Created with Ink

Craft Fair--Saturday, Nov. 12

2011-11-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

I'm all set up and ready! This photo doesn't even show everything in my booth. And, don't forget...my tablemate makes FABULOUS peanut brittle! The craft fair is going to be great...I was impressed with the other vendors who were also setting up tonight! Stop by tomorrow and say hello! Everyone at St. Paul would love to see you!

Craft Fair--Saturday, Nov. 12

2011-11-11T04:34:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow my church, St. Paul United Methodist, is hosting its annual craft fair. It runs from 9-4 and entry is FREE. I will be there with many of my holiday gifts, plus other cards and crafts. I'd love for you to come by and visit! St. Paul is located at 852 W. Bedford Euless Rd, between Melbourne and Precinct Line...over by Northeast Mall. Call or email me if you need more info!

Christmas Card Buffet

2011-11-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

It's time once again to start thinking about Christmas cards, and my Christmas card buffet can help you do that! The next 10 posts (labelled CCB #X) are the ten choices of Christmas cards. It works just like a buffet...you take what you like and you take as much as you like. Order in sets of four, and every four cards is $6. I will have your supplies cut and ready when you attend the class. The class is on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 9 a.m. or anytime after 5:30. When you RSVP, tell me how many cards you would like to make and which cards you would like to make. To avoid any confusion, please give me the card number as well as the description I have in the post. I would appreciate RSVPs sooner rather than later, but can accept RSVPs as late as Dec. 4. :)

CCB #10--Present, Gingerbread Man, Tree

2011-11-10T08:56:00.001-08:00

CCB #9--Three Stockings

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CCB #8--Top Note Die Nativity

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CCB #7--Colorful Trees

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CCB #6--Three Snowflakes

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CCB #5--Snowmen on Sled

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CCB #4--Dear Santa

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CCB #3--Bethlehem Scene

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CCB #2--Piled Up Snowmen

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CCB #1--Pennant Punch Trees

2011-11-10T08:45:00.001-08:00

Christmas Gifts class--Nov. 18 and/or 19

2011-11-10T08:23:00.001-08:00

The next few posts include many of the details about the projects you see in the photo. These are all part of my annual Holiday Gifts class. You can come over, be creative and accomplish some of those small gifts on your "to do" list. Please let me know how many of which gifts you'd like to make and which day you plan to attend. I will be offering the class on Friday, Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. and again on Saturday morning from 9-noon. Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, Nov. 16 in order for me to have all your supplies purchased and prepped!

Christmas Gifts--Ornaments and Packaging

2011-11-10T08:13:00.001-08:00

Presentation is part of the fun when packaging holiday gifts! Use these fun boxes, bags, and gift card holders or for a final touch on a gift you've wrapped, tie on a cookie cutter tree ornament! The Rudolph ($3) and the stocking ($2)have a box "sandwiched" between that would be perfect for a small gift or gift card. The candy cane and snowflake medallions dress up a plain brown bag ($3 each) and could be taken off to hang on the tree. The embossed snowman gift card holder ($1) holds the "credit card" style gift cards. And, finally, the assorted cookie cutter ornaments (2.50 each) would make a fun gift topper that would double as a tree decoration!

Christmas Gifts--Dry Erase Boards and Post It Notes

2011-11-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

These are some fun and useful gifts! The dry erase boards come with an easel to make them stand up and a dry erase marker. You can have your choice of ribbon colors (Basic Black, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight or Marina Mist.) Dry erase boards are $11 each. The desk top Post It Note holders fold flat and the create their own easel for standing up. These come with a matching pen. Choose from Certainly Celery with Garden Green or Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, and Melon Mambo. Post It Note holders are $4.50 each.

Christmas Gifts--Candy!

2011-11-10T08:01:00.001-08:00

Candy boxes are always a fun holiday treat! Choose from the sliders (Whoppers with snow; Junior Mints with penguins; or Milk Duds with a snowman). Each box of "movie style" candy with the decorations is $3.00. Two more fun choices include the Holly Jolly Christmas box filled with four Hershey's Miniatures for $1.50 or the Embossed Window Box filled with soft peppermints for $3.

Christmas Gifts--Framed Art

2011-11-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

Here are the choices for the Framed Art Christmas Gifts. Each of them come with the frame. The Christmas tree of circles is $10; snowman is $8 and the Come to Bethlehem scene is $4.

Think Pink Fundraising Class

2011-10-14T14:40:00.001-07:00

These are three of the six cards we will be making at Nikki's Think Pink Fundraising Class. She is trying to raise $2300 to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk. The class is Thursday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. or anytime after 5:00 p.m. Cost is $30...a little higher than normal card classes, but that's because it's for a good cause! And, I give 100% of your $30 to Nikki! Please invite your friends and let me know if you can come by Tuesday. We'd love to have a HUGE turnout! Oh, and if you can't come, but want to help...we will make your cards for you. Just let me know!

Quilting: Stampin' Up! Style

2011-10-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! has come out with some beautiful fabrics that coordinate with their designer papers. I was inspired by the Spice Cake fabric to make some fall leaves. I've never really had any quilting instruction, so I make up how to do it as I go along. I thought it turned out pretty well. I made the first block and then decided to make three more and add some borders to turn it into a wall hanging.

The way Stampin' Up! sells their fabrics is in a package of three extra-wide fat quarters for $9.95. It really is a good deal. My next sewing adventure will use the Holly Berry and Candy Cane Christmas fabrics. I can't wait to try it...we'll see if I can make Christmas trees as well as I can make fall leaves! Such fun...or should I say...sew fun!

Stamped Sugar Cookies Experiment--Final Results

2011-10-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

The final results were overall pretty good. Here are the three that worked so you can compare them all together: Clockwise from the top: bag mix, then pre-portioned dough, then Stampin' Up! recipe.

Since I am always honest with you about products, here are the questions I asked myself:

1. Did they taste good? YES, especially the Stampin' Up! recipe. :)

2. Were they easy to make? YES to all three types.

3. Would I go to the trouble to make these for a large party? Probably not...the WOW factor just isn't there.

4. Will I use the other presses that come in the package? YES...I'm thinking about the snowflakes being white with peppermint flavoring and the hearts being pink with raspberry or strawberry flavoring. Next time, I might only stamp half of them and then make sandwich cookies with frosting. In my world, frosting makes everything better. :)

5. If Stampin' Up! came out with more cookie stamps, would I buy them? YES

Feel free to ask me any questions about this process. It was fun to do the experiment. My family was thrilled that I was making four types of sugar cookies all in one afternoon!

Sugar Cookie Experiment--Part 5: Stampin' Up! Recipe

2011-10-14T14:00:00.001-07:00

Well, surprise, surprise! The recipe that Stampin' Up! included in the cookie press package worked the best. Yes, it is a "from scratch" recipe, but it is NOT hard! I mixed up and again added the orange color and flavor and then used my small cookie scoop to make the cookies a consistent size. I had a little trouble with the stamp sticking, so I dipped the stamp in a little flour before stamping and it worked perfectly! They baked up very nicely and were delicious! There are two recipes included in the package...one is for sugar cookies (the one I used) and the other is for shortbread. I haven't tried the shortbread ones, but the sugar ones taste a lot like shortbread. They were delicious. Have I mentioned that already?

Sugar Cookie Experiment--Part 4: Mix in a Bag

2011-10-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Since this was the dry ingredients in a bag and all I had to do was add butter and eggs, I decided to add a few extra ingredients: mainly some orange food coloring and orange extract. It at least made it look more like a jack-o-lantern and tasted a yummy orange flavor. These stamped very well and baked up pretty good. You can see the results in the photos. The very first photo is the baked cookies; the second one is the stamped, not yet baked cookies. Oh, one more thing I did was roll them out and then use a biscuit cutter to make all the circles even. It worked very well!

Sugar Cookie Experiment--Part 3: Slice ' Bake

2011-10-14T13:40:00.001-07:00

Slice 'n Bake didn't work at all! When I tried to stamp them, they just made a mess. Once they were baked, you couldn't tell anything had ever been stamped...probably because the stamping was never successful in the first place. Slice 'n Bake plus cookie stamps equals complete disaster!

Sugar Cookie Experiment--Part 2: Preportioned Dough

2011-10-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

The first kind of cookie dough I tried was the pre-portioned ready-made dough. At first I thought it had good potential; however when it was baked the image was there, but didn't really stand out. Also, the taste was okay...I mean, it's a Pillsbury cookie...of course it is going to be fine, but you can't add anything to the pre-portioned dough and with the image stamped on the top you can't add frosting. Ultimately it was kind of a boring sugar cookie. :(

Stamped Sugar Cookies Experiment--Part 1

2011-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! just came out with the cookie press. Yes, you can stamp your cookies now! I love to cook and bake and thought this would be great fun! I know that not everyone loves to be in the kitchen, however, so I decided I would experiment with all the kinds of sugar cookies out there and see what worked best. Read on for the results...

Silent Auction Boxes

2011-10-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to be asked to bake something for the Fall Festival at my church! I had almost as much fun making the boxes to display my baked goods as I did baking them! Both of these started out as plain 10" by 10" cake boxes. I used my Coluzzle and cut out the giant openings and taped a window sheet in from the back side. Then I made the borders and tags and added the letters. I thought the decorated boxes would add value to the items...it was a silent auction. I made two sets of each item and thankfully they all did get bids. :) Chris thought about bidding on the apple pies...my mom's recipe is FABULOUS. If I were going to bid, I would have definitely gone for the lemon cupcakes!

Cards in the Mail--Out on a Limb!

2011-09-29T14:14:00.001-07:00

Out on a Limb is such a cute stamp set from the Holiday Mini! I'm using it for my Cards in the Mail card kit for the rest of Sept and early Oct. You order the stamp set and for an extra $10, I will provide all the consumable ingredients to make 8 cards (four of each of two designs). I will have your card stock cut to the right size and textured if necessary (you can see the web design behind the owl and the dots under the witch). You need to own just a few basic stamping supplies. If you are a beginning stamper, this is a great way to get started on owning some basic supplies and being able to complete a project right away! Please let me know if you need more information.

10 Minute Cards Class--Wednesday, Oct. 12

2011-09-29T14:09:00.001-07:00

Create 10 cards, each taking 10 minutes or less to recreate! These are a variety of occasion cards, with a fall theme. If you'd like more than one set of cards, just let me know when you RSVP. This class is on Wed., Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. or anytime after 5 p.m. The cost is $20 for 10 cards. The RSVP date is Oct. 10.

Halloween Class--Oct. 4

2011-09-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

No tricks, only treats at this class! Create four Halloween-themed cards, three treat containers, one double page 12" by 12" scrapbook layout and a 12" by 12" home decor item. (The frame is not included.) Cost is $20 and the class date is Tuesday, Oct. 4 at either 10 a.m. or anytime after 5 p.m. Please RSVP prior by Sunday, Oct. 2 so I can have all your supplies cut and ready for you! I'd love for you to join me for some Happy Halloween stamping!

Designer Paper Wreath

2011-09-29T13:54:00.001-07:00

Stampin' Up! has a new product called the Simply Scored Scoring Tool! It is AWESOME! It is marked every 1/8" for easy scoring and comes with three place markers and a stylus. It is $29.95. I used the new scoring tool to make these rosettes to put on this wreath. I have to give my good friend Paula credit for the design...didn't she do a beautiful job?!?! I have plans to make more of these wreaths for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Once you get them scored with the new scoring tool, they go together so quickly! It does take a lot of hot glue, though...see post below. :) My wreath is not entirely finished...I still need to add the bow and two more 5/8" Very Vanilla brads. I was so excited about having made it that I wanted to post it right away. I'll have another post when my order comes in and it is truly complete!

Crafting Tip of the Day

2011-09-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here's some free advice: When you are crafting and you have covered all table space, take some time to clean up! No matter how tempted you are, DO NOT (I repeat DO NOT) use your knee as a surface to hot glue on. :) Yep, ask me how I know!!

Whoopie Pies!

2011-09-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

We always do a fun treat for the teachers at the girls' school for the end of the first week. This year for something new and different we tried Whoopie Pies. They were a hit! We made five different kinds. I believe the red velvet with cream cheese filling was the favorite at the school. My personal favorite was the lemon cream!! I made the sign so everyone would know the flavors. It was fun to use the Bright colors with my Simple Letters alphabet dies and to make the border with my Tasteful Trim die cut for the Big Shot. If I had to take only one die cut to a desert island, it would be Tasteful Trim...I love it! It can take the place of most ribbons or can be a whole border on a 12" by 12" page. Thankfully I don't think I will be doing any desert island stamping anytime soon, but at least you know what I'd pack if I had to. Oh, and it would be nice to have a lemon cream whoopie pie on the island too. :)

Summer Scrapbook Pages

2011-09-15T19:06:00.001-07:00

Here are some pages from a recent scrapbook class. I used stamps from the Summer Mini. I love to design pages and then find photos later to fill in. I actually have already filled these in, and it is very rewarding to just trim a few photos and have a full layout done! I'll post the finished pages soon...they look so cute with photos on them!

Back to School

2011-09-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted! I always have good intentions of posting daily, but I always fall short! The girls are back in school and I'm back to having quiet days around the house to craft. I've been busy...I've gotten lots of projects done lately...I'll go ahead and say that I'll post them on my blog and then I probably won't...ha ha!! Trust me, time passes so quickly that when I go to the blog and see that the last time I posted was several MONTHS back, I just can't believe it!

Enough about my shortcomings. Let's talk about these awesome photos from my good friend Mary Morris. She came up with the chalkboard/speech bubble idea. I made them, and then she took the photos. I got the best end of that deal! And, she's the ONLY one who can make Ellen smile like that! LOVE these photos!!

Strength and Hope Card Class--For a Good Cause!

2011-07-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more samples of cards that use the Strength and Hope stamp set. Strength and Hope is a stamp set that Stampin' Up! is donating $2 from every sale to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I am having a class on July 26 using the set and all the profits from my class go to my good friend Nicole Young's fundraising efforts for her 3-Day Walk for the Cure. If you'd like to come to the class, please contact me immediately so I can get your stamp set ordered and here in time for the class!

45 Years Together continued

2011-07-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the final gift all framed and ready to be given to my parents. (They loved it, by the way!) And here's a photo of Elizabeth...it was NOT her idea to hold the letter still and look at the camera. If you look very closely at her photo in the frame, you can see her dad's finger at the very bottom holding it straight and still. And, thank goodness for rapid burst photography...why didn't I have a camera that did that when my girls were little? Regardless of how she holds the "E" she is absolutely adorable!!

45 Years Together

2011-07-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

My parents celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in June. For a gift, I covered the letters that spell LOVE in Stampin' Up! bright designer series papers and took an individual photo of each of the kids. See the next post for the final gift (and why I had to take individual photos) ha ha!!

You Make Me Feel...

2011-07-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

Here's a photo of my sister and me with our birthday cards (see previous post for details). I have countless funny stories about us, but this photo reminded me of one of my favorite memories. Please notice that Julie is quite a bit taller than I am...this is KEY to this story! One time, Julie came up and stood next to me and said, "You make me feel so tall." and I responded with "You make me feel so pretty!" I'm certain I understand now why she picked the card that she did.

Julie's Birthday Card

2011-07-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

So, way back in December, I got this birthday card from my sister. I decided at that moment that I was going to send her the same card, only I was going to make it...because...of course, I make cards! So, after three hours of intense cutting, here is my birthday card for her. She didn't remember the card she had sent, but thankfully I remembered to bring it with me to remind her. By the way, the inside of the card reads: "Sisters teach us that." Yes, you CAN still love them. :)

Andrew's Birthday Card

2011-07-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

My sweet nephew turned 5 this summer. I made him this card with the cute Fox and Friends stamp set. I love these monkeys, and of course, the Big Shot #5 helps make this card super simple!

Church Welcome Bags

2011-06-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for flower stamps...always have been! These are all old Stampin' Up! stamps that have been retired for years, but are still beautiful! I really enjoyed making these bags for the bread ministry at my church. When you visit St. Paul, sometime during the following week a church member brings fresh baked bread to you in one of these bags. There's also some info about the church. We really like for people to feel welcome. If you'd like one of these bags, I know how you can get one. :) My favorite one is the hydrangeas...followed closely by the daisies...and that Tasteful Trim die cut just finishes them off perfectly!

Summer Mini Open House!

2011-06-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is the "open and closed" version of a twist card we are making Tuesday evening at my Summer Mini Open House! This stamp set is called Touch of Kindness and when I saw these super sweet and whimsical images, I knew I'd have to have it! This Summer Mini is FULL of fun products...come over and check them out! The Open House is Tuesday, June 21 anytime after 5. I DO need you to RSVP as soon as possible so I have plenty of supplies cut and ready. This event is FREE! (And, BONUS...I do have the new 2011-2012 new catalogs...however, this IS NOT a NEW CATALOG Open House, but of course I will share!!) Come stamp with me! Hope to see you Tuesday evening!

Happy Flag Day!

2011-06-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! It's Flag Day...and that is my FAVORITE holiday! Why Flag Day, you ask? It's because it is a totally low maintenance holiday...you don't have to prepare a meal, wrap a gift, or send a card...but...if you see a flag flying, it looks nice and you can enjoy it! Now, don't get me wrong, I do LOVE lots of other holidays!! This year, we actually did work at celebrating Flag Day...we finally have a flag flying outside! I couldn't be happier! And, thanks to the wonderful Summer Mini, I made a flag card! Maybe later today I'll make one of those flag cakes...you know the ones with blueberries in one corner and strawberries making the stripes. It's going to be a great day! I hope you have a wonderful Flag Day too!

Strength and Hope Card Class--For a Good Cause!

2011-06-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

Strength and Hope Card Class: Tentative Dates of Tuesday, July 19 or Tuesday, July 26...it will only be ONE or the OTHER; I'll let you know as soon as I know. Strength and Hope is a beautiful new stamp set that Stampin' Up! is donating $2 from the purchase of to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I will donate 100% of my commission and the profit from the class to my good friend Nicole Young's 3 Day Walk for the Cure fundraising efforts. This is a great way to support a great cause in multiple ways! Here's how the class will work: You purchase the set and come over to make 6 cards with your stamp set. The set is yours to keep! Please RSVP prior to July 5 so I have plenty of time to get the order placed.

Choose one of the following:
• wood mounted set plus class fee is $31.38
• clear mounted set* (no block) plus class fee is $26.62
• clear mounted set* plus clear block "D" plus class fee is $36.74

*If you order the clear mounted set, you will need a block to make your set work.

Nicole and I would love for you to join us. It's fun to stamp for a cause!

Playful Polka Dots Card Class

2011-06-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Playful Polka Dots is a new Simply Scrappin' Kit in the Summer Mini! It has such bright and fun colors that it just called out to me to make cards with it! Someday I should actually make a scrapbook with one of these kits. :) The card class is offered Tuesday, July 12 anytime after 5; however I need RSVPs prior to June 28 so I have time to get the order in. Cost is $20. Plan to come...I'd love to have you stamp with me!

I'm STILL here!

2011-06-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that 6 months slipped by and I haven't posted a single thing! Believe me, I've been creating...probably even more than usual. The last posts show Christmas events...well, Christmas wore me out and then I took January off from "business stuff" to concentrate on Ellen's birthday and get ready to start new classes in the spring. Our spring turned out to have some unexpected happenings and things just didn't get back on track. All of a sudden I had all sorts of stamping obligations for school, church, personal friends, etc and classes took a backseat to life in general! Thankfully everything is better now and I have a few events planned for the summer. And, I promise I will have a full line up of fun classes in the fall. In the meantime, plan to come over and stamp this summer. And, I will be posting ideas and projects from the last 6 months over the next few weeks. :)

Scrapbook Calendar Class--Dec. 14

2010-11-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

This class will be so much fun! You'll leave with a fantastic gift for friends or family members...they can fill with their own photos or you can fill it for them. Each page has one or two spaces for photos and each month is stamped with a seasonally appropriate theme. (I tried to upload more samples of months, but the pictures aren't cooperating tonight.) Plan to make a calendar to give away and one for you to keep! Calendars are $20 each...binding is separate...you can do it yourself at Staples or leave it with me and I'll have it done for you. Binding will cost approximately $4 and must be done when all stamping is complete. Class times are the usual...10 a.m. or anytime after 5 p.m. on Dec. 14. Please RSVP by Dec. 12.

Christmas Gifts--Stationery Boxes

2010-11-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Each stationery set comes in a decorated box that coordinates with the note cards. There are 8 note cards with envelopes in each box. You may choose the color that suits you best...it does not have to be one shown...you can choose any of Stampin' Up!'s 45 colors to stamp your cards and box. Just let me know your color choices when you RSVP. Cost is $8.

Christmas Gifts--Joy Banner

2010-11-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

This Joy Banner is such an easy decoration to make! Secured to the wall with a Command Hook, it will make hanging and removing very simple. The background texture is just gorgeous...the picture doesn't do it justice! Cost is $8.

Christmas Gifts--Noel Tile and Come to Bethlehem Ornament

2010-11-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Noel tile is the perfect blend of cute and whimsy! Colored in with Sharpie markers, this tile is EASY to make! Tile cost is $4. The ornament is SO sparkly in real life...it is stamped in Night of Navy and then heat embossed with Iridescent Ice. The round tab punch is used as the ornament hanger. Cost is $2.

Christmas Gifts--Snowflake Mugs

2010-11-21T17:42:00.001-08:00

These beautiful mugs are decorated with the snowflake decor elements. Your choice of Cherry Cobbler or Night of Navy. The mugs are then filled with LOTS of Hershey Nuggets that have the coordinating color of stamped snowflake wrappers on them. Tie it all together with a ribbon in a cello bag and this makes a very nice gift! Cost is $10.

Christmas Gifts--Packaging

2010-11-21T17:38:00.001-08:00

Need a special package for your gift? Here's the answer! Ornament and Snowflake bags are $1.50 each. The small envelope in the center is embossed with snowflakes and says "Merry Christmas" on it. Price is $1. It is the perfect size for a gift card. The cello bag contains a variety of self-adhesive tags. The price for the tags is $2.50.

Christmas Gifts--Candy Boxes

2010-11-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Choose from Santa, Rudolph or classy ornaments! Each box is $3. Santa and Rudolph have the choice of Reese's Pieces or Milk Duds. M&Ms must be ornaments. These are the large movie size boxes of candy.

Christmas Card Buffet Card #1

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Christmas Card Buffet Card #2

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Christmas Card Buffet Card #3

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Christmas Card Buffet Card #4

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Christmas Card Buffet Card #5

2010-11-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas Card Buffet Card #6

2010-11-09T07:48:00.001-08:00

Christmas Card Buffet Card #7

2010-11-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas Card Buffet Card #8

2010-11-09T07:43:00.001-08:00

Christmas Card Buffet Card #9

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Christmas Card Buffet Card #10

2010-11-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

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Think Pink Follow Up!

2010-11-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to our card making fundraising class. We had a great time and Motorola matched the money we donated so it doubled our efforts. Here are the rest of the cards we made that day and a few pictures of Nikki on the walk. We drove over on Sunday morning and met her at a cheering station...it was really moving to see all the people (walkers and supporters) working together for a great cause!

Adventures with Orange Cake!

2010-11-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever bought an orange cake mix in a grocery store? If so, I need to know which one and how long ago that might have been. I'm guessing it hasn't been in the last ten years...ask me how I know? Yep, I've driven to many grocery stores in Tarrant County and called even more and NONE of them carry orange cake. Who knew orange cake could be so hard to find? This adventure started when my good friend had a birthday and was going to celebrate without his favorite orange cake. I decided I'd make one and take it to him...well, after seaching a few stores I opted to try a recipe I had for strawberry cake, only substitute everything strawberry for orange. That cake turned out to be a DISASTER...it totally fell apart, which didn't really surprise me because when I made it as a strawberry cake it did the same thing. (A sidenote...this did end up being a happy disaster because I turned the hideous cake into orange/dark chocolate cake balls...yes, they were good!!) I wrote on top of the recipe card "this recipe is crap" so I won't make the mistake of making that one again. So, off I went again looking for a box for an orange cake mix...he has assured me they were sold in stores. Still couldn't find it. Chris ended up looking on Amazon.com and found they sold them in sets of six, but now it was too late...I had to use a white cake and orange extract...LOTS of orange extract. But, the good news is, the cake (actually I made cupcakes...I wanted to have a taste test before delivering!) turned out great. It was fun to see my Castleberry friends...hard to believe I was pregnant with Laura when I quit teaching there. And, since this is a stamping blog, I thought I'd show you the tag I put on top of the cupcake box. The stamp is from Crazy for Cupcakes, and I colored it in using a new In Color Peach Parfait, Blush Blossom, and Bashful Blue. Enjoy...and if you know where to find orange cake mixes, let me know...I don't need it now, but am still curious! :)

"Think Pink" Year 2

2010-10-13T18:25:00.001-07:00

"Think Pink" was a fundraising class I did last year to support my good friend Nikki's efforts to raise money for her walk in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day. It was so successful that she and I are teaming up again for Think Pink 2. Come to the class and make 6 cards for a variety of occasions all with plenty of PINK! We are also making every guest a gift just as a "thank you" for coming and supporting her. Nikki's providing the snacks and everyone who knows Nikki knows what fabulous treats she makes...you might want to come just for the food! The class is on Monday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. or anytime after 5:00. Cost is $30...higher than a normal class because it is a fundraiser! Please RSVP by Saturday, Oct. 23.

10 Minute Cards Class--Thursday, Oct. 21

2010-10-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Finally! I know many of you have been asking if you missed the Fall Schedule of stamping events, but you haven't. I've just been crazy busy with lots of other things going on, but believe it or not, I've finally got a card class together! I love this one because it focuses on the NEW colors that Stampin' Up! introduced in the latest catalog. The colors are rich and vibrant and really fun to stamp. Come to the class and you'll fall in love with these new colors! Details: Thursday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. or anytime after 5:00. Cost is $17. Please RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 19 so I can have all the supplies cut and ready. Looking forward to stamping with you soon!

Baby Elizabeth

2010-09-07T16:25:00.001-07:00

I made birth announcements for my sister this summer. We had professional family photos done at Picture People and this one was so perfect of Andrew and Elizabeth it made me redesign the whole card! The front is a very simple design...just a dandelion stamped in the background and the "E" with a taffeta ribbon tied around it. The inside has the photo and all the info with a "sweet baby" scalloped oval on the top. My sister was very pleased with them, and I was happy to make them for her! And, for the record, Elizabeth is a VERY sweet baby!

Summer Fun!

2010-08-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry it has been so long since I've posted anything. My goal is to post more often now that th girls are back in school. Here's a quick recap of why I didn't post anything over the summer...we were too busy having FUN! Hope your summer was great too!

More Teacher Gifts--Friday

2010-05-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

So, this was my FAVORITE day...it was "bring a flower". I didn't want to send a live flower...who knew if they'd have a place to put it, and I didn't want to send a plant...too hard to know if they even liked plants. Plus, I couldn't really see the girls getting on the bus looking like florists delivering flowers. So, the next best thing is card stock!! I stamped daisies on the fronts of note cards, made matching envelopes, and used floral tape to wrap the flower stem around the base of an ink pen. It's all tied together with matching curly ribbon. It made for a quick and easy gift all the while accomplishing the requirement to "bring a flower"!

More Teacher Gifts--Thursday

2010-05-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

Thursday was "bring a drink" day. We fixed the drinks with some salty snacks and tied it all up in a cello bag...except for Mrs. Webster's...her salty snacks (chips) were too big for the cello bags.

More Teacher Gifts--Wednesday

2010-05-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

The girls had to draw a picture for the teachers for Wednesday's gifts. You wouldn't believe how many rough drafts it took to get these pictures done.

In another note, notice the girls' hair...ugh! NEVER, EVER go to Great Clips 15 minutes before closing on a Saturday evening. Laura's simply got whacked off about 2 inches shorter than we intended. Ellen's got cut completely lopsided...one side was a full inch and a half longer than the other. The back of Ellen's was supposedly "layered" but it looked more like it was weed-whacked. For the record, it wasn't my idea to get their hair cut at that time...I had said we'd wait until Monday, but they begged. :(

More Teacher Treats--Tuesday

2010-05-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was "snack day" for teachers. I loved putting together these gifts. It was like a scavenger hunt to try to find all the different candies that either had chocolate/mint or chocolate/caramel and/or coconut. YUM! And, of course, I had to make special boxes or wrappers or toppers for the packaging. It was lots of fun!

More Teacher Gifts--Monday

2010-05-21T20:36:00.001-07:00

In addition to what we did from the PTA for Teacher Appreciation Week, each day was something different for kids to do for their teachers. Here's the card I used for Monday, which was "write a note to your teacher." I wrote all three of the girls' teachers notes...we have the BEST teachers this year. Both Ellen and Laura love school, look forward to going each day, and are learning lots...what more could you ask for?!?!

Teacher Appreciation Week continued

2010-05-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

On each day of Teacher Appreciation Week, in addition to the food treats, we also had a hand-stamped gift for the teachers. By the end of the week they had a whole assortment of office supplies that all color coordinated.

Monday--flower paper clips

Tuesday--note pad and matching pen

Wednesday-- binder clips

Thursday--animal crackers in cute box (no office supplies)

Friday--note cards with matching envelopes

Teacher Appreciation Week

2010-05-21T20:18:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Teacher Appreciation Week was a busy time for the Sendera Ranch PTA! Here are a few of the projects we did for the teachers. We started out on the Friday before handing out "suitcases" with itineraries of each of the activities that would be happening. You can see the Creamy Caramel suitcase with the personalized luggage tag in the open and shut view. Then, the other images that are around it are what was in the pocket. Our theme was travel and we sent the teachers on a journey to Hawaii (smoothies), France (croissants for breakfast), Mexico (luncheon with Mexican food), Africa (safari of animal crackers), and Italy (pizza party). I think the teachers loved each and every day!

Challenges!

2010-05-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, during National Scrapbooking Month, I thought I'd try posting some challenges to see if anyone wanted to play along! If you make a card or page, be sure to take a picture and email it to me, so I can see what great work you did. Now, of course, I'd LOVE it if you used only Stampin' Up! supplies, but I understand there are other products out there. :)

Week of May 3: Color Challenge: Use a combination of blue and yellow. This can be any shades of blues (Bashful, Brocade, Ballet, Brilliant, etc...) and yellows (Summer Sun, So Saffron, Barely Banana, etc...). These are my two favorite colors, so I'm sure these cards and pages will be beautiful!

Week of May 10: Design Challenge: Scallops are trendy and IN right now! Use scallops somewhere in your design...punches, dies, squares, circles, borders...whatever works!

Week of May 17: Image Challenge: Butterflies are fun! Plan to play along and stamp or die cut a butterfly to place somewhere on your card or page. Stampin' Up! has lots of butterfly images to choose from.

Week of May 24: Sentiment Challenge (for Cards): This is an easy one! Make a birthday card!!
Photo Challenge (for Pages): Make your focal point with a 5" by 7" photo and add extra photos or embellishments around it. This is one of my favorite scrapbooking techniques.

Have fun playing along!

Holiday Blitz 6" by 6" Scrapbook Pages

2010-05-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Holiday Blitz is such a versatile set! There are images for EVERY occasion in this set. I previously used it to make a variety of cards, now I'm using it for scrapbook pages. These 6" by 6" pages cover all sorts of holidays and would be perfect for a small year long memory book. These pages are adorable by themselves or would work great layered onto larger pages. The class is $20 and will be on Thursday, May 13 at 10 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. Let me know if you need to make more than one set. Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 11.

Happy Bday 2U 6" by 6" Scrapbook Class

2010-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hey Scrapbook Friends! This one's for you! Here are two samples of a 6" by 6" brag book that's all about birthdays! This class will run at the same time as the All About Birthdays card class on May 19--you can do both, if you want! Cost is $20. Please let me know as soon as possible if you can attend. I need to order the kits! These 6" by 6" pages make great brag books for a single event or layer onto a 12" by 12" spread for an easy focal point.

Some of the colors (Brocade Blue and Crushed Curry) in this book are retiring soon so I'm pretty sure this fun kit won't be available in the new catalog. Please let me know if you'd like to attend.

All About Birthdays Samples--Finally!

2010-05-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get these birthday card class samples done. Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and I'll begin posting what I've been working on...I think you'll understand why the birthday class took so long to get done!

The All About Birthdays class is on Wednesday, May 19 (morning or evening) and I have to move up the RSVP date to ASAP because I have to order supplies. Some of the cards are done with the Happy Bday 2U Simply Scrappin' kit. I realized that with the major color renovation I wasn't going to be able to use this kit after July, so I thought I better get the class done! The other cards that are part of this class are mini (3 by 3) cards using Bitty Birthday and then there are six fun tags that use Party Hearty and Crazy for Cupcakes. It's a great class to get stocked up on birthday necessities! Cost is $20. Please let me know ASAP if you can attend.

Office Accessories Class--Monday

2010-04-30T07:27:00.001-07:00

The fun and trendy office supplies class is Monday, and I still have supplies available for a few more people. Call me or email ASAP if you'd like to attend. It's all this plus extra folders for $30. It would be a great gift or a way to totally redo your desk. I know whenever I get new office supplies it MAKES me want to organize!

Fox and Friends!

2010-04-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

It's the last few weeks of the Occasions Mini! Don't miss this fun stamp set with all the cute animals. I got it because Ellen really liked it (yes, my girls stamp with me lots of the time!), but I have really come to love these sweet images too. This set is on page 31 of the mini and is available in wood ($18.95) or clear
$14.95).

Awash with Flowers--New Set! Plus 20% off offer!

2010-04-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

Two-Step into Spring Promotion --
email me for a pdf of the Awash with Flowers full set of images

Promotion Dates: April 1-30, 2010
Promotion Details

Hostesses:

Host a $350 workshop and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE!

Customers:

Two-Step into spring with a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! Be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection.

Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary!

Qualifying stamp sets are listed below:

Item Page Description Discount Price
113824 94 Greenhouse Garden $20.76
113734 98 Fifth Avenue Floral $19.96
111578 101 Flower Fancy $29.56
113258 112 Trendy Trees $14.36

Things to Remember:
The Awash with Flowers stamp set is a sneak peek from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog and will not be available again until the release of the new Idea Book & Catalog.

Order deadlines:
Online Ordering: Friday, April 30, 2010; 11:50 PM (MT)

Hostess Promotion:

You must place your order on a workshop, customer, or demonstrator order to qualify. Online orders are not eligible for this part of the promotion.

There is a limit of one free Awash with Flowers stamp set per workshop; the reward is for reaching the $350 workshop level, and is not incremental.

Qualifying hostesses may choose either the wood-mount or clear-mount set. Please note: Clear-mount blocks are not included with the clear-mount set (blocks C and H are recommended this set).

Customer Promotion:

You may place your order on any order type (customer, demonstrator, workshop, or online).

There are no limits, and there is no minimum purchase to qualify for the 20 percent off.

The 20 percent off discount does not apply to the Awash with Flowers stamp set.

Color Renovation!

2010-04-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

I have EXCITING news! Stampin' Up! is undergoing a Color Renovation! I'm so excited about the new color palette! It is fresh, vibrant, and fun! All of this will take effect in the new catalog that goes into effect on July 1. Believe me, I can't wait! In the meantime, here's what I know:

5 NEW Core Colors: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, and Marina Mist.

5 NEW In Colors: Blushing Bride, Peach Parfait, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzaz, Poppy Parade

10 RETURNING In Colors: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, River Rock, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, and Wild Wasabi

31 RETIRING Current Core Colors: Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pale Plum, Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Lavender Lace, Almost Amethyst, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue, Taken with Teal, Glorious Green, Handsome Hunter, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss, Green Galore, Gable Green, Barely Banana, Yoyo Yellow, Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal, Only Orange, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, and Going Gray.

Be sure to stock up on any of your favorite color supplies during the next few months. All products (paper, card stock, markers, pastels, inks, etc...) in these retiring colors will be gone at the end of June.

Be sure to see the sidebar post at the top of my blog for a look at the New Color Collections!

Trendy Trees on Sale!

2010-04-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Back in the Fall and then again in late January I had a class where the stamp set Trendy Trees was included in the class fee. So many people loved that class. If you missed the class, but still like the stamp set, now is the time to buy it! Stampin' Up! is offering 4 "spring" stamp sets for 20% off and Trendy Trees is one of them! The sale price of Trendy Trees is $14.36. The card on the right is a sample of Trendy Trees.

These cards were made as a "thank you" to the ladies that attended the January class. That date ended up being an event at the girls' school so everyone came early and stamped fast. As a "thanks" for the hassle, I made them two additional cards. The one on the left uses Season of Friendship...I kept with the tree theme.

The other stamp sets that are on sale are Greenhouse Garden (p. 94) for $20.76; Fifth Avenue Floral (p.98) for $19.96; and Flower Fancy (p. 101) for $29.56.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some Easter treats I made for the kids at church to celebrate after they did their puppet performance. I wrapped the small tube containers of M&Ms, put a butterfly on top of a bottle of bubbles and topped a cello bag filled with sidewalk chalk. I put all that in the Fancy Favor Box that had been rolled with Easter eggs. The box went in a larger cello bag and I tied the bags with different colored ribbons. It all looked very cute and festive! I love to do party favors...stay tuned for a later post where I'll show the latest favors I made for a baseball party!

Bailey's Birthday!

2010-04-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

Bailey's birthday party was so much fun! Nikki made the cutest cupcake cake and popcorn in Bailey's favorite colors. Of course, we had to make the toppers for the party favors to match. Green Galore and Pink Passion together are so bold and bright for a little girl party! If you'd like party planning made easy, feel free to contact us! Tell us a theme and we'll get to work. Nikki does beautiful cakes and I can make invitations, thank you notes, memory pages, and party favors to coordinate.

A New Craft for the Family?

2010-03-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend Laura decided she wanted to learn to crochet. She was all excited and couldn't wait to get to the store to purchase the supplies. I agreed to buy yarn and a hook (needle, stick--honestly, I don't even know what you call the "tools"). I had told her I didn't know how to crochet nor did I want to learn a new craft. She promised that she knew everything there was to know...she had "googled" it. Well, it turns out crocheting was a little harder than it looked on the web. After a huge fit from Laura, Chris agreed to try...he's much better at looking at a diagram and following it than I am. Well, it turns out Chris is a mighty fine crochet-er. Yep, he's surrendered his man card and has crocheted until his hand hurts. Laura's still learning, and I'm still sticking only to stamping and paper crafts! You all know I have a REALLY awesome husband! :)

More Samples of Holiday Blitz

2010-03-26T06:44:00.001-07:00

Holiday Blitz is this coming Monday, March 29. Here are two more samples of the cards you will make at the class. There's lots of holidays represented, so this is a great opportunity to stock up on some cards. The cost is $20. Please RSVP as soon as possible. I'll be cutting card stock and getting ready on Sunday afternoon! Hope to see you here!

More Spring Classes--Office Accessories

2010-03-11T19:09:00.001-08:00

This is a really fun class of office accessories. You'll modify a file folder into this handy notebook/pen holder plus making matching binder clips and a variety of other office accessories. This makes a great coordinating gift or would look perfect on your own desk! Cost of the class is $30. The date for the class is May 3, but the RSVP date is April 19 because I will need to pre-order the supplies. Let me know soon if you'd like to attend!

Spring Classes

2010-03-11T18:36:00.001-08:00

The first photo is the Sweet Pea stitched felt class. It is on April 21, although the RSVP date is April 1. The second photo is the Spring Fun card class. The reason the cards look unfinished is because I intentionally left off any sentiments. You can make these cards be whatever you need! They are actually made with the Eggscellent Eggs Easter egg decorating kit, but instead of using it for eggs, I decided to make them all into Spring cards. The RSVP date for this class is March 24. The final photo is the Holiday Blitz card class. Holiday Blitz paired with Teeny Tiny Wishes makes a large variety of cards--you'll be well stocked for lots of occasions! The date for Holiday Blitz is March 29; the RSVP is March 26. The cost for Holiday Blitz and Spring Fun are $20 each. The Sweet Pea class is $25. All classes are offered during the morning (10 a.m) and during the evening (anytime after 5:00 p.m.). I hope you are able to attend an upcoming class very soon!

Bulletin Board!

2010-03-09T19:33:00.001-08:00

Tonight was Open House at the girls' school. What fun! Last week Laura's teacher emailed me to ask if I could come help her put up a bulletin board. Well, this probably won't surprise you, but that used to be one of my VERY FAVORITE parts of teaching!! (I think that's why I like to scrapbook...it's just a smaller bulletin board!) Mrs. Rosales did all the layout and the hard work. I just put up the letters, leaves, vine, and borders. Most of this bulletin board isn't stamped, but of course, I had to work a few stamping elements into it. Check out that vine--it's Stampin' Up! packing material! I also stamped the stationery the kids wrote their summaries on. Laura was so proud that her summary made it on the Standards Based Board. Naturally, Chris and I were very proud of that too!

Bailey's Birthday!

2010-03-09T19:21:00.001-08:00

My sweet neighbor is turning 7 soon! Her mom always makes my girls' birthday cakes--delicious and beautiful--so I had to do a good job on her invitations! I used the Simple Birthday Thanks stamp. I "modified" mine...I cut out the center part of the cupcake that has the thank you note form when I mounted it. This allowed me to simply stamp the outline of the cupcake. I did the party info on the computer and printed it on Pretty in Pink card stock, then used the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to get the cupcake base stamped such that all the party info was perfectly centered. (The SAMJ is a "must have" tool. Let me know if you need to learn how to use it...I'll give you a private lesson and you'll be sold!) I stamped the top of the cupcake on Close to Cocoa card stock and cut them out. The cherry on top is the best part--I stamped them in black, colored them in with Real Red and then added Crystal Effects over the top. This photo doesn't do it justice--they are shiny and sparkly in real life!

New Member Dinner at St. Paul

2010-03-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

We had the New Member dinner at church last Sunday. I made the place cards for the tables. They match the invitations I made several weeks ago. I also made butterflies to use like confetti around the center pieces on the tables. I die cut hundreds (yes, literally hundreds!) of butterflies with the Beautiful Wings embosslit. The Family Life Center looked so spring-y and festive. It was a great day to celebrate new members of our church family! Laura was excited that her job at the end of the dinner was to pick up all the butterfly confetti pieces...she did a great job...I think she got every last one of them!

Wedding Shower Favors

2010-03-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some samples of some wedding shower favors I made. It is so hard to make samples for someone else to look at and decide...there are so many permutations. The colors my friend told me were "pink and brown"...well, is that Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink, Pink Passion...you get the idea! Then, I could easily do 25 different designs on the front...it would easily get overwhelming for all of us! I'm hoping she likes one or the other of these...or if these aren't her favorites, I'll try again!

For the favor, I used the Fancy Favor Box die cut. This die cut cuts out the pattern complete with the decorative top and the score marks. It takes no time at all to glue them together! I made one open (filled with a cello bag with candy) and the other one is closed. It is amazing how much will fit in one of these boxes...closing it with the stewardess bow helps control the amount of stuff you have to put in it.

Thank You Notes

2010-03-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

I made these "thank you" notes for a friend of mine who is starting up her Just Jewelry business. She wanted to have some notes to send hostesses or customers after purchases. I made a variety for her so she could choose which ones she liked the best. These are only two of the designs...I made 6. The neat thing about these notes are that they are really only a note card...she'll write her note on the white area you see there. Under the "thanks" flap is her name and contact info for her business. I love the way these turned out...and so did she! I need to get working on the 20 more she ordered from me. :)

Top Note Treat Boxes

2010-03-09T18:34:00.001-08:00

Is there anything that the Top Note die cut can't do? Check out these super cute boxes! The top note forms the top and the base of the box and then I folded designer paper and used the Tombow Multi-Purpose glue to adhere them together. The "bow" on top is the scallop circle cut in half and snipped to the center. I wrapped Hershey Nuggets in the same designer papers and tucked in a Sonic gift card. It made a very cute and easy gift! I made these for Valentine's Day, but they are appropriate for any gift giving occasion--just change the papers!

Clear Mounts!

2010-03-04T18:44:00.001-08:00

Stampin' Up! has just recently started offering Clear Mount stamps in addition to our regular wood mount stamps. Clear Mounts aren't new to the stamping/crafting world...in fact, many have wondered why Stampin' Up! has not offered these years ago? Well, SU always felt the stamped images from the clear stamps weren't up to the quality standards that they wanted, so they held off offering them. Well, now they've come up with a solution that everyone is happy about...SU is still using the traditional foam and rubber that you are accustomed to, but they are offering it with a vinyl cling backing (or sticker) so that it works with clear mounts.

Clear Mount sets come in a DVD sized storage case with all the images of the stamps on the front and sides of the insert. This makes it very easy to find what you are looking for and conserve space at the same time. The Clear Mount blocks come in nine different sizes and are 3/4" thick and have grooved sides. I am personally very new to the clear stamps, but I think I'm going to love them. At Sandie's workshop everyone raved about the Clear Mounts, and those ladies who had experience with other brands said Stampin' Up! definitely had higher quality blocks. Stampin' Up! always sells quality products so while I wasn't surprised to hear that, I was grateful to get the opinion of others who had used products from other companies. Most all the stamps in the Occasions Mini are offered in either clear or wood mount...oh, and did I mention, clear mount stamps are cheaper!! Yea...more stamps for the dollar...and they save space...more space for more stamps...what could be better?!?!