Stamping In My Neighborhood

Christmas Cupboard of Honor

Lots to do but I wanted to write one more 2008 post.  I thought I'd share with you a picture of my Christmas Cupboard of Honor.  That's the kitchen cabinet that I use to display all the handmade Christmas cards I get.  It's the cupboard that is right above my phone area and the one that is opposite the entrance to my home.  These cards represent the sweet time that my downline, customers, friends and family have spent to let me know they're thinking of me and my family.  Next year I'm hoping to have to add an extra cupboard!

As 2008 comes to a close, I hope it's been a good year for each and every one of you and that 2009 will be your best yet!  Can you believe the first decade of 2000 has only one year left?  It just seems like a couple years since all the Y2K drama!

Dad's Christmas Present and a Tip for You

Each year I give my father a 6x6 Desktop Calendar for Christmas.  December is generally a crazy month for me, so once again I was a little late starting this project.  Some year I'll start it early and really work on making the scrapbook page portion of the gift be works of art.  But for now, I keep them simple.  Besides, my father is a guy, so he probably doesn't want it to get all gussied up.  Yeah, that's what I tell myself.  He does consider it his favorite present every year (or so my mother tells me) so I guess I shouldn't worry.

Anyway, I really don't care for my handwriting, so although I journal on some pages, I really prefer computer-generating my text.  And sometimes titles.  Here's a picture tutorial of how to do that without wasting cardstock.  You can click on any image and getting a better view.

 Step 1:  Generate the text you want, determining size, font, color, etc.  When you have everything the way you want it, which can only be determined from a trial print, print a copy onto regular computer paper.

Step 2:  Determine the color and size of the cardstock for your project.  Here, I needed various colors in different sizes.

Step 3:  Place a SMALL amount of SNAIL on the back side of the cardstock and place the pieces over the printed text.  If you flip the computer paper over and hold it up to the light, you can see through and determine if the text is correctly placed/centered.

Step 4:  Run the sheet with the cardstock attached through the printer again.

Step 5:  Remove the cardstock pieces and add to project.

This year the page that got a lot of comments was this one.  My younger son has a habit of putting on one of my coats over a pair of shorts, donning his boots and heading outside for some fun.  He also LOVES the camping lantern.  If any of you are fans of the Nintendo game Zelda, he's emulating Link.  Anyway, for this page, I punched some 1/16" holes in the Basic Black cardstock so that it would mimic the falling snow when placed on the calendar.  I added a couple Felt Flurry snowflakes to complete the look.

Another year down.  I've already started taking pictures of the boys for next year's calendar, including some of them with my father.

Last Felt Flurrie Example...Maybe

I needed a little packaging idea for a little gift for one of my downline (she doesn't know, but she won a little contest I had a couple months ago), so I grabbed an empty Starbucks Frappuccino bottle, wrapped it in some Ski Slope DSP, tied on a little Baja Breeze striped grosgrain, added a Curvy Label punch and a Baja Breeze Felt Flurrie on the top.  Sorry, I didn't get a great picture, and it doesn't show the rhinestone brad in the middle of the felt flurrie, but it's there nonetheless.  As I write this it's dark and I'm headed over to the home of some close friends of ours for a Christmas Eve gathering...so this will have to do.  Oh, and contrary to how it looks, the ribbon is trimmed nicely...the pixels just make it look thready.

Wishing you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

More Felt Flurries

Since I've posted a couple projects recently that incorporate Felt Flurries (from the Holiday Mini Catalog...available through January 18th), I thought I'd post a birthday card I made for one of my downline (team members). 

The base is Riding Hood Red with a strip of Baja Breeze that's been stamped with the snowflake from To You & Yours.  I added some of the white felt flurries.  The largest one has a pewter Build-A-Brad in the center, highlighted with that same snowflake from To You & Yours in the center on Whisper White.  The greeting is from Hugs & Wishes, embossed in Whisper White.

Team Christmas Party

A couple weeks ago we held our team Christmas party at the home of one of my team members.  We had a potluck (and oh so yummy) meal and did a Yankee swap.  Participants could purchase $10-15 worth of new SU product or could make something that would be suitable for a class.  Lots of good and fun (and different) ideas.  I made a bracelet out of some jewelry findings and the Build-A-Brad and rhinestone brads that I had on hand.  It was my first attempt and I have to say that I was pleased at how it turned out.  It's really quite easy and the result is fun.  I'll have to make myself one to wear to all my SU events.  I just got some more brads in so I'll be playing soon.  What else is there to do on a snowy weekend?!

Boss Card #2

I told you I'd post the other card I made for Peter's bosses and here it is.  My husband vaguely indicated to me that this might not be masculine enough either.  Now tell me, what's not masculine?  Or, more importantly, what's feminine about it?  There is no bling.  The colors are manly.  No knots or bows.  I held my ground on this one.  And then, of course, my husband said something dreadful.  "They're fine.  They're for guys and nobody looks at the card anyway, they just want the money inside."  Ugh.  Men.

Anyway, more Felt Flurries and Ski Slope DSP.  The card base (fits large envelope) is Kiwi Kiss, stamped with Chocolate Chip ink.  The thin strip of Chocolate Chip that you see is retired Chocolate Twill.  "Merry Christmas" comes from Many Merry Messages.

Sorry for the poor image.  I told you my light box needs fixing.  And it needs a new light. 

P.S.  I wrote this post a couple days ago, when I posted the other card.  Since then we've experienced some extreme weather.  This is our third day without power.  I am at my brother's house in a neighboring town, so while playing on my laptop (I love my laptop), I discovered I had something to post.  Just thought I'd add that not only does my light box need fixing and needs a new light, but my house needs electricity!  I know that the majority of you reading this post are in my same circumstances (or were).

Christmas...Biggie Sized

Last night my husband asked me if I could make a couple cards for the bosses at work.  Each year they pass around an envelope and the guys donate to the fund.  There are a dozen or so guys who have to sign it, so I made a card larger than normal.  This card fits into SU's large envelope and measures 6 3/8" x 4 5/8".  So although it is not a huge card, it is bigger than your average card.

This first card (I'll post the other in a day or two) was my favorite, but of course his first comment to me this morning was "You do realize these are for men, right?"  Apparently men who engineer and manufacture jet engine parts aren't secure enough in their manhood to tolerate a ribbon with a knot.  It's not even a bow!  Sheesh.  Well, maybe he also found the clear rhinestone in the snowflake to be a little feminine.  Whatever.  So, yes, I made another card quickly that was plain and boring.  I didn't change my second card though.

This card uses the Ski Slope DSP, Big Shot with Top Note die, Chocolate Chip and Baja Blue cardstock, white embossing powder and that wonderful Baja Blue striped grosgrain.  The Felt Flurry was added with a clear rhinestone from the Pretties Kit and a mini glue dot.  The sentiment is from Many Merry Messages, a set that has so many perfect sentiments for this time of year.  The image looks a little washed out, but that is no doubt because I couldn't use my lightbox (homemade and in need of great repair, plus I need a new light for it).

My latest stamp set

A few weeks ago Mr. Brown delivered the most awesome Inspired By Nature stamp set.  I love it!  It's a set of four stamps (you mount two on each block) and is just gorgeous!  The grass stamp is so versatile in that it is great for summer scapes (especially used with the cone flower stamp), sympathy or those always-hard-to-design masculine cards.  I wasn't sure if or when I would get to use the "Live with passion" stamp set but the opportunity presented itself within a week!  The pastor at my church took a little tangent and really let his passion for people shine through.  So I used this set and created this card for him.  I can't take credit for the cattails.  I've seen them in a couple different places so I don't know who the real credit goes to, but it was a fabulous idea!  It's hard to see, but there's chocolate chip grosgrain tied in a knot at the bottom.  The colors are Chocolate Chip, Garden Green and Very Vanilla.

I just love this set and can't wait to use it a little more...after the holidays, of course.  Still haven't done my Christmas cards yet.  I really need to get going!  No worries, really, I have most of the stuff cut.  Just need to stamp, sign, address and deliver.