I believe ... it's Christmas in July!

"I believe ... "

I'm a huge fan of the movie Miracle on 34th Street, and love the scene where Natalie Wood's mom tells her that faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to, so I took that part from a longer sentiment (originally from a mini KaiserCraft set that read "I believe in you") to use on my SFYTT July sketch. I've made a few Christmas cards this month, having been prompted to do so by my favorite local stamp store, Capture-a-Memory. It's a good idea to make a few each month so that the need for Christmas cards doesn't sneak up on you in November, don't you agree?! I've never liked to pick one design and assembly line make multiples of that one design. "Christmas in July" was CAM's ongoing theme this month, for the most part!

stamps: KaiserCraft's Proud mini stamp set; paper: Authentique's Wonder DP, SU's Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, and Vanilla card stocks; inks: Ranger's antique linen and black soot distress inks; tools: Creative Memories' circle cutter, SU's stocking builder punch (BTW, have you seen SU's mitten bulder punch in the holiday catalog?!)

happy anniversary, PB!

It's clear to see ... you're the one for me! (inside sentiment) Such a cute sentiment, and one I picked up thinking I'd use it for my anniversary card to my DH. This is one of Lawn Fawn's clear stamp sets.

We had a t'riffic day; I took off a couple hours early from work so that we could enjoy "lupper" with our boys at the local Red Lobster (we don't get there often enough and I LOVE seafood). My DH and crew picked me up at work as the restaurant's on the northwest end of Flint, then returned to my workplace so I could grab my trucklett and we returned home. So far it's been a nice relaxing quiet evening ... no TV, just PB napping and then playing on the PC while I've been re-reading a book on my nook (hey, that rhymes! I'm a poet! You wouldn't know it, but my feet show it ... they're Longfellows!). He's gone to pick up small sundaes for dessert from Mickey D's so I thought I'd jump on the PC to upload today's card I'd made for him. I've been neglecting my paper crafting lately, but I seem to get into reading for a while, sometimes needlework, then switch back to paper crafting, and lately I've been on my reading kick! Gotta run ... he's back!

stamps: Lawn Fawn's Clear to See, Unity's unknown distressed dots BK; paper: SU's Crumb Cake, Kiwi Kiss, Rich Razzleberry, and Very Vanilla card stocks; inks: Ranger's Black Soot distress ink, SU's Crumb Cake, Kiwi Kiss, Rich Razzleberry

just wanted to say hello ...

here's a quick card intended for my favorite aunt! I'd recently ordered some PTI mini stamp sets and corresponding dies from Melissa j designs - from the uber talented Melissa Bickford. so many stamp sets, so little time, y'know?! I ran the sentiments down a stripe of white card stock, leaving enough room to pop up the cute old-fashioned phone, popped up the phone, rotary dial, and handset. the inside sentiment reads, " just wanted to say hello" and the word "hello" is in the script used on the card's front. easy peasy, right?! I emptied out my heart punch for confetti to include inside the card. done!

stamps: PTI's heart-to-heart #4; paper: Staples' white, SU's real red card stocks; ink: Ranger's black soot distress ink, SU's real red; tools: PTI's heart-to-heart #4 die and Cuttlebug

happy belated b'day kim

My stampin' buddies Pat, KimR and I annually make the trek from the Flint MI area to Novi in May to check out all the stamping goodness at the Mega Meet. I picked up some washi tape and these Nesties while at this year's outing and used them on Kim's belated b'day card, as we've both decided they're "da bomb!"Hard to tell from the photo but the labels and ice cream cone are all popped up over a mas of summer-like tapes.

stamps: Imaginisce's dollar ice cream; paper: AC's white textured and SU's unknown yellow card stocks; inks: SU's Creamy Caramel, PC-generated sentiment; tools: Cuttlebug w Labels Four Small nestabilities

We're getting together w family for a cookout later today ... a little later than originally intended, but hey, we're flexible people here! ... and it allowed me time to blog troll and upload a posting ... and who knows?! maybe I'll get that last chapter read in my latest book ... so Rosie, if you're out there, send the next of the trilogy in w Jim!

Enjoy the holiday, folkes, and I hope you're having a blast today (pun intended ... sorry 'bout that!)!

gals night out at the movies

well, things don't always go as planned ... but it's interesting that this Saturday's make-'n-take ended up being movie-related as I got together w friends on Thursday to watch a video. Sue's DVD player was on the fritz, so after a while trying to work with it, we eventually gave up and instead watched an NCIS rerun while we enjoyed each other's company and had pizza, fresh fruit, and angel food cake for supper. getting together w friends is always a nice treat tho, and now perhaps Sue will be looking into an update to a blu-ray player?!

today's movie-themed make-'n-take included this sweet popcorn treat box and filmstrip/ticket card - both using a Tim Holtz stamp set. sweet, eh?! both the film strip and popcorn box were from dies that CAM (store link at right) carries. anyone can use them so long as they purchase the card stock from the store. I'll probably be back to make more. thanx for the inspiration, Jill, and I'll see you next week!

S&CT's summer edition's available

The kind folkes at Scrapbook & Cards Today have published their summer edition, and it's always a fav read of mine. I especially love to check out what's new in the paper crafting industry thru their eyes! While you're at it, check out their blog as well, as they're celebrating 12K Facebook friends in a t'riffic way!

Click on the cover picture to head to the download/viewing site!

happy Father's Day, PB!

I'm playing catch-up and wanted to share the Father's Day card I gave my DH this month. It was a CAM make-'n-take led by the lovely and talented Karen at CAM yesterday, and I don't think I'd ever made a card using this type of format before. We cut a card stock "tube" of sorts, then glued the interior kraft card stock base to the smaller portion, and decorated the base of the card stock tube. In the picture at left you can see that the right-most area of the card - perhaps an inch - works as a slider card. The interior portion is simply inserted into the card stock tube. We used some distress stain on the mini envelope that's mounted on the top of the card, and when I got home I found that I had the perfect size "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!" sentiment in my stash. The inside sentiment was PC-generated (using Architext and Lucida Handwriting fonts) and the "you're a classic" sentiment just seemed perfect to go with the classic card on the base! I printed it on vellum card stock and attached that to the kraft base. Easy peasy to make but it looks so much more difficult, don't you think?!

Almost all materials were provided by CAM so no deets today.

inside portion

stamp camp fav

Angie's gone and done it again ... pulled together 5 great designs for our June stamp camp, making it difficult for me to pick my fav to post! Well, this was my fav for the moment. She made it easy for us to assemble, as the parts were already cut so it was simply stamp, color, snip ribbon, and snip b'day sentiment into a banner, then assemble ... and ta da!

If you're in the Flint/Lapeer MI area and looking for a SU rep, check out Angie. She's a jewel. Tell her SueB sent ya, and she should give me referral discount! Thanx for stopping by ... now I'm off to pick up supper to go!

feelin' artsy?

After my annual stint volunteering at the name/photo table for June 2012 Commencement (insert shameless plug for Kettering University here), I zipped over to CAM for my usual and customary Saturday make-'n-take, then met my buddy Sue at the Flint Art Fair. It was too warm for our taste today (mid 80's here), so we both got drinks and took in half the fair, then sat and relaxed in the shade while listening to the UM-Flint Student Jazz Combo (those folkes are GOOD!) and enjoying a late lunch, then refilled drinks and took in the last half of the fair. I picked up this year's screen print tee and a necklace, but that's it this year. I ALMOST picked up a framed tree-of-life tile for my DH for Father's Day ... but it honestly would actually have been for the kitchen ... and checked out some uber cool altered sweatshirts ... but couldn't make myself try them on ... remember, we're talking mid 80's here!

So, no pain, no strain to the wallet this year, but a good time! It runs thru tomorrow if you're in the Flint MI area and haven't made the trek there yet, and it's a nice manageable-sized juried fair, with about 175 vendors.

movie day at the Blondin's

I took a vacation day from work today to celebrate my eldest's first day out of school, and the whole family took in the Avengers. My youngest already saw it when it was released last month, but the rest of us hadn't! LOVED seeing Samuel Jackson play Nick Fury as director of S.H.I.E.L.D, and him calling so many of the Marvel Super Heroes - including Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor - into action to band together to defend global security when it's  threatened by Loki.

(I've gotta admit, I wasn't familiar with either the Black Widow or Hawkeye (except from MASH) characters, and I've still got to rent the latest Hulk as I haven't seen that yet ... having a couple boys, you would have thought I'd seen 'em all, eh?!)

Pretty good stuff ... all action, all the time. I never DID get up to refill that drink during the entire show, LOL! Part of my fun in going to these Marvel Comics flicks is spotting Stan Lee during the film (... ditto for watching Alfred Hitchcock movies! I just caught Rear Window on TV the other day again). So, have you seen it yet?

SU 2012 catty debuts

Click on the picture at left to access the flash version of the new catty.

My stampin' buddies Pat and Kim and I had planned on heading to our SU demo's open house but alas, NONE of us remembered to jot it in our calendars. It was just by chance right before heading to meet them for lunch today that I checked to see when the open house WAS ... thinking that it was coming up soon, like next week, maybe?! NOT! It was today from 4-8 p.m.! Two of us were able to go check it out. It's always a good thing to get there early so I ended up asking for a last-minute couple hours off work - thanx, Beth, for okaying that - and Kim and I met up at her house about 3:30 to make the trek to Otisville where Angie lives  (link below if you're looking for a t'riffic demo, BTW).

Anywho, I picked up a few items that had been on my wish list that retired, ordered one stamp set - Take Care - and one embosslit - Sweet Buttons - from the new catty. We made a few cards (my fav's below), and I still got home only about a half hour later than I normally do from my usual and customary work day!

Here's my latest wish list, after taking a first peek thru the new catty:

• p35 - Animal Talk
• p72 - Blissful Bird and Betsy's Blossoms (we used this one tonite)
• p76 - Best of Everything
• p91 - Take Care (my first purchase from the new catty)
• p115 - Papillon Potpourri
• p188 - Sweet Buttons (another of tonite's purchases)
• p203 - Carry On

We also had a few make-'n-take cards, and here's my fav of the bunch which uses the new Summer Starfruit In Color: