SNOWY DAY FUN

Here are two new cards I made while the snow was falling. I needed a hint of Spring!

The top one features a pop-up butterfly made from the SU butterflies diecut and my Cuttlebug. The card front folds back for added interest.

The bottom one has a birthday message on an accordion fold hidden from view until the card is opened. The cupcake on the front was paper pieced, with Pistachio glitter for added sparkle on the "icing." The triangle cutaway was necessary because the cardstock had faded in the store--the package it came in has a triangle opening at the top so you can see the colors inside. Thankfully, only the top sheet was affected. (That's probably why it was on the half-price rack.)

I'm happy to be back into pastels and florals. How 'bout you?

DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE (Seasonal Clothing)

This is a good time of year to clear the way for Spring clothing. Take a plastic bag and look through your closets and drawers for items you're willing to donate. When was the last time you wore ...................? (fill in the blank.) If it's been more than a year or two, consider dropping it into your local clothing drive bin for someone who really needs it and could use it now. What a guilt-free way to let go of unused (or unloved) clothing!

As for clothing we hope to wear again when we lose that extra weight, I finally decided that if I ever DO lose these extra 20 lbs., I deserve some new clothes to celebrate in! I no longer have too-small/tight clothes staring back at me from my closet. Meanwhile, someone, somewhere is enjoying clothes that fit...and I have a closet that all my clothing fits in.

Dresser drawers can be purged, too. Underwear, socks, nightgowns, pj's, sweatshirts, turtlenecks, etc. can be sorted and inspected. If it's not ship-shape, ship it out! Even the jewelry box on top of the dresser can be sorted out, and outdated or unloved costume pieces can be given away to friends or relatives who might enjoy them. (Just be careful not to give them back to someone who gave it to you!) Shown here is a necklace holder my Dad made using a piece of wood and some golf tees. He also made a smaller version mounted by the back door to hang our car keys.

Finer chains and necklaces can be moved from the jewelry box and stored in an inexpensive tackle box with small compartments to keep them from getting tangled. For organizing within drawers, try using dividers or containers to keep things together, especially small items like socks and underwear.

When it comes to children's bedrooms, set the example with your room and then help them do the same. Outgrown clothing or toys can be passed down to younger siblings or friends, if not donated to those in need. Take the opportunity to teach them to think of others less fortunate and help in their own way. Rearranging furniture can give new life to a room without having to spend money on decorating--AFTER all the clutter is removed!

CLEAN REFRIGERATOR!

Just wanted you to know that I practice what I preach!

It took me a couple of hours, shelf by shelf, to discard everything that had been pushed to the back and forgotten. Then, I removed, cleaned and rearranged each shelf or drawer for all the remaining items. Notice the bottom shelf on the right which is reserved for containers of leftovers later on. It really is nice to have a refrigerator with removable components so they can be thoroughly washed in the sink.

I took this photo so I'd remember what it's supposed to look like!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #14

INKADINKADO FLOWERS

This has to be one of my favorite sets, especially since they're clear stamps--so easy to use.

These 3 cards were done with the help of Basic Grey 6 x 6 dsp pads which I've had in my stash for quite awhile. The top two were done on watercolor paper and painted in with my aqua painter brush. The poppy below was stamped on white cs and colored with a SU marker. Stickles were added to each for added sparkle.

Which to you like best?

The Blizzard Advantage

Thanks to this latest blizzard, I was able to de-clutter and really clean out the Stamping Tower like never before (and hopefully, never again :))

Last time I posted a redo of the Tower, the storage units were on the opposite wall; but I like this better because the room looks neater from the door.

Here's what's in all those drawers and containers, starting with the unit closest to the windows:

* the two white drawers contain ribbons in the top one and tools in the bottom one (such as Rollograph supplies, brayers, crimper, etc.)

* the three white containers on top hold, from left to right, SU punches, Marvy punches, and Slice machine with accessories

* next to the drawers are 2 stacked 3-drawer units holding, from top to bottom: glitters and Flower Soft, brass stencils and piercing tools, craft knives and other tools; then, peg stamps, the infamous scrap drawer and other odds and ends in the bottom drawer

* in the narrow space between the drawers and plastic units is the Score-Pal and a cutting pad

* below the drawers, from left to right on the shelves, are embroidery floss, chalks, glue dots, 3-hole punch, Xyron machine, colored pencils, & watercolor pads--all on the stacked paper trays; next are extra assorted markers, a mini 3-drawer unit with coloring tools, 2 sandwich containers with clear embossing powder in one and Prisma glitter in the other, then a stack of Little Sizzles dsp pads; the bottom shelf holds more containers of assorted embossing powders.

* the filing cabinet holds 12 x 12 dsp in the two top drawers, and a file drawer below. I love having the Cuttlebug on top where I can swing around in my chair to use it, which I do often.

* behind the cabinet doors are all the stamps/stamp sets presently in use--I moved out the seasonal ones to the closet where I rotate my supply with each holiday or season

* above the doors are more punches, a white basket of clear stamp sets, a wicker basket of stationery and envies and my SU marker set on the right

* on top are more dsp pads in the container on the left, a basket of Cuttlebug folders and dies, and a box of finished cards waiting to be used

* the wall shelves hold my card holder for displaying my faves, my ink holder, a black container of assorted bottles, a white basket of odds and ends (including a book of Common Birds for accurate bird coloring) and one last basket of Colorbox inks


* on the opposite wall is my table, which I can pull out into the room when stamping buddies come. The beige placemat covers stamp sets and papers to protect them from sunlight damage. Everything else on the table is pretty self-explanatory. I enjoy the "inspiration" prints on the narrow shelf above it; plus I also face the street which I can see below through the trees. After all, I wouldn't want to miss seeing my MIB heading for the driveway!

* I've shown my closet on a previous post, but the top shelf really needed to be "weeded" of unnecessary stuff! (Yes, there is such a thing as "unnecessary" in stamping!)

Hope you enjoyed the tour! (Click on photos for a closer view.)

THE MORNING AFTER

Additional photos are posted on our Fox Mountain blog (link at right.)

SCRAP DRAWER #6

Just thought I'd try a quilted pattern for a change, but it was very time consuming. Although I enjoyed learning something new, I won't be doing this one again.

The bee theme really worked, with three matching buttons I found in my stash from years ago! I'm not a hoarder, but sometimes it really pays to hang on to things awhile (as long as it doesn't take up a lot of space.) The black cardstock is mounted with dimensionals, and the bee's wings have a touch of Stickles on them.

DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE (Kitchen)

This challenge is a big one! You know what's lurking behind those cabinet doors and drawers, so go for it. Which one bugs you the most: under the sink? the freezer? the "junk" drawer? the pantry? all of the above?

Remember, this is not about cleaning; it's about sorting, rearranging and purging so that cleaning is easier without having to work around unwanted/unnecessary items in the way. Streamline the kitchen and you'll feel a lot less stress.

Mismatched glassware? How about discarding them all and treating yourself to a new matching set from Walmart or the dollar store. Too many plastic containers? Use them for storing things in other parts of the house, maybe even your stamping area. Mishmash of cleaning supplies? Try reducing them to a few all-purpose products instead. Outdated foods and other supplies? That's what those large brown plastic bags are for!

Have fun! Make "Purge" your new favorite word!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #13

BLACKBIRDS VIDEO

Check out the video I posted on my Fox Mountain blog! (Link at right.)

LAST OF THE VALENTINES

These are just 3 of the many Valentines I stamped up the other day when the temperature reached only 16 degrees for a high.

The bottom one with the oval I CASEd from a similar card I saw on the Hero Arts blog. The large butterfly has wire antennae, the others I drew in with a black marker.

The red one looks better IRL. The gold Twinkling H2O's on the wings and body have a delicate shimmer, which doesn't show up as well here. The ferns were stamped with Versamark and clear embossed.

Last, the one with the dark brown butterflies has a HUGE error in it which doesn't show up here: the French Script was stamped upside down! That's why there's so much busy-ness on the front. I figured I'd cover up as much of the writing as possible. Thankfully, the script is so faint that most people wouldn't notice. Did you?

DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE (Bathrooms)

This one doesn't sound like much--until you open up the cabinet, the makeup drawer, the medicine cabinet... It's time to toss all those outdated meds and cold remedies, unused items that have been pushed to the back of a drawer, old makeup, and anything gooey.(lol)

Once you clean out the drawers and cabinets, you'll have more room to store what you really need and less clutter on the counter or sink top. Less clutter means quicker cleaning which translates to more time to stamp!

When it comes to bathroom cleaning, I don't have a specific time to clean mine. I just clean something every time I'm in there. For instance, while I'm in the shower, I spray some Soft Scrub on the walls and glass doors and clean them as needed. After brushing my teeth, I rinse the sink with water and dry with a paper towel. Then I use the wet paper towel to shine the faucet, clean the mirror, countertop and lastly, the toilet rim. The only thing left is the floor, which I do at another time.

Leaving the bathrooms clean whenever I use any of them (we have 2 1/2) only takes an extra minute or two each time. If I could only get my DH to do the same...

Easter Daffodils

Happy Ground Hog"s Day!

(This one was tough to photograph for some reason, but I'm finally happy with it.)

After stamping the image several times, I watercolored them and cut them out. Four additional blossoms were stamped and cut separately and popped out with SU dimensionals. Not shown here is the addition of yellow Stickles (added later) around the center edges of each daffodil.

I love this new set for Easter from SU's Occasions Mini and plan to make most of my Easter cards with it, except that I won't be doing this much cutting. Using a Nesties oval will serve to highlight the future smaller image.

Spring flowers bring the opportunity for more colorful cards, especially after all the white-on-white snowflake cards we made for Christmas!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #12

MORE VALENTINES

After a week of non-stop activity, I finally got a morning to spend all by myself in the Stamping Tower. Here are some of the Valentines I came up with to send to my Silver Stamper friends. Since I need at least 20, they are all simple--so feel free to CASE!

DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE (Linens, Cleaning Supplies)

The challenge for the next week is to clean out our linen closets. As you can see from my "before" picture, it really IS a challenge! The "after" picture, however, proves that it's not impossible!

Here's a tip I just heard about recently for storing sheet sets: neatly fold the top and bottom sheets together with one pillow case and use the second pillow case as an "envelope" (or the only pillow case for twin sets.) Why didn't I think of that??? It works, too--as seen on the lower shelf (plaid pillow cases.)

For bulky items (like quilts and blankets) try using those plastic bags that you compress by removing the air with your vacuum. They sure do save space! (Stacked on the floor under the lowest shelf, so not seen here.)

Old towels can be moved to the garage or basement for car washing or pet drying. Otherwise, out they go! The rest can be folded and stacked on a shelf, or rolled and stored in a basket. I used the wall space over the toilet in our master bath for a chrome towel rack (like the ones they have in hotels) where they're handy and also add some extra color. You could even match towels to the colors of bedrooms and store them there. This is an especially nice touch for a guestroom. Or buy only white towels for all so you don't have to bother matching them up or separating them in the laundry. Be creative!

An additional challenge for the coming week is to pare down cleaning supplies under the sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms. I discovered so many duplicate or unnecessary products under mine. Consolidating really makes sense.

Remember, getting organized is not an end in itself. It's a way to take some of the stress and chaos from our lives so that we're free to use our time in serving others. Go for it!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #11

NEW TOYS HAVE ARRIVED!

Look what my MIB brought yesterday in my favorite box! I love the way the new bird punch folds flat for storage. As you can see, I already tried it out on a card.

What a nice stack of new stamp sets, too--and they take up so much less room than the wood-mounted sets. Not shown are two additional punches, (curly label and 1 1/4" square) and a pack of Rich Razzleberry cardstock, which I plan to use with Easter cards. Also included in this delivery was the butterflies Embosslit--soooo easy to use in my Cuttlebug.

Another nice part of this order was that 3 of the sets were FREE, thanks to Sale-a-bration and Hostess benefits.

With bad weather forecast later this week, I'm sure there will be lots of activity here in the Tower!

JUST HORSIN' AROUND

Here's what Joan and I came up with using one set for two different looks!

The card on the left was done with Chestnut Roan ink (how appropriate is that...) featuring one of the images within the Nestability circle.

The card on the right was stamped across the bottom with Versamark and chalked. The horse image and greeting were stamped with Chestnut Roan ink.

The jute was used on both cards in two different ways, although I think the knot works best for both. Either of these would make a nice masculine birthday card. Enjoy!

De-Cluttered Stamping Tower

NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T!

I've exchanged the messy look of a pile of things waiting to be dealt with and/or put away for the neatness of a beautiful 12" x 12" box from Hobby Lobby. They were on sale for 2/$10; but I bought only one so I wouldn't be tempted to let things keep piling up.

Here's what's in there:

a book to put in the bookcase
SU catalogs
two small notebooks
2 decorated notepads that can be given as gifts later
a package of cough drops (no longer needed, thankfully)
a red tote bag zipped up into a square to go back in my purse
a magazine article on exercises I want to do
another notebook for card ideas from other blogs
23 items to be filed, shredded or put away
15 items to be thrown away (done!)
and a collection of my grandson's artwork from his first year of preschool.

Here's what's left:

the catalogs
the notebooks
the gift notepads
and the magazine article.

AMAZING!

DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE (Paper)

Today was our first week of the usual Winterim at our Ladies Bible Study. We are using the newest Vanderlaan video series as the basis for an informal discussion. After this series, which we use to give our teaching staff a break before the start of the Spring Semester, we'll return to our regular format of Lecture series and electives.

In addition to the video, I'll be putting out a different challenge each week to encourage us to get our houses in order before the warm weather returns. Since it's such a popular series, I thought I'd share it with you to follow along with us!

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: each week, a new challenge is issued for a specific area of our homes. When we come back the next week, we get to share what we accomplished, otherwise known as bragging rights (or rites!) Then the next challenge is issued.

This week's challenge is to attack and de-clutter all the piles of papers, magazines, books, and any other paper clutter in our house and reorganize or purge like crazy. Books and mags that might be of interest to others in our group may be brought in as giveaways; but whatever is left at the end of the session will be either donated to the church library where we meet (if appropriate) or discarded.

For those of you who are following by way of this blog, you could donate or discard things where you are. Maybe you could form a small group of your own to encourage one another, even if only for the next 6 weeks. Then check back here for the next week's challenge on Tuesdays. Meanwhile, I'll label all these challenges under De-Clutter De House so you can find the posts later.

As for your bragging rights, you can publish them here under comments. I'd enjoy hearing from you and sharing your comments with our group!

My Computer Is Back!

Thanks to a great computer doctor, my Dell was released from the hospital today. I'm so glad to have it up and running again!

Computer Problems

My computer is now at the computer hospital being purged of a nasty virus! I can access my blog and email with my laptop, but won't be able to post photos of cards until I get my PC back. Don't know when that will be (or how much it will cost.)

Take care with what you click on while you're online!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #10

Hoppy Valentine

Here's a Valentine I made for my grandson. The dsp is from the scrap drawer and happened to be just right for the frog with his green spots.

The gel heart is inserted slightly under a slit in his mouth. The eyes were added for a little extra interest. The red scalloped oval helps "ground" the heart, which is mounted with SU dimensionals.

The hardest part was trying to decide whether to label this one "Valentines" or "Scrap Drawer." (I decided against the latter since the scrap drawer isn't shown.)

Congrats to Blog Candy Winner!

And the winner is...

#13--ChrisD! Please contact me by email with your snail mail address so I can get your package out right away.

Thanks to all for your wonderful comments. This past year had a lot of ups and downs, with the loss of 2 family members along the way (in addition to my mom in Nov. of 2008.) Time in the Stamping Tower was a precious refuge from the storms of life, both literal and figurative.

I am constantly praising God for His gracious blessings of stamping supplies and fellow bloggers who share in this wonderful world of creativity. I feel as though I know some of you as well as stampers I've met face to face. The ideas we all share with one another go well beyond cyber space.

As I've said before, stamping (especially cards) gives us the opportunity to bless another person's life in a special way--so keep inking up!

HAPPY NEW YEAR--Blog Candy Style!

I can hardly believe another year has gone by. It seems the older I get, the faster it goes.

Once again, I'm offering some blog candy and this challenge: Look back over all my posts for 2009 and choose a favorite; then leave a comment here with your choice. On January 15th, I'll choose a winner at random and announce it here. Until then, I'll leave this post at the top of my blog (so be sure to scroll down for the latest posts.) Meanwhile, send some of your friends over to the Stamping Tower.

Also included are some clear stamps for Valentines!

Happy Stamping in 2010!

Phresh & Phunky Valentine

While going through a folder of Basic Grey papers, I came across a batch of pinks and reds that I had saved from last year. This Phresh & Phunky combo worked well with the cardstock I already had. Since I'm not fond of pink (yellow is my favorite color) I like the way these non-traditional colors toned it down a bit.

From the sheets of letters and tags, this tag was chosen to serve as a bookmark after the card is received. I hand-printed "remove for bookmark" beneath it and used the Slit punch to hold it in place until it is removed.

(After photographing the card, I repositioned the circle overlapping the large heart so that it's now completely on the heart for better balance.)

SIMPLE SATURDAY #9

FIRST VALENTINE FOR 2010

Here's the first Valentine I've designed for this year:

The silver x's and o's are stick-on letters from Making Memories alphabet stickers. The small sticker on the large heart is a dimensional sticker from EK Success. The red and silver gel hearts are stickers purchased at AC Moore.

The lacy heart was made with a Martha Stewart heart punch. To make it "adhereable" with all the cutouts, I used double stick tape on the back. Although it doesn't show up well here, (unless you click to enlarge) I sprinkled glitter in the holes and "mushed" it into the double stick tape beneath.

The right panel is also perforated to be used as a bookmark with a brad and embroidery floss to finish it off. I used some dsp on the inside where I will stamp something underneath where the large heart overlaps.

More Valentine ideas coming!

Stampin' Fun

Here are my stampin' buddies working on Valentine designs for the Mothers Class which resumes in February. There were six of us gathered around my dining room table: three from PA and three from NJ. The sunshine was so warm, we actually had to open the window a bit--delightful!

Of course, we also made some of our own cards as we tried various combinations of the dsp and embellishment supplies we shared.

We had quiche and cold drinks for brunch. Before cleaning up we enjoyed coffee and cake (made by Linda--delish.) Leave it to me to focus on the food (lol) but the best part was all the laughter. Every once in awhile, someone would say something that ended in a familiar phrase where we all burst into song--a sign that we're all in the same age bracket!

If you look closely, you can see my reflection in the mirror of the curio cabinet as I take this photo.

Scrap Drawer #5

When I came across this unfinished Easel Card, I headed for the Hero Arts birthday frames and the Scrap Drawer. Like the previous birthday post, I'm thinkin' chocolate again!

The cupcake icing features dollops of Frosted Lace Stickles and a Stickles red cherry on top.

Using scraps can be like a walk down memory lane as I re-use pieces from past projects. January is such a great month to use up leftovers while enjoying the bright sunshine streaming through the window--no cabin fever here!

Scrap Drawer #4

How can you miss when you have a nice large scrap of double-sided dsp and a simple Hero Arts clear stamp!

Matching the colors in the stripes, I used my SU markers to "decorate" the cake, with chocolate icing, of course. I "lit" the candles with pale yellow glitter and "wrapped" the image with blue and green embroidery floss. Three blue gems at the bottom give it just a little more sparkle.

This would serve well for a masculine birthday, don't you think?

SCRAP DRAWER#3

Here are two cards made from the same batch of scraps. The first is on blue textured cardstock
with narrow stripes and the sunburst design. The orange ribbon was a leftover piece which was taped over the "seam" and attached on the back. The knot was tied separately and added with a glue dot.

With a scrap piece of orange cardstock, some smaller scraps of dsp and the Boho Blossom punch, there was enough to make the oval greeting and the layered blossoms. The oval outline was colored in with a matching orange marker. For embellishment, I happened to have a tiny blue flower brad which also matched the blue cardstock.

The second card uses the white cardstock as a base, with wider stripes and oodles of gems for some sparkle.

Both cards turned out to be bright and cheery--nice for January!

Scrap Drawer #2

This light blue scrap is the last of the snowflake paper for this year and not too Christmas-y. It will go out as a birthday card.

The shimmery blue paper had just enough on the edge to serve as a scalloped border and still provide some pieces for the Boho Blossoms punch. The white snowflake brad with the silver twine bow was left over from last year's Christmas cards. The silver brads added a little more bling. I thought the combination of the snowflake and blossoms coordinated with the saying also.

The bee was enhanced with Frosted Lace Stickles on the wings and Black Diamond Stickles on the body.

After assembling the dsp and embellishments, I mounted it on the white cardstock with SU dimensionals. Enjoy!

Out of the Scrap Drawer

Here's a new Stamping Tower theme for 2010--a way to use some of those scraps we all hang on to! I plan to show a "before" and "after" for each card made with only scrap dsp from my drawer of leftovers, with added cardstock and embellishments, of course.

I already had this blank gate-fold card, perforated on the right side for a tear-off bookmark. The matching dsp was cut to fit the two sides, with enough left over to punch out the boho blossoms and the scalloped oval. The blue/brown plaid was on the reverse side. I had ONE triangular blue eyelet in my stash which I added to the top with some leftover embroidery floss, both of which matched my color scheme perfectly. Two blue gems and some matching glitter gave it some bling.

The inside greeting says "Celebrate with style."

As you can see by my scrap drawer, I have plenty more card possibilities!

ROLLING TOTE

Thanks to the 50%-off sale at Hobby Lobby, I now have a long-desired Rolling Tote! (Check out their flier, if you have a Hobby Lobby near you.) It has tons of open storage space inside, with lots of zippered or velcro pockets around the outside for punches, scissors, tape rolls, etc. There was even a 12 x 12 plastic paper holder included as a bonus.

I also picked up a mini tote with lots of pockets around the outside of it for an additional $3.50. I plan to use it for small items that I can lift right out as one unit from inside the tote.

This will certainly help me with carting supplies in and out of our church building for the Mothers Class--well worth the waiting!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

...AND HAPPY BLOGGING IN THE NEW YEAR!

Check back next week to see what new stamping goodies Santa brings...

KEEPING TRACK

Here's how I keep track of my Christmas cards:

1. Make a list (using last year's as a guide) with 50 family and friends on the left side and 50 Silver Stampers on the right side. This year, I did it on my computer to make it easier to amend next year.

2. Color Copy (4 to a page) each card design. Then I use the 3-hole punch on the pages (usually only 2 or 3) and store in a 3-ring binder.

3. Since I make batches of 4 or 5 designs each year, I write down which one I'm sending next to each name.

4. As cards come in, I put a red star next to the name for reference next year. (I limit my cards to 100, so I may have to drop one in favor of someone new. I hate to do that, really; but I need to draw the line somewhere.)

5. After Christmas and New Years, I add the list to the binder and store in the Tower until next November when I start all over again.

Hope this helps!

RAK from LeAnne

Is this a gorgeous card or what!! Thank you LeAnne Pulgliese from Wee Inklings for sending it. It's one of my favorites of this season.

SIMPLE SATURDAY #8

Please say "HI" to Archie in the previous post--he loves to get comments! This will be my last Simple Saturday post until January. Meanwhile, have a wonder-filled Christmas!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #7...

...will have to wait a few days. We got distracted with all the snow! (See previous posts.)

Archie is resting up for his next adventure. This is his idea of a Simple Saturday!

Keep watching--I'll be posting some cards again SOON!

Blog Candy on Inky Hugz

Check out Shelly's blog (link at right) for a chance to win a beautiful Christmas stamp set!

And This Morning...

A beautiful sunrise and the promise of temps above freezing.
(According to the same people who predicted only 2"...)

Four Hours Later...and still snowing...

Compare to previous post (below!)

What a Difference a Day Makes!

We've just gone from a warm Autumn day in the 50's yesterday, to a snowy wintry day in the low 30's today! The first snowfall is always so exciting, but I'm sure we'll be tired of it by the end of January.

Here's hoping we have more good weather for Christmas traveling! After that, it can snow all it wants...well, maybe.