Faith, Trust and Pixiedust

New Stamp Camps For You!

2012-02-10T06:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday,Stampers!

Remember when I said, "SO many ideas....so little time"? Well, I wasn't kidding. When I sat down to work on scheduling the next month's stamp camps, I had a hard time choosing what to share first. Here are the ones that made the "cut" for February and March. I hope you can come and join me for some exciting, new stampin' fun.
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"Sweet Treats" Stamp Camp

Saturday, March 3rd
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Come and make three adorable 3D projects and three cards using the fun, new Sweet Shop Designer Series Paper. You will receive a full pack of the Sweet Shop DSP (value $12.95) with your class fee and the leftovers are for you to take home with you. Think of all the other projects you can make!

Class fee: $20
RSVP: No later than February 20th (I need time to order all your DSP)
All supplies are included
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"Occasion-ally" Stamp Camp

Thursday, March 8th
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Come and made 5 fun cards for various occasions with matching envelopes. All supplies are included.

Class Fee: $15 - Class is free if you place a $30 order with me at class.
RSVP: No later than March 2nd
All supplies are included
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"Gettin' Into the SPRING of things"

Wednesday, March 21st

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Celebrate the first day of SPRING with me! We'll be making 3 fabulous 3D projects and 2 cards. Get a little inspiration for Easter Basket fillers and more.

Class Fee: $18
RSVP: No later than March 12th
All supplies are included
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Ok....those are the first camps on my list. I hope you can come and stamp with me!
Check out all the exciting details about Sale A Bration and find out how to get FREE stamps and accessories with every $50 you spend. All the details and products are at my Stampin' Up Online Store. Just click HERE to see it all.

Wishing you a magical day!

And the WINNER is.........

2012-02-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

Who's ready for the lucky winner of the BLOG CANDY???

Here's my trusty assistant with all the entries....

She shook them all up.....and shook them some more...

she closed her eyes tightly and then...

She spun around twice...said a "Bibbidi Bobbidi"....then she spun around quickly again....

She pulled out the winner and said with a shriek, "Oh my gosh! It's somebody named sherilynn!"

CONGRATULATIONS sherilynn77! You won!!

Linz even drew you a little Smurf to congratulate you.

So sherilynn77....email me at shellsuit@verizon.net with your snail mail address and your Sweet Shop treats will be on their way!

Thanks to all of you for your awesome notes with your favorite colors. I can't wait to do it again! Stay tuned.

Have a magical day!

From the Heart

2012-02-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends!

First, let me just ask the burning question on MY mind......

WHERE THE HECK IS THE SNOW????? Seriously? I'm not asking for much. I don't need a blizzard. I just want some pretty, fluffy snow. I don't need a week off due to weather...just one day or even a 2 hour delay would make my heart sing! Oh well....winter is just not stepping up to the plate this year.

I had such a great time last night at my "Be My Valentine" Stamp Camp. I designed 5 cards for them and they loved them. Woot! These were some of my favorites I've done for camp I think. I'm also excited because I made extras of each to send out to some of MY special Valentines. :-)

Here they are....

I can't wait to send out my valentines! I hope they brighten someone's day and spread a little love.

Don't forget....tomorrow evening I'll be drawing the winner of the Blog Candy I'm giving away. Check out yesterday's blog post and leave me a comment to enter for your chance to win.

Wishing you a magical day!

Blog Candy Time!

2012-02-07T23:17:00.000-05:00

WOOOO HOOOOO!!! It's Blog Candy Time!

I'm always amazed every time I see my blog's "Hit Counter". Thank you from the bottom of my heart for visiting my blog AND for coming back time after time! :-)

To celebrate YOU I'm giving away some SWEET Blog Candy. Wanna know what it is???

Well.... Just leave me a comment with the name of your

FAVORITE STAMPIN' UP! CARD STOCK/INK COLOR and tell me what it reminds you of

and you will be entered to win......

The SWEET SHOP DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PACK and the

SWEET SHOP JELLY BEAN BRADS

The designs are just too stinkin' cute! Well....what are you waiting for? Let me hear ya!

What's your favorite SU! cardstock/ink color? Tell me what it reminds you of.....

The winner will be announced this Thursday, February 9th.

Wishing you a magical day,

A Box Full of Kisses For You

2012-02-05T12:16:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday!

I had a fantastic day yesterday with a huge group of awesome scrapbookers and stampers. I was asked to be one of the vendors at an all day scrapbook crop. This was the second year I've participated and it is such a great event. I designed a Make and Take for all those who participated and I had such a great time teaching the girls how to put theirs together. Here's what they got to make....It's a "2-4-6-8" Valentine Box.

These are definitely an "oldie but a goodie". It's such a simple idea but you can take it and make it as simple or as elaborate as you'd like. This one is made from Poppy Parade Card Stock. Before I cut and scored my card stock I stamped images from the P.S. I Love You stamp set all over the page. I love that stamp set! It's just so stinkin' cute! Once that was done I was ready to create my box.

The piece was cut at 8 1/2" x 7". With the 8 1/2" side along the top, score at 2", 4", 6" and 8". That will leave the last section on the end measuring 1/2". Then you'll rotate your card stock and score at 2". Please check out the template below for more instructions....

Ok...Clear as mud? :-) Just email me if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help.

I filled mine with Hershey's Kisses but the possibilities are endless. You can make something small seem like a much "grander" gift by putting it in one of these. Remember....it's all in the presentation.

I know I've shown it before but....here are the images from the P.S. I Love You stamp set just in case you're curious. I like it because some of these images are ones I can use throughout the year and not just for Valentine's Day. It's not to late to get yours! You can order yours at my Online Stampin' Up! Store 24/7....no lines...no waiting. Just click HERE and click on "Shop Now".

Alrighty....I'm off to get things organized for our week ahead. So much going on this week! For those of you who are coming to Tuesday's "Be Mine" Valentine Stamp Camp....I can't wait to show you what we'll be creating!

Wishing you a very Happy Super Bowl Sunday...and, of course, a magical day!

It's "Easy"

2012-02-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

Ahhh....The "Easy" Button.. How many times do you wish you had one of these little puppies?

Well, do I have an idea for you!

Last night I had 15 wonderful stampin' ladies here for my "What's the Occasion" Stamp Camp and I bet if you asked them about making the ten cards they each went home with they would say, "It was easy!"

This stamp camp was designed to help refill their card boxes and organizers with some new card designs for assorted occasions. There were five different card designs and guess what??? They were all made using the same stamp set! So awesome!

What stamp set? Why I thought you'd never ask! :-)

We used the "Easy Events" stamp set. It is a great "multipurpose" set to have on hand.

Here are the images that are included in the set:

116958 - Wood Mount Set - $32.95 123225 - Clear Mount Set - $24.95

So stinkin' cute, right? Well, I thought..."Hmm...what better stamp set to use for this camp!" and the ladies loved their cards. Woot! Wanna see what they made? Ok...here you go.... Oh! They made TWO of each design for a total of 10 cards.

Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Very Vanilla Designer Series Paper - Everyday Enchantment (Sale A Bration Catalog), Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Background Stamp - Wonderfully Worn

Card Stock - Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Island Indigo, Ribbon - Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon, Textured Embossing Folder - Stripes, Rhinestones

Card stock - Naturals Ivory, Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Designer Series Paper - Everyday Enchantment (Sale A Bration), Baker's Twine - Calypso Coral, Buttons - from the Twitterpated Button Collection

Card Stock - Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade, Whisper White, 5/8" White Satin Ribbon, Polka Dot Embossing Folder

Card Stock - Pool Party, Naturals Ivory, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Designer Series Paper - Everyday Enchantment (Sale A Bration), Ribbon - Calypso Coral Ribbon from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad Pack (Sale A Bration), Large Pearl Basic Jewels

Now wasn't that easy? :-)

Don't forget that Sale A Bration is NOW going on. Check out the details at my Stampin' Up! Online Store. Just click HERE

So many free products to be had....Get yours today!

Have a magical day!

Welcome.....

2012-02-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

Hello, my friends,

Today's post is a "non" stamping post. I actually wanted to blog today for a very personal reason. I wanted to re-post something I posted awhile ago. First, though, let me just say that there are certain days in your life that you remember exactaly where you were....sometimes even what you were wearing. For example...most people will tell you that they remember exactly where they were the day JFK (or Reagan - for you younger whippersnappers) were shot....or maybe the day the "Challenger" space shuttle blew up at throttle up... or maybe on 9-11. The days that we were told both Linz and Zach are autistic are exactly like those days for me. I remember where I was sitting....I remember the rooms....I remember it all. I guess it's just the way we're wired.

I have a close friend who has just been sitting in the same type of meeting and my friend is feeling all those things I remember....the disbelief....the shock....the pain....the confusion....and the unbelievable sadness. What I didn't know on either of those days as I sat there was that while autism isn't the "fixable" answer to our questions and concerns...it wasn't the end of the story...."Game Over" diagnosis either. It took a long time to pick myself back up and come up with a "new" game plan and a "new" normal (whatever that is....) but it's an adventure and we're still surviving and most days we do it pretty well I think

I will tell you that you don't just get the diagnosis....go through the mourning process....dust yourself off....and get on with life. It will take you by surprise when you least expect it and you will mourn all over again. You know what? That's okay. It truly is. I spend a lot of time (wasted time) blaming myself (don't ask me why...I just do...) and that's just not productive. I talk a good game but I'm not saying I'm always the best at following my own advice.

I was given the following poem in those early days and I had a good cry....mostly because reading it was really an "Aha" moment for me. It's exactly how I felt and it creates a picture of those feelings and will hopefully let my friend know that they are not alone and mostly that there IS hope. Lots of hope.

My main advice is....NEVER give up...NEVER take a diagnosis at face value...and ALWAYS go with your gut. YOU know your child better than anyone. Trust that.

Welcome to a whole new world....Welcome to a new "normal".....

WELCOME TO HOLLAND.

by
Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Blessings beyond measure to you, my friends,

Michelle

Sounds like a plan...

2012-01-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

Hello, my friends!

It's been a busy but fun weekend here at our house. Brittany and Sam came home Friday night so that we could go to our first wedding venue appointment yesterday at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. They've really been giving "where" they want to get married a LOT of thought and let me just say that Glen Echo is perfect! Ok...I'm getting ahead of myself.

For those of you who don't "know" them...Britt met Sam during her freshman year at JMU. She decided to try out the Swing Dance Club and they danced together a LOT. (You HAVE to see them dance! It's awesome!)

Anyway....they both love to dance and they fell in love.... That's the short and sweet version. They have attended lots of dances at Glen Echo's Spanish Ballroom in the past five years. They have swing dances every Saturday night in the Spanish Ballroom there and they have some of the most amazing swing bands around that perform there. The park itself dates back to the early 1900's. On a little side note...I've heard tales of my own Dad sneaking up on the bus to ride the coasters and other amusement rides when he was a young lad. There's a gorgeous carousel that was installed back in 1921 and it has been renovated over the years and still runs every day throughout the spring and summer seasons. It's music can be heard throughout the park.

So...we decided it might be a venue worth checking out... Yesterday Britt, Sam and I met Sam's dad, Dave at Glen Echo (his mom was out of town) and took a tour with their Events Coordinator. We all instantly fell in love with the Spanish Ballroom and know it's the perfect place to have their wedding ceremony and reception.

They had several photo books from past weddings on site and it was easy to envision all the possibilities for their day. I'll be blogging about it more in the coming months so stay tuned.

They had decided on the colors they want for the wedding and when we walked into the Ballroom....they were all there! It is simply gorgeous. The dance floor is over 100 years old and they do everything they can to take care of it.

Just a little sneak peek.....

So....the wedding date has been set.....and the venue has been chosen......

Saturday, July 27th, 2013 at

Glen Echo Park

Glen Echo, Maryland

They've both decided on their groomsmen and bridesmaids and a couple of other details. Britt has chosen a very unique and special way to ask her girls to be in the wedding. She told me I could share it with you.

We went to our local craft store and bought these unfinished wooden boxes and some craft paint. Then we chose sheets of scrapbook paper that captured not only some of the wedding colors but also the "feel" they are going for. Then...we got to work....

We painted the boxes with Cadmium Orange acrylic paint. Once they were dry we adhered the printed paper to the lids and the mostly solid paper the bottom inside. Then we used the new Framelits dies from Stampin' Up! and cut pieces for the outsides and insides of the lids. We printed each girl's name on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock and then another for the inside and cut those out with the Framelits too. Here's how they turned out.... I'll explain what's inside....

Included in the each box are: First, on the inside lid it says, "Be my maid?" asking the girl to be a part of the bridal party. Then there's a swatch book we made with paint chips in the colors of the wedding. Next Britt printed out four different cards that we then tied together. They include: "Our Day", "Your Role", "Your Dress" and "My Girls". Each card has info for the girls to give them a feel for the wedding. Then there are several photos of things like the Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park, Dress Ideas etc. It's such a fun idea and way better than just a phone call. :-)

The boxes will be going out in the mail to each of the girls this week so they'll have plenty of time to plan and get excited right along with us.

So...now I'm ready for a nap! LOL. No. I wouldn't trade them memories we made this weekend for all the money (or sleep) in the world. We are soaking it all in and enjoying every minute.

Before I sign off for today, here are a few pics of the kids I took before we left Glen Echo. Ah, Love....

Wishing you a magical day and love beyond measure!

Sweet Valentine

2012-01-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

Hey there, my friends....

I have a card to share today. It's one I made tonight while working on new designs for a couple of upcoming events. It's a "suspension card".

I used a few "sweet" new products from the Occasions Mini Catalog. The Designer Series Paper is from the "Sweet Shop" collection. I love the colors. There's also a set of Designer Stickers that matches that are awesome too. I used Peach Parfait card stock for the base of the card and embossed the back with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. The Peach Parfait heart is embossed using the new "P.S. I Love You" stamp set and white embossing powder. I used the same technique on the smaller hearts that are cut from Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade and Pool Party card stock. The hearts are cut using one of the coolest new tools that Stampin' Up! just debuted. They are exclusive SU! designs and they rock my socks. These are from a set called the Framelits "Hearts Collection". I can't believe all the creative possibilities with these little guys!

The "Love You" sentiment is from the same stamp set and is stamped in Wisteria Wonder ink. See the Whisper White panel and that cool edge and matching embossed design? That is another of the new Framelits designs...except that are called "Edgelits". SO fun!

I then used one of the new Textured Embossing Folders "Adorning Accents" that matches the Edgelit design. Such an easy accent that's just dressed to impress if you ask me.

The "Sweet Valentine" sentiment on the front is from the "Something to Celebrate" stamp set and it's also embossed in white.

If you like these new goodies and would like to see more, check out the Occasions Mini Catalog by clicking HERE. It's the perfect time to get exactly what you want AND earn FREE items at the same time. For every $50 you spend on any SU! products you will receive one Sale A Bration item. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks for stopping by....come back again soon!

Have a magical day!

Beauties and One Hard Workin' Girl...

2012-01-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday!

Whew! What a day. It's been a little busy around here and I'm just about ready to call it a night. Before I do though I thought I'd share a few photos with you. First, I thought I'd share a couple of smiles from today. This week is "exam week" at Zach's school and students are dismissed at 10:30 a.m. Because he can't stay at home alone...Linz, Mike and I are at work...my parents are on vacation in Florida.... well, you get the picture.... Mike and I are tag teaming this week so that one of us can be here to meet his bus each day and be with him during the remainder of the day. So...today I came home and met his bus and then he and I went to surprise Linz at work for lunch. It was SO much fun. She was really surprised and very excited.

Here are a couple of photos from our visit...


Linz outside the Radiology Department where she works each day.

Linz at her desk in Radiology.

Ok...now for a few of my favorite swap cards that I received at Leadership last week... There are SO many gorgeous cards! It's going to take a few posts I think.

Here we go:

**Don't forget! Today is the FIRST DAY OF SALE A BRATION!**

Check out all the details at my Stampin' Up! website...

Just Click Here

Wishing you a Magical Wednesday!

SALE A BRATION!

2012-01-23T11:01:00.000-05:00

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!

January is such an exciting time for Stampin' Up! and for all it's demos and customers.

It's our once a year extravaganza..... "SALE A BRATION"! WOOT!

SALE A BRATION starts TOMORROW, January 24th and goes until March 31st.

It's an awesome time to take advantage of specials like these...

* FREE Sale a bration product for every $50 you spend

* Extra FREE product for Hostesses during Sale A Bration

$150 workshop - Get an exclusive FREE TOTE too!

$400 workshop - Get an exclusive FREE HOSTESS BUNDLE too!

* The"I want it ALL!" special - Sign up as a demonstrator during Sale A Bration and you will receive....

Your personalized starter kit that YOU can customize with exactly what YOU want for only $125 (That's over $300 in product and a $50 savings off the regular kit price) AND you'll can choose to receive either a FREE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PACK ($10.95 value) or FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for every month for the rest of the year that you place an order! You don't have to choose JUST the DSP or JUST the Digital Downloads...you can mix and match to your liking.

You'll be able to stamp, create and share what you love while enjoying getting your stampin' stuff at a discount! Whether you're looking for a great way to have your hobby and get what you want at a great discount or if you are looking for a way to add to your family's income... This is just the ticket for YOU. You can check out the kit specifics and get more info on my Online Stampin' Up! Website. Just click HERE
Please contact me if you have any questions. I'd love to tell you all the details.

So, don't miss out on all the exclusive offers during Sale A Bration. The FREE PRODUCTS will be flying off the shelves! I don't know about you...but I LOVE FREE STUFF!!

It truly IS the "most wonderful time of the year"! :-)

Stamped Blessings,

Home Sweet Home

2012-01-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

Hey there, Peeps!

I'm back from my very first Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas and I'm feeling SO blessed. Blessed by the generosity of my husband who pushed me and made it possible for me to get away on my own for a few days and learned how to put Lindsay's hair in a ponytail for work each day so I could go without guilt...and she wouldn't look like a "goofball" (her fear!)....Blessed by the new friends I made (including my awesome roommates)...Blessed by the numerous demos who read my blog and came up to say "Hi" and they were all so supportive.....Blessed by every single presentation by our SU! team from corporate. They rock my socks and they helped me understand that it's okay to do things "My Way"....and finally, blessed by how loved and appreciated I am by my family and their sweet "Welcome Home" when I returned.

I have to share this reaction from Linz and Zach when I arrived home at Dulles....

"The Welcoming Committee"

What an awesome feeling! Zach doesn't say much but he was sure excited and words just flowed! Traveling and adventures are fun and exciting but it's always good to get back home. :-)

So....I thought I'd share a little about my trip. First, let me just say that I've never been "under"whelmed by any Stampin' Up! event. They definitely know how to do it right. They think of absolutely every detail and make sure that each and every person feels appreciated and special. It truly is NOT about the bottom dollar with them. It's simply about sharing what we love. I like that a lot. They love to celebrate ALL the accomplishments of each and every demonstrator whether you're new to the company or you've been a demo for years. They are (and I can't say this enough....) the most generous company I've ever seen. It's a given that when you attend a Stampin' Up! event you better bring an extra suitcase to take all of the FREE STUFF home in or you'll need to ship a box back home. It's amazing!! Here's a little taste of some of the goodies I brought back with me.

From the Leadership Tote, themed notepad cover with a personally signed note from Shelli Gardner...to the free stamp sets, embellishments, ribbon, markers, mini catalogs and more....each and every item comes with their encouragement and love. It's AWESOME!

I went to several classes and was so inspired by the personal touches and stories that each of the presenters shared. Some of my absolute favorites were given by Carrie Cudney in "Why Women Buy" (she hit the nail on the head!)....another given by Natalie White and Jim Pitt - "Coaching For Performance" (they rocked it!) and I loved Donna Griffith and Patsy Waggoner's presentation of "Retaining and Engaging Your Downline". Patsy is someone I'd like to sit and have lunch with so I could hear more! Such a fantastic group.

The Main Stage presentations are always SO fun and just completely awesome. This Leadership definitely did NOT disappoint. I loved everything from Scott Nielson's "report" from the past year done as a spoof on Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood! (which ended with him doing and incredible SALSA DANCE...SO COOL!!) to Chad Richards coming out on a Harley! It is always fun and inspiring to see our founder, Shelli Gardner share the stage with her daughter, Sara Douglass. They both are SO fun and incredibly inspiring. I love that family is such in integral part of who they are and what they bring to Stampin' Up!

I took along swaps and I'm SO glad I did. The cards I received are just top notch and I will be taking photos of some to share with you all here on my blog in the coming weeks.

Here are a couple of photos from the trip....


Me with my roommates at breakfast before our first General Session... (from left to right: Michelle, Me, Robin and Tara)


Our "GoDivas" swap group

The RemARKables Dreambuilders


Me with Lisa Cool - a fellow demo from Kansas who reads my blog! She just blessed my heart! Thanks, Lisa!

Ok....I guess I'd better start emptying out all my dirty laundry and getting ready for the week ahead. I have SO much more to share with you and I will post again soon with the details about our ONCE A YEAR...SUPER SPECTACULAR....SUPER DE DUPER.....SALE-A-BRATION! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!! You're gonna LOVE IT!!!

Have a blessed Sunday and come back SOON!

Bella and the BIG NEWS!

2012-01-10T21:18:00.000-05:00

Hey there Peeps!

Ok...I've been busting at the seams to share our BIG NEWS with you!!!

Our daughter, Brittany, and the love of her life, Sam, are

GETTING MARRIED!!!

Sam proposed on Sunday and we are OVER THE MOON EXCITED!

We love him and can't wait to make him an "official" part of our family. They are planning on tying the knot in August 2013! Stay tuned...cuz this MOB (Mother of the Bride) will be blogging a LOT!

Here they are in a recent photo....


Aren't they cute?? :-)

Ok.....now on to today's newest critter!!

Her name is Bella. I guess if I wanted to be like Beyonce I should name her something like "Bella Bleu Bunnie" or something like that. LOL Oh well, Bella is happy just the way she is. (I know many of you are thinking I've been down in my stampin' studio by myself waaaaay tooooo long!) LOL

Well...here she is....

Bella is made using a few card stock scraps and a couple of punches. Really simple...

She's on the front of a "Z Fold Card" made from Pear Pizzazz card stock. The front left was embossed using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. The front panel is made using one of my favorite new items from the new Occasions Mini Catalog. The panel was cut using the new "Labels Collection" Framelits Die.

"Labels Collection" Framelits Dies - 125598

There's also a set of Hearts...

"Hearts Collection" Framelits Dies - 125599

If you've ever seen or used ~~Nestabilities~~ AHEM... another brand like these, let me just say that these are tons better and Stampin' Up's exclusive designs. I used two different sizes. The larger one is cut from Pacific Point and the smaller one is from a new Designer Series Paper Pack from the mini called "Twitterpated". So cute! Now a peek at the inside...

The inner panel is a piece of Whisper White card stock that was embossed using the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder. I used the new P.S. I Love You stamp set for the both sentiments.

Here she is...ready for her close up....

I thought she really needed a "cotton tail" to finish her look. I hope you like it.

If you haven't seen a copy of the New Occasions Mini Catalog yet....you can check it out HERE

Also, if you'd like to learn how to make some of my Punch Art Critters, don't miss saving your spot for my new "The Punch Line" Stamp Camp.

Ok...I'm off to work on card swaps for our upcoming Leadership event next week.

Wishing you a magical day!

New Stamp Camps Scheduled!

2012-01-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

Hey there, Stampers!

Ok...I’m finally back in “stampin’” gear and getting things started for the new year. It’s time to get some classes on the calendar! Are you ready?

Is your “Card Box” looking a little empty after the holidays? Are you ready to fill ‘er up? Well, let’s do it!

“What’s the Occasion?” Cards Stamp Camp

Tuesday, January 31st from 7 to 9 p.m.

Here at my house: 10256 Battlefield Drive

Come and make 10 cards (2 ea. of 5 designs) for assorted occasions

Class fee: $24

RSVP: No later than 1/26/12

Adhesive and Envelopes will be provided

“Be My Valentine” Stamp Camp

Tuesday, February 7th from 7 to 9 p.m.

Here at my house: 10256 Battlefield Drive

Come and make an adorable Valentine 3D Gift for someone special and 5 Valentine Cards with matching envys

Class fee: $24

RSVP: No later than 2/1/12

Adhesive and Envelopes will be provided

"The Punch Line” Stamp Camp

Tuesday, February 21st from 7 to 9 p.m.

Here at my house: 10256 Battlefield Drive

For those of you who have been asking...here it is! I’m going to show you how to make a few of the Punch Art Critters that I’ve featured on my blog! Woot!

Class Fee: $15

RSVP: No later than 2/16/12

Adhesive will be provided

Ok...that’s just the start! I have several more stamp camps that I’ll be posting soon. I hope you can come and stamp with me! Also, I’m working on the detail for the “Inkerbelle’s Scrapbook Club”. Let me know if you’d be interested in hearing all the details.

Wishing you a magical day,

Hoppy Sunday!

2012-01-08T12:21:00.000-05:00

Hey there, Peeps!

Yep. You read it right. It's NOT a typo. It's a "HOPPY" Sunday!

I've been busy in my stampin' studio this weekend getting new designs and swaps done for my trip to San Antonio in 10 short days! I'm attending my first ever Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference! I'm thrilled to be able to participate. It's for demonstrators who are Senior Supervisors and above. I achieved my title back in July so I finally get to go!! Woot! I'm SO ready to see all the creative demos who will be there and get MY creative batteries recharged.

This morning I was working on some new punch art and this little critter just kind of appeared.

Her name is Charlotte. She's made completely from just card stock scraps and a few punches!!

Isn't she sweet? She's wearing a Melon Mambo hair bow....a must in my Lindsay's wardrobe!

This is definitely one of the critters that will need a video tutorial I think. :-)

I added the "XOllent" sentiment from one of my new favorite stamp sets from the Occasions Mini Catalog. It's called "P.S. I Love You". It's embossed with Melon Mambo Embossing Powder on Whisper White card stock just to make it POP. The bow on the sentiment is just a couple loops of linen thread held together with a Green Glimmer Brad.

Here's a peek at all the stamps that are included in the "P.S. I Love You" set.

Such a perfect set not only for Valentine's Day but there are images that can be used all year long! Love that!

Check out all of the NEW products in the NEW Occasions Mini on my Stampin' Up! website. Just click HERE to go there now.

Alrighty....I'm off to get thing ready for the week ahead. I hope you have a wonderfully HOPPY Sunday!

Stamped Blessings,

Praise Report, Premiere and Swaps to Share...

2012-01-05T22:36:00.002-05:00

Hey there Stampers and Friends!

First let me say a HUGE "Thank You" for all your prayers and support in response to yesterday's post. AMAZING NEWS!! We went to the surgical consult today and the surgeon was able to repair Zach's wound in the office so he WILL NOT need surgery!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! We have been rejoicing all evening. Zach was a trooper through it all.

Ok....now on to BIG Stampin' News!!
First.....IT'S HERE!!! The New Occasions Mini Catalog has arrived and I'm finally able to share it with you. For those of you who are on my Mailing List, you should have already received your copy in the mail. If you'd like a copy of your own and don't have one yet....just send me a note and I'll get you one asap. It's a beauty! So many fun new products and cool, new tools to create with. LOVE IT!!!

Here it is.....

So many gorgeous things in here!! If you'd like to check it out online....just click HERE and you can see all the goodies at my Online Store.

I thought the perfect way to show you how some of my demonstrator friends are creating with these new products I would post some of the swap cards I just received from our "GoDivas" Occasions Mini Swap. I was blown away when I opened the package! What a talented and creative group of ladies. Here are just a few of my favorites....

Ok...so that last one is mine.... :-)

There are new stamps...new ribbon....new dies...new paper......AND even new embellishments!!

It's going to get your hand just itching to create!

I have a new list of Stamp Camps that will be posted soon so stay tuned. Also....I've got two new words for ya...."Scrapbook Club"......!!! Yep, I'm working on the details now and will be telling you all about it very soon. Whether you're an avid scrapbooker already or maybe you just have boxes upon boxes of photos that you'd love to get organized on pages that people can enjoy and cherish for a lifetime....this club is for YOU.

Here's a "Sweet" Page to whet your appetite...

"Sweet Scrapbook Page"

Just click on the above link to see the supply list....

Ok....I'm off to tuck my kids in and get a little "pre-TGIF" sleep. Woot! I've got a weekend of stamping planned and I can't wait to get started!

Have a magical day!

Growing Pains, Creepy Xrays and Prayer...

2012-01-04T20:54:00.001-05:00

Hello my friends,

I thought I'd share some "NON" Stampin' related stuff tonight. (Don't worry...more projects and stampin' news coming soon)

Today has been pretty eventful here for our family...

Brittany packed up her little car to the gills and headed back to college for her last semester. It's so different here without her and I can honestly say it never gets easier watching her go. (Just growing pains....I know) Nevertheless, she made it back safely and has a few days to get all that "stuff" out of her car and organized in her apartment before classes start. Whew! Sam...if you're reading this....better you than me going up and down those three flights of stairs! ;-) xoxo

Lindsay was due to start her second of three internships with Project Search at the hospital this week. The only info we really had was that she would be working in the radiology department. Since yesterday was our first day back at school/work after the Christmas Break we assumed she would start right away. When she came home yesterday I asked her how it went and she said, "It was fine....I worked on the computer in our classroom. I haven't gone to radiology yet. I'm SO nervous." Hmmm..... So this morning I emailed her teacher/job coach and asked what the plan is and he wrote back explaining that they were getting a couple of other students settled in with their new departments and going slower with Linz so she'd be really comfortable in her placement.

Ok...that's ok. Right? Well....right before I was ready to log off of my computer at school today I received the following email from her teacher (who is AWESOME!). Needless to say....she's MORE than ready to get started!

Hi Michelle,

Let me tell you first of all I thought I lost your daughter today. I had to step out of the room to check on a situation with one of the other students. When I came back, Lindsay was gone. I know it is not like her to leave (she still asks for permission to go to the bathroom). She was supervised by a job coach and with a few of the interns that were on break when I left so, I assumed she went with one of the job coaches when break was over and I was not back. Well, a couple of minutes went by and the job coaches came back to check in and share out. No Lindsay. They said they remembered the Director of Radiology had been in to check on her, but she must have gone to the restroom. A few minutes later, still no Lindsay. So we struck out to check the bathrooms and cafeteria to see if she went to lunch. Nope.

I found her in the Radiology waiting room sitting behind the info desk with a huge smile and a greeting!! Hi Mr. Gast! I'm just doing some alphabetizing! She had gone on a tour of the department and decided to get a jump on some work. When the Director came in he was early for the tour I thought was at 1 and he thought was at 12. She just took the initiative to go and do this INDEPENDENTLY!!! I was so happy and proud to see her take such a huge step! What an awesome job. Needless to say, she is ready to start her new job tomorrow! And when I spoke with her about her experience she said, "I can't wait to start working in Radiology!!! I saw my first chest x-ray! It was creepy to see all the bones."

Have a good night!

Ryan

Wow! Now THAT made my day!!! She LOVES getting work done and completing her tasks. One "problem" (and I use that word cautiously) is that she wants to finish her work before she leaves for the day. Most tasks she takes on, though, are ones that are endless. They've had trouble some days finding enough work to keep her busy because she's so fast and so thorough!! Wow! Now that's a "problem", huh? LOL

So that covers the "Growing Pains" and "Creepy Xrays"...now on to the "Prayer".....

Without going into all the nitty gritty details...cuz trust me....it's better not to.... Would you please pray for our Zach. We found out today that he will have to have surgery soon. I'll just say that it's for issues with his Pilonidal Sinus. Not your regular, run of the mill sinus... Google it if you want but....well, nuff said.
He was given antibiotics today and referred to a surgeon about 1/2 hour away for an appointment tomorrow afternoon. Normally it would not be a "walk in the park" for me to wrap my head around my child having surgery but in this case....my mind is spinning. He won't understand what's going on and they will be doing things to HIS body after all. We can explain all we want but I just pray that he's not terrified of doctors after all is said and done. I can't imagine not being able to talk and express my fears and concerns or even my questions when people are working on me. Can you? Let me just say....Autism is a nasty beast. It hurts my heart. I know that it probably seems somewhat "minor" to some but trust me....this one will be a challenge we haven't faced before and I just pray that he will have peace throughout it all and that he will heal quickly and completely. Thank you in advance for your prayers and please know that we all appreciate them.

Ok...so I'm off to get a few things done before bedtime. Thanks SO much for stopping by. Come back soon for some new, fun projects!

Blessings,

Love Bugs in the New Year!

2012-01-01T17:08:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Stampers!

I hope you are ushering 2012 in with family and friends...or both! We have spent the day relaxing and I love it! We had a quiet New Year's Eve here at our house and stayed up to watch the ball drop in Times Square...had a few sips of champagne and then went to bed. :-) Whew! Today I've been working on some new and exciting things that I'll be sharing in the next week or so. I thought I'd share this new "critter" with you today though.
I don't think the reindeer hooves were even off my roof before the stores had switched everything over to Valentine's Day! I'm always sad to take down all the decorations from Christmas but I have to say it's nice getting things organized.

Anyway.... I digress.....

Here's a new "suit"ably sweet critter.... Her name is Rosie! (named by Brittany) Rosie was inspired by a wonderful stamper, Gretchen Barron. I love her style and it definitely makes me want to head down to my stamp room and get busy creating..

This is a pocket card.....

So....you see that big heart in the upper right hand corner?

You just pull it up and....

Ta Daaaaaa! Isn't she sweet? I love cards that are made with different folds etc. so this was right up my alley. I hope it inspires you to maybe try a new fold or a new style that's outside your comfort zone. You never know what will happen when you do.

Ok....don't forget! Only a couple more day left to order products from the Holiday Mini Catalog. If there are things that are on your "Gotta Have It" list in there....hurry by my ONLINE STORE and order them before they're gone. :-)

Alrighty....Rosie and I will be heading back down to my stamp room and see who else we can come up with!

Have a magical 2012!

Pucker Up!

2011-12-31T14:06:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve!!

As 2011 comes to a close I thought I'd share 2 new "punch" friends with you. Meet "George and Lucy" (named by my daughter, Brittany). These sweet little fishies aren't waiting til midnight to share a smooch! Their theory seems to be "Life's too short!....Kiss me now!" :-)

I have to be honest....every time I look at this card the Disney girl in me comes out. I just hear Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid" saying, "You pucker up your leeps....like dees!" *insert puckered lips here*

These sweet fish are made using just a couple of punches and some card stock. You can't get any easier than that! Here are the deets....

The fish bodies are made using the Ornament Punch #119847. They're just turned on their sides. The fins are made using the Heart to Heart Punch #119881. Voila! I added black brads from the Neutral Brads Assortment for their eyes and Lucy has on her pearls which are from the Basic Pearls Pack #119247.

To add a little texture and really make them "pop" I embossed the bodies and fins. The bodies are punched from a piece of Peach Parfait card stock that I ran through the Big Shot with the Fancy Fan Letterpress Plate #123129. **Note: It's best if you spritz the card stock first with a little rubbing alcohol to help the image be more defined** Once embossed, I punched out the ornament shapes and then I sponged each one using Peach Parfait Ink to make the design "pop". The fins are embossed using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder 117325 and the Big Shot.

Here's a close up....

The background is stamped using the En Francais Background Stamp #109521 in Pacific Point ink to match the fins.

Ok....are you ready for the BEST part???? Watch THIS!

SURPRISE! Isn't that so FUN?? Both George and Lucy are popped up on dimensionals but George just has one underneath his back fin so that you can easily slide him (and the inside of the card) out to reveal the greeting. Fun, fun, FUN!

So there you have it....Two new punch pals for this New Year's Eve. I hope you like them.

I wish each of you a happy, healthy and blessed 2012.

My new philosophy for the year that awaits is simple...

"If not NOW.....WHEN?"

Happy New Year! (Pucker Up!)

A Vintage Feel

2011-12-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends!

I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying being with family and friends. One thing I love about working for the school system is having this time off between Christmas and New Year. We are really blessed that Mike has also been able to take the week off too. We have been enjoying having all the kids here and relaxing. We are headed out soon on a little adventure with my parents. (We are so lucky to have them living up the street from us so we see them often!) Today we are going to take the Virginia Railway Express from here in Manassas to Union Station in Washington D.C. We went up to see the station last Christmas and loved the decorations and had a wonderful time so we thought we'd do it again. I'll be posting pics so stay tuned.

Tomorrow we'll be celebrating Christmas with Mike's Dad and stepmom and also his brother and his wife. I have been planning on making a box of assorted "all occasion" cards to give to Mike's stepmom and I finally sat down this morning and did it. So I'm sharing it here with you today. I hope you like it. It has such a vintage feel and I think she'll love it. Here are a couple of pics.

The box is made using Basic Black card stock for the lid and Crumb Cake card stock for the box bottom. The gorgeous DSP on the box lid is a piece from the Mocha Morning Specialty DSP pack. I LOVE IT! The monogrammed oval is embossed with the Designer Frames embossing folders and the Big Shot. The "V" is from the Lovely Letters stamp set and is embossed with Black embossing powder. I added a little "bling" with a Basic Pearl to make it "pop". The flower is made with a brand, spankin' new punch that is coming out it the New Occasions Mini Catalog at the end of January. I punched out two of them from Cherry Cobbler card stock and then stamped a piece of Very Vanilla CS using the En Francais Background Stamp and Basic Black ink and punched out a third flower from it. I then sprayed each flower with my Stampin' Mist and crumpled each of them up and then opened them up. The mist helps to break down the fibers in the card stock and adds a nice texture to the petals. Cool, huh? I punched a 3/4" circle out of Cherry Cobbler and placed it in the middle to add a touch of color and then added an Antique Brad to finish it off. The ribbon is one of my faves.... It's the Black/White Striped Grossgrain Ribbon.

I then picked out 10 assorted cards that I have here in my "stash" and added envelopes to match. It's a great gift for someone who loves sending cards.

Be sure to stop by my ONLINE STORE and check out the deals there on the Clearance Blitz. That offer ends on January 4th.

Ok....I'm off on our adventure! I'm so excited! I'll be back soon with photos.

Have a magical day!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

Reindeer Noses

2011-12-22T22:14:00.000-05:00

Hey there Peeps!

Long time....no blog. I know. Things have been craaaaaazy. Today was actually my last day at school until January 3rd!! Yahooooo! I can't believe our school system waited until 12/22 to get out for Christmas Break! Most of the school systems south of us have been out since last Friday! Seriously???

Oh well...I can finally concentrate on getting this done and ready for Santa's arrival! I have been busy making a few things here in my stamp room. Sad to say that I was rushing around so much that I didn't take many pictures of the projects though. I'm hoping to get busy over my break and make lots of new things to share with you.

If you're looking for a last minute...cutie patootie project for stocking stuffers or just for fun....you might like these. These are "Reindeer Noses". hee hee hee

The brown "noses" are large, malted milk balls and Rudolph's nose is a red gumball. :-)

Sooooo fun! The reindeer on the tag is made using the XL Oval Punch, the 3/4" Circle Punch and the Snowflake Punch. I added a little sparkle to his shiny, red nose using Dazzling Diamonds.

The bag topper is made using the Top Note Die on the Big Shot. Voila! Magical Stocking Stuffer!

Don't forget....the AMAZING ONLINE CLEARANCE RACK BLITZ SALE is still going on until January 4th. You can go to my Online Store to see all the fantastic deals. Just click HERE

I'll be back soon so stop back by while you're waiting for the next batch of cookies to come out of the oven or maybe when you take a break from wrapping gifts.

Have a magical day!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

2011-12-14T18:17:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends!

Today I have a happy treat for you just case you're feeling a little frazzled with all your holiday shopping, baking, wrapping and more.....

Linz found the perfect Christmas hat at WalMart and let me just say...

she definitely has that Christmas cheer!

Here you go......

Linz Rockin' Out!

Enjoy!

Linz and Zach...Conversation?

2011-12-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

Ok...just had to share this....

Mike and I decided yesterday that we'd meet at Reston Town Center tonight, take the kids to dinner and do a little Christmas shopping. So...the kids and I hopped in the car at 4:30 and headed out to face the traffic and meet Mike for a fun evening.

To be honest it really wasn't bad since we were going in the opposite direction of all those headlights heading west...until we got close to Reston. There we sat through a couple of light cycles.....but wait! I'm getting ahead of myself.

Linz waits all year for the radio stations to start playing Christmas music 24/7. I swear it seemed like this year it started right after Halloween!! So that's what's tuned in whenever we are in the car. I will tell you that she says the same thing as soon as the first few notes of the next great holiday tune starts...."OH!!!! THIS is my FAVORITE!" (no, seriously...she does!) It can be anything from Elvis singing "Blue Christmas" to "Feliz Navidad" to that annoying song with the dogs barking the tune to "Jingle Bells". (**eyes bugging out here**) She LOVES them ALL and they are ALL her FAVORITE.

So tonight as we sat at the light through the THIRD light cycle to turn onto the last leg of our journey, the beautiful violins started and then the soft velvety voice of Nat King Cole...

."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.......Jack Frost nippin' at your nose....."

And I hear from the back seat...."OOOOOHHHH!!!! Now THIS is my very FAVORITE! This really is a magical night!" and that was immediately followed by Zach, who doesn't talk but decided to chime in his two cents worth.....He said TWO words....Two very heart felt words......ready???

He said, "Traffic Stinks!!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants! It was a perfectly timed come back and the closest the two of them have come to an actual "conversation". It just cracked me UP!

It just made me want to say, "Hahaha, Autism! How do you like THAT?"

I just had to share that because I know how many of you pray for us and our family and we can't begin to thank you enough for all your kind words and loving comments. We're making steps....They may be baby steps but that's ok. Tonight we even found joy in spite of autism. Score!!

Blessings to you and yours,

Egg Nog Snickerdoodles

2011-12-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday My Friends!

Today I started pulling out my favorite recipes for cookies and treats for Christmas and I thought I'd share this one with you. It's a recipe for Egg Nog Snickerdoodles. YUM!

They are quick and easy AND they don't require a ton of ingredients (which is a must in MY kitchen!)

They are...as my Dad would say...."So good they'll make your tongue slap your brains out!"

Enjoy!

Egg Nog Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

2 eggs

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon rum extract

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture.

In a shallow bowl, combine the nutmeg and remaining sugar. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 6 1/2 dozen.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do at our house!

Happy Baking!

Autism...Smurfs...and Joy

2011-12-08T22:38:00.000-05:00

**A non-stampin'/crafting post**

This is just one of those posts where I need to just get my thoughts down and pour some of this "stuff" out of my brain and my heart.

I'd really been looking forward to going with Mike to Lindsay's first evaluation for her internship with Project Search today. For an autistic person....change is one of the hardest things to face and when she started this new adventure as the school year began she really was having a rough time. Actually she had a very rough summer realizing that she would not be returning to her class at the high school again. (Students with special needs can stay in school until they are 22). Having already graduated and then returning for one year as a "super senior", Linz was comfortable and extremely successful. She'd found her niche. She knew enough to realize that her future was unsure....what WOULD she do when she grew up?

We couldn't answer that....as much as we wanted to be able to.

Now understand that life with kids with autism gets harder as they get older because they aren't just "cute little kids" with autism anymore. People look at them differently and the expectations...well I have no words on that subject.

We have been praising God with all of the milestones with this new venture because she's just beyond happy and content in this program. The program has only five students left out of the 8 who started the school year together at the hospital as the inaugural year of the program began. There are two job coaches on site working with the students every day and Linz has had an awesome first internship working in the IT department.

Tomorrow marks her last day there and she will spend the next week working again on learning about resumes, workplace expectations and how to be good in an interview etc. Then she'll be off for Winter Break and start her second internship when school begins again in January.

Her first internship was a perfect fit for her. She loves the ladies in her office and she was made to feel like one of the team. She had her own desk and office "space" and they couldn't keep up with the speed and accuracy of her work. Her daily tasks would just blow your mind!

So Mike and I met at the hospital today eager to hear about her progress and all of her successes. Well....when we sat down and her teacher there on site began talking to us my eyes were fixed on the Evaluation Form on the table. As he was talking, my eyes were looking at her scores for each criteria. The highest score possible for each was a "4". I'll admit there was a long column of "4's" that I noticed first and then I noticed that there were a couple of "2's" and even a "1.6".. Let me just say here that Linz always was excited for report card day in school because for the most part....she'd get all "A's".

When I looked to see where her "trouble" areas were I noticed the dreaded heading which read "Social Skills and Interactions". Great...just great. For all those who love to chat with her or read her "Linz Quotes of the Day" on Facebook, apparently that doesn't get a girl too far on an evaluation. While he was talking, her teacher and job coach praised her work ethic, all of her skills and a lot more. It was when he started talking about her "interest in Disney and cartoons" that my stomach started to roll. For years there was absolutely nothing that she hated more than the thought of having to read a book.....ANY book. Now, she has created a library in her room..."Lindsay's Library Palace" as she's dubbed it... and not a day goes by that she's not reading. Is it War and Peace or Little Women or The Works of William Shakespeare??? Well NO, it's not. but she LOVES going to the used book store and even the "normal" bookstore, as she calls it, to buy new chapter books to read. It's her passion. It gives her pure JOY. Plain and simple.

So today we were advised that we need to work with her to start to "curb" her interest in Smurfs, Disney and other things cartoony and "help" her "find" new interest that are more "age appropriate". My heart sank.

Now it might seem like a logical step to you but let me say that if you asked me to find a word....one single word that best describes my daughter Lindsay....it would be JOY. Best of all...she's LOVES bringing joy to others. I don't want that joy to be dampened....I don't want her spirit to be squashed.... Those things make her happy. She has NO friends. NO ONE that she can have over to visit, have a sleep over, go out to see movies with, go shopping with.... Well...that's not true. She has me. I'm her "Lady Twin". In my humble opinion, Linz was dealt a pretty shitty hand of cards to live with and if Disney and Smurfs make her happy...then so be it. If that means that she isn't one of the first kids in the program to be offered permanent employment from the internships (and she wasn't)...so be it. Doing those things....drawing Smurfs....visiting Disney....reading junior chapter books....they all make her the happy go lucky girl she is and we LOVE her just where she is. While we want what's best for her....I will NOT squash her dreams and be responsible for extinguishing that joy. She has SO many gifts to share and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has the perfect place for her where she will bless SO many people. I have to believe that. I stay awake at night worrying and praying about what will happen to my two autistic children when something happens to me and to Mike. My only comfort is that God is in control and I know that He holds them in the palm of His hand and will never let them fall. And guess what...He loves her, my little Disney Princess....Smurfs and all.

I'll claim responsibility for instilling that love of Disney. If you know me...you know I'd be happy working and living in Orlando. Seriously. I love spreading a little pixiedust and making people smile. What's wrong with that? I hope no one at my school system finds out I love Disney.....

Oh wait! I think they might already know! Gasp!

If you've read this post thus far....well....Mom, I'm going to bed now. :-) I just needed to pour it all out.

So now let me wish you a most Magical and Smurfy Day!

Blessings to you and those you love,

P.S. I love all things Disney too....I hope they still let me teach kids at school tomorrow!

Waiting for Santa?

2011-12-06T23:02:00.000-05:00

Hello My Friends!

I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post. Somehow life got in the way and "busy" doesn't begin to cover our schedule of late. Thank you SO much for all your wonderful notes and comments. They mean more than you may know. :-) We had an awesome family weekend at the Gaylord Resort at National Harbor just down the river from Washington D.C. We got to see the "ICE" Merry Madagascar display while we were there and it was simply incredible. If you haven't heard of it, check it out online. It was magical.
Here's a photo of us inside the display with the parkas they gave us to wear. It was a toasty NINE DEGREES in there!! Brrrrr!

Ok...so I finally got back to creating and working on a few Christmas gifts too down in my stamp room.

The project I have to share today is one I call....

"Waiting for Santa"

This is "Frankie"....and he's waiting for Santa to arrive. His dog house is all spiffy and his stocking is hung and ready to be filled. I don't know about you but I think he might be playing "possum". Oh well....I bet Santa will leave his treats anyway.

Here's a view of the inside...

The card stock colors I used include:

Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand and Basic Black. The lights that are strung on Frankie's house are punched out of the Silver Glimmer Paper and strung on Baker's Twine that started out as White. I made it into the green light cord by inking it with my Garden Green marker.

I'm so happy with the way it turned out. Frankie just warms my heart. I hope you like him too.

Alrighty....I'd better get back to creating. So much to share...so little time. :-)

Wishing you a magical day,

"Sweet Note Tote" Tutorial Debut!

2011-11-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hey Stampers!

I'm SO excited to share this brand new video tutorial with you.

It's a step-by-step tutorial on making the

"Sweet Note Tote".

I hope you like it! Please let me know if you have any questions...

I love comments too. :-)

So....here you go.....

I hope you enjoy it and have fun making some "Sweet Note Totes"

of your very own!

Have a magical day!

"Ho Ho Hand Sanitizer"

2011-11-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

Hey there Peeps! Happy Monday to you!

I wanted to share a new project with you that I came up with for the upcoming

"Winter Wonderland Craft Fair" at my school on December 10th. I've tried to make lots of stocking stuffers and small gift items and this is one of them.

It's the "Ho Ho Hand Sanitizer Gift Box"

This is a new Santa punch design I made tonight and I just love him! :-)

Here's a side view.....

If you haven't seen my hand sanitizer box before, they are made to hold the cute, little Pocket Bac hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works. They make a really quick an easy gift and they're perfect for tons of different designs. Here are the punch pieces you will need to make Santa.... I then "sparkled" him up a bit using my glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and then added a Red Glimmer Brad for his nose...

Here are the measurements...

I hope you enjoy making some of your own... Be sure to send me photos of your hand sanitizer creations. I'd love to see what YOU come up with. :-)

Don't forget....the Online Extravaganza is only available until this Wednesday, November 30th so don't wait....check out the awesome deals at my online store. Just click HERE

Have a magical day!

Happy Black Friday!

2011-11-25T13:17:00.000-05:00

Hey there Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did. We had lots of good food and time with our family and it was a fabulous day. Linz declared it "the BEST Thanksgiving EVER". (shocker...I know!)

My mom and I braved the craziness last night and went to a couple of stores for the Pre Black Friday Sales. We got some great deals....even if we weren't "hard core" shoppers like some of the folks we saw. It's always fun just spending time with my Mom.

Today we are packing up for an awesome weekend adventure. I'll be sharing photos and stories so stay tuned. First, though, I thought I'd share a fun, new project with you to get the holidays kicked off in style. It's called "Santa's Stache Cocoa Holder". Here it is....

It's a fun way to share a yummy treat with someone special this Christmas. Here's a peek inside...

I came up with this "box" idea to hold a large pack of cocoa mix and a peppermint stirring stick. I found these cute packs of "Polar Express" hot cocoa at a local grocery store. Aren't they fun?

As a special treat for you I'm adding the measurements here on my blog. I hope you can make some to share with your friends too. Here it is....

Measurements Etc.

Card Stock: Cut 1 piece 8 1.2" x 8 3/4"

Score on the 8 3/4" width @ 3/4", 1 1/4", 4 3/4" and 5 1/4"

Score on the 8 1/2" width @ 1 3/4" and 2 1/4"

Cut out sections as shown. Cut slits as shown.

Fold on all score lines and adhere "X" sections to corresponding tabs.

Decorate as desired. Enjoy!

Don't forget...only a couple more days of Stampin' Up's! ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA. So many AWESOME deals....So little time. Check it out at my Online SU! Website. Just click HERE.

No crazy shoppers....No long lines...It will rock your socks! :-)

Ok...I'm off on an adventure! Have a wonderful weekend!

Stamped Blessings,

Max and Zoe

2011-11-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

Meet Max & Zoe

Max and Zoe are getting hitched! Ok...not really.....but they are cute! Don't you think?

I created this little photo album this weekend to share at our team gathering. Here's a peek inside...

The pockets that will hold the photos are made from SU! Clear Envelopes. I put a piece of Black card stock in each to make it a little sturdier. The photos load from the back side of each envelope and it's easy to flip through them and relive your memories. This is a really simple and inexpensive gift or a perfect favor for a shower etc. It's sure to impress!

Here's a closer look at the happy couple....

Here's a list of the punches I used to make these cutie patooties:

Extra Large Oval Punch - Bodies and Bellies

Stocking Builder Punch - Beaks and Feet

Owl Builder Punch - Bow Tie and Wings

Scallop Circle Punch - Veil

Don't forget to check out the amazing deals included in the ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA this week. You'll be glad you did. Just click HERE to see all the deals at my Online Store.

Stamped Blessings,

Spicing Things Up!

2011-11-20T16:21:00.000-05:00

Hello All! Happy Sunday!

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon at our house and I thought I'd share a cute, new project with you today to "spice" things up a bit. Yesterday I attended our RemARKable Stampers Group Meeting here in Manassas. It was a fantastic gathering with LOTS of new ideas and info. I came home really inspired to get things going here in my stampin' studio.

I was asked to share a few projects and techniques with the group so I came up with a few new ideas for the occasion. This project is one of them.

This is the "Spice Cake Hearts Gift Card Holder"...

This project is perfect for any occasion and it's covered in one of my favorite Designer Series Papers, "Spice Cake". I love it! I was thrilled to see that they have the same patterns in fabric too. My mind is spinning with all the crafty possibilities! Ok....I used the Petal Cone die for the Big Shot and I cut out 2 of them from Very Vanilla Card Stock. Then I cut out two more from the Spice Cake DSP. I adhered one of the Spice Cake hearts to the front of one of the Vanilla hearts and one to the back of the other. Make sense? Then I used SNAIL adhesive to adhere the hearts together at the very top on the insides. Once that was done, I set it aside so I could make the gift card holder for the inside. The gift card holder is one piece of Very Vanilla card stock cut at 3 1/2" x 4 3/4". Turn so the 4 3/4" side is horizontal and score at 1 7/8" and 4 1/8". this will form the "pocket" for your gift card to fit into. Here's a photo of the inside...

Adhere the gift card holder to the inside and decorate as desired. Here's a close up of the holder...

I used 2 of the button brads to make a little closure along with a piece of the Baker's Twine.

It's a really simple way to spiff things up a bit.

Here's a photo of the pocket opened up.

I used the "Three Little Words" Stamp Set. It's such a cute set! Here are the images that are included....

Ok...now it's your turn! Show me what you come up with!

Have a restful end to your weekend.

Stamped Blessings,

Talk AIN'T Cheap!

2011-11-17T16:04:00.000-05:00

Hey there Peeps!

**Non Stampin' Post**.....but it's AWESOME one!

I just had to post a quick Praise Report and share some amazing news with you.

Today when Zach came into my classroom after school he said, "Hi!" like he usually does. He came in and poked around a bit....wrote the names of his favorite rides at Magic Kingdom on the white board....

When he came back to me when it was time to leave I said, "How was your day?". Now understand that he usually will try to second guess what I'm going to ask and just come up and say, "Good" before I ask the question. LOL So when he answered my question he said, "Good"....as usual. Then I said, "Did you go on a CBI trip today?" (CBI = Community Based Instruction) Without missing a beat he said,

"I worked on the hangers at Peeble's"..............................

HOLY COW!!!! A sentence with SEVEN....count them....SEVEN WORDS!!!!

I couldn't believe it!!! Well I did what any proud mama would do. I jumped out of my chair....squealed with delight.....did the Happy Dance then hugged and kissed him like there was NO tomorrow!!! It was amazing!!

I don't need to win the Mega Millions! My son said an appropriate SEVEN word sentence!

I'm still smiling! Praise the Lord! It may be blustery and cold outside but let me tell ya....the sun is shining at our house tonight.

I'm getting on the road. I'm headed to see my sweet Brittany perform tonight at JMU. She is the President of the Word is Born Poetry Club and they are having a big performance tonight. It's gonna be a late night but that's okay. It's such an honor to be invited and I am SO proud of her.

Thank you again, my friends, from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers and believing in miracles with us.

Blessings,

Heeeeere's "Duke"!

2011-11-16T20:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday Stampers!

As promised I've got a new Penguin Pal to share with you today. Penelope definitely needed a buddy to "chill out" with.....so......heeeeeere's DUKE!

These little cuties are really easy to make. I'm afraid I just might be addicted to making them almost as much as I am the puppies! It just takes a couple of punches and some card stock and....VOILA! Instant smiles!
Duke is on this Z-Fold Card and he just makes it "pop". (FYI....I named this one. My daughter is a senior at JMU and their colors are purple and gold...they are the JMU DUKES) :-)

Here's a peek at the card opened up a bit....

I added a "pop" of purple to the inside panel to sort of tie it all together. I'm sure there are more to come judging by the parts and pieces I have laying here on my desk. Stay tuned!

I'm down in my stamp room working tonight on a few goodies for our Team Gathering on Saturday. I'm supposed to present a few ideas and I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I don't want to disappoint all those awesome stampers! I'll let you know what I come up with.

Blessings to you and yours,

Lovely Penelope....

2011-11-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

Hey there my friends,

I have a brand new friend to share with you today! Since my puppies have gotten so much love from you guys I thought maybe you'd like these. I'm sharing one today and her pal tomorrow. So....I would like for you to meet "Penelope" the Penguin

Doesn't she just make you smile? I had SO much fun creating her and her buddy, Duke. He will be here tomorrow so be sure to stop back by and visit. Penelope seems to love "bling" just like me and she has a cute, pink "fascinator" to make her look a little sassy. :-)

Just a couple of sweet hearts keep the love going on the inside of the card too. I hope you like it and I hope she makes you smile. It's amazing the smiles you can make with just a couple of punches and some card stock. :-)

Ok....Lindsay wanted to make sure.....actually she said "be absolutely positive to show the new ornament I made to all your friends on your blog". She wanted to know where all the blog people are from....I told her I'm not sure but I'd ask. If you'd like to leave a comment for Linz and tell her where you are from, she'd be THRILLED. She's fascinated with countries all over the world and it would be a hoot for her to see that readers from other places saw her artwork. :-)

So..... As you know (if you saw my blog post) Linz is going to have her own Christmas tree this year and she wants to put ornaments on it that are her "favorites". She LOVES the Smurfs and has over 200 drawings she's done freehand of them and they are all amazing. So I bought some Shrinky Dink and she's made a few ornaments and tonight she added to her collection. Here's the debut of....

"Sailor Smurfette" by Lindsay Suit....

Here's her ornament before we put it in the oven...

and..... here it is when it came out of the oven....

Voila!

Okie doke....that's it from here. Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you come back real soon.

Wishing you a magical day!

Santa's Stampin' Elf Service

2011-11-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Hey there Stampers!

Boy, do I have some exciting news for you!

It’s tis time for one of my favorite times of the year....

Christmas! And I want to make it Merry and Bright for you too.

It’s time for my “Santa’s Stampin’ Elf Service”

How would you like to get exactly what you’ve been wishing for under your tree this year? Are you tired of opening those fuzzy slippers and bottles of Charlie perfume?

(For you young'uns...you might need to Google it!)

Well, I'm here for you ladies!

Here’s how it works....

1. Sit down and make your Stampin’ Up! Christmas Wish List. Whether it’s a set of ink pads from one color family or a stamp set or two you’ve been drooling over....or maybe a Big Shot. Write it all down.

2. Email me your Wish List

3. Give your hubby (or other family members too....) my email address/phone number Have them contact me and let me know how much they’d like to spend. I’ll go through your list and order just the perfect gift(s) you’ve always wanted.

4. Now here’s the BEST part!

The gifts will be shipped here to me and I will wrap all your gifts up and have them ready for pick up and more than ready to be under your tree on Christmas morning!

How COOL is THAT??

So....can you hear it? Those sleigh bells are jingling and Santa’s hitching up his sleigh.

Get started on your Wish List and let Santa’s Stampin’ Elf Service do the rest.

Here’s my info:

Michelle Suit

shellsuit@verizon.net

571-217-8414

Have a magical day!

Michelle

The clouds parted....

2011-11-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

....and the sun shone through! It was like feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. I'm not gonna lie.

This is a "Praise Report".....

Every morning, once he's all ready and waiting for the bus, Zach waits by the living room window until the bus pulls up in front of our house. Most of the time he'll say "Bye" as he walks out the door. He doesn't ever leave on the bus without me knowing it. I'm usually still drying my hair or brushing my teeth and I get ready in the powder room off of our foyer just for that reason. I can still get ready for work/school and be down there to watch him leave. It's been our routine for years. When Mike is home or if he's going in later than usual, he'll walk Zach out to the end of our driveway and wait til the bus pulls up. He isn't able to be left alone b/c we are afraid he'll wander and if there's some change with the bus....the driver....or the schedule he wouldn't know what to do. Anyway....

So this morning he was waiting and I was drying my hair. When I finished he looked at me and said, "Be outside". I said, "You'll be outside?" And he said, "Yes. Bye!" So I said, "Bye. I love you!" Then he proudly walked out and walked down to wait for the bus.I was smiling SO big and I, of course, turned the mini blinds so I could watch him. I guess he knows me too well b/c he turned around and checked to see if I was looking and he waved at me. LOL

I was smiling all the way to work. It was awesome.

THEN.....

This afternoon when the two of us were leaving school I was trying to make conversation like I always do.....

It's the standard "Did you have a good day?", "What did you eat for lunch?" etc. So I asked him where he's going on his CBI (Community Based Instruction) field trip tomorrow. He siad, "Bloom's and Giant". I said, "Wow....Two grocery stores?" And he said, and I quote...

"I put cans on the shelf".........................................

O M G!

He was telling me what he was going to do at Bloom's!!!!! I was SOOOOOO excited! So I was praising him for "using his words" and told him how smart he is etc. It was amazing!!! Then we turned into the parking lot by the Credit Union and there was this long line of gorgeous trees that looked like bright red fire with the sun shining on them. I said, "Wow, Zach! Look at those beautiful trees!" Without missing a beat he said,

"Leaves is falling!"

AMAZING!!!

I still have a silly grin on my face!!!! I can't stop smiling! God is SO faithful and He parted those "clouds" and let me feel that sun on my face. So much HOPE in just a few simple words. I had to share it with you....all of you who are so supportive and who love us right where we are. THANK YOU for your positive words of support, your prayers and just being so awesome. I couldn't wait to share these bright rays of hope with you.

I think you can tell from the picture that Zach is SO proud of himself. :-)

God Bless You!!!

Much love,

Michelle and Zach

Happy Stampers

2011-11-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday All!

Whew....What a busy week! First I'd like to once again thank all of you for your sweet emails and comments. Your prayers and kind words mean more to me than I can say. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Yesterday I invited my customers over for a Customer Appreciation Stamp Camp. I demonstrated several techniques and tips for them and then they made two free projects to take home. It was such a fabulous time.

I thought today I'd share a couple of Christmas card designs with you that demonstrate different techniques. I know I'm trying to decide on a design for my own cards this year and I hope these inspire you.

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment and I'll see if I have an answer for you. :-)

Here you go.... This first card was made using the Dryer Sheet technique....YEP! A dryer sheet!

It is such an stunning effect when you see it in person. Hopefully you can see the Dazzling Diamonds sparkling on the image. I love this technique!

Next we have a card made by inking up the Northern Flurry Embossing Folder with Pacific Point ink and then running a piece of Whisper White card stock through in in the Big Shot. The result is gorgeous white snowflakes on a beautiful blue background. The ornaments were embossed using the Silver Embossing Powder and Versamark ink.

I added a little "bling" to the snowflakes and it just makes them POP.

And the last one I have for you is SO easy. I made these little Christmas trees using a few scraps of Designer Series Paper. Just a couple of folds and....VOILA! I love the effect of using the two layers of Very Vanilla. It's so elegant. That pop of color with the Cherry Cobbler ink and ribbon just make the package complete.

So there you have it...... Do you have an idea for your Christmas cards yet? I love seeing your work so email me your photos! You never know...you might see your card here on my blog... :-)

Have a wonderfully relaxing day....and happy stamping!

Just ONE Day.....Please???

2011-11-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

**This post is NON Stamping related**   This is an AUTISM post Be forewarned.

I know there are those of you who written me notes saying that you relate to my blog because either, like me, you to have 1 or more autistic children or you have friends/family that do. I thank you for your kind words but today's post is definitely the "weaker" side of who I am as the mother of two autistic kids.

Zachary....my son......Here are words that I think of when I try to describe him...

Sweet
Loving
Funny
Smiley
Tall
Smart
Talented

That being said, today I sit here pulling my hair out. I'm sure my mom will read this and say, "Oh....NOT our Zachary!".... Well Mom....YES, our Zach. Our Zach is the one who has me sitting here not able to type fast enough to keep up with the thoughts in my head.

Zach rides the bus from the high school in the afternoon and is dropped off at the school where I work (about a mile away) He comes in and it's right at the end of our day so my students have packed up and are waiting for dismissal. Zach comes in...keeps his backpack ON.....and goes into our tutorial room and starts his list. What list?? What the 4 lists that he writes exactly the ssame every day. He lists all FOUR Disney Theme Parks and then makes a detailed list of ALL the rides at each part. (Their PROPER names....no shortcuts) That makes him happy so Woot! All is well until we leave school to head out for the evening.

Oh things are just fine and dandy IF I am heading STRAIGHT home. Do NOT PASS GO.... and make the same turns onto the same roads!!!! He makes comments over and over and over and over if I go different ways. Well, let me just say that I've NEVER been a mom that takes the easy route all the time. When he was younger he would cry the entire time we were at a very large shopping mall we frequently visited IF and ONLY IF we didn't park in the exact same lot EVERY time we went. So I decided I was going to NOT park there all the time....I was going to change it up and try to win a battle for once....."Take on for the team"....you know. I wanted him to get past it and be more comfortable knowing that no matter where we parked it would be ok and we would still go see his favorite spots inside the mall etc.

Well....eventually....and a LOT of gray hair later....it has worked and that is no longer an issue. (the majority of the time)

Ok....so I digress....but it's important for my rant.

Fortunately for me, the school where I work is surrounded by a lot of the stores, the bank and places that I frequent and it's SO convenient to be able to just stop there when I leave work at 3:15 on my way home to get things if I need them....make a deposit etc. None of those places are near our house and it seems ridiculous to me to take Zach all the way home and then have to back track. I mean SERIOUSLY??

So today I needed to stop at ONE place....JUST ONE PLACE. It happened to be Dollar Tree. I thought "Ok, it won't take me long and I'll buy him a bag of M&Ms and he'll hang on til I'm done and then we can go home." SUCKER!!! Boy, was I wrong. Now Zach doesn't really "Talk". He has some vocabulary and sometimes a word or two will come out that almost seems appropriate to the situation but that's not a given.

I have NEVER had a conversation with my son. Ever. Not having a pity party.....Just stating the truth.

So when we went to Dollar Tree it was a nightmare. Now he doesn't scream....he doesn't throw fits....but I can tell when he's NOT happy. I told him everything....prepped him....promised the M&Ms..... When I pulled into the parking lot in front of Dollar Tree...before I even got to the parking space....he reached over and unbuckled MY seatbelt. I said, "Zach! Don't unbuckle my seatbelt. You can unbuckle yours when I have stopped the car" I don't want him to start thinking he can do anything to the car while I'm driving. I have no clue what his concept is of what goes on in a car but I'm not sure I'd like to risk it.

Well that started it. He started repeating over and over "Don't do it! Mom do it...." Then he makes these squealing noises that while they aren't "loud" they will definitely draw a lot of attention when we are in public. All I kept thinking was, "Ok...I only have 6 things on my list....just 6 things....I can do this". Well he made sure it was NOT easy. All through the store...."Don't do it!   Mom do it!.....squeal....squeal.....squeal........" etc. over and over and over and over and over again. No lie. So we got lots of glaring looks. I mean here's this 6'5" towering teenager who is obviously NOT happy. Quite a sight to see for sure.

I just wanted to scream. But what good would it do? He didn't understand what it was I wanted or what I needed him to do. He only knew that he was NOT happy and I was the cause of it.

I know there are a lot of you who read my blog and you know me personally and you'll understand what I'm about to say and not condemn or judge me for it. For the rest of you...I hope you can too.

Right now is just a time when I feel mad at God. What did I do?? What do you WANT me to do that I'm not? Just tell me!! I'll do ANYTHING.

I know....some reader's hair just caught on fire somewhere..... I am...I'm mad. And I think that's okay because God loves me no matter what and he loves me right where I am. I just want to yell, scream and cry and get it out so I can just get back up....dust myself off and keep on fighting this ugly beast called AUTISM.

Just a day.....ONE day...... 24 short hours.....That's what I want. If you can't show me a cure for this dreadful, hateful disease that has robbed our family of so much then just let me hear his voice and let him share his thoughts....his dreams.....his frustrations....ALL of it with me for just one short day.   I don't need a fortune....I don't need to be famous.... I need nothing...I want.nothing....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING more than to talk to my son and have him talk back to me.

I've often said that when you have a child diagnosed with autism it's not something you mourn once and move on. There are many, many, many times (and a lot of them will sneak up on you) that will cause you to mourn the loss all over again. Things you take for granted with your other kids.....the little things. Today I find myself mourning. Sorry if that sounds dramatic or like I'm just being a wuss... it's just the way it is.

Just one day, God. Please?

NEW Video Tutorial!

2011-11-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

Hey Stampin' Peeps!

Well....you asked for it and here it is! Here's a video tutorial for the

"Suit"able Holiday Planner

Here's a photo of the one that I posted a couple of weeks ago...The video will show you a brand new design with all the measurements so you can make some of your very own. I hope you like it! There are two videos....Part One & Part Two. Check them out!

Part One

Part Two

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. :-)

Have a magical day!

"Holly" Hobby Horse

2011-11-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

Hey there Stampin' Pals! Long time...no blog! oops.....

Ever have those times when life gets in the way? LOL Oh well....

I've been working on some new and exciting projects to share with you (including a couple of BRAND NEW VIDEO TUTORIALS!) Woot!

The project I'm sharing with you today is SO much fun! I call it the

"Holly" Hobby Horse Gift Card Holder

Isn't it sweet? I used the "Stocking Builder Die" for the Big Shot and flipped it upside down.

How easy is THAT? The ear is made from the "heel" piece that the die cuts along with the collar that I "jingled" up with some Baker's Twine and Mini Jingle Bells. The mane is a piece of 5/8" Vanilla Grossgrain Ribbon that I adhered and then took my paper snips to just to fluff it up a bit. :-) The "halter" and "reins" are made from a little "Poppy Parade" Stitched Ribbon. The eye is made with a black Glimmer Brad and the "holly berries" are just red Rhinestone Brads.

Here's the inside....

I made a little "pocket" that holds a standard size gift card and then used the "To/From" stamp from the "Dear Santa" stamp set. I used one of our handy dandy little cello bags and put in a peppermint stick as the....well...the "stick". LOL

I hope you like it and hopefully it makes you smile. :-)

Stay tuned for the new video....COMING SOON....very soon!! :-)

Have a magical Monday!

Some Fun "Stuff"ers....

2011-10-29T23:38:00.000-04:00

Hey there stampers! I have a fun project for you today. I guess having the weatherman talking about snow got me in the Christmas crafting mood. It was a bit of a let down only seeing a few flurries and mostly rain but still....I had fun stamping inside where it was warm and toasty.

Here's' what I came up with.....

"Frosty and Rudy" Candy Bar Wrapper (Boxes)

I saw a snowman design a little like this in a crafting magazine and I took it and put my own spin on it.

After I made "Frosty"....I thought he needed a pal to hang out with......

So I made "Rudy"! Isn't he just so happy?? Here's what it looks like with the box end opened up...

The other end is open...covered by the hat. I used Stampin' Up! Candy Cane Lane Fabric and tore pieces for both the hats and scarves.


121715 - Candy Cane Christmas Fabric - Each package includes 3 extra wide fat quarters of coordinated fabrics. Each piece measures approximately 27" x 18" and can also be used with the Big Shot. Cool, huh?

There are pieces of both the Silver and Red Glimmer Paper used on both projects. It's adds the perfect "bling" effect don't ya think?

Here's the Glimmer Paper....

It comes in both Red (121790) and Silver (124005)

I am adding the template for you in case you'd like to make some of these for stocking stuffers or fun, little gifts.

So....there you have it....I hope they make you smile. :-) Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.

Stamped Blessings,

A Suitable Stocking Treat

2011-10-25T23:02:00.000-04:00

"...While visions of Smurfberries dance in her head...."

This little treat box all ready to be filled with some Smurfy sweet treats.

I absolutely love the versatility of this Stocking die....one that might seem like you might only use at Christmas. I'm going to show you a few other ideas at the end of this post.

First, though, let me tell you about my Melon Mambo....polka dotted....magically sweet treat for Linz.

I cut two of the stockings on my Big Shot using the Stocking Die and then decorated them to "suit" her fancy. (ba dum bum!) Then I used them as the front and back of a 3D box.

I added a little piece of ribbon as a hanger so I can hang it on our tree. I put in a piece of shiny, black tissue to spice it up and....VOILA!

I know she's gonna love it. So.....do YOU have the Stocking Die? Well this is the perfect time! Keep reading.....You'll be GLAD you did!

As I've posted several times this month's Stampin' Up! Special during the month of October is AWESOME...When you take advantage of the Stampin' Up! opportunity you receive either $100 of SU! products of your choice for FREE or you can get the

BIG SHOT (a $100 value) absolutely FREE.

Well....I'm sweetening the deal during the last six days that this special is available. Why? Well because I love being able to share everything that Stampin' Up! has to offer. I love their products....their generosity and everything they stand for. Stampin' Up! has something called the "Statement of the Heart" that pretty much sums it all up.

Here's what it says....

"To love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments...in this we make a difference"

Now here's how I'm sweetening the offer....For anyone who takes advantage of the special...I will send you your very own Stocking Die for FREE (a $32.95 value) If you'd like more info about this awesome opportunity, email or call me to find out more.

There's NO pressure from me or from Stampin' Up! to hold workshops etc. You can do with it what you'd like....and get a great discount to boot!

Cha CHING! :-)

Ok...so here are a couple other ideas that I found online for some stinkin' cute projects made with the Stocking Die..... Ready??

Ok.....Now how can you resist THAT?? I know my mind is racing with new ideas!

Alrighty....I'm off to sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a happy day. I get my cast off in the morning. WAHOOOO! Hopefully by this time tomorrow night I'll just be in a boot and walking around without crutches. :-)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Just Smurfy....for Christmas?

2011-10-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

Newsflash!!

The Smurfs are in the house!

(Ok...they never really left....but still...)

Linz has been talking about Christmas since her birthday last month. She goes from holiday to holiday to holiday...but that's ok. So... we were talking about Christmas and I asked her if she might like to design and decorate her very own Christmas tree this year. I can't quite put down in words the level of her excitement. Suffice it to say there was a HUGE "WAHOOOOOO" in there somewhere.

So she's decided that she wants to make her tree a SMURF TREE. (Shocker...I know)

So tonight I showed her how to use Shrinky Dinks and she was off and running.

She draws hundreds of different Smurfs....all free hand and it's amazing to watch her.

She decided the first ornament she'd make would be, of course, her favorite, Vanity Smurf.

Here's how it went.....

Firsr she drew Vanity with a Sharpie on the rough side of the Shrinky Dink page. Then she used colored pencils to color him in. Once that was done I cut it out for her....leaving about 1/8" around the outer edges. **Important Step** DO NOT FORGET TO PUNCH A HOLE IN IT BEFORE BAKING**

Here's how it went from there....


Ready to go into the oven....


We sprinkled a little baby powder on the cookie sheet to keep it from sticking together during the melting process...


Here we go......


Getting warmed up....


A little more....

At this point Linz said, "Oh NO! It's ruined!" I told her to just keep watching.....


And...VOILA!


A perfect ornament for a special, Smurfy Christmas Tree!

We had such a great time creating this first, special ornament and I think I'm going to by buying a lot more Shrinky Dinks in the coming weeks. :-)

There'll also be lots of photos of Lindsay's Smurfy Christmas Tree....Stay tuned!

Have a Smurfy Day!

Christmas is a comin'!

2011-10-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

Hey there my stampin' friends! I am really excited to show you what I created this weekend. I've wanted to make one for awhile and I finally sat down and did it. Woot! Here's my new project....I'm calling it the

"Vintage Christmas Planner"

The planer is made from Soft Suede card stock and is decorated with one of my favorite Designer Series Paper packs, "Spice Cake". I made the lollie on the front cover into more of an oval shape than the usual circle shape. The embossed oval is Soft Suede with the center oval stamped on Very Vanilla. The ribbon is 5/8" Very Vanilla Satin and the bow is fastened together with one of the Vintage Brads.

The planner has four separate sections.... When you open it up the first two sections are the "Gift List"/"Stocking Stuffer" pocket with lists on the left and the "Menus"/"Recipe Cards" pocket on the right. (Did I mention that they are expandable pockets??? Cool, huh?) All three pockets are embossed with the Northern Flurries Embossing Folder on the Big Shot.


Each of the pockets expand leaving room to add other lists or maybe your receipts...

There are five recipe cards included in the pocket...

The when you open the right side up once more you will reveal the "Memo Pad" section in the middle of the planner and the "Calendar" pocket on the right side of the planner....


The notepad and matching pen.....

Calendar pages with space to add your "To Do" list...

The back cover of the Planner....

I've decided to offer this planner as an upcoming stamp camp. I love sharing projects like this one. They are SO much fun to make. I'll be posting the class schedule soon so....stay tuned!

I'm also considering offering this project as a "DIY Kit". The kit price would include all the parts and pieces to make one "Vintage Christmas Planner" except for the stamp sets and adhesive.

I'll keep you posted on that front too. :-)

Alrighty then....I'm off to get ready for my first day back at work since surgery. It should be fun since I'm still on crutches and in a cast. Hopefully the kids will go easy on me. Hahahaha

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead....

Lil' Miss Minnie

2011-10-22T13:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday!
I'm so happy to be down in my stampin' room today. Mike has been such an awesome "nurse" since my surgery and today he helped me hobble downstairs and helped me get set up so I could get my creative juices flowing. I'm feeling better today and I can't wait to get this cast off on Wednesday. The doctor said that I'll be in the cam boot instead of a regular cast this time and he wants me to bear weight on the ankle as soon as possible. I'm SO happy about that.

Well....there's definitely a nip in the air today and I thought I'd make a little something to hopefully make you smile. This is a little Chapstick Holder I created and I also made a new little pup to go along with it. Her name?? Why it's "Minnie", of course. :-) Here she is....

Minnie is punched from Very Vanilla card stock. Her Mouse Ears are punched from Basic Black and her collar and bows are punched from Melon Mambo. Her nose is Chocolate Chip. I love those Rhinestones and they worked out perfectly to add a little "bling" don't you think? Here's the inside...

This is a great project to use up some of those extra scraps you have been saving up. Such a quick and easy little treat to make someone smile. Here are the measurements for you....just in case you'd like to make a few of your own....

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Wishing you a magical day,

All wrapped up with no place to go....

2011-10-20T15:14:00.000-04:00

Hey there peeps,

Just a quick note to say a HUGE "Thank You" for the notes, prayers and well wishes. You guys rock my socks.

My surgery went well and I'm at home and resting. Mike, Linz and Zach are taking great care of me. Pillows are being fluffed....ice packs are being iced....and pain meds are being administered. All is right with the world. :-) The doctor called to check on me today and said that I will NOT be in a cast this time. At next weeks post op visit I'll be put in a boot and he wants me "weight bearing" as soon as possible. Woot! Here's a photo Mike took yesterday while we were waiting for them to wheel me to the O.R. Ya think he was bored???

And NO I hadn't had any "happy drugs" at this point! Scary, huh??? So for now I'm doing what I'm told....I'm sitting still....(something I don't do well) and I'm thinking of ideas to share with you when I get back into my stamp room so stay tuned.

For now though...I have to go enjoy the yummy lunch Mike made for me.....one of his infamous grilled cheese sandwiches. YAY!!

So.....that's it from here for now. Don't worry though...my Online Stampin' Up! Store is still open 24/7 and there are SO many awesome ideas and TONS of amazing products. Just click HERE to go there now. Stop on by and shop for awhile. :-)

Wishing you a magical day,

Falling for Lollies....

2011-10-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

Hey there Peeps! I'm posting a little early for Wednesday but I'm going to be just a tad....um....busy. I'm having ankle surgery at noon Wednesday....HIGH noon that is. :-) LOL

I wanted to share this awesome project with you and I thought today's the perfect time to do it.

This is a Fall wreath that debuted in this year's Holiday Mini Catalog. All of us at Convention this past July were drooling when we first saw it and couldn't wait to be able to share it with our customers.

This past weekend my friend and upline, Robin, had a class and I finally got a chance to make one of my very own. Woot!

and heeeeeeere it is......

I love the Spice Cake Designer Series Paper and I am just wild about those lollies. (Lollies are those cool, fanned out circle thingys) They are all the rage and so much fun to make. Also, those big Spice Cake Buttons are SO stinkin' cute!

To see projects like this one and lot of other fun stuff...check out my online store by clicking HERE

Here are those awesome buttons:

And the gorgeous Spice Cake Designer Paper Pack:

If you want even MORE cuteness....check out the Spice Cake Fabric too!! Woot!

So that's all from here for now.....Not sure when I'll blog next....Hopefully the surgery will go smoothly and quickly and I'll feel as good as new sooner than later. All prayers are greatly appreciated.

Blessings to you,

Ribbon Rosette Tutorial

2011-10-16T22:45:00.000-04:00

Good Monday Mornin' Stampers!

Today my post is short but oh so sweet! Mike and I had an awesome time at JMU with Brittany on Saturday for Parent's Weekend. We usually stay in a hotel but we went down early in the morning on Saturday and stayed until very late. It was such a fun filled day. Here are a few pics from our day....


A photo I took of the quad....


Mike, Brittany and me at the football game. JMU beat Villanova 34-10!! YAY!


Britt and her boyfriend, Sam on the "Kissing Rock" on the quad...

Britt and Me....


Britt and Mike.... I love this photo....

Britt with JMU's Duke Dog at the football game...

It was so much fun! Let me just say that we LOVE James Madison University and we are so blessed that Brittany loves it there and we do too.

Even though it was a crazy, busy weekend, I was determined to get this video done so I could share it with all of you. I hope you like it. It's a "how to" on making your very own....stinkin' CUTE.....Ribbon Rosette Embellishments.

Check it out and let me know what you think.....

Just click the link below....

Ribbon Rosette Tutorial

Have a magical day!

Go Divas in da House!

2011-10-12T20:51:00.000-04:00

Hey there Peeps! Can you see it?? Can ya?? I see a weekend right around the corner! Woot!
I'm really looking forward to this Saturday because it's Parent's Weekend at JMU and Mike and I will be spending it with Brittany. WOO HOOOOOO! We have tickets to the football game and we can't wait to walk into the brand new stadium. GO DUKES!! Pics to come...

I am SO lucky to be a part of an awesome swap group of stampers called the GO DIVAS. I love these ladies and their work I thought today I'd feature a few of the cards I received in our Christmas Card Swap. There are SO many awesome cards to choose from....I think I'll have to make a couple of posts with them because I just love so many of them. Here we go:

I added mine too. I had fun making the origami trees with the Designer Series Paper. So fun!
If you haven't checked out the October Special from Stampin' Up! yet....go to my SU! website for all the details. It's a suh-weeeeet deal. You could get a BIG SHOT or $100 in Stampin' Up! products for FREE. WOOT!

Have a magical day!

Just Call Me "Rudy"

2011-10-12T00:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday Stampers!

"Just hear those sleigh bells jinglin', ring ting tinglin' too....."

I had a great time creating this project. I brought out an oldie but a goodie...

a BAG A LOPE.

If you've never heard of Bag a lopes before let me tell you a couple of details. It's made from one Stampin' Up! Medium Envelope and it makes a perfect little gift bag.

(I'm thinking of doing a video tutorial of the step by step instructions so stay tuned....)

This one is a fun treat....I call them "Candy Cane Seeds". :-) These sweet treats are sure to make someone's day a whole lot merrier....especially when they see "Rudy" smiling up at them. "Rudy" is my newest puppy design and he insisted on sporting a pair of reindeer antlers and a shiny, red nose. Hey....who am I to argue??

Isn't he just a cutie patootie? I added a panel on the back of the Bag A Lope too....

The "To....From..." stamp is from the "Dear Santa" stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

I hope Rudy has made YOUR day a little merrier and I hope you'll come back and visit again real soon.

You can visit my online Stampin' Up! store by just clicking HERE

It's open 'round the clock so drop on by y'all....

Have a wonderful Wednesday and a very magical day!

Ice Princess....

2011-10-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

Happy Tuesday!

** Ok...this is a "my bad" addition to today's post....Apparently I made the blade backwards! Ugh. SO sorry to all you skaters out there. I promise I'll fix it and repost the pics
So....DON'T copy this blade. **

Today I have a really pretty project for you that's dedicated to a very sweet synchro ice skater I know. :-)

Don't ask me why but this project has been in my head for over a week. It wouldn't leave me alone!

Today I visited my friend, Robin, and when I came home I gave in and put this little project together.

So....Emma.....this one's for YOU....

This is another gift card holder made using the Stocking Die for the Big Shot. This one is made from Bravo Burgundy card stock. I stamped the flourish image from the Pines and Pointsettias stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.

I used Versamark ink and then embossed them with the Pewter Embossing Powder. The oval frame is made from Whisper White card stock and run through the Big Shot in the oval Designer Frame embossing folder. Then I sponged Versamark ink around the edges and embossed it with the Pewter embossing powder too. I embossed the monogram using the Lovely Letters Alphabet set on Whisper White card stock and then punched it out with the XL Oval Punch. It fits perfectly in the oval frame. Cool, huh? I added a bow made from the 5/8" White Satin Ribbon and finished it off with two of those stinkin' cute Jingle Bells that are new in the Mini too.

The Merry Christmas stamp is from the Christmas Lodge stamp set.

The blade on the skate is cut from a piece of the new Silver Glimmer Paper #124005. Love it!

Here's the inside that shows the slot for the gift card....

If you'd like to see the basic instructions on how to create the Stocking Gift Card Holder, you can check out my video tutorial by clicking HERE If you'd like to shop at my online Stampin' Up! store just click HERE

Thanks SO much for stopping by today.

Thanks also to Miss Emma for the inspiration. :-)

I hope you like the new project and have fun creating some of your very own.

Have a magical day!

Stanley the Snowman

2011-10-09T15:13:00.000-04:00

Hey there Peeps!

Ok...I've been down in my stampin' room ~~getting ready~~, listening to the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" with the best intentions of getting all the card kits cut for my "Christmas Stamp-A-Stack" class tomorrow night.....
Well....this little guy wouldn't let me concentrate until I made this project. I went to one of my favorite shops in our little town, Flower Gallery, this weekend. It's 1//2 a huge, gorgeous flower shop and 1/2 a gorgeous Hallmark store. I just walk in there and immediately have to wipe the drool from my chin. SO many cute things! Well....I found these adorable, little spreaders and I knew that a couple of them needed to go home with me.

Now if you read my blog at all you know by now that I'm a little ~~weird~~ crazy about naming projects and stuff.....
So it's probably no great surprise that I named this little snowman. His name is Stanley. (don't ask me where his name came from...just my head...) I made a cute box that holds the Stanley spreader and a few treats and then thought....um, it needs a card to go with it. So....I got out my trusty punches and came up with one. I hope you like them. Soooooo.......Here's Stanley the Snowman....

I created a box template (after many tries.....). THEN....I thought.....DUH! I could've just ordered those stinkin' cute KRAFT GIFT BOXES from the Holiday Mini Catalog and covered one of them so much easier! Ugh. Trust me....I'm placing an order tonight!! Anyway...at least now I know if I'm ever on Survivor and my tribe needs boxes made I can be the hero who knows how to make one from scratch! Whew! Ok...I digress...

So once I cut out my box, I then I adhered a lovely snowflake from the Snowflake #2 Die (#113460) for the Big Shot to the front of it. I then ran the box through the Big Shot in the new Snowburst Embossing Folder from the Holiday Mini. I cut a piece of Very Vanilla and Old Olive and embossed them too to add a little fun to the box top. The trees are punched from both Scallop Circle punches and then I sponged the edges with Versamark Ink and embossed them with White Embossing Powder and the Heat Tool. The button on the Front is from the Spice Cake Buttons also in the Holiday Mini and I add a red Glimmer Brad to give it a little "zing".

I'm going to make some of these as Christmas gifts and put dry dip mixes in them (in plastic bags, of course) but for today I just added some Hershey Kisses.

I lined the inside-top of the box with another embosses piece of Very Vanilla too...

Here's a closer look at the trees. I made a tab on the back of them that also fits into a slot in the box lid. I then folded it over and glued it to the inside of the lid. The Very Vanilla panel on the inside covers them up so it still looks "finished".

Here's the card.... It's a piece of Real Red card stock that I folded and ran through the Big Shot with the Scallop Square Die. The layers on the top are Very Vanilla and a piece of the Spice Cake DSP. Stanley is made from Very Vanilla and I used my XL Oval Punch for his body. The top of his hat is just a scrap of Basic Black CS that I cut out freehand. I punched the brim using the 1 1/2" circle punch. I used the same punch for his scarf. His bow tie is made using 2 of the hearts from the Owl Builder Punch. His button brads and the one on his tie are from the Brights Brads pack. The sentiment is from the new "Snow Much Fun" stamp set from the Holiday Mini too. The tag is attached with a safety pin from the Vintage Trinkets Accessories set.

So there you have it.....a new snowman friend that is just SNOW CUTE! :-) To check out the products I used or to see lots of other project ideas, check out my online Stampin' Up! store. Just click HERE. It's open 24/7.

If you have any questions or comments, you can leave me a note here or email me at shellsuit@verizon.net. I love hearing from you!!

Have a magical day!

An offer that's SO BIG!

2011-10-07T20:49:00.000-04:00

Ok...I know I posted about the FREE BIG SHOT offer this month

from Stampin' Up!.....

but....I didn't tell you all the details! I was SO excited about that awesome deal that I neglected to tell you what else you could get for FREE. Check out Shelli's video and get all the details!

"AN OFFER TO DIE FOR"

If you'd like to take advantage of this amazing deal, contact me soon!

I'd love to hear from you.

Have a magical day!

Razzle Dazzle Spider Treat

2011-10-06T06:18:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Peeps!

Today I thought I'd share a little project that's got the big three ingredients....

It's FUN, CHOCOLATE and EASY TO MAKE. Score!!

This is a creepy crawly candy slider. It's an awesome project to use up some of those card stock scraps you've got laying around.

This one is made from Rich Razzleberry card stock. It's embossed using the Spider Web Embossing Folder for the Big Shot (WHICH YOU CAN GET FREE THIS MONTH! WOO HOO!!!...That's a $99.95 value....for free! Just ask me how!)

It's one of those tools that stays out on my work table most of September and October. I love it!

The Spider image is from the Batty For You Stamp Set. So cute and perfect for so many different projects.

Here's a look at this sweet treat opened up....Just pull up on the ribbon and.....VOILA!

Isn't that the coolest?? All the supplies you need to make these cuties can be found at my Stampin' Up! Online Store. Just click HERE to visit and shop.....Open 24/7....no lines....no waiting. :-)

Ok....that's it from here today. I'm off to my pre-op appointment to get things ready from my ankle surgery. Sounds magical, huh? Um....not so much. Anyway......I wish you a very magical day.

KEEP STAMPIN'!

New Video Tutorial Added!

2011-10-05T06:21:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Stampers!

Check out my new video tutorial! It's a step by step, how-to for those Stocking Gift Card Holders.
Hope you like it!

Well Worn Stocking Gift Card Holder Tutorial

Have a magical day!

And the winner is.........

2011-10-03T19:56:00.000-04:00

And the winner of the Blog Candy.....

the AWESOME New Cookie Stamps.......

is...........

*drumroll please*

CONGRATULATIONS JAMIE!!

Please email me at shellsuit@verizon.net with your snail mail address.

Thanks for playing and please stay tuned for more stampin' fun.

Have a magical day!

A Well Worn Stocking

2011-10-02T23:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday Peeps!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was very nice. Is it just me or do the days of the weekend go by WAAAAY faster than the days during the work week??? Whew.

I haven't had a chance to do the drawing for the Blog Candy winner yet. Linz and I will do it soon though so stay tuned.

The project I have for you today is a gift card holder. It was cut from the Stocking Die for the Big Shot. I love that thing!! I know that the design is the same as another one I posted not too long ago but I wanted to make a Christmas project using "non" holiday paper. I made this one using the "Well Worn" Designer Series Paper and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Here it is.....

I used one of the suggested colors with the DSP....River Rock. The cuff, heel, toe and embossed oval are all made from River Rock card stock. I used the Christmas Lodge stamp set to stamp the branch and birds images and the "Merry Christmas" greeting using Early Espresso ink. The "S" monogram is from the Lovely Letters Alphabet and is also stamped in Early Espresso. The edges are all sponged with the same ink to give it a vintage look.

The monogram, River Rock oval is embossed using the Designer Frames Embossing Folder set. It's one of my new favorites. I trimmed it out around the edges and the punched out an oval out of Very Vanilla for the monogram piece. The ribbon is a piece of the gorgeous, new Early Espresso Quilted Ribbon from the Holiday Mini and it's held together with an Antique Brad.

The gift card pocket on the inside is just a piece of card stock that has been scored and folded and then adhered to the card. The slit for the gift card is made using the Word Window punch. The "To: From:" stamps are from the new "Dear Santa" stamp set also in the Holiday Mini Catalog.

It's a really quick and easy project to make that will really make your gift even more special to give.

If you'd like to see all the products used for this project, just click HERE to visit my online store. No waiting....no lines.....and you can shop in your pj's.. Woot!

Have a magical Monday and remember....keep stampin'!

BIG SHOT FOR FREE!!

2011-10-01T08:41:00.000-04:00

An offer to DIE for!

If you've been looking for an opportunity to do what you love, while getting a 20 discount on your favorite products, now is the perfect time! During October, you'll get a FREE Big Shot when you join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator.*

Use the Big Shot die-cutting machine and Stampin' Up!'s exclusive dies** to create uniquely beautiful projects in a flash.

In addition, the new-demonstrator Starter Kit--a steal at just $175--contains over $345 worth of stamp sets, card stock, ink, accessories, and business supplies-everything you need to start your new business. Not looking for a business opportunity right now? Would you like the opportunity to get all your stampin' supplies at a discount to keep your hobby going? That's great too. Just ask me how to make it happen.

There are so many benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, including

A 20% product discount

A free issue of a Stampin' Up! Demonstrators Only Magazine - Stampin' Success

Sneak Peeks of brand new products

Invitations to exclusive Stampin' Up! events

Regular get-togethers to stamp

Free access to an online community of 30,000 stampers/crafters and creative artists with over 160,000 product samples

Plus access to an exclusive video on how to use your brand new Big Shot

It's an amazing offer! If you'd like to join my team, just send me a quick email at shellsuit@verizon.net and we'll make it happen. :-)

Have a magical day!!

It's Blog Candy Friday!

2011-09-30T09:46:00.000-04:00

Gooooood Mornin' Stampers!!

Happy TGIF!

I don't know about you but I'm THRILLED it's finally Friday. I've got lots to do and it's going to be a gorgeous day.

I thought we could all use a little pixiedust today so I'm doing "Blog Candy Friday"! Woot! I've wanted to post another bit of Blog Candy to celebrate my blog hitting the big 20K. It's mind boggling to me that so many people have visited my blog! I'm overwhelmed. I mean 20,000 blog visits? Wow! So this is just my way of saying a huge "THANK YOU" for visiting...following...and especially for all the awesome, sweet notes you guys send me. I'm SO blessed.

So here's how Blog Candy works.....

Just leave a comment here on my blog (I hopefully have it all fixed now so comments are "allowed") and let me know what your favorite HOLIDAY stamp set is....the one you just can't live without. It can be Halloween, Christmas etc. You choose.... On Sunday Linz and I will put all the names of those who comment in a hat and draw the lucky winner.

Wanna know what the Blog Candy is???

Item 125152 - a $16.95 value

Aren't they just AWESOME? These are the brand new Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps that will actually be available to order staring tomorrow, October 1st. I have a set of them and I LOVE them.

The easy-to-use cookie stamp has a solid wood handle with three interchangeable stamp images:

a heart, a jack-o-lantern, and a snowflake.

Just make your favorite shortbread cookie dough (or one of the two included recipes) and stamp away! Create beautiful, hand-stamped cookies in a flash. The stamp images are completely food-safe and child-friendly.

So who wants to win a set of these beauties? Just leave your comment to enter.

I hope you have a very magical day and a restful and fun weekend.

Blessings,

Punkin' Seeds

2011-09-28T22:07:00.000-04:00

Hey there Peeps!

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days. Things around here are crazy. Mike had to fly to California on business and I found out I have to have another surgery on my ankle in the very near future. (I should have a date/time on Friday). So...."busy" is the name of the game I guess.

Anyway....I've been working on a few projects down in my stamp room. I'm SO thrilled with all the positive feedback from my first video tutorial. I had a lot of fun making it (even though I felt sort of weird talking to myself...) and I can't wait to do another one.

I have a couple of events coming up that I need to have Halloween projects to share and I made another one tonight to try out a different design. I hope you like it.

This is Rusty....He's dressed up as a pumpkin for Halloween and he's got a sweet treat to share...."Punkin' Seeds". (I need to get that candy corn OUT of the stamp room! Good thing it's not available 365 days a year!)

If you'd like to see how to make the basic puppy design, check out my Punch Puppy Tutorial HERE. I changed this pup up a bit. He's made from Very Vanilla and Sahara Sand card stock. His collar and pumpkin hat are made using...what else?? Pumpkin Pie card stock. His nose and ears are punched from Early Espresso.

The bag topper is cut on the Big Shot using the Top Note die. It's just folded in half and VOILA....it's a bag topper all ready to decorate for any occasion. I printed the "Punkin' Seeds" sign up and printed it out on Very Vanilla and then punched it out with the Word Window punch.

Here's a closer look at Rusty....

To see the supplies to make this cute project and lots more....just click HERE to visit my Stampin' Up! Online Store....

Ok...back to stampin'..... Stay tuned and come back to visit soon!

Have a magical day!

Punch Puppy Video Tutorial

2011-09-25T19:44:00.000-04:00

Hey there friends!

Well....it's been a FANTASTIC birthday for me today. Lots of time to relax....and finish my first video tutorial. Woot! I've posted it to YouTube but I thought I'd post it here too. In case the link here doesn't work for you, if you go to YouTube and search "Punch Puppy Tutorial" you should be able to find it there.

These are the puppies that I've included in several projects of late....Buster/Barkley, Magnolia and BOOmer.

Soooo.......here it is......

PUNCH PUPPY VIDEO TUTORIAL

Have a magical day!

Pop Top Christmas Wishes

2011-09-24T08:36:00.000-04:00

Ok....I know I said I wouldn't have a project today but....well, I went down to the stamp room to "play" since I couldn't sleep. I figured I'd be productive. :-) This is what I came up with.... I love making these....

This is an altered pop top can. It used to hold fruit cocktail. Now....It's filled with Christmas candy and will be a perfect little treat for someone special this year. These are super easy to make....Here are the details.

First, you need to buy a can with the pop top lid. They sell veggies, fruits etc. in these type of cans. They are on the small side. Once you have them home, you'll need one of those handy, dandy can openers like the ones that Pampered Chef sells. They don't cut the lid off leaving sharp edges. They actually....somewhat magically....make it so the top (or in this case....the bottom) of the can can be popped off. It's magic! :-)

So...once you've opened up the can and emptied out the contents....wash it out and dry it well.

Then you can fill it with whatever you'd like. You might try candy, fudge, hot drink mixes or maybe even bath salts for a relaxing treat after a long day of Christmas shopping.

Once it's filled with goodies, you will reattach the bottom of the can using Crystal Effects. (101055)

Let it dry before decorating....

I used the gorgeous lodge stamp from the Christmas Lodge Stamp Set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. It's gorgeous.


123767 - Wood 123769 - Clear

The "Merry Christmas" is from the Hand Penned Holiday Stamp Set


124310 - Wood 124312 - Clear

I embossed both with the new Pewter Embossing Powder (124114). Love that stuff! The can is covered in a piece of Designer Series Paper from the Frostwood Lodge Collection. The top of the can is covered with a piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock that was cut with the Circles #2 die for the Big Shot and embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. I made a faux tag using the Pewter Embossing Powder and the "Don't Open Til Christmas" tag is stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink with the stamp from Tags til Christmas stamp set.


120847 - Wood 121169 - Clear

So there you have it. I really cool and fun project that your friends and family would love to get and you'd definitely hear them say, "How the heck did you do THAT??"

To see all the products used for this project and TONS more....visit my Online Store.

Thank you SO much for visiting. Come back soon!

Have a magical day!

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-24T05:44:00.000-04:00

Hey there peeps!

I know I've been "MIA" for the past few days....sorry. It's a little crazy around here.

First let me say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHARY"! 18 years ago today I was given the most precious gift...a sweet baby boy. I'm so honored to be his mom. He has blessed our lives in way too many ways to count. He is a sweet, gentle giant (he's 6'5"!!). He is funny, kind, thoughtful,SMART and a great hugger. He may not be able to talk a whole lot...but when he does...it's even more special to all of us. He's not defined by autism. We love him SOOOOO much and we wish him the happiest birthday ever.

Also....I went for my "follow up" appointment for my foot (I had surgery in May and was in a cast for 8 loooooong weeks....) and I found out that instead of being "done"....I need more surgery! Ugh. I will be having an MRI of my ankle on Monday and then the surgery will be scheduled asap. It's a looooooong story....but I'm SO bummed. I'll be in another cast for at least 4 weeks.

The rest of this week I've been getting prepared for a very special day today. For those of you who have just recently started reading my blog....I have a photography business on the side called "Suitable For Framing Photography". I have been photographing babies, engagements, weddings, families etc. for the last....um, I've lost count how many years. Last year I actually took on a young photographer whose work I've admired to work with me. It's my daughter, Brittany. :-) She's 22 and has an amazing "eye". Her creativity astounds me. So now we work together and I love it. Today we'll be shooting the wedding of Megan and Keith here in Manassas. It's so exciting because Megan is the daughter of a very special friend of mine. I feel so honored to be able to capture their special day.

I did shoot the video yesterday for the tutorial on the puppies I've featured here on the blog recently. Brittany and I will be editing it tomorrow and I'll have it available very soon as promised.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I hope to spend the day just enjoying time with my family and I can't wait. The best present I could get would be just a lazy Sunday to enjoy each of them.

So.....that's the news from here. I promise I'll be back to posting some new, fun projects soon.....so stay tuned!

Wishing you a magical day!

Would you like Sour Cream with that?

2011-09-21T22:29:00.000-04:00

Hey there, stampers! Happy Thursday. I don't know about you but I'm ready for TGIF.

Today I'm sharing an "oldie but a goodie". (This one's for you Shannon!) :-) It's a design that's been around for a long time but it's perfect for every holiday. It's the "Sour Cream Container". It's one of those little treats/gifts that a great way to use up those scraps you have collecting in your craft room. Come on....own up to it! I know I have a bunch of them. This one is made from a piece of Designer Series Paper cut at 4 1/2" x 6'. Here's what it looks like....

It's the perfect way to wrap a a small gift for someone special....you can add some candy, maybe a pair of earrings....whatever you'd like. I used a scrap from the "Frostwood Lodge" DSP 124002.

The stocking is stamped with the "Stitched Stockings" stamp set 123782 (wood)/123784 (clear).

And then I punched out the stocking using the "Stocking Builder Punch" - 124095. I added one of the new Jingle Bells and a little piece of Baker's Twine and a little "bling" for good measure.

Wanna know the coolest part about this stamp set and punch combo?? You can do much more with it than just Christmas Stockings. Here's a cute card by a talented stamper, Jackie Topa. with a beautiful example.

Too stinkin' cute, huh??

To check out these and lots more exciting products and projects, visit my Online Store. We're heading into the "craftiest" time of the year so come visit again soon to get even more ideas for gifts, cards and other projects to share (and keep!).

Have a magical day!

Boomer "Boo"

2011-09-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday! I have to warn you....I'm having a little bit of hard time gettin' outta the doghouse!

I've been working on projects for a couple of stamp camps I'm doing with Halloween themes and I couldn't resist this one. I've been overwhelmed by all the "love" you guys have shared for Buster and Magnolia. Thank you so much!!

I figured a trick or treating puppy would be a great addition to the "dog pound". So.....

Here's "BOOMER BOO" with a sweet treat to share.

Boomer is a boo-tiful bat and ready to collect some treats in his cool trick or treat bag.

Doesn't he look spiffy?

The candy bars are Hershey Miniatures covered with strips of Pumpkin Pie card stock that I stamped with a couple of the awesome stamps from the Spooky Bingo Bits set. The branches behind Boomer are from the Out on a Limb set and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

For those of you that have emailed asking for directions to make these cute pups, I'm working on a video tutorial to share with you. Yay! I'll post it as soon as it's done. Promise!

If you'd like to stamp with friends AND get FREE STAMPS too, send me a note to schedule your own workshop. I have lots of ideas to share and I'd LOVE to stamp with YOU.

Remember....you can visit my Online Store 24/7...no lines...no waiting. :-)

Have a magical day!