Done!

I gotta tell ya . . .my least favorite thing about the end of the year is inventory . . . but with the help of my dear, sweet, darling husband, I think we finished inventory in record time this year!

YAHOO!! We had everything counted and tallied in just over four hours!

Now that I'm home, I'm going to have some lunch . . .take a nap . . .and then start stamping . . .got lots of projects in the works . . .and I have two whole days off, so I can get lots of stamping done!

BTW . . .those NEW Valentine Penguins & Polar Bears from Memory Box are on the way! Sooooooooooo cute! Click here to see them.

ta ta for now . . .

Happy Birthday Tin

A while back, a client had asked if I could order some Band-Aid Tins for her . . . she said she saw an article in the Aug/Sept issue of Scrap & Stamp Arts magazine and wanted to make a few for Christmas gifts.

Well . . . she brought them in (all 20!) to show me what she did . . . and OH my! They were EVER so cute! I just had to try one out for myself.

Sooooo . . . here's the tin I made:

What I used:

White Band-Aid Tin
Reef Journey 6x6 Paper by 7 Gypsies
Stylish Sentiments Stamp Set by Inkadinkado
Pearlescent Chocolate Brilliance Ink Pad
Grungeboard (Alphabet & Elements)
Distress Crackle Paint
Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon
Flower
Button
Glue Dots
Wonder Tape
Zip Dry Glue

How to:

Paint Grungeboard with Distress Crackle Paint . . .the thicker you apply the paint, the more it cracks. Set aside to dry.
Cut patterned paper to 3 1/4" x 6"
From the left over piece of paper, cut a second piece measuring 3 1/4" x 3" (Since the patterned paper wasn't long enough to fit around the entire tin, I created a seam on the back and side of the tin.)
Adhere smaller piece of patterned paper to tin using Zip Dry glue
Stamp sentiment on larger piece of patterned paper. (I placed the paper over the tin and "pinched" the edges where the paper would wrap around and used my pinch marks as a guide to stamp the sentiment.)
Adhere larger piece of patterned paper to tin.
Wrap 1/8" Wonder Tape around the lid of the tin and attach ribbon.
Use Glue Dots to adhere the button to the flower and the flower to the tin.
Use Glue Dots to adhere Grungeboard to tin.

Viola! A decorated Band-Aid Tin!

**Tip: If using paper larger than 6x6, cut it to measure 3 1/4" x 7 3/4"

Another Holiday Song

To the tune of "Jingle Bells" . . .ready? Everybody sing!

Dashing through the snow
To the stamp store here we go.
O'er the streets we pass
Anxious to spend cash!

Stamps on store shelves call
Making spirits bright.
Oh what fun it is to sing,
The stamping song tonight!

Stamping art, stamping art,
Stamping all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to stamp
In the good old fashion way!

Stamping art, stamping art,
Stamping's here to stay!
Oh, what fun it is to stamp
All the gifts you give today!

Happy holidays! May you have a blessed holiday season!

ps: I didn't come up with these songs . . .they were sent to me a llllllooooonnnnggg time ago by my upline way back when I was an SU! demonstrator. :D

Create a Votive Candle Holder . . .

. . . help a furry friend!

Come on over for Make-N-Takes on Saturday, December 22 to create a Votive Candle Holder* from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

No RSVP necessary, just stop by any time between 5 - 8. See you there!

$5.00 donation*

*Proceeds from the Make-N-Takes will be donated to the Escondido Humane Society.

A Few More . . .

. . . nope . . .still haven't made one Christmas card . . .guess I'll be doing Happy New Year cards this year . . .

In the meantime, here are a few more thank you cards:

Cathy over at St. Clair Stamps was my inspiration for the above card. She does such beautiful stuff!

What I used:

Mega Thanks stamp set by Stampendous

Graphite Black Brilliance Ink

Rocket Red Gold Brilliance Ink

Patterned cardstock by Fancy Pants (I think . . found it in my stash)

Green Cardstock and White Cardstock by Prism

This Giraffe is so stinkin' cute I couldn't stand it! Again I saw a sample done by Cathy using this set . . .and of course, I had to have a set for me!

What I used:

Mindy's Zoo by Autumn Leaves

Thanks by Lockhart Stamp Co.

Jumbo Java VersaMagic Ink

Patterned Cardstock . . .from my stash . . .not sure of the manufacturer.

Light Green and Husk Cardstock by Prism

PrismaColor Pencils

Thanks for looking!

Just a Few Cards

Wow! I can't believe Christmas is less than a week away! I haven't even thought about (much less started) making my cards yet! I better get on it!

In the meantime, I've been busy making thank you cards. Here are few:

What I used for Floral Thank You:

Two Steppin' in the Garden stamp set by Technique Tuesday
Stylish Sentiments stamp set by Inkadinkado
Red Pepper Adirondack Ink
Salmon Adirondack Ink
Graphite Black Brilliance Ink
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink
Stipple Brush
Fabriano card

What I used for Flower Trio:

Flower Trio stamp by Gina K.

Stylish Sentiments stamp by Inkadinkado

Graphite Black Brilliance Ink

Eggplant Adirondack Ink

PrismaColor Colored Pencils

Frosted Cobalt, Brilliant White, and Black Prismatics Cardstock by Prism

Fine Tip Black Pen

Ribbon

Watercolor brush (to color the vase using the Eggplant ink)

What I used for Cappuccino Thank You:

Cappuccino stamp by Inkadinkado

Ring stamp by Inkadinkado

Stylish Sentiments by Inkadinkado

Sand Beige Versacolor Ink

Pearlescent Chocolate Brilliance Ink

3-D Crystal Lacquer (for the foam on the cappuccino)

Fabriano Card

There are the details . . .the stamping is pretty straight forward . . . but if you have any questions about any of the cards, feel free to email me. :D

Another Gift Packaging Idea

Here's a little pail perfect for just a "little something."

Side View--------------->

Top View --------->

What I used:

Pail from Stampendous
Red Scroll Felt Fusion
Classic Red Cardstock from Prism
White Cardstock from Prism
Swirl Tree from Rosie's Roadshow
Sentiment Stamp from American Art Stamp
Diamond Dots from Stampendous
Mega Circle Punch
Giga Scalloped Circle Punch
Zip Dry Glue
Two-sided Tape
Circle Cutter
Sheer Red & White Polka Dot Ribbon
Tag Punch
Onyx Black Versafine Ink
Rocket Red Brilliance Ink
Colored Pencils
Fine Black Pen


How to:
Cut Felt Fusion to wrap around the bottom of the Pail
Carefully remove adhesive backing from Felt Fusion and adhere to Pail

Cut a 3 1/2" circle from white cardstock using circle cutter and edge with Rocket Red ink
Punch Scalloped Circle from Red Cardstock and doodle border with fine tip pen

Stamp Swirl Tree using Onyx Black ink, color with pencils and embellish with Diamond Dots
Use Fine Tip Black pen to "ground" the Tree
Punch out using Mega Circle Punch and adhere to Red Scalloped Circle
Adhere Red Scalloped Circle to white 3 1/2" circle
Adhere white circle to Pail lid using Zip Dry glue

Punch tag from white cardstock
Stamp sentiment using Onyx Black ink
Doodle border using fine tip pen
Adhere to Classic Red scrap and trim to create a border around white tag
Tie tag to Pail handle with ribbon

Ta-da! All done!

Make an Ornament . . .

. . . help a furry friend!

We'll be hosting Make-N-Takes this evening at our retail location from 5:00 - 8:00. No RSVP necessary . . .just stop by and make an Ornament using Luminarte's Primary Elements.

The cost is $5.00 donation. All proceeds will be donated to the Escondido Humane Society.

See you tonight!

Easy Gift Card Tins

Sooooo . . .I had about five minutes to spare last night, so I whipped up these Gift Card Tins.

What I used:

Large Hinge Top Candy Tin (fits a gift card perfectly!)
Patterned Paper from Daisy D's
Happy Holidays Stamp from American Art Stamp
Onyx Black Versafine Ink
Felt Flower & Button from Noteworthy Embellishment Jar
Mini Glue Dots
Grosgrain Ribbon
Zip-Dry Adhesive
Xyron Create-a-Sticker
Corner Rounder Punch

How to:

Cut patterned paper to 2 1/8" x 3 1/2"
Round corners with punch
Adhere to top of Candy tin using Zip-Dry glue
Adhere Button to Felt Flower with a Glue Dot
Adhere Felt Flower & Button to Tin with a Glue Dot
Run Grosgrain ribbon through Xyron and attach to Tin
Stamp sentiment, if desired

Done! See . . .told ya it was a quick and easy project!

Hero Arts 2008 Catalog Debut!

Silly me! I've been so busy making treats I forgot to post that I took part in the Hero Arts 2008 Catalog Debut!

Select images from the NEW catalog have arrived! Click here to see what's new!

And . . .if you want to see the enitre catty . . .stop by and take a looksee . . . they've got some pretty cute new stamps!

Remember all those Snowmen?

Well . . . here's the finished project!


These are packets of "Snowman Soup" that I gave out during our Open House last Saturday. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!


What I used:


Frosted Cobalt Cardstock by Prism
Majestic Purple Light Cardstock by Prism
Brilliant White Cardstock by Prism
Snowman Stamp by Great Impressions
Snowflake Stamp by Inkadinkado
Eggplant Adirondack Ink
Cool Peri Adirondack Ink
Mega Circle Punch
Giga Scalloped Circle Punch
Hot Cocoa
Candy Cane
Poem printed out from computer (see below for poem)


How to:


Cut Frosted Cobalt cardstock to 4.25" x 11"
Randomly stamp Snowflake with Cool Peri Adirondack ink
Score at 5.25", 5.5", and 5.75"


Cut Majestic Purple cardstock to 4.25" x 2.75"
Randomly stamp Snowflake with Cool Peri Ink
Fold in half


Stamp Snowmen with Eggplant Adirondack Ink on Brilliant White
Punch out using Mega Circle Punch (To do this, turn the punch around to line up the snowmen within the circle.)
Punch out Giga Scalloped Circle from Majestic Purple cardstock

Adhere Snowmen to purple scalloped circle.
Fold the Frosted Cobalt cardstock on the score lines to make a "w"
Adhere Snowmen to the Frosted Cobalt cardstock. . . kinda towards the bottom.
On the inside of the Cobalt stock, using a small piece of two-sided tape, adhere Hot Chocolate packet. Then, adhere the candy cane on the Hot Chocolate Packet.
Place the snowflake stamped piece of cardstock over the top of the cobalt cardstock and staple each side.


Adhere poem to the front and top it off with ribbon. There . . .all done! Hope you enjoy making your very own packets of Snowman Soup!


Here's the poem:

The weather's getting chilly
So listen, here's the scoop.
To warm up nice and quickly,
Have some Snowman Soup!


Just add hot water to the mix,
and stir it with a Peppermint Stick.
Sit back, relax, and sip it slow,
That should do the trick!

Oh Yummy!

I just opened a pack of that Metallic Cardstock from Prism . . .and it is luscious!

Click here to see.

A Holiday Song

To the tune of "Winter Wonderland" . . . ready? Everybody sing!

Brayers roll...are ya listening?
On the card...ink is glistening.
A beautiful sight...we're happy tonight,
Stamping in a winter wonderland.

In the kitchen we can build a snowman.
Then add color to his carrot nose.
You'll say: Are you finished?
I'll say: No ma'am,I need to add some glitter to the snow.

When we stamp...ain't it thrillin'?
Even when...the powder's spillin'.
We'll create and we'll play...the art stamper way,
Stamping in a winter wonderland.

And the Snowmen Winners Are . . .

Tracy
Jean
Jan

Congratulations ladies! Please email me using the link to the right so I can send you a Coupon Code.

The total number of Snowmen shown in the picture is: 60

Thanks to all who played along . . . shall we play another game of "How Many. . .?"



This snowman stamp is from Great Impressions. I've been busy this week finishing up goodies for our first Open House (which is this Saturday, from 5pm - 8pm). I'm so excited!

I do hope you'll be able to stop by! And there will be FREE Horse and Carriage rides from 5-9 . . .and it's also 2nd Saturday Art Walk, so the Galleries (and lots of other shops along Grand Ave.) will be open late. Come on down! It'll be fun!

In the meantime, can you guess how many snowmen there are? Three people who guess closest without going over the actual number will receive 10% off any online order!

**psst - just the number of times I stamped those guys**

Here are the guidelines for the game:

1. Guesses must be posted as a comment here on the Blog.
2. Guesses will be accepted through Sun., 12/09
3. Winners will be announced Mon., 12/10

Good Luck!

Need Mojo?

If you do, ya gotta head over to Poetic Artistry. Julee has a new sketch every Monday and calls it Mojo Monday. . . and she has prizes!

I was in a pinch and needed to crank out a few TY cards last night and was stuck . . .so off to Julee's blog I went and found the perfect layout to use.

Here's what I made:

The stamps are from Inkadinkado (Cappuccino & Stylish Sentiments), the background paper is from Daisy D's Snowflakes & Holly 6x6 paper pad, solid cardstock is Prism (of course!), inks are Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy, Crimson Red Versafine and Onyx Black Versafine. I also used my Mega Circle and Giga Scalloped Circle Punches. Quick & Easy!

Here's another quick and easy project that I did last night using Blank Board Blocks:

Sooooooooo easy! I used the Paisley Sugarplum 6x6 pad from Daisy D's. Super easy cutting since the blocks are 3" and the paper is 6"! Printed out NOEL on Classic Red Prism cardstock from the computer using an outline font and cut out the letters.

I used a smidge of double-sided tape to just adhere the paper on the blocks. Then I coated it with Modge-Podge, which I like because it dries pretty quickly. Once the Modge Podge was dry, I adhered the the letters and then did a second coat of Modge Podge. Done!

Well . . .pretty much done . . .could probably add a few Prima-type flowers and ribbon . . . anyway . . .thanks for looking!

And the Winners Are . . .

Cindy
Alma
Theresa
Vicki

Congratulations ladies! Please use the link to the right to email me so I can send you your Coupon Code.

The total number of Penguins shown in the picture is: 122

Stay tuned for another game of "How Many . . . "




This little guy is from The Cat's Pajamas . . .and he is ever so cute! I've been working on bag toppers for Jingle Bell Cruise (which is this Sat., December 1st) and thought it would be fun to play a game.


Can you guess how many penguins there are? The first three people who guess closest to the actual number without going over will receive 10% off any on-line purchase!


Ready? GO!

Save 10% on Tim Holtz Products

My goodness! Have you seen the stuff Mr. Holtz has been posting on his Blog? Sooooooooo cool!

Wanna implement some of those techniques? Here's your chance:

Save 10% on all Tim Holtz products now through Dec. 25th!

Just enter coupon code "TH12Days" during checkout. Click here to shop.

The fine print: Please note, Grungeboard is really hot right now, so it might take a bit longer to receive it.

Hey!

Tim Holtz is doing demos and giveaways on his blog! Check it out by clicking the link below:

Tim's Blog

The Angel Tree

The Angel Tree is Decorated!

I am so excited to be participating in the Angel Tree Program! The tags are now on the tree . . . stop by and choose a tag to help a local military family!

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell . . .

Cruise!

Yep . . . it's still a go!

Tomorrow from 12:00 - 3:00, Grand Ave. will be lined with classic cars and I'll be strolling along the Avenue with treats!

See you there!

It's a Magazine Day!

Holy Canoli! Check out these fabu publications that Mr. Brown brought to me today:

Somerset Gallery:

Winter Take Ten (which has a GREAT card by Teresa A. using justjohanna stamps!):

AND the latest issues of:

Stamper's Sampler
Australian PaperCrafts
Australian Stamping & Paper Crafts

A Turkey Day Story

Okay . . .here's the Thanksgiving card I made that I was supposed to post earlier . . . along with the story that goes with it.

I received an email from a lovely gal asking if she ordered something from the website could I ship it to someone else without giving away who ordered the goods.

Of course I can! How fun!

Sooooooo . . . I made this card (well, not exactly like this, but pretty close) and wrapped up the package and off it went to the lucky recipient.

Wouldn't that be a lovely surprise to receive in the mail? A few goodies and an anonymous card?

I'll do it for Christmas, too . . .heck . . . I'll do it for whatever the occasion may be! Gives me a good reason to stamp . . . not that I really need a reason to stamp, but you know what I mean.

So . . . if you need a gift, just send me an email before ordering and I'll get to making a card! I include candy in the packages, too.

Happy Turkey Day!

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

As a reminder, our retail location will be closed Wed., 11/21 and Thurs., 11/22 for the holiday. Shipment of on-line orders will also be delayed two days due to the holiday.

Now on to a bunch of blah blah blah . . .

I thought I took a picture of a card that I made for Thanksgiving and was going to post it here, but I didn't take the picture for whatever reason . . . ***sigh***

And about that Shadow Box . . .I'm stuck . . .collage is difficult for me . . .I think it must take four times as long for me to complete something than others . . . oh to have that talent! But, I'm sure I'll find just the "right" thing and finish it up sooner or later. . . .

. . .and I must admit that part of that delay has to do with the fact that I've been a bit distracted over the past week or so . . . I've got some pretty cool events coming up in December so my poor brain hasbeenworkingthisfastwithoutabreakyesevenat3:00inthemorningfordaysnow. Whew!

So much to do and prepare for and just not enough hours in the day!

So with that being said, mark your calendar for December 8th! We're having our very first Holiday Open House at our retail location! We'll be open our regular hours that day, then close for three hours to set up . . .and then re-open at 5:00 for all the festivites . . .

Wait! Back up . . . Jingle Bell Cruise will be happening in Downtown Escondido on Sat., Dec. 1st (lots of other events, too! Visits with Santa, FREE Horse and Carriage rides, SNOW! Click here for the whole schedule) . . . and I'm gonna have some surprises for you . . .keep an eye out for the December Newsletter . . .it is going to be jam-packed with lots of information . . . which brings me to . . .

there will probably be an extra email or two during December . . . see?? I told you I've got lots of things happening! (theregoesmybrainagainintomaximumoverdrivebecausei'msoexcitedaboutallthefuneventsthatareplanned!)

You don't receive our newsletters? Click here to sign up! (the little box is at the bottom of the homepage.) They include what new products have arrived . . .what new products are available for pre-order (here's hint for one that's coming: "Two Scoops!") . . . savings at both our retail location AND online . . .just for a brief overview. . . .

Okay . . .enough blah blah blah for now . . . thanks for visiting!

YIKES! Almost forgot! Ta-da! Rosie's Roadshow is almost completely loaded on the website! Still have a few more categories to add . . .but I'm working on it . . .hmmmm, maybeicantalkmysonintoupdatingthewebsiteforme . . .(sorry, that's the brain in overdrive again.)

2 Bucks 2 Bucks 2 Bucks

Don't forget! We're having a Splendiferous Red Tag Sale this Saturday at our retail location!

Anything with a Red Tag will be just $2.00!

Yep . . . you read that right! Two bucks! Lots o' stockings can be stuffed to rim with these deals . . . some items will be up to 90% off!

But it's one day only . . .so don't miss it! Doors open at 10:00 am.

Keep an eye out for some fantabulous events happening here in Downtown Escondido during the month of December . . .more details to follow soon!

Oh HAPPY HAPPY DAY!

All you Rosie's Roadshow fans . . .get ready! You can now purchase them online!

Okay . . .wait, give me a few days to get it all loaded . . .and then you can get them online!

YAHOO!!

My Husband is a Genius!

Okay . . .I know . . .I've not been blogging much lately . . .I've kinda had my head in the clouds . . . and I can't seem to remember anything lately.

I'm working on this project (actually, I'm working on two projects). . . and I must interject here that I am much more of an "instant gratification" type of gal than a "paint and wait for it to dry before moving on to the next step" type of gal . . .that being said:

When I got those Blank Board Shadow Boxes in at the store, I immediately thought of the Distress Crackle Paint. Helllloooooo . . . .they go together! Like peanut butter and bananas (or jelly, if you prefer).

So, I brought a shadow box home and painted it. And there it sat, all painted and crackled and waiting for the next step . . . for 4 days, I sat and stared at it. I surfed the web for some inspiration . . .and then stared at the box some more. Finally, I told my DH what I had in mind, but wasn't sure how to execute it.

This is why he's a genius: "Use that sheet you have . . .the one that cleans up really easy."

duh! Why didn't I think of that?? . . . He's speaking of my Non-Stick Craft Sheet . . . and guess what?? It worked! See! I told you he's a genius.

Sorry . . no pics yet, but I've been very good at taking step by step pictures so that when this project is done, I can post it all at once with somewhat of a tutorial . .. should be ready by this time next year. .. just kidding . . .I'm on a roll now . .. . shouldn't be much longer . . .

Off to see if that paint is dry yet . . .

New Mags!

Yippee!! The latest issue of Paper Cloth Scissors has arrived! And . . .the latest issues of Australian Paper Crafts and Australian Stamping & Papercraft have also arrived!

Got some good reading to do!

10% Savings!

With all the new goods coming in . . .and the holidays approaching, I just couldn't resist!

Save 10% on your entire on-line order of $40.00 or more! Just enter Coupon Code "CATSNOV10" during checkout. Click here to start saving.

The Fine Print: Valid on-line only. May not be combined with any other offer or special. Not valid on Class Fees or Gift Certificates. Coupon expires 11/24/07.

Spooktacular Blog Special!

Save 10% on any purchase of $31.00 or more!

Valid in-store & on-line! To receive the savings at our retail location, just mention the Spooktacular Blog Special. For on-line orders, enter coupon code SPOOKY10 during checkout.

the fine print: May not be combined with any other special or offer. One coupon per person, please. Valid through October 31, 2007.

Oh Blessed Be!

It's RAINING!

New Goodies!

I'm so happy that UPS arrived yesterday and today! There are some fantastic new goodies for you:

Tinkering Ink Noir Blanc Cardstock - sooooo cool! two-sided 12x12 in all black and white!

NEW Clear Stamps from Inkadinkado

The latest issue of Somerset Studio

The latest issue of Mary Englebreit's Home Companion

New Embellishment Kits

Clear Sets from Hero Arts

Such good stuff!

Store Update!

We will be re-opening Thursday, October 25, and resuming our regular hours. There will be a table set up through Saturday, October 27 with a few card samples and supplies if you would like to stop by and make a card or two.

More Pics

Here are some pictures to compare with those taken on Monday (you can see those pics in a previous post). I tried to stand in the same spots so you can really see the difference.

The above picture is taken from the driveway.

This is the palm tree in my neighbor's yard . . .see how still the wind is today?

This is facing pretty much south . . .big difference, huh?

Here's a picture of part of our pool. It's not a very good pic, but that black line along the tile is ash . . .and you can see how much more ash sunk to the bottom. Not to mention all the debris from surrounding trees.

*****

Now for more colorful pictures . . .these are some of the cards I made when I stayed up through the night on Monday . . . stamping really helped keep my me busy while listening to the news.

I have to admit that when I first saw these images from American Art Stamp, I thought, "hmm . . not so much." Then I saw them again and thought, "eh, they're okay." Then I saw them in magazines and they started to grow on me. I thought, "why not?" So I ordered them . . and I really like them now.

They're weird and funky in a Tim Burton kind of way. They stamp beautifully . . . and can be colored pretty quickly . . .and there are lots of little spots that can be embellished with a Stardust pen or Stickles . . . . which aren't showing very well in these pics . . .but hey, photography just isn't my forte. :D

This stamp is from Stampendous and it just looks delish . . . no wonder I had a bit of sweet tooth while coloring it.

All of the images were stamped on Rosie's Really Good Paper and colored with PrismaColor pencils. I did use my Stardust Pen and Stickles and Clear Glaze Pen on most of them. Solid Cardstock is by Prism and Patterned Papers are from Crafty Secrets, Sassafras Lass, One Heart-One Mind and a2z.

Wow

What a difference a day makes. The winds have died down considerably so the helicopters were able to fly yesterday and help fight the fires. However, the fires are still burning, and a few more started overnight . . . there are now a total of 13 fires burning and more than 1 million people have been evacuated from their homes. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has been affected by this.

We never were evacuated from our home, and I am very thankful for that. The store is fine . . .although please note, we will be closed today as well. I will be going over there this afternoon just to check on it.

More updates later. . . .

Closed Today

Please note that our retail location will be closed today, Tuesday, October 23, 2007 due to the fires in San Diego County.

Some Sleep

I finally woke up my husband around 5:00 this a.m. so that I could get some rest. . . .I did sleep for about four hours . . .but, I feel like I'm on a boat. More caffeine, please.

I'll keep updating throughout the day . . . .

I'm Still Awake. . .

. . . and I'm still at home. It's just about 3:30 am. Another three hours and a half hours and I'll have been up for 24 hours straight.

Watching the fires on the news has been . . . I can't think of the right word. . . .

I step out front every now and again to check the hill . . .there hasn't been any glow for a few hours now. Then I go into the backyard to watch for falling embers. Lots of ash, but thankfully, no embers.

The moon is eerie . . . it's orange.

More evacuations have been ordered down south . . .near Spring Valley . . . apparently Mt. Miguel is now burning . . . some transmitters for local news stations are on that mountain . . .well, they were on that mountain.

I'm going to go back to my craft room, now . . .

San Diego Wildfires

10:00 pm Update - The good news is that we haven't received that 2nd call for a mandatory evacuation. We are, however, still on alert. The winds are still kicking pretty good here. I can see an orange glow on the hills if I stand in my driveway. Nerve-wracking to say the least.

I have a couple of friends who have been part of the mandatory evacuation and have spoken to them briefly . . .they are all okay. . . whew!

Thanks to all of you for the emails and comments! It is so appreciated.

Oddly enough, I've been doing the same thing that Deb has been doing. . . sitting at my craft table and coloring. Helps keep my mind from wandering to the horrible land of "Whatif."

I'll keep you updated . . . thanks again for all your thoughts!

2:30 pm Update - We have received the "Prepare to Evacuate" call, which means we will most likely have a mandatory evacuation in another hour or so.

If you have placed an online order within the past few days, please note there will probably be a delay in shipment until things clear up around here.

*************************

Just a quick post. Here are some pictures taken from my front and back yards. The fires are moving quickly . . .and the winds are pretty bad.




The picture above is taken from my driveway.


This is a palm tree in my neighbor's backyard to give you an idea of how strong the wind is.

This is taken from my backyard facing southwest.

This one is another from the backyard facing pretty much south.

I can only hope that people are heeding the advice of the police and fire department and evacuating when told to do so. . . .

Berry Branch . . .

. . . is the November Stamp of the Month from Great Impressions . . . and you can pre-order yours today! Gotta have it? Click here to get it.

Just a few cards

I was playing the craft room and came up with these few cards . . .

The leaves are actually a sticker . . .similar to Magenta's Peel-Off's and Stampendous' Class A'Peels. I put it on acetate and then applied Alcohol Ink to the back and cut it out. For the background paper that the leaves are on, I spritzed a little bit of Iridescent Gold Radiant Rain onto Husk cardstock. Then I randomly stamped the Bohemian Flourish by Paper Artsy in Adirondack Lemonade ink. I ran the leaves through my Xyron so no adhesive would show through when attached to the cardstock. The patterned cardstock that Give Thanks (The Cat's Pajamas) is stamped on is from the Earthy Pack of cardstock from Crafty Secrets. Solid cardstock is by Prism.


This holly card was easy-peasy! The silver holly leaves are stickers as well. I colored the berries with a Red Glaze Pen. The sentiment and holly leaves on the right are from the Vintage Christmas stamp set from Crafty Secrets. A little tear here . . .a little tear there . . .layer it up and call it a card!

Finally, for the Ornament Card, I applied the ornament sticker on vellum. Then I colored the back using VersaMagic (Tea Leaves, Red Magic, Ocean Depth, Aspen Mist) and Brilliance (Starlit Silver) ink pads. Layered it onto white cardstock and inked the edges with Ocean Depth. The swirly stamp is also from the Vintage Christmas set and was stamped using Starlit Silver. The "Season's Greetings" is a sticker.

Don't Watch a Toaster

Remember that old saying? You know . .. if you stand over a toaster, your toast will take twice as long?

Well . . .the same goes for the Distress Crackle Paint. tee hee

I brought some home tonight . . .I've been dying to try this stuff! Besides, I needed to make color swatches for the store. (can you hear the rationalization going on?)

Okay . . .so I've got all of my little tags on the table, a box with my non-stick craft sheet ready to catch my painted tags. . .which, btw, if you don't have one of those non-stick craft sheets, I highly recommend it. It's fabu for all sorts of stuff!

Tangent . . .sorry . . . . it's late . . .I spent the weekend in Vegas, so I'm a bit tired.

Back to the Crackle Paint:

There I am happily painting my tags and neatly placing them in the box . . .I figure that by the time I get to the fourth or fifth tag, the first tag should be "crackling" right? Wrong.

So, I keep painting . . . and I check again . . .still no crackles. Hmph . . .

Finally, after 24 tags, I think, "They've gotta be crackling by now, right?" Barely.

Hmph . . .I don't think I like this stuff. . . ***sigh*** . . . on to another project. . . so I start working on the next project . . . and about 10 minutes into it, I look over at my box with all my painted tags, and . . .oh GREAT! All the tags are curled!! Now what??

duh . . . of course they curled . . . paper does that when it gets wet. (Like I said, I'm still recovering from Vegas)

Fine. . . .let's start reshaping the tags . . . if nothing else, at least they're pretty colors. . . so, I pick up the first tag and start curling it the other way and guess what?? Lo and Behold! They were crackled!! And it looks soooooooooooo cool!

Lessons learned: Don't watch a toaster OR painted tags. . . .oh, one more thing . . .the thicker the paint is applied the better the crackles. . . .and, try to get more than three hours of sleep per night while in Vegas.

Oooh ooh!!

Jenni Bowlin goodies are here! Just wait til you see these little 4x4 packs of paper! Soooooo awesome!

Figgy Pudding Winterland

Yep! The NEW Basic Grey Collection and Clear Stamps have arrived! Sooooo yummy!

Back to "Play"

What? A day off?

Yep . . . well, sort of a day off.

I was actually out of town over the weekend, and didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning. . . .but boy oh boy did I bring home some good stuff for you!

NEW stamps from Prickley Pear!
NEW Acrylic Albums! (these things are sooooooo cool! click here to see them)

And then . . . Mr. Brown showed up today with FIVE boxes of goodness!

The Crackle Paint is officially at the store!
More Punches!
Fabu jars of embellies that include buttons, mulberry flowers, and felt flowers!
Radiant Rain Misters!
Sweet Chips from Crafty Secrets!

And even more goodies should be here by the end of the week . . . stay tuned!

A Day Off

Please note that our retail location will be closed Tuesday October 16. We will reopen Wednesday October 17th at 10 a.m.

Sparkle Wreath Cupcakes

I cannot wait for Mr. Brown to come in today . . . he's bringing me a big ol' box filled with sparkly goodies! Yep . . .ALL of the Radiant Rain Misters . . .yahoo!

And here's a sneak peek of a few more goodies that are due to arrive over the next week or so . . .

Jenni Bowlin, Anyone?

Oh yeah . . .I've got her stuff on the way. . . stay tuned for it's arrival . . .soooo cool!

More Stampendous is on the way . . .and other good stuff, too! Been busy going through catalogs and shop, shop, shopping!

Keep an eye out for updates both here and on the website . . . eeeeeeeeeeeee! So much fun!

And . . . drum roll please . . .the NEW Distress Crackle Paint has been shipped to me! YAHOO!! Should be here at the store by next Thursday. . .

MNTs

Here are the Make-N-Takes we did on Saturday for WCMD. And . . . lots of new images have been added to the Newer Gallery. :D

Ooh! Ooh!

Yahoo! I've got a few classes on the calendar . . .soooooooo cool! Click here to see the schedule.

FREE Make-N-Takes!

We'll be hosting FREE Make-N-Takes at our retail location tomorrow, Saturday, October 6 from 11:00 - 1:00 to celebrate World Card Making Day!

No RSVP necessary . . .just show up for some stamping fun! See you there!

Goodies Goodies Goodies

Lots of new goodies have been posted on the website! Click here to see what's new!

A few reminders:

Today is the last day to pre-order your Tim Holtz Crackle Paint at a special introductory price.

World Cardmaking Day is Saturday, October 6th! We'll be having FREE Make-N-Takes from 11:00 - 1:00 at our retail location.

Prickley Pear is having a Design Team call! Click here for more info.

And finally . . . .here's a card I made using the Vintage Christmas set from Crafty Secrets. (Sheesh . . . is it really time to start thinking about holiday cards already??)

Nice to get ink on my hands again . . . :D

Gift Box Studio

Okay . . .so these cool tablets of die-cut boxes, cards, envelopes and tags arrived sometime in August . . .but with the flood clean up and then moving the store, this is the first chance I've had to try them out.

And I must say . . .I'm pretty happy with these things! And I would rather not trace, measure, score, cut and fold. I just wanna punch out and fold. . . much faster! ; )

Here are a few pics of completed projects:

Slider Box - I stamped and embossed the flourish stamp from Paper Artsy and then put the box together . . .thought it added just a little bit more. Wrapped the ribbon around it and added the little card (yep! the card is part of the "studio")

Pillow Box - I just put it together, wrapped fibers around it, and added the little card. The bird stamp is from Crafty Secrets.

Interlocking Card - Easy Peasy! Just fold and tuck in the tab. The Cornucopia stamp is from Prickley Pear. I stamped it on Cream Puff cardstock, colored it with my PrismaColor Pencils, cut it out and adhered it to the card with foam tape.

I still have a few more to gussy up with stamps, cards, and embellishments . . . I'll post them soon.

Mighty Nice Mice . . .

. . . and Hoppers!

Yep, those ever so cute House Mouse and Happy Hopper Stamps have arrived!

And. . . .more Crafty Secrets goodies are on the way . . .and paper from 7 Gypsies . . .and Figgy Pudding cardstock from Basic Grey . . . and the Stamp of the Month from Great Impressions . . . and great holiday stamps from Inkadinkado . . .stay tuned for when these treats arrive!

Don't forget! You can pre-order the NEW Tim Holtz Distress Paints at a special price through October 3rd.

Hmph . . .

Blogging on a regular basis. . . I can't believe it's been more than a week since I've posted something!

Well . .. here I am . . .and there are goodies that have arrived . . .that are on the way . . .and even some that can be pre-ordered!

The latest issue of Stamper's Sampler has come in . . . and it's a really good issue! Some great Halloween ideas.

Speaking of Halloween . . . .Prickley Pear Designs have arrived! How perfect is this sentiment? after all, Halloween really is "all about the candy"!
And the Swanky Witch . . .



Here's the October board from Great Impressions! Those snowmen are ever so cute! And you can pre-order yours today by clicking here.



NEW clear sets from Inkadinkado! And this little fish set comes with embellishments!
And . . .look look look what's on the way! Yep . . .all the Distress Crackle Paints! And you can pre-order these, too . . .at a special introductory price! Hurry . . . the introductory price is good only through October 3, 2007. Click here to pre-order your paints!

I expect to receive those Happy Hoppers and House Mouse this week . . .and some super cool embellishments, too. . . .stay tuned . . . .