One last Valentine

Hello!  Well, I am still celebrating my birthday today.  Susie was over today for a visit and to bring me  a birthday gift, and my friend Mike, from Germany called today to wish me a Happy Birthday.  He never forgets.  It doesn't always work out for him to call on the exact day, but he always calls sometime the week of it.  It is so great to be loved by so many people!  I got a little bit of crafting done in between things.  I sewed the buttons on the 9 pin cushions I started yesterday, made a birthday card, and did a stamped/paper pieced magnet that I will show you soon.  During my rest break this afternoon, I watched an episode of House and worked on punching up scraps, the ongoing saga.  I went to the Fibromyalgia support group tonight and just finished eating supper.  Right now I am trying to head up to the sewing room but someone from Oregon is detaining me...by continuing to IM me.  We won't name any names, the guilty party knows who they are!  LOL  I'd better run before she discovers that I am still on here!  Until tomorrow...have a good night!

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi!  I am sending this card to all of you, my loyal readers, who I so appreciate!  I hope that you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!  I spent the day at home, answering the phone with all the Happy Birthday wishes from every one, reading and answering face book well wishes, and working on some projects.  I altered 3 cans today, and cut and sewed 9 pin cushions.  I still have some finishing work to do on them.  I set up a display in my living room of craft items so that any one that wants to stop in and purchase items can.  I have lot's of nice little gifts here.  I also did some cleaning and putting stuff away both upstairs and downstairs.  I did take a break for a few hours and laid on the bed with my box of scraps and punches and worked on punching up some scraps.  It is and endless project working on that, as I make more just as soon as I get some done.  But right now the box is going down and I am getting ahead of the game!  My tylenol pm is kicking in so I am off to laa laa land!  Happy Valentines Day!  Hugs!  Elaine

Sandy's Party

I hope you all are safe and sound, and snug in a nice warm house.  I ventured out this afternoon to go to the bank, pick up my prescriptions, deliver some Tastefully Simple and made a trip to the thrift store.  It was a trip that was well worth the stop as I brought home a trash bag full of fabric scraps, some batting, felt, and chipboard index cards.  I have big plans for that bag of scraps as there is a lot of good stuff in there.  Plus there is gaudy, satiny, sequin fabric that will make great Webkinz clothes and Brooke will be happy about that.  Her birthday isn't till June, but the way I get things done...lol...I'd better start thinking about it now.  I started working on some samples for next months camp and had a lot of fun doing that.  I have 2 cards made and 2 3D items.  I would probably continue to work but my neck has been bothering me since this afternoon, and I ache all over so I guess I'd better hit the hay and try to ward off a major flare up. Hopefully I can sleep it off! Tomorrow will be a brand new day!


This is one of the cards we made at Sandy's party last night.  Many people told me that they were going to use this card for their hubbies for Valentine's Day.  The lay out on this card is a nice one and could be used year round if you swap out the color's.  The gal's liked trying out the clear mounted stamp sets and found that it was a breeze to stamp the heart with in the heart with out using a Stamp-ma-jig. They are still a little fearful of the Circle Scissor Plus, but they did a great job, and no one had any goof up's with it that I know of.  It amazes them after they turn the cutter and the circle is cut.  I had many of them say to me that it didn't feel like it was cutting.  It really glide's with ease.  I find myself making many more cards with circle's on them than I did before as it works so slick once you get the hang of it.  I did not like the Coluzzle that we used to sell and I rarely demonstrated it.  My tylenol pm is kicking in so I'd better sign off while I am still coherent!!!  LOL  Otherwise, you won't be able to make heads or tails of this!  Hugs!  Elaine

Recipe: I(heart)Hearts,Perfect Polka Dots Impression Folder,Small Heart Punch,Scallop Circle #2 Die, Circle Scissor Plus, Glass Mat, Real Red & Basic Black Ink and Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock

Congratulations Card

Hello...greetings from blog land!  It sure was nice to watch it lightly snow this morning.   I needed to return some books at the library this afternoon and I ran into Anita Wilson and the Wilson's kids.  We had a nice visit, and the girls might join us for stamping on Monday night.  I also took some mini catalogs over to Adams Columbia for some of the gals there.  While I was out and about, I decided to check out Practical Cents and took advantage of their book sale.  You could buy a brown paper bag of books for $5.00.  I got 38 books in the bag, can you believe that?!?  And I will probably only keep a couple of them for me, the rest I will be giving to other people in my life.  I really hit the jackpot!  I also picked up a few other things in the craft department and helped a guy that was in my class in high school find some curtains to fit his windows.  He had a locker by mine in high school and we were friends.

Today's card uses the stamp set's Well Scripted and I (heart) Hearts.  I used the Raspberry Lemonade DSP for this card, and it shows that you don't have to use the hearts just for Valentine's Day.  They will work good for cards year round.  Stampin' Up is donating $2.00 from the sale of every stamp set of I (heart) Hearts to Haiti.  The last time I checked, we had sold over 7000 stamp sets!  Isn't that wonderful!!!  There is still time to help the cause, let me know if you would like to order a set!

A New Look in Mayberry

Another busy day in Mayberry.  Jessie and Jackie, my helper's from the flea market, came over after school today for about an hour and moved some things around for me.  When you come to visit, it will look really different in here.  They did a great job as usual.  They sure are good girls.  I did some prep work before they came and my body is tired and hurting.  But it looks wonderful, and it may not be from that, it could be the weather or lack of sleep.  I was wide awake last night.  I had gotten a really good nights sleep the night before and was not at all sleepy.  I finally turned off the light at 4am!!!  I was laying on the bed, punching scraps and watching TV for hours.  My body is kind of strange like that, the rare times I do sleep through the night, it doesn't know what to do with the good sleep, and then I won't sleep the next night.  But I felt good today, got something accomplished and that is the main thing.

Hugs & Kisses

Good Afternoon!  If you were at Doris's party, you probably recognized the scalloped piece of this card which is one of the new "hugs" you can buy from the Occasion's mini.  They come 20 to a package and are $4.95.  You can also purchase glassine envelope's to match.  I had decorated a few to show the gals and this is one of them.  I decided to show how they can be used on a card.  This was a very quick card to assemble as I had the majority of the work done!  I just added the stamped heart from the stamp set Best Wishes & more and popped that up on a dimensional to give the card some depth.  I recently acquired this stamp set in a trade I made.  I have wanted this set for a long time.  I love the curved verses in it and the fact that it cover's so many different occasions.  And the really cool thing about it is that the embellishments like this stamped heart will fit inside the scalloped circle!  Woo HOO! You will be seeing that sometime in the future!
I have been doing the dreaded "C" word this afternoon.  Cleaning!!!  I have to do that occasionally so that I can do the "S" words....stamp and sew!  LOL  Colleen and I decided while we were iming this afternoon to have a friendly contest to see who could get the most done.  No one actually wins, but it gets us motivated as we have to do something, to be able to write something...ha ha. As I am writing this, Taffy is playing under the computer desk with her mousie, and she has knocked some Stampin' Up! invitations on the floor for me to pick up.  Hmmm....I wonder if Colleen set her up to that one.  Do I detect a conspiracy!?!?!?  LOL  I have been doing things and dashing back to im them to her, and she must just be working and will tell me later as I haven't seen anything from her yet.  Does that mean I am winning.....hee hee!  Later!  Me

Valentine Time

It is time for me to start showing you samples of Valentine's.  Actually this card wouldn't have to be a Valentine, it would make a great Anniversary or Wedding Card too.  I used the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder for the background, the hearts are stamped with 2 different hearts from the stamp set I (Heart) Hearts, and then the edges of the center panel are punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.  This was a fast and simple card to make but looks very elegant.

Today was a work day.  When I am making something to sell, I like to mass produce and work assembly line style.  It all seems to go faster.  So that is what I was doing today.  Turning stacks of pony tails, sewing stacks, hand stitching the openings of stacks of them and doing the final assembly.  I also tufted 9 pin cushions today.  I got quite a few pony tails finished and have a lot more in various stages.  Some of this I was doing while watching 24 this afternoon, and did more of it again tonight while talking to my friend Colleen in Oregon, about her daughter's wedding plans.  We were discussing the stamping order that she was going to put in, idea's about how to make the wedding invitations, and treat boxes.  Plus decorating ideas.  We ended up talking for hours.  I am zapped out now and need to hit the hay.  Have a great day!  Elaine

Kisses

Good Evening!  These are some more of the samples that I made for Doris's Party.  These are the new "Kisses" from the Occasion Mini.  They come to 20 to a package and can be used as is with the matching glassine envelopes or they could be used on a scrapbook page or greeting card.  The first one I punched around it with the mat pack and paper piercer.  I love the dainty look to that.  I left the other 2 plain so that the gals could see what they looked like without  pierceing. Quick and fun to make and could be used year round with different stamps.  I love how they keep coming up with these different doo dad's for us to play with! The one on the bottom that says hugs & kisses on it uses our new small heart punch.  That is a great little punch.  I save all my scraps, and I find that sometimes little punches that I have (mainly contraband) do not punch thin pattern paper very well.  The edge's don't come out crisp and sharp.  This little guy punches them like butter and they look great!  I think you will be seeing a lot more hearts in my "free" box with a $50.00 order.  Oh....I am working on some new things for the box.  I ran a whole bag of clear packaging that Lady Di saved for me, through the Big Shot with a flower die and I am stamping the cut out flower's with Stazon.  You are going to love them.  After I get some more done, I will try to take a photo of them.  I am not sure if they will photograph well, but I will give it a shot!  I hope you are all stamping up a storm!!!  I would love to see what you are doing....bring it to Sandy's party Feb 8th for show and tell!

Yes....I am still alive!

Hello!  I am sorry I haven't posted for a few days.  On Wednesday I went to a quilt shop that I had not been to before in Menasha, and boy it was a nice one.  I throughly enjoyed it.  My quilting friends out there...if you want to make a road trip over there, I am game!  It is called Primitive Gatherings Quilt Shop.  When I was wandering around the store, I saw that there were some pattern's and book's with the same name on them so I asked if they designed, and they said that the owner Lisa Bongean does.  They had some beautiful samples made up of her work.  I asked if they were at Quilt Expo and the gal said that they were.  They also have a website and do a mail order business.  The store is two large floors, and I saw a gal doing packaging at one end of  the basement.  They have fabric, quilt books, and patterns, some notions, and novelty things, candles, rug hooking supplies, wool, punch needle, lots of embroidery and embroidery and applique patterns.  A real feast for the eye's for a needle worker like me.  Here is some more information if you are interested in going there or to see the website.  The phone number is 920-722-7233.  The address is 850 Racine St., Menasha, WI 54952.  The website is www.primitivegatherings.us

I have some other news to share too.  If anyone is interested in getting into the ceramic business, you can contact Rick or Diane at American Auto Body, 339-7400.  You could set up a complete ceramic business, as they have a kiln, ton's of mold's and supplies.  For more information, contact them and they would be happy to talk to you about it.

Yesterday was Diane's birthday and I made her a pistachio torte for her birthday.  I spent the afternoon and evening with her.  We were playing down in her stamping room, and having fun coming up with nutty idea's for a birthday card that she is working on for her sister.  I was working on coloring images, and hope to work on putting together some cards with them soon.  We also watched a new DVD she had bought on projects that were made using the Cricut.  There was some pretty cute stuff on it.  We had supper at the restaurant on13 & 21 then went back to her house to play some more.  I blew in here around 9:30 last night after a fun day.  Happy Birthday Di!  Wishing you many more birthday's on the Route 66!!!!

Doris party was lots of fun, and everyone loved the little pincushion, door prizes, and samples that I had made.  This is one of the samples I had done.  The designer paper on this card is all sparkly and glittery and everyone fell in love with that too!  Doris is getting lot's of free stuff and is very happy about that.

We started booking parties for this year and are filled through May right now so that is great!  We always have so much fun.  These are held at the church and everyone is welcome to come.  We would love to have you join us!  It was so good to see all my buddy's again!

Freezin' Season

Happy Sunday!  Diane and I started the day with church and then went to Family Affair for breakfast.  We each commented that it had been along time since we had breakfast out.  I had my usual Ham & Cheese Omelet, Hash browns & Homemade Toast.  Di checked out my samples for Doris party and gave me a "thumbs up" on them.  She thought they were adorable.  I cut out a bunch more ponytails after she left, sewed a few, and then headed downstairs.  I did some stamping tonight.  I made a few more samples and this card.  This card is done in Elegant Eggplant, and Pretty in Pink.  If you are coming to Doris party, you will be able to see this one in person.  I used the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder, 2 new stamp sets from the Occasion Mini.  One is called Well Scripted, the other is called I (Heart) Hearts.  I bought both of these in the new Clear-mounts.  I left a few unmounted so that I can show you how to mount them.  The cases are very slim, labeled on the front and on the spine.  An excellent storage system.  I have quite a few sets of contraband stamps from different companies and no one out there has a system as good as these new boxes.  If you are a clear stamp person, you are going to love them.  And.....they stamp just as good as our wood mounted stamps.  You will still be able to purchase the wood mounted stamps if you decide that you want to stick with those.  But it is nice that they are now offering us a choice.  I also used a clip from the Clip Assortment on page 179 and the large heart punch, the scalloped edge punch, and 1/8" hand held punch.  Stay warm!