And how the year has flown by! These little pages will be a pleasure to enjoy every month. Here are the last three Pretty Darn Cute calendar pages:
Featured Stamp Set:Â Wicked Cool
Featured Stamp Set:Â Vintage Vogue
Featured Stamp Sets:Â Northern Hearts (Level I Hostess) and All Holidays
And the year flies by – here’s the third quarter of the Pretty Darn Cute calendar:
Featured Stamp Sets:Â Â Circle Circus and Playful Pieces (Hostess Level III)
Featured Stamp Set:Â Travel Time (retired, I’m so sorry to say)
Featured Stamp Set:Â Fast and Fabulous (Level II Hostess)
Here’s the second quarter of the Pretty Darn Cute calendar:
Featured Stamp Set:Â Cheep Talk
Featured Stamp Set:Â Flight of the Butterfly
Featured Stamp Set:Â Just Buzzin’ By
I detest shopping in crowds. You can imagine how I feel about Black Friday. I slept in and went for a long walk on the beach with my husband – it was a luxurious day. In the afternoon I finished my preparations for my Easel Calendar class, and bright and early on Saturday morning a group of stampers made some Pretty Darn Cute little desktop calendars. Here’s the first quarter of 2011:
Featured Stamp Set:Â Thoughts and Prayers
Featured Stamp Set:Â I {Heart} Hearts
Featured Stamp Set:Â Elements of Style
Yeah, I know….pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.
A friend did something really lovely for me the other day. She kept saying it was no big deal, but it meant a lot to me and I wanted her to know it. She’s traveling for the holidays and said they weren’t decorating much, so I thought I’d give her something she could put up before they leave:
I used the Scallop Square die to cut chipboard covered with cardstock. I’ve learned from previous experience that it’s much easier to attach the paper to the chipboard (in this case both front and back) BEFORE you run it through the Big Shot. I cut Serif Essentials alphabet letters from Jolly Holiday Designer Series paper and embellished each square with a letter and whatever whimsical idea came to mind. The letters are attached to Striped Grosgrain ribbon with heaps of Sticky Strip – what Sticky Strip has joined, let no man tear asunder!!
A little closer – the top:
and the bottom:
It’s that time of year when you need cute little gifty things. I had a stack of milk carton cut outs on my desk top that were begging to be used:
When the Milk Carton die first came out I found it challenging to assemble. I think that’s why this stack sat on my desk for a while, but the other day when I decided to put them together I found them really simple. I’m not sure what the hang up was, but the message is clear: If at first you don’t succeed, try again later! And this time use Sticky Strip.
These little bundles of joy are filled with Hershey Nuggets, but your favorite candy or other small treat would work equally well.
Have you been wondering what the Captain has been up to?
Captain Stupidhead loves my Birkenstocks. I don’t know if he likes the leather and suede or if it’s my stinky feet, but he does like to sleep with his head on my Birks when I’m reading the newspaper in the morning.  He’s very social in the morning and likes to hang out with me while I drink my coffee. Our kitchen is sunny and he happily stretches out on the floor.
Of course, if I’m trying to accomplish something in the morning – say, pack my son’s lunch – then he’ll carefully position himself in the one spot he knows will create the most disruption to my pre-coffee stumbling. If that doesn’t work, he’ll wait til I’m standing at the counter and then sit directly behind me, letting out an indignant howl if I step backward and onto his precious tail.
Enough of the Captain – how about an autumn candle?
Robbie brought over a few sheets of Stampin’ Up! cork and we brainstormed ideas for using it in different ways. I’m not sure who was inspired to turn it into leaves, but we loved the results. Crystal had the idea of sponging a little color onto the cork and the rest, as they say, is history.
Yesterday was Anne and Crystal’s Annual Bag and Tag Extravaganza (ACABTE). We enjoy these events so much – but I always forget to take photos. Crystal’s son Isaac was the star of the event and we all enjoyed watching and playing with him, but I didn’t take even one picture! My bad.
A couple of people had last minute conflicts and weren’t able to attend, and I promised I would get project photos up right away. They’ll get packets with all the pieces to put the bags together but having a photo as your guide is a big help.
This bag uses stamps from Tree Trimmings, Delightful Decorations, and Many Merry Messages. The ornament on the panel is 3 stamped ornaments punched with the ornament punch. Each one is scored down the center and then adhered back to back to make a 3-D ornament. These are also fun to do as 360 degree ornaments – I use six punched shapes to make a paper ornament. I thought I’d posted some of these a while back, but I can’t seem to find them – I’ll have to take some photos to show you what they look like.
This bag uses the Peaceful Season Level II Hostess set and the Tags for Christmas set that is currently offered at a 20% discount when purchsed with the XL Decorative Label punch. I think Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler were designed with brown paper bags in mind!
If you’ve never made one of these punched paper flowers, don’t be intimidated – they look fabulous but they’re easy as can be. You can use a scallop circle, a plain circle or any of the flower punches to create the flower, and each shape yields a slightly different result. Punch 6 to 8 circles, stack them and pierce the center with a pokey doodle (piercing tool!) and piercing mat. Secure a brad through the stack and use a mist bottle to dampen the circle on the top. Use your fingers to “smoosh” that first circle up into a standing clump; I advised a woman at ACABTE yesterday to imagine it was her boss’s head and my goodness did she do a fine job of smooshing!!! Once you’ve gotten the first circle smooshed, continuing dampening and smooshing the rest of the layers one at a time. When you’re done, lightly press the top of the flower to open it back out and just let it dry in place. Here’s a flower close-up:
As you can see, I was liberal with the Champagne Mist Shimmer paint spritz (a few drops in 70% isopropyl alcohol in a mist bottle). It’s Christmas time – you’ve got to have some sparkle!!
We made the cutest tag pouches at convention last July, and I kept mine out where I could see it to remind myself to make it again. A week or so I found the opportunity:
Did you know we still sell the Blush Blossom Stampin’ Write marker? The card stock, ink pad and all that are retired but the marker is still available and it’s perfect for faces.
I’m rather fond of these. November hostesses get one of these and I need to get busy and make a few more. Here’s what’s inside:
I used the Tags for Christmas stamp set from the Holiday Mini catalog to make little gift tags. The small cello tag is attached to the inside of the pouch with a couple of rows of Sticky Strip, and the little tags fit perfectly inside.
The Snowman from Jolly Old Saint Nick had to make an appearance at ACACCE. I struggled to come up with a card that made me happy but that would satisfy the needs of a range of stampers from veterans to newbies:
I really like this guy. Jean Fitch commented that he almost looks like he’s hangin’ ten on a board and maybe that’s what makes me so fond of him, although I’ve yet to see a surfer in a top hat. I think it’s his ample belly – and the way he smiles when he pats his belly – that makes me smile. He knows it’s there and he just doesn’t care.
The Maui Stamper 