Post-It Note & Pen Holders

Sorry for the not so crisp photo. I am hoping Santa brings me a better camera for Christmas. I made these Post It Note & Pen Holders for a craft fair. They are the perfect size to slip into your purse or backpack. I learned how to make them from a tutorial from Dawns Stampin Studio .

Ghirardelli Chocolate Holders

I made a bunch of these to put in all the teachers' mailboxes at my son's pre-school. It holds two Ghirardelli chocolate squares. Pictured are some of the many designs I made. Here are the directions:

Directions For Outside:

1. Cut cardstock 7" x 3" and score at 3 1/4" from both ends. 2. Use a 2 3/4" x 2 1/2" piece of designer paper or decorated cardstock for the front. Add main stamped image to the front. Punch holes and run ribbon through.

Directions For Inside:

1) Cut a piece of designer paper or stamped typing paper 5 1/4" x 6".2) Put two pieces of chocolate on paper and make a sleeve that will fit the chocolates.3) Glue down sleeve to cardstock. Punch 2 tiny holes through the spine and tie a piece of silver cord for added decoration.

Doggies need presents, too!

You can't leave the dog off of your Christmas list. If your dog is anything like mine, then it is basically another child----just a four-legged fur baby. My friend, Sue, gave me an awesome dog treat recipe. Peekaboo loved them! I even cut them out into christmas-tree shapes. I originally used a gingerman cookie cutter, but they came out looking too much like people and that was just plain creepy. Speaking of creepy, I even tried one. After looking at the ingredients, I didn't think it would be too yucky. It was okay, but it's not something I would eat regularly. That's okay because Peekaboo is fine having them all to herself!

Dog Treat Recipe

2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ cup finally grated cheddar cheese
1 egg
¼ cup cooking oil
1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in ½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a food processor combine flour, cornmeal, garlic, and cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and oil. With the food processor running, add egg/oil mixture and process until evenly crumbly. With processor still running, add bouillon until a ball forms (if dough is too stiff, add more oil and/or cheese as necessary). Roll out dough on an ungreased surface to nearly ½ inch thickness. Cut with a shaped cutter (cat-shaped rather fun). Place on greased baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. May be stored in an air tight container while they last.

Vase Of Mints

Here's a cute idea that I case'd from JillFL on Splitcoast Stampers. I think they turned out really cute. For the vase, I used an empty prima bottle and filled them with Christmas M&Ms. I attached the peppermint patties to lollipop sticks.

Tag Pouches

Here are two styles of tag pouches that I made for my craft fair. They each contain a dozen tags. I used a 6 x 6 scrapbook page protector as the pouch and adhered it to a cardstock base. Then I added some designer paper, a ribbon, and a circle tag and voila-----a cute way to package tags!

Scripture Magnets

I thought these would do really well at the church craft fair this weekend, but they didn't! I was really surprised. You just never know what will sell from one week to another. It's all hit or miss. For instance, I sold many UT Longhorn items at the previous fair. So I made a whole bunch more and sold NONE this weekend. Go figure. I have 3 more fairs to do, so hopefully they will sell.

I used Verve scripture stamps with Black Stazon Ink and then glued a heavy magnet on the back. Most people use the Chiaro Marble Tiles, but they didn't work for me. The holes/imperfections in the tile made the scripture unreadable, so I used Travertine 2" x 2" tiles instead.

The m&m Christmas Story

I made these m&m tubes for my craft fair yesterday at a local church. They were a hit! The poem reads:

As you hold these candies In your hand, And turn them, You will see. The M becomes a W, An E, and then a 3. They tell the Christmas story, It's one I'm sure you know. It took place in a stable. A long, long, time ago.

The E is for the East, Where the star shone so bright. The M is for the Manger, Where Baby Jesus slept that night. The 3 is for the Wise men, Bearing gifts, they say they came.

W is for Worship, Hallelujah, Praise His name. So as you eat these candies, Or share them with a friend. Remember the meaning of Christmas, It's a Love story that never ends.

Happy Late Halloween!

I know it's been forever since I have posted, but I was on vacation and busy making stuff for my upcoming craft fairs. I plan on posting photos soon of all the stuff I have been making. But for now, check out my little gumball machine!

Go, Pack, Go!

I did this card for Libby's challenge (http://stampinlibby.blogspot.com/). We were supposed to make a card based on one of our favorite teams. Well, I don't really like sports but my dh is from Green Bay. He is an avid fan of the Packers and is even a shareholder. Tomorrow is their first game and we'll be watching the game here. I plan on putting this card in his briefcase so that he'll have a pleasant surprise when he gets to work. Isn't the image adorable? It is a WRAK from Yvonne Delaney off of SCS. Thanks, Yvonne!

Dude Cards!

I don't know about you, but I have the hardest time coming up with cards for guys. To force me to get out of my guy card slump, I decided to join a "Who's Your Daddy" swap on Splitcoaststampers. I did two different designs for the swap. For the first one, I used a Craft Robo to cut out "WILD THING" on the side. For the second swap card, I used some awesome (but retired) designer paper from Stampin' Up! Now I am wishing that I had bought more of it. I hope my fellow swappers like the cards I made.

Stamp Set: Hang In There Changito Stamp Set

Cardstock: SU Barely Banana, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Close To Cocoa, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Ruby Red

Accessories: Scallop and Oval Punches, Chocolate Chip Ribbon

Stamp Set: A Muse
Cardstock: SU More Mustard, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla, East Coast Prep DP
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Su Yo Yo Yellow, Copic Markers
Accessories: Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Piercer

Important Lesson Learned!

I ran over something with my car and just figured it was just a rock, so I kept on driving. A few minutes later, a man drove next to me with sheer terror on his face. He was very frantic and was motioning me to pull over. I almost ignored him because he was acting all wacko, but I put two and two together and realized that there was something wrong with my car. I am so glad I pulled over because my gas tank had been pierced by a metal bedframe piece. Gas was gushing out of my tank. The metal pole was dangerously close to dragging on the ground and it could've created a spark and my car could have blown up with me and Connor in it! WHEW!!!! What a close call! My important lesson learned was:

Always stop after running over anything with your car and make sure the gas tank isn't leaking!

In times of stress, STAMP it out!

After my scary, freak-accident the other day, I have been very stressed out. I think it's because I recently had my car totalled by a kid with just a learning permit and because I had to stay very calm in front of my son so that I wouldn't freak him out. I just finally couldn't hold it in anymore and I needed to let the stress out. After a big cry, I got to work making some stationery folio sets. They each come with 3 matching cards, decorated envelopes, a bookmark, and a pen. I feel better now!

Go, Granny, Go!

I made this card for my mom's 69th birthday. The inside reads, "getting lucky means you found your car in the parking lot." My mom has a great sense of humor and is NOTHING like the granny on the card. She is so much fun and is very active. I got this set when I was in Wisconsin last month visiting my sister-in-law, Juli. I got so excited when I found out that Juli lives just a couple of miles from the Gina K store. I went to the store and bought lots of goodies. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet Gina. She was out of town while I was there.

Stamp Set: you know you're old when... by Gina K Designs

Cardstock/Paper: SU Regal Rose, Whisper White, Basic Black, and Certainly Celery cardstock and Making Memories AquaPolkaDotScarf Designer Paper. Coloring Done with SU Markers.

Embellishments: SU Black Grosgrain Ribbon, SU Black Eyelets, Dimensionals, Crystal Effects for her glasses.

Tools: SU Tag punch

Yeah! No more Olympics!

I am so glad the Olympics are over. I can now go back to a normal sleeping schedule. For the past two weeks, I have been staying up until 3 a.m. watching the LIVE coverage. Why can't I just be a normal person and watch it at a normal hour when it's taped? The funny thing is that I don't even like to watch sports on t.v.! The only time I watch sports is during the Olympics and The Tour de France. So now I can get back to creating and stamping!

First Post Evah!!!!

I started this blog at the urging of my BFF, Rae Anne. Like I need one more thing to get addicted to! I have been admiring so many stamping blogs and have finally taken the plunge (better late, than never). Now let the blogging begin!