Oh My Gosh!!!

I cannot believe it has been such a long time since I posted.  Goodness, where does the time go.

Well, I have to say, 2012 has certainly a massive improvement over last year and now everyone is back on track and healthy and my husband and I are very thankful for those blessings for our family.  I'm home, in the USA and loving it.

In July I went to convention and loved it.  I so want to go next year as it is the 25th Anniversary of Stampin' Up and I'm sure it will be bursting at the seams with demonstrator's helping to celebrate!

By the way, don't you just love the new sizzlets?  So many choices, so little time.  

At the moment I'm waiting on a delivery from my favorite UPS guy.  (Fingers tapping, looking out the window, pacing).  It should arrive today-please-please-please.  I have actually cleaned off my working space in preparation for new activity--Halloween.  I have in my mind a Halloween treat for my "Grands" so I need to get started on that and in the mail obviously so they receive it before trick or treating is past.  lol

Next on my list is of course Thanksgiving cards and then my favorite of all holidays:  Christmas!  Those cards also must be finished before I head back to China.  Oh yes, didn't I mention;  just one more trip to spend time with my hubby who says he will be retiring next year.  Of course, none of the family believes him about retiring.  The guy wouldn't know what to do if he stopped working.  Did I suggest my hubby is a work-a-holic?  Imagine that!  At any rate it should be the last Christmas there and let me tell you, the Chinese have discovered Christmas SALES.  They sell everything for the holidays as many expats living there celebrate Christmas.  Our apartment complexes have about seven apartments that put Christmas decorations on display and as the Chinese holidays start fairly quickly in January or February depending on the Chinese calendar cycle, we combine the two.  It makes for a very festive look throughout the complexes for a period of a couple months.

This year in China is the year of the Dragon and in 2013 it will be the year of the Snake.  Our son was born in the year of the Dragon and those born in the year of the Dragon have lots of luck since the Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune.  Not sure if he thinks he's lucky though.  He is once again serving in Afghanistan.  Keep him in your prayers please.  :)

Starting a New Year 2012

Hello and greetings to one and all,

WELL, lets hope that 2012 improves over 2011.  Geez!  I am so grateful that 2011 ended positive, I was beginning to wonder.  This past year I lived out of a suitcase and I can tell you, I don't want to do this in 2012 although I have learned to pack far less as time moved on in 2011.

Unfortunately, my creative endeavors have been put on hold till this Spring when I think, I will actually have time to do some card creating.  At least I'm thinking of ideas for Convention in Salt Lake.  While here in China, I miss my creative buddies as we always have so much fun together coming up with new designs and ideas.  Always trying to improve can be a daunting task at times but with challenging one another, it keeps the three of us hustling to do the best we can.  Then, we fall back and go to lunch.  :)

I have to say, once again I am so pleased with Stampin Up products.  Really, it is very difficult to not buy everything and use some self-restraint.  LOL   Me?  Using self-restraint?  Ha!  That new Spring book has so many great products.  I love the folded ribbon but could use some more colors.  Not every card I make do I want to look like it is a summer card.  And why can't we carry over the stamps and punches for the bitty Christmas stocking.  It is so new and now it is so not being moved into the IB&C  catalog.  Bummer!

Well, I am in China after only being in the States from November to January and all but two weeks of that time was spent with relatives in the ICU unit of the hospital.  Boy, worrying can sure turn hair more grey in a hurry for sure.  Things are more positive now so I should begin working on design ideas for SU. 

Obviously I accomplished nothing the last quarter of 2011 and have lots of product from the holiday catalog that will gather cobwebs but I definitely need to get going on ideas and product for Spring and July.

Wonder what this years theme is going to be at Convention?

Today, I baked for my husband cookies he didn't get for the holidays and now I just have to stop eating them before they are all gone before he gets any. 

Love the new metal templates for the Sizzix and have seen some interesting uses on the Stampin Connection site.  Looks like a winning product for SU as there are so many uses for those designs in my opinion.

So, that is it for now from me, as I need to now figure out what I'm going to design in my mind as (did I tell you) the new products I brought with me to China aren't here!  Bummer again.  No, they didn't disappear from my suitcase, dummy here forgot to put them in as planned with all the things my husband and I are dealing with. 

Well, this isn't a good start for 2012 is it?  Hopefully your year is starting off better.  My next blog should be all positive.  :)

Okay, FINALLY, here are my convention swap cards.  Whew!  Just in time before I head off to China.                                                                                                                                                            These are the cards I made for SU 2011 Convention swaps, you know the one, back in July.  Well at least I made it before six months from convention, but only almost.  

The brown one with the sweet stamp on it is a 3x3 card and I made 125.  The other cards are all 4.25 x 5.5 or A2 size (convenient for mailing obviously) and were special sign-up swaps with limited numbers.  I would not recommend doing nine swaps in any given convention though.  I won't being doing so many swaps next year IF I can be rational and use some self-restraint.  :)  Did spell check and I think I passed this time.   :)


I know you are wondering where the other two swaps are after all, I did say I did nine swaps.  I don't know where they are.  I can't remember.  :(

Cards that Fold Swap

step card ( I think)

Thanksgiving 2010

 

Christmas card swap

3x3 convention swap 2011

Cards that Move Swap

LNS Fan Card

WOW here it is September with October around the corner.  What a rush of activity summer was.  Traveled to Salt Lake to Convention and of course loved every minute trudging up and down the halls for all the activities.  My favorite part besides the main stage activities of course were the free hand outs of products and this year there were so many.  WOW is all I can say and thank you to Stampin Up!!!

Starting my fall projects now with an Advent Calendar.  (post it soon) Opps, forgot to upload my cards I made for convention.  Need to attend to that also, AND then there is the annual packing to head back to Beijing, China.  I seem to live out of a suitcase this year. 

See you soon!

Convention is coming in July and the NEW IB&C

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.  I sound like a child at the holidays.  I am soooooooo looking forward to the new catalog and goodies and then Convention!   I've been busy doing my basic cards for convention, the bases that is.  Going just so far till the new info is available to demonstrators and available to the public July 1 OR if you are interested in hostessing an event for Stampin Up, you can get an early peek at the catalog after June 21. Are you interested in hostessing and inviting your friends?  I do all the work.  I bring the projects, supplies, and information and directions on how to do your project.  You come and have fun!  Doesn't that sound easy?

Along with our soon to be revealed new IB & C is the current Summer Mini full of great ideas and supplies for those projects you might wish to do with your children during the summer days when they are saying "I'm bored!"  Our summer catalog is available through the end of August.

Enjoy stamping, sharing and the joy of friends and wishing all of you a relaxing Memorial Day weekend and please don't forget those men and women who have given their all and those that are serving and protecting our freedoms so that we might be with our families.

I found a quote that means a lot to me. Our son is active military and has already done two tours in Iraq and has received the purple heart twice and I have told him I don't want him to get another one.  Here is the quote:


"What men write about war, saying that it is a great plague, is all true.  But they should also consider how great the plague is that war prevents." quote by Martin Luther

Back in China

Well I've been back here in China a few weeks now.  It seems like forever though.  Cast was taken off a few days before I flew back here April 12.  It was interesting however to fly from the Midwest back to the east coast with a cast on my leg.  Besides being hugely cumbersome, it was interesting going through security.  Actually, it wasn't as I had expected at all with not much of a hassle.  Thank goodness.  It was hard to carry a suitcase however and try and gimp along.  But, I made it.

At the moment I'm working on my Convention cards.  Again, I signed for too many things, with too little time, and lots of effort to get these done..... It is nice to be settled in one place for awhile so I can figure out why it is I didn't bring the proper product from SU with me to here.  I will have a few boxes to open when I get back to my house in New York. 

Last week I accompanied my favorite guy on a Silk Road  adventure.  Lamb was the meat of choice throughout the week and I wish I could fix lamb that deliciously.  What an adventure we had with 8 other travelers from around the world.  It was a good group and we all interacted very well.  The wildest adventure was the sale of animals in the animal market in Kashgar.  Yikes!  Between seeing animals fighting all day, one hugh mean looking bull falling into a water canal out of a tractor cart, and kids trying to herd goats, there were just too many photo opts to take them all in.  Forget about the dust.  I purchased a yak tail dust-buster that works pretty good moving dirt off of your clothes.  LOL

I wanted to mention the new summer catalog and comment.   I love it for the most part.  It has assortment and has choices.  There is some carryover from the previous mini which I find very interesting.  Do you think the products will then be carried in our next year's catalog? 

I have heard mumblings that some do not like it and the catalog is too short, unlike the other mini catalogs.  And, as I understand, the mini before the hugh yearly catalog is always somewhat shorter than the others.   At any rate, the nautical themed items I love, along with the vintage style stamps.  As I love to do miniature cards and things, the smaller stamps are perfect for me. 

Did you think about using these small stamps to create paper pieces to put into your jewelry necklace and bracelet.  Sort of hard to stamp a large print and try to get it to fit into the glass area unless you use something small don't you think. 

Here are some ideas for you:

Save paper by making small gift cards, you know, the 3x3 inch size.  One 12x12 inch piece of paper will give you 8 of the 3x3 inch size cards.  Cut your paper in half so you have two 6x6 inch pieces.  Then cut that into 3x6 inch sections, fold over and viola' a 3x3 card.  Now all you have to do is decorate it however you wish.

How about gift tags.  Layer some of the scrap pieces and you can make a very unusual card with just a few embellishments and it will be greatly appreciated by the recipient. 

Then we have the awesome bookmark!  Kids love bookmarks as do adults.  I hate to bend down the corner of a page in a book I'm reading!

Okay, that should get you started in your creative process.
Create and create but most of all---have lots of fun.

See you soon,  Marilyn

Can You Believe It?

Well, I am back in the wonderful USA.  Apparently I don't know how to walk though as I tripped down four steps, fell like a lump and thinking I twisted my ankle I continued to limp for a few days.  How wrong I was.  It is broken.  Good thing I was visiting my sister who insisted I have it checked.  Yep, it is broken so now I have a cast for the next 6 to 8 weeks.  lol  But as it is a walking cast, I don't think it will slow me down too much.  ha, ha. 

So, I have my stampin up goodies to color and cut out to keep me busy and new designs to think of.

That is all for now

Amazing Children

Let me begin by saying I have visited throughout the years, many, many schools in this country.  As a matter of fact, right next door to our complex is a grade school and a high school.  It is funny to hear the little guys singing "I'm a Little Tea Pot" song in Mandarin outside during exercise class.  Yes, these children go outside to exercise and to play.  It helps to burn off some of that daily energy they expand while being couped up inside during classes.  Here in China, the children have a couple outside play periods each day.  Hmmmm, wonder if that would be a good thought to return to in US schools.  Some fresh air. 

These school trips have always been a rewarding experience but this past Sunday was a little different.

I went on a trip Sunday to visit a China children's middle school (compare to a high school in the US).  The students are a funded project for the last eight years by the Beijing Rotary Club in an outlying village about a two hour drive from Beijing.   Sunday I met 25 of these young students.  What an experience and as we talked with them about their goals and objectives we learned something of their family struggles.  You have no idea about struggles if you live in the USA, trust me.   It was interesting to here time after time that the student felt his/her grades were poor.  These young people are diligent and maintain high grades A's and lowest is a B, certainly nothing to be ashamed of in my opinion.  One student said how the mother had died, the father could not afford to maintain the student and the students sister, so the sister was given away.  That is only ONE of the heart-rendering stories.  The staff and major of the village were surprised that the student's discussed their hardships with us.  I was also.  They are so grateful for the support they are receiving that doing anything to provide them with an education is rewarding just to see their smiles and their hopefulness for their futures. 

Needless to say, they sent along thank you cards for all the help they have received throughout these eight years to the members of the club.  This week I am privileged to make for each of these students and donate a handmade card encouraging them to continue with their endeavors.  It is my great joy in making these cards that in turn will be given with a personal note written to each student by an individual Rotarian.  What fun this is and I am glad before I return to the USA, to do this.  I have already finished five cards and only twenty more to go.  I have all week.  This is so much fun.   Bye for now.

2011 IT IS HERE READY OR NOT ! ! !

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL FRIENDS AND FAMILY

I realize as we grow older time flies but goodness, so quickly did the last year pass.  I am looking forward to many exciting SU projects this coming year and hopefully you are as excited as I am.  Soon the new Spring Mini catalog will be available and there are so many goodies it is hard for me to make up my mind.  I want them all naturally.  So many options, it will be difficult to decide.  The papers are scrumpious, the new ribbon roses I am so happy to see, as now I do not have to spend time making my own.  These are dyable also, so you can make whatever your little heart desires for color.  Oh my! 

My favorite flowers are roses, so with these beautiful new papers to use with the ribbon roses, I am excited to get started.   Can't wait to arrive back in the States to start making goodies and, yes, I have already placed my order/s.  Could not wait for the sales to begin either, so guess when it starts January  27, I will have to order MORE !!!   LROTF

Are You Ready for 2011?

Happy New Year, Almost

and the DIRECTIONS FOR 13TH BIRTHDAY SURPRISE BOX :)




I'm now in the process of packing and getting ready to leave Beijing by February and then head home to the good ole USA. Having dragged all my SU goodies with me, I now have to take them home. LOL First I have a stop to go to in Hong Kong for New Year's holiday with my hubby. He is doing some business there, so lucky me, I get to go along. Yea!! Naturally, what grammy doesn't shop for her grands. My husband thinks I could skip it, but I don't think so.  LOL



The weather here is really cold now but I'm sure not as cold as is upstate New York! Yikes. My grands have kept me informed as to how much snow they have. Too much for me as we have no snow here in Beijing. My only grand daughter has a birthday Friday, the last day of the year. Just think forever, she will have lights andcelebrations on her birthday. I made her a special card for her first teenage year. So here goes, keeping my fingers crossed. Wow! I did it! I hope she likes it. Unfortunately she will not have it by Friday. She actually will be lucky to get it my Spring, since through miscommunications it was not sent swiftly should I say. Rats! Do men really hear us I wonder sometimes.

DIRECTIONS FOR 13TH BIRTHDAY SURPRISE BOX  :)

I have been asked the directions for this. Mine is custom made with lots of readjustments that perhaps others don't want to go through, but out there somewhere on SU and splitcoast there are instructions on surprise boxes. That is how I found mine, I just didn't save a link--sorry.



I will do my best to rely what I did however.



I cut out first a 8.5 in square of cardstock as it has to be sturdy, then I scored the width of each panel to 2.5 or 3 inches, whatever fits the 8.5 square. Next I cut out the corners, scored the edges for folding and viola, there is the basic box without the lid.



2. Add as many panel insets both on the front and the inside as you want. I did incriments of three both inside and out, with embossing on the white panels. I glued everything with my hot glue gun as I wanted this puppy to stay together for shipping.



3. I then punched out leaves for each flower, then out of various dsp I punched flowers with eight layers together, held by a brad. I used my Big Shot to do the flowers using several dsp paper layers at one time to go faster. Now curl the flowers or scrunch each set up so it gathers. Attach each braded flower cluster to a clear heavy acrylic stem and insert the scored tab through a slit you have made for each insert through the three layers you will be glueing to the bottom of the box. (Each stem is pushed through the three layers then it will be hot glued to the inside bottom of the box). You need three layers to firmly hold the flower stems and grass you will be cutting out. Measure your stems to make sure they are not too tall to fit inside the box. That is the mistake I did and had to do the flowers and box over. Yuk. That is then hot glued to the bottom of the box. The 3 panels on the bottom give the flowers strength to stand vertical of course along with the plastic acrylic stem covered with glued on green paper grass. Looks like a flower bed doesn't it?

Make any type of card insert, attach to a clear acrylic post and there you have it. I know I keep repeating myself about the stems but it is very important they can stand by themselves. One slit for each inserted item. I cut my slits at angles so they all would fit, afterall, I had to make thirteen blossoms remember. Perhaps you will not need as many layers.



I had colored the butterfly that I meticuleously cut out by had AFTER I COLORED IT!!! I did several as the antenna somehow didn't quite make it on the first couple. Be sure to use sharp, sharp sizzors my friends otherwise, well, you know.



THE LID:

Cut 1/4 inch larger than the width of the box panels so it will fit over the top of the box. You can make your multi-colored panel layers however you want. I used a drop-down incriment of 1/8 inch on all panels including the lid. Then I hot glued multiple extra flowers, punched out from various punches and gathered on the lid. A tiny small acrylic folded stem holds the butterfly above the flowers.



Okay, now it is your turn.

Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, and Happy Holidays

I think that just about covers it, so hope you and yours are celebrating with joy and wonder and peace.  Weather here in Beijing is delightful, no snow!  Yea!  The wind is blowing fiercely however.

Our tree is up, decorated, cookies are made, family handmade cards (naturally) have been made and sent last week.  It is unknown if they will arrive to their destination however or even on time (doubtful) BUT it is the thought that counts right? 

Last night as I packed cookies for my husband's office staff, I notice there was a serious shortfall--of cookies!  How they all disappeared amazes me!  My husband could not have eaten all of them so quickly and he has been away on business for over a week.  Hmmmmmm, did he manage to hide them in his luggage BEFORE HE LEFT?  You bet!  When I asked, the answer was--gee--ah--gee--ah I don't know, with a giant grin on his face. 

I tried to imagine him suffering along the Silk Road at 10,000 feet, cold at 28 below but he did have his cookies to keep him warm.  LOL Okay, so the staff doesn't get all the cookies I had planned for them, so this morning I talked with his office manager to be sure they had received those I had sent with him today, just in case and was informed that yes, the cookies had arrived and he had shared. 

Okay, I guess Santa will leave him a present after all.

My intent today was to post the photo of the card I made him for Christmas, and that of my granddaughter's surprise box card for her 13th birthday, but after searching through his drawer of computer connections and various other electrical paraphernalia somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 or so, at least, I could not find my camera cable.  Imagine that.  So no photos till I find the cable.  Sorry once again. 

Have wonderful holidays

From the Far East

Hello or Ni Hao, (pronounced knee how)

Thank you Lord, I can finally access my blogsite.  Who knows how long this will be applicable due to gov watching your every move, especially if you try and blog ANYTHING!!  That's what your looking forward to my fellow bloggers if you keep letting gov run the show in the good ole usa! Watching, watching, watching.  Lucky me, a friend from another country showed me how to do a work around to access my fb, blog and on line games.  I am sooooo happy!!!!

However, that being said, here goes from the Far East!

Weather here is nice the last few weeks, nice fall weather and all.  No smog yet as the gov doesn't turn on the heat till November 15.  I kid you not folks, no heat till mid November and that is all over the country.  They also shut the heat down in mid April so for those of you living in the Northern states, you understand that it can still be quite cold in April.  For instance, we had snow in NY state on Mother's Day 2010.  How do I stand it?  I am married to an electrical engineer sweeties, and he has purchased oil filled heaters to keep the chill out of the apartment for a few more weeks.  Luckily for us the weather has warmed again for the last couple of weeks and hopefully will last till heating season.  Yesterday a maintenance guy came and check our heating system getting ready for the winter season here that usually has a minimal amount of snow, if any but bitter cold weather although dry.  The sun usually shines during the whole of winter if you can see it due to the layer of coal smoke wafting throughout the sky during the winter and if there is a weather conversion then that "stuff" hangs over the city for weeks on end.  Traffic doesn't help. 

Can you believe that Beijing actually licenses over 1500 hundred cars here daily.  the traffic has become so bad they have to pull cars off the roads in Beijing depending on their license number and the day of the week.  Not to mention no one wants a four on his apartment, license plate or telephone number.  Why?  Bad luck.  Four is unlucky here for them just as we don't like the number 13, so it also applies to floors in any buildings.  For instance:  there are no fourth floors, no fourteenth floors and ha, ha, also no thirteenth floors in any building so although our apartment is the sixth, we really live on the fifth floor.  LOL

Things here are never dull and as much as they try, they ALMOST GET IT RIGHT.  Yes, that is my mantra for this place.  Almost Right!  It really applies to everything and anywhere.  I know that seems to be hitting below the belt but if you are very observant, you will see it is also true and has been for over 25 years.

The other irritating thing here is that one has to do is outlive the workman redoing the apartment below us, for new renters or possibly the owners of the apartment.  Seems like as they are laying tile floors in the entrance way with lots of volatile glue that would be way too much to spend on renters.  Here where we live in cental Beijing, in an ideal location within a 15 minute walk to a major transportation hub, everyone wants to live in this area.  You don't need to drive and can basically hail a taxi and go anywhere in the city for the equilvalent of $2.00 usd. We had to abondon our apartment last weekend due to the glue fumes seeping into our apartment due to these morons.  How they lived through the application is beyond me, or maybe they didn't and new workers came in, however, my husband went to the complex management and they (management stopped the workers).  Made them ventalate the apartment they were working on, use fans, open all windows and now we are back with no fumes but lots of drilling, hammering and noises that go from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.  Something my husband doesn't let bother him as he is never here till after 7:00 p.m.  The workers are not allowed to do these things on the weekend so there is hope on the horizon.  Today is Friday also.

Now for myself, I have cloistered myself into my apartment and each day I work on my SU cards, gift tags, goodie bags, etc for the upcoming fundraiser for the Rotary Club here.  I have participated in this event for almost five years this time around living and working here for my husband in Beijing.  However, I usually travel back and forth several times a year so I have the best of both worlds. We basically first came to China in 1985 and have lived all over the country due to my husbands business.  Now some of you might think how wonderful this is or isn't.  Depends on your point of view.  Travel wears you down after so long, there is always something you forget to bring with you or can't bring along due to weight and limits however, this time my husband graciously allowed me to use his allotment of luggage to bring my su goodies.  Naturally, I forgot to bring a sqare and oval punch, enough paper, but plenty of glue and tape.  Never enough stamps and lucky for me my IB&C and the current holiday mini.  If only I had the demonstrator option for China, can you imagine how many downlines I could work up too?  LOL

I head back to the States in January and will reload my goodie suitcases for next trip here.  By then the new catalog will be out and new stuff that none of us "can do without".  Next time I will travel smarter and have all of my cards, tags, bags and bows done in advance so I don't have to carry the whole "kitchen sink" so to speak.

Looking forward to posting again soon and maybe if I can get my camera to open the lens, I can take some photos of some of the items and the fundraiser to be held on the 20-21 of this month.

So so long for now, or how they say here:  zai jian  (pronounced:   sigh gin)

BTW, there is an elementary school behind our complex (the complex consists of 24 high rise apartments each with 21 floors or 18 if you discount the 4, 14, and13th floors)  and they are singing outside in their playyard right now.  The other day they were playing music from "I'm a little teapot", it was interesting to hear them sing it in Mandarin.  Cute. 

OMG, the walll drilling has started AGAIN!!!  and the workers don't go to lunch till Noon!!! It is now 10:30 a.m and they have been at this since 8:00 a.m.   :(

Summer Flys Away and School Begins !!!

Here we are one day away from September 1 and most schools have started and for those parents who are STILL WAITING FOR SCHOOL TO START?  It really is only a few days away so HANG IN THERE!!!

I have been very busy designing new goodies for the upcoming holidays and getting ready to order from the new holiday catalog that begins September 1, 2010 in case you are interested.   There are so many items I love personally but then again, Christmas is my MOST FAV of all the holidays.  

I have also been working on new "star albums" to share with party goers on September 23 at a workshop.  We are all making the Star Album design as that was the project requested by the hostess.   Don't think I plan on doing this each and every time for a workshop, but I believe all those attending have had LOTS of experience with paper creating so it should go rather smoothly and most of the work has already taken place.  Can't wait to see if every one enjoys this great project. 

It's Friday the Thirteenth ! ! !

Okay, so I'm not going anywhere today considering what day it is!  And now I know why the dog is giving me trouble such as eating my powdered drink inserts for water bottles, AND my lunch while I was on the phone. 

Oh what a surprise I just recieved!  Pam Morgan called from Stampin Up to chat with me.  ME no less and WOW was that a wonderful surprise.  She was so nice and friendly.  So you want to know what we talked about?  It's a secret.  Just kidding.  We talked about lots of things but also about our new recruiting efforts for new down lines.  If you have not participated in or signed to join the recruiting effort, I suggest that you do.  It is a great learning program and builds one's confidence.  These skills can be applied to any situation when dealing with people and by reenforcing listening skills it helps you as an individual re-focus on what is important when interacting with people.   Keep your fingers crossed for me, and oh yes, wish me luck on my new recruiting adventures as I try and become successful with adding a new recruit or two.  

Redoing Art Room

I have taken on the Herculaneum task of cleaning my art/stampin room.  I don't know why I bother.  I have the help of "Fred" the basset hound and let me tell you, this dog is unbelievable.  He sits in the suitcase looking for goodies, he tips over the trash and drags the paper scraps out.  He seems to only like paper, especially that paper that is in the trash can.  He even unrolls the toliet tissue rolls in the bathrooms.  He thinks he is helping I suppose to clean the room I've made such a mess of.  The downside of straightening the room is where to move things to get them out of the way.  This morning Fred and I surveyed the attic, and naturally he found lots of things to get into in the attic, especially my Christmas ribbon.  I would like to package him up with a bow and send him as a COD delivery.  That area is also over stored so to speak although  I suppose, I could get an extra large trash removal bin and start excvating out the window and then my husband would be relieved to see all the "junk" disappear.  I need to think more about this project!  So, I believe I will return to the computer and survey what others are doing today and search for enlightenment while Fred curls up in the wing-back chair and continues to chew on his bone that he previously hid under the rug on the floor.  I know he thinks he is hiding things while he works so hard to "dig" a hole in the blanket.  Poor dog.  He does have a large backyard to roam in but then that means he can't see me, be with me, and otherwise incratiate himself into my life by becoming "velcro" dog.  Oh well.

Convention Swap #3

This is my third Convention Swap and is an Origami Fold with Faux metal.
I used one 8.5 x 8.5 dsp of Sunny Garden, folded it on the diagonal. Folded in each side 4 inches. Took the left side and folded back the small point 1.5 inches, returned it upright and squashed it down in order to apply my faux metal stamp made with the vintage vogue stamp and embossed with gold powder.  That small triangle creates the envelop flap holder.  When you open the envelope you have two pockets in which you can place (ahhmmm, my business card) or photos.  You can attach this little envelope to a scrapebook page and also use it for keepsakes.  Simple, simple, simple but cute!  At least I think so. :)

Convention Swap #2

Convention Swap #2
Multiple techniques, I think I used 13 so this uses lots of products from our catalog.
Inks:  daffodil delight craft, basic black
Iridescent Ice embossisng powder, gold embossing powder
Dazzling Diamonds glitter
Ribbon:  Daffodil delight
Punch:  1 1/4 inch square
Stamps: Awash with Flowers, Eastern Blooms, Vintage Vogue
Papers:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight

Convention Card 1

This is one of my 2010 Convention swaps.  

Hand watercolored using watercolor pencils

Lattice embossing folder background 

Early Expresso ribbon 

Very Vanilla cs, 

large roller Very Vintage

Deminsionals under scallop oval

stamp Oval All

Back From Convention!!!

I am back!  I am tired! I had soooooo much fun meeting new friends, old friends and everyone else!  I was not thinking as I should have worn my milage clicky thing to see how many miles I walked.  I know it was LOTS!

Just got home, and it is still standing.  I remember leaving my stamping room in a mess, but geez, I didn't realize how bad it really was.  Good thing my hubby has not seen it in this condition as he was gone in another direction while I attended Convention.  So quickly straighten up and threw out paper scraps, lots of paper scraps.  I have spent the last day chasing cobwebs out of my house, unloading cards, looking at my goodies and other fun things as previously mentioned.

I think tomorrow I will be able to add all my cards so you can see what I made for Convention swaps.  Please bear with me.   First, I had to do lunch with my friends today (our usual Wednesday activity).   Tomorrow is already Thursday and we are having a major storm outside and here I am typing away on the computer.  LROTFL.  Better post before it goes up in a sizzle.

On A Roll

Okay, three projects now finished and bagged for SU Convention.  Two to go or maybe more.  Who knows.  I have things spread all over naturally and still many new ideas.  I can understand this delimma of making a decision as to what to make or even when to stop making things.  I can not say I'm following my own advise however.  LOL   Working from table to table and animal sitting my daughter's pets while she and family go to the beach to get warm and enjoy the sunshine.  They are having such a marvelous time and I'm sitting here in NY with rain, and more rain.  At least the grass is very, very, very green and the weeds are overtaking the flowers as I watch from the windows.  Okay!  Back to production and fun.