Last tag to share...

I hope by now you are not totally sick and tired of my Christmas tags - they were a joy to make and I was so glad that they could be part of a special gift used to uplift someone.

This stamp set is retiring in January and so you only have a short while to get it yet - it's called Celebrate the Season and I love the bold images for quick and easy stamping while getting a dramatic effect!



I want to thank all of my readers who have hung in there with me through some ugly duckling posts and all! I really appreciate it!

I have some blog candy to offer today! 25 yards of each of the 3 colors of bakers twine that a•muse studio carries: red/white, brown/white and black/white.

Just leave a comment by midnight of the 29th and I'll be back with a winner on Friday!

TAC Farewell Blog Hop

Wow...sadly this is the most players in a blog hop I've ever seen! But we're getting together to pay our final respects to a great company, The Angel Company. What a treat it was for me to use and share their stamps over the past 9 years. I know I will continue to grab for them over and over in the future as well!

Do you ever buy a book or magazine from the bookstore or craft store only to bring it home and be sadly disappointed once you sit and thumb through it's pages? Recently I bought Delight in the Details by Lisa Pace because I had a coupon burning a hole in my pocket. I figured I'd regret it later ... but no! It is one of the best books I've picked up and the crepe paper rosette featured on my card below is from it's pages. If you click on the card you may see the stickles that run around the edge of it...so pretty in real life!



This card is in honor of all the wonderful friends I've made over the past years...and I look forward to keeping those friendships alive and making new friends on my stamping journey!

I hope you'll take a moment to sign up for my blog candy (US only please - I'm sorry!) Leave a comment and I'll pull a winner on Tuesday, midnight.



Please be sure to visit these talented Angels!

Julie
Seleise
Rita W.
Donna
Chan
Mary
Angela
Laura
Barbara
Trudy
Shirley
Wendy
Carol
Rita K.
Chelsea
Kim
PaulaKay
Ginger
Teresa
Maria
Deb
Diana
Betty
Christine
Sandy
Char
Diane
Stacy
Rita
Blessings friends...

Passion, and purpose!

Have you gotten a hold of the latest catalog from The Angel Company? Not only are the new stamp sets really great, but I love the special feeling I get now as I thumb through the pages. Throughout the catalog, Mischelle, the owner of TAC, encourages us to give this papercrafting passion of ours a PURPOSE! She reminds us how by just sending one of our home made cards we will lift up and be a blessing to someone. So often I spend an hour or two on a card, only for it to sit in my shoebox of cards (which has now grown to a basket). I keep creating but I am guilty of not sharing my cards like I really should!

On page 2 of the catalog is a fun list of Holidays if you "need" a reason to send a card...for instance, did you know that Sep 9 was Teddy Bear Day? Or, that Sep 11 was Grandparent's Day? The list goes on and on! In the past I've belonged to our church's Card Ministry, have made cards for Operation Quiet Comfort, and I know there are many other worthy organizations that would appreciate our home made, hand made with love, cards!

I am currently creating some long distance card clubs where you will get the fixings for a special card to send out, and with just $30 in purchases for 3 months of your choosing, you'll be able to enjoy the hostess rewards for one of the months. You also have the opportunity to purchase the Card Club stamp of the month at a special price...if you want more details, drop me a note!

Page 81 of the catalogs has a verse from Hebrews 3:13 ...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today". Do you have a special organization that you send cards too? Or, do you like to surprise family members on not just their birthdays? For a chance to win this blog candy, just leave me a post on what you do with all of your cards! I'll draw a winner on Wednesday, 27 July by noon. Good luck!



PS. You can see the online catalog here but if you'd like your own copy, I have just a couple left! You can click on the Buy Now button in my sidebar or send me an email.

More Blog Candy!

So the catalog will go live in about another week...once I know the catalogs have shipped, the wait is almost unbearable. To help pass the time, let's have some more blog candy!

I've always loved this Gerbera Daisy and this set of sayings, Little Things is so sweet. Who can resist phrases like: birthday candles, butterfly kisses or milk chocolate!?!



Just leave a comment before midnight, Wednesday for a chance to win these two sets!

McStamper - you won the last blog candy - please contact me by Friday or I will have to award it to the next person in line...thank you!!

And to leave you with just a little more catalog excitement (have you preordered your copy yet?!) here are some Hostess Reward sneak peek sets!





These are sets you can earn for free by having a party - I'm happy to do long distance workshops with you...just ask me how!

A winner!

Congrats to: McStamper

You won this week's blog candy! I hope everyone comes back to check out the next batch of goodies...

Random Sequence Generator

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Timestamp: 2011-06-16 10:29:06 UTC

PS. I'm getting ready to place an order on Monday so if you'd like to still get some of the sneak peek stamps on sale - or get any of the retiring stamp sets on sale!! - just shoot me an email. Thanks to all of you who have pre ordered a catalog...I still have a few more available!

New Catalog Celebration!

Eeck! I can't wait to see the new catalog from The Angel Company...I just faxed in my preorder so if you are looking to reserve your copy, send me an email. I am charging $8.50 (for my US customers) which includes priority mail to you and a coupon for your first order...if you live overseas and would like a copy, please contact me via email. PS. I have a paypal button on my sidebar if that makes it convenient for you.

To celebrate, I am having some blog candy this weekend and next weekend. Up first is this double set of winter themed collages. It's Twinkle in the Eye which is a hostess set and the retired Train Collage. This morning I thought of trying these in the cracked glass technique. Can't wait to give it a whirl!



You have until midnight on Wednesday to post what you are looking forward to seeing in the new catalog. Thanks for playing along!

Extending blog candy ... one day!

Popping in to let you know I'll be extending my blog candy for one more day...I know Easter weekend can be very busy and I posted late in the day on Saturday. So check out my previous post if you still want a chance to enter!

We're enjoying some day trips with the inlaws and here's a photo I snapped with my little ol' camera.



I love butterflies! Speaking of which, sadly True Beauty is retiring - the good news for you is that it is now on sale!



Please come back tomorrow to see my black and white card for Tune in Tuesday...it's one of my favorite cards I've ever made!!!

Golden Egg and Blog Candy!

Friday April 22-Sunday April 24

Who doesn’t love a golden egg! Just like our kids we can’t wait to crack it open and see what’s inside. This month The Angel Company is combining our love for Golden Eggs with a cardmaking challenge!

To play along cardmakers MUST use the items in the Golden Egg, on their cards, and then upload them to our Savvy Projects Blog share!

What is in the Golden Egg (Items that have to be on your card):

1. GLITTER ~ Prisma glitter or glitter pens … it just has to have glitter!
2. LAYERS ~ At least 3!
3. COLOR ~ At least 3 colors or more! Ink, prisma pencils, copics, etc.
4. RIBBON or SCRAPPERS FLOSS
5. FLOWERS ~ At least 1!

So here is my card for the challenge and I hope you'll play along!!

{sorry for the quality of the photo - I had to scan my card because it is a dreary, rainy day outside! There is glitter on the flower, hat band and scarf!}

And just to thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and take a peek at my creations, I want to offer up some blog candy! This has to be one of my favorite sets, Hope Perches, and since you can only earn it with a Hostess Party this is YOUR chance to win it now! Just leave a comment below by midnight, Sunday and I will announce the winner on Monday.



I think this set is so appropriate this Easter weekend...hope and faith get us through those trying days. Blessings to you!

Announcing the winners!

I just wanted to pop in quickly to congratulate my four winners from my Holiday Blog Candy...thanks to everyone who took the time to post!

Blog Candy #1
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garnett said...
Merry Christmas. Thanks for a chance to win "A Holiday Giveaway.
December 25, 2010 7:14 AM

Blog Candy #2
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Lois said...
Hope Santa was good to you...what cool craft stuff did you get? I got some MS Glitter.
December 27, 2010 6:41 PM

Blog Candy #3
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Franca said...
Wonderfull!!!Wish you a wonderfull start in the new year
December 28, 2010 5:57 PM

Blog Candy #4
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Debbie said...
Happy New Year! Hope to do more cards this year.Love the little tea & coffee stamps. And, of course, the pencils!!
December 31, 2010 9:54 AM


Today is the last day to take advantage of the half priced paper sale! Here's a direct link to see the fabulous papers and prices being offered...

Final Give away...

Today is the last raffle I'll have...I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate the holidays and thank my readers. I'll be drawing the 4 winners on the 1st and posting their names so if you haven't had a chance to enter the other blog candy drawings, you have until then to do so.

Can it be that 2010 is coming to an end? I hope the New Year is filled with blessings for you and yours...

Third Prize Package!

Thanks for popping and checking on me. Today's give away is two stamp sets that would be fun for scrapbooking and cardmaking! Just leave a comment to enter and you may go back and enter for the previous blog candies as well...I'm having one big drawing on the 1st and will announce all of the winners at that time.




I'll have one more giveaway so come back and check it out. Please enter just once per prize...

Second Give Away...

Just a small token of my appreciation to those of you who take a peek at my blog. I will be having several prize packages over the holidays and you can enter for each drawing - just leave a post. I will be having one drawing on the 1st for all the giveaways so you have until then to enter each one, once please. :)

Hope you are having a relaxing holiday with friends and family. Blessings!

A Holiday Giveaway!

I want to thank you for being one of my readers...I'll be having a give away prize every other day from now through the 30th. You can enter for each drawing but just post once per prize{please}. I will have one drawing on the 1st so you can enter any time until then.



Wishing each one of you a safe and Merry Christmas!

Give Thanks

I am so excited because two of the three cards I submitted for the last catalog call are now being featured on The Angel Company's home page...it's a Gallery for the Fall Supplement. There is such a nice variety of card samples - you really must check it out!

http://www.theangelcompany.net/SupplementFall_10-11_InspGallery.html

And, don't miss out on my Blog Candy in the next post below...you have until tonight at midnight to tell me your new favorites from the Fall Supplement. PS. My newsletter is going out right now with all the latest specials but you can also find this in the sidebar. Hope you have a great week!

Live...Fall Supplement

Wow...The Angel Company said the new Fall Supplement would go "live" on 1 October and the new stamps are already showing up here!

I'm loving some of the new stamps and here's one of my favorites!
Plus, have you seen this month's Limited Edition offerings? This time they are $3.95 to accomodate the bigger size - still a great value!

Which is your favorite new stamp(s)?

Tell me by midnight, Monday, 4 October for a chance to win this blog candy!

{: Embellish Magazine :} Blog Hop - check it out!

I have been waiting for this day with some anticipation...okay, I'm giddy!

Today I am sponsoring the blog hop and talented design team over at Ashley Newell Cannon's spectacular blog, {: Embellish Magazine :}, which goes with her online magazine (same name, coincidentally!). Both are so professionally and beautifully created. The challenge theme is birds and if you go over there and play along, you have a chance to win a gift certificate from me to anything in The Angel Company catalogs. Each design team member worked with a different bird set from The Angel Company and they are featuring different papers from our collections...I think you will be thrilled!

I decided to play along too, and I thought this bird from the All Things of Nature set would go perfectly with my Tim Holtz bird cage die. This card features the new double sided paper collection, Emma, and I was tickled to see that not only is the cardstock double sided, but that the tags are too - and with a different pattern! It's wonderful that the Soar With it Collections come with matching Bazzill cardstock, ribbon and hardware...

Card Materials: all stamps and papers from The Angel Company

Stamps: All Things of Nature, Blossoms and Blessings, Victorian Elements

Accessories: Emma Soar with it Collection and cardstock, prismacolored pencils and gamsol, Tim Holtz die, sponges, pearls from Michaels

On my blog I will have a second prize available...owls are birds too, right?! Of sorts!

You have a chance to win this sweet sayings set plus a variety of owls from our two sets, Artsy Owls and Be Square. You'll also get this package of Angelee papers that will make a cute little tag book or be perfect for a card or two.

Simply leave me a comment before August 12, that's when the other contest closes, for a chance to win! So...are you a bird fan or not?!?

Birds of a feather...

flock together! I don't know if that's a familiar saying in all countries, but I can vouch for it! This morning while making my husband lunch to take to work, I glanced out my porch window and saw all 5 of my chickens wandering loose around the yard! I called my son to help me round them up (I envisioned flapping wings and me running crazily around the yard in my nightie!) but luckily they came running when they saw me carrying some of their dried corn "treat" and waddled on into their pen. Amazing...

Speaking of birds, I hope you can come back to visit me tomorrow. You will see more birds than in an Alfred Hitchcock movie and definitely less scary! I am so thrilled to be sponsoring a blog hop over on Ashley Newell Cannon's blog, {: Embellish Magazine:}. Extra exciting is that you will have a chance to win blog candy on my blog but also if you participate in her challenge, you will have a chance to win a gift certificate to The Angel Company from me! Even if you don't win, you will be so inspired by the design teams' creations that you will still feel like a winner!

When I saw this new Level B hostess set from TAC, I was eager to get a hold of it. I cut it out yesterday and began to play. I think this tag would work as a book mark or you could attach it to any gift...so easy and so beautiful.

Card Materials: all stamps and papers from The Angel Company

Stamps: Script, Hope Perches (free hostess set)

Accessories: TAC Kraft cardstock, DCWV cardstock, Nestablilites, palette inks, lace

See you tomorrow! I can't wait!!!

Potpourri

I'm still here - I'm sorry that my posting has really slowed down the last two weeks. I'm feeling better and hope to get back to cardmaking today/tomorrow so I will have something fresh to post next week!

In the meantime...how about some blog candy? I never cut the set Welcome Home and now it's on the retired list...so in honor of all the mothers out there in the world, just leave a comment between now and midnight, Sunday May 9 for a chance to win this set and a package of pearls.

On another note, I love clematis and brought this plant with me when we moved from North Carolina...only it was tiny 6 years ago! The arbor I had made when we were stationed in Panama and I just love how it's in full bloom - today all the petals are open and HUGE!

This clematis sits on the side of our house and a mama Robin has made her nest inside it...here is the "other" side which doesn't get much sun but makes for a perfect home. She keeps her eye on me from her nest as I move around the gardens...

I hope you have a super weekend! I'm baking for a bake sale and we have two baseball games for my son...

Homemade buttons!

I spend way too much time blog surfing but as a result, I have stumbled across some amazing and delightful sites! Take this FIMO button tutorial by Plain Jane, for instance. I bookmarked it over 6 months ago but I knew I wanted to give it a try...

The highlight of this card is the FIMO buttons we made with gold clay...ours were quite simple buttons but Jane shows how you can really take any plastic cap to make a variety of buttons. I found you don't want to go too thin (sorry that I broke your button, Angela!) but 1/8 " worked perfectly!

This was a simple card we made at my hostess club get together this month. What I love about the card is that it will be suitable for pretty much any occasion - you just need to stamp the sentiment as needed. It's also a card that would be pretty easy to mass produce.

Card Materials: all stamps and papers from The Angel Company

Stamps: Watercolor Plants

Accessories: DCWV green paper, Aspen Cardstock, Martha Steward border punch, ribbon (Joanns), FIMO buttons, Mango Madness and Tea Leaves VersaMagic Chalk ink

I love the VersaMagic chalks inks for second and third generation stamping like in this card. These inks are so juicy and vibrant that the colors are beautiful in real life!

Do you have a favorite tutorial bookmarked? Share the link here in the comments by Sunday, Mar 21 (midnight) and I will have a drawing for the stamp set, Little Things, retail value: $8.95.

Hope you have a great weekend...we'll be going from a baseball game in the afternoon to Tuxedo and long gown affair in the evening on Saturday. How crazy is that?

Paper Hoarding...

I "suspected" I had a problem, but no more so than anyone else! Right? Wrong! This week my friend Julie stopped by and we stamped some cards to send to wounded soldiers. She just had a new craftroom "redesign" and was shocked at how much stuff she had accumulated...it was inspiring to Lois and I to clean up and clean out. I stamp in my tiny laundry room so space is tight and I've migrated to hidden corners of the house. When I got my new dryer (which I am trying to learn to use after 17 years with my old one...sniff, sniff), I thought that was the time to purge and clean up my space as well.

Here are the 8 paper stashes I came across!

My homemade 12x12 hanging folders...holds mostly Basic Grey, the old DCWV printed paper that I should just throw away, and other misc. papers that I picked up along the way on sale at the craft store.

My Soar with it Collections from The Angel Company...plus some brand new 8x8 paper packs. One of the containers holds the My Minds Eye paper from Costco...I really think it multiplies when I turn off the lights!

oops! Almost forgot about this stash of Bazzill paper hidden on my bookshelf...it matches the Soar with it Collections from TAC...

A drawer full of Bazzill monochromatic paper packs and other assorted mini paper packs I've picked up.

DCWV 12 x 12 paper packs and some retired packs from The Angel Company...

Some of the 8x8 paper packs & scraps from TAC and smaller DCWV packs...

My color coordinated scraps...all sizes because I don't throw anything away "just in case" - that is going to STOP!!

And my last and final container that I always forget to even check because it's under other things...I think I can safely just throw it away and I won't even miss it!!

If you are not to exhausted (or sickened by this point!), here's my card to share...my nephew's birthday was yesterday - I've had it made a week and just never wrote it out or mailed it. So, I whipped out the saying last night, "whoo knew?!" and on the inside it says, "this birthday wish would be so late?!" tee hee...

I love this owl set from The Angel Company...they also have Artsy Owls that are totally different in style and have amazing branches in the set! These papers actually came out of my accordian scrap file folder so I do use them!

PS. My New Year's resolution made yesterday: No new paper until I make a serious dent into all of this ... and no more saving scraps less than 2x3" !! (I keep thinking I'll make candles out of those long, skinny pieces left over - honestly!)

Blog Candy time! Leave me your paper storage tips by Sunday, 10 Jan (midnight) and I will draw a winner for two 8x8 paper packs from The Angel Company. :)