to using these little babies and made a card. Now I would also like to ask the question: Are you also a sucker for the packaging? Let me know in the poll over on the right hand side!

The card is really basic. I used cardstocks from the Brights Cardstock Stack, the background is stamped with one of the flourish stamps from Curls & Swirls, and the "love" stamp is from Love Doodles . I used the little flower embossing folder from the Cuttlebug Decorative Squares set to make the border around the flower.

Something For Christmas

2007-10-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

It is definitely time to get some Christmas stamping done! I can never decide if I want to make just one design for my Christmas cards or if I want to make many different designs. Here is one that I have made so far this year:

Recipe:

Stamps: Christmas Fun (T-1253), Whimsical Greetings (R-2031)

Paper: Neutrals Cardstock Stack (V-74), Merry Wishes (V-829)

Ink: Palette Noir (TT-220), Palette Veridian Leaf (TT-213)

Tools: Corner Rounder (F-419), Super Jumbo Circle Punch (D-73)

Other: Jewel Tones Chalk Kit (A-505), Dark Colored Staples (D-54)

More Holiday Treats

2007-09-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

It is chilly and cloudy here in the Omaha area today! Definitely has me in the mood for getting ready for the holidays. Here is one holiday project that I have been working on. These are little gift pouches. Pouches, because the sides are open. They will be great for putting bags of homemade goodies like cookies and candies in to give through the holiday season. On this one I used paper piecing to "color" the reindeer instead of coloring him with markers or pencils. I really like paper piecing. It gives your image just a little bit of relief. It is really simple to do, and it looks great!
Recipe
Stamps: Gift Tags (T-2534), Blossom Builders (T-2321)
Papers: Scarlet (v-237), Dark Green (V-233)
Ink: Palette Noir (TT-220)
Tools: Corner Rounder (F-419), Hole Punch
Other: Black Ribbon

~Michelle

Emma's Birthday Invites

2007-09-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have to thank Mary for sharing the idea for these little cards with me. She pointed me to a tutorial for them on Dawn Mercedes's blog, and I decided to use them for my daughter's birthday invitations. Emma and I both really love them! I didn't have any paterned paper at all that would match the Hello Kitty stickers. Everything was either too bright or too dull, so I ended up stamping my own on a sheet of printer paper. It's been a long time since I actually stamped a background. I've mostly been using paterned paper for a long time, and I must say that stamping backgrounds again was quite fun!

Recipe
Stamps: Love and Joy (T-2659), You're Invited (T-1203)
Ink: Palette Noir Pad (TT-220), Palette Belle Rose Pad (TT-193)
Paper: Pink 1 (V-91), Red 1 (V-118), Printer Paper
Tools: Super Jumbo Circle Punch (D-73), Mega Scallop Circle Punch
Other: Hello Kitty Stickers (SandyLion), Pink Ribbon (Offray), Metallic Colored Staples (D-56)

~Michelle

What A Fun Project!

2007-09-06T16:29:00.001-07:00

I came across the instructions for these adorable little containers today so I decided to try and make one. How cute! I'm thinking that I will be using this container a lot. It will be great to give little treats away for the holidays.

Recipe
Stamps: Happy Haunting (T-2536), Blossom Builders (T-2321)
Papers: Cha Cha Cardstock (B-310), Ultrasmooth White (V-222)
Ink: Palette Noir (TT-220)
Ribbon: Orange, Green, & Black (Offray)

~Michelle

One Idea Two Projects

2007-09-05T06:58:00.001-07:00

Last night I made two different projects with one general design idea. I like the idea of taking one idea and using it in multiple ways. The first one is this Christmas card.
Recipe
Stamps: Simply Christmas (R-2721)
Paper: Amelia Cardstock (B-317), Amelia Paterned Cardstock (V-838), Aspen Cardstock (V-228)
Ink: Palette Burnt Umber (TT-218), Palette Bordeaux (TT-198), Palette Jardin Moss (TT-215)
Embellishments: Amelia Hardware (B-117), Amelia Ribbon (B-217)
Tools: Crop-a-dile (K-100)

The second project is this little Christmas wall/door hanger. It uses the same basic supplies and design idea but is for home decor instead of a card.

Recipe

Stamps: Simply Christmas (R-2721)

Paper: Amelia Cardstock (B-317), Amelia Paterned Cardstock (V-838), Aspen Cardstock (V-228)

Ink: Palette Burnt Umber (TT-218), Palette Noir (TT-220)

Embellishments: Amelia Hardware (B-117), Amelia Ribbon (B-217)

Tools: Crop-a-dile (K-100)

~Michelle

Oh how we love our hostesses!

2007-09-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

TAC has just released a brand new stamp set exclusively for our September hostesses! You will get this gorgeous stamp set free with any $250 FunShop order...
You can have your FunShop at your home or just have a book party. Just let me know which you would like to do!

Here is the September SOTM - Love and Kissses...

Get this stamp set for just $4.25 with any $30 purchase in September! You can see samples using this set on The Angel Company website.

Plus, we have 2 awesome coordinating kits available in September click here to see the Remember September Collections!

~Michelle

Holiday Weekend Stamping!

2007-09-04T07:32:00.001-07:00

I got to spend the day stamping at my sisters house on Saturday! It is something that we haven't done in a very long time and it was great. I'm already checking my calendar to see when we can spend the weekend stamping again! Here is one of the cards that I made. I recently got the Salsa Flowers set and I am loving these flowers. They look really good watercolored. I just used my blending pen with my brush markers to color this one.

~Michelle

Christmas, A Little Different

2007-08-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am loving this color combination for Christmas! I signed up for a card swap where the theme is non-tradidtional colors for Christmas so I started playing around to see what I might make for it. I think this is it! The stamps are from the Holiday Magic set which I can already tell will be one of my favorites for the holidays this year; the stamps are gorgeous. The papers are a combination of the green and coral from the Brights Stack and the brown is from the Neutrals Stack. I stamped the tree with Hint of Pesto, and tied a bit of Brown Scrappers Floss around the front. Definitely not traditional Christmas colors, but it looks great!

~Michelle

I won, I won, I won!!!!

2007-08-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Soooooo excited! I have been entering a few of the monthly contests that TAC holds each month for us demonstrators, and I won one! The category was "Impressively Easy"; you can take a peak at the card here --> Impressively Easy Card.

~Michelle

Stacked Cupcakes

2007-08-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I love these cupcakes! It is actually a single cupcake from the For All Seasons stamp set that I masked to make a stack of them. I used some white Liquid Applique for the frosting, so it is fluffy. The paterned paper is from the A Little Whimsy pad. The papers in this pad are very cool. The paterns are fun and the colors are bright and cheery; a lot of fun to work with!

COTM Swap

2007-08-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

I got into a COTM swap on a Yahoo group that I am in, and this is the card that I made to send to my partner...

I love the little chick! It is from the Little Friends stamp set. Instead of coloring the chick, I stamped it on yellow paper cut it out and pieced it on top. It looks really cool because it adds a little bit of texture and relief to it as well.

~Michelle

Getting Started Again

2007-08-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

After finally dusting off my stamp stuff, I have been doing a lot of stamping lately! It is so nice to be making stuff again. With the holidays just around the corner I have been working on a few things for Halloween. Here is one of the cards I made . . .
The stamp is from the Happy Haunting stamp set, which is one of my favorites! The swirly stamp in the background is from Flourishes. To give it a little sparkle I put some Black Stickles on the pumpkin's eyes and on the flowers in the background. The card was so simple to make, and I love the way it looks.

~Michelle

Has it been that long???

2007-01-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness...the holidays hit and I have hardly touched my stamping, scrapping, and computer in WEEKS! Am I the only one? How is it that the holidays always manage to make everything so chaotic? Here it is over a week later and I am still feeling very scattered.

I did have a reason to make a card though, so that got me stamping. The Angel Company's very first demonstrator's birthday is this week. Every year she sends out so many hand stamped birthday cards to all of us Angels. I have received one from her every year that I have been with TAC, and wanted to return the birthday wishes to her this year. It really is quite special what she does and I hope that her mail box is flooded with birthday cards this year!

TAC™ Happy Holidays Promotion!!

2006-12-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

December 16, 2006 - January 5, 2007

Save 25% on all regular priced Soar With It™, Fly With It™, Wing It™, and Designer Collection™ pads from The Angel Company!

Wishing you a warm and happy holiday season!

From Michelle and all of your friends at The Angel Company!

Playing With Paisley

2006-12-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

I started out today with the intention of making some cards for a Valentine's themed card swap that I am in. That got me started working with the red and black, but my end result was not quite a Valentine. Oh well, I love how this card turned out! I used the Paisley Rockz stamp set to make the petals of my flower. I then used the little flower stamp in the set for my flower center and put a black brad in the center of that. The red paisleys are the Palette Moulin Rouge Ink and they are a much darker red in person. The scan shows it lighter than it actually is. The base of the card is 4" x 4", and the Scarlet cardstock is 3" x 3".

It was unbelievably hard to resist doing something to the black card. I wanted to stamp something on it, add some ribbon, brads or just something. I kept reminding myself that sometimes less is more, and I really like the main focus being on the flower. There isn't anything else to detract from it.

Got My Picture Scrapped!

2006-12-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

I had some time yesterday morning to play with that picture of the kids and I got a page done. It is an 8 x 8 page and it turned out really cute. I put instructions up on my website.

When I was done I had it sitting up on the shelf above my table. When Emma saw it, she said "2 pictures of Emma!". She has this obsession recently with pictures. There are a lot more pictures of Alex around the house than there are of Emma just because he is so much older and I have been really bad about putting pictures in frames lately. Well, she has noticed! She is constantly going to the pictures around the house as if she is looking for pictures of herself. So, she gets really excited any time that she sees a picture of herself. Needless to say, i'm in the process of printing and framing some pictures of her so she doesn't feel left out!

My Two Little Cuties

2006-12-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

We decorated our Christmas tree the other night and of course, we had the camera out to get some pictures of the kids. I got this picture of Alex & Emma...

I just love this picture! Not too silly, but not too serious. I just printed it out and it is sitting on my table waiting to be scrapped. I'm just drawing a blank right now and can't get anything going. I guess I will wait until tomorrow and see what happens.

~Michelle

I can see my table again!

2006-12-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally got busy and started cleaning up my workspace. After a couple of hours of sorting and organizing I can finally see my table again!!! I just hung the shelf on the wall and I am going to hang some more. I like having it there to put up some of the cards that I have received and it will be nice to keep some of my stamps right there above my work surface.

Now I just wonder how long it will last. With everything so neat and tidy it really makes me want to go play! I really can't wait to add more stuff to the wall. Just adding the shelf made a huge difference. The wall was totally bare, and now it is starting to actually look like something. But, my most favorite thing is the little green Yoshi that is on my lamp. Yoshi is my favorite character from the Mario games, and I got him out of a Happy Meal a couple of months ago. He is hanging on right where the lamp arm folds. Too cute!

~Michelle

Gotta Love New Stamps

2006-11-29T06:01:00.000-08:00

I got this new set of stamps in the mail the other day from Heather who is my upline with TAC. I won them on one of our conference calls and the best part is that the stamps aren't even available until January when Jubilee starts and I got them early!

I hadn't even seen the stamp set before Heather sent it to me so it was a really fun surprise to open up. The second I saw this cat on the chair I knew the Uptown Girl paper pack would be a perfect match. I love the pink and black color combinations in these papers and the patterns are awesome. I used the solid pink with the linen texture and paper pieced the chair. It turned out so cool. The chair actually looks like fabric! The stripes at the bottom of the card are also from Uptown Girl. I just cut a piece to fit across the bottom and stamped the sentiment in black above it.

Even doing the paper piecing this card was really quick and easy and it looks great. I am going to make some more of these to keep on hand to have note cards to send out. And one will have to go to Emma, our 3 year old. She tried running off with the card as soon as she saw it on the table. A cute kitty all done up with her favorite color is just too much for her to resist!

~Michelle

Let's Get This Started . . . Again!

2006-11-28T07:39:00.001-08:00

Well, I thought that I would give this blogging thing a try, again. There are several blogs that I love to look at and it got me thinking about starting my own. Well, I got one started, and now i'm starting over. I'm still going to keep up my normal gallery of stamped stuff on my website, but this will give me the opportunity to share a lot more and should be fun!

It is hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away, and I already have started on my Christmas cards. Usually procrastination gets the best of me and I get them done at the very last minute. I got a head start this year though. To save time, I decided to keep them very simple this year. My husband and our son both play roller hockey. The season just started so our schedule is very hectic right now with games three nights a week on top of all of our other normal stuff. So quick and simple is really going to help me with my Christmas cards this year.

I am really liking this clean layout on the plain white card. Not only is it simple, but it just looks so clean and crisp. I acutally got the idea for this card from one that Eva Costigan (a fellow TAC demonstror) made. The ornament is stamped on the white, and then I stamped the ornament again on a piece of patterned paper. Cut out the patterned image and then pieced over the image on white. No coloring to do at all, and it gives it a bit of relief. Plus it looks like some of those simple greeting cards that you see in the stores that are so trendy right now. Very cool!

Now I just need to get started on my decorating for Christmas and I will be set.