September Hostess Club

Thursday night was the third meeting of my hostess club(s) for the year. I don't know if they realize that this was the first month we have *all* been there together! How fun!

There are twelve ladies in all, two groups of six, who order for each other and receive benefits from the group. I love this get together! We have so much fun chatting :) I have to say, I do more running around than chatting. . .but that is the way it is supposed to be, right??

Over the next week or so, I am going to feature a few cards from my hostess club swap, and a Halloween swap I have participated in (with permission from the artists of course :). In the meantime, here are a couple of our projects from Thursday night!

The cards I am showing today, are featured in Stampin' Success--the demonstrator publication we receive monthly. Can I just say how much I **LOVE** when they have super cute cards that I have the supplies to make!!! Such a bonus! I designed the box to fit a small set of this card as a gift. I will post the directions when I get a chance.


Deets: Paper:Soft Sky, Old Olive, More Mustard, Whisper White; Ink:White Craft; Other stuff: Petals embossing template, 3/4inch circle punch, jumbo pewter eyelets, crop-a-dile, white embossing powder, heat gun, soft sky stitched ribbon, word window punch.

Okay, here is a funny moment at my hostess club:

Have you ever had a person show you that you have been doing something wrong at a club or a workshop? I freely admit that I do NOT know everything. . .I have learned most of what I know thru trial and error, and from tutorials I have seen here or there. . .

Occasionally I will have someone show me something I have never seen before (ex. the "perfect" bow--really just a flat knot--that my upline taught me. . .and now I show everyone I know!) but usually I find that I am figuring stuff out at my table by myself. Such is the case for dry embossing. I have been doing the same thing since I started. . .outline the image. . . then fill it in. Yes, I scribble in the middle with my embossing tool until the entire image is flattened! What a dufus!

I had one of my hostess girls explain. . .

"Robin, have you ever just outlined the image?"

and I say, "well that would look different. . . "

and she says, "but it really doesn't. . ." and she shows me. . . and my jaw hit the floor!

All this time I had made that so much harder than it needed to be! Just because I had never had anyone actually dry emboss something in front of me before. . . I just assumed that you had to fill in the image! I think she felt bad, like I would be embarrassed :) I just don't embarrass that easily I guess. . . As I said, I don't know everything, but I still know lots!

Some of my hostess girls have been stamping longer than I have. Can't wait until they teach me something else I don't know :)

Here is another card from Stampin' Success. I made it a standard size, as I didn't have the long envelopes to make it a 3x6 card. . .I have ordered some however. Seems it would be a fun size to make! This one uses the following:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs; Paper: Old Olive, Soft Sky textured, Really Rust, Whisper white; Ink:Versamark, Really Rust; Other stuff: 5/8 grograin, clear embossing powder, 3/4in circle punch, earth elements brads, heat gun.

Well, that is all for now. Hope you all got a laugh from my "I'm and Idiot" moment :) We can't take ourselves *too* seriously, you know? Or at least I don't. . . Ciao!

More Halloween Madness. . .

Here are some more goodies!

This is a treat bag, made with the small cello bags in the catalog. I used the spider from Booglie Eyes. The paper is Only Orange and Gable Green. Super easy to crank out for school!
A close up of one of the large ornaments. . . Batty for You is so awesome!
The centerpiece. . .I used paper instead of Ribbon for the belly band. Everyone is already getting a package of Jersey Ribbon Originals. . .I didn't want to make them get a whole other package to complete the project!
Here is the Garland from Convention 2007! We are making this in my October 2nd Decor class at the Book Shoppe. . .Woot!

~This is going to be such a fun class~

Perpetual Chaos

Well, I have said before. . . I will get this cleaned up and then take pictures for you. Or in this case, I will just skip the clean up part and take pictures for you! Seriously. . .I had it so nice and clean for my open house! Then of course there was work to be done. *Sigh* I guess it is better to show you how it looks most of the time, rather than how it looks once a year ;)

This is the view when you come up the stairs. I work in a nook off of the hallway. My husband *HATES* that there isn't a door that can be closed! And if I am not careful (which is most of the time) I can work my way out to the hall. . . oops! All cabinetry is from IKEA (I believe it is the Effektiv line? correct me if I am wrong. I could look it up, but I need to get stamping!).

Here is my messy desk, with stamp cabinets above. I really do know where everything is! I love having the window right by my table, but I have to be careful not to leave the shades open unless I am working. Things tend to fade. . .
Retired on the top, current on the bottom. . .these need organization *badly*

Difficult to see, but I have a file cabinet (also IKEA) under my table for punches/necessities/filed paperwork/etc. I also have a rack on the wall for my paper cutter and scrubbie. A chair at the end in case one of my friends/customers wants to stamp with me. Or to just hold bags of stuff :)

I have the DVD holders from IKEA holding my ink. The little stickers from the catalog are on all the ink pads, and on the holder also. LOVE the labels!
I have my ribbon in the rain gutter endcaps that nest together, as seen on splitcoast. I like them because they telescope, and I can make it short/long as needed. . .

Apparently one of the punches is on my desk, because there is *no* room in this drawer if they are all put away. . .like they are ever "all put away"?
The paper in the files approach keeps me sane. I can't fit all of my new packages in there so they are kept separately. I would post more pictures of the inside of the cabinets, but this post is huge already. . .Anyway, there it is :) My stampin' space in all its messy glory. I am thankful to have a place I can work and keep it out if I need to.

Even if it is just off the hallway!

Pop Quiz

I don't normally take quizzes. . . but this one is compelling! Of course, since my husband and I are grammar police, I had to see how I would do. . . .Mind you, I am not without my faults. But if I notice something grammatically incorrect,I am compelled to make a comment. . .It is a curse!

I don't do it to everyone--mostly my husband :) So if I make a mistake he does a little dance and makes fun of me. . .I like to think it is because it doesn't happen very often! Anyway, give this little quiz a try:

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs. As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

Another Halloween Swap

I've got it bad over here :)

Halloween is my absolute favorite time of year! The cool weather season, the fun, dressing up and goofing off. . .I just love it! And in honor of my favorite holiday, I joined a mega swap. (or at least when you sign up for two spots in three groups it *becomes* a mega swap!)

For those of you who may never have swapped before: I make my assigned cards, mail them off to the swap "hostess", and she in turn trades them with other swappers. I end up with a different card for every one that I have made, less one as a gift for our swap hostess. *Bonus*

Here are some pictures of some of the projects I made:


This is one of the 3x3's: Booglie Eyes, Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black paper, Scallop punch, 1 3/8 and 1 inch circle punches, & black gingham ribbon.

To get the scalloped frame, punch a 1 3/8 circle from black, then center and punch it out with the scallop circle. You would get more of a border if you used the 1 1/4 inch circle for the opening. The little pumpkin *just* fits inside the 1in circle punch :) Too Cute!

**********edit**********
I changed the pictures of the 3x3 card, as they were just fuzzy enough to drive me crazy. Hope these are a little more clear for 'ya all! I am now noticing that the next picture isn't the greatest either. . . .I am going to have to let that one slide :)

This is a snack size bag of popcorn, wrapped in Elegant Eggplant paper. The "batty" belly band is punched randomly with the 1 1/4 circle (possibly the 1 3/8 circle, but you get the idea--it was a late night!) along the edge of the Basic Black paper. The Scallop Circle is Wild Wasabi.

This last card is one we are making at my Halloween Stamp a Stack:

This card a design I saw on SUDSOL (a demonstrator only website I frequent), by Fran Sabad. It uses the new Basic Grey Paper, spooky skyline wheel, and the hostess set-Party Punch. The rest is pretty self explanatory. . Can't wait for this class!

World Cardmaking Day!

~Get ready for an all-day stamping event~

On October 6th, 2007
I hope you can all join me for my first-annual:

World Cardmaking Day at
The Book Shoppe!

We are starting at 10am and going until 4pm, so wear your comfy shoes. . . You MUST register for this event-so I have enough materials prepared-don't delay!

First on the agenda:

~10 for $20~

We are getting started early this year!
Who says you have to wait until November to get your cards made???

Come and make 10 holiday cards (2 each of 5 designs) for $20! We will be using a variety of stamp sets, and the latest in Stampin' Up! products. Who does all the hard work??
That would be me :) Lets have some fun!

This portion of the day begins at 10am and goes until approximately 12pm.
Please bring scissors and adhesive. . .everything else will be provided :)


~Break Time~

What should you do with your break time??

Take it easy, browse, get a bite or a beverage at the coffee bar (the egg salad on focaccia is AMAZING), browse my samples for upcoming classes, and prepare for more stamping!

Break time runs from 12pm-1pm.

Round Two:

~Free 2 card Camp!~

Come out and stamp for free! We will be making two cards. . .one for you, one for the Ronald McDonald house of Lansing. This class is entirely free of charge with a non-perishable food donation for the Gratiot County Food Bank. Projects can be made any time between 1pm and 4pm . What a great reason to get ink on your fingers!

Please bring scissors and adhesive, everything else will be provided!

All Registered Guests will receive a FREE raffle ticket toward an amazing gift basket full of Stampin' Up! products!

~Bring a friend new to me or mention my blog. . .get ANOTHER ticket!~
~Ask me how you can earn more free tickets when you call/email~

Please don't wait to get your name on the list! We are limited by space, and have many interested persons, so let me know!

Stamp Camp for September

Was a hoot :) Here is one of our projects. . .

We made this cute box from convention. . .with a few minor changes and the addition of the wireworks handle. This may pop up in some upcoming in-home workshops I am doing, as it is cute as anything. . . They will be posting the pattern on the Demo Website soon, I hear. . . I will be sure to get it to you when it shows up! I tried to look for it today, but the website is down. Deets:

Stamps: Seeing Spots, Happiness BG, Three for You Punch Box; Ink:Chocolate Chip, Versamark, Ruby Red; Paper: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Confetti White; Other Stuff: Antique Brass brads, Chipboard (the piece matches On Board Blossoms and Basics I believe. . .I got it from Convention in the packets they had for demos), 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 circle punches, Chocolate Chip Taffeta, Caramel Gingham, Markers, Wireworks (. . . did I forget anything??? There was a ton of stuff on that bad boy!), Chocolate Chip shredded/crimped paper for stuffing.

Here are some of my stampers working hard and making cute stuff. . .I was full of it tonight :) Sorry if I was teasing you all, but I was in a funky mood! Thanks for being a good sport about it. . .

*sigh*

I have been absent from reality. . .

Where you take a short walk thru the woods. . .
and find yourself in paradise :) a.k.a. Lake Michigan

My hubby and I had a wonderful break from all things required of us. . .and spent three days soaking up the sun and being lazy! My daughter is as brown as a little biscuit. . .

The first day was at a semi-rocky beach. . .SO fun for looking for petoskey stones.
We found quite a few! I love having little mementos like that for Regan to look at and think of how much fun we had. (and Mom, too :)

Our youngest niece on my husband's side was with us. What a sweetie!

Days two and three were at sandy beaches.

Here is the "bunker" my husband dug out of the sand. . .The umbrella kept flying away, so I used the thermos to pound it into the sand as far as it would go :) The girls were like little prairie dogs in and out of that thing!

Here is the view from my beach chair. . .

What an awesome vacation! Thanks to my mother-in-law for feeding us like royalty for three days while we invaded her home :) She waited all summer for us to come up, and I am so glad we made it. One last hurrah before school starts. Definitely a "must do again" for next year. . .