Technique--no fingernails

I have another confession--I am afraid of techniques. I'd tell you the sad story of why I think I'm afraid, but I have to protect the identities of the guilty. Bwahahahaha! Now some of you will be wondering if it's YOU. And a few of you should! LOL

Anyway, this is a fun, artsy technique called chalkboarding. It involves the pastels, which I don't use very often! They mostly just sit, lonely, on shelf above the stamp table. Sad, really.

We'll be trying out chalkboarding at Card Buffet next week! If you're local, there is still time to sign up!

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Stamps: Pretty Petals, Pretty Amazing
Paper: Lavender Lace, Basic Black, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink
Ink: White Craft
Accessories: Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Stampin Pastels

Itty Bitty Baby Swaps

I have a weakness for cute little things. My 6 children are evidence of this weakness, as are my 4 kitties and 2 doggies. And my shoes. But I digress.

The SA Sisters and I have developed a funny habit of needing 3x3 cards to go along with our full-sized card swaps. Who doesn't need a cute little card to tuck in a wedding gift or birthday present? (Umm, yeah, sure, I give them away . . . .Sure I do! {stands in front of all the boxes of swaps})

And I have a confession. I never liked Texture Plates in my Cuttlebug. But I ADORE them in my Big Shot! They work so much better for me! And textured vellum???? Dreamy!

The sentiment--again from Oval All in the Occasions Mini--is stamped in Basic Black Craft ink and clear embossed. The whole card just reminds me of a classic tuxedo at a wedding!

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Stamps: Oval All
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Cardstock Vellum
Ink: Basic Black Craft
Accessories: Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Vintage Brads, Big Shot, Texturz Plates (SU BG 1), Dimensionals

Swappin, Swappin, Swappin

My SA Sisters and I have been busy again! This time, it's swaps from the Occasions Mini Catalog! Now available to order! Check out all the swaps in the Stampin Addicts Gallery!

This card uses the brand new Oval All set, which matches the *fabulous* new Scallop Oval Punch! I am powerless against any set that matches a punch, as you know, so this one was an easy choice for me!

I stamped the Bella Toile BG in Versamark on Blush Blossom, then embossed with clear embossing powder. Then I used Sage Shadow Craft ink to stamp Bella Toile *again* on watercolor paper! Embossed that in clear, too. The sentiment is stamped in Chocolate Chip Craft ink, and embossed with clear EP on watercolor paper. Then I watercolored the image with Blush Blossom and Sage Shadow Classic ink and an Aquapainter. Punched it out with the Large Oval Punch, layered on the new Scallop Oval Punch, and then on the Wide Oval Punch! LOL All layers on this card are sponged with Chocolate Chip Classic ink. Many dimensionals gave their lives for this card, but I have great confidence that their sacrifice will be appreciated not only by you, my dear readers, but by my awesome Swap Sisters! It was a noble sacrifice!

Right now, if you order $40 worth of Occasions Mini products, you can choose a free item from the Under $10 page (208) of the Spring Summer Catalog!

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Stamps: Oval All, Belle Toile BG
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, Blush Blossom, Watercolor paper
Ink: Versamark, Blush Blossom Classic, Chocolate Chip Craft and Classic, Sage Shadow Craft and Classic
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Vintage Brads, Stampin Sponge, Dimensionals

Goodbye, SAB!

The last SAB sample of the year! Tuesday, March 31, is your last chance to earn free SAB sets by placing a $50 order! I have to tell you, that paper and ribbon are awesome! And ya gotta love sets that fit your punches!

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Stamps: Heard from the Heart, Polka Dot Punches (SAB)
Paper: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Whisper White, Delicate Dots DSP (SAB)
Ink: Bashful Blue, So Saffron
Accessories: Fresh Favorites Buttons, Linen Thread, 5-Petal Punch, 5/8 Celery Grosgrain

Ohhhhh, my!

How can you not love that embossing folder????? It's the newest release from Stampin Up for the Big Shot. If you haven't ordered this Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions folder yet, you really should go do it NOW! Soooo gorgeous! And it doesn't get any simpler!

We made this card last week for my club. If you're interested in joining my clubs, just drop me an email. We have tons of fun!

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Stamps: Define Your Life
Paper: Perfect Plum
Ink: Perfect Plum
Accessories: Manhattan Flower Textured Impressions Folder

A math project for the non-math person

I have a degree in English. I have not taken a math class since high school, which was a LONG time ago! Admittedly, it was trig and pre-calculus, but yuck.

So I shy away from projects that involve geometry. Math was ruined for me by a couple of bad teachers (one of which I had TWICE) in my early math years. So Mrs. Ripley and Mrs Bronson, here's mud in yer eye! I had always liked math before you two!

I actually figured out the measurements for this box ALL BY MYSELF! It's true. I was sick and not sleeping well. I woke up suddenly with inspiration that I could totally do this! LOL I had tried other box patterns that are out there, and I just didn't like them. The size was not working for what I had in mind.

Anyway, now that you know all the whys and wherefores of my math issues, you will have more appreciation for this project, right? What's that, I can't hear you???? Fine, here's the project.



In the center of the photo is the box top. I wanted a box that would hold 4 or 5 3x3 cards for a gift. Even a Mother's Day gift! It's not too early, you know. At least, that's what I've been telling my kids. {grin}

Yes, I actually used my Pretties Kit flowers! Can you believe it??? I know, what if I need them *later*! It's a little scary. Nevertheless, I felt this project needed the silk flower, so there it is! The 3x3 cards (which are rapidly becoming a favorite) are using the SAB papers. The one on the right uses one of those fabulous little embosslits--they are the cutest things ever!

This is a Card Buffet project for May, so if you're local, click over to the Card Buffet site and sign up! We'd love to have you!

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Stamps: Polka Dot Punches
Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Delicate Dots DSP
Ink: Certainly Celery
Accessories: Pretties Kit, Certainly Celery 5/8" Twill, Fresh Favorites Buttons, Cherry Blossom Embosslit

From the heart

I have to get these last projects with Sale-a-bration stuff in! LOL This card was inspired by my friend Stacy--you'll remember she has been the source of lots of my SAB projects! I love this print of DSP. It's very delicate, and of course, it matches the stamp perfectly! Love it when half the work is already done. And the fact that it revolves around So Saffron--my favorite color--just adds to the fun.

All materials from Stampin Up! Don't forget that you only have a week left to earn your free SAB benefits! Click on my Stampin Up website to order or join Stampin Up now!
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Stamps: Polka Dot Punches, Holidays and Wishes
Paper: So Saffron, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Delicate Dots DSP
Ink: Bashful Blue
Accessories: Full Heart Punch, So Saffron 5/8" Grosgrain, Soft Subtles Brads, Dimensionals

My First Recipe Swap

I had never done a recipe swap, or a 6x6 swap, either! So I was pretty nervous. Really nervous. Sooooo not a scrapper, here, you know? And to top it off, the swap was due while I was really sick with pneumonia earlier this month, so my head was not exactly functioning as well as I had hoped. "Think of it as a big square card," they told me. So, I did. LOL "They" are my Swappers Anonymous Sisters--we all hang out at the great new stamping forum Stampin Addicts! Come on over and set awhile! {grin} It's free to join, and then you can participate in all our great forums.

Oh, I'm supposed to be telling about the recipe swap, aren't I???? Ok, so the first real problem is deciding what recipe to use. I really don't cook much anymore. When my kids were all little, of course I did almost all the cooking. But the last few years, with 3 teenagers in the house, I've been making them do it. I've been SO successful, that my younger kids think I can't cook. I'm so proud.

Anyway, after much weeping and wailing and tearing out of hair, I settled on our famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. Now, here's where it gets a little funny. You remember how I was so sick, right? And we usually make a double batch of these cookies. 'Cause let me tell ya, 3 dozen little cookies just doesn't go very far for 8 people, especially if we {gasp} give some away! So when I prepared the recipe for my swap page, I had to "halve" all the measurements. {Again, a reminder of how sick I was. Just sayin.} I even asked one of my kids (who apparently was about as sick as I was) to double check, and I was assured I got everything right.

So in my fog of asthma, evil respiratory virus, and eventually pneumonia and strep, I proceeded to put all my 20 pages together. See all the cute scalloped edging? The paper piercing? The die-cutting with CORK? {yes, JanTink, I love *myself* too!}--it's my favorite part of the page. Well, after all of that was together, bagged up, and sitting ready to go to the post office, my antibiotic-fogged brain suggested in a very tiny voice "It would be a shame to mail all those with the wrong recipe on there." WHAT???? So I run, well, ok, shuffle to the kitchen to double check, and sure enough--I didn't "halve" the baking soda and salt measurements. Ohhhh, now THAT's gonna taste yummy! Cuss and swear words ensued. None of which are suited to your sweet little ears, or eyes, really, I guess.

It needed to be mailed. I couldn't mail it with a crappy recipe! Aaack! So I printed a bazillion (ok, 40 or so) little "1"s in Chocolate Chip colored printer ink, and *punched them out with my Cropadile!* Yes, yes I did. And then I *glued them over the 2s!* I KNOW!

And then I mailed them, and tried not to think about it anymore. LOL Because I have 3--yes 3--more swaps due soon. And I have to get busy screwing those up. So if you get one of these swaps, and it doesn't say 1 tsp each of baking soda and salt, please look for some teeny tiny "1" circles floating around. Or just draw over the "2s."

Thanks for looking!

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Paper: Kiwi Kiss Textured, Chocolate Chip Textured, So Saffron, Good Morning Sunshine DSP
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, 3/4” Circle Punch, 5/16” Jumbo Brads, 1” Stitched Grosgrain Chocolate Chip, Cropadile, Apricot 1/4” Grosgrain, Old Olive 1/4” Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip 1/4” Grosgrain, Big Shot, Flower Layers Die, Dimensionals