Naughty or Nice...



In the top spot on my "NAUGHTY" list...

The Discovery Channel Store.

Do not attempt to order anything from them

that claims to be in stock

a month before Christmas

and expect to get it.

Never mind that their site promises

your order to go out

within 2-3 business days.

It won't.

And don't expect polite service

when you call.

I lost my serenity.

'Nough said.

 

On top of my "NICE" list

Amazon.

AMAZING....Amazon!

Everything I ordered

came quickly.

In fact

I ordered a book yesterday morning

and by mid-afternoon

I had an e-mail confirming

it had shipped!!!

 

I got another NICE surprise yesterday...

I had made a quick stop at McDonald's drive thru

and when I got to the window to pay

I was told the driver in front of me

had paid for my meal and said

Merry Christmas.

I was able to then pay

for the person behind me.

As luck would have it

all three of us ended up waiting on our orders

and some waving and hand shaking went on.

Some CHRISTmas cheer was spread through the

drive thru yesterday---

even the window worker was smiling!

I wonder how many times

it went down the line...?!

Nice.

 

Time for another cup of coffee

maybe a little more shut eye

and a day of odds and ends of

cleaning and organizing.

At a relaxed pace.

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,

 

 

 

 



The Elf Has Been Busy!

Not many posts of late...

and probably not a lot more in the near future...

but I have been busy, busy, busy!

 

First up...

making goodies for the preschoolers!

 

I try and give them something "Santa-ish"

along with something to bring the

Jesus is the reason for the season

emphasis as well.

Using a CTMH stamp set--

I created these little tags to go on

little goodie bags.

 

 

For the girls...

 I colored their elves in pink and green

and the boys in red and green...

The "treats" are Christmas wrapped Hershey Kisses...

ELF KISSES of course!

I work in the church office

and the kids come to visit me

so I thought the reference to Santa's

Special Office Elf might be fun...

after all---my goddaughter still believes

I am a REAL flower fairy--

that's my story and I am sticking to it!

 

All the tags...

hand-stamped and hand-colored with Copics

Yep.

All 21 of them!

And of course...pop-dotted onto the top of the tag!

 

Onto the

"Jesus is the reason" part of my gift...

again...

21 hand-stamped, hand-colored with Copics

ornaments.

 

They are plastic--

I stamped the image on vellum,

put it inside with some silver and blue glitter,

used super sticky double-sided tape to tape that top on

and then hot-glued the bow on

when I discovered that the little metal loop

to hang them with

pulls right out of that top!

Hot glue stopped that-literally!

Given one youngin decided to eat the

birdseed treat I gave them a year or so ago to give to the birds...

I'd rather be safe than sorry!

 After that...

came their teacher gifts...

 

My friend Theresa had made these adorable

pocket Kleenex covers (bottom right)

and I decided on a bottle of hand sanitizer

to go with them...

preschool---germs---Kleenex and germ killer

who can't use that?!

Of course the hand-sanitizer bottles I found

were bigger than what all the templates out there called for

and of course even tho Theresa made those too,

I didn't get the bright idea to add them until last minute.

So then I needed something to put them in.

I started at Splitcoast...and ended at Splitcoast!

What I ended up with is called

a box in a bag

and you can find the how-to here

They are super-super easy

and one can be made with one double-sided

piece of paper!!!

The bottom is a mm, 3 1/2x 3 1/2 " box

that is only 1" deep

and then you attach the paper to it

to make it like a gift bag!

There are mainly women teachers

but we do have a dad who subs from time to time

so I made one for him just in case...

looks a little more manly--a lot less fru-fru...!

And, for my groupies who think everything

Theresa and I do comes out perfect the first try...

that band around the top...

was because in trying to set the eyelets with the Crop-a-dile

I accidentally punched two holes on the front AND the back

of the bag!

Grrr!

Plan B.

No one knows the difference...well--

not 'til I told, anyway! 

 

Last but not least today

is the infamous Christmas card for our vet's office.

(I am told they fight over who gets to open the Russell card!)

I was really in a quandary this year

as my "kids" were exceptionally good this year...

Poppa Cat didn't break any equipment

or run off with the thermometer cover in his butt,

Inky didn't have to be chased and corralled by

two vet techs and the vet

nor did he eat anything he wasn't supposed to

(namely Christmas tree, bushes, etc);

Ms. Dolly was purrfect-don't think she even had to go this year

and Bad Cat

(who is really the GOOD Russell cat...!)

was good, too.

Whew!

So there were no antics to write about...

and no groveling I had to do

(trust me, I've been afraid they'd ban us from the practice!)

and I was just stumped.

Until I started cleaning the craft room

and I found the little CTMH spring things...

that I used to make wobble head cards.

BINGO!

 

Here's what I came up with...

First up-Bad Cat----

followed by Poppa Cat and Inky

next Ms. Dolly on the left

and Moe (our outside feral cat) and us on the end.

As you can see---

I printed their photos twice...

layered one on card

and trimmed the head out on the other.

Added the little spring mechanism

and each of their heads now wobble

as they you imagine they warble

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

I tried to add a video---Blogger not cooperating...

I will hand-deliver it on Monday

with something sweet to go with it.

 

Whew!

I am worn out just from blogging about all that!

 

Thanks for looking.

Not sure what I will be cooking up next-

oh-wait--cooking?

Did I ever post my recipe swap pages?

Hmm...have to check on that.

 

For now,

I need to go get ready for my date with hubby

to the Christmas musical at the Amuzu.

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,

 

I Just Gotta Vent....Please rethink Christmas Giving...

I don't mean to sound

ungrateful.

But...

as I sit here with yet another  FOUR more scented candles

(unlit, in a completely different room)

that is driving my allergies nutso...

I just want to scream...

 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

DO NOT GIVE

ALLERGY-SCENTSITIVE FRIENDS...

body lotions, bath oils, perfumed ANYTHING!

THIS INCLUDES CANDLES!

 

I'd much rather have

a handmade card-or even a plain store bought card...

than something I cannot use at all

and have to pretend yet again

that I am gracious about receiving.

 

Those that know me...

know...

those that don't and pretend to...frustrate me.

 

If you have someone on YOUR LIST

that you aren't sure about...

but want to give something to....

a generic gift card

no matter how large or small

would be MOST APPRECIATED

over something that reminds us

yet again

that we are overly-sensitive to things

and we lose out...both on the gift

AND by having our feelings hurt.

 

And for me...it's not just perfumes.

I cannot eat wheat.

And by wheat...

that means

ANYTHING with "traditional" white flour...

not a lot of people (including dieticians!) get that....

but yet

I graciously accepted the poundcake

a friend brought after my surgery...

and I will NEVER turn something down

the preschoolers offer me...

they are too young to understand and I would not

hurt their feelings for anything.

 

What to get?

A gift card.
A promise to get together to do something fun
(ie TIME together...)

I scrapbook-buy me GLUE STICKS for God's sake!

Just don't give me perfumed stuff!

My eyes are itching, my head is killing me

and I can't breathe.

Beginning to wonder--

is this friend wanting to do something nice---

or trying to kill me?!!!

 

If you care enough about someone

that you want to give them something....

then please please please

take the time to find out what they'd care to receive

and make it count!

Are they not worth that much and, if not...

why are you even bothering?!

 

End of rant.

Unfortunately, not the end of the headache

or the allergy attack.

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,





Sunday Showcase

A couple of weeks ago

my goddaughter was delighted

that she finally got to deliver to me

a piece of art she had made for me

sometime ago.

 

She had posted a pic of her doing this--

or one that she saw and wanted to try--

and I commented on it

so she made me one!

I took it with me to our groupie meeting to show it off...

did I think to have anyone take a picture of us with it...

or even her with it...of course not!

 

She started her art career young...

here she's colored herself with markers...!

I cannot find the photo

of her with the slinky on her head

while we were supposed to be working on a project...

but since she's a cool official TEENAGER now...

 

I better be careful what I post! Lol!

 

She even signed the back!

So here's the thank you card & enve I made for her...

This awesome stamp set is by The Stamps of Life.

There's a stamp to go with the yellow crayon that says

"yellow, my friend",

one that says "I'm red in the face"

and of course the "i'm blue without you"

among others.

Inks are Close to My Heart.

And please note---not a pop dot in sight!

I learned today that there are color charts out there

for Copics and Close to My Heart colors

I also learned today...

that Santa better bring me more Copics

as very few of mine matched my CTMH inks...

Oh well.

 

Until next time

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,



Two for One...

Today's post

has not one but TWO projects!

Hmm...Super Saturday maybe?!

 

I have to admit that neither one of these cards

were what I had *planned*imagined*

when I started!

Our "groupies seem to think

that the things Theresa and I create

come out exactly right on the first try-

HA!

So doesn't happen most times!!!

 

First up is a postcard for my friend who winters elsewhere.

She usually includes a card telling her friends

where she will be when and how to reach her.

I saw a postcard embossing folder and I knew it would be perfect.

Then I went in search of a vintage

Sunshine State postcard photo to use.

No luck.

Plan B involved a stamp of a scallop shell

but

it was too overwhelming.

Plan C was the winner!

I pulled out my Close to My Heart summer stamps

and found the

Perfect Day stamp set...

I added image with the fence and sea oats first

stamped in chocolate

and then decided the seagulls on the top left

balanced everything perfectly...

what do you think...

These are oh so pretty in person---

I even wrapped them in a paper doily

and since I don't have parchment paper

(note to self-get some!)

I used waxed paper for the see-through factor

and tied them with twine.

I need to make some of these for myself!

And maybe an Etsy shop, too...

been kicking that around for awhile now.

 

My energy didn't stop there!

I moved on to a sample of Christmas cards for her.

I had envisioned this card

with a Christmas tree embossed on that far left-hand side.

Not happening.

I got a new die from a new (to me) company.

It's awful.

That pretty postcard embossing folder

came with another one that has these

beautiful corner designs that fits almost perfectly

when the flip  card when folded

so I just ran it all through at once.

The sentiment is from the CTMH Pear & Partridge Cardmaking Kit.

There is room on the backside of that flip section

to put whatever sentiment she desires.

We'll see if she orders them...or not.

 

Today I need to run a few errands

and then make a thank you card

(I have THE PERFECT stamp set for it--can't wait!)

for a beautiful gift my goddaughter gave me

a week or so ago...

Think I will save that for Sunday's post.

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,

 



Bon Apetite!

I know---you think I fell off the planet...

or abandoned my blog!

Not the case!

I've been working my little fingers to the bone

and I am

SOOOO EXCITED

about my finished project--I just can't wait

to show it off.

My groupies tell me they don't look at my blog

and this is one time

I hope they are telling the truth

or they won't be surprised at our next meeting!

 

In December

Theresa (aka my partner in crime)

and I usually do a little make and take project

for them

and they have decided they want to

do another recipe swap this year

instead of the cards we did last year.

Well...there's only one problem with that...

I don't cook...much.

Unless I absolutely have to.

My other half does

(and yeah, my late husband cooked too---

I know-you hate me!)

So my repertoire of recipes is

mighty slim.

But ---wait!

I had a brain fart  storm...

and I knew what I wanted to do...

 

So I started scouring blogs to find a template

for an apron pattern.

I got my mail idea here...

http://whiffofjoy.blogspot.com/2012/09/apron-cardrecipe-book-by-andrea-danz.html

Andrea did a great job....

but it wasn't in English (and trust me, it lost something in the Google

translator and with the measurements being metric...oy vey!

 

But I used it as a spring board...

 

I found another template 

here

and cut and pasted and altered it

to make it work for something similar to Andrea's apron...

and this is what I came up with...

I had a helper...

I had to do six of these

and each apron color and pattern were different--

the stamped images are from

Crafty Secrets (lady) and Artful Impressions (kitchen).

They were all hand-colored with Copics

and then fussy cut

(I can hear Theresa screaming from here! lol!)

 

 

"It depends on who you decide on calling!"

that I printed on a doily

(I just decided on my font and size,

printed it on cardstock,

then layed the doily over that where I wanted it to print,

taped it down on 4 sides with plain old Scotch tape

and ran it through the printer!)

The phone image is a clip art from I am not sure where...

and the silverware is Crafty Secrets again...

as are the  images on the front of the little "favorites" book

 

It's what's inside that little book that  is important...

since I don't cook---but I can call for take out...

instead of a recipe book---I made a mini phone book

with all the names and numbers of our local restaurants,

well most of them anyway!

 

 

I decorated the inside pages---again all colored with Copics

that was the easy part---

laying it out to print right was a pain in my royal

ah-hum yes well...

I needed to mount my "recipe" apron on something

so I searched ebay for vintage kitchen or some such under

scrapbooking--the paper I picked was from

Ruby Rocket--

a paper company I had never heard of

(imagine!)

and I had quite a pleasant surprise

when it came yesterday---

I knew it was double-sided...

but it wasn't paper--

it is a very nice heavy double sided cardstock

that I got for a song!

It's AWESOME stuff!

And carries through that vintage theme perfectly!

So--I just stuck a recipe and clip in the pocket to show you

it's a pocket!

I have tried that chicken recipe once upon a time tho---

Back to my pocket...

So I cut a 6x12 piece...

I scored on the 6" mark

then on one of the 6"x6" sides I cut a slit to the score line

at 3"

Follow me?

Then...I adhered the top 3"x6" panel to the top of the opposite side

and then taped the other 3"x6" panel on 3 sides---to make a pocket!

I am sure that's as clear as mud-but it worked! 

I got the benefit of having the pretty retro images visible

on both sides and the bottom inside pocket is the burlap image

that was on the backside of the paper

that was ok but not awesome.

 

This project took some time-

as I am sure you can tell!

Days. Actually.

More time that I have put into any one project

in a very long time.

But I did it slowly---small bits and pieces

and I had a great time playing.

Thank God hubby cooks---or I would have been calling

for lots and lots of take out!

The measuring spoons in the photo shoot

were my grandmothers.

The little red apron in the photo shoot

is mine from childhood.

It has a terry cloth pocket

and another that is a little hand towel stitched to the apron itself.

It graces my church pew that we use

as a bench to our table

and the former hymnal racks hold cookbooks!

Speaking of cookbooks...

The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

was one my late husband gave his mother some years back...

the binding is tattered and peeling...

but it's a precious keepsake.

And yeah, when I need to know how to cook something

I've been known to take it out a time or two!

 I will be assisting my husband/chef tomorrow

with anything he decides to trust me with...

dish detail for sure.

Hope everyone has a happy and blessed

Thanksgiving.

Me?

I'm thankful for a husband who cooks!

Bon appetite! 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,

Successful Show!

Many many thanks

to all who shopped at our

Holly Days Craft Show

yesterday

and to Theresa and her helpful family

for all their hard work

in helping us set up, unpack, repack

and tear down.

It's a lot to do in one day

(and it begins in the dark!)

and I honestly don't think

I could do it without them.
Thanks to hubby, too, who did what he could
to help even when it came to the catnip fishing pole crises
the evening before he was due to leave...
 

 

Theresa and I met  at Holly Days

some years back---

we swapped phone numbers and became fast friends.

Here she is with her side of our "store"...

She keeps me laughing!

 

My space looked better in personthan it does from the pics I took!

Ugh!

Looks way to cluttered to me  --  must be the angle...

 

I was trying to set up a "dry run"

the day before to figure out

what to and not to take for displaying my goods...

the one out of 4 cats who doesn't like catnip

took over "catnip corner" of my table...

 good thing I was just trying to get an idea of

what I wanted to do!

 

My goddaughter showed up...

look at those hoopy earrings!

 

We have some great ideas for next year...

and, inbetween time

I am seriously thinking about

an Etsy shop--

even though I've had issues with them

over my (shop) name that we can't seem to resolve.

I may bite the bullet and pick a different one anyway.

We shall see.

I would appreciate any suggestions, pros, cons,

helpful hints from anyone whose got some experience

with Etsy or even e-bay...

 

A coworker shared her germs on Thursday

then getting overheated loading up in the cool weather on Fri

left me with a scratchy throat and snotty nose

and by last night

well, I really didn't feel well.

SOOOO thankful

for that extra hour sleep...

and I played hookey from church

as I didn't want to make anyone else sick.

 

Time to repack, inventory, and restock.

One more show for the season...

right after I take another nap...!

 

Oh-

Theresa pointed out that I had that hateful word verification thingy

on my blog---

I apologize--and I *THINK* I have taken it off...?!

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,



 

It's the day before Holly Days...

and all through the house...



peace prevails...

 

Wait--

 PEACE?

Calm?

 

the DAY BEFORE HOLLY DAYS?

 

Never before heard of here.

I've not lost my mind.  I am not dead...

And yes,

I will have the usual booth

with my great friend Theresa

tomorrow.

I had prepped for another craft show

in September that I didn't get to do

because I was sick.

So in between then and now

 I finished a few more projects

and all I had to do yesterday

was have hubby help me bring my baskets

down from the attic.

The "stock" boxes are packed, inventoried and ready.

The display baskets are lined up.

I may do a dry run layout today to see how I want to set up

since I have some new items this year.

Oh-and go to the bank.  I need to get change.

And load the truck.

Other than that...I am ready to go.

I did discover---

I only have one catnip fish fishing pole---

so I may put some of those together.

May not.  We'll see.

 

I am loving it!!!

And I am feeling a real need

to do some serious FLYLADYING of this house

after tomorrow

and in between prep for the last show of the year.

 

If you are in  my area---

come shop at HOLLY DAYS tomorrow

from 9-4.

We'll be right outside the main doors

and we have lots of great things at great prices!

 

For now

I think I'll have another cup of coffee...and relax.

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,



My TRICKS and Their TREATS!

Today

didn't start off on a good note

one of the cats

decided when Poppa left for Wal-Mart

at 7:15 AM

(don't ask me why!!!)

Momma needed to know about it.

Not much sleep after that.

Did I mention...

I could have slept until 8?

Projects today

went down hill

after I had to go to the same store

husband was at earlier

and they didn't have what I needed.

I just had to make do.

Not enough sleep-having to "make do"

did not make Momma a happy camper.

 

After a almost 2 hour MUCH NEEDED nap...

I decided to try one more thing.

And that put a smile on my face!

 

Halloween is upon us

and I am sure that I will have

20 little 2, 3 and 4 year olds

knocking on my office door!

What to do that's not too scary?

 

I thought about the "Pumkin Teeth" holders

and candy corn

but again, they are 2, 3 and 4

and the correlation would be lost on them--

and all they are REALLY going to care about

is the candy inside!

 

So...

I applied the KISS principle---

Keep it simple, Sharon!

And---no POP DOTS are needed!

lol!

(Theresa's in shock right now...!)

 

So-here's my TRICKS to make these...

gather your tools and supplies--

you will need:

cardstock or designer paper

adhesive

crimper

paper cutter (not shown)

stamps and ink (if not using dp)

and of course --CANDY!

(not sure why the empty glass is there-?!)

Now, I needed to maximize my paper

as my supply was limited---

I cut my paper at 5 1/2" x 4" so I could get

an extra one or two out of a 12x12 sheet...

This is probably the absolute smallest you can go

and get a fun size package of M&M's in there!

I'd recommend if you have enough paper

cutting it at 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"!

I then stamped my design and added

To: You

From: Ms. Sharon

(I am not one of their teachers-

I work in the church office and

thought parents would want to know

where it came from)

Next put adhesive on ONE SHORT end

and BOTH LONG SIDES

Roll the short end around and make a tube...

(think toilet paper roll here...)

smoosh the bottom together

stuff your candy in

and smoosh the top together in the opposite direction

of the bottom...

(think the sour cream holders Wendy's used to have....)

Next stuff one end into your paper crimper

and roll it one or two turns

flip it to the other end

and do the same thing again.

This just gives it a little extra "oomph"

and staying power to keep it sealed

(it looks cool, too!)

Here's what they look like all done...

I did 30 in about one hour

I was stamping the "Boo"

and "To/From" on each one as I went

otherwise it probably would have been quicker

if I had stamped all images

and then assembled.

I was going to add a ribbon

but remembered

KISS...

and  I left well enough alone!

 

So-

there you have it-

my TRICKS to make their TREATS!

 

BTW

the little black cat

highly approved of the stamp selection!

 

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings,