Eastern Beauty Online Class & Sparkly Giveaway!

I love that shiny things are back in vogue - foil, glitter, sparkly dots - all of it. I love shiny things. Shiny things and bright colors. I might need to do one of those mail-in DNA tests to see if I'm part crow.

If I were part crow, something else might make sense - and that's the fact that I LOVE to listen to stories of MURDER while I'm crafting.

It's true. I told you about my murderous podcasts in my last blog post, but I had one Audible book left on my phone I hadn't listened to and I'm listening to it now while I make projects like today's.

It's called A Killer Among Us, and it's a true story of a woman who was killed by a paid hitman, and the ensuing investigation and trials. It's really gripping. And as a bonus - it's narrated by one of my favorite narrators - Kevin Pierce. He has read several books I've loved - If I Can't Have You, Salt of the Earth.

Listening to true crime/mysteries gives me the patience to work on my projects until they are where I want them, instead of giving up - because I'm rewarded with a great story for sticking it out. That's my theory, anyway. So now you know when you see my bright, happy and quirky cards, that there are many murderers and victims in their wake! :)

I started this card when I started the book, because I had just created my Eastern Beauty Design Guide Online class. This is my newest online class, and it's a little different from my other classes. Instead of three finished cards, you will get TEN design combinations of the stamps in this beautiful bundle. There's an endless number of combinations of the images in this stamp set, so I came up with ten that are really fun for the class - one of them would make a PERFECT snowflake for a holiday card. I think you'll really enjoy it. And since for the first time I can remember - CUSTOMERS can pre-order this bundle before you see it in the catalog - remember - you always get the related online class for free when you order the bundle from me. There are two bundles available from now until May 31 - and after that you will not be able to get these awesome discounted bundles. Both of them include freebies as well. So you can either purchase the stand-alone class here or purchase the bundles here and I'll email you the class.  Use host code VAMPC4TR on your order for a chance to win a stamp set from the new catalog.

So after I created and uploaded the class, I just played. I took the sort of floral image from the set and stamped it in second generation ink onto watercolor paper, and watercolored it. Then I overstamped the same image, lining it up on my MISTI so it was perfectly offset, in second generation ink, and watercolored that. 

If you want to play with this - take a look at your watercolors and note whether they are transparent or opaque. If they are opaque - use those for the bottom layer and choose a transparent for the top. Or use two transparent colors - either way is beautiful.

 I dried them with a heat gun and added the gorgeous gold stickers from the bundle to the centers. I wasn't sure I was going to like the way they looked, but I stuck it out to hear more of my book and I ended up loving them. I think only one person was murdered during this card. 

InLinkz.com

Those shiny gold stickers are amazing - I love them. Perfect graphic contrast to that softer watercolor.

Here's a photo of everything that comes in the premiere bundle - it's a doozy!

So now I need you to do me a favor, because I have a VERY exciting giveaway.

I am giving away to one lucky reader - a seat in the new Online Card Classes course - Sparkle and Shine! HOW COOL IS THAT??

You guys know my opinion of these classes - they are absolutely the best. Great teachers, an incredible amount of content, and the best price. You will not be disappointed, especially if you have that crow gene that I clearly have - because this one is about all things shiny. :) I may or may not know what some of the classes cover, and I may or may not love them all. But I can neither confirm nor deny the veracity of that statement.

So what do you have to do to win this awesome class?

You have to leave me a comment with your favorite podcast or audiobook - non-fiction or true crime preferred - but I'll take all suggestions! I can never get enough!

I will announce my winner on Sunday - so that you can hop right into class on Monday! So let's hear about your books!

Loveyameanitbesparklybye.

A Sleeping Giant - AWAKE - BEHOLD, @sears !

I love it when a big, lumbering brand can beat back my cynicism with surprise and delight.

Someday, I pray, that AT&T will do this, but for obvious reasons, I'm not holding my breath.

But one brand did it this weekend, and my hat is so off, that it's like I never even had a hat.

That brand? Sears.

Yes, first of all, they are still in business.

Yes, they are still in the mall.

No, I haven't darkened the door of a mall or a Sears in 20 years.

But today - they surprised and delighted me.

We have a side by side refrigerator. It's an Amana, and it's beautiful and reliable, but the reality of a side by side fridge/freezer is that once you put a single serving (pint) of Hagen Dasz coffee ice cream into the freezer -  it's FULL and the ice cream will come shooting out and break a meta-tarsal the next time you open the door.

They are beyond impractical for people who love to make their own broth, or cook for the future as I like to do. I love making soups and stews and freeze-able things for me and my parents or friends who have surgery etc. - it's just something that brings me peace knowing that I can provide a meal for us or someone else because I did a little work in the past. I also REALLY like buying vegetables in season, and I love saving them for the seasons they aren't available. For example, during cherry fest at Whole Foods, I typically buy 6 pounds of cherries (they have a daily limit, which I'm quite certain was imposed because of me), and I freeze two pounds, make jam with two pounds, and make my homemade maraschino cherries for me and my sister with the last two pounds. Don't even ASK how many pounds of roasted hot Hatch chiles I buy during Hatch fest every year. I freeze endless quantities of Hatch puree for salsas and enchiladas throughout the year. Chiles and cherries might actually be my two favorite foods.

So it was high time for us to get an actual functional freezer that could fit some actual food in it.

We decided on a small upright from Sears, and chose the order online, in-store pickup option.

And thereupon discovered the magic of this giant, ancient company.

Today we decided to pick it up. We drove to Sears at the (shudder) mall, and parked in the pickup spot. We entered a little vestibule - not even the store, and saw a machine with instructions on it to scan our order barcode from our phone - wow - hello modern times! I scanned my bar code from my phone, and instantly my name and a timer appeared on a giant monitor on the wall.

In 3 minutes and 56 seconds, a nice young man appeared with our freezer on a dolly - and he quickly put it in the truck.

I was sort of paralyzed by the awesomeness of this instantaneous service.

It made me want to buy ALL THE THINGS from Sears.

Also at this magical machine, I noticed that you can return things. Scan your receipt, a person appears in UNDER five minutes guaranteed or you get a gift card, takes your items and your refund is returned to the purchasing card.

MAGICAL. They solved my one huge issue with shopping, which is actually entering a store of any kind - it gives me hives. Unless it's a craft store (I'm not deranged.)

All the respect to Sears. Who knew? Also, who knew that the latest hairy, unkempt hipster weird trend is grown men with skateboards? We probably saw a dozen of them in that 3 minutes and 56 seconds. SUPER weird.Shave and use your feet, people. That's all I ask.

Today post-freezer - I had some fun with a few stamp sets - the Number of Years Bundle, Bloomin' Love bundle, and the Sophisticated Script alphabet from Concord & 9th - all the letters connect so it's easy to make full words. I added some sequins from the Watercolor Wishes kit - defying all sequin hoarding instincts.

Fun, right? I overstamped each one with the mini MISTI to make sure they were solid and bright - I liked the contrast of the crisp images from Bloomin' Love with the softer ones from Number of Years. 

True confession - I put this card in the mail today to Greg & Angie at Concord & 9th - WITHOUT AN ADDRESS. AND WITHOUT A RETURN ADDRESS. If this card makes it to them with just Greg & Angie c/o Concord & 9th - it will make everyone in the world a believer in miracles. 

Now for some EXCITING news - more exciting than the freezer - that's my mini-retreat in Salt Lake in conjunction with OnStage Live!

This will be from 10-3 (or 4) Wednesday - you will get a bag full of goodies and five hours of fabulous projects and techniques and the fellowship of your favorite stampers in the world! What could be better than that?

I deliberately keep these small, and I keep the price low - this is not a profit event, it's a fellowship event, so I'm just covering room cost & supplies, and as usual, I'll have FABULOUS prizes :).

Because it's small, it's first come, first-served, so don't wait - sign up here! And, if you are on my team, or join my team before the event, you will get a special reward at the event.

PS - today was the first day of the AMAZING Intermediate Watercolor class at Online Card Classes - I was in AWE of today's content. If you want to learn watercolor, this is the way to do it - Dawn Woleslagle is an incredible teacher, and also just a really sweet, beautiful, funny, kind girl. If you haven't spent your crafty budget this month - this is where you need to spend it.

LoveyameanitseeyainSaltLakebye.