The Chicken Sisters My husband has really gotten into this posting Taco Tuesday cards. He reminded my about tacos and one of my favorite TV shows, - Breaking Bad. While Los Pollos Hermanos didn't do tacos, it is in the essence of tacos.  The Chicken Brothers I feel I captured the essence of the restaurant in the card. I cannot get enough of these chicks. Still not tired of them even with all that I have made with them. I wish they would stick around past March 31st, but they won't be available past that date. And they are FREE with a $50 order, which makes them that much sweeter. Stamps:  Hey, Chick Stamp Set Sale-A-Bration  p. 17 Wood-mount • 143328 or Clear-mount • 143331  Inks: Black Archival Ink Pad, Real Red ink pad Paper: Whisper White, Tempting  Turquoise , Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Festive Designer Paper 141630 $11.00 Accessories: Circles framelits, Watercolor Pencils  141709 $16.00, The chicks...

I bought this Zutter cutter back in October of 2009 while attending a Creating Keepsakes local event. In fact I also purchased the Bind-It-All at the same time. I still have that, and still might use it.  I have talked often about our recent move, and what we call, The Purge. I sold or donated or tossed so much items, products and projects during that time. It felt good to clean up and reset and restart fresh. There are still a few lingering items I need to take care of, but just a few, not dozens or hundreds.  This 12 x 12 cutter that I bought that day, well, I finally started using it. I love it!!! It cuts in half or thirds. It cuts acurately and quickly. Just drop the paper in and crank the handle. I do not need power, or to even think and be careful that my paper is lined up to the correct mark on my cutter. I cut a few 12x12 sheets down to 3x3 tonight for an upcoming class, in about 2 minutes. Oh my stars, why has it taken almost 8 years to use you!!! I s...

Stamps :  Nailed It • 16 rubber stamps  143074 $29.00 (wood blocks included) • 143077 $21.00  Inks : Black archival ink pad Papers : Urban Underground 142783 $13.00, smoky slate card stock, Window Sheets 142314 $5.00  Accessories: Build It Framelits 143230,  Watercolor Pencils 141709 $16.00,  I prefer to call this suite Tool Time or Nailed It, but it is listed in the Occasions 2017 catalog as Urban Underground, pages 46-49.  This particular card is based (CASEd) from the card on page 48 Occasions 2016. I did glue, or glue dot, the hardware to the card, underneath the window sheet. This would also make a cute shaker box card.  I still have a lot more cards and projects I made using the Urban Underground suite, which I will continue to be releasing over the next weeks and months. And I still have more projects that I have sketched out that I would like to complete. Thank you for checki...

That's me today! Check back tomorrow. 

My downline team, really its the Fun Lovin' Inkers but we call our selves the Stampin' Divas, started a different type of swap at our last meeting. We have shrunk our swaps to a 3" x 4" size, so that if some want to just insert them into a pocket on a Project Life page they can. Or it can be layered on a regular card base. I think of them as slightly larger ATC Artists Trading Cards.  I swapped two, the extra being if a downline came and didn't have a swap. I do like that they are quick to assemble. And because they have less layers that makes my prep quicker.  Details on mine: All have a whisper white base cut 3" x 4" and the theme this month was birthday. Stamps : Confetti Celebration • 10 rubber stamps  141510 $25.00 (wood blocks included) • 142034 $18.00  Inks : Black, Melon Mambo Papers : Whisper White, Pop of Pink Designer Series Paper • p. 172 141648 $13.00 Accessories : 1/8" Stitched Ribbon Melon Mambo • 141650...

Registration will close for this class on Sunday, February 26th for the March 1 class. Class is limited to 20. If you would like to make the cards but cannot make the session, class is $15 plus postage $5.00. You can send a check for $20.00 to Sandy McManus, PO Box 1769, Minnetonka, MN 55345. Give me a few days to process your request. Mailing First class. Your package will come with the images stamped but not colored in.  Supplies include ribbons, papers and any punched or die cut images completed.  Registration due by February 26th. Thanks! 

I came to wonder if there is a difference between stamps labeled acrylic and photopolymer (like the ones Stampin' Up! manufacturers and carries). Turns out there is a difference. I recommend using the following product below your paper to stamp on. It is large enough you could possibly cut into 2 pieces, as most stamps are not that big. The reason you need the mat is photopolymer are a hard stamp and you do not have the built in cushion you do with a regular rubber stamp. This mat takes the place of the built in foam cushion. With hard stamps and no cushioning you risk uneven surfaces and parts of the stamped image not being able to be pressed and stamped. Stamping Pierce Mat item code 126199 $5 page 183 2016-17 Annual Catalog Hallupina on Splitcoast Stampers (posted with her permission) said this: I was recently reminded of a forum topic I've been meaning to post while answering another thread regarding clear stamps. I've gathered quite a collection (some would...

Do you have one of those life stories? You know, one of those pivotal moments that forevermore changes the direction of your life? This is the story of one of my pivotal moments and my children asked me to record it recently. It is quite the story. In fact, this is the first written instance of this story. And re-reading it, not from my own experienced eyes, but from some neutral station, makes me see why my children had me record it. It really is quite a story. The fact that it happened to me? Wow! I encourage you to record your big and small life events. They all matter. They all define who you are and how you interact with the world around you. Everyone has a pivotal story to tell. I have many.  Page Supplies: Project Life App and Neutral Card Collection and Brave Patient kit

This is a CASE, or loosely a CASE (copy and share) of the card pictured on page 46 of the Occasions 2017 Catalog.  Stamps: Urban District 143068 wood $27.00 143071 clear $19.00 Inks: Basic Gray Archival ink pad Papers: Urban Underground 142783 $13.00, basic gray cardstock, very vanilla card stock, delightful dijon card stock,  Accessories: Build It Framelits 143230, Hexagon Dynamic Embossing Folder 143231 $9.00, Stapler, Delightful Dijon marker,  I prefer to call this suite Tool Time or Nailed It, but it is listed in the Occasions 2017 catalog as Urban Underground, pages 46-49.  Remember when using the dynamic embossing folder you should mist the paper lightly with water or rubbing alcohol (dries a little faster) to help it form in the embossing folder easier as those dynamic folders make a deeper impression.

Make a border run today, to Taco Bell!  My husband, after seeing my Tasty Truck cards I had made for Taco Tuesdays, said, hmmm, could you make a Taco Bell card? Taco Bell and Taco Tuesday seem to be made for each other.  Hmmm, maybe I could. Stamps: Bell Punch (carryover Holiday 2016 catalog item, still available!)  Wood-mount 143532 $40.50 Clear-mount 143533 $33.25, greeting - not sure it is a current set... Inks: Elegant Eggplant Ink Pad Papers: Elegant Eggplant cardstock $8.00, Whisper White Cardstock 100730 $9.00, Melon Mambo Cardstock $8.00, Daffodil Delight Cardstock $8.00 Accessories: Bell Punch (carryover Holiday 2016 catalog item, still available!) 141846 $18.00, 2" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch. Elegant Eggplant Bakers Twine   To make the sharp curve of the  bells logo, I cut my paper 1/8" narrower than the circle punch. So for a 2" punch it was cut to 1 7/8" or 1 5/8" for the 1 3/4...

Thats correct! Sale-A-Bration is on for another 6 weeks! And to continue the Sale-A-Bration we have new items that you can receive for FREE with a $50 purchase.   See new items here. We have added a glimmer paper stack in pink, green and blue. We added a medallion stamp set. We added a reverse words stamp set. We are celebrating for 6 more weeks! There is no limit to the amount of Sale-a-Bration rewards for each $50 you purchase that you can earn. Hostesses earn even more, or if your order reaches $250 you earn more.  Join the crew now for $99 and get 2 any value stamp sets added to your kit! Any value! And by joining you get a permanent discount on supplies you know and love. To join you will need a credit card, know your social security number, and your wish list totaling $125 plus the 2 any value (go for the expensive ones!) handy. Website is very secure, so no worries there. Lets get you signed up now! Sale-A-Brate the good times! Come on!!!  ...

Last Wednesday and Thursday I had my short stack of cards class. We made 2 each of 2 designs and I brought different greetings to choose from for them.  I appreciate the gals that came to class. It was a fun evening, as always!!! You may download the supply list here.   The paper in this card is from Floral Boutique in the Annual Catalog. See supply list for details. It does not look like it but the dragonfly is copper foil paper. My photo light was bouncing off of the paper and I did not realize it. The copper really married well with the Sweet Sugarplum color, making the copper appear more rose gold. Cool effect.  The paper is from Falling in Love in the Occasions 2017 catalog. The other side was beautiful too - bokeh look to it. I will be ordering more of this paper, like tonight!  I like the short stack of cards idea for this portable class. Doing card classes in a coffee shop poses its challenges. I went with a new locatio...

My friend Jeny (and downline) was requested to make cards for a quilt group at a church she works with weekly. They make quilts for baptismal children, and other events at the church. She immediately thought of this stamp set for the project. It may be for Easter, but she is right, I see more than Easter in it.  She made the cards in mint and saffron, which will fit any child. And any family would feel blessed to receive a handmade card for the baptism of their child. Jeny watercolored the crosses using the new watercolor pencils. And, and, and she hand threaded linen thread through the apex of each cross, 25 cards!!! The look is beautiful but she is crazy. She said it didn't take very long to do all 25 cards. Well, that would have been a half a day for me!  Below are the supplies used for this project. Now I want to play with this set! Stamps:  Easter Message • 5 rubber stamps  142984 $23.00 (wood blocks included) • 142987 $17.00 (suggested cle...

Friday night my friend, and downline, Jeny, came over for a many hour crafting session! She worked on a quilt in the beginning, while I cleaned up and organized my swaps. Obviously that was before the storm occurred! I have a big table - its 4 feet wide, by 6 feet long, without any of the leaves in it. We both ended up spreading all over each half of the table, but not crossing the border, which was kind of funny. My lone cutter ended up right on the dividing line. We each had a Big Shot out. At the end of the evening when my brain started short-circuiting we did clean the table up and put everything away, cleaned and proper. It looks worse than it was to clean up. I think it took all of 5 or ten minutes in the end. Everything has a proper place in my studio, so that makes for quick clean up. Thanks for coming over for a fun, and messy, night of creating Jeny! You are welcome any time!

My friend Jeny came over the other day for a long session of crafty fun. She also worked on cutting for a new quilt, while i spent hours planning a new card kit class. My brain hurt by the time I was done. Every have one of those craft type sessions? Your brain actually hurts at the end. That is when it is time to call it a night.  Jeny played with a lot of things when she was here. One of them being the Paisleys stamp set and framelits. Which now of course, she HAS to order! She made her own background paper for this project, then cut it to size when she figure out what the finished project would be. Some of her play projects may not be seen here. Lol.... We did discover a new color combo, but couldn't come up with a project to showcase it - Peekaboo Peach, Cajun Craze and Copper. They pair beautifully together!!! It it sounds like some bad buffet food, but it was very pretty but no final projects were made. If I get some time in the next week I will get to that....

If you own and use photopolymer stamps you know that they do not stay looking new. A lot of inks types and colors will clean up, for the most part, off your stamp. Just remember that dirty looking or permanently colored photopolymer stamps do not affect its use at all. Once the ink is dry it will not transfer or stamp on future projects.  I talk about cleaning stamps in a previous post on February 10, 2017.  Reasons for your not fresh and new looking photopolymer stamps: Using red based inks. Kind of like when you eat red frosting or candy, and it stains your tongue and teeth. StayzOn* Navy ink and other colors. Navy has been my worst offender, but my ink pad is very juicy. Exposure to sunlight. Remember to store your photopolymer stamps out of direct sunlight. The sunlight will cause the material to yellow, and eventually degrade. With proper storage your photopolymer should last for years of enjoyment.  Archival inks (gray and black) should clean up...

I am all set up and ready for tonights creative ladies! Class is Short Stack. Two each of 2 card styles. I call it a short stack because it is a shorter stack of cards, instead of the usual 12, or 15 or 20.   Be sure to check out my calendar to the right to see what classes I have coming up that might be of interest to you. See ya soon!

Spring of 2016 my daughter graduated from high school. And a very American tradition is to have a senior photograph session with a professional photographer. We actually debated about doing a session, for a lot of reasons. For one, my daughter wasn't really interested in the session or a graduation party. And we were now running short on time if we wanted the pictures available for a grad party. The short story is we planned and then cancelled her graduation party. My uncle died about a week before the party, and a few other happenings were thrown into an already packed schedule. We were to leave just a few days after her party for a trip to California. In other words, life happened, all over the place. This page is the photos I took of her photo session. The pictures were gorgeous, truly. She did end up having a lot of fun with the session. The fact that the photography assistant was also named Gretchen and the photographer was a really relaxing fun guy, didn't hu...

I have partnered with My Hillside Retreat , a retreat center,  located in Elk River. Cindy, who owns and runs it is very sweet. If you are looking for a new place to retreat for crafting or family reunions, be sure to check out the link above. I am hoping to get a group together soon to go for a very long weekend. I just need to clear up a weekend ;-) Cindy is expanding the Retreat centers offerings to offer classes when there are no retreats on the premises. Its a win-win for me. See below for class details! Stamp -A- Stack of 9 Cards, no envelopes! $15 due at the beginning of class. Wednesday March 1st, 6-9 My Hillside Retreat  Register by February 26th please Register by emailing me or Cindy Monday, March 27, 6-9 My Hillside Retreat Register by March 24th please Register by emailing me or Cindy   If you would love to make the cards and cannot make either session, email me. Class will be $15 plus the cost of postage (unknown at mo...

I thought I should share with you a group picture of all my one sheet wonder cards. I got 9 out of standard sheet of paper. Read here for one sheet wonder instructions. I am very pleased with the cards and the ease that it took to make the paper and the cards. I do not know why it took me so many years to try this technique. I encourage you to try it. It is great if you are looking to match something or, like me, have no matching designer paper because I forgot to order it.  Thank you for taking a look at all the products over the last few weeks. I really did enjoy putting all these projects together and sharing with you. The products, in particular the Sealed with Love stamp set and Love Note framelits that are part of Sending Love product suite in the Occasions 2017 Catalog from Stampin' Up! are available for purchase until May 31, 2017. There certainly are uses for them besides Valentines Day.

It was a challenge to get everything in the photo and I am not happy with how the photo turned out. I thought I should share with you anyway so you get an idea. I am not going to list the related posts here, but if you search Valentines on my site or Sending Love, it should come up. Pictured here is just the non-card items I made. I am still in love with that Sale-A-Bration card tin!  Thank you for taking a look at all the products over the last few weeks. I really did enjoy putting all these projects together and sharing with you. The products, in particular the Sealed with Love stamp set and Love Note framelits that are part of Sending Love product suite in the Occasions 2017 Catalog from Stampin' Up! are available for purchase until May 31, 2017. There certainly are uses for them besides Valentines Day.

It was a challenge to get everything in the photo and I am not happy with how the photo turned out. I thought I should share with you anyway so you get an idea. I am not going to list the related posts here, but if you search Valentines on my site or Sending Love, it should come up. Thank you for taking a look at all the products over the last few weeks. I really did enjoy putting all these projects together and sharing with you. The products, in particular the Sealed with Love stamp set and Love Note framelits that are part of Sending Love product suite in the Occasions 2017 Catalog from Stampin' Up! are available for purchase until May 31, 2017. There certainly are uses for them besides Valentines Day.

Check out this darling heart paper chain, inspired by ones I have seen on Pinterest. I made mine with tinier hearts than the ones posted on Pinterest. Here is how I did it: Supplies: Stamps: Sealed with Love Photopolymer 142815 $21.00 US (bundle it with the Love Notes Framelits and Save 10% item 144705 $45.75 US Inks: Black Memento ink $6.00 Papers: Pink Pirouette, Sweet Sugarplum, Melon Mambo, Real Read, Cherry Cobbler Accessories; Simply Scored 122334 $30.00 US, Stapler 139083 $10.00 Staples 135847 $4.00 US, Bone Folder 102300 $7.00 US Cut your cardstock 4" wide, length depends on how many hearts and how long you want your string. Because I used 5 different colors, I found that 5" per color was more than enough for my project. Score at 2" along the 4" length. This makes for much quicker assembly having the middle of the heart pre-scored. No Simply Scored tool? Use a score tool on your paper cutter or just run your bone folder down al...

I am so in "love" with these striped gold tins! They are a great size for a lot of things, hold about 20 cards and envelopes, or other items. They are easy to decorate too. The tins are only available until March 31st as a FREE Sale-A-Bration item.  Page 14 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure. Item 143833 *FREE with $50 in merchandise order. No limit! Stock up on these tins while you can. They would also make great gift packaging. Need a unique package for your bridal party gifts? This tin! Stamps: Sealed with Love photopolymer 142815 $21.00 US Inks: Memento Black 132708 $6.00 US, Cherry Cobbler 126966 $6.50 US Papers: Cherry Cobbler 119684 $8.00 US, Whisper White 100730 $9.00 US, Basic Black 121045 $8.00 US Accessories: Card Tin 143833 FREE*, Metallic Ribbon Combo Pack 143601 FREE*, Gold Foil Sheets 132622 $4.00 US, Gold Metallic Thread 139401 $3.00 US, Sweet and Sassy Framelits 141707 $35.00 US, Bloomin' Heart Thinlits 140621 $25.00 US, Dimensional...

I hope this inspires you to make some easy candy treats for friends, family or co-workers this Valentines Day. Here is the complete supply list used for all the projects pictured, most products are in the Occasions 2017 Catalog: Stamps:  Sealed with Love photopolymer 142815 $21.00 US Inks:   Black Memento Ink 132708 $6.00 US Papers: Cherry Cobbler cardstock 119685 $8.00 US Basic Black Cardstock121045 $8.00 US Whisper White cardstock 100730 $9.00 US Real Read cardstock 102482 $8.00 US Gold Foil Sheets 132622 $4.00 US Red Glimmer Paper 121 790 $5.00 US Neutrals Designer Paper Stack 12 x 12 138534 $22.00 US Sending Love Designer Paper Stack 142733 $10.00 US Accessories: Love Notes Framelits dies 142752 $30.00 US (bundled with Sealed with Love stamps 144705 $45.75, save 10%) Lace Doilies 142793 $4.50 US Box Real Red  3/8" Stitched Ribbon 141693 $9.00 US 5/8" Burlap Ribbon 141487 $7.00 US White Pom Pom trim 1414...

Valentines Day is everything sweet and chocolate. To make your candy more personal, take a look at the following boxes and bags for easy ideas to ramp up the sweets for your sweet!  Traditional heart candy boxes. Easy peasy classroom treat.  This bag was one we made at a Stamp Share recently, It is a Terri Gaines designed project using the glassine bags.  The basket is super easy, and would be a great project to do with little ones. It is just 2 hearts folded in half and glued together. Punch holes and run a string through the basket. Decorate. Add candy. Mine is small enough I just put one Dove candy in there.  Another take on the paper bag treats. Quick decorated treat bag. Would be lovely as a co-worker treat. Quick treat bag using our cafe bags.  Love these cute and simple candy tubes. I did goof in that the 1" x 8" size is retired. Comparable size listed below in supplies. ...