I know you miss me...

...but I also know that many of you have felt the "burn out" of too many things on the go at the same time.

For me, this year, I've burnt out on stamping. PLEASE don't panic! I am NOT giving up on stamping and I love my "job" as your Stampin' UP! demonstrator too much to stop doing that! But I can't tell you how relaxing it's been to not HAVE to stamp for the past couple of weeks! I've taken up knitting again (haven't done that in 10 years!) and I'm learning to knit socks. I love it!

I promise that things will be back to "normal" (read: insane) soon, so please be patient.

Meanwhile, one of my downline found a post from WAY back in 2008 and suggested I repost it, so here you go:


From Dec. 16th, 2008:

I did find this while I was taking a few seconds from my busy day to do a little blog visiting and thought you might like it:

Twas the Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
"Or a Cricut," I said, with a smile on my face.
And that's when I heard him, "Hi Santa!" I said.
"You know....good little girls should be in their beds."
"I know I should Santa, and now I've been caught.
But I was just so excited to see what you brought."
"Well, let's take a look in this room where you work."
He shook his head quickly, and left with a jerk.
I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear...
"You've got enough crap, I'll see you next year!"

I found it on Sharon Harnist's blog.

Merry Christmas and Happy Stampin'!

RUN! RUN NOW!!!!!

Just click on the image to go right to the store!

12 Days of Stamping

Ready for Christmas?

You can start early when you have this page ready to go! Create it and add the picture just as soon as you print it!

You can get all the details HERE.

Happy Scrappin'!

A bit of blocking for the Divas

It's inspiration challenge day to day on the Divas blog. You should check it out.

When I saw the blocks, I new I wanted to share the card I had made for one of my classes:

I started off with a Gumball Green base (I made variations in More Mustard and Raspberry Ripple too) and added a layer of Whisper White, onto which I stamped the sentiment.

The images from Merry Minis were stamped and punched. They were added to 1" squares which were then added to the Postage Stamp punched squares. I attached the squares to the card front using Dimensionals (of course!)

What do you think?

STAMPS: Merry Minis, Petite Pairs
INK: Gumball Green, More Mustard, Raspberry Ripple
PAPERS: Whisper White and Gumball Green Cardstock
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Vintage Thank You for the Crew (s)

Today's card is for BOTH of the Crews of which I'm a member! Check it out:

For the Paper Crafts Crew, we used this sketch:

And for the Creative Crew, one of our themes for December was to use the First Edition Designer Series Paper. I can't believe this is my last month on the Crew!! It's been an amazing journey and I just KNOW you're going to love the incoming crew! You can check out all the crew creations HERE and be sure to keep checking back in the New Year for the new Crew!

Of course, I took a few liberties with the sketch (don't I always??) but I sure do like the way this card turned out!

I wanted to make a thank you for one of the generous donors who "chipped in" for the Kidd family. Have YOU seen the widget in the top left of my blog? If you have even a little spare change, the Kidds (and I) would greatly appreciate it. :)

I started off with a base of Soft Suede and then added a stamped layer of Very Vanilla and a piece of So Saffron Designer Series Paper. I was going to use one of the Two Tags (from the die), but I wasn't liking the way it looked, so I changed it up a bit.

I did some distressing and sponging to add dimension to the card.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Clockworks, Friendship Preserves
INK: Soft Suede
PAPERS: Very Vanilla and Soft Suede Cardstock; So Saffron and First Edition DSP
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Lovely as a Tree for the Divas!

It's colour challenge day over on the Diva Blog! You should check it out...and maybe you'll do better than I did in incorporating all the colours into the card. I tried...I REALLY did!

Today's colours were:

• Crumb Cake
• Old Olive
• Always Artichoke
• Midnight Muse
• Elegant Eggplant

I managed everything except the Elegant Eggplant. I just could NOT see where I could fit in. Maybe you have an idea you'd like to share with me? Check it out:

This card is a simpler version of one I have pinned to my SUO Christmas Pinterest board. Narelle Farrugia is the original designer.

To be honest, I wasn't TOO sure about the combination of Old Olive/Always Artichoke, but I like the way it turned out.

And yes, I fussy cut the Lovely as a Tree...TWICE! When I was going to add the trees to the image panel, they just seemed to be floating there, so I tore some paper, took out my sponges and added some crumb cake ink to the bottom of the panel which helped ground the trees.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Lovely as a Tree
INK: Always Artichoke, Old Olive
PAPERS: Whisper White, Midnight Muse and Crumb Cake Cardstock; Midnight Muse DSP
ACCESSOIRES: Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Let's get Stamping!! Courtesy of Jane Hignite

MONTH-LONG OBSERVANCES

Awareness Month of Awareness Month’s Month

Bingo Month

Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month

Hi Neighbor Month

Identity Theft and Prevention Month

Learn a Foreign Language Month

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

National Safe Toys and Gifts Month

National Sign Up for Summer Camp Month

National Stress Free Family Holiday Month

National Tie Month

National Write a Business Plan Month

Operation Santa Paws

Prevent Blindness Month

Quince and Watermelon Month

Read a New Book Month

Rising Star Month

Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month

Spiritual Literacy Month

Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking Month

Tomato and Winter Squash Month

Universal Human Rights Month

World AIDS Month

Worldwide Food Service Safety Month

Write to a Friend Month

 

WEEK-LONG OBSERVANCES

First Week

First Week of Advent

Cookie Cutter Week

National Tolerance Week

Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week

 

Second Week

Second Week of Advent

Coats for Kids Week

Halcyon Days

Human Rights Week

National Hand Washing Awareness Week

 

Third Week

Third Week of Advent

Christmas Bird Count Week

Gluten-Free Baking Week

International Language Week

Saturnalia

 

Fourth Week

Fourth Week of Advent

It’s About Time Week

Kwanzaa

 

 

 

December 1st

American Civil Air Patrol Founded (1941)

Day Without Art Day

Eat A Red Apple Day

Jan Brett's Birthday (1949)

National High Five Day

National Pie Day

Rosa Parks Day

Special Kids Day

World AIDS Day

 

December 2nd

Ann Patchett's Birthday (1963)

Charles Ringling's Birthday (1863)

Cold Moon

David Macaulay's Birthday (1946)

Georges Seurat's Birthday (1859)

Gianni Versace's Birthday (1946)

National Fritters Day

National Mutt Day

Play Basketball Day

Special Education Day

 

December 3rd

Andy Williams' Birthday (1930)

Ear Muffs Day

International Day of the Disabled Person

Joseph Conrad's Birthday (1857)

Let’s Hug Day

National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day

Ozzy Osbourne's Birthday (1948)

 

December 4th

Cracker Jack Day

Gemma Jones’ Birthday (1942)

National Cookie Day

National Dice Day

Santa’s List Day

Wear Brown Shoes Day

 

December 5th

Bathtub Party Day

George Armstrong Custer’s Birthday (1839)

International Ninja Day

International Volunteer Day

National Communicate With Your Baby Day

National Sacher Torte Day

Play Hooky Day

Repeal Day (Repeal of Prohibition)

Rose Wilder Lane's Birthday (1886)

Walt Disney's Birthday (1901)

 

December 6th

Coats and Toys for Kids Day

Dave Brubeck’s Birthday (1920)

Ira Gershwin’s Birthday (1896)

Joyce Kilmer’s Birthday (1886)

Miner’s Day

Mitten Tree Day

National Gazpacho Day

National Pawnbroker’s Day

Put on Your Own Shoes Day

St. Nicholas Day

 

December 7^th

Harry Chapin’s Birthday (1942)

Faux Fur Friday

International Civil Aviation Day

Letter Writing Day

Marie Tussaud’s Birthday (1761)

National Cotton Candy Day

National Pearl Harbor Day

Ted Knight's Birthday (1923)

 

December 8th

Bad Hair Day

Day of the Horse

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

International Shareware Day

James Galway’s Birthday (1939)

James Thurber's Birthday (1894)

Jim Morrison's Birthday (1943)

Mary Queen of Scots' Birthday (1542)

National Brownie Day

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

Take it in the Ear Day

USSR Ceased to Exist (1991)

 

December 9th

Christmas Card Day

Clarence Birdseye’s Birthday (1886)

Donny Osmond's Birthday (1957)

Hanukkah

International Anticorruption Day

Jean deBrunhoff's Birthday (1899)

John Milton's Birthday (1608)

Judy Dench's Birthday (1934)

Margaret Hamilton’s Birthday (1902)

National Pastry Day

National Salesperson Day

Nightgown Day

Weary Willy Day

World Choral Day

Worldwide Candle Lighting Day

 

December 10th

Bobby Flay’s Birthday (1964)

Day of the Horse

Emily Dickinson's Birthday (1830)

Festival for the Souls of Dead Whales Day

Get a Poinsettia Day

Human Rights Day

Kenneth Branagh's Birthday (1960)

Melvil Dewey's Birthday (1851) (Dewey Decimal System)

Nobel Prize Day

Rumer Godden's Birthday (1907)

Susan Dey’s Birthday (1950)

Treaty of Paris Signed (1898)

 

December 11^th

International Mountain Day

King Edward VIII Abdicated Throne (1936)

National Noodle Ring Day

Pilgrims Land on Plymouth Rock (1620) see 12/21 too

UNICEF Anniversary (Est. in 1946)

UN International Mountain Day

William Joyce's Birthday (1957)

 

December 12th

Bob Barker’s Birthday (1923)

Bonza Bottler Day

Edvard Munch's Birthday (1863)

Gingerbread House Day

Gustave Flaubert's Birthday (1821)

International Children's Day

National Ding-A-Ling Day

Poinsettia Day

 

December 13th

Christopher Plummer's Birthday (1927)

Dick Van Dyke's Birthday (1925)

Ice Cream Day

Mary Todd Lincoln’s Birthday (1818)

National Cocoa Day

New Calendar Day

New Zealand Discovered (1642)

St. Lucy Day

Steve Buscemi’s Birthday (1957)

Violins Day

 

December 14th

Buy a Tree Day

Monkey Day

Morey Amsterdam's Birthday (1914)

NASCAR Founded (1947)

National Bouillibaisse Day

National Salesperson Day

Nostradamus' Birthday (1503)

 

December 15th

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel's Birthday

Betty Smith’s Birthday (1906)

Bill of Rights Day

Cat Herders Day

National Lemon Cupcake Day

Tim Conway’s Birthday (1933)

 

December 16th

Barbie and Barney Backlash Day

Boston Tea Party Anniversary (1773)

JANE AUSTEN'S BIRTHDAY (1775)

Ludwig Von Beethoven's Birthday (1770)

Margaret Mead's Birthday (1901)

National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

Noel Coward’s Birthday (1899)

Zionism Day

 

December 17th

Arthur Fiedler's Birthday (1894)

Bill Pullman's Birthday (1953)

Duff Goldman’s Birthday (1974)

Cookie Cutter Day

Free Shipping Day

John Greenleaf Whittier’s Birthday (1807)

John Kennedy Toole's Birthday (1932)

National Maple Syrup Day

Wright Brothers Day

 

December 18th

Answer the Telephone Like Boppy the Elf Day

Bake Cookies Day

Jacques Pepin’s Birthday (1935)

International Migrants Day

National Roast Suckling Pig Day

Play Bingo Day

Steven Spielberg’s Birthday (1947)

Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day

 

December 19th

Chocolate Pizza Day

Eve Bunting's Birthday (1928)

Look for an Evergreen Day

Oatmeal Muffin Day

Poor Richard's Almanac Published (1732)

 

December 20th

Games Day

Go Caroling Day

International Human Solidarity Day

Irene Dunne’s Birthday (1898)

Mudd Day

National Regifting Day

Sacagewa Day

 

December 21^st

Ann and Samantha Day

Cold Moon

Crossword Puzzle Day

First Day of Winter

Forefather’s Day

Humbug Day

Look at the Bright Side Day

National Flashlight Day

National French Fried Shrimp Day

National Haiku Poetry Day

National Homeless Persons Remembrance Day

Paul Winchell’s Birthday (1922)

Phileas Figg Win a Wager Day

Pilgrims Land on Plymouth Rock (1620) see 12/11

Ray Romano’s Birthday (1957)

Underdog Day

Winter Solstice

World Peace Day

 

December 22nd

Barbara Billingsley’s Birthday (1922)

Giacomo Puccini's Birthday (1858)

Maritime Day

National Date Nut Bread Day

National Haiku Poetry Day

Popcorn Popping Day

 

December 23rd

Family Caregivers Day

Festivus

Roots Day

Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear (1888)

 

December 24th

Christmas Eve

Ignatius Loyola's Birthday (1491)

Johnny Gruelle’s Birthday (1880)

Kate Spade's Birthday (1962)

National Chocolate Day

National Egg Nog Day

Noel Streatfield’s Birthday (1920)

 

December 25th

Annie Lennox's Birthday (1954)

A*Phabet Day or No “L” Day

Christmas

Clara Barton's Birthday (1821)

David Sedaris’ Birthday (1956)

Humphrey Bogart's Birthday (1899)

National Pumpkin Pie Day

Saint John Feast Day

Sir Isaac Newton's Birthday (1642)

Washington Crossed the Delaware (1776)

 

December 26th

Boxing Day

Carroll Spinney’s Birthday (1933)

David Sedaris’ Birthday (1956)

Henry Miller's Birthday (1891)

Kwanzaa Begins

National Candy Cane Day

National Thank You Note Day

National Whiners Day

 

December 27th

Fruitcake Forever Day

Louis Pasteur's Birthday (1822)

Make Cut-Out Snowflakes Day

Saint John Feast Day

Visit the Zoo Day

 

December 28th

Card Playing Day

Childermas/Holy Innocents Day

National Chocolate Days

No Interruptions Day

Pledge of Allegiance Day

 

December 29th

Jude Law’s Birthday (1972)

Mary Tyler Moore's Birthday (1936)

National Chocolate Days

Pepper Pot Day

Saint Thomas of Canterbury Feast Day

Tick Tock Day

 

December 30th

Bacon Day

Davy Jones' Birthday (1945)

Falling Needles Family Fest Day

Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Moment Day

Mercer Mayer's Birthday (1943)

Michael Nesmith's Birthday (1942)

National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

Oh My! Day

Rudyard Kipling’s Birthday (1865)

Sean Hannity’s Birthday (1961)

Tiger Woods’ Birthday (1975)

Tracey Ullmann’s Birthday (1959)

 

December 31^st

Blue Moon

Diane von Furstenberg's Birthday (1943)

First Nights

Henri Matisse's Birthday (1869)

John Denver's Birthday (1943)

Leap Second Time Adjustment Day

Make Up Your Mind Day

New Year's Eve

No Interruptions Day

Smoke Alarm Day

Universal Hour of Peace Day

Unlucky Day

World Peace Meditation Day