Free Stamps - Time's Running Out!

Don't forget the good deal on getting a FREE stamp set for every $50 you spend in product is almost over! The last date to order is March 17th! Let me know if you want to see a Sale-a-bration catalog or, better yet, purchase a Spring & Summer catalog for yourself for only $10. It's full of great ideas!

Contact me at - savo3@cox.net

Desert Friendly Photo Album

I was E-chatting with my brother and he was telling me how sand gets into everything over in the desert! He's been in Iraq for 3 months now and I thought maybe he could use a little cheering up! I took an Altoid tin, this was before my goof up order on Papertrey - totally my fault for being a little too quick on the "oh what the hell button" on my mouse! I wanted a different tin but those worked out to my advantage anywhooo, I primed this one too so it wouldn't be shiny for him to have out there too! I made it into a photo album of pictures of our family! I thought this will either cheer him up or maybe, make him happy he's so far away from such a goofy bunch of people! Well, everyone but me of course! LOL! I finished it tonight so take a look at it and tell me what you think! I don't think sand will get into this one!

Here's the outside! I used Modge Podge to adhere it to the tin



I put a picture of his wife and kids on the inside and the rest of the pictures are on an accordian folded piece of cardstock (close to cocoa from SU!) The "Our Family" stamp is an old one I got a couple of years ago from 7Gypsies.



First side of photo album;



Second side of photo album;



My only regret on this is that I didn't have a picture of my oldest brother and his kids in there too! He wasn't able to make it for Thanksgiving this year. I will have to add to it later when I get a good one of him!

Thanks for looking!

Call Me Bologna.......

Call me bologna cuz I'm on a roll here tonight! I went to my blogger friend Amy's site and saw the neatest tutorial on how to make floral stones into magnets! Too cool I thought but.... I needed something to put them in too! I had ordered the wrong tin from Papertrey last time I placed an order - or so I thought! What was a blunder has now turned into the "perfect container" for my magnets! I love how these turned out! I also had the chance to use my new Air Force stamps too! Love it! The AF one is going to a friend and the other two are going to my future hostesses of upcoming Stampin Up parties! I'm giving them away whether you did a book party or an "In-Home" type party! If you want to be a recipient just let me know! Take a look at them;

USAF magnet tin



Inside of USAF magnet tin - can you see how I got the stars & stripes in there too!



Showing off SU's new "Ginger Blossom" designer paper and "Embrace Life" stamp set



Here's the inside of the "Embrace Life" magnet tin



These magnets were insanely easy to do! I did another set but need to do one more thing before I post it! Stay tuned I have more.....

Classes Coming Soon!!

It's time to mark your calendars for more classes! YEAH! I'm really excited about these too!

Class Schedule
Pre-registration is a MUST to make sure I have enough products for everyone!

Mar 14 6:00 -? – PMS night! What is that?! Pizza, Movies and Stamping! It’s an opportunity to eat pizza, watch a good movie and, of course, stamp! I’ll have make & takes and you’ll be able to use any of my stamps or toys to create your “one of a kind” creations! You only need to bring your cutter, paper and your adhesives! $10 per person
Mar 30 2:00 - ? – 6x6 album in a night! This is an opportunity to put together a fast album of a special event or a special person(s) in your life! This class includes *6X6 linen ring bound album, *paper kit, free use of my stamps and tools. You only need to bring your cutter and your adhesive. Let me know which album and paper kit you want, I will be placing the order soon $40*!
Apr 13 2:00 - ? – Spring Flowers Workshop. Create cards and gifts with flowers being the focal point! These will be perfect for Mother’s Day gifts! Class costs include the “Build a Flower” kit which comes in a great “alterable” tin! $13* (cutter and adhesive not included)
Apr 27 2:00 - ? – Stamp A Stack. Come join the fun and make a “stack of cards”! Bring your adhesives only as I’ve done the rest of the work for you! $10

* (if you can’t make the class but would like to take advantage of this good deal let me know and I will put your kit together for you!)

Here is a "cutter and tape" picture so you can see what I mean! I used Stampin Up's sticky tape for the picture but you can bring whatever you have!



Don't be shy and sign up for your classes today!!



My Email to sign up - savo3@cox.net

What A Cutie & More!

I jsut love these pictures of Michael! He was such a cutie pie! Well, okay he still is but, I just loved the baby version! I had to get some nice pictures done before I went to Korea (I am prior AD Air Force) for a year and he actually cooperated! YEP! He sure did! I struggled with this layout as I glued it all down before I was 100% in love with it!


The duck was an "afterthought" - what do you think of it?

This wasn't the only thing I have accomplished lately! Miracles of all miracles has happened this week! What am I talking about?! I wish it were the act of my magic fairy but, alas, no matter how hard I wished she never came through! Okay, really what am I talking about here?!! I can see the carpet on the floor of my crafting room!! I like to think of it as carpet preservation, insulation of sorts..... my husband likes to think of it as a "mess"! He's so crazy though! He just doesn't understand! LOL! Then again he's one of "those" and has been caught polishing the top of our chrome trashcan because it had fingerprints on it....! LOL! That's a whole other story though! Before you ask though, no - I have never had to ask him to pick up his socks or to put the toilet seat down! Lucky girl I know!! So, now to clear off my desk where a lot of it wound up! LOL! A girls work is never done! LOL!

NOVA Shoe Box Swap

What a great Sunday! We went to church early because I had some great plans that I didn't want to miss out on! I was able to participate in a "shoebox swap"! What, do you ask, is a shoe box swap?! Well, my shoe loving heart was sad that it has nothing to do with shoes!! It does, however, have everything to do with making some awesome cards designed by other talented ladies! We knew ahead of time how many other people were coming, created one card for an example (the smart ones made directions - don't ask which one I was as it was my first!) and then cut supplies to share with everyone. We all then made one of everyone else's using that person's supplies! Great concept right! This was perfect to fill my card basket for upcoming shows! Check out the slide show below to see them all!

If you're looking at this and see something you like, let me know! Everything was made with items (including tools)from the current Stampin Up Catalog!

P.S. mine was the gray pocket card made with the sailboat stamp set!

Enjoy!!

BESTEST Valentine EVER!!!

I just love my kids! Despite all the frustration and moments where all you can think is "OMG what were you thinking.....were you even thinking...". They sure are good at turning around and just making you feel warm, fuzzy and very loved! I went to get my cup for my coffee and look at what I found! LOL! How can you not feel the love when you find something like this!



My daughter was actually crafting behind my back! I love it! She looks just like me too doesn't she?!

Valentines Day Recycle

Happy Valentine's day! I wanted to give the girls in my office something for today. They all like chocolate and I needed a lot of them so I came up with this idea! One of the girls has a little 9 month old baby who is still eating baby food. Baby food doesn't seem to come only in little jars anymore, now they come in the coolest little plastic containers! HELLO POSSIBILITY! I love these things and have a huge bag of them!

I used everything SU except for the sticker on the top of the flower. I found a good deal at a fabric store for Valentines and it was a perfect match to the colors of the candy I had alredy picked out! What luck! I hope they like their little gift!



If you've done any recycling into a great craft project let me know! I'd love to see it and post a link on my blog!

New Cards!

Well, I finally finished up a few cards I had started recently. I must make mute cards a lot because sometimes, they just don't speak to me! I just couldn't figure out what they "needed"! LOL! Anyway, here are 3 cards I fnished up last night!

I used SU everything for this one and I am pretty happy with how it turned out too! I don't use the Designer Paper as often as I should! I think things are on a verge of change with these! LOL!



I made this card to give to a friend of mine at work! She's SO sweet and when she came back from New Orleans recently she brought me a small gift. This card is her "thank you"! I like to make the card and write on it with a post it note, that way they have the card as a little gift too! I really like this one!



This is my first attempt at paper piecing! The rhino was stamped on DP and then cut out and placed on a pop dot! I bet you'd never think I cut it from the other side of the paper I used as a background for the "celebrate" card above! I just love how SU does that with their paper! It's so versatile! Anyway, this was my mute card! It didn't speak to me and I'm still not so sure I heard it 100%! The words were my stopping point! What do you think? Oh, and I also limited myself to only SU on these cards!



So let me know what you think! I love feedback!

Look What I Got!!

YEAH!!!! I'm so excited! I got one of those wonderful "Blog Awards" today! OMG! It totally made my day! Nardi in Australia thinks I have an excellent blog! Lookie below



Isn't it great! The rules of the award are to pass it on to other excellent bloggers so, I am nominating two other blogs I read as often as I can below Since DH is pacing for the computer with DD on his heels, I want to reserve the right to post more later! Don't forget to visit these great blogs!

Thank you again Nardi!




Amy

Vanessa

PIF - Let's Have Some Fun!

PIF?! What does that mean?! It means "Pay It Forward"! It also means fun, freebies and sharing! YEAH! Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Pay It Forward - Blog Candy
Nardi, a really cool Stampin Up demo from an awesome, warm and fun place - Australia, offered some Pay It Forward blog candy for the first three bloggers to leave a comment and I just happened to be one of them.

In return, I am to Pay It Forward (PIF) on my own blog. Hence here I am...

If you want to join in the fun:
1. You need to have your own blog so that you can then PIF.
2. Then be one of the first to comment on this blog post and I will send you some blog candy.
3. Just remember to PIF on your blog and send out a little something to the first 3 people who comment on your blog.
And the cycle of PIF will continue to bless and brighten one another's day. It is that simple!

So on your marks, get set....POST!!! First three to the comment box will need to start stalking their mail boxes! ;o) The surprise will be all yours.

Wanna play?!

Wanna visit Nardi's blog too?! Here ya go....

www.cardbynard.blogspot.com <-- I tried for a hotlink but it was being crankier then me this morning! Just cut and paste this into your browser and it will work for you!

Mail Call........

Who wouldn't want mail to come in these little cuties! My daughter is so crafty too! When she's in the mood, as only a mother of a teenager can relate too, she'll craft with me! The difference between her and I, at times, is she'll complete a project first! LOL! This is no exception as I'm waiting for the "right thing" to finish mine but here are pictures of Breanna's mail boxes she made AND already gave to her friends! We filled them with candy and red nail polish! A girl needs red nails on Valentine's day right!

Here are the fronts;



Here are the sides;



Drop a line and let her know how she did! Maybe it'll encourage her to craft with her Mom more often!

Neat Idea

I have a Dad who is hard to buy for - don't we all have someone like that in our lives?! Holidays stress you, birthdays etc.... what do you get them especially when they can buy it for themselves if they really want it right?! Well, a band teacher who works at the same school as I has a business on the side that was the best idea yet! He has a business for videography of special events such as weddings etc. I have the plans, right now to have him put pictures on a DVD of my parents through the years and each of us children! There are 5 of us, I was cursed, I mean blessed with 4 brothers and I have pictures of all of us at different stages of life that would be an awesome DVD for my Dad to watch! I lost my Mom 3 years ago so including pictures of them at different stages of their marriage would be great! I also asked him to help me repair a photo that I had glued into a picture frame of a calendar I had planned to give my Mom the same year she passed away. It was my favorite of my 3 kids and I thought it was ruined! He saved it and I am so grateful as he did an awesome job! So I thought I'd share this awesome idea with you as I'm sure he can help anyone even through the mail! So if you're looking for a good, no make that great gift idea, then check out his website at http://www.beltwayvideo.com/index.html - tell him Michelle sent ya!

Give it a thought, or two!

Okay John, there's the plug I promised! You really did a great job and I am thankful!

Framed!

I feel like saying "It's here, it's here" again! Why?! This time I would be referring to the weekend! OMG! This had to have been the longest week ever! One of my duties is to do report cards and all it entails short of giving the actual grades! The computer entry, the printing, the reprinting, the reprinting, the reprinting.....yes I meant to say that 3 times! LOL! It can get pretty hectic at times! I also have many other things that keep me going and today, I was smart, I wore tennis shoes (Fridays are casual) and good thing as I felt like "Michelle, the human yo-yo"! I really do love my job, don't get me wrong, I do! I just love being with the kids and the interactions there! The hugs, waves, and "Hi Ms. Hale's" all make it worthwhile! Anyway, on to the most recent project I have done! I have been wanting to make one of these frames and this week I had the opportunity! It's School Counselor week and we have one of the most awesome counselors around! I made her this frame with her name on it and the Bella I ordered because it reminded me of her! She's so fashionable and it looks just like her! She's also my mentor for my running adventures too! I got so many tips for my marathon from her (she's run 5 and is trying to qualify for Boston!) and I wanted her to know how much I appreciate all the stuff she does for me as a friend and a co-worker! Take a look and see what you think!

Here's the frame from a distance so you can see the whole thing! I don't know what I used (I used scraps mostly) except the ribbon is retired SU ribbon, the background was a neat stripe I probably picked up at Michael's, I got the stickers from JoAnnes, the flower from Target Dollar Spot and added a MM square brad to it. I also use the 1" and 1 1/4" circle SU punches and both the large and small tag punches too! I LOVE SU punches! They are simply AWESOME! The alphabet stamps are from SU but have been retired and the stamped image is actually called a "Bella" and I ordered it from a company in Canada that has some really cool images to stamp! I guess I knew most of what I used! LOL!



Here's a close up of the Bella -



I, of course, had to do a card for her! Here's my take on a "Super Counselor" card!



The frame is actually one of the kind that comes with a mat precut for a child's sports pictures - individual and team! I like how it turned out - what do you think?!! Leave me a message! I love to read them!!

It's Here, It's Here............

Sale-A-Bration's finally here! YEAH!!! Don't forget for a limited time you can get extra stamps for EVERY $50 you spend in product! How great is that?!! If you make a qualifying purchase you not only get your purchase but you can get a hostess set, free merchandise AND the extra free stamps! WOO HOO! You have to love a good deal like that! The best thing about the Sale-A-Bration stamps is they come pre-cut for you to just pop out and get stamping within minutes of opening your new box of treasures! Look below to see what I mean;


This is what it looks like before separating the rubber parts;



Here's what I mean about the stamp being pre cut and ready to pop out!



Another little hint for your rubber part of the stamps when they come like this. You can carefully cut that part that you popped the "positive" part out of to creat a "negative" stamp to use! This creates more stamps for you to play with!

Let me know when you're ready to place an order - just email me at savo3@cox.net