Christmas is over.

Christmas is over and now it's time to move on to the next holiday.  So here is my first valentine card.

I know that this is a bad picture but my camera is so far gone that I can't turn on the flash so that shadow is me  But the card was fun to make.  And I used some of the new items out of the Occasions mini.  These hearts were cut out using the new heart edgelits.  They are so easy to use and I can't wait to show you how.  It'll be a little bit of a learning process because these are considered "very thin dies" and you have to use both tabs on the Big Shot platform.  The lettering on the hearts was created by using a letter press plate.  It's the first time I've used one and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to use and how nice the image turned out.  Did you notice the pink rhinestones?  They're in the Occasions mini as part of a kit called Blossoms Builders.  I'm going to try to post more cards in the next week or so but it  won't be right away because I'm going to the casino for the weekend.  See you all next week.

Reason for the Season

Yesterday I spent the day with my sister and the rest of the family.  There were a few of us there for lunch and everyone was there in the evening.  Laurel collects nativities.  Before she opened her gifts last night she was at 710.  So I thought that I would show you just a few of them.  They range from big table top sets to little tiny pins.  There's everything in between, figures, books, puzzles, candles, stockings, ornaments, window clings and just about anything you can think of.  They come from all over the world and in every medium that you can think of.

Merry Christmas

I haven't been posting anything because it seems like there's just not enough time to do it.  I have been stamping like crazy.  Didn't keep track but made a bunch of mini photo albums, decorated note books, calendars and note holders.  But then I just hurried up and wrapped them without taking any pictures.  But here is the last project.  I'm done.  There's a lot more that I could have done but no time.  Every year I say that I'm going to get started early but it never seems to happen. 

This is an 8 1/2 X 11 calendar for Beth.  I love the new edgelits and that's a new stamp out of the Occasions mini.  Which you should all have by now.  If you didn't get one please let me know.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope you all get something that you love for Christmas and that the new year will be filled with wonderful things.

Emmy's christmas tree

Last night I went to Emilee's house for a christmas party and she has a beautiful christmas tree.  She does every year but this one was spectacular.  The picture doesn't do it justice but I really need a new camera.

Below is the top of the tree.  She had this peacock and then she added lots of sparkly branches to look like his tail.  Then she decorated the tree in the colors found in the peacocks tail.  It's a ten foot tree and she has 1400 lights on it.  But these pictures don't really show how beautiful it is.

Christmas cards

This is the card that I sent to my sister after I was inspired by her card.  I also sent it to my downline.  It's simple but totally appropriate for the Christas season.

And here's another card that I sent out.  I love the new edgelits from Stampin Up!  I ordered this shape but not the hearts and now I'm going to order the hearts.  They're so easy to use and I can't wait to show my customers.

Photo holder

Here's the photo holder.  You start with a sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 card stock.  You're going to score it (hot dog way) at 2, 2 1/4, 7 and 7 1/4.  Then I scalloped the longer side but you can do whatever you want with it.  Now you need three # 10 business envelopes.  Seal them up and cut the end of the first one off at 8", the next at 7" and the last one at 6".  Then I scalloped the open end of the envelope but like I said before you can do what you want.  I also used the 1 1/4" circle punch and cut a half circle out of the middle of the open end.  Now take the longer envelope and adhere it to the card stock. 

Then I cut two pieces of card stock 4" X 2".  Fold it in half and use it to make a hinge at the bottom of the first envelope.  Now adhere the second envelope to the hinge.  And then adhere the other hinge at the bottom of this envelope.  And last you're going to adhere the shortest envelope to the bottom of the second one.  Clear as mud, right??

Now you're ready to decorate.  I used DSP on the front of each envelope and a piece of DSP inside each envelope with a ribbon to pull the DSP out of the envelope.  The pictures go on the DSP.  You can use both sides of the piece that is inserted into the envelope.  You can decorate the outside of the card stock and add a belly band to keep it closed.  Hope this all makes sense but if it doesn't then send me an email or bring it over sometime and we'll see what we can do.

Christmas card

Don't you just hate it when you plan on doing something and real life interfers.  I wanted to post the tutorial for the photo holder but I ran out of time yesterday and now I'm on my way to an appointment in Lansing and tonight I'm going to a book signing in Chesaning.  But I will try and find time to post the tutorial.  In the meantime here's the card that I got from my sister and brother-in-law.  It's not entirely Stampin Up product but most of it is.  And I feel very honored to get this because I know that she only made 12 like this.

A couple of swap cards

Yesterday Ronda had a Baggie Book day and we also did a swap so here's a couple of cards from the swap.  It was great fun yesterday because we got to use all new stamp sets and some of the new accessories from the Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogs.  Can't wait for you to see the new stuff.

This was my card.  You can't see it on here but I scored two lines down each edge.  And I really need to get a photo booth built so I don't get all the shadows and the card would be correctly aligned.

Tonight, or maybe tomorrow I'll post a tutorial for a cute picture holder that is really simple to make.

No excuses

I haven't been posting anything because I haven't been doing any stamping.  I've got the Paper Palace cleaned up (except still have to mop part of the floor).  Got all the Christmas decor up finally.  So since I have no stamping to show you I'll show you some pictures of my tree. 

I have four different themes that I rotate through and this year is just red and green.  I love the glass ornaments and there's very little else on the tree this year.  Some of the ornaments are from Italy, some from Germany and some from my Grandmother.  And a few are treasure found at garage sales.  I'm always watching for something different. 

Tag class.

Here are the tags that we did yesterday in tag class. 

More Scrapbook pages

Here's a couple more pages out ot the Christmas scrapbook.  Remember that if you want to take this class you must let me know by tonight so that I can get the supplies ordered.