Card Club Holiday Party

I have two card clubs that meet once a month. However, we don't meet in December or January. I live in the mountains and so we do get a fair amount of snow (its snowing now). So, the weather, holiday commitments, and the kids are out of school, makes scheduling these a bear. So, we all take a break. I really do like all the ladies in my clubs, and so the holidays are a perfect time for me to show my gratitude for their friendship and business.

Each person in my clubs received one of these cute little cardstock totes, a box of chocolate and a gift card holder. (The gift card holder is empty, just in case they needed one last minute.) They were alot of fun to make. And, if you look at my last post, you will see that the card we made in club yesterday matches! (that wasn't planned, it just happened).

The template to make the totes I purchased. The template to make the box of chocolates and gift card holder, I found on split coast stampers (free). All supplies used are from Stampin' Up! The cardstock is Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla. I used the music notes wheel on the bags. The bird is a retired die. I used three different ribbons: Very Vanilla Satin (5/8"), Very Vanilla Grosgrain (5/8"), and Riding Hood Red Taffeta. I also used Winter Post stamp set on the gift card holders and box of chocolates.

Thank you for looking, and enjoy your day! Post a comment to let me know what you think of their 'gifts'.

Stampede Card Club meets Mojo #166

I have two card clubs that meet every month. Stampede meets the fourth Sunday of the month. In this card club, I teach a kind of 'advanced' card club. We learn either techniques that require multiple steps or 'tricky' card folds. My only requirement for these students is that you have to have stamped before, and know the basics. So, back to this card. There are two different techniques on this card. Can you name them?

The technique in the foreground is collage stamping. The technique on the card base is faux tearing. And the bow is a bit more than a simple knot or a traditional bow. So, that is why this is called my 'advanced' card club. We do multiple techniques or learn a few new tricks.

I used the Winter Post stamp set. The background stamp French Filigree and the music wheel. My only embellishments are the Always Artichoke seam binding and a half pearl. Not a lot of 'stuff' but still isn't it simply beautiful?

Thank you for looking, and I hope you were able to name the techniques.

Holiday Home Showcase

Holiday Home Showcase

Saturday, Dec. 4th 2010

10a-2p

Rio Rancho United Methodist Church

(1652 Arrazo Rd. NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124)

Join us in donating, to support the Home Instead organization, by donating items from around your home: wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, and extra boxes. These items will be used to provide wrapped gifts from the Senior Giving Tree. With your donation, you will receive a special gift bag to be filled by each vendor with lots of specials and coupons. Donations are not required, and all are welcome! There are over 15 vendors, raffles & drawings, and holiday treats!

I will be at this event representing Stampin' Up! I will be there to show SU!'s wonderful products, take orders, have a few retired items for sale, and meet some wonderful shoppers. If you will be in the area, please stop by. It is free, and you will have an opportunity to shop from other 'at-home' businesses! My special 'coupon' to everyone who brings in a donation, are 50% off the Big Idea & Catalog and a free gift card holder for every $20 catalog order (limit 8).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here was our Thanksgiving feast. We had alot to choose from! Top pic: (left to right) crock pot of pinto beans, dinner rolls, cranberry jello, and grilled corn on-the-cob. Bottom pic: (left to right) bacon-mushroom stuffing, sweet potato casserole, smoked turkey, deep-friend turkey, turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, and green-bean casserole.

There were only 6 adults and 2 children for this get-together. We didn't have too much left, and still had room for Pumpkin pie and Deep Dish Apple pie.

I got to share this special day with my family. I hope that you were able to share this day with those who are close to you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Heather

Happy Birthday Heather!

Heather is one of my cousins. Our 'family', gets together every other year, to spend a week together to catch up and touch base with one another. Heather is also one of my 'friends' on facebook, and so that is how we stay in touch across these many miles. Anyways, I post an occasional card on my page, and Heather always has the nicest things to say. So, I wanted to make her a pretty Birthday card. Her birthday is tomorrow, so I won't post her card there until next week.

I got my inspiration from a challenge, Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge #29. Here the colors were neutral except for one strong color. I know that I didn't use only Stampin' Up! products, but I am very happy with how the card turned out. (The brown 'rose' ribbon, hb stamp, the flower button, and the embosssing folder are non-SU! items.) Thank you for looking, and if you would like a complete list of products please contact me privately.

customer card

I have been making quite a few 'vintage' style cards lately, and I wanted to try and break the habit. Not that I don't love them, but I wanted to try a different style.

If you have ordered your Stampin' Up! supplies from me this past weekend, here is the blank card that will acompany your order. The paper I used for the butterflies is two sided. I matted some with Cajun Craze, Old Olive, or Early Espresso. I couldn't decided which I liked better, so its a hodge-podge. Also, on the butterflies, I couldn't decide if I liked the polka-dots or the script better, so they are mixed-matched.

Enjoy your Monday! Its a short week for me at work. Yahoo!

SU! Artist Printers Tray

If you look back, I posted an altered photo tray earlier this month (Nov. 13th post). Well, I have been wanting to alter one these,too. I used SU! products to make this adorable little thing. Each 'well' measures (roughly) 2 3/4" x 3 3/4". So everything is roughly the size of an ATC, a playing card, or a wallet photo. I have left some spaces blank just for photos.

The potential for these trays are endless. You could make tags to fit into each 'well', you could hold a collect of ATC's, you could put a school photo to represent each year of school, you could put a photo of the front door of each of your past houses, your grandparents houses, a photos of your favorite vacation spots, photos of the national monuments, etc. See, the possibilities are endless! You could even combine 'wells' to create a larger space. As I have done at the bottom, to hold the 'Seasons Greetings' stamp. I just love the font! I used the current SU! holiday paper, 'Deck the Halls' (#120810). Some of the papers are just so gorgeous that you don't want to cover them, so I just added some rhinestones or tiny embellishments. (the upper right and bottom right).

I shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and they don't have a local store that sells these trays, so I have to order them off the Internet. They are a bit pricey, @ $19.95 each, plus s&h. But, if you ever get a chance to pick one up, or you need to add one more item to your virtual cart to obtain 'free shipping' I would strongly recommend one, or even two. They are so much fun, that I don't think I could stop at just one.

Thank you for looking! Enjoy what's left of your weekend, I am off to pick up my oldest granddaughter. She is crafty and loves to bake, too. So we are going to make our own home-made marshellow today! How fun is that?

Friends - Clean & Simple

Friends! I think of 'friends' as the 'family' you get to choose. I hold my friends dear. And, I'd do just about anything for them. This card was inspired by my affection for them.

This is our second card, for the Stampalicious Card Club, that is meeting today. The technique is coloring your stamp. The tool is the Stamp-a-ma-jig. I wanted a clean & simple card, because our other card is a little more labor intensive. (Its the shadow box Christmas card two posts down.)

This card uses minimal supplies, and ink. You can basically use your scraps of paper and ribbon to create this layout. Also, any sentiment will work, as will any object. So, its very versatile and easy.

Thanks for looking! Enjoy your weekend! If you have to go to the grocery store to stock up on your Thanksgiving supplies, please be patient and courteous to the other shoppers. We are all in this together!

Simply Amazing!

Have you ever thought about how great it would be to get a discount on all your Stampin' Up! products? Have you ever thought about having your own card club, or scrapbook club? Have you ever thought about teaching a card class, a scrapbook class, or a 3-D project class? Have you ever thought about becoming a SU! demonstrator?

If you have answered 'yes' to any of these questions, joining the Stampin' Up! family might be right for you! For a very limited time only, the 'starter kit' is reduced for 50% off the regular price! That's over $300 worth of product for just under $88! Not only will you receive 20% off, all the product you order, but you will get all the business supplies to start your 'at home' business right away! Make money and save money, while you create! To join my team 'Hoot's Got Stamps?', go to my website, @ Start YourOwn Business, use the password 'friend10' to sign-up today! This offer expires 30th of November 2010.

Please contact me to answer any and all of your questions. This offer is open to everyone regardless as to where you live!

Stampalicious Card Club - choices

I have an infinity towards pink and vintage. Here is ONE of the cards we will be making in our card club this Saturday, November 20th, 2010. The ladies wanted to make a 'shadow box' card, and its the holidays, so....here is what I came up with.

If you are one of my club members, you need to let me know if you would like to make this pink (Blushing Bride) card, or if you would rather use a green (Always Artichoke), or a blue (Baja Breeze). I know some of the ladies don't give away the card they make in class, but rather keep them in a book, so they have a 'sample'. So, I want them to have a card they love.

The cool thing about a shadow box card, is that is lays flat to mail. Pretty neat, huh? So if anyone from my Stampalicious Card Club would rather make their card using a different color, please let me know. Otherwise, you get to make the pink card.

Thanks for looking!

Possible Club Card

Howdy All! Well, I have completed my first craft fair for this holiday season. There was a nice turn-out. I did make a few dollars; that translates to 'shopping for more craft items' (LOL).

Here is a card that I made this morning. I wanted to use some DSP that was already opened. However, I don't know if I like it. Has that ever happened to anyone else? I added crystal effects to the 'cherries' to give them a little sheen.

If you are in the Stampalicious Card Club, post a comment as to if you want to make this card or not. Votes will determine if its 'do-able', or not. I'll make another card with a different DSP, so stay posted.

Tramway Community Church Craft Fair-cont.

This is my other magnetic message board that I am selling at the craft fair. I have a very good friend who teaches a 'heritage' scrapbook class and a Basic Grey class. She is super talented and has a wonderful eye for distressing, and 'vintage'. She had selected these papers for another class she is doing, and when she showed them to me, I fell in love! The papers have that wood-zy, earth-y look to them, and I knew the perfect frame to showcase them. Yes, the frame is green. Its distressed and I actually love the cut of the frame. The frame holds a 8" x 10" 'photo'. The paper is holiday paper, so look closely, there are ornaments hanging off the limbs. The deers, I just love! Ok, so back to the board. The whole area where a 'photo' is suppose to be, is covered galvanized steel, so you can put your magnets everywhere! Oh, the pebbles are magnets. I did a few rub-ons to the frame. I gave the rub-ons a coat of sealant, so they wouldn't rub-off easily. And I added a paper flower. I didn't want to add too much to the frame, because I wanted the 'picture'/paper to be the focus. You can either hang this board on the wall, or stand it on a desk, counter, etc. And, my usual self, I made a card that coordinates with the board, just incase you wanted to give this as a gift.

This is the altered Photo Tray that coordinates with the card showcased yesterday. I wanted to use these pretty, 'non-traditional' colors on it. The paper is from CTMH. I think the paper looks like 'fun', whimsical holiday paper. I used stamps from 3 different company's (Stampin' Up!, Flourish, & Paper Trey Ink), but don't they go well together! I bought the rosette ribbon several months ago, and didn't use it on the project it was originally intended for. And yes, I still have some left :)

I have created 3 different 'area's to place your holiday photos. And the tags are positioned, so the photo will tuck right in behind them. Pretty clever, huh? I think a photo of your home with snow on it, or of your front door decorated for the holidays would look smashing! And you can't forget to add a photo of your children all together in some fun pose, or even a candid shot.

Well, thank you so much for looking at what I have been creating. Thank you for all the comments, too. Those really do make my day. If you're in the area (Albuquerque, New Mexico), come check-out my wares. I am attending different craft fairs around the area, dates and locations are listed in the header of this blog. These items shown are originals/one-of-a-kind. So when they are gone they are gone. However, I do take custom orders. So, if you see anything you like, I can re-make one for you, however, they will vary slightly. The holidays are quickly approaching, so if you need any Christmas cards, you can purchase a 'kit' from any of the Christmas Card Clubs. The cardstock is already cut, and scored. All you need to do is stamp and assemble! Enjoy the rest of this weekend, and take care!

Tramway Community Church Craft Fair

Good Morning! No, I haven't fallen off this earth, but I've been busy crafting! I will be at the TCC craft fair today (10a-6p) and tomorrow (9a-4p) selling my hand-made, home-made items. Besides cards, I have a few magnetic message boards, some altered photo trays, Pumpkin-Cranberry bread, Blueberry-Maple spoon fruit, ribbon bookmarks, and tile coasters. All craft items are original. So, stop by and take a look. For the craft items, I have made a card to match the item, just in case this is a gift.

This is the card, that goes with my Christmas altered Photo Tray. Not traditional colors. And a little bling!

I have taken photos, so if you are unable to make it, you can still see what I have created.

Enjoy your Friday!

Sewing Magnetic Board + Card

I am selling some of my hand-made cards at the Craft Fair @ Tramway Community Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday November 12th & 13th. However, I wanted to make a few different paper-craft items to sell also. I had a wonderful time making a magnetic message board for a Stampin' Up! class, and really loved the one I made for my granddaughter. So, I decided to make a few for the craft fair. This one is an original, one-of-a-kind. I made the card out of the scraps of paper I had. I thought, that if someone buys this one for a 'gift', they might want a card to go with it. The pattern paper I used is from Cosmo Cricket. The solid cardstock is Stampin' Up!. The buttons at the bottom of the board are magnets.

To be eligible to sell your wares, you must pass a voting committee, and your items must be hand-made. So, I am selling individual and boxed hand-made greeting cards, a few ribbon book marks, a few metal book marks, some natural stone coasters, a few magnetic message boards, and a few different altered photo trays. I will also have some home-made pumpkin-cranberry bread, and a few jars of blueberry spoon fruit. If I knew how to sew, I'd probably have a few sewn items, too. So, if you're in the area, stop-by, shop, and don't forget to say 'hi'.

Christmas Card Club card #3 & Bonus card

The red card featuring the reindeer, is card #3.

The 'Peace on Earth' card is the bonus card.

Here are the last 2 cards. For this series, I wanted to use stamp sets that are popular, and that most people have. I think showing someone a new card design with the same set, shows how versatile a stamp set is, and the customer leaves feeling better about their previous purchase.

I have embraced the 'vintage' look of some hand-made cards. So, I have included a vintage-feel card in each club series. So, here is this series card.

For the bonus cards, I have introduced the participants to something 'new'. And so, this series I have used a hostess stamp set. I don't use hostess stamp sets for clubs or workshops. Basically, I want the customer to go home with something they love and something they can reproduce again and again. This is my first time breaking this rule.

Thank you for looking! Let me know what you think.

Christmas Card Club #3

This is the 'technique' card.

This is the 'quick & easy' card.

Here are two of the cards we will be making in my third and last Christmas Card Club this year. I have been including a 'quick & easy' card, a 'technique' card, and a 'vintage' card. That way, my club members get a variety. We also, do a 'bonus' card. We will be making one of those partial 3-D cards for that. I'll post that card, along with the 'vintage' card tomorrow morning. So, come back and take a look.

Have a wonderful Friday, and take time out of your busy schedule to create something wonderful, something hand-made/home-made for someone special!

Mojo Monday #163

Here is the card I made to enter the sketch challenge for Mojo Monday 163 - CONTEST The truth be told, I needed a card. So I used the sketch and all Stampin' Up! products to make a blank card that will accompany all the orders I received before I went out of town. I'm glad that I waited until this evening to separate the orders, and get everyones 'bag' together. The 'bundles' were a huge hit! I received the last box of the back ordered items today. So, now everyone's order is complete!

Thanks for looking!

Las Vegas Drag Strip

I have been out of town for the past 4 days. And, I enjoyed the rest and relaxation. So, here are a few photos as to what we have been doing. But, first, a little background. When I met my husband, he was the crew chief for a Top Alcohol Dragster. He (ok, I mean 'we') spent our weekends at the race track. We even took trips (out of town) to go to National events. I enjoyed the 'hobby' of it, but not the lifestyle. My husband is no longer a crew chief. But, these boys with their toys, oh my.

Anyways, we flew out to Las Vegas Nevada for a National Event. Our son-in-law, Max Tafoya Jr. is a professional race car driver. He competed in this past weekends event, and he will be racing in Las Vegas again this up coming weekend, and then in Pomona, Calf. He is actually very good. He has quite a few 'walleys'. (Trophies for winning.) He is racing a Barracuda in Super Gas and a dragster in Super Comp.

So, now onto the photos.

I think its 'funny' that a candy company has a race car. So, I wonder, why doesn't any paper craft company have a race car? Like Basic Grey, or Cosmo Cricket, or Stampin' Up!

This is a top fuel funny car. For those of you who don't know, that means these cars are screaming down the track. By screaming, I mean, 300+ mph/in 3.5 seconds. And, they don't go the full quarter mile anymore. They are running so fast, that the tires fall apart. And the tire companies don't know how to make a tire that will hold up to those speeds, so they race to those bright orange pylons. (the shutter speed on the camera was a clicking away to get this shot.)

I don't really like the motorcycles. But, I just had to show you. These motorcycles are doing 190+ at a quarter mile. That is just insane to me. They say, if you fall off, make sure you hold your arms and legs up in the air, and ride it out on your back. If you tuck, you will tumble and greatly increase your chances of head injury and possibly lost of limb.

I don't have any photos of John Force, who, I witnessed doing 303 mph in the quarter mile in Phoenix back in Feb. 1996. (He was the first to break the 300 mph mark down the track.) He was at the races, and I believe he won yesterday. His daughters now race, or have for awhile. I saw Ashley Force Hood (the Queen of Hearts) go down the track in her top fuel funny car, in 4.105 seconds. That's pretty fast. But, she lost in the end.

Thank you for letting me share my 'boy' weekend with you. I will post a card or two tomorrow.