Well I'll tell ya!

Here is a peek at part of some monogrammed cards I'm including with that birthday gift for my co-worker's wife. Isn't that Basic Grey DSP amazing? I covered the envelope flap with some coordinating DSP. The monogram is made from chocolate chip with my new SIZZIX die! Yippee!! Then just a scallop punch, some dots with the gel pen, and voila - a little 3x3 notecard set!! Hope she likes it!

Now, I'm sorry - just coming up for air here!!! There's a lot going on. So I haven't read my email, opened my mail or started on my VSN challenges! EEK. And since Jenn outed me, I'll confess, my birthday is tomorrow. AND WHAT DID I DISCOVER ON MY PORCH?? A present from said Jenn, which I'm about to go open!! I will share that and some cards I've received with you after I catch up a little, and I'll post some challenge cards hopefully before dinner.

Well, here's how the kitties happened.. Some subhuman freak of a monster dumped some four week old kittens on a very busy street! Should I ever come across such a monster there's going to be a lot of trouble, let me tell you. How could someone do that?

Anyway, a coworker of the DH rescues these kitties and sends out an email. I had begged for a kitty for my birthday and this sure seemed like a sign when these kitties appeared in cyberspace on Thursday.

So meet Maddie (short for Madagascar) and Splotchy (he's just splotchy :) ). We think Maddie is a girl and Splotchy is a boy, but they're so teeny even the vet couldn't tell. Maddie weighs 14.5 oz. and Splotchy weighs 21 oz. They are right at 4 weeks old, poor little things, and they are very sweet and playful and they miss their mom a lot. As you can see, they get verrrry sleepy. :)

I'm off to open my present!!! L8R!

How did THIS Happen?

YERGH

That's kind of a technical term for not feeling well for a few days plus a lot of disorganization. That's kind of a yerghy combo, MHO.

Anyway, in between drugs and sleep - yes, there's a relationship! - I did do a few projects that are way overdue. While I'm writing this I see three cards that really needed to be mailed today and were not. Oh well. That extends the whole birthday experience, right?

Let me start with the most dramatic card that I'll be sending for publication to a few places! I am in love with this card. And reallly I'm in love with MY SIZZIX When I saw this bird die (and I don't mean this is a dead bird - that's gross. I mean a cutting die. Why do they call a craft product DIE?? They don't call golf stuff SUCK do they? That makes no sense.), since I love all things ornithological, I had to have it.

In addition to the bird, the die I chose has these wonderful curvy flourishy things and some very sassy flowers I'll show you later. VERY SASSY. But since my Pirouette Pink was on top, I ran that through and got something so lovely I had to just stick it on black, add some ribbon, a rhinestone and be done with it. I hope you feel the drama I feel when I look at it.

I finished it with the Top Note die on the inside - endless possibilities with this sucker, let me tell you.

Next, onto two Doodle Factory Creations - I've been neglecting my creatures in a shameful way. I always thought that Mimo looked like a creature with a self image problem. I always have an irrational urge to hug her and tell her she's beautiful!! I mean her arms are stripey! I wish my arms were stripey!

So when I saw the sentiment from Starving Artistamps, I KNEW what card I had to make!!! See if you don't feel a little heart tug on those two matched up!

I colored her with Copics, and used my Stampin Up! heart punch for her wings, which I added dots to. I mounted her on some Basic Grey DSP, cut with the Top Note Sizzix Die. I cut a second Top Note, and cut around the perforations with my craft knife to get the Pirouette Pink border. Then I put that on more Basic Grey DSP, again, dotted, and corner rounded before being mounted on a card base of Pirouette Pink.

I punched two butterflies out of Pirouette Pink, added rhinestones and stuck them down with glue dots. Then I stamped Tracey's amazing little saying onto the DSP. I like moths better anyway, Mimo.

Next, I had to make a card for a teenage boy. So knowing that I would stray into glitter or ribbon if I even CONSIDERED color, I stuck with Black & White. The creature is Pogue from the Great Outdoors - another Doodle Factory image. I punched the stars from Whisper White with my Stampin' Up! star punch and punched some 1/4" black circles for accents. I used my gel pen for the dots and the greeting is from the Starving Artistamps Animal and Farm set. Think it's "boy" enough?

Wanna Peek?

You know you do.

Check out THIS sassiness!! This will redirect you to my Google Site. Click where it says "click here to download your attachment" and prepare to be amazed.

Available October 1.

Post Apocalyptic Art

One of the eight billion late birthday cards I need to send this week! I just made this up as a little story. The little red balloon is all ready to party, shows up in his party hat, gonna get his cake on, all that, and look at the frosty look those two green balloons are giving him. You know, because he's LATE. Oh, the shame.

How do you like that sassy new flower brad, eh? Those are so fun. I stuck a rhinestone brad in the center of it just to give the red balloon a little festive moral support.

Now, as you know, I'm constantly preparing myself for a stamping apocalypse. If something happens to my stamps I need to be able to make stuff.

Come on - how cool would it be to be wandering around in the post apocalyptic ashes and get a handmade card?? This is important work people!!

So disaster scenario #1 - the apocalypse has affected only the stamp supply. We all still have our cardstock and punches and felt flowers. Thank GOODNESS. I have a fabulous idea. So here's your apocalypse tutorial.

You'll need your new wide oval punch. Take some textured chocolate chip cardstock and punch an oval out of it. Ignore the sound of the wailing zombies at your door. They'll go away after they realize there are no stamps. This is also when that bag of zombie chow you buried under your neighbor's front porch really starts to pay off.

Now using the cardstock with the hole punched out of it, line your punch up against the edge of the hole, and just punch a little sliver of paper. Do this four times and you will have this little collection.

Well, after you put adhesive on them and arrange them on a white card you will have this. Trim off the tops of the slivers if you need to, or use other punches if you want a different curve.

Actually, if the world has ended, you've got tons of free time - just hand cut them.

After you've done this, punch another oval out of white cardstock. Cut the top off to make a vase.
Use a sponge dauber to add a shadow along one edge in Baja Breeze reinker.

Thankfully, zombies have not discovered dimensionals, so add those to the back and mount that vase over the bottom of your punched stems.

I love these vases made out of oval punches, but love them even more popped up off the page just a little.

Next add some felt flowers with mini glue dots to the top of the stems.

As you know, I generally disapprove of Baja Breeze because it's a little grey. I'm not a huge fan of grey in my blue unless it's in the sky. However, the flowers are cute so I was forced to match it with my reinker. It's not so bad, ,I guess.

Now it's OKAY like this, but I really felt the need for some end of the world bling - no point in hoarding it now!

Since the flowers are fuzzy, you can't rely on the adhesive that comes on self adhesive rhinestones. So I filled up the holes in each flower with Martha Stewart glue and then stuck them on. They won't be going anywhere!

I have absolutely no idea why this photo looks so vanilla-y but I'm too busy fighting zombies to photoshop it out. So picture it bright white.




Next, onto a card inspired by something in Martha Stewart Living which I have not come close to perfecting. When I do, I'll post it because it's stunning. But in the meantime, we'll have to make do with this.

It's just a white card base with two of the new 1 3/4" holes brought to you by the Stampin' Up! circle punch punched out of it.

Then stamp the flower from Organic Grace all over the front in Basic Grey - but stamp it off twice before stamping each flower so that they are pale.

My trick for lining things up in punched holes is similar to what someone who recently had a lobotomy might do. Trace the hole onto the inside of the card with a pencil. Open the card. Stamp your image safely in the circle. Erase the circle. I'm sure there's some super sophisticated Martha meets Nichole version of this but I haven't learned it yet.

Then I colored the flower with Summer Sun, Kiwi Kiss, More Mustard and Chocolate Chip and a blender pen. I added some stickles to the center of the flower. The greeting is from Fresh Cuts. It was all stamped in India Ink. Then I added the STUNNING satin Kiwi Kiss ribbon. Wow. It's prettier IRL.

I gotta go.

L.

Accidental Tutorialist Part II

Well since UPS opened the wine, I thought the right thing to do was celebrate, right???

So I decided to bust out the Sizzix, which has a siren call I cannot resist.

When we were at Convention, and first saw this sassy die, (Peace & Love & Cheer & Joy is what it says) I whispered to my crew (Neelam and Jenn) that this long thin holiday die was made for a paint can!!

Believe it or not, I actually remembered that thought. It's a Christmas Miracle.

So I took the new holiday DSP, the chipboard that was reeking of booze, some white craft ink, the new Holiday Trinkets Stamp Set, my Riding Hood Red ink and a 1/4" circle punch and got to work!

Now I want to tell you a couple things about the Big Shot.

#1) Use the cutting plates that are the same size as your die. I didn't order the kind of oversized ones that go with the basket die, and when I used the smaller ones with it - they worked, but they don't feed into the machine as easily unless they are lined up on the edge that's going into the machine. Found that out the hard way, as I did the fact that there were larger cutting plates. DUH - ordered them today. Don't judge me - I get pretty excited about the new catalog and usually have to place several "make up" orders like this.
#2) Don't go all Lucille Ball like I did on this die and put your paper facing the wrong way on top of the die - it only matters on letters, Lucy!!! I intended the beautiful burgundy pattern to be facing out, but when I cut it I realized the image is reversed - of course - and so the opposite side of the paper was actually going to be what was in English! In my case, it was white, so I moved on to my new holiday paper for inside the paint can and left the white greeting on the outside. I actually think it looks pretty cool. But only you guys know the truth and shame of my horrible mistake!!

Bottom line, when using dies that spell things or need to be facing the way they are when you look at the PICTURE of the die, put the side of the paper you want to see facing down onto the cutting surface of the die.
Look how cool the cutting plate looks the first time you use it with that perfect image cut into it... Not for long!

I traced a spool of ribbon to get the panel for the top of the can. (If you must know, I didn't feel like walking across the room for the Coluzzle). Then I added a chipboard frame that was part of my bulk buys I received today that I ordered at Convention. I dyed it with White Craft ink and heat set it. Then I attached 1/4" circles to the edges punched out of the new Holiday Tresures DSP with mini glue dots. I punched another square of this paper with my 1 3/8" punch for a background and popped up my Riding Hood Red Christmas Ornament up with a dimensional.

So what was in the gory box was a few sheets of chipboard frames and some die cuts - rattling around in that big party box.

No WONDER it got all drunk and tore its corner. It was so empty inside... tee hee...

Although I'm giggling at your comments. I love the idea of my UPS man skipping down the street with a smoothie or a glass of Kool Aid!

WHAT THE *(#)$&^(^&*@#???

SERIOUSLY?? DOES OJ SIMPSON WORK FOR UPS NOW??

WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL HOLY STAMPING THINGS IS THIS ALL OVER MY STAMPIN' UP! DELIVERY??

The Recipe...

Ask and ye shall receive!!! Below is the heavenly mac and cheese recipe. Moonegirl - please email me the chocolate divine brownies! :)

Thanks for the game show contestant entries!!!

The real winner is me, I guess!!! The little starburst turns out to be from Eastern Blooms. Wahoo!!

I will be so organized tonight!

1.5 sticks butter
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into little pieces
5.5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup flour
3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper - I use 1/2 tsp
4.5 cups sharp white cheddar, grated (you can use sharp yellow cheddar but it needs to be very sharp, not Kraft sharp)
2 C. Grated Gruyere or 6 oz. Pecorino Romano
1 C shredded Havarti, Smoked Havarti, Gouda or smoked Gouda
1 lb elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 3 quart casserole dish. Put bread in a bowl and coat with 2-3 TBS melted butter. Set aside.

Start cooking macaroni with 1 tsp salt in water. (You can also cook your macaroni in chicken broth - I cook all pasta and rice in chicken broth instead of water.)

Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Melt 1 stick butter in a high sided skillet over medium heat. When it bubbles, add flour a little at a time, whisking constantly, cook for a minute or so. Still whisking constantly, add hot milk a little at a time, making sure it's smooth between additions. At one point it will form a paste - no worries. Keep going. When blended, lower heat to lowest setting and add spices and cheese. Stir until it's yummy cheesy goodness. Combine with cooked macaroni and pour into buttered pan. Top with more cheese and buttered bread. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Watch breadcrumbs on top - if your oven heats unevenly they might brown too early.

As always, feel free to send me your snail mail and I will put you on my card mailing list!

Time to play - I'M SO STUPID!!

Stay tuned at the end of this post for another round in your favorite game show - I'M SO STUPID!

In the meantime, two cards.

I'm in some kind of weird warm mood - lots of red, orange, pink. Where's the blue? When am I gonna get my blue back? Maybe I'm under the spell of all the new In Colors.

This first card - insert gasp here - is NOT with new Stampin' Up! merchandise. It's with this GORGEOUS poppy image from Flourishes. I fell in love with it on Markie's Mom's (*sigh* - love her) blog.

I stamped this on watercolor paper so I could get some texture with the pencils. I used the Koh-I-Noors to color with a few oranges and reds and greens. The greeting is from the same set.

Now - a little talk about the state of your scraps. I often have scraps that have something punched out of them. Since I can't throw them away in case I need a 2 7/8 x 14.2189763542 scrap with a weird punch out of it, I file it with its coloredy brethren. Well tonight, I cut a piece with a scallopy bite out of it and managed to use it in kind of a feng shui way. The unwitting viewer of this card might say - "hey - that asymmetrical stampin' cat, she's cool." Me, I just say - "wow - nice save!" I used this Tangerine Tango piece to mount my poppy on a bit wonky to hide the bite. So think outside the box with something you think is trash, my friends!! SCARLETT O'HARA KNEW HOW TO MAKE STUFF OUT OF TRASH - THAT'S ALL I'M SAYIN'!!

Now, still in psychedelic mode with Upsy Daisy, I did the following...

1) Ran a piece of very vanilla through the big shot with my sassy die. Cut along the perforations to get a slightly smaller piece.
2) Stamped Upsy Daisy in Pixie Pink.
3) Stamped it again in Versamark, slightly to the left and clear embossed it.
4) Stamped greeting in Versamark and Clear embossed it.
5) Brayered Tangerine Tango all over it.
6) Sponged Ruby Red just around daisies.
7) Ran some Pixie Pink through the Big Shot and matted first piece.
8) Added some of the new TT ribbon, new Haiku DSP and Pixie Pink cardstock. Very easy and quick.

Now, you ready to play my game show - I'm so Stupid????

Okay, here's the deal. I have my stamps arranged in alphabetical order, by size. So I have a stack of little boxes, a-z, medium, a-z, etc. It works great.

IF - you remember the names of your stamp sets!!

Sometimes, when the studio gets all crazy, I have loose stamps that are not with their families, who are already back on the shelves in alpha order. Now I can picture the stamp sets they go with, but have no idea what their names are, because I'm about to have a birthday that I won't mention, but it goes hand in hand with senility.

Can you help me? I just need the names of the sets these stamps go with!! I'd be ever so grateful if you'd leave a comment.

Virgos dont' like loose stamps!!

Hope you had a fun weekend.

Name the Artist

I guess I'm channeling MOMA this week. This card reminds me of some other piece of modern art. Maybe Pattie can think of it!

Anyway, I'm making a set of cards for a coworkers wife and I thought this one had kind of a universal appeal. Foo if you are there, whaddaya think?

It was so amazingly easy.

Ink up the Upsy Daisy Stamp in Summer Sun. Spritz with water and stamp. Heat set because you are an impatient Virgo. Stamp it again just a little to the left in Tangerine Tango - no spritzing. Take your .20mm Sakura and outline the left edges of each flower in black. Distress edges. Stick it down. Stamp greeting from Pocket Silhouettes in black.

Now these steps are optional. AFTER CLEANING THE GREETING STAMP, SMUDGE BLACK INK ALL OVER THE CARD BASE. CUSS LIKE A SAILOR. REMOVE DAISIES CAREFULLY WITH DENTAL FLOSS, MAKING UP NEW CUSSWORDS THAT INCORPORATE ANIMALS AND POLITICAL FIGURES. Stick it on another card and resume a ladylike and dignified demeanor.

Wow - if you're not watching women's ping pong in the Olympics you are missing out - they move so fast it looks like they're speeding up the tape!!! I'm seriously feeling a little queasy watching the doubles right now. And you know you are a serious ping pong player when you're wearing a KNEE BRACE!!

What IS Art, anyway?

The answer today, 8.16.08?

Three things:

1) A card
2) A sticker I saw on my walk today
3) My famous mac & cheese

Art is where you find it.

1) First, OWL TOGETHER NOW IS SO DARN CUTE! I hope Sock Monkey doesn't find out how much I adore particularly this fat little owl. He looks like the little softball sized owls that live in a tree in my backyard, and silently swoop down over my head if I'm sitting out back at twilight. You wanna talk about ART - look at a real owl.

This background paper is all from the new Haiku series - it is stunningly intricate. You will love playing with it.

I used the new Curly Label punch and just freehand paper pierced it and then ran around the holes with my chocolate chip marker.

I colored Chubby and the branch with Copics : E15, E33, E08, 26, YR04, YR23, YG13 and then cut them out. I used a Copper metal edged tag, a 1" and a 1.25" circle punch for the greeting and added some Chocolate Chip Grograin ribbon.

Finally - fake stitches with the white gel pen around the edges.



2) Now, on to this unusual little piece of street art. Sometimes I see things that just make me wish I could talk to the person who did them. I couldn't in this case, so I have to make up a story in my head.

So I think this person, who is clearly a postal worker with limited use of the English language but a lot of office supplies (markers, highlighters, mailing labels), lost his or her androgynous friend. You can tell they are androgynous because it/he/she is wearing pink, is somewhat curvy about the top, and yet has chest hair. I'll call this person "Terry". Now Terry is either a very important person or visiting for a convention or something because if you can look away from the chest hair for a moment you will notice that Terry has an ID badge of some sort on. Poor Terry may have missed THE MOTHER SHIP!!! Now the postal worker with limited English has seen lots of signs with lost cats and dogs on them, and so he or she knows that the network of lost things is maintained exclusively on light and power poles and so he or she did the only thing he or she could. Posted Terry's picture on the network in the hopes that someone will find Terry and save Terry from the uncertain fate of those lost souls whose teeth have been filed into points.

Won't you help find Terry? Please contact the light pole network immediately if you have information leading to Terry's return.

3) Are you jealous? You should be. You should covet my mac & cheese. It takes hours, a roux, a stick of butter, four cheeses, half a gallon of milk, buttered bread, and every pot in the house to make. Made it tonight - it was much easier to cook with no pesky fingerprints getting in the way!

It does tend to act like a narcotic though - I get verrrry sleepy after this yummy cheesy goodness....

Hope you had a good Saturday.

Ready for my New Career as a Hit (wo)Man!

I am so excited to be embarking on a career with the Mafia as a hired killer. They get paid a lot, right? Think of all the STAMPS!!

Why am I going to start killing people for money? Well, there's the silencer, the fun sunglasses, the cars with the really dark windows, and

THE FACT THAT I BURNED ALL MY FINGERPRINTS OFF A FEW HOURS AGO!

It's a real shame to waste a hand with no fingerprints, don't ya think?

Well I didn't burn them all the way off. But I got close. In a moment of supreme distracted tiredness after my 14 mile walk, I reached out and grabbed a casserole dish I had just taken out of the oven! I'll give you a moment to bask in my intellect and quick reaction time.

Ouch. However, in the interest of well prepared households everywhere, I must tell you that all is not lost. My mother in law introduced me to a product called Foile a few years ago, and let me tell you - it's a miracle. I've obligingly burned myself severely in order to give it a thorough product review several times. After about 10 minutes it's amazing - the pain is nearly gone and you don't develop any hideous deformities.

I must warn you though - it smells like they squeezed every drop of stink out of a ferret and mixed it up in there. So prepare to gross yourself out. But it's better than not being able to stamp all day on your one free stamping day this week. However, I will say, trying to use mini glue dots with one ill fitting glove on (Yes, I'm the Michael Jackson of stamping now, except without all the weirdness and plus a weird ferret smell) is enough to drive a person crazy.

Anyway, I do have some fun things to show you. First of all, I must confess I have never used alcohol inks until last night at a friend's. So I'm late to this party, but holy cow is it a party!!!

I brought over some stampboard, which I'd also never used, and did basically the polished stone technique except with Alcohol inks and it's sooo saturated and beautiful - much prettier than I've ever been able to create with regular reinkers and glossy paper!

The colors in the blue one are Denim and Stream - Stream is so enchanting you just wouldn't believe it. then I used silver for the metallic accents.

I don't think I wrote down all the colors in the red one but I know that one of them is Terra Cotta - I can't remember the really vivid red.

Mind you, I still have no idea what I'm going to do with these, but looking at them is fun! They really look like precious stones.

Then after I got home, I had to play with one of my new stamps, so I chose Puns from the past.

I stamped it in Brilliance Graphite black and then clear embossed it. Then I colored the image with a blender pen and Pacific Point Blue. Then I colored around it with a versamarker and embossed it again.

Next I stamped Letter Patterns in Brilliance Coffee Bean and embossed it. Then I brayered the whole thing in Chocolate Chip. I added some Baja Breeze ribbon, mounted it on Baja Breeze CS, and then added the dots with my white gel pen and stuck a stamp from my big bulk stamp purchase onto it.

I love brayered chocoloate chip - it looks like leather.

Onto this morning's card. I have 80 bazillion birthday cards to make this weekend, so I headed over to SCS for inspiration. As luck would have it, today's challenge is the inspiration challenge - in this case, from an online swimsuit joint.

What do you see when you look at the inspiration swimsuit I chose? (Besides whether or not your butt would hang out alarmingly, which is the FIRST thing I thought.)

Yep - Basic Grey, Pixie Pink, Kiwi Kiss, Tempting Turquoise. I knew you would.

So I busted out the baskets & Blooms Sizzix die and went to town. I wanted something clean and simple.

If you're very careful, you can use your brand spanking new 1 3/4" circle punch to punch some cardstock and line it up over the flower to run it though the Sizzix - it's the PERFECT size. Do that a few times and VOILA - a 5 minute birthday card. I added some white ribbon and a rubon from "Perfect Day" for the greeting.

I think I'm gonna go take a nap.

More stamping later.

Behold - the Mother Ship!!!

Come on - you knew it was going to happen... Some of us - and NO, I won't mention any names, were going to be called home by the mother ship at some point.

My sister alerted me to the presence of the mother ship and I ran outside with my camera just in time.

Turns out that "the call" came tonight - just before sunset here in my beautiful bright shining city on a hill. The mother ship settled in over Austin and began sucking up those people that stand too close in the grocery store, engage in IEB's, don't like stamping, eat crunchy peanut butter - you know - all the stuff that just doesn't fit "the mold." It's okay - they'll be happier on the ship. And I can stop putting my cart BEHIND me in line at the store so someone doesn't crawl onto my back like a monkey while I try to pay. Man, does that drive me nuts.

Or I guess it could have been just a really cool cloud - but I don't think so. :)

Tonight I had so much fun. I went and stamped with a friend and made some beautiful things, which I will post tomorrow. I just realized how late it is and it's too much cropping and exposure adjusting to do at this late hour. Michael Phelps is making me stay up too late with all his medals!

Good problem to have!

TGIF!

MICHELLE ZINDORF COMES TO AUSTIN!!

It's true - she is coming to teach her brayer workshops here in Austin!! September 20-21, 2008!

If there was an American Idol for Stamping, this woman would be IT!!

(Note to self - start Stampin Idol for the fall season)

I am hosting her for the event, and I have 8 slots filled so far. There will be a total of four four hour workshops over these two days. Click here to sign up - Seats will go fast!

See this link for information about Michelle's schedule and her amazing work!!

I am NOT calling for Violent Protest!! Calm Down!

My order came!!! And of course I have something to do tonight and cannot play!! But it's a fun little party so that's okay.

Now, I am not going to say that the arrival was without incident, as it was NOT!! IMAGINE the YEARS removed from my life when I eagerly arrived home to see A CRIME SCENE!! LARGE HOLES IN MY BOXES WITH PRODUCTS HANGING OUT! OMG!! Did some neighborhood demonstrator come over and claw her way through the box to steal my satiny Kiwi Kiss ribbon??? DID SHE TAKE UPSY DAISY??????????????? (Kim - you know I know where you live right?? I am not above learning to put a hex on you! )

Warning - the following photos might be very disturbing to Stampin' Up! demonstrators. Please steel yourselves and know that I take no responsibility for the consequences of peeking.

I could not get in the door fast enough. I cut open the box and furiously began checking items against an embarassingly long packing list. And that was the SMALL box.

I find gory injuries everywhere I turn. IS THAT MY RIBBON?????????

WHAT??? YOU CRUSHED THE BOX THAT MY PRECIOUS HUMOR IN HIGH HEELS IS RESTING IN???

Now, for those of you who have grabbed Molotov Cocktails and headed out to the brown truck barn, just simmer down!! We are a peaceful people!! With shaking hands, I checked off the last item on my packing list and was safe in the knowledge that all of my items were present and accounted for, while a little worse for the wear. I think the only thing that will have to be replaced is the plastic box for Humor in High Heels. WHEW.

I celebrated on the spot by making a card with it IMMEDIATELY!!! The party I'm going to is an engagement party, so this set was PERFECT.

First, I stamped the little dress twice on Very Vanilla. Then I carefully cut INSIDE the lines of the skirt, all the way up to the waist - don't worry that part of the flower hangs over.

Next I took that teeny skirt piece and ran it through the cuttlebug with my swiss dots embossing folder. Then, I also embossed the vanilla center panel by just folding the CB folder over about 1/3 of the card. I screamed OUT LOUD at how cute that is!!

I stuck the skirt onto the dress with SNAIL, and then colored just the flower with my Real Red Marker.

I stamped the word "Happy" from the NEW OH MY GOSH ADORABLE Occasions Collection set in Basic Black.

I attached the sassy new striped Riding Hood Red Ribbon around the center and mounted the whole thing on Riding Hood Red Cardstock, and then on a vanilla base. I STUCK A TEENY RHINESTONE ON THE FLOWER AND SCREAMED OUT LOUD AGAIN.

It's okay - the neighbors are used to it. Well, they don't call the police anymore as long as they've heard the rumble of the brown truck that day.

I hope some of you are seeing the new things - or better yet, GETTING the new things.

Now a few more items before I run off, looking longingly behind me at my many untouched goodies....

A warm, UB "HEY" to Lori who caught my show today.

A plea to any of you who have tried to make scalloped squares with the scallop border punch a la Mary Jo Albright, queen of creativity. I followed her directions, I used her measurements, and I failed miserably. My friend Jenn asked for my help and the best I can do is the following:

Center a 2 7/8" square in the border punch. Punch, turn 90, center, punch, turn 90, punch, turn 90, center, punch. This makes perfect square - HOWEVER - you have to manually "liberate" its cute little butt from the frame with your scissors. I can't make a perfect one that is 100% punch. It ends up looking like El Chupacabra gnawed off one or more corners before moving on to the chickens and the goats. Please help by posting a comment if you can.

Oh, and PS - did some of you take my advice on Google reader? I'm hoping you're still here if you used to be an email subscriber! I love that tool more every day - check out Nancy's comment on my Google Reader post for more great features!!

If you want me to I can give you blog hacking tips too. Lord it's hard to find someone who explains things well when a person is looking to hack her blog!!

GTG.

L.