Paper Finds

I was at the scrapbook show last weekend and spent about a third of my money at a booth that had precut cards. Yes...I can cut them myself...but not this professionally. And they will make easy cards!

Here's a couple of the packages I bought.



I particularly like the circle cards. I have some images from CTMH that I think will go really well on these and will make SUPER quick girlfriend type cards.

Today I also finished my son's quilt (tied it). My finger is sore from doing all that poking through the fabric. I guess I can see where a thimble might come in handy! :-)

Tomorrow I am planning on going out and buying fabric for my next quilt (a baby quilt), and I'm planning on helping my niece design her wedding announcements. I bought stuff to make cookies this weekend...we'll see if I get around to that or not! LOL. It seems like there is always more stuff to do than there is time to do it in.

Jane

I'm a bad, bad girl...

I have a savings account where I divert $25 to each payday. It is kind of my "mad money" account. I don't keep track of it really. If we are getting close to running out of money in our checking account then I'll use it for gas or lunches. But I use it pretty sparingly. So I was surprised when I checked the balance and found I had $170 in in! Usually it runs less than $50 in that account. Guess I've been using it even more sparingly than usual! LOL. So...I splurged!

I got a few new sets of nestabilities and a tan embossing mat so I can emboss with them in my cuttlebug machine. Most of you are probably familiar with nestabilities. But if you aren't they are thin metal dies in graduating sizes and shapes. For the basic shapes (circle, oval, square, rectangle) they also have matching graduated sizes of scalloped dies to match. You can either cut OR dry emboss with them. They are made for the Spellbinder Wizard machine...but you can use them in just about any die cutting machine. I own a few of the nesties...but have never got the mat I needed to emboss with them. And due to the cost I'd only bought the scalloped version (figured I cut out the basic shapes with either my paper cutter or my coluzzle). But really, the thing that makes these SO cool IS the embossing and the idea of embossing the solid circle (for example) and then having a scallop circle to mat it to. So I bought the coordinating "solid" sets to go with the scallop sets I already had and I bought the embossing mat. They have shipped and I'm waiting for my new toys to arrive! HERE is a card made by one of my SBS4 sisters (Sparkle) that uses the nestabilities and you can see the embossing and the scallops.

I also got two of the new release stamp sets from Clear Dollar Stamps. I fell in LOVE with the Farm Critters set. And while I was there I got the Chocoholic set as well. The Farm Critters set had a coordinating "sayings" set and a rolling "wheel" but I decided I could make do without those.

So...now I'm done buying for awhile. At least till tax return time. The main thing I want now is to add to my Copic marker collection. I've been thinking of maybe using that as an incentive for my weight loss. Maybe one new marker for every 5 pound loss? But I'd only do the actual buy maybe every six months or so. The cheaper places you have to place a sizable order in order to get free shipping AND a good price on the markers.

I'm off to make lunch and then to create a few cards to share for the week.

Jane

New Goodies!

While at the rubberstamp convention this weekend I picked up a few goodies.

These first stamps all came from the booth I demo'ed at. These designs are all made by Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps.



The next stamps come from a company called Bon Ton Stamps. I had never heard from them before but liked a lot of their sayings. I'm a word kind of gal. I love to read and write...so quotations and sayings are some of my favorite images. Check our their site for others. These came as just rubber (no cushion, no mounting) so I just slapped them down to get an image to show on my blog. I guarantee these look better in person and I'll have to prove that on a card in the near future! For now I just wanted to be able to show them to you!



The two quotes say:
"I just signed up for an exercise class and they told me to wear loose clothing. If I HAD any loose clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!"

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw of the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream."

The next stamps come from a company called Copper Leaf Creations. I was trying to be selective and stay on a budget...but I had to get this duo of stamps. They just made me smile (and isn't that what life is about?)



That's about it. I did buy a single stamp at After Midnight Rubber Stamps (a cowgirl leaning against a fence). And I wanted to buy a single stamp at Hawaiin Baby Rubber Stamps (they had a "dog pile" (yes of steaming poop) that I REALLY wanted but they sold out of it the first day. So that's my purchases for the day. I spent approximately what I earned working at the booth so I was happy. It didn't cost my anything (but some of my time). We are on such a tight budget that I feel guilty using too much for rubberstamps. SO demoing was a great way to get some spending money...and it was fun to boot!

K...gotta go. Supposed to be out the door in five minutes and I'm still sitting here in my slip with wet hair and haven't eaten breakfast (oops!)

Jane

Playing with New Toys!

Guess what finally came in the mail? My much dreamed about Copic Markers AND my first set of Nestabilities! I ordered the rectangles for my starter set. Hmm...now which to get next??? Hmm.

So, have you seen Nestabilities? Most of you probably have. But for those of you who haven't this is what they look like...



They are just (ever so thin) pieces of metal that you can run through most die cutting machines (I used my cuttlebug). The pieces will cut AND emboss (if you have a tan embossing mat...which I still need to buy). So for now all I can do is cut. But they are sized just right so every shape has a scallop that goes with it. Or if you have the embossing mat you cut and emboss with the same die. Here's a sample I made using my friend's circle nestabilities and her embossing mat. The embossing is a little hard to see on the white but it's there in real life I swear! :-)



The other purchase I made was two sets of Copic markers. Because I'm on the Design Team for Clear Dollar Stamps I got a ganga deal and bought two sets (each with 12 markers). I was afraid these would be really hard to use and that I might not like them. But I love them! And now I definately need more so I can do more shading! I'll be showing a few cards towards the end of the month where I used the markers. They are Design Team projects so I can't share QUITE yet.

I'm happy with both my purchases. The only other small purchase I made (I got $100 from our tax rebate that I could spend on what I wanted) was one of the Swiss Dot Embossing Folders. I'm disappointed to say that I ordered it several weeks ago and it STILL isn't here. I contacted the company after about a week. They said the order had got held up at the company that processes their credit cards (nothing wrong with the cc...just a glitch). But I still haven't seen my order. Grrr. Right now this embossing plate is one of the "hot" ones and it's often sold out. It was in stock when I paid for it. I'm wondering if it went out of stock between the time I placed the order and the time they realized there was a problem with the order. I guess it's time to send another email. Sigh.

Jane

And the WINNER is....

Sparkle!

Here's her comment:

"I think you got a Cuttlebug, a couple of folders for it, some paper, and some ribbon.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Sparkle"

So...what did I get for my $90?

I got -
2 large items
(cuttlebug and crop-o-dile),
2 medium items
(2 packages of dies for the cuttlebug)
2 small items
(mini brads and ribbon).

See? Here's my bounty!



Sparkle - use the link at the top right to email me your address. Also let me know if there are any types of images in particular that you want stamped for you. Otherwise it'll be my choice!

Thanks for playing along everyone!

Jane

Slugger and a Ganga Deal

This is another of the Happy Hopper images I received in the image swap. Isn't he adorable?



Also, thought I'd share my "ganga deal" with you today. See this ATG gun?



Look closely at the price in the bottom right corner. If you need to see the picture larger...just click on the photo...I'm waiting....

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... waiting
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Ok...now HERE is the FRONT of the box.



So I got this adhesive gun that normally goes for over $55 for a whopping $3 at the thrift store! What a deal!

Anyways, just had to share. Happy Wednesday all!

Jane

Thanks for Your Support

I'm going to attempt to add a new picture here. Yesterday it was a blogger issue. Then yesterday my DH messed with our computer and apparently all my pictures were lost (as well as some software that will need to be reloaded...so I don't have my regular photo editing software right now).

So, I'm saying, forgive me up front in case the photos come out huge or tiny. I'll get dh to fix it when he gets home but I wanted to go ahead and post something for now. The card design is a sketch from Angelosity's blog. So...without further ado...here's a new card!



The bra stamp and saying are from Gina K Designs. The circle background is from Cornish Heritage Farms (they have great backgrounds among other things). I pierced around the circle that holds the sentiment. I also added some stickles glitter glue to the frills on the bra.

And on the note of new stamps...I thought I'd show my newest additions! SCS is such a BAD INFLUENCE when it comes to spending money. They always tell you of all the sales going on. And it's hard to pass up a good sale! These stamps came from a company that was going out of business. Everything was 40% off. I couldn't pass up my Memory Box Penguins at 40% off! I bought the rhinestones thinking they'd be smaller. Does anyone know where to get LITTLE rhinestones? I want them for the centers of flowers, etc. And the Roadrunner Stamp is actually a different purchase. My kids go to "Roadrunner Elementary" and I've been wanting a Roadrunner stamp forever. I asked at a small store about an hour from here and they said they could order one for me and have it shipped. So, I paid full price for him...but hopefully I'll get lots of use out of him. He's made by Copper Leaf Creations.



Ok...guess I need to go make the kids breakfast and get the day started. I'll try to work on some new stuff this weekend!

Jane

Monday, Monday....

Boy, that weekend went by fast! ;-) I did't accomplish much. Saturday we tried to find the farm but wasn't successful - so instead we just went into town and ran some errands. Yesterday I did make homemade bread and chicken n' noodles. Took some of that over to my neighbor whose husband passed away. Her kids left this weekend so she's alone...figured she may not feel like cooking for one. I managed a few cards this weekend. Seemed like each was a struggle to come up with something I even somewhat liked. My stamping MoJo has got up and gone bye-bye. It'll come back eventually...it always does.

Anyways, in the spirit of sharing...here is one of the cards I made. It was made using this weeks sketch challenge on SCS. The red strip is actually on the inside of the card and the front of the card has about an inch cut away. The image overhangs the cut away part. The penguin image is one of my new ones from Gina K Designs. I wanted to color him with my black prismacolor pencil...but that pencil must have gotten up and walked off on it's own. So I had to use markers on him for coloring. The greeting is from CTMH.



Here is a close up of the image itself...isn't he a cute penguin? Did I mention my penguin fetish???? Maybe it's because I waddle like a penguin myself some days. Or maybe it's just the black/white color combo (hey, that makes them REALLY easy to color!) I'm not sure if you can see it but I used stickles (glitter glue) on his hat and scarf.



And to continue my penguin passion affair...I just ordered 3 more of the Memory Box penguin stamps. I found a company that was going out of business. All stamps 40% off. I wish they had more selection (I imagine they originally had more but it was first come, first served.) I got the hawaiian penguin, one holding a bouquet of flowers, and one in his swim trunks. The other one they had was a surfing penguin...but it didn't "float" my boat. :-)

Gotta get ready for work. Have a great day all!

Jane

Sketch & Limited Supply Challenge

I seem to have gone straight from Halloween cards to Christmas cards this weekend. The card I'm sharing today is one that meets SC144 (Sketch Challenge 144) on SCS and also meets LSC136 (Limited Supply Challenge 136). The limited supply challenge stated you could only use a sentiment stamp (no backgrounds, no images).

Combining the two...this is what I came up with...



The saying is an older wood mounted one from Close To My Heart. It was perfect for this sketch. Most of my greetings are smaller - but this one worked well for the sketch. Everything else is just paper - and three mini brads from Queen & Co.

This morning I woke up to the sound of a helicopter. Not that unusual around here (there is a airbase just a bit away from us so sometimes they fly over) but then in my muddled brain I realized that the sound wasn't going away. Opened my eyes and saw red lights flashing through our blinds. Got up and looked out at the medical helicopter which was landed in our cul-de-sac. Two things happened...first off I wondered who it was for and secondly I flashed back 10+ years ago when they were all there to get my husband who'd been bleeding internally and lost 7 units of blood. I got dressed and went outside to see what I could find out. There is an older couple that lives in our cul-de-sac. They've lived here since slightly before us. So we've been neighbors for about 11 years. They took the male away to the nearest hospital - but told us he had no heartbeat and wasn't breathing on his own. His wife will be lost without him. Typical older couple - he always dominated, she always waited on him. I think she's stronger than we give her credit for. At least I hope so because it wasn't looking good when they took him away this morning.

On a more cheerful note, I applied for another Design Team on Friday. It's for an online company called Prickley Pear Stamps. I've bought a few of their unmounted stamps in the past. I was able to submit one item using their stamps and a couple other items. So wish me luck.

I was hoping that more places would have sales yesterday (National Card Making Day) but didn't find any. I did break down and went to Gina K's site and ordered this, and this, and this, and this. I LOVE her crab designs...they are so personable. I guess you can see why my fantasy includes going on her cruise next year...anyone win the lottery lately and want to pay my way??? ;-)

Jane

New Stamps and Update on DT Project

Happy Saturday! I didn't get around to posting yesterday...sorry. Long crazy day. I did stop by the local scrapbook store and handed in my Design Team (DT) project. The manager wasn't there but the two ladies working the front oohed and ahhed over it. They said they only had one scrapbook page so far, several cards, but mine was the first altered set like that. So hopefully that's a good thing. I also picked up an application to teach there. I figure if I can teach a couple times a month it'd help support my habit and I think it'd be fun too.

Today I'm headed off to a Stampin' Up workshop where we'll be making 3x3 cards. I never USE 3x3 cards but the workshop is being hosted by a friend and I thought it was a good way to support her plus get to spend some time out of the house doing something I enjoy with a friend. That alone is worth the $10 class fee. ;-)

I also wanted to share my new stamps. I joined a yahoo group that is just for selling/trading stamps. That's where I found these.



I LOVE the one of the woman getting ready to shoot the scale. I can SO relate! LOL.

That's all I'm posting for now. It's not even 8:00 on a Saturday morning and I'm awake but still exhausted. My oldest son went to a sleepover last night so my youngest son wanted to sleep with us. Two adults, a 7 year old, and a dog in a queen size bed. I spent the night trying to hold onto my edge of the bed. Finally gave up and got up early. Sigh. Oh well, quiet time to stamp!

Jane

Ok...sharing ;-)

I finished my dominoes. I coated them with liquid glass as a sealer and to make them shiny and pretty. I also sprinkled on just a bit of glitter so they sparkle at different angles. Then I let that dry. Next I added redline tape around the outside of the dominoes and pressed the now sticky domino edges into tiny seed beeds. Then I used strong adhesive (E6000) to adhere pins to the backs. They need to sit overnight but for all intensive purposes they are done. So...if I sold these (or similar ones) at a craft fair...what would you be willing to pay?



Next I played with a new stamp...a Piggy from Stampabilities. My son is WAY into piggies and hippos. So when I saw this stamp I knew I had to get it for him. I was able to get it off a used stamp swap/sell list I belong to for very little. (Good thing since I can't imagine using a pig stamp very often!) But I had to ink him up and use him. So here's the card I made...ignore my hand...the word is stamped on the inside of the card and in order for you to see it I had to hold the card. ;-)



And lastly, remember I said I'd ordered some monkey stamps at the expo? Well, they came! They are still "ink virgins"...will have to ink them up soon. But in the meantime I thought I'd show them to you. This company was wonderful to deal with and even mailed me a color copy of card samples using the stamps. Great customer service! I'm not sure if they have a website but if they do I'll be ordering from them again!



Enjoy and have a great evening!

Jane

A couple small things to share

Well, I didn't do much yesterday in the realm of creativity. One of the things I did do was make invitations for my upcoming Arbonne party. I only made about 12 of these and figured the rest of the people (like members of the PTO) will get the postcard invite that the Arbonne lady gave me to send out. I tried to keep these really simple. I opened Word and set the margins out as far as I could, then added a table with three columns and 2 rows. I'd originally tried just two columns but then the text between the two was too close. My creating a third column in the center I was able to easily adjust the distance. I typed in the wording that was on the postcard invite and then added my details. Copy and pasted 4 times (to create one page) and viewed on the print preview. When it looked well centered I then set the table borders and shading to none and printed it out on cardstock. Then the rest was a single stamp (from SU's Bubble Queen), corner rounding, attached to another layer (also corner rounded) and then added ribbon. For some reason my scan cut off the bottom of the card but it looks just the same as the top. Anyways...here is one of the 12. ;-)



And then I thought I'd share what came in the mail. On SCS there is a Buy/Sell/Trade forum. You all know how I love my House Mouse stamps. But generally they are about $10-15 a pop for the bigger ones and I'm too cheap (and at the moment too broke) to pay that much for a stamp. BUT I managed to get all three of these with shipping for $20.



I also created one small halloween thing but will save that for later because I haven't taken a picture of it yet. Have a great day!

Jane

What a day!

Last night I could NOT sleep for the life of me. Finally fell asleep about 4a.m. and then had to get up at 7:00. We were on the road by 8:00 and headed to Mesa for the Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo. We followed the directions using mapquest and found the location with no problems whatsoever. I've been to two expos in Tucson and they were both SO crowded that I couldn't stand it. This one in Mesa had fewer vendors but also less attendance (probably due to the heat in AZ in the summer). Probably not good for them...but great for me! ;-) We were able to get "front seat viewing" for almost every booth and watch them work their magic. I learned how to use a melting pot and make jewelry with a piece of glass and some embossing powders and a rubber stamp. Then we were off to the next area where we watched them do several techniques with Ranger Distressing Inks and Embossing Powders. I'd received both these items from my secret pal at Scrap Camp and had no idea how to really use them. So that was fun to watch! Then we watched them work with alcohol inks (one of my new passions). Discovered a couple new things there as well. Then we watched a couple other demos on coloring...one using a dove blender pen and colored pencils and one using chalks and a solution. We also got to watch a new way (or new to us way) of setting eyelets without having to use the hammer and pound them.

I found my changito monkey stamps at one booth - but of course they were sold out of all but the one design. I found a panda bear stamp, a pirate cannon stamp, and a couple small food item stamps at another booth.

The rest of my purchases were more "tools". I bought the new eyelet setter and the new blending solution for the chalks. I had searched out vendors on the internet ahead of time and this vendor had a 10% off purchase coupon for conventions...so I was able to get 10% off my purchase at the booth. I decided to also pick up a couple sheets of EZ-Mount from here since I was getting the discount.

Anyways...here are all the purchases I made at the actual expo.



After we left the Expo we went out to lunch at McD's (thank goodness for the $1 menu) and then we wanted to check out a scrapbooking store that was close by that I'd heard such GREAT things about. It's called Scrapbooks, Etc. and is about 3 miles from the expo. The store is HUGE. Easily twice the size of any stores in Tucson that I've been to. And lots of good deals. First I viewed the 50% off table and picked up these two halloween page elements and then found some paper for .40 that'd match.



Then I went into the "paper room"...yes, literally a room full of row after row of 12x12 papers. I found these two pirate themed sheets (to go with my new pirate cannon stamp) and the monkey themed sheet (to go with my changito monkeys).



And lastly I got another sheet of 50% off page elements for Easter (yes, a little girly...but easter's about the only time I can get away with it in my boys' scrapbooks!) and a sheet of foam that you use to make your own ink pads with multiple colors, etc.



They give you 20% off your most expensive item once per month. So that was off my sheet of foam...which was a whopping $4.99 to begin with. I made it out with spending just over $10! I think that's a record for me.

We left, thinking our adventure was over. We tried to backtrack our driving directions...but got lost. Ended up in Apache Junction...then went the wrong way on I-60...so ended up taking the back route through Florence to make our way back home. When I was little, my oldest brother used to take me hiking...and after he'd hauled me around for awhile he'd ask me which direction was home. Invariably I'd point in the opposite direction. Well, when I got lost today I called him for directions (he lives in the Valley) and he had a good laugh at my expense. Boy, brought back some memories! At least now I know an alternate route from Phoenix to Tucson if I ever need one!

Ok...I'm off to play with my new goodies! Just wanted to share!

Jane