Valentine's Day Treat

Happy Friday! :)

Last night, I was able to bless a women's group in Smyrna with providing the activity for their monthly meeting. We had great fun, and this was one of the two projects we did - there are Valentine's M&Ms inside this little fold-over!

We used Chocolate Chip card stock as the base; since I knew there would be non-stampers there, I wanted to keep the project pretty simple. :) So we used the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder to put the lovely dots into the card stock. We used the designer label punch and some red glitter paper - LOVE that stuff! - for the back of the medallion. The "I think you're lovely" is from the upcoming SALE-A-BRATION brochure! Yes, this stamp set was FREE! :D You can earn it, beginning the end of this month, with just a $50 purchase - and it's a great stamp set.

OK. We stamped that in Chocolate Chip ink onto Whisper White, punched out the center, and put it on the glitter paper with Dimensionals. Then, we fastened the M&Ms inside with a mini glue dot, and fastened the front down with another mini glue dot.

Fast and easy, and I think it's quite cute! If I were to do it for school kids, I'd do different colors and probably a different stamp set - but for grown-ups, this is perfect. :)

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure to take the time to STAMP something - and why not bless someone else with it? :D

National Chocolate Day!

Hi, everyone! Sorry I'm still sluggish - I'm just TIRED. But we had a great time last Friday night! :D

Here's the food....

Chocolate, and LOTS of it, of course! :D

And here are the two projects we made - one with chocolate, the other chocolate-colored. :D














I have to admit, I really love these projects! They turned out so beautifully! :D We only did two of the mini-sliders in class; I used the rest for my speech class, and for tiny treats at church. :D

OK, I'm outta here! SO much to do! :D Bonnie S.: I will post the answer to your question about the wedding card first thing in the morning! I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. :) I had to take a picture, and still have to edit and explain it - but I'm going to get it ready to go! :)

Have a WONDERFUL evening! Be SURE to take the time to STAMP something - I am!!!!

Chocolate Day!

Each year I put out the call to come celebrate chocolate! :D It's usually an inexpensive class, and a great excuse to eat chocolate. :D The spread was yummy!

We made a candy bar slider and a card! And ate chocolate. :D

National Chocolate Month

Good morning! Sorry about missing yesterday; I was completely wiped out, and only did what was necessary to get by. :)

SO! Monday night was my second annual celebration with my customers who chose to come of National Chocolate Month. We made one 3D project and one card. The only rule is that we stamp with chocolate colors. :D

This little basket is made with my Big Shot :D and the scallop envelope die. We also used one of the new Texturz plates to add dimension to the Chocolate Chip card stock panels that go all the way around.

The medallion on the front is a curly label punch stamped in Chocolate Chip on Pink Pirouette, with a Very Vanilla oval punch stamped in Riding Hood Red. Stamp sets for those are CUTE & CURLY and the Sale-A-Bration set, YUMMY. (You still have time to get your SAB merchandise, everyone! CONTACT ME to find out how!)

We covered mini KitKat bars in Candy Lane Designer Series Paper (it's SUCH pretty paper!!!), and then put a Chocolate Chip belly band around them. We punched hearts with the Heart to Heart punch, and used the two larger hearts centered on the front of the candy; the littlest hearts, as you can kind of see in the side picture, we put on the handle on the side. :)

These are SO cute, and easy treat baskets for any occasion!

The card is one of my favorites that I've done in a long time - simply because it is simple, clean, classic, and FUN. :) We stamped the cupcake and the saying inside - both from CRAZY FOR CUPCAKES - with Chocolate Chip CRAFT ink, and embossed it with clear embossing powder. It's stamped on Very Vanilla, then layered on Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla - and all those layers are hit with the ticket corner punch - another one of my favorite toys tools. ;D

The next layer, the bigger Creamy Caramel, we ran through the Big Shot on the second side of the Texturz plate we used for the basket sides. (I'm falling in love with those plates!!! They sure make it easy to do a beautiful, FAST card!!) Then it's layered onto Chocolate Chip before being attached to the Very Vanilla card. The image layers are put onto the front of the card with dimensionals. SUPER simple!!!

OK. I've got to clean up my studio today - it looks like it expoded. :D I hope you have a wonderful day - and if you want to attend a class, CLICK HERE to see my schedule through the end of March!

By the way, what ARE you stampin'?????? ;)

Good Friday Morning! :)

How are you today? Enjoying the second day of 2009? :D I'm procrastinating; I need to go run some errands, but I just don't want to get ready. :D Ever feel like that??

Anyway. Yesterday was the day I send out my newsletter to my peeps on my email list, and this is one of the things I showed them.

Isn't it cute? This is from the new preview bundle from Stampin' Up!, called LOVE YOU MUCH. The hearts are all on one stamp, perfectly positioned to punch out with the punch included in the bundle - and the yummy designer series paper is going to be in the new Idea Book & Catalog, too! The only thing not a PREVIEW of the new IB&C (which we'll be able to order from JANUARY 19!!!!) is the white taffeta ribbon.

The box is the perfect size for a little chocolate something.... :D

If you'd like to order the LOVE YOU MUCH BUNDLE, please GO HERE and click on the SHOP NOW button - and then on SPECIALS. :) (Or email me!)

Have a wonderful weekend! And be sure to come back next week; every day, I'll be posting one of the cards from tomorrow's Quick Card Class. :)

Trick or Treat!!!

Hi, everyone! I'm back from my weekend - weary and unpacked. :D It was a lot of fun, but I'm back and hard at work already.

I wanted to show you one of the things I gave my Secret Sister at our retreat!

Isn't he adorable?? I've been inspired by several different bloggers for him, but the final design is all my own. :) He was about 8 inches tall, and held a large Lindt candy bar. It's all punches, sponging, free-handing, and free-cutting!

Colors are Old Olive, Bordering Blue, Basic Black, and Whisper White. I used my white gel pen to put the reflection into his eyes; isn't he a docile-looking Frankenstein?!?!? :D

I'm going to run again - I have to keep stamping, to have new things to show you! What are YOU stampin'?!?!??!?! Goodness! I certainly hope you're taking the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!

A gift for ME!

Isn't it PRETTY???? I had told my friends that I could sure use a pair of new paper snips for Christmas, and Melissa walked into our Sunday school Christmas party here last night with this pretty gift in her hand!

She took a Crystal Light continer and covered it with Dashing designer paper, did the medallion on the front, and punched holes for the jumbo eyelets with her Crop-a-Dile. She used Real Red grosgrain ribbong for the handle. And besides my new snips, it's full of CHOCOLATE - she rolled labels with it LOOKS like the So Swirly jumbo wheel, and stuck them on Nuggets. There are also Kisses in here - and I haven't emptied it to see if anything different is on the bottom. :D

THANK YOU, MELISSA!!!! It's a WONDERFUL gift, and you KNOW I'll think of you every time I use it. It's sitting on my desk right now. You're such a WONDERFUL friend and downline!!!! :)

OK, YOUR turn to stamp a present for someone - then send me a scan, jpeg, or a copy. ;D TAKE TIME TO STAMP SOMETHING!

Easy WOW card!

This card was one of the two projects we did tonight at the Chocolate Party. We had a small turnout, but we had a GREAT time!

We stamped the largest image from LOVELY AS A TREE in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink on the Very Vanilla card stock, then stamped it in Very Vanilla Craft Ink on the Chocolate Chip card stock - and embossed with clear embossing powder. Next, we cut both pieces of card stock on the diagonal, and mounted one piece of each color on the Ruby Red mat. The next step was to emboss the "thank you" from WONDERFUL WORDS with the Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and clear EP, and inside we put "from the heart" from HUGS & WISHES. Then we put the image on the Creamy Caramel card stock. Voila! And EASY.

Quite a stunning presentation, isn't it? It's beautiful with any detailed stamp! Here's a challenge: do the same technique, and either mail it to me or scan and email it. We'll have another contest!!!!

The NEXT post will probably be another contest, too! We're almost at 5000 hits, and that means BLOG CANDY!!!!!!! :) So, go STAMP something - and share it!!!

OK, I'm getting there....

See? It's only HALF a mess now! :D I've got the projects for tonight cut out and designed, one of the offerings for the chocolate party is in the oven, and I've been able to work on other things for the hostess appreciation luncheon today. All this in less than two hours! I'm feeling like I'm accomplishing something finally! :D

I'll post the card we're doing tonight after everyone comes to party with me. :) It's going to be a small crowd, but we'll have fun - how can you not, with chocolate involved???? :)

Back to work for me - I hope you're taking the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AUGH! I'm caught in a MESS!

Would someone PLEASE stop the world for a while?? I need to catch up! LOOK at this mess - and I'm having a chocolate party tomorrow night!!! Not to mention the Hostess Appreciation Luncheon on Saturday....

So, any guesses what I'll be doing the next few days? Oh, yeah, things like baking chocolate desserts for tomorrow night, working on wedding photos, yadda yadda.... :D Cleaning up the stamping room is DEFINITELY in the cards, too. I can't promise that my DESK will be cleared by Saturday, but I've GOT to get organized, or this luncheon will NOT be fun for any of us!

Stay tuned for updates - and stamped things. (Think this next part to the tune of "I Am Pretty"....) I am busy, o so busy! I am busy, and crazy, and stressed! :D

OK, I'm going to go stamp something now. Make SURE you take the time to stamp something, too! :D

Last one! :D

This one was a BIG hit, let me tell you! :D It's a snack-sized M&M holder, as you can see in the photo below. Take a 4"x11" piece of card stock, and score it at 1/4", 1-1/2", 3-1/2", 4-3/4", 7-3/4", and 9". Using our wonderful WORD WINDOW PUNCH, place a slot for the candy to fit into. We punched it so it overlapped in the center, making the punched-out place about 3" wide.

Put adhesive in the 1/4" flap, and fold it all together. It becomes a box that's 1-1/4" wide.

The M&Ms should sit comfortably inside the box. We took a punched-out piece and fastened it on the front with a brad, so you can tuck the top flap behind it - but whatever type of closure works for you, do it! :) I saw some of the gum holders on other websites, and thought that this would be MUCH better for our mommies and kids. I mean, M&Ms?!? Who DOESN'T love them?!?! :D

Don't forget to stamp/wheel/decorate the outside of your box BEFORE you fold and assemble. :D We wheeled it with the SPOT ON jumbo Stampin' Around wheel and Versamark in the cartridge.

Let me know if you do this - and if you need any help, just yell! Don't forget: you can always reach me by emailing me at poohisstampin@aol.com!

Have a WONDERFUL day! And don't forget: take some time today to STAMP something!! :)