Sunday, December 28, 2008

Teacher Journal and Basic Grey Distress Kit

Happy Sunday! I am just hanging out today doing laundry and cleaning up and I remembered that I was supposed to post one of my teacher journals. Oops! So here is one of them...This is patterned paper I found in the Grade School Stack from Die Cuts with a View. The argyle paper is really sparkly! The apple in the center I cut out from the same stack of paper. You can purchase this 8x8 stack here. The green cardstock is old olive from SU and I used green Dew Drops for the first time! I love those little things!


Next I wanted to share with you The Basic Grey Precision File Set. I saw it used on the internet and I was determined to find them! LOL I found them in my local stamp store. This is how it comes....
Inside you get 4 different pointy files and two boards. They have a rubber tip to grip on to. They are awesome when you cover chipboard letters and you want to clean up the edges and the small holes in certain letters! You can use them on chipboard, plastic, paper and metal. You can get it at All That Scraps or Eclectic Paperie. Right now at Eclectic Paperie it's on sale for $3.50!! The regular price is $6.99. The price right now at All That Scraps is $7.00.
Thanks for visiting me! I have some things to make today and tonight so I will try to post again later. Have a wonderful day!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

JustRite Stampers Huge Sale

Hi all! Just a quick share before I head off to bed. JustRite Stampers is having a huge sale again! They even have a dollar store! They are making room for new products coming soon! Check out the dollar deals here. They have Bonus Buys as well making it easier to add to your current collection! OH and check this out!!......they have the Rectangular Monogram Stamper with two sets of alphabets and 5 sets of embellishments for only $5.00!!! The set's normal price is $29.95!! It also comes with tweezers and black ink pad. Check it out by clicking here. You can't beat these current prices. If you have some of these awesome stamps and need some inspiration they have a beautiful gallery with tons of samples. Click here to view the gallery. I just got a few of the sets and I haven't used them yet. I am trying to find the time to sit down and play! I have managed to open the boxes however and look at them. The packaging itself is awesome! LOL So check 'em out. They are really cool! Have a wonderful evening and thanks for visiting me!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Oooo Purple Hearts!

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!! Are you out braving the malls and taking advantage of some sales?? :)

We were up really late last night watching a movie and playing new video games. I couldn't get online for some reason even though we re-started the computer a few times. That was a bummer.

I wanted to share a couple of my presents with you! Jared and I don't normally get things for each other, so this year was a special treat! Look at what he hid under the tree in tiny gold boxes!!

They are heart shaped stones in two different shades of purple. The ring has tiny diamonds on either side as well! I love the shape of the pendant and I love the thickness. The chain actually goes between two layers of hearts instead of a loop on top. And the bottom portion has tiny diamonds as well. I love, love, love them! I was shocked! I haven't taken the ring off since I put it on yesterday morning.

I have to share another gift with you as well but I haven't taken pictures yet so I'm not gonna tell you what it is yet. ;) I will be back in a little while to share....

Thanks for checking in on your busy day! Hope you all have a great day!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Peppermint Bark Recipe

Good evening! Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I am finally done wrapping presents! My back is killing me! LOL Hopefully you are all enjoying your evening and having fun with your family and friends. Katie let Jared and Lauren open a present so they are currently occupied! ;)

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days; work is kicking my butt! Here is the peppermint bark recipe. It's so yummy!

What you will need:

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate. Use a good brand, or a brand that you would eat by itself. I actually used Baker's chocolate.
6 ounces white chocolate. Again, I used Baker's chocolate. Just make sure whatever brand you use, that the white chocolate has cocoa butter in it.
1/3-1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy; candy canes or starlight mints.
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
9x9 pan
aluminum foil

First line your pan with aluminum foil. I actually used a plastic tupperware bowl instead. But I did line it with foil because it makes removal easy!
Melt the semi sweet chocolate with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. I used a clear glass bowl and it does get hot! LOL Immediately pour the melted chocolate into the pan and tilt the pan from side to side to spread it out and it makes an even layer. Refrigerate until it hardens; about 30 minutes.
Then, melt the white chocolate with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Immediately pour the melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate and tilt the pan from side to side to flatten it out. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes evenly over the white chocolate while it's still melte. Refrigerate until it hardens; about 30 minutes.
Remove the Peppermint Bark from the pan by lifting the edges of the aluminum foil. Peel back the foil and cut it with a knife or break it up with your hands.


Thanks for checking in! Have a wonderful night!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Snow, snow, snow and more snow!

Holy Camoly we have gotten some snow today! LOL. We must have gotten at least 12 inches today. You should see my poor little dogs go potty! LOL.
I made peppermint bark and fudge tonight! OMG the peppermint bark is so stinkin' good! I have never made it and was a little nervous but pulverizing the candy was fun! LOL I am definitely going to make more tomorrow!
I also decorated one of my teacher journals today. It's so cute! I will share pics of it tomorrow, along with some more snow pics!
I ventured out four times today! Stupid me! Driving was treacherous! I had to take Katie to work this morning at 10, then at about 2 pm, I went back to her work to buy some stuff for making the candy, then at 6:30 I had to go pick her up from work, and then at 8:30 tonight we drove to Michaels, which took a good 40 minutes! All four trips, my van was having a hard time gripping the road everytime I went uphill or turned! So stupid to go to Michaels. When I got on the highway, a big diesel passed me in the fast lane and kicked up a bunch of powdery snow into my windshield and I couldn't see A THING for a good 20 seconds!! I was so mad and my heart was pounding! I had to let off the gas pedal and start really slowing down. I was trying not to just mash on the breaks! In the meantime, I couldn't see where I was going. Thank GOD that part of the highway is straight. Otherwise, I would have gone off the road. I just kept the steering wheel still and was preparing myself for hitting a guard rail or something. I was freaking out! But then the dust settled and no one else passed me the rest of the way. But the roads weren't even plowed! Not the highway or the surface streets. Not good to be driving out in a snow storm like that. LOL. Don't ask me why I went! LOL. I had a coupon for an extra 15% off my total purchase including sale items. So I got a great deal on wrapping paper and christmas cards! LOL My friend was picking on me when I told her where I was going! :)
Anyway, just wanted to share my day. Oh, and I also had to snowblow the driveway! Nice fluffy snow so it wasnt' too bad but sometimes that thing is such a beast to manuever.
So I will check in again tomorrow, share some pics and some other stuff. I think the kids are going to have a snow day tomorrow. Oh and I will share my recipes too. Have a wonderful evening. I am off to bed. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

What a long week!

Hi everyone! What a long week! I am exhausted. I can't wait for my boss to come back. I don't like working alone!
If you live in New England, you've been getting this crazy snow too!!! We are expecting a big storm tomorrow into Monday! We just went through a snow storm yesterday and the one coming tomorrow is supposed to dump more snow than this last one! We are also getting a storm on Christmas Eve! We are defintely going to have a white Christmas this year!
Today is my Friday and I have lots to do this weekend! Food shopping, wrapping, cards, and finishing some teacher gifts! Looks like we are going to be snowed in with more than 12 inches of snow up here close to the Canadian border in Vermont! This is supposed to be tomorrow's storm alone! Our snowblower is going to get quite the workout in the next week! LOL.
So I'll be home, doing crafty stuff and drinking hot chocolate! :) If you have to be out on the roads during this storm, stay safe! Drive slowly! I was fish-tailing this morning on the way to work on the highway.
Thanks for checking in! See you tomorrow!!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Glue Glider and JustRite Stamps!

Hi all! Hope you're having a great Monday evening! A friend of mine came over today and we worked on our Christmas Planners. She is saving it to use for next year but I have already written in mine for this year! LOL. We used our new Glue Gliders and we love them! You know what I love about it? It is really strong adhesive and instead of one continuous stream of glue/sticky tape like the tombo mono adhesive, it's divided into tiny little rectangles. I have been using the red Tombo tape/glue runner and it gunks up a lot because it's a continous piece but also because it's thicker and stronger than the blue Tombo Mono adhesive. Those gunky little chunks drive m crazy!!! They look like a booger! LOL. So the Glue Glider isn't separate glue dots or separate tabs like the Hermafix. It's tiny little rectangles right next to each other and when you glide it across your paper upon first glance it looks like a continuous piece but it breaks off so nice when you lift it off your paper and it doesn't gunk up! I love it!
Now on to the JustRite Stamps. Hopefully you all took advantage of the buy one get one free sale they recently had on starter sets!!! Right now they are having a sale 25% off select items so check them out! You can still get stuff in time for Christmas!! Well my friend ordered all of the buy one get one free sets except for the baking one. I can't wait to play with them!!! We got three different fonts and the Christmas set and one more set, I can't remember what it is right now. But I have to tell you, I even love the box they come in!! Really cute sturdy cardboard boxes! I cannot wait to rip the cellophane off! LOL. I have the Small Letter Set and the Harmony Classic Circle II Stamp Ensemble coming soon!!! :D (that's me smiling really big!!) LOL
Anyway, thanks for checking in tonight! Off to bed. Got a long work week this week; won't have much time for fun! :( So you may not see me much this week. Have a wonderful night and I'll try to update you soon with my new stamp sets! ;)

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Love my little tool!!

Having a nice Sunday? I did as planned and Michaels today! They are having a great sale on wrapping paper right now! 60% off! All of my rolls of paper I got 1.59 each!

I wanted to share with you a great little tool I recently purchased made by Making Memories. It's very inexpensive too! It's a paper piercer/sylus in one! Click ~here~ to see what it looks like. I love it love it love it! I have the standard piercer but I had used it so often to re-open glue bottles that it doesn't poke as nicely anymore. I found this at Michaels but you can also get it at Addicted To Rubber Stamps. It makes very tiny holes which I really like and it fits nicely in the holes in the SU Paper Piercing Template. My other piercer was making the holes bigger in my template! It also has a nice shape to the handle so it's easy and comfortable to hold. It has a lid that covers the piercer but it also has an indentation in it and this indentation fits onto the the piecer so that when you turn it (like unscrewing a cap) it comes out. You can flip it around and re-insert it to use the stylus end of it. It's cool! For less than 3.00 it's a steal!

I also have the Making Memories Edge Scraper for Distressing your paper, chipboard, or cardstock. It's awesome! Easy to hold and really roughs thing up! LOL

And just arrived!!!.....My Glue Gliders!! Yay!!! I can't wait to try it! I will let you know what it's like soon! Have a wonderful night!! Thanks for checking in!

I'm such a dork!

Okay, so the wheel's been around a long time right? LOL. So has the SU's Stampin' Around wheel and I've had one for almost a year now, well actually, longer than that. That's not the point. I've had this little gem and an unopened black cartridge (which all this time I thought was green because of the casing), and a stamp thingie, and NEVER used it!!!!!!! Then last night I watched Dawn's video on Dawn's Stamping Thoughts demonstrating how to use them. And guess what? I just now opened the cartridge (after searching my messy room for 20 minutes), and put it in, and grabbed a piece of scratch paper and started rolling away!! LOL. I can't believe I didn't use it sooner! Now I have to get the jumbo one (used in Dawn's video). LOL I love it! :D Isn't that funny? I am such a dork sometimes and the smallest things make me happy! LOL Head over to Dawn's by clicking >>here<<>

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Brrr....it's freezing! Really cold pictures! LOL

Man, you wanna talk about cold!!!! I was only 8 degrees when I woke up this morning to get ready for work!! Our snow is crunchy now! LOL. We got several inches Thursday night into Friday. I feel like I told you that already.........my brain must be frozen! LOL. Here are a couple of pictures I wanted to share with you all. This first picture was taken about 7 in the morning, just after Jared left for work. This is a view from our front door looking into our front yard. I love when the trees sag from the weight of the snow! This is Lauren covering Jazz with snow! He didn't hear me come outside so I was able to sneak a few pictures of Lauren hard at work. Jazz LOVES the snow so he didn't mind being covered! And then he caught me! LOL Here he is running from me, facing AWAY from the camera! LOLHere's Sophie, our Chihuahua, being held by the kids. She hates the cold. I don't blame her; she's only 5 pounds! LOL The kids put snow on her! She's black, you may not see her in this picture! And here she is taking off as fast as she can into the garage! This was sooo funny!!! LOLThis is Kayla, our Pomeranian, who loves the snow like Jazz. Must be the fluffy thick fur! LOL. Look at that face; she is sooo sweet! She is a rescue dog. Of the four dogs, she is the only rescue. The rest came from breeders. There's something about rescue dogs; they seem to know they've been "chosen" and they're the perfect dogs!And the two of them waiting to go inside.....They are standing on the landing in the garage. Aren't they cute?
Where's Jazz, you ask? I dunno! I tried to ambush him and take pictures of him, so I went to the backyard to find him and as I got to the deck in the back, I peek underneath it, and I see him on the other side of the house, just rounding the corner!!! LOL. He heard me coming, little stinker! Anyway, I hope you are all having a great weekend so far! I get to sleep in tomorrow, thus the late post! It's almost 11. I never stay up this late on a work night. Well I take that back.....Sundays I do because my shows are on! Thanks for stopping by! Tomorrow I plan on cleaning my craft room, making some stuff and go to Michaels. Maybe not in that exact order but something like that! heeheehee. Take care!!!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Glitter Star Ornament

Happy Friday! Everyone having a nice night so far? I made this Gltter Star Ornament today after seeing it on Martha Stewart Crafts. I bought a few of her things the other day at Michaels and hadn't used any of it yet. And I can always use more ornaments!! The link to her tutorial is >>here<<. This one >>here<<>
~Paper Trimmer
~2 colors cardstock
~Glue pen
~Martha Stewart Fine Glitter
~The Ultimate Glue (to glue cones to circle template)
~Colluzle Circle Template and swivel knife
~Snowflake punch
~Brad
~Paper Piercer
~Marvy Scallop Circle Punch (blue one)
~3 Pop Dots
~Ribbon
~1/16" circle punch
~Stickles
~Martha Stewart gel adhesive
~Little paintbrush to spread the glue inside the cones

I cut 12 squares out. Mine are 1-1/2" squares but you could go larger or smaller depending on what size ornament you want. I made the cone shape with each square and glued the edges together, slightly overlapping them. I used the blue glue pen to do this and held it still for a second with tweezers. I cut a circle out (white cardstock) as the base (with my colluzle) and folded it in half once, unfolded it, and folded it in half again the opposite way. This makes a nice "bulls eye" in the center so I could make sure the cones were straight. As I made the cones, I glued them on the base with the Ultimate Glue. Then I started the glittering process! I spread glue in the cones one at a time and poured some glitter in and swirled it around. Then tapped the excess out. Do one cone at a time!! After they were all glittered, I set this aside and worked on the medallion. I punched the circle out with my marvy punch and then I did lots of paper piercing! At first it started out as just piercing on the scalloped edges then I started making lines going into the center and then I just filled it up! LOL. I added stickles to each scallop but you can't see it very well in the photo. I then put 3 pop dots (stacked) in the center of my cones so that the medallion would stick up enough. Then I punched out two snowflakes and layered them alternating the points. I put a brad in the middle and then attached it to the medallion with a glue dot. Lastly, I put stickles all over the snowflake. Oh and added the ribbon! What do you think? I love it! LOL I am definitely going to make more!! If you haven't tried them, you should; they are fun and so sparkly! ;) Thanks for stopping by! Happy stamping!

Snow Day!!! And a shaker ornament

Woohoo snow day! LOL... I bet many of you got that Nor'Easter that rolled through here yesterday and last night! Vermont saw quite the mix of precipitation! Northern areas, where I am, got snow.......the central parts , where my work is, got ice......and the southern part got lots of rain! Massachusettes, where a sister company is, got lots of ice and rain too. We are supposed to see another few inches of snow today but so far, we are close to a foot of snow.
I made this coaster shaker ornament last night. I saw the idea on Chic N Scratch. You can see hers >>here<<.Instead of using a die cut frame, I used my colluzle cutter to make the circle cutout. The coaster is 3-1/2 x 3-1/2". I used SU and Staedler markers to color in the snowman. I used bashful blue and a blender pen to color the mounds of snow. The image is stamped with Versa Color black ink and embossed with clear detail EP first though. This was easy and fast to make. I think I'll make some more! :)

Thanks for stopping by! I will post again later today. Happy stamping!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

More of my Christmas Planner done!....2nd post

Hi again! I hope you're having a great day. I still don't feel good. :( Snow is still coming here; kids are outside playing in the dark! I just love the snow! :) I worked on my planner a little and wanted to share it with you all. I am trying to keep track of my kids' wish lists and stocking stuffers! Jared and I looked through the closet today (where we hide everything) to see what we were lacking, cuz I couldn't remember what I had purchased! LOL. So the sooner I get this book done, the sooner I can get organized! I have to get Christmas cards out too; haven't even made them! Bad!!!!
This first picture shows the second section of my planner; the card list. I stamped the owl twice, colored him, layered him and adhered him together. The letters are individual clear stamps.The next one is on the back of the card list page. This is a pocket to hold postage stamps. Sorry it's a little blurry; I dont' know what happened.
This is the next section called Wish Lists. This is where my kids' lists will go. Each one will have their own page or so. And this is the inside back cover. This list pulls out so I can write the groceries that I need, and take it with me.I have two more sections to put in, and haven't gotten to them yet. But I will soon! Thanks for stopping by; let me know if you have any questions!

Been Sick.....new photos

Hi Peoples!! I am a sickie-poo!! I stayed home from work today and yesterday! Today I've been up and around but yesterday I was in bed all day. I hate getting the flu! Yesterday morning when I woke up, I was so weak that when I had to get the kids ready for school, I just laid down on the hallway floor between their two bedroom doors and talked to them from the floor! LOL. I couldn't stand up long enough to help them get out of bed, or make their beds, or anything. Then when we went downstairs, Jared got them breakfast really quick before he left for work and I just laid on the couch while they got dressed in their winter gear and ate breakfast. From there, I went back to bed! Yucky day! Today I have more energy but my stomach is still girgly no matter what I put in it. :(
I managed to take some pictures today though. This morning started out with rain....then it turned to snow about 10 am. Here is a view from my back door. We had more snow a few days ago when our temps dropped into the teens and then it warmed up and melted it all and now today we have this dusting of snow. I hope it stays this time. :)
Then I took some pictures of our tree and some ornaments I have made over the years. A couple of them are a little blurry but I wanted to share them anyway because I think they are so cute! :)
The first I made with pom poms, felt, cotton fabric, ribbon, and glue. I cut out the head and ears from white felt. The body is the printed cotton. The feet are all pom poms, so is the nose. There is lace stitched around the neck for the collar. I sold lots of these at craft fairs over the years!
I found this little snowman and stars at Michaels a long time ago and wanted to do something with them but didn't know what. (you know how we crafters are)..lol.......I then found these little wreathes also at Michaels and I loved them and thought they'd make cute ornaments, so I bought the ribbon and rafia and added it all together and voila.......an ornament. I also made some without ribbon to use as napkin rings! Really cute!
The ornament below I LOVE!!! In the section of Michaels where they have all the wooden pieces, I found tiny wooden boxes and snowmen. I decided I would paint them and use them in a snowy scene on the wreathe. The wreathes are about 2-3 inches in diameter. The snowmen are about an inch tall, if that. The trees I found in the section of the store where you can get all those village houses and trains. The snow is that pasty snow that comes in a jar and when you apply it it's like whipped cream cheese and it dries where you put it and looks like sparkly snow. Then I tied tiny bows with floss and added them to the presents in the snow. I have about 30 of these on out tree, all with slightly different scenes.
For this one, instead of using the pine trees, I used a real pinecone from our yard. It's about an inch and a half tall. I added the chunky snow to the edges along with some green paint. Oh I forgot to mention that the snowmen all have scarves on as well made from floss.This wooden rocking horse came unfinished and assembled. I stained him brown with spray stain, let him dry, added this little bear on the rocker, added some wooden alphabet blocks which I also painted, added some presents in various places and also added a very small wreathe around the horse's neck. The wreathe has one tree on it with a snowman. This was Jared's ornament for his first Christmas in 1999.
My ornament making days are over. LOL. I actually started making clay ornaments too and have some of those still but on one, the snoman's head fell off and on the other, the big snowball fell off. I have to fix them! LOL. I love making ornaments but I just don't have the time this year. I may try to fit in some time on Christmas Eve when the kids are doing their gingerbread houses, but we'll see! Thanks for stopping by. If you have any questions about the ornaments above, please let me know! Have a wonderful Wednesday!


Sunday, December 7, 2008

Got a Christmas Tree yesterday...went to a party today......oven broken!

Hi All!!! Thanks for dropping by! Yesterday was such a blast!! I took the kids to a Christmas Tree Farm (hubby had guard duty so he couldn't go) and it was the first time I had been there. My hair dresser recommended it and I can't even tell you how awesome it was! First of all this place is huge! And guess what???? I didn't bring my camera!! How stupid is that?? I had a hair appointment at 12:30, had the kids with me, and decided during my appointment that we would get a tree afterward. So we didn't go home and get the camera. I didn't even think about it until after we arrived there! Dummy!!! So anyway this place is probably two acres?? I dunno.....but it's nice and flat and they let you DRIVE through the lot on dirt pathways every 20 or so rows of trees! When you pull into the parking lot there is an attendant waiting with a handful of saws. I didn't even have to bring one! LOL. He hands you a saw and then you drive around looking at the trees! I had never been to a lot like that! Most of the time, you have to walk through the lot and drag your tree back to your car. Well, we were there for almost 2 hours looking at trees! It was so fun! We had pocket and foot warmers in our pockets and pants and shoes, so we weren't as cold! Well, when you find a row of trees you like, you park at the end of the row and then walk to the tree, cut it down, and then go get your vehicle and drive TO YOUR TREE and put it in! So fun! You can't park in the pathway because they aren't wide enough for a car to pass you. So we picked our tree, put it in the van, and went to pay for it. They put the tree on a shaker thing and it shakes like crazy to drop any loose needles or little things that might be living in it! LOL Then they wrap it up for you and help you load it.........all for 30 dollars! I was so happy. You even get free hot chocolate and candy canes! LOL.
So we put our tree up last night and decorated it. I have to take some pics so I can show you! We had to move our TV stand to free up the corner of our living room! LOL
Today we went to a family Christmas party. Everyone in Jared's guard unit had to go. It's a small unit so we all fit in one house, very squished though! LOL. That was fun except for this evil cat that was there! LOL. I took Lauren to the bathroom and when we came out, there was a cat on the bed and so I went to pet it. I put my hand by it's face so it could smell me and IT BIT ME!!!!!! Then as a split reaction, I was mean and flicked its butt with my finger! Then it hissed at me! LOL. I couldn't believe how mean this cat was! LOL
Then we drove home in a snow storm; snow and wind like crazy! It took us almost an hour to get home when it should have taken about 20 minutes. I was going about 20 MPH on the highway. There were emergency vehicles all over the place helping cars and SUV's out of the ditch and median! I swear people just don't slow down enough in the snow! We have a wind advisory tonight with sub-zero temps! Brrrrr.....
Okay on to the oven........we were baking fries and all of a sudden the oven starts beeping and the display was flashing and it locked on me!! The oven door is locked and no matter what we tried, it won't open. So tomorrow I have to call Sears for a repair service!!!!! Not happy about that! Hopefully we have an oven for Christmas! :(
So needless to say, I didn't get to make anything this weekend! :( In about 20 minutes my Sunday night shows start, so I won't be able to post anything even if I made it beforehand! I'm sorry, I know I promised. I'm bad!
Oh I forgot to say that I have been getting wonderful Christmas cards from my Kota buddies!!! It's a group of ladies on SCS who started a pen pal list and we exchange cards. It's a small group and many of us have gotten to know each other pretty well. It's a really fun, and sweet group of women! Thank you so much for the beautiful cards, ladies! They are awesome!
Anyway, this post is so long! Sorry about that! I will see you all later.....have a wonderful night!!!!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Sorry I've been MIA!!

Hi all! Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of days! The work week is so busy for me! I wish I had more time to play! But you know what? I am getting some new toys soon! A friend and I have some Just Rite Stamps coming!! I can't wait for that! She purchased all but ONE set that was on the buy one get one free sale! Woohoo! I am so excited! I am also waiting for that Glue Glider! I have two of those coming too! This weekend I have a lot going on but I hope to play at some point! Saturday I am getting my hair trimmed and Sunday, hubby and I have a Christmas party to go to. But that's early on in the day. I am hoping that Saturday at some point, we can get our Christmas tree! Wednesday my boss leaves for vacation and doesn't return to work until the 30th!! So I will be all alone at work for 3 weeks! Jared jokes that I need to get another organ taken out or something so I don't have to work alone! LOL. Real funny huh? ;) So I am going to be busy this month. I can't even tell you how exhausted I am when I get home from work!! Working stinks! LOL
So anyway, just wanted to check in real quick. Thanks for stopping in! I promise to have something creative to share this weekend! ;)

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Glue Glider.....gotta have it!

Hi everyone! Happy Sunday to you......anybody out there still shopping? :) I have to share something totally cool with you that I just ordered.....it's called the Glue Glider and I found it at Joan's Gardens. It's like the ATG tape gun only much much smaller! LIke 1/2 the size and 1/2 the weight!!!! You must go look at it. She is having a buy one get one free sale until tomorrow!! She is offering it for 12.99. So you get TWO gliders for 12.99 plus shipping. The refills are 7.99 right now. This is a fraction of what the ATG costs! Sharon and Jerri both have it. If you click on their names it will take you to their testimonials. I can't wait to get mine. I have been wanting an ATG gun ever since I saw it demonstrated on Chic N' Scratch! So I am so excited. Just had to share!! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Hot-linking....And a journal jar...

Hey all! Hope you all had a fun time shopping today! (if you went out). I was out briefly this morning and it wasn't too bad where I went. I didn't buy much, just some fleece to make one blanket! But I didn't try to brave the malls or the huge "box stores" as they call them in Vermont. When we moved here and heard that term we were like, "what are box stores???" Well people here refer to Best Buy, Staples, Toys R Us, Circuit City, Bath and Body Works as "box stores." I am not sure why....maybe it's because they are all shaped like big boxes!! I had never heard them called that before we moved here! LOL Thought that was funny.

So there's been A LOT of posting recently about "hot-linking." Have you heard of this? Here and here and here and here are some posts on the subject. Julie Ebersole and Kristina Werner have valuable information on their blogs. Those are the links I just provided. Please check them out. I wasn't aware of it....
So on to my project! I am so happy with how this Journal Jar turned out! This one will be for my daughter's teacher (1st grade). I absolutely LOVE this idea. I hadn't seen one before and it's easy, fast, inexpensive, and super cute! Here is the jar I saw that inspired me to make my own. I just love Nicole's blog! So many wonderful creations!

This glass jar came from Michaels. It is approximately 4 inches tall and the top is approximately 4 inches in diameter. I used a combination of my Cricut Mini Monograms Cartridge, my purple Marvy Scallop Circle Punch, regular circle punches, and my Cuttlebug Scallop Circle Dies to make all the layers. The ribbon came from MIchaels as well. It has a satin feel to it.The little strips of paper inside the jar are individual questions that you or an interviewer might ask a teacher. They were made using my computer and printer. I can email you my list if you are interested in making one of your own. I used the list Nicole provided but I also added two more pages of questions that I found on the internet when I googled "questions to ask a teacher." First I cut them out into strips and then I curled them with my bone folder, just like curling ribbon! Instead of using a butter knife or scissors, I used my bone folder because I was afraid of tearing the paper.
The top was made with my purple Marvy Scallop Circle Punch and my Cricut Mini Monograms Cartridge. I inked the edges of the scallops using a makeup sponge and Close to Cocoa ink. The apple image is stamped using VersaColor black ink and then embossed with Clear Detail Embossing Powder. I then colored the apples with my Prismacolor Markers. I added a little white from a gel pen on the highlight of the apple.The sentiment is from Hero Arts. It is one long sentence but I wanted to break it up into two lines so I used my Stampa-ma-jig for placement. I decided to use this sentiment since the journal jar is meant to be used on a daily basis, and hopefully the questions in the jar will help the teacher document her career over the years. The small medallion on the front of the jar was made using my Cricut (same cartridge), my Cuttlebug Scallop Circle Dies, and regular circle punches. There are some dimensionals in between two of the layers. I love that look!
If you'd like to make one for your child's teacher, and wish to use the questions I cut out, please let me know and I will email you the word document. It's a really cool project and one that I really enjoyed making! If you have any questions please let me know! Thanks for stopping by!!

Some pics...and new music

You like the new music? I love Christmas music and today after all of our traditions, I decided to come down and make a new playlist with just holiday music. I could sit here and listen to it all day! Of course if you don't like it you can hit stop on the player. ;)

Today was a great day! We ate like piggies and then played some family games and then called the family down in Florida and the phone was passed around the room here and down there. We even got some snow flurries while we sat an ate! In case you didn't know; I LOVE SNOW! LOL You'll be seeing lots of snow pictures this winter!


I tried to create something tonight but I was having too much fun listening to the Christmas music! I did make up these journal jars the other night for my younger kids' teachers this year. I saw the idea on Nicole Heady's blog. I thought it was an awesome idea!! I found two small jars and two baskets at Michaels and I got two sketch books from Ben Franklin. (Michaels carries the same kind.) I will also add a pen, a small datebook that I found at Michaels, a bookmark and maybe some notecards for each teacher. This is the first year actually that I will make something for their teachers. The teachers always send a note home before Christmas asking parents not to buy gifts for them, but when I saw these jars I couldn't resist making them. I have printed out the journaling questions and cut them into strips and have curled them. I used the list found on Nicole's blog but I also found other questions on the internet; questions that teachers would be asked during a job interview. My little jars are crammed with curled up strips of paper! LOL I had to smoosh them down a little as I filled the jars so that all of them would fit. LOL. I haven't decorated the outside of the jars yet, that's why I haven't posted pictures. The jars are cute though without decoration! :) I will post them this weekend....


Anyway, I just have a couple of pictures to share with you. First is my Jazz.....he hates his picture being taken. I opened my camera in another room because as soon as he hears the lens pop out (a little mechanical noise) he goes running and hides wherever he can! So I snuck up on him! He looked up at me and then I snapped the picture. Well he looked away to get up off the floor and that's the picture I ended up with! Crazy dog! Yes that is my vacuum and my shampooer behind him! LOL
Then there's Hershey. He is so photogenic and loves his picture being taken. He looked at me before he started to walk away and when he saw the camera in front of my face, he sat down for me! LOL. I wish Jazz would do this!!!! Little stinker! Hershey is a Shitzu-Poodle mix. He used to be very dark brown like chocolate; hence the name. But then he lightened up and now he looks like caramel!Then there's Jared carving the turkey...........look how interested our son looks! LOLAnd last but not least, are the pies! I tried to take a picture before Katie cut into them, but I missed my opportunity! The one on the left is a 4-berry pie! YUM!! Looks sloppy but it's oh so good! LOL.Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Anyone getting up at o-dark thirty to go shopping???? I am taking Katie early, like 7:30, to Joann's. She wants to get some big thread holder display thingie. That's as early as I am getting out the door! So I will close for now.....sorry this is so long! LOL. Have a great night; happy shopping and stamping!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Good morning! Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I can't believe today is here already; seems like yesterday I was eating turkey! LOL. I have had my turkey in the fridge for 5 days now, and this morning, I pulled it out and he's still somewhat frozen! I couldn't get the neck out and the gizzards out of the cavity. So now he sits in water.........and we wait......lol

Meanwhile I am going through all my blog updates. I have signed up for so many newsletters that it takes me a good 2 hours to view them all! That's okay though, I love it! I also had to check out the SU sale that's been so excitedly talked about! I plan on ordering some things but I also want to take advantage of the sale at JustRite stamps that I shared with you earlier. It's so hard to pick a starter set though; I love them all!

This year I have much to be thankful for. First, my family. We are healthy, we have a roof over our head, we have food on the table and we have each other! After two major surgeries in the family this year, we are grateful that we are all healthy now. In case you are new to my blog, I had emergency surgery at the end of March to remove my gall bladder. And my 9 year old son had emergency surgery just a few weeks later to remove his appendix! Not a fun spring this year! But we are all recovered and back to normal; whatever that might be! LOL.

I am also grateful that we both have jobs! So many people we know lost their jobs recently and I can only imagine what that must feel like just before the holidays!

Of course I am grateful for all the little things in my life and my beloved dogs, but I am so lucky to have the relationships that have with my family and close friends. I have made a few very close friends this year and it's been wonderful. And I feel this year, my family is a much tighter unit; it's awesome. So many of our friends have "lost everything"; their homes, their wives or husbands, children, pets, jobs..... We feel so lucky to have each other.

My thoughts are with those of you who have lost something close to you this year; whether that be a loved one, a pet, or an income. This time of year makes us think of those things much more and it's extremely hard during the holidays. I miss my parents all the time but the holidays are hard. I just count my blessings, which are many, and focus on the positive things that we have encountered this year. I always say to myself when I am feeling sorry for myself, "someone out there has it worse than me....." And it's true! So I count my blessings and thank GOD for all those things that I might take for granted!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday!!!! Thanks for stopping by today!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Christmas Planner.....Just a Peek!

Hi all! Hope you're having a great Sunday! Today I've been working on my Christmas Planner. I'm just showing you a little of it since I don't have it done. lol. The book itself is a sketch journal from the art section at Michaels or Ben Franklin. It measures about 8" x 6". It has a hard faux leather cover and is spiral bound. I believe I paid about 6 dollars for it. The paper inside isn't lined.


The stamp I used on the cover is from Inkadinkado. It is SO cute. I just love that fat little bird! The bird is really what made me buy the stamp. LOL I stamped it with VersaColor Black and then embossed it with clear detail EP. Then I colored it with my Prismacolor Markers and shaded the edges with a sponge and light blue ink from one of my Marvy Matchable pads. I layered with old olive cardstock, and patterned paper from KaiserScrapbook. I used my new Martha Stewart border punch along the bottom. The ribbon is from Michaels. The whole piece is adhered with square pop dots.


I took both covers off before I did anything to the front. I wanted to cover all of the black faux leather stuff. First I laid the cover down on the cardstock and with a pencil marked the holes. Then I trimmed the cardstock to allow for 1 inch excess all the way around. I adhered the green cardstock with Perfect Paper Adhesive and a 1 inch foam brush. I allowed this to dry and then started the image. Once it was dry, I turned the cover over so I could see the holes and then using my crop o dile, I re-punched the holes into the green cardstock. I layered the cover with old olive and then the pattern paper from KaiserScrapbook. And finally my stamped image.
The inside of the front cover is also adhered with PPA. I cut this paper to allow for 1/8" border all the way around so the green cardstock would show. I again covered up the holes with the paper so when it was dry, I flipped the cover over so I could see the holes again (from the front side) and then re-punched the holes. Then I put the covers back on the book.
This little snowman is from Inkadinkado as well. I stamped him, embossed him, and colored him in with my Prismacolor markers. I added the light blue ink to the edges as well.
You can see in the picture above a calendar peeking from the right side. I made that up in my computer. (the grid and month part) and then I stamped all the numbers. I stamped some images to coordinate with the month of November and colored them in the same as the snowman. I wish I had smaller numbers to use but I didn't. And I didn't feel like typing them in when I made the month template; I don't know why.... But I'm not showing you the calendar part because I'm not done with it. LOL I will show you more of the book as I complete more of it. :) So far, I like how it's turning out and it's fun to make.
Thanks for stopping by! Check in again to see more of my Christmas Planner!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Happy Saturday! A few things to share...

Hi All! Hope you are all having a nice Saturday so far! I have been cleaning this morning because Lauren has a friend coming over from school at 1 o'clock. But I am taking a brief break so I can share a few things....

First if you don't know about JustRite stamps, or you do and you haven't purchased any yet, now is the time to do it! They are having a buy one get one free sale until Nov. 30th. Click here and check it out! I have been dying to get some of these stamps!

Next, did you know that the Cuttlebug and the Stampin Up's Top Note Die can be used together??? I didn't know that, and I asked Angie over at Chic N Scratch and she wasn't positive so I did a search on SCS and I found this thread! I want one of those dies but I didn't want to buy the Sizzix machine! I think I might try my friend's first in my CB and see how it comes out.

Next, Krissy at Hanna Stamps lost her dad this week and her story really touched me since I lost both my parents and I sent her an email. Read her story here and I'm sure she'd appreciate some more cyber hugs....

And I know there was something else I wanted to share but now I can't remember. LOL. I will be back later and I am going to try to make something when I have a chance today! Thanks for checking in! See you soon!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I re-posted a tutorial

I guys! I wanted to let you know that I re-posted the tutorial for the Countdown to Christmas Box. Click here to view it, if you would like! :) I had offered it as a class last month so I took it off temporarily but since that time has passed I put it back on.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful night!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Making video tutorials...

Good Monday night to you! Hope you all had a great weekend! I was sick with a nasty cold all weekend, but I did manage to make a video tutorial for the recipe portfolio!!! Woohoo!! It has pictures and subtitles and cool effects and credits...........Do you see it in the list under tutorials?????? NO! You know why???? Because I can't upload the stinkin' thing! OMG. I don't know about you but when I can't figure something out on my computer, I get really frustrated!! I usually will keep at it for hours on end until I figure it out. Well not this time! LOL. The video needs to be converted to a different type of file in order to upload to veoh or you tube, so I downloaded a program that is supposed to convert files like that. Well, the program that I downloaded won't import the type of file that the video is so that I can convert it!!!!!!!!!! How stupid is that?? So in order to convert the movie so veoh accepts it, I have to convert it to a different file so the conversion program will convert it! That doesn't make any sense! So I give up unless someone out there can explain to me how to do it! LOL Anybody know? :)

So I am going to type out a tutorial right now and post it on another post. So here I go..........off to type it up... lol

Saturday, November 15, 2008

I haven't forgotten...

Hi everyone! Sorry about not posting this week. I was so busy at work and I am so tired when I get home. And I have caught a nasty cold! I feel awful! But it doesn't take much energy to sit at my computer with my feet on my desk and my keyboard in my lap! LOL. I am planning to make a video today showing you how to make the recipe portfolio. So check back later for that!

Are you getting any Christmas shopping done yet? I have been doing most of my shopping online this year and am almost done. This is the first time since I've had kids that I have started this early! But I am determined to stay away from the mall this year! LOL. I have only had to make one trip there so far.

I plan on getting myself some things as well ! LOL I am in love with JustRite stamps and want to get a starter set soon. And I want some more Prismacolor Markers. What are you dying to have? I"d love to get more ideas on things I need! ROFL!!

Thanks for checking in!!! Have a wonderful day! Leave me a comment with your wish list; I'd love to see it!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Webcam and Microphone all set up!

Hi!!! I am so excited to tell you that I have my webcam and microphone set up!!! Yayyyy!!! I can't wait to do my first tutorial!!! I think the first one will be the recipe portfolio. I know a couple of you have asked for it. So that will be coming. I might be able to get back online and do it after dinner.

Hey I added the logo "stamping top 50" to my blog and I am excited to see that right now it's at 103!! I couldn't believe it when I saw it the first time. I thought it had to be mistaken. LOL. So thank you for visiting me and making that possible!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful night!!!!! Talk to you soon!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Hi All! Friend coming over....

Just a quick note to say hey! I have a friend coming over to "play" tonight! So excited! We went shopping earlier today so now we have to try out our new stuff! LOL. I will post whatever it is we make.

I did dig out my webcam today and I am going to figure out how to do some video tutorials. I am off work tomorrow and I have to go find a microphone, cuz my puter doesn't have one built in and then try it out! I also have a video camera but I need another cord I think to make that one transfer over to my computer. Anybody have any clue about that? It's an older camera so it doesn't have a USB port on it. It has a S-Video connection so somehow I can get movies onto my computer with that. I know I've done it before about 4 years ago but one of my dogs chewed through that cord a few years back! Stinkin' dog! LOL

Anyway, check back later tonight or tomorrow morning and I will have something posted. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great night!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

My Recipe Portfolio is done! Look-see!!

Having a nice Saturday evening? It's been dreary here today. But I did finish my project!! Yay!! Like I said in my earlier post today, Lauren Meader made this and I saw it on her blog recently. I absolutely loved it and had to figure out how to make it. She said she was going to post directions but I am impatient! LOL So here's mine!The base of the card is cardstock (SU old olive) and the decorative border is double sided paper from KaiserScrapbook, made in Australia. I found it at my local craft store. I punched the border with a corner punch with the guard removed. Underneath the patterned paper is a small piece of vanilla cardstock punched the same way. I felt that the vanilla color made the pattern paper "pop" off the green. The words holiday recipes was stamped using my Stamp-a-majig and individual letters. I searched my stamp stash first for words and didn't like my options. The bow is like a velvety feeling cord. You can see from the side view below that I have eyelets set in the cardstock with the cord pulled through. They are little holly leaf eyelets.My portfolio was made with Christmas baking in mind. I don't know about you but I love the holidays and all the baking I get to do! :) So each category stands for something you'd bake for Christmas; cookies, cakes, breads, pies, bars & squares, and breakfast & brunch. There are 6 pockets and each pocket holds 5 recipe cards. I struggled with ideas for making the cards. I tried different stamps I have and didn't like any of the options...So instead of going and buying more stamps, which I could have done, (hahaha) I chose to use my computer. I used the Gigi font and just made a text box with a dotted border and then typed in what I wanted on the card. I printed several pages before I got the size right. Then I made a dotted circle for the titles. They are 1" in diameter and then I used my various sized circle punches for the layers.The pockets are decorative paper matching the one I used on the cover. The strip across the top is paper, not ribbon.
Here's what the pockets look like with no cards in them. (picture above) And in the picture below, you see what it looks like partially folded.
And below you see it completely unfolded. I really liked this project. Fun to make and like Lauren said they would make great gifts! Thanks for looking!! What do you think??