Helping Others, and a Win-Win

I am a member of an online community that I just adore -- anyone else know of Splitcoast Stampers? Hehehe -- www.splitcoaststampers.com is an amazing place... and I have to say, I sometimes don't tell my customers about it, because I want to be their ONLY source for stamping info -- TERRIBLE, I know, so I am getting OFF that!

Here is a good reason why: There is a chance to help others with donations to the Red Cross for Flood Relief! Just go here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/about/nonraffle

The Non-Raffle is a chance for you to donate to a good cause, and potentially win some amazing creations and/or supplies that have been donated by an incredible group of stamping enthusiasts! I hope you will consider donating.

Now, I am very much on the fence: My DH is going to be job hunting! His last day is on Monday... we have known this day was coming for a year, since he is on a contract and HAS to leave the place of employment for 100 days before he can work there again... I am not sure how much faith to have... this economy, not knowing how things will fall with getting interviews and finding that next job... sigh.

We've prepared for this time -- we have a little saved up, and there SHOULD be unemployment (I never believe that until it is approved and the checks start coming) but the COBRA payments are near the amount of our mortgage! GRRRR... How are folks making it these days? Let alone if there is an emergency, like the flooding! Lord, please help us all...

Anyway... I am seeking something hopeful and beautiful to post today, too:



This card was made for Julie Ebersole's class Simply Great Card Design, at My Creative Classroom. I ended up giving it as a wedding card, as I thought it was elegant enough, but not overly "lovey-dovey" as the bride and groom were just more "sensible" and design-oriented ;^)*
Combined with a heartfelt note inside, I think it did the trick. The stamps are Impression Obsession (delft tile) in the corners, and the center stamp is a backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms -- don't you love how they went together? I could put crystals on everything... but I seem to be stingy about them... gotta get OVER that!!! I keep telling my DD -- USE the stuff -- don't hoard it! I am going to start being a better example. The card is 6 1/2 inches square, mounted on matt board! Thanks for looking!

Hugs,
Julie

Why I haven't blogged...

How did it get to be July already???! And almost August, at that!~

Sigh.

Here's the deal with the blogging, for anyone who might wanna know...

I got "cute" and created a new email address and all when I made this blog -- but that means that I have to sign out of my regular email and (can you believe...) *concentrate on one thing* when I blog... so it is a deterrent to my actually getting stuff written and posted ;^)*

Poor excuse, I know.

I have been making a few cards -- though honestly, I have been taking a LOT more time for my little girls. My eldest is 5 1/2 and my younger daughter is 2 1/2 -- both are incredibly demanding, and I am still not sleeping through the night as the younger one wakes about once per night on most nights. Grrr...

Very few classes happening -- I am making my minimums as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator -- but there are sooooooo many cool things out there, that I can't limit myself (hehehe...)

Anyone read Joan on Paperlicious? She's been posting about the money she is spending/not spending... it is such an easy hobby to drop the BUCKS on! (grin) I mean, I hate to shop for most things, but art supplies? Come on! They ALWAYS come in my size ;^)*

I figure, if you came here, you probably want to see some cards... let's see what I can find after all these months --

Oh, yeah -- lame excuse for not blogging #37: I am not on top of taking/downloading/editing/watermarking my photos of cards... so you get the unwatermarked kind... sorry. Don't steal 'em, please!
This card was made for the Lizzie Anne Designs Anniversary Sketch challenge. It is my most recent one. I had a good time coloring, but there were things wrong with it -- and I didn't have much time, and it didn't even get a mention. Still, I enjoyed making it. The butterfly was me channeling Lauren Meader ;^)* Hi, Lauren! I love you!!!

I should have way more cards -- I mean, I have been a LUCKY girl -- in addition to buying oodles of stamps, I have won some amazing ones! I was soooooo fortunate to have won Asela's set from Gina K. called Botanical Dreams and Simply Sentiments from Lizzie Anne Designs, too. (Wish it could have been Le Jardin or the Space set, or the Princess set... but ah, well, it was free... anyone want to trade? (grin) Seriously, I am one of the very luckiest folks I know... and I am soooooo grateful for that! I believe you can MAKE your own luck, and that talking about it helps it to grow! Begin today... :^)

Ok, another card... you will have to forgive the lack of recipes... I am playing with lots of types of paper... Prism textured cardstock is something worth trying and usually there is SU paper in there... I am generally using Prismacolor and Gamsol for blending... not spending the money for copics at this point.

Here's one from this inspiration:




You just never know where inspiration is going to hit...

One thing that happened in my personal life is that we had to put down one of our family dogs -- after 13 1/2 years , that was TOUGH. I had been putting off the decision, but she was having a terrible time getting around, and life was no longer fun for her... on Passover, April 19th, she left us. Here is a card inspired by her: (The sentiment was ordered from Impression Obsession, I believe -- I am adoring their sentiments and images!) It is going to be a place for journalling about Josie, as I am in the middle of a scrapbook/tribute page to her. I miss her so much -- we had a novena candle burning for over 60 days for her to light her journey to the "other side"






Soooooo -- now you have at least SOMETHING to look at -- and thanks Keri for gently getting me back over here. I am so inspired by so many GREAT blogs -- it is wayyyyyy tooo easy to sit back and just blog surf instead of creating and blogging myself! Yikes.

Anyway... Thanks to all of you who visit here, and I hope to be blogging more... your comments DO encourage me! Thanks for being in touch... I do love that!
Julie

My Creative Classroom...

On Julie Ebersole's blog she talks about courses that she will be offering on My Creative Classroom.

Wouldn't it be cool to take these courses for free???

Well, here is a contest... and I am getting pretty good at contests ;^)* (Wahoo... I won one at Amuse and another at Gina K. Designs... sheer luck, but I am one of the luckiest people I know. Wanna know a "secret"? Luck gets BETTER the more you talk about it! So chat it up, folks -- we can MAKE our own luck!)

From the MCC website:

As part of our upcoming Grand Opening Celebration My Creative Classroom is hosting a logo contest to help us promote our website. All we ask is that you post our logo and/or the Grand Opening event information on your blog/website or public message board. In return you will be entered into a raffle drawing. 1st place is a $100 gift certificate to My Creative Classroom.Here's what you need to do to qualify:

• 5 tickets/entries=Post our logo with a link on your blog or website
• 2 tickets/entries=Blog about MCC and create a link to our website
• 1ticket/entry=Add MCC to your link list
• 1 ticket/entry=Post about MCC on a public message board (where allowed, please do not post on boards where it is against their TOU.)

You can begin to collect entries at anytime. Links and logos must be active through February 2nd. Winner will be announced on February 2nd.

Have fun, everyone!

A new year - A word - and an explaination

Hi -- it has been a while. Not that I don't like to blog, I do -- but I got into trouble with a "Blogging Obligation" == Let me explain:

I typed to the UHU folks and got a free gluestick -- I only had to write a review. I hated the glue stick, because I really hate gluesticks for most things... not because the gluestick was really bad (it was good enough for my kids...) I just don't like the things. So -- I haven't typed. I didn't want to put that in writing, or was avoiding it, or something. I will write a more "formal" review soon, but there -- it is out, and I can start typing again ;^)*

Now -- for the WORD part. Evidently, folks who follow Ali Edwards have been taking on a little game of sharing their words for the year... this is something that I think many people do: find some word or idea that seems to surface for them, and watch it as it takes form in their lives. Ali does it at the new year, I tend to watch for the change of seasons and do it more often... or to see if there is a natural cycle happening in my life, or the lives of my family. Lots of words pop up, as I began life as a writer...

So -- for the new year, these are two words that are battling it out:

FOCUS:verb
Inflected Form(s): fo·cused also fo·cussed; fo·cus·ing also fo·cus·sing

Some meanings: to cause to be concentrated ; to bring (as light rays) to a focus; concentrate;
to come to a focus; converge; to adjust one's eye or a camera to a particular range; to concentrate attention or effort.

AND a close runner up...

PRESENT: (in all its forms, but especially as an adjective describing a way of being. I also like the idea of a gift that is sitting in front of me -- TODAY _is_ a present! and the idea of Giving or "presenting" something to others...)

Some meanings: now existing or in progress; being in view or at hand ; existing in something mentioned or under consideration; constituting the one actually involved, at hand, or being considered; of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of present time or the time of speaking; attentive; instant; immediate.

If you like this idea, Lisa Strahl's blog has a great post where she and others comment about their words HERE or Stephanie Severin's blog HERE

Happy New Year to you all -- and thank you for being so understanding about my long absence!

Vote for My Card! (check it out...)

My card is on Korin's blog, Inkydoodle -- and it has a chance of winning!
Please visit and vote for me if you like it ;^)*
Tell others who might vote!

The blog artwork contest entries have been posted and voting has begun:

http://inkydoodle.blogspot.com/2007/09/national-stamping-month-artwork-contest.html

Sewing on Cards -- I wanna try this...

I just read the most amazing tutorial on Julia Stainton's blog, Belle Papier {Pretty Paper} , about machine stitching on cards. Wowzers -- Great Work, Gal! Y'all should read it.

Have any of you ever sewn on cards? If anyone is reading this and can offer encouragement, lemme know. I have this small hand-held machine I was gifted, but I don't think I am even going to try it.

I wanna find an inexpensive machine to try and just see how it works. Straight stitching and zig-zag is all a person could ask for in the short term, I think... but I don't wanna pay $150 or more for something that I won't use.

Can anyone offer me some thoughts?

The Scor-Pal Scores BIG -- and I mean it!

Wow. Have you ever met a tool that was so freakin' well-designed that it just blows you away?

For a long time I had been eye-ing one of those scoring boards -- the kind that promise the world... and sort of deliver. They are expensive... they are heavy... they seem to do one thing... they take up a lot of room...

Well, when I saw the Scor-Pal ( go to http://scor-pal.com/) -- I immediately Got It -- I mean, I have been in engineering all my life... and this is one Cool Tool.

Lemme tell you about it:

It is light weight
It is sturdy
You can do MULTIPLE scores WITHOUT MOVING YOUR PAPER
The tool has a great storage place and there is a hidden place for an extra tool to be kept
It is simple to use *elegance is a cornerstone of good design!
It is easy to use with all sizes of paper
No kid can get hurt with this one!

Diana Crick is a Stampin' Up! demo with a background in tool making, it is obvious -- and she has now even "improved" the design by adding a few extra scoring "slots" that will make the tool even MORE useful to me.

Diana is also responsive, interested and interesting -- very open and easy to communicate with -- and wow -- she is even making it easy to upgrade to the new version of the Scor-Pal if you already own one but want the newer version. In short, the designer and producer of this product is a Doll!

So -- WE CAN HELP! Even if you are not someone who makes tons of cards and feels that you have to own one -- having a Scor-Pal as a tool in the Stampin' Up! catalog would be a GREAT thing for demos. First, it is a nicely priced item to sell (think about your return on selling one of these... yes!) and it is Quality all the way -- I LOVE selling a quality item. Also, if people are using the Scor-pal they are using PAPER... think increased paper sales ;^)* Stampin' Up! should definitely consider it. It would sit right along side the Fiskars cutting tool, or the Guillotine cutter that they are selling... mine travels to workshops because it is so light... but I can't show it! Sigh...

So -- type to ds@stampinup.com and let them know that the Scor-Pal, designed by a Stampin' Up! demonstrator should BE IN THE STAMPIN' UP! catalog. After all, the Crop-a-dile is finally in there... this would complete the perfect picture. Tell 'em what you think!