Taken With Black Orchid

This has became one of my favorite color combos - Orchid Opulence, Basic Black, Taken with Teal and Whisper White - don't know why but it just seems so striking and elegant to me.

I stamped the image with B.Black onto Orchid, used my chalks to color in the flowers, added some Crystal Effects to a few of the leaves for dimension, and finish it off with some ribbon and hardware.

Hope you like it too!

It Started With A Bee Sting

So how do you treat bee stings? My mother in law always said to mix some baking soda with a little bit of water and put it on the sting to draw the sting out of it. So this past summer Katie was stung and she mixed up baking soda and water goop for 100 bee stings! (Just kidding, but it sure seemed like it at the time!)

Anyway when she realized she had way more than she'd ever need this is the conversation that followed:
Katie: Can't you use it on your paper stuff
Me: I don't think so, it's baking soda!
Katie: What difference does that make? You use shaving cream for pete's sake!
Me: (Lightbulb goes on) You're right let's try it, grab a re-inker color and I'll grab some Glossy Cardstock.
Katie: Now what?
Me: Put two or three drops of ink into the bowl with the baking soda goop and stir it just a bit.
Katie: Now?
Me: Spread it onto the cardstock and we let it dry to see what happens.

So after it dried we knocked the dried baking soda off and had this cool marble kinda background, and then I sat it aside and completely forgot about it!

Until this weekend when I found it in my stash of WishRak images! This is what I ended up making with it...
- ain't it purdy?

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Like 99% of us I will be crazy busy today and tomorrow with Holiday stuff, but I couldn't get busy until I wished everyone a very merry Christmas!



May the new year bring us all hope, love, contentment, and peace!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Now This Is WICKED!

When we went to get our Christmas Tree there was hardly any snow to be had!

Then we got LOTS of fluffy, white stuff dumped on us!

Dragonflies In Tapestry

Here's a quickie post on the fly! I made these two cards using the Tapestry technique over on the SCS Resources page, love the soft edges the craft ink gives to the overall feeling of it!

WishRak Secret Santa

I made this piece of Framed Art for my WishRak friend Debi, aka bottomphish. I didn't even think to picture of it myself so she was sweet enough to do it for me. I SOOOOO want this Santa Stamp, but no place around me sells him :( So I depend on my WishRak friends that are lucky enough to own him to keep me well stocked ;)

I found the poem on the internet - hope you likey!

I've been a bad blogger

And I'm trying to make up for it tonight!

Now, I need to put a disclaimer up :)

The card you're about to see is completely due to my own twisted sense of humor, it by no means reflects on any stamp company that I'm involved with!

pssstttt...

Remember when I asked how to hide a Big Shot? Well DH found it and rolled his eyes at me!!! Then I get this poem from my friend Joni:

Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree.
I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me.
Could it be cardstock or chipboard or lace?
Or a Cricut, I said, with a smile on my face.

And that's when I heard him,
"Hi Santa, " I said
"You know....good little girls
should be in their beds."

"I know I should Santa,
and now I've got caught.
But I was just so excited
To see what you brought."

"Well, let's take a look
in this room where you work.
He shook his head quickly,
And left with a jerk.

I heard him exclaim
as he put it in gear.
"You've got enough crap,
I'll see you next year!"

~Author Unknown

Is someone trying to tell me sumtin???????

Stamp Camp Projects

Here are two of the projects we did last Saturday at my stamp camp - I'm loving the Big Shot and the Pretties Kit! What the heck did I wait for???

Christmas Goodies

Here's some of my Christmas goodies this year.

More News!

I was also nominated at SCS this week for the "Featured Project" of the week!

It's the first time that's ever happened as well! Look what I did that earned me that:



You can see all of the inside pages in my gallery at SCS here: Patty's SU! Only Christmas Organizer

I'm So Very Flattered!

One of my SCS "Sweetheart" friends just nominated me for my very first Blogger award!

How stinkin' Cool is that?!? Joyclynn has a fun and funky Blog of her own here > paper...scissors...ROCK

The rules to earn this award are:

1. put the logo on your blog (if you choose)

2. put a link to the person that sent you the award

3. nominate 5 blogs

4. put links to their blogs

5. leave messages for your nominees

So now I'd like to nominate:

Crystal at Stampin and More with Crystal (Crystal was one of my very first SCS Secret Sisters!)

Linda at The Stamper's Touch (Linda is one of my VSN and WishRak friends and I love her stuff)

Lorien at Stamps N More (Lorien is one of my partners in crime for the Michigan Mingle)

Kelly at Crafty Inklings (I work with Kelly behind the scenes for WishRak, plus I'm following her babies!)

Kristin at Sunshine, Smiles & Stamps= Lovin' Life (Kristin is a fellow SU! Demo that I stalk ;) )

Christmas Roses

I love the new Bella Toile Background stamp! This first card was done with all background stamps! I stamped the new En Francios B/G with Creamy Caramel onto White, then stamped the Bella Toile on Vellum with Handsome Hunter and color the vellum on the backside with Rose Red and Regal Rose markers. I also embossed on the clear button, we'll be doing that at an upcoming stamp camp ;)


This second card is with some "oldies but goodies!" I love my Stipple rose, I'll give it up when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers!!! I paired this with the greens from Peaceful Wishes, added a Cuttlebugged background and some Stickles, but other than that it's all SU! Some of the roses and some of the leaves are popped up on dimensionals and it's so much prettier in real life!!!

My little Turkey

I had to make a "Turkey" card for my Michigan Mingle "Goofy Gobblers" secret exchange. Since I'm not really a "cutesy" kinda stamper this is what I came up with using all Stampin' Up! punches!!!

First I started with Scallops and circles.

Added some paperclips and Dimensionals.

Layered it altogether.

Used the Scallop Edge for the "beard" did some more circles and one square for the "beak"

Put that together.

He started to look like this.

I dyed some taffeta ribbon Apricot appeal and frayed it, then added some Always Artichoke Grosgrain ribbon. (Called him a turkey with having a bad hair day)

Put him together with some retired background stamps and came up with the card you see!

psssttt..Guess what I did?

I ordered the Big Shot tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been on the fence about this for MONTHS! I happened to have a little extra money {yes I made sure all of the bills got made first ;)} but I finally decided to jump off the fence!!!

Now I'll have a Cuttlebug to sell, but I haven't told DH yet.....

So....How do I hide a Big Shot??? :~)

I've kept this a secret!

My challenge for the WishRak For the girls challenge weekend was a sketch. I created this sketch and I must say I'm pretty happy with it! However, I couldn't share it with anyone else until those ladies had the first shot at it. So now that the weekend is wrapped up, I can also share it with all of you!

If you decide to use it, please send me a link to it as that I can see what you came up with!

Here's the sketch:


This card is all SU! except the vintage button and the strip of velvet ribbon, I used Tres Chic, Canvas, and Abundant Joy which was Rakked to me through WishRak, with Basic Gray, Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, and Pretty in Pink.



This card is mostly SU! {the daisy ribbon, Primas, and Bella Bauble being the exception and those items were all Raks} I used the "A Little Birdie Told Me" image which was received through WishRak.

It's WishRak's For the Girls Weekend

Here's a few of the cards I made for the weekend - All of the main images are "wishes" that I received from the wonderful ladies in that group!

I'm stamping again

Granted it's to keep up to date on business stuff, but I'm pretty happy with what I've came up while flying by the seat of pants!!! What do you think???

The Pink Pirouette and Chocolate Chip Birthday wishes card uses the new Stampin' Up! Upsy Daisy Set. The Riding Hood Red and Alway Artichoke Christmas card uses the new SU! To you and yours set. The Shabby Chic Cameo Coral and Ruby Red card uses the SU! Bloomin' Beautiful set.

Sad news

I just wanted to post real quick that I'm sorry I haven't been around - I truly haven't forgetten about you!

My mom had a stroke this week and life has kinda gotten in the way of checking in here.

I missed the Michigan Mini Mingle which really stinks, but I know all those sweet ladies will understand. I have a workshop on the 23rd and a stamp camp on the 25th, so hopefully I will be able on concentrate on them!

I'll check in soon - any thoughts and prayers would be appreciated!

Altering state of mind

What do you think of my altered Ceramic Tile? I used SU! rub on's and printed the recipe! I'm thinking a display on my counter with a candle, some silk leaves, and some gourds woutd be pretty!

De-Stressing

I received these beautiful images from One Happy Stamper on SCS.




The whole thing is watercolored, everything is SU! except the flower, I was happy with my coloring so I crumpled the whole thing up then when I looked at it again, I said to myself "Self we can do something with this" so this is what I came up with:





So whadda think?

So Shelli....

The founder and all around great lady of Stampin' Up - Shelli Gardner is now blogging!!! How cool is that? You can find Shelli's blog here > http://www.soshelli.com/blog/

This month Shelli challenged us to make something for Halloween - I actually made this to send in for the SU! monthly contest and then chickened out at the last moment - I know, I know, I can hear you all now "Patty you're too hard on yourself" but you're my friends and you have to be nice to me or I won't send you anymore cards Anyway here's my Halloween Creative Challenge - it's an altered Lia Sophia Jewerly box! I painted the bottom black, wrapped the outside with the Summer Picnic DS paper, which I'd wheeled the Batty Jumbo Wheel on with Basic Black, then I wheeled it again on Whisper White, punched out just a few of the images, added some sponging, a Build a Brad and some frayed Always Artichoke ribbon, and some Certainly Celery ribbon!

This is the outside of the box

This is the inside, it fits some orange tissue paper and three York Peppermint Patties nicely!

You likey? I think I'll try one for Christmas too - I have lot's of these boxes!!!

Online Ordering Is HERE!!!

Stampin' Up! is now offering online ordering - woo hoo!

Anytime you want to place an order now - day or night - heck shop nekked if you want! - you can now do so!!!!

You can find the link to my Stampin' Up! website directly above the catalog photo - check it out, let me know what you think!!!

Just be gentle, I'm still trying to figure out how to customize the website!

Kinda Bummed

Well I thought I did SU! proud, I mean I was very upbeat and excited about the "Night To Indulge" vendors fair that I did last night, only it ended up being somewhat of a bust!

Now that isn't to say I didn't have fun, cuz I did! I had a ball! What's not to love when you've got good looking young men in tux's at your beck and call with delightful chocolates of every variety?!!!! Never thought I'd see the day that I didn't want "more" chocolate, but it actually happened to me last night! Then there was the flirting DJ with his hugs, his tunes, his dancing, and his all around nice comments I mean c'mon a girl's gotta take it where she can get it!

Would I go back? As a customer is a heartbeat! As a vendor, I'm just not sure!

The mess, the frenzy and the nap

This is my craft desk after my creative frenzy making cards for the troops, making craft fair projects, and in general making a mess!

I went to take a nap - all this creating to tiresome - look who else decided to take a nap:

Jacob's cat decided that all that ribbon, paper, and stuff makes a delightful nest!!!!

For my Sweets

They know who they are!

Karen inspired us to use this photo to create something: Carefree Creations

My muse is still working on Craft Fair projects, so this is what I came up with! I know, it looks nothing like the photo, but hey, I got circles and stripes!!!!

I also have to share this little book of lessons with my sweetheart friends

It only has three chapters, The Dark, Chocolate Wittisms, and The Milk - What more do we need?

A Night To Indulge

I've been asked to represent Stampin' Up! at a local Vendor's fair to help raise money for Foster Grandparents, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The Kids Connection, and the local domestic violence shelter. Each vendor rents a table to cover the cost of the hall, we have donate a door prize of at least a $30.00 value (I'm donating the large Long Stem Silhouettes Wall Decor piece) and we can sell items to help promote our business. As an SU! Demo I'm not allowed to do cash and carry, but I can use my supplies to make inexpensive trinkets and gifts to help attendee's jump start their Christmas shopping! Anyone that knows me well, knows I'm very hard on myself when it comes to my art, I've never attempted to sell any of it!!!

Here's some of the things I've made, what to you think? Will it sell? If so, how much should I charge? Remember I live in the back woods of Michigan!!!

This is a PMS Kit (Pamper me silly) with a close of the poem I used - I got this idea from the SCS Dirty Dozen Fan Club page.

Coneflower Framed art in Plum and Summer Sun - I plan to make a few more of these!

An altered wooden frame - the daisies could be left in or removed for their own photo.

Homemade Christmas Fudge candy bar sliders (There should be 6 but DH found the Hershey w/almonds bars)

Here's a close of the poem I used, I believe it's from Paper crafts magazine - if you're familiar with "Da Yoopers" it's to the tune of Rusty Cheverolet.

(this is a crappy photo, contact me if you want to use it)