Convention Swap and Gifts

I've never been to a Stampin' Up! Convention, but people tell me to go armed with gifts for room mates, swaps and business cards. So...these are what I came up with. I hope they're good enough and people will want to swap with me. I had fun making these, but I do detest remaking the same card over and over and over.

For the top note box I used retired dsp and cs and I hope that is okay. The color is pacific point and the dsp is Morning Sunshine. I have tons of retired paper that I need to get rid of. Of course I used the top note die for the Big Shot.

The card stock for the card is whisper white and regal rose (one of my favorite pinks). I used the Backgrounds 1 texturz plate for the background on the white and white satin ribbon. I think it is pretty and was quite pleased with myself that I thought this up all on my own.

Any questions? Please email me.

Thanks for looking.

Josie

The Bride and Groom

Mixed Feelings

Ican't believe time has flown by so quickly and that it has been more than 2 months since my last post. I find myself with mixed feelings because summer vacation is almost over for me as I go back to work in two weeks. We start school before Labor Day in Colorado. My feelings are mixed because I'm disappointed that I didn't get as much stamping done as planned, but I also feel proud that I've accomplished a great deal this summer.

I got out of school the second to last week of May. My mom arrived to help finish the final details for my daughter's wedding which took place on June 20th. She stayed with us for a month. Mom and I baked approximately 8 dozen of 13 different kinds of cookies for the wedding. Definitely a regional tradition for weddings. I hail from northeastern Ohio and cookies at weddings aren't usually done in Colorado. Everyone that attended enjoyed the "dessert bar" and the owners of the reception hall said they are seriously considering adding such a thing to their list of items provided. I told them I was definitely NOT INTERESTED in providing that service for them! :)

It rained the day of the wedding, but I believe it was my dad who passed away 5 years ago, crying for joy on his only granddaughter's ( his little princess) wedding day. The ceremony was beautiful, if I do say so myself. I haven't seen two people so deeply in love and passionate about each other in a long time. The date of the wedding would also have been my parent's 56th wedding anniversary and the officiant did a wonderful job in bringing us all to tears as he wove that event into his talk on this special day.

The week after the wedding was activity packed as I had 10 house guests staying with us. We did a lot of sight seeing locally and even managed to get in some white water rafting on the Arkansas River. That was something I had always wanted to do, and if it weren't for my young and adventurous niece and nephew, it probably wouldn't have happened. But feeling it was part of my duty to participate as a good host, my husband and I participated int he event. It was pretty scary at first getting the safety briefing. I even remember literally crying and saying "I don't want to do this!" But I caved to peer pressure and, let me tell you...I'd do it again in a heart beat!. In the photo, I am the one sitting in the second row in the middle between my husband and daughter, holding on tightly. I opted not to row. I am glad I had the option. My daughter almost fell out. The water was frigid, but it was a BLAST!

A week after company left, I flew home to Ohio for a week to spend with my sister and Mom who had just returned from Colorado. (We have a very close family connection.) I got to visit my other nephew's new child, Gino, who is only 4 months old. I can't get over how much he looks like his daddy and I cried when I held him. I got in a good rest after all of the other activities just in time to get home and...

redecorate my daughter's old bedroom. I turned it into my stamping room. If you've ever stripped wallpaper, and ripped up wall-to-wall carpeting, you know how much work it was to get started. It took about a week to complete from beginning to end. I repainted it, added a few of Stampin Up!'s home decore to the walls, got myself a flat screen tv and a new leather love seat. My hubby and I find ourselves fighting over who gets to watch tv in there at night. The love seat is for him to keep me company while I sit in my stamping chair.

It was only this week that I actually got to sit at my desk and make a few things which I'll post in another entry today. I wanted to let you guys know what my summer has been like and to apologize for neglecting this thing that I love...stamping.

Oh, and next week I'm going to Stampin' Up!'s convention in Utah. The week after I return I head back to work for another fun filled school year!

Josie

P.S. I've added some pics of the happy bride and groom and white water rafting.

Scalloped Card Box/Drawer

Some of you have emailed me asking for directions for the scalloped card box/drawer that is pictured in my Mother's Day gift set post using the Cheep Talk stamp set. Sorry it has taken me so long to do this. The end of the school year is almost here and I've been super busy with end of year activities and making wedding favors. But here they are, and if you have any questions feel free to email me again.

Card Stock You Will Need:

2 Pieces @ 6” x 6 5/8” – both scored at 1” and 5 5/8” (6 5/8” side). This will be the part the drawer slides into.

1 Piece @ 9 7/8” x 8 ½” – scored at 1”, 2”, 6 ½”,& 7 ½” (8 ½” side) - scored at 1”, 6 7/8” & 7 7/8” (9 7/8” side) This is the drawer

1. Score all your Card Stock as directed above. To orient you, the drawer is the 9 7/8” x 8 ½” piece. The box consists of the two 6 x 6 5/8” pieces. A half circle punch is used at one end of the drawer to add a small opening to pull out the drawer.

2. On the opposite side of the “half-circle”, you are going to punch the eyelet border using the eyelet border punch along the ENTIRE side! This will end up being the fold over part of the drawer. Using this punch upside right gives you the best punches possible and enables an easy clean up. Move the paper along until the scallops line up – the silver will show through.

Josie

Manhattan Flower Texturz Die

I don't know what I ever did before without the Big Shot. I love that thing! My husband gave it to me as a Christmas gift and it is one of the best things he has ever given me.

I also love all of the "stuff" that goes with it, especially the Manhattan Flower Texturz Die. I got the idea for these cards from another blog that I follow on occasion, but of course, I modified them.

I used the Oval All stamp set along with the scallop oval punch from the Occasions Mini Catalog to add the sentiments. These are stamped in black ink.

I got the ribbon from the same catalog; the 5/8" satin ribbon on page 17. I love that ribbon too! It is beautiful.

The pattern for the folder is an old "stand by" from a few years back. I sponged the folder flowers with ink, then I rubbed versa mark on them, sprinkled with a little Iridescent Ice, heat embossed with my heating tool and...voila! I don't like how the sentiment on the folder turned out...I should have removed it before photographing, but sometimes with my schedule, I'm lucky I even get something stamped and photographed, let alone on the blog.

I used paper and ink from the Soft Subtles family and vellum paper in the die.

I hope you like what I've done and...

Thank you for visiting my blog. :)

Josie

Cute Mother's Day Gift

Enough of the wedding stuff for awhile. It is time to take a break from getting ready for my daughter's wedding, although I still have about 40 wedding favors to complete. I was getting tired of the same color paper and ink (Perfect Plum) so I decided to take some time to make a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. Actually, I made two and used one as a shower prize for one of the games we played at the Bridal Shower last weekend. It is a boxed set of four cards using the Cheep Talk stamp set.

I have to admit that I cased the set from anotherStampin Up! demonstrator but modified each to suit me.

Hope you like what you see. If you want directions for anything, let me know. Just send me an email and I'd be happy to help you out if I can.

Thanks for stopping by!

Josie

More Wedding Stuff

Seems like lately all of my time is either working on wedding stuff or grading papers. Papers seem to reproduce in the dark. But I finally made it to the bottom of the stack and I won't have anymore for a few days. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, though. Only 3 1/2 weeks of school left, and I'll be finished for the summer. But I'm not counting the days or anything! ;)

My daughter's bridal shower was this past Sunday and everyone seemed to have a good time. I thought I'd show you the shower favors I made using the new window sheets, scallop oval punch, Oval All stamp set and satin ribbon in the Occasions Mini Catalog. I also used the Pillow Box die for the Big Shot and Perfect Plum Designer Paper. They turned out nicely, even if I do say so myself. I only made 25 of them and they were quick and easy, which was VERY nice! I filled them with the pastel colored M & M's that usually come out around Easter. So here's a picture of them. I hope you like them. If I can get a good photo of the banner I made for the shower, I'll post it tomorrow. Until then...

Thanks for stopping by.

Josie