Stamps, Paper, Scissors

Missed the bus...

I had signed up for the Controlfreaks Occasions mini swap, but due to all kinds of issues, between getting all the holiday stuff done, husband's health issues, my new job, and what-not, I had to drop out of the swap. I will be kicking myself as I look at all the marvelous swaps on the others' blogs, but you gotta do what you gotta do. This was the first time I had ever dropped out of a swap and I felt really bad about it.

Fortunately, we finally got ourselves straightened out and had a lovely Christmas. My husband is doing much better and even went to church with us on Christmas Eve and again the Sunday after and he plans to continue going, which was THE best gift I got for Christmas. We opened our gifts on Christmas morning and had a lovely family time and great dinner, then yesterday we went to Kalamazoo to celebrate with our parents...a very quick visit, as I had to be back here today to work. I spent a couple of lovely days just cooking dinner, eating, reading, and dozing, and hardly any time in front of the computer.

But although I missed the swap bus, I do have the card I was considering using for my swap to show. Lookie:

Ingredients: Stamps - Baby Blassoms, Occasional Quotes; Paper - Springtime Vintage DSP, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz, Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy; Ink - Rose Red, Pear Pizzaz, Not Quite Navy, So Saffron; Other - Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Framed Tulips Textured Impressions embossing folder, gold brads, dimensionals, Rose Red 5/8" Seam Binding, sponge wedges, Vintage Flower Adornments

Yes, it is breathtakingly GOJUS, is it not? (YILM!) I don't know if I would have been able to do 28 of these without going absolutely bonkers, but sadly, did not have a chance to try. I hope my fellow freaks will forgive me for not sending them one of these!

Thanks for continuing to hang in her with me as I find my feet with my new job. I'm starting to finally feel like I know what I am doing...some of the time, anyway! Ta!

 

It's a Freaky Sneaky Peeky!

Welcome to the December Freak's Blog Tour, where your intense, passionate desire to see all the new SCHTUFF coming up in Stampin' Up!'s new Occasions mini catalog and Sale-A-Brations brochure is about to be gratified!

If you came by Connie Babbert's blog, you are in the right place! If you started here, fear not, you will be able to get all the way around the tour if you just keep clicking onward at the bottom of each post.

While I haven't had a whole lot of time to stamp lately, I managed to come up with a couple of cards to show you for the tour! Both my cards feature the new set "Nature Walk". Lookie:

Ingredients: Stamps - Nature Walk, Occasional Quotes; Paper - So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Botanical Gazette DSP, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Old Olive; Ink - Early Espresso, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron; Markers - So Saffron, Marina Mist, Early Espresso; Other - Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Modern Label Punch, Color Spritzer Tool, Framed Tulips Textured Impressions folder, paper piercing tool, Old Olive and Early Espresso 3/8" taffeta ribbon, dimensionals, gold brads

OMGOJUS!!! (YILM!) I must say I am seriously addicted to this new embossing folder and can't stop using it!

You may be looking at the bird and asking yourself, HOW did she manage to watercolor over Early Espresso ink without making it run? Hee hee...That's a little secreto of mine that I hope to reveal later in the week in the form of a video tutorial, sadly lacking on this blog lately. I hope to get some breathing space this week and crank out more than one!

Now, are you ready for even MORE stampin' jeenyus? I hope so, 'cause lookie:

Ingredients: Stamps - Nature Walk, Occasional Quotes, Woodgrain; Paper - Marina Mist, So Saffron, Very Vanilla; Ink - Early Espresso, Old Olive, Marina Mist, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla; Other - Medium Jewelry Tag punch, Metallic brads, Vintage Trinkets, linen thread, 3/8" Old Olive Taffeta ribbon, dimensionals, sponge wedges.

Yes, I combined the Woodgrain technique with this embossing folder, producing the look of carved wood. I know, I know! Sheer STAMPIN' JEENYUS and GOJUS to boot! (YILM!) I had this notion for a naturalist's sketchbook and it just evolved from there.

I again used my special technique with watercoloring the images on this card. Stay tuned later for a tutorial on it!

And now, you must onward travel to Ilina Crouse's blog. Ta!

Slowly but surely...

The new structure of my work week is starting to take shape. The beginning of the week is slower and probably when I will get some stamping time in. The end of the week is when the work starts flowing in. It should change once January gets here, once work starts to pick up. Fancy, people don't like going to the doctor just before Christmas! Who woulda thunk it?

I hope to be more prolific in my stamping AND my posting once I get a pattern that I can depend on. It doesn't help at all to stamp if you don't post, I always say. For instance, this next card we actually made at my last workshop which was at the end of October and I simply have not had time to post it! But here goes!

Ingredients: Stamps - Tags 'til Christmas, Baroque Motifs, Grateful Greetings; Paper - Cherry Cobbler, Brushed Gold, Whisper White, Old Olive; Ink - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive; Other - Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Decorative Label Punch, Ornament Punch, Movers & Shapers die, Basic Jewels, dimensionals.

Isn't it GOJUS?!?!?! (YILM!) Actually, I should say, this is the card we were SUPPOSED to have done, but yours truly cut the bases the wrong way so that we couldn't send them through the Big Shot to cut the M&S window in the front.

Bad Jan! Bad Jan!!!

It just goes to show, there is always SOMTHIN' (thanks Rosanna Rosanna Danna!) So we just made a simpler card.

Luckily, I got all my work done yesterday so I can stamp today! And it's a good day to stamp for two reasons:

We are getting dumped on with a big snowstorm! Good reason to stay home and stamp!

-and-

My Occasions Mini preorder schtuff came on Friday! So I am going to play all day! Woohoo! Ta!

 

What a week!

I started my new job on Monday. I only transcribed a couple of files just to start out. The next day, I got 3 files. "Gee," I thought, "When does the work start?"

Little did I know that the doctor who is my main account came back on Wednesday (was not supposed to be back until Thursday.) And he had been there on Monday too, so all of a sudden, he started uploading a ton of dictation. So I've been busy for the past few days!

Of course, I'm dreadfully slow, but I'm slowly speeding up. My first paycheck...well, nothing to write home to Mother about, but it is all money I didn't have before! I submitted my first set of invoices on Friday, which was an interesting experience too. I am an independent contractor, you see. So I have to handle my own taxes, etc.

So while I started making a card on Tuesday, when I had a bit of free time, it wasn't until today that I actually got to finish it. Lookie:

Ingredients: Stamps - Merry Crittermas; Paper - Candy Cane Christmas DSP, Blushing Bride, Real Red, Garden Green, Whisper White; Ink - Basic Black; Markers - Crumb Cake, Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand; Other - Galaxy & Cosmo Fine Glitter, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2-way glue, Quickie glue pen, 5/8" Real Red satin ribbon, Scallop Border Punch, dimensionals.

OMAwesome!!! (YILM!) I chose this stamp because of one of Emily's friends, who likes Justin Bieber. I had found this graphic tee at Rue21 and picked it up for her, and she can pay me for it when she can. This little beaver made me chuckle, though, thinking maybe his name is Justin too? LOL

I decided that if I was using this glittery DSP, I should make Justin's outfit glittery as well:

For the edge of the mat, I just used my 2-way glue pen, but for the smaller areas, I used something we don't sell called "Quickie Glue Pen"...yes, I admit, I used CONTRABAND! {sob!}

Oh well, it got the results I wanted, eh?

Off to work some more on one kit I have to get in the mail on Monday and other schtuff. Y'all come back now, hear? Ta!