Hi - happy long week-end!

Hope you'all are having a good week-end! We have been out and about - well, mostly just to our fav coffee spot across the street as my daughter has been too sick and she also has dental surgery coming up Tuesday!

In the craft studio....not doing too much in terms of 'finished projects' so much as I am doing lots of 'prep' work!

Organization time!...

Finally if I want the month of August to go smoothly - I had to resort to a clean-up of the craft studio....you know when you must tackle the scraps of paper that are too good to toss out yet they seem to be a large pile that is just getting on your nerves? Yeah, that pile. Did pretty good so far...my system is a series of paper bags that contain scraps of differing colours and I have 1 drawer dedicated to just white scraps - because I need those for stamping quick lil' sayings...like "thank you" or "friend"....and well, white is so prime for most of the stamping we do. So I keep that really handy.

Then I am going over some new goodies purchased this past week!

Playing with dies....

I bought some new dies for my "kids" collection and now I can have pirate and princess parties! It's totally fun playing with those kinds of dies - I was making all different coloured shirts& hats for my pirate and am trying all kinds of glittery papers for my crown's and wands, etc. And then there is the little poodle - too cute! You should try making an orange, plaid poodle and see how you like it, lol! I also bought some jelly beans and cotton candy for the princess set because the pirate had loads more stuff that came with him. Have to be fair afterall! :)

I now own bridal products - there is some dies: a pretty shoulderless dress (double as an evening dress)....a ring and a tiara! trying those last two with Diamond Dust or SugarCoated papers - too lazy to try to versamark or glue on glitter.

And this all takes up considerable time just trying those dies out because of all the small parts. So I have been busy.....

Next, I bought more bridal products - there is the Sweet Wedding stamp set, and a new Textured Embossing Folder from Stampin' Up! that is absolutely perfect for wedding themes! And its very, very easy to do! I have to admit, I don't like having to really crank up some of the 'die sandwiches'.

Making Sandwiches.....

Which reminds me of the new border die I bought - its a 'Flower' border by Quickutz - and I plan to use it in my Christmas projects. However I had to find just the right 'sandwich' to use it in my Big Shot. Now that I know how to do make the transition between the different dies, I will have it easier next time around. Do your homework -right?

New Papers/Stamps .....

So - I've got a whole new host of stamps& papers from Stampin' Up - and I need to explore those, find more room in storage (more storage - awwww, sigh!) ....just all the prep that goes into a good day of stamping & crafting.

Well, we must do what we must do!

Cheers!

Wow - August!

The kids are relishing the idea that this is the last weeks of freedom, LOL - if I remember a thing or two about that! I am sure somewhere children are returning to school already but Stampin' Up! is promoting "JUST FOR KIDS" August 1 - September 30 - and there are some cool things goin' on.

I'll be featuring some kid-style projects here & keeping you tuned into some of the promotion's highlights - and let me say, there is ONE special item available which would be adorable in anyone's room - but more about that later!!!

All right - off to shop today!

LOL - I know I can be slow, but...really!

Seriously, I've decided to break down and start doing one of these exercises after holding back for soooo long. I guess I felt I had enough to do without another commitment, but I must confess I was a little in need of a sketch challenge - it can be hard to come out of your own 'style' sometimes, so I went off in search of a well-known starting place. I remembered hearing the term "mojo mondays" and I quickly found their blog - and well, here's my first one!

Its called MojoMonday97 - I guess that refers to the number of sketches they've done so far? There is a lot of followers there, so you might want to check it out! They are HERE - MOJO MONDAY

Here's this past Monday's sketch and my version!

I do a monkey card e v e r y summer, so this playful monkey paper is from my ol' stash - I did have a life before Stampin' Up! LOL!

SU Supplies: new IN COLOR paper, Soft Suede, adhesive. Other Supplies: Reminisce 12x12 paper "Monkey Business", green textured paper, DCWV paper "Blossoms and Butterflies" Stack (polka dot strips), brights brads by 'Just Brads''; Marvy Scallop Punch.

Once again - Stampin' Up! is making it much easier to join the family - for a short period of time, you may become a Demonstrator in your own right - with the MINI_STARTER KIT, and only for $105 !

Why not take that opportunity if you would like:

- to work and yet have fun doing so?

- enjoy the perks of discounts, bonuses and special opportunities?

- to earn really fabulous trips each and every year?

- have the support of myself, AND a network of other demonstrators?

- expand your social life?

- help to pay for the extras in life?

- have your own sneak peek catalogues?

- have access to a library of projects?

- have pride in the name of your company?

- contribute to your community?

- determine your own goals?

...AND support your crafting habit! LOL - well, that's a good point!

SEE THE DETAILS - CLICK HERE

Then contact me!

OR WISH TO JOIN ONLINE? -then click HERE or contact me! You will require my assistance for a pass word - and then you'll be on your way to a fabulous time!

Hello!

Here is my latest....a Spring Card! I have Candace to thank for this, she was curious to know about this technique and so I set out to do my own. I will post a tutorial here by tomorrow - so check back!

I made this card with a pink and a orange flip side - so it can show how the two sides appear when folded - there are 2 corners that get snipped off and rather than waste them, I glued them on the base. I might still find a little something to decorate the base - seems like it needs it.

Sometimes I like to take my time to make something - I once made a painting that took me about 7 years to finish, and I started a pine cone topiary a looooong time ago that is still requiring one side of it to be completed - yikes, better get started. Maybe I'll actuallly have it ready for Thanksgiving!

But I digress....so, this "spring" card - so named because the lower back folds allow the front of the card to be perched on an angle - and the card can be folded flat, yet will 'spring' back up again when released! It behaves like a lovely display.

I shall return to this and try to make it as a 'frame' with a photo - anyone with other ideas?

Here's a simple birthday card.

Its also a very luscious colour combination - turquoise and orange! The turquoise is one of the new IN COLORS called Bermuda Bay - mmmmm sounds tranquil doesn't it? Anyways its veeeeery pretty on its own - but with the orange - sooooo summer! And a young lovely thing of 6 years old will identify with colours such as these - they've probably got a t-shirt with these colours, lol!

Making cards can be very fast, economical and easy when you use simple methods and card/scrapbook accents from Stampin' Up!'s kits such as I did here with the number 6 sticker and the accent striped paper borders. A quick punch with the Scallop Circle Punch, a snip of ribbon and a dimensional dot - and voila - you're done! So easy-smeasy :)

How do you make someone's gift feel even more special? You add an authentic one-of-a-kind embellishment!

In my gift set, a perfume set, the packaging was quite plain. However, being plain means the embellishment can be very fanciful.

My decision was to go somewhere in the middle and create a belly band to circle the package, and decorate it to match the accompanying card. I even used the left-over pieces to create a small notecard in case I wanted to break up the perfume set into two smaller gifts - this is why I love stamping and crafting in general - it allows you so much! :)

Now - doesn't this tell someone that you took the time to make it "extra" special just for them!

SUPPLIES

Stamps: Wings of Friendship {Hostess Level 2};

Paper: Rich Razzleberry 115316; Dusty Durango 115321; Crushed Curry 115319 ($7.25);

Ink: Rich Razzleberry 115658; Dusty Durango 115654; Crushed Curry 115659;

Ribbon: 115609 Dusty Durango