Utterly random cuteness...


Honestly, I have NO idea where this 'look' came from - but isn't the backdrop (and Mama's shoes :P) just PERFECT?

Deals of the Week

There are some GREAT deals on adorable hardware this week ~ just until October 25th.

1/2" Library clips now $5.49 (reg. $9.75) Item 112581

These clips to add just the right touch to your projects.

■ Contains 24 pieces
■ 8 each of 3 colors: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Whisper White
■ 1/2" x 3/4"

Jumbo Grommets now $6.49 (reg. $9.50) Item 114348

These bold grommets are easy to use and can even be used to frame a tiny picture or embellishment.

■ Colors: Basic Black, Silver, Very Vanilla and Whisper White
■ 5 each for a total of 20 pieces

Circle Designer Brads now $5.49 (reg. $8.50) Item 112571

These sturdy, high-quality brads co-ordinate beautifully with the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware.
■ Assortments include 16 pieces; 8 each of 2 sizes (1/2" and 3/4")

Mini Library Clips now $12.99 (reg. $18.95) Item 109857

Adorable little clips, can be used almost anywhere! Each package contains 12 each of 4 colors (Black, Silver, Antique Brass, and Pewter).

Staff appreciation - I inherited it, but I'm glad I did. Seems now I need to start finding excuses to make and share stuff! sigh. I have a problem!

I made the little leaves for the apples with a template I got from one of my all-time-favourite blogs, Skip-to-my-Lou I mean, this lady is Martha with a HEART. Lovely, lovely stuff, always inspiring.

So we gave them a basket of apples with messages, a card, some hot apple cider, some apple-oat crumble cake and these little post-it note holders and pens. We actually put one note pad on each desk early in the morning as a surprise. Lots of fun!

Here's the card and a close up of the apple leaf tags and the card

Dark Thank you's

I made a few thank you cards in black & white recently, so I thought I'd blog 'em!
They use Graveyard Gala, Of the Earth (Hostess Set) and an old Mini Catalogue set called Essence of Love. This is a set I don't think I'll ever get tired of. Even though there's not too much flexibility with the image, but it's just such a fascinating, tangled image - I just love it.

I used Whisper White and Basic Black cardstock, Basic Black gros grain ribbon and Night & Day Designer Series Paper. I really enjoy the dark feel of these cards.

SO, these are the projects we did in a class in September. I thought it would be fun to do an all treat-holder night. Truthfully, I could do an all treat-holder class once a week for a year and not run out of fun ones to do... but people would start to throw things.

The matchbox is made using Stampin' Up!'s exclusive Matchbox die and the big shot. I added some Designer Series Paper from the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' kit, a tag stamped with the Holiday Best stamp set and a poinsettia made from Real Red and Old Olive cardstock, using the 5-petal flower punch. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, as Annika would say!!

The ornament 'cookie pouch' is a super simple treat holder - you could put candy canes, a big cookie, a little note pad or anything you'd like in it. It's made with just half a sheet of cardstock and a strip of designer paper. I used Close to Cocoa and the flocked paper from Christmas Cocoa pack in the Holiday Mini. There's a medium cello bag inside. I embellished it using Delightful Decorations and Ornament punch, some silver elastic cord and some of the Mistletoe ribbon - all in the Holiday Mini Catalogue. You could really crank a lot of these out in a short time if you wanted to make something for your kids' classmates or teachers.

The Halloween one is made using a pattern I got on the Stampin' Up! demonstrator website. (one of the many benefits of demo-ship!) I used Basic Black or Dusty Durango cardstock, and for the record, the textured c/s works way better..., Only Orange or Black gros grain ribbon and Spooky Treats rub ons. I think these would make awesome Christmas Crackers - though you'd need to really love the people you're giving them to - they're simple, but a little time-consuming.

Fun stuff! No math was required in the making of these projects. Well, maybe just a little.

So here is the final card - I only made 25 (was prepared to make 50!) and, for the record, these cost me about $20 to make and it took about two and a half hours - not counting the time I spent cutting out the gravestones while watching CSI NY.

So, here are a couple of mock-ups for 'the' cards (Party invitations! Yay for my FAVourite kind of party! Halloween!!!!) They are all basically the same - but I need some guidance.
They are all on Basic Grey cardstock, using the Graveyard Gala stamp set. I masked out the date/time/place section on the stamp and stamped a name with some acrylic stamps in the middle - is that too much? Is there something else I should put on the headstone instead? Anyhoo, I used some Night and Day Designer paper on two of them but not the third and either Basic Black or Pumpkin Pie gros grain ribbon (which one do you like better?) On the inside is a small tag from "Eat, Drink and be Scary" and the little spider of course...The info about the party will be printed ('puter) on Whisper White cardstock and stuck inside the card.

I think I can safely say the Designer paper needs to stay...and that I'll stamp the crows closer to the headstone (as in the third card)...AND I won't muck up the name either (pay no attention to the apparently drunken stamper in the corner!) But, I have for thee these questions three...

question the first: Black or orange ribbon?
#2: Name or something else on the stone?
and #3: tag or no tag on the inside?

Am I on the right track here?