One Week 'til Vacation!

One more week, 'til we go back to Orange Beach:

What's up?

Lots going on at my house:  My January 29 workshop is sold out, so lots of preparations are underway.  The new Close to My Heart Idea Book will go live on February 1.  It's full of great new products, and I'm having lots of fun with my new stuff.  Nick turns 18 soon, so we're beginning guardianship and conservatorship proceedings for him.  Also, I'm involved with fighting an administrative rule change regarding respite benefits for handicapped children that will be before our legislature in March.  Tom and I are getting ready for a much-needed vacation to the Gulf Coast--five nights on the beach with no agenda--I can't wait!  I finally finished my scrapbook from last year's Gulf Coast/New Orleans vacation about a week ago.  I had promised myself I'd finish it before I went back.   And the last thing, which is the BIGGEST news:  Jess & Neal got engaged during their Disneyworld vacation!  Here they are looking cute and very happy in the Magic Kingdom.  They even got to be grand marshals for the Magic Kingdom parade! 

Finally...a new workshop: Stock up on Birthday Cards

Finally!  I've put together a workshop.  Join me at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, to make eight birthday cards (2 each of the four cards shown).  Some of the techniques include stamping, sanding, faux sewing, ink distressing, water distressing, coloring with watercolor pencils, and crafting a paper flower.

(the card on the bottom right is based on a design by Tresa Black (I must give the stamping goddess her due), but the other cards are my own creations)

Contact me for details!

Beach Card

This card has a lot going on in it--maybe too much.  The background B&T paper is from CTMH's "Moon Doggie" paper set, and the blue cs is CTMH's retired Star Spangled Blue.  The stitching along the right of the blue paper is fake.  I embossed a line from the back (so the raised line was on the front), sanded the line, then punched holes along the "stitched" line.  Awesome, huh?  I learned it from Tresa Black's blog.  The beach scene and writing are a stamp from Art Impressions.  I colored it with my Copic markers.  (Not sure if I made that a sunrise or sunset!)  The flower is from CTMH.  Not sure where the flip flops came from, but they were buttons, and I removed the shanks.  Finally, there's a length of Tim Holtz's tissue tape across the bottom.

Good Luck Gaming Card

I had to pair this Art Impressions slot machine stamp with CTMH's Cherry-O paper.  I also added the Tulip cs embossed on my Cuttlebug with the Bingo folder.  I added lots of bling to the slot machine and a tag with "Good Luck" from the "For Every Occasion" CTMH stamp set.

Piece of Cake with Retired CS

Another card with retired cardstock:

The image is from CTMH "Piece of Cake" stamp set.  The cs, both retired from CTMH, are Ocean and Bubblegum.  I love how these colors look together with a black accent.  The Ocean cs was embossed with my Cuttlebug.

Another Audubon Zoo Layout

Still trying to get my layouts from last year's vacations done before I go on vacation this year!  This is another from the James Audubon Zoo in New Orlenans.

The colors are mostly black and CTMH's Autum Terracotta.  The B&T papers are from CTMH's Passages paper pack.

The flowers are punches with CTMH black adhesive gems in the centers.