I Am Not Lazy

Well, I mentioned I would be back today to share a little something I made to keep me sane in my crafting space. So now that we are back from seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1), I can finally sit down to share it with ya'll. I've been thinking of sorting through some stuff (I have to think about it first, you know.), and trying to establish a little more organization. Then I realized there was something I NEEDED.

You see, I've discovered some WONDERFUL cardstock from My Favorite Things. YES!! Did ya'll even know they sold CARDSTOCK? It's totally awesome and I wouldn't say that about just any cardstock-nice and heavy and all the colors are perfection (not to mention they have yummy little names for each color!)! Ya'll really need to give it a try. However, I realized that even though I am keeping it all pretty and seperate from my other cardstock, I needed to know the names of the colors for ya'll for when I make my supply lists down at the bottom of my posts (thanks for keeping me in line with this--I hear about it when I forget it!).

So, easily distracted as I am (especially from cleaning and regrouping), I decided to sit down and create a little swatchbook I can keep at my desk. See it there? I just hung it on a pen (oh, but wait--that's my quilling tool I use for rolling my Rolled Roses Die-namics--another MUST have! See? Easily distracted.) on my turny tool thingy from Making Memories. (I hate the term, Lazy Susan. Wonder why?) By the way, someone in the MFT forum on Splitcoast was asking how we store our Die-namics dies. I have every single one in ONE slot of this turny thing. I throw away the packaging and use a Sharpie to write the die name on the back of each one.

All I did was use my Textile Rectangle Die-namics die (looks like ya'll've already bought them all!) and cut each color of cardstock with it. (excluding the cream, white and black. I don't have those, as I have WAY too much of other cardstocks those colors as is.) I also cut some fun houndstooth paper from Webster's Pages to accent the ends with. This will also not only make it easy to see how black and white complement each MFT cardstock color, but also make the tags a little more sturdy.

Then I just stamped each "sweet" color name with my Mini Banner Die Alphabet set--one letter at a time and very carefully. The edges needed a little something, so I faux stitched them with a black fine-tip pen. I finished it off with a little "cover" of sorts--I simply cut a big ol' red felt heart with my Hearts a Plenty Die-namics die, stamped a tag from the Clearly Sentimental About Emerson set and adhered it and a couple of buttons onto the felt with hot glue. Now, who wants to pay me for making one for them? Not a chance--you'll need to stamp all those tiny letters yourself!! Really, it wasn't that hard and now I have something to help this old lady keep track of all those colors! (I'm turning 44 at the end of January.)

Ok, well, back to organizing. I'll be back in the morning with my first SFYTT post of the year and a FUN announcement regarding SFYTT.

SUSIE Q-TIP: When stamping letters one at a time (and lots of them), make them wonky and lopsided on purpose. Saves time, looks cute and makes it look like you meant it to be that way. Don't ask me how I know this. I don't want to talk about it.

Stamps: Mini Banner Die-namics Alphabet, Clearly Sentimental About Emerson (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Cardstock Colors from My Favorite Things, Webster's Pages
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Textile Rectangle, Hearts a Plenty Die-namics Dies, Big Shot, Black Fine-tip Pen, Red Felt (MFT), Buttons (MFT), Twine (TCP), Hot Glue, Binder Ring

MFT Teaser Time--Day One--Clearly Sentimental About Time

Well, just as we ramp up to start a new year, so does My Favorite Things with a new release! This one is going to absolutely start the year off with a BANG, as there are some GREAT new products coming your way!

So let's jump right in--today is the first day of Teaser posts and I'm featuring the new set, Clearly Sentimental About Time. It's got some very thoughtful sentiments and quotes and I am using this one for a masculine themed card. I think it would be good for a Father's Day, Retirement or even a Get Well card (or for someone who's impatient? teehee.).

I know you've already spotted the Stacking Stars Die-namics and Perfect Bracket Edge dies, but do ya'll see the newest Die-namics dies (yes, I said dieS!) on there? It's one of the BEST YET! It's called the Layered Label Die-namics. It's a set of three dies that can be layered up or or each one can be used seperately. FUN FUN FUN! I see lots of possibilities with that one!

Ok, that's all for now. I'll be back a little later with one last thing from My Favorite Things for this month. Be sure and check out Kim's blog for the list of designers showing off their stuff for this Teaser! All the products will be available on TUESDAY night after the Release Party on Splitcoast!

Also don't forget--some lucky commenters will win Teaser Time prizes, so be sure and leave some love on all the blogs today (2 winners will be chosen each day from 2 different secret prize blogs to win one of the new sets. Check the MFT blog daily for the winners.).

SUSIE Q-TIP: I love all the Clearly Sentimental sets from My Favorite Things. They really make for some quick, but thoughtful cards. You can even make coordinating card sets using the different sentiments from one stamp set. Just an idea.

Stamps: Clearly Sentimental About Time (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Fine Linen, Orange, Pure Poppy (PTI), Always Artichoke, Silver (SU!), Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Layered Labels and Stacking Stars Die-namics (MFT), Sewing Machine/Thread, Paper Piercer/Mat Pack, Argyle Embossing Folder, Cuttlebug, Silver Brads, Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2

Inspired by Secret Santa

Well, is everyone getting back into the swing of things out there? Got any big New Year's plans? We always go across the street to our neighbor's house and celebrate there with more neighbors and friends, games and food (I LOVE my black-eyed peas!), then at the stroke of midnight after a kiss from our sweeties, we go out to the front yard and clank all the pots and pans and make a lot of unecessary noise. It's fun!

Anyway, now that Christmas is over, I can finally show ya'll this little gift ensemble I made. We played Secret Santa among the design team girls over at My Favorite Things. I got to make and give something to the insanely talented Michele Boyer (no pressure!), so this is what I came up with.

I had bought a bunch (like 36) of vintage Bingo cards from a lady on Craigslist (for $5!) and was just dying to use them. So I made up my mind to go with a vintage theme and pair one of the cards with some "Inspired By" stamps from My Favorite Things (of course).

I picked up some of these cute little ceramic bird ornaments at Target and thought one would look so cute tied to a big bow somehow, so that's when I decided birds--definitely birds (said in my best Rainman voice) and went to town with the Caged Bird set followed by a little Inspired By Winter mixed in. The sentiment is from the Merry & Bright set (that is sold out, sorry).

Well, that's all for now. I'm doing a little reorganizing of my craft area and made something to keep me a little more inspired (either that or a little less insane) that I'll be back later to show ya'll--either today or tomorrow. I'm watching my neighbor's three year old today, so there's no telling when I'll be able to get back to the computer. If you don't hear back from me by sometime tomorrow, you'll know I drowned in the play-doh.

SUSIE Q-TIP: Keep a bird'seye out for crafty stuff on Craigslist. Look in the arts & crafts section. Then for a laugh, read a few entries from the "best of Craigslist" area.

Stamps: Inspired By Winter, Caged Bird, Merry & Bright (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Fine Linen (PTI), Tinsel and Twig (Girls' Paperie), i believe (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Ruby Red, Bashful Blue (SU!), Walnut Stain (Ranger), Chestnut Roan Cat's Eye (Colorbox)
Accessories: Vintage Bingo Card, Kraft Window Bag (PTI), Let it Snowflake Trio Die-namics (MFT), i believe brads (My Mind's Eye), Felt (MFT), Pearl Flatbacks (Stamping Bella), Red Silk Ribbon, Divine Twine (TCP), Scor-Pal, Hot Glue, Jody Boosters

Merry Christmas from the Liles Family

Merry Christmas

to each and every one of ya'll!!

Thank you for blessing our lives this year and standing strong with us through thick and thin!

Love, Susan, Eric, Shelbie, Lindsie, Audrie and Sage!

A Few Last Minute Gifties

Well, I can see ya'll (my readers) are dropping like flies left and right, unsubscribing and snoring out there, so I thought I'd better put something paper-crafting related on here before ya'll get too traumatized by the uncrafty stuff that's been going on around here. I've got this post today and another SWEET post for tomorrow and then it will be back to business with cards, stamping and other fun projects. For those of ya'll still on the edge of your seat and hanging here with me, HI!!!

I have two little projects to share. The first one are these extremely fun little Smarties Santas. Another instructor at Scrapper's Boutique, Sharon Cheng had brought one of these in to the store to show someone, except it was a little scarecrow man like THIS one. She casually mentioned that she was thinking of doing up a Santa and that she was possibly going to make up some kits for them. I HAD TO HAVE THEM and ordered them sight unseen! You see, Audrie's little first grade class' nickname is "The Smarties" and it was the perfect treat for me to make for her "Winter" party. (It's a shame they can't call it a CHRISTMAS party anymore even though I'm allowed to show up with these and every year, they do Santa USA where he arrives by helicopter and lands in the school playground with every child out there to see him and give him hugs. hmmm....) Anyway, I bought 20 kits from Sharon and had so much fun putting them together. She's got an awesome tutorial and instructions on her blog HERE. Thanks, Sharon!

Some of ya'll may have read on my Facebook post that I was making candy. Again. My friend, Eileen (waving!) had brought some goodies up to Scrapper's for me and Jen last weekend and she had made this awesome candy and popped it in a cute bag with a big red polkadot ribbon tied to it. Hello--LIGHT BULB MOMENT--neighbor/teacher/coworker gifts! I loved the candy so much that I decided to make it myself and with a recipe I found online, a few tips from Eileen (and her phone number just in case), I have been making this candy for days now and each batch yielded about 3 of these bags for me! (because I am only making 2 batches a day and also because my family keeps eating it before I can get enough for the gifts done.) It's seriously the best Christmas candy-snacky thing I've had in a while! This is what I made for my neighbors and for Eric to give to his coworkers up at the U.S. Attorney's Office. I stamped the bag toppers with a mixture of a cowboy letter set I've had forever and the Banner Day Alphabet set from My Favorite Things. Then some of the bags got a mistletoe treatment (stands for the LOVE part, right?) and some got the snowflake. I like them both so much, I can't decide which one is my favorite!

Ok, gotta go--we are having Feliz Navidad over here tomorrow and I have TONS of enchiladas to make...oh and more candy....

Here's the recipe:
Soda Cracker Chocolate Candy
35 soda crackers (saltines)
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar (I found that Dark Brown was better)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Directions
1.Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper. Place crackers in rows on foil. In a saucepan, melt butter; add the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour over crackers and spread until completely covered. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes (crackers will float). Remove from the oven. Turn oven off. Sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers. Return to the oven until chocolate is melted, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven; using a greased spatula, spread chocolate (now melted) and sprinkle walnuts into chocolate. Cool completely in refrigerator. Coarsely break up when hardened.

Decking the Halls--The Final Chapter

Well, I meant to post this yesterday, but I got too busy doin' around...aka making candy (I'll show ya'll tomorrow), wrapping gifts, cleaning, and being the stealth finisher of projects for the girls. So here's the last of my little things we put together to make the house festive and Christmas-y on a shoestring budget. Seriously. This first picture is my "tablescape" using decorations I already had. We actually eat at this table every night, so no pretty chargers and cloth napkins here! There are some vintage glass Christmas balls I aquired last year from my dad. I'm pretty sure they are from the 60's and I really like them. After shining them up (teehee--shining my balls), I placed them in a pretty glass canister I found at Marshall's for $6 that I'll be able to reuse for other doo-das later on and then put it on top of a mirror I had found at Goodwill for $5 quite some time ago.

We usually concentrate all our decorating in the living room. However, my neighbor had given me two perfectly good 8 or 9 foot plain green garlands that she didn't want anymore a few weeks ago that I couldn't resist. After pondering what to do with them, I decided to spread the love and help out our dining room space. We found these white letters at Hobby Lobby for about $2 each. I let the girls paint the front of them with Mod Podge and cover them(selves) with Martha Stewart Smokey Quartz glitter. We just stapled some red ribbon onto the back and hung them from the garland. They loved making them.

I'm seriously addicted to do-it-yourself home decor blogs, but I don't know anything about home decor or what looks good. That's why my walls have remained bare for so long and why this wallpaper from the 80's is still in my dining room and kitchen. Can someone please sign me up for Extreme Home Makeover? PLEASE! So since I had already started in the dining room, I had to do something to these gross walls, too. I had bought these 4 little black frames at Dollar Tree for a Halloween project. I simply took out the scary pictures I had in them and replaced them with some sparkly plastic snowflake ornaments I didn't use for our Christmas tree, backed them with red and green cardstock, and hung them on the bare wall. I love it and they too, can be reused after Christmas.

Next is a fun project that I lifted the idea from another blog, Hi Sugarplum!. It's a magnolia leaf wreath. We have a magnolia tree in our front yard (poor thing, whoever planted it put it in the WORST spot, so it is really getting choked out). The girls and I went and plucked off some of the prettier leaves in different sizes (telling her how pretty she was going to make our house look), washed and dried them and then I simply hot glued them onto a ring that I cut from foamboard. It was a little plain, so I added just a few gold balls to spruce it up and hung it from another piece of red ribbon stapled to the back. Yes, so basically it was a free wreath. (And it gets prettier by the day, as the leaves start to curl!) Oh and see the little snowflake bowl? There's a smaller one on my table with little toys in it--another awesome Goodwill find. They are from Crate and Barrel and I spent all of $2 for the both of them!

Oh and here's Sage. She's getting into the holiday spirit, too, wondering why we are bringing nature indoors (she doesn't realize it's a fake tree) and decorating it with all those things she wants to smell...her nickname is Sniffy Snifferton. (That's the beagle part of the Puggle.) Don't worry Sage, Santa is coming to see you too, I'm sure.

I'll be back tomorrow with a few little things I've made for some last minute gifts and Christmas party favors!

Decking the Halls--PART TWO

Well, today I'm back, focusing on one of "My Favorite" projects I've done this season. I hinted at it the other day in THIS POST and you can see it in this picture of my cheap living room wall makeover. I got the inspiration for this particular piece HERE on the eighteen25 blog. (I LOVE IT!) The one on eighteen25 is a digital project, printed out from the computer. When I saw it, I immediately thought about doing it using some scraps from my favorite Christmas line of papers this year, Tinsel and Twig from Girls' Paperie and using a sweet Pure Innocence girl from My Favorite Things.

Like I said before, I picked up the frame (it was brand new!) at Goodwill for $3.50 and spray painted it black. It's got a mat for 3 pictures, but I just took it out for now and will fill it with pictures after the Christmas holidays. Along with the Don't Open Until stamp set, I have used several Die-namics dies from My Favorite Things as well in this project. Let's see, from top to bottom, there's...the Textile Rectangle (with a handcut mat).


Here's the Banner Strip die and Mini Alphabet set, and the Small Scallop Border. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the Banner Day Alphabet (looks to be out of stock right now) that I used for the word "plans". I used my Cricut to cut out the word "Christmas".

All of the "things to do" are written directly on the glass with a Sharpie marker. The straight lines of the different papers acted as a guide to keeping it all "semi"-straight! Are ya'll reading all the things I've put on here? (smiles) I keep forgetting to check off the mistletoe one and Eric just keeps kissing me! (I'm evil, right?) Some of these things I thought of, and some are ideas I found after Googling advent lists. Easy!

Oh ok, back to the Die-namics dies...I see the Let it Snowflake one (and the top snowflake in the first picture has a button from the Button Quartet Die-namics.), and there's one of my favorite border dies, the Die-namics Dainty Dots.

How do ya'll like it so far? This is the last picture. It's so HARD to get a good picture of something tall and skinny! The frame is 9"x22"! The last Die-namics die is the Large Open Scallop Border with another snowflake cut from red felt to finish it off. All the snowflakes have Swarovski crystals in the centers as to not make it too thick since I still had to fit the glass on there. Are ya'll Goodwill shoppers? You ought to be! Stay tuned for another installment of Decking the Halls coming soon...Tonight, we're watching Polar Express and making Hot Chocolate!

SUSIE Q-TIP: Don't worry--since the Sharpie marker is alcohol based, it will come right off the glass with rubbing alcohol.

Supplies: I've pretty much listed everything in my post as to what supplies I used and the size of this project. I'd love to field any questions--just email me! This was a great project and really fun to make and I plan on making another one for summer!

Decking the Halls--Part ONE

Well, I had mentioned a few posts ago that I had been busy decking the halls here at my house and since there are no more Sketch For You To Trys from Jen this year, I thought now would be a great time to fill ya'll in on it. There's lots to share, so I will be "parting it out" over the course of two or three posts in the next few days. All my Christmas decorations, I've collected over the years--like for 22 years now, and I figured it was time to move on from a few of them that were stuck in the "country" 80's and 90's, most of which I had picked up at craft shows when they were all the rage. I ended up, much to Eric's delight, giving away almost 2-18 gallon Rubbermaid tubs full, to a lady that didn't have anything to decorate her house for her kids with (heart swells), so that was a good thing and I know I won't miss it, knowing it went to someone who really appreciated it.

So that left me with a few blank spots to fill in with a little bit of Christmas (but still trying to avoid the Griswald look), but I needed to do it on the cheap in order to maximize our shopping money and not blow it all on decorating. Can I get an amen? However that made me want to finish a few projects that I already had going (it's the whole "if you give a mouse a cookie" effect that is the epitomy of my life.)

Back in June or July I got a wild hair and went to Goodwill and got a few frames and odds and ends. Then came home and immediately started spray painting them to redo my wall behind the couch in our living room. Then Eric was sick and I got mono, it was summer and I think the paint would have boiled right off if I had kept going, I had surgery and stuff got in the way of me finishing. So of course, two weeks before Christmas is always a great time to work on that kind of stuff so I got busy and finished it. In one day.



Here's a quick rundown of what I did:
Big white metal frame—got it for free from one of my best friends. I spray painted it white and did the inside with chalkboard spray paint and wrote the appropriate word of the season.
2- 8x10 plastic frames--$1 for both from Thrift Town. They have no glass. I filled them with scrapbook paper for now.
“L”--$6 Got it from Kohl’s a few years ago.
Big black frame—$8 from Goodwill. I threw out the oil painting it held and sprayed it black. The artist had her phone number on the back. I started to call her, but didn't want her to be upset that her painting was at Goodwill and that I too, did not want it....Ring ring, "hello, would you like your painting that no one wants back?" It was that good.
Tall black frame—$3.50 from Goodwill. Spray painted it black and was inspired by THIS to redo it. More on that later.
Chunky wood heart from the 80’s—$2.50 from Goodwill. Spray painted white and cut the birds out of vinyl with my Cricut and Make the Cut software.
Crosses—accumulated over the years, so nothing new.
Supplies--All that took 4 cans of spray paint and a canvas drop cloth--$20

I'M PRETTY DARN HAPPY WITH IT ALL FOR $41!!!!!!

SUSIE Q-TIP: If you want to paint your walls a totally different color before redoing it completely, but your husband refuses to let you do so two weeks before Christmas, just get out a Sharpie marker that is "close enough" to your wall color and fill in flaked off spots, old nail holes, etc. Then get him a gallon of your favorite color of Little Dutch Boy for Christmas.

MFT VIP Time--Let's Get Physical

Well, it's MFT VIP time around here! This month's VIP kit from My Favorite Things is being released tonight at 10 PM and we are having a "glistening" blog hop to celebrate the moment. The hop started over on KIM'S BLOG. If that's where you began, then ya'll are officially hopping. If not, I'm certainly glad you're here, but you'll be missing out if you don't start at the beginning!

The newest Who's That Girl set is called Let's Get Physical and it's an active part of the VIP kit for this month! It's a flexible set, that allows you to lose weight and get in a good workout at the same time (your arms as you stamp anyway). I had to add a couple of stars from the Stacking Stars Die-namics, too, to remind me that I CAN be a superstar and that someday, I'll figure out how to run without getting shinsplints and having to stop. I really think I'd like it more that way (got any tips?).

Myself included, I know a lot of ya'll are going to be making those New Year's resolutions to hit the gym (or just get a Shake Weight) and keep a fair track of what goes into the ol' bod. So I've made myself a fun little book to keep up with my daily caloric intake. (I used to really do this a couple of years ago when I lost a few pounds and it really did help.) It's a convenient size so that it's not a blaring reminder of the mission I'm on. Or wait, maybe I should have made it a LOT bigger to blaringly remind me to stick WITH the mission! Teehee.

Here's what's shakin' in the new Let's Get Physical VIP KIT:


Ok, give your fingers a workout and hop on along to Sherrie's blog!

SUSIE Q-TIP: Do not put an entire bag of Red and Green M&M's in your pretty candle holder and then set it on your coffee table with your pretty Christmas display. Your dog WILL find a way to eat ALL of them (she didn't even break the candleholder) and your dog WILL look like she ate a watermelon. Don't ask me how I know this, I don't want to talk about it. (Don't worry--I called the vet and he told me she would be ok and she is showing all the signs of being on the road to recovery. Poor thing!)

Stamps: Let's Get Physical (MFT)
Paper: Dark Chocolate, White, Pure Poppy (PTI), Blue and Yellow (SU!)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Stacking Stars Die-namics (MFT), Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, Sewing Machine/Thread, Scallop Circle and Circle Punches, Copic Markers, Divine Twine (TCP), Jody Boosters

a la mode Teaser--Key to My Heart

Well, after an entire week, most of my little "house" projects are done around here and our Christmas tree is finally decorated. Of course, I'm still in "declutter" mode, so as I went through all 8 of our red and green Rubbermaid buckets (Christmas decorations), I pitched stuff left and right. Yes, every year, it looked like Christmas and Michael's exploded in my house. But I am ready for a change to the more "simple" side, with fewer decorations. I'll have all that in another blog post soon. I can't wait to show ya'll!


For now, though, today is the second day of a la mode Teasers from My Favorite Things. Yesterday was all about the Cheers and ringing in a new year, and today we are skipping along to a more Valentines-y theme.


This super cute a la mode is called Key to My Heart and she went perfectly with a cute leftover Perfect Petal felt flower and some die cut hearts from the Hearts a Plenty Die-namics. It's a MUST-HAVE.

As always, ya'll can find a list of all the designers with Key to My Heart eye candy to share over on Kim's blog around 11 am EST. I'll see ya'll later with another project for the new Who's That Girl VIP kit and the a la modes will be released at the same time as the kit!

SUSIE Q-TIP: Draw in a border around your main image using a very fine tipped pen. (This one is a Prismacolor fineliner .01) Just use a scrap piece of cardstock to make the straight line.

Stamps: Key to My Heart a la mode (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Kraft, Black, Pure Poppy (PTI), Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose (SU!), White Perfect Panels (MFT), State of the Heart (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink (SU!)
Accessories: Hearts a Plenty and Perfect Petal Die-namics (MFT), Large Dot Embossing Folder, Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Sponge, Copic Markers, Silver Brads, Pink Felt (MFT), Divine Twine (TCP), Button, Hot Glue, Jody Boosters

A {Busy Heart} Sketch for You To Try

Well, sorry I've been a little MIA this week. Just like you, it's getting crazy busy around here. Along with a little shopping, a great lunch date with Jen on Thursday (mmmm, Panera Bread), Christmas decorating and stamping, I decided to finish up my living room wall redo that I started back in June! I'll have a little more to share on that in the next few days.

So for now, I have Jen's Sketch For You To Try to share. I kept it REALLY simple and sweet with a smallish 4 1/4" square card to boot--LOVE this color combo! I decided to highlight a sentiment from the Heartfelt stamp set from My Favorite Things and paired it up with 4 different Die-namics dies--Dainty Dots, Hearts a Plenty, Let it Snowflake, and Framed Greetings.

Depending on how busy I stay and/or how much shopping I get done tomorrow, this may be my last SFYTT post for this year. Jen has several NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS about SFYTT for the upcoming year over on her blog HERE. FUN FUN FUN!!!! Welcome Kerry!

We'd love for ya'll to play along as we take a look back at some past favorite SFYTT sketches! Here's what the SFYTT sisters came up with, along with a couple of familiar faces that you probably know who are also playing with us today:
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O’Brien
Carole Burrageand Ana

SUSIE Q-TIP: Layer different die cuts for a fun embellishment. Add a little felt for texture.

TCPTUES138--An Easy One

Well, this is going to have to be the quickest post ever. I'm about to leave to go teach a class on how to make this Rosette Christmas Tree at Scrapper's Boutique this morning. Wish me luck!

Today is Tuesday, and that means another TCP Tuesday challenge from The Cat's Pajamas (this one is TCPTUES138)! I'm your over-the-top-uncomplicated Hostess with the Mostess. I'm issuing an over-the-top-uncomplicated STAMP challenge. Use any HOLIDAY stamps from The Cat's Pajamas. I know ya'll need to make a holiday greeting for SOMEONE, so here's your opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Yesterday and last night didn't go as planned (had a minor monkey-wrench thrown my way--that is SO my life all the time!), so I'm showing ya'll a card that uses the new Big Bear wintery set as my sample that ya'll may have already seen. I showed it at the last Pajama Party for The Cat's Pajamas, but never showed it here. I hope ya'll don't mind the re-run, but that's just how uncomplicated I am. Teehee.

Here's the super-uncomplicated info on how to get in on the act and play along with our TCP Tuesday Challenge:



1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge. <--It's me this week!
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, technique/supply, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Link to your post using the Inlinkz button on ALMA'S blog post HERE.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a TCP stamps}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the this blog will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

SUSIE Q-TIP: It works out well if you accidently leave out posting a card for a company on your blog. You never know when you will NEED a card to show, even if it's not "fresh". Don't ask me how I know this, I don't want to talk about it.

A {Sunny} Sketch For You To Try

Well, today is my favorite stamping day--Jen's Sketch For You To Try! There are a few changes coming starting in January for the SFYTT, and we'll talk about that more next week. For these first two weeks of December (next Saturday will be the last one for this year), however, we are just looking back and using a past sketch that we loved. I know ya'll have some favorites, so playing along this week and next won't be an option (teehee.)!

As ya'll know, yesterday was a new release from VERVE and for the last two days, I've been giving ya'll little tastes of what the new sets look like and how they can be used. Today is no different, other than I've combined it with Jen's Sketch For You To Try. Sorry I missed the party last night, but my daughter was singing in a Christmas Around the World program at school, which was followed by busting a giant pinata and eating nachos. Can you tell it was very Feliz Navidad-ish? We had a fun time! Then I had promised a friend I'd stop by her Creative Memories workshop to donate some stuffed animals for a charity she is connected with (all part of my de-cluttering!). However, the girls were with me and Audrie ended up reclaiming a couple of those stuffies before leaving. Sheesh!

Seems like Jen and I had similar ideas for our cards today, as we used the same set/same sentiment from our new Verve sets. Totally not planned, but fun to see how we used them so differently. The set is the same one as I used yesterday, Text Objects. I took cues from the sentiment-quote and made a little sun by using the Sunshine Die-namics from My Favorite Things. I used an older sketch from September. You can see the original post of it on Jen's blog HERE and my original take on it HERE.

We'd love for ya'll to play along as we take a look back at some past favorite SFYTT sketches! Here's what the SFYTT sisters came up with, along with a couple of familiar faces that you probably know who are also playing with us today:
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O’Brien
and Ana and Joanne, too! Thanks girlies!!!

SUSIE-Q-TIP: Do not try and donate things from your 7 year old's room with her present, even though she's the one who originally put the items to be donated in the box for charity. She will take one look at them, love them all over again and give you 12,000 reasons why she needs to keep them. I kinda liked that little eskimo-bear stuffie, too. Fortunately for Audrie and him, he's been rescued. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't help my purging the house effort.

Stamps: Text Objects (Verve)
Paper: Bubblegum, Banana Split (MFT), White, Pure Poppy (PTI), Summertime (Echo Park)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Apron Lace Border CutUps (The Cat's Pajamas), Sunshine Die-namics (MFT), Circle and Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Large Dot Embossing Folder, Cuttlebug, Silver Brads, Button, Divine Twine (TCP), Swarovski Crystals (MFT), Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2

Verve Sneak Peek Day 2

Well, I've been feeling cluttered. I've been in a purging type of mood and recently put several things on Freecycle, Craigslist, took some stuff to Goodwill (and did a little shopping) and this morning I'm having the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society come by and pick up another 5 bagfuls of stuff and I haven't even started on the closets! I could have probably had a garage sale, but I think I'm done with those-- for a while anyway. I get like this every year around Christmas because I know I'm about to make my house into a Winter Wonderland and need to clean and make room for all of it. I'm even selling the armoire our TV goes in (cheap, too. If you're local and interested, email me!).

So as I was decluttering, I saw this color combo in whatever it was before it hit the give-away bag and knew I had to use it on my Day 2 Sneak Peek for ya'll from VERVE. Teehee. Before I got started, I took a looksie at what Lynda has going on for the first Viva la Verve Challenge for December. The theme is ornaments and winter decor to go along with the sketch she provided. I obviously used the sketch (it's a great one!), but the inspiration part is a stretch. Here's my story: Plaid--we have a plaid tree skirt (not these colors), Sparkle--if it's Christmas and sparkly, I have it out for the season (but not with blue), Kraft--brown paper packages (which I may actually have this year once I find that string. I took our old wrapping paper to Goodwill.), and the little boat--I had the Christmas song, "I saw three ships come sailing in, on Christmas day, on Christmas day" stuck in my head the whole time I was making my card. Does it count?

Anyway, my card uses the new set (available tonight after the release party) called Text Objects. It's a large set with lots of options for background text in different fonts (see my little Kraft panel? Some of it is stamped on there), this cute little sailboat, some great sentiments and can even be fun for getting a head start on some fresh Valentines stamps.

Before I go off and get started throwing some other junk out (Want anything? Maybe I have what you're looking for), here's a list of all the Verve Divas who've got some fresh creations to share:
1. Julee
2. Mercy
3. Sankari
4. Teresa
5. Amy
6. Michelle
7. Lynda
8. Shannan
9. Charmaine
10. Jen d.
11. Tosh
12. Susan--me!
13. Laurie
14. Jen T.
15. Jackie

SUSIE Q-TIP: As always, Julee is completely generous. One lucky and quite random commenter on today's Sneak Peek posts from all the Divas will win some delicious Verve stamps! (Same as yesterday. I know. I'm lame. And I'm tired.)

Stamps: Text Objects (Verve)
Paper: Berrylicious (MFT), Kraft, Ripe Avacado, White (PTI), Oliver (Basic Gray)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Not Quite Navy (SU!)
Accessories: Oval Nestabilities, Large Dot Embossing Folder, Cuttlebug, Circle and Scallop Circle Punches, Small Scallop Border Die-namics (MFT), Sewing Machine/Thread, Copic Markers, Sponge, Glitzy (TCP), Ribbon, Button, Twine, Jody Boosters
Finished Size: A2