Technique A Week

Hi Stampers,

I am adding a new addition to my blog, "Technique a Week". I am going to be featuring a new stamping technique each week. The birthday card I shared on my last post is an example of Spotlighting. It is a simple technique. First, you stamp your image on the cardstock you plan onusing as a layer and then again on a small piece of cardstock the same color. Using a punch, punch out the area to be spotlighted. This smallpiece will be colored in with markers, watercolor crayons, pencils, blender pens, whatever you want. Next, punch out a second piece the same shape but a little bigger for layering. Adhere these two pieces, then layer them on the card over the design matching the borders as much as possible. This technique can also be done in reverse. In the reverse the "spotlighted piece" would be left not colored and the larger piece would be colored. I hope this new feature will be helpful to yall in your paper crafting. Have a great day and be blessed.

Never enough time

Well, friends and fellow stampers another almost 2 months has flown by. And I mean FLOWN. WE have been busy with wedding preparations around here. Our daughter, Jennifer, is getting married in a couple of weeks and it has been crazy. Well, maybe I have been crazy!!! I have made a ton of wedding invitations and some other cute stuff and also have been trying to keep up with my hostess clubs. Therefore, the blog has suffered neglect. I would like to share a cute card I made for our younger daughters 22 birthday in February. Isn't this a great card. I love the bright colors. This stamp set is called packed for birthday and and it is packed with cute birthday designs. The Packed for Birthday stamp set is in the Occasions mini catalog which is current through the 30th or April. There is also a great Packed for Dad and Baby and Mom. You can even get them as a bundle and save! For just a few more days you can get the "Celebrate" out of the Sale-a-bration cattie for FREE with a 50.00 order. So head over to my online website and place your order today.

Home from Leadership

Lots going on. I am home from San Antonio after attending Leadership conference with Stampin' Up! It was great. It is the best company to be partnered with. Learned lots of new stuff, saw some sneak peaks (cool new stuff) and came home with a lot of giveaways!!! Most of the pictures are still on the camera! Anyway- I have blog candy to give away! Check back in the next couple of days and leave me a comment so I know you were here! Later.

If you are looking for reasons to stamp...

Just in case you need a reason to get stamping this month...January is International Creativity Month, Hobby Month, National Thank You Month, National Polka Music Month, and Be Kind to Food Servers Month. The First Week of January is Celebration of Life Week, The Second Week of January is Kid Film Week, The Third Week of January is National Book Week, The Fourth Week of January is Clean Out Your Inbox Week, The Fifth Week of January is Catholic Schools Week. January 2nd is the Rose Bowl Game - January 6th is Three Kings Day January 12th is Secret Pal Day-January 18th is Winnie the Pooh Day (A.A. Milne's Birthday) January 24th is National Compliment Day-January 31st is Inspire Your Heart with the Arts Day.

Personally, I never need a reason to stamp, but these are interesting national events that can inspire us to be creative. We all need time to relax and let our creative juices flow. So, if it's cold outside( it actually is here today High of 44, however it will be back to 70 by Saturday)and you have some free time, make some cards for a secret pal for Secret Pal Day, or get busy making Thank you cards for all the people that service you throughout the month. What a great way to start a new year- Being thankful and stamping! Can't get better than that! Be blessed stampers and be a blessing to those around you. Oh, Don't forget today is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini, just in case you want something before it retires tonight at 11:59pm. Click here to see mini.

Holiday mini coming to a close

Don't forget the Holiday mini will leave us on the 3rd of Janurary. There are a few items that will carry over, but many will not. If there is something you can't live without order it now. Happy Stamping in the New Year!!

Happy New Year

Well, today is the last day of 2011. I hope it has been a blessed year for you. God has been with us through some really great times this year and through some difficult ones as well, but in the end God is Good all the time! We have been blessed and are thankful. I thought I'd share a favorite recipe of the holiday season with you today. We love these Graham Cracker Pecan cookies. I only make them at Christmas because the are very rich. Pecans just scream Christmas to me!! OK here is the recipe: 1 1/2 pkg of graham crackers, 1 stick of butter and 1 stick of margarine, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans. Layer the graham crackers on a jelly roll pan. In a sauce pan add the butter and sugar and bring to a good boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Pour over graham crackers and spread evenly, Sprinkle pecan pieces on top. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Break apart and cool on wire rack. So easy and so good!!!! Enjoy. I wish you all a very Blessed New Year.

Yikes! Christmas is here

Like it's some big surprise, December 25th comes around every year and I'm never even close to ready. Of course when you do the most of your shopping on the 22nd should you really be surprised? I love to make cards of course, bake, attend Christmas events at church and in the community, but I have realized I love to do all these things with company! It is most meaningful to me to stamp with my stamping sisters and bake with friends or family members. So thank you to those who took the time to give me your gift of friendship and time. It was most appreciated! I have a couple Christmas ideas I want to show yall. I made these little tags for the goody bags for Cadie's preschool class. They turned out really cute IMHO! The reindeer are made with the stocking punch #124095 and the antlers are one of the snowflake sizzlets. Most of the noses were just punch with a hole punch and covered with Crystal Effects. The angels for the girls were made with the Pennant punch, the Butterfly punch and 3/4 circle punch. The butterfly angel wings were run through the Big Shot with the Elegant Lines embossing folder for texture. These were really fun to make. I layered them on a scalloped circle so they could be hung on the tree as an ornament. Well, that's it for today. I am wishing yall a great Christmas season and don't forget the Reason for the Season. Be a blessing and you will be blessed.