13 Days until stamping bliss!

(and 14 days until I gain another year of my life... blah... I wonder if I'll get any RAKs...)






FYI, just an update on the earthquake... I had a few people email me and all of them said their stamping areas survived intact. So... all is well





I need to finish my convention swaps! I'm using the Parisian Plaza set, Classic Alpha set, and Travels Abroad sets on the card. I'm just about finished... I will post the card here on the first day of convention!

14 Days to go!

15 days until convention!



Shake! Shake! Shake!


I was listening to my favorite radio station on the way to work this morning and they were talking about the earthquake last night southwest of Chicago. I was asleep when it happened (of course) so I didn't feel it, but they were saying that night security guards in some of Chicago's tall buildings felt it. I heard it was a 4.5 earthquake based in Ottawa near La Salle. I hope no damage was done to any stamp rooms of any stampers in the Chicagoland area... I can just imagine uncovered embossing powder falling off tables and ending up on floors... not to mention glitter and Pearl-Ex... Well, at least you would have the prettiest floor in La Salle! If any stampers in the Chicagoland area felt it, send me an email and tell me if your little rooms of stamping joy survived the shake!

16 days and counting... til Orlando!

17 days and counting....


SU convention news is on its way soon...stay tuned!


Secret


I've been hearing about some sort of "secret" announcement that is going to be made at the SU convention this year. I can only speculate on what it might be... Perhaps we will be getting more colors?!?!!! Perhaps we will get a choice between acrylic and wood mounds? Perhaps there will be better hostess benefits?!?!!!





FYI, Stampington is taking pre-orders for Take Ten Vol. #3. To pre-order go to: Take Ten Vol. 3
I just pre-ordered mine. It comes out Sept. 1st.





I'm going to spend the next week or so "playing" with alphabet stamp sets to see what kind of ideas I can come up with for using them.

Hummingbird Card


I did a really fun workshop tonight and this is the card we made:





You can't really tell from the scan, but the card actually opens two different ways, the traditional way (at the bottom border) and also half way across the hummingbird image with the hummingbird's beek cut out. The additional flowers in the corner of the hummingbird image are raised on one edge (hence there is a slight shadow in the scan). When you open the card at the hummingbird image, I have the greeting in that set stamped on the flip side of the cover. All the layers in this card make the hummingbird appear to be drinking from real flowers and there is glitter on the flowers and hummingbird wings to make it look like there is morning dew on them!

The stamp set I used is "Sweet Flowers" by Stampin' Up! It is retiring in July, so if you want this set, better get it now.




I just need to clean up the dining room table before calling it a night... so I better start cleaning up before it gets too late...

After a fun-filled day at the Racine Zoo and over-doing it on a huge Sundae at Old Dutch Custard, I came home and did lots of stamping. I made 3 mini-notebooks, a plastic frame post-it note holder with matching pen, and I had time to try out the Martha Stewart shirt card (instructions in the June 2004 Martha Stewart magazine. I made a small version of Martha Stewart's shirt to fit on a card.). I scanned in the shirt card and the mini notebooks. I will need to take a photo of the post-it note holder, though (I can't scan this one, of course). Now I'm off to prepare for a stamp class. Later...

On these mini notebooks I used the "Good Times", "Announcements", and "Sketch a Party" Stampin' Up! stamp sets.

On this card I used the Plaidmaker, "Double Line Stitched Plaid Wheel", and "Etruscan" Stampin' Up! stamp sets.

Happy Father's Day!





I used World Traveler and Travels Abroad Stampin' Up! stamp sets in this card for my dear dad.

Mother of Pearl card





I used the Stampin' Up! stamp set "On the Beach" on this card with a Mother of Pearl background.





Jazz Cat Birthday Card





On this snazzy jazzy card I used the Stampin' Up! stamp sets "All Around Alpha", "Scritchy Scratches Alpha" and "I Love Music". Scat the Jazz Cat Scratches Out a Big Gig! ... A Live Jive'n Feline!





Live Tonite!


At the Purple Mill East! Scat the SU Jazz Cat!



Featuring songs such as: "Jump Jive'n Tails", "Scat Cat sittin' on a Hot Tin Roof", "Old Cat Magic"...





I uploaded some more cards (see list at right side):


Shape of Things card by Stampin' Up!


French Script card by Stampin' Up!


Penny Black kitty card (see Cat Card - Penny Black)


Sabrina the cat card (see Cat Card - Sabrina on the moon)


You are my Sunshine by Stampin' Up!






I also made my dear ol' dad's Father's Day card. I just scanned it in and I will post it online here on Father's Day. (I'm mailing it tomorrow! - BTW - don't forget, if you are reading this, to mail your Father's Day cards today so that they arrive by Father's Day!)





Good Night, all. Sleep tight all. Don't let the SU! Jazz Cat bite!

Well, I had one of those mornings of female clothing indecision... The first thing I put on today was a lavender top and a sheer calf-length skirt with subtle ruffles at the bottom... one of my more "feminine" ensembles. I turned on the TV while doing up my hair and there was a promotional review on TV for the new version of "Stepford Wives" (which I don't intend to go see, by the way). The wives in the promo were all wearing frilly little pastel frocks and hats. I looked down at my frilly sheer skirt and had a moment of utter fear of looking like a Stepford wife! I put down my comb and dryer, went to the closet and found a nice navy blue skirt and blouse to replace my little lavender outfit! My dear husband, who had seen me wearing my lavender before, thought it was funny that I had a "Stepford wife scare" and changed clothes as fast as I could!

Folded shirt card


My mom-in-law gave me a copy of the June 2004 Martha Stewart Living magazine (she still subscribes). There is a folded-shirt card template and instructions on page 48. Very cute. I'm going to try it sometime this week and post the result here.

So... This afternoon we went to see Harry Potter. Excellent movie... I highly recommend it. Dawn French plays the lady in the picture... PURE FUN! She is one of my all-time favorite actresses! Also, I just finished watching the season premiere in the U.S. of BBC's Coupling. Hilariously funny! The American version that they tried last season on U.S. TV was just awful. My question... why don't they just show the Brit version? Why must originals always be remade for America? If its not broke, don't fix it! And... BTW, I heard the Brit TV show The Office is showing in the U.S. this fall, remade of course. What a waste to remake perfect award-winning comedy! ok... I'm off my soapbox now...





I uploaded a bunch more cards this morning including some "Up in the Air", "Simply Summer", and "Serengeti". You will have to explore the links at the right to find the rest of the new ones.





For those of you interested in jewelry...


Kalmbach Publishing will launch Art Jewelry magazine this fall. The first issue, dated November/December, will go on newsstands October 5. The bi-monthly publication is intended to appeal to those who create jewelry for personal use and for those who design jewelry professionally.





Velvet Paw Creations


I just spent a lovely half-hour on the website of Leigh Anne Snaith-Brunton. Very cool. Check it out: Velvet Paw Creations Rubber Stamp Art page Make sure you click on "Got Mail!" it is just the cutest cat card I've ever seen! Got Mail!

I got my order today... I ordered a bunch of retiring stamp sets that I had my heart set on getting. Some of the sets I ordered: Bird Watcher, Say it with Scriptures, Loving Memories, Highways & Byways, Fairyland, Sweet Flowers, and of course Hope for Comfort. I always make sure I purchase any retiring word sets. I can never have too many. The greeting sets can be used with any NEW stamp images in the new catty and therefore they will always be useful and well worth the money.







Somebody CASE'd me...


I was taking a look at Splitcoast Stampers tonight.. I hadn't been there in awhile so I poked around in the card galleries. Anyways, imagine my complete surprise when I found a copy of one of my cards made and submitted by someone else. Hmmm... Check this out: Avian Toile card copied from mine My Avian Toile card was made for a Vintage card swap that I participated in back in May of 2003... over a year ago (photos is in list at the right). Now, I don't mind other people CASE'ing my cards... however it would have been nice if anything CASE'd and posted would indicate that the submitter CASE'd it and the name of the original creator if known. I would never post anything I CASE'd without giving credit where credit is due... That being said... all my readers can CASE all the cards on this blog that they want to! (Just give me a little bit of credit, please if submitting them to any online galleries or databases, please!)