Advent Calendar

I got my newest set of stamps called 25 and Counting during the big sale Stampin' Up! had a couple weeks ago. I was so excited to be getting this set. It was one that I had looked at over and over, so when it went on sale I grabbed it right away. I am so happy I did.
Supplies

• Magnetic dry erase board
• 25 Party favor tins (bought at Micheal's in the do-it-yourself wedding section)
• Magnetic strip with adhesive back
• Stampin' Up! ink Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Gumball Green, Island Indigo, Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip
• Stampin' Up! CS whisper white, very vanilla, Be Of Good Cheer DSP, Festival Of Prints DSP
• Rosettes using Be of Good Cheer DSP, Clear Designer Vintage buttons.

My newest creations

Since I have some time on my hands I decided to peruse Split Coast Stampers website http://www.splitcoaststampers.com

to see what new ideas I could find and try out. The great thing about Split Coast is they have different challenges. One of my favorite is the Color Combination Forum. The administrators choose from the Stampin' Up! color repertoire and set stampers off the create cards using those colors. The results are usually creative and beautiful works of art. This weeks Color Combination Challenge is to use Whisper White and Very Vanilla. You never really know if you are up for the challenge until you are creating something that you actually want to share. These are my submissions for this challenge. Fun and easy card creations that can be done in minutes. Check out more beautiful creations at their website.

Now December's Here

Everything is "secrets"

Now December's here:

Secrets wrapped in tissue

Whispered in an ear.

Secrets big and bulky

Secrets small and slight

In the strangest places

Hidden out of sight.

Packages that rattle,

Packages that squeak

Some say "Do No Open"

Some say "Do Not Peek".

Secrets, secrets, secrets

With Christmas coming near

...except it is no secret

I wish that it were here!

by Aileen Fisher 
http://opossumsal.homestead.com/december.html

Finally Saw It!!

Today I went and saw the final installment of the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 2. I have to say it was a good movie. It was a little sad to know that this was the final film to be released but it was also nice to finally put it to rest. Time to move on to new interest! I am looking forward to many of the movies that I saw in the previews. In particular Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games. Very excited to see the next one.

Stampin' Up! Promo for November

Dates: November  1 - December 16, 2012 Promotion Details: Hostesses who hold a minimum $450 party during the promotion period will receive a FREE collection of Classic Stampin Pads--you can choose from Brights, Subtles, or Regals--a $49.95 value!  Plus, the free ink is in addition to the regular hostess benefits--INK-redible! The Fine Print

Customer, demonstrator, workshop, and online orders from Online Store qualify for this promotion.

• While in the past, online orders have not counted toward hostess promotions, we're excited to unveil a trial program that will allow online customers to take advantage of our current hostess promotion with a qualifying order.
• While we want to encourage rewarding hostesses who host parties, we will be testing this option as away to reward customers who purchase from your Online Store.
• Customers will be prompted to select their qualifying ink collection with a $450 order. They will be required to use one of the following item numbers in order to select their free ink collection. 
  • 132652 Brights Classic Stampin' Pads
  • 132653 Subtles Classic Stampin' Pads
  • 132654 Regals Classic Stampin' Pads

If you are interested in hosting a stamp party contact me

Time to give thanks. So let's eat!

November is the time of year to think about what we are thankful for. For many there is always the requisite answers like health, family, relative peace and harmony. For others its not so easy to see what one can be thankful for especially when one is struggling to make ends meet. I say if you have family and friends around you this Thanksgiving season consider yourself among the fortunate even if you are going through a tough time. I am thankful for my son Donovan, that he is healthy, happy, smart, and beautiful. I am thankful for wonderful, caring friends. I am also thankful that I have the time and opportunity to be able to do the things I love to do. And that includes paper crafting. I have some beautiful card creations I created especially for Thanksgiving that I wanted to share. If you are among those who are far from home or you celebrates this holiday with friends or in-laws, a quick and easy card is always a thoughtful touch to add to that bottle of wine or side-dish you bring along with you.

Enjoy the holiday and stuff yourself with turkey, pumpkin pie, and cheer!

 I used warm fall colors to create these cards. Colors: Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke, and Cajun Craze.
NOTE: Be sure to line the inside of the card with Very Vanilla or a lighter CS to write your personalized greeting.

To create this mini card I used Crumb Cake CS and ink for the leaf image. For the greeting I used my Stampin' Write pens in the above mentioned colors to create interest. To create all these cards I used the Day of Gratitude stamp set. I can't say enough about this set. The set includes great stamps that can be used for just about any occasions. I saw some beautiful birthday cards created with this set and learned a great technique called "Rock N Roll" that I will share in another blog post soon.

Fall is Here!

Finally fall has come to California! We have been patiently waiting for summer to end here is Cali. Don't get me wrong us Angelenos love our sunny weather but its nice to have a change in the weather once in a while. In honor of fall I have changed my theme on my blog to go with the cooler temps. The cool weather always finds me wanting to work on crafts. I am busily working on my Christmas cards to be finished and ready to send out after Thanksgiving. I am also working a special gift for my mom this year. But she will have to wait and see when she gets it. I will post more once I have finished and she has seen it for herself. If you're in the Los Angeles area enjoy the cool weather and happy crafting!