Wednesday, October 31, 2007


Attention: RAK Pig Alert!

Okay, these are all RAKs from the first three days of this week but it still is "piggish" none the less!
  • From Rita, a cute and fun Halloween card (she felt bad because I had only received one Halloween card this year! Heck, before I started stamping, I didn't even know people gave Halloween cards...grins!).
  • From Melissa, a simple card (which I personally favor!) with some neat touches (like those punched corners) that she sent along with some blog candy I won. Super!
  • And lastly, from Kim, my super duper stamps...yay!

Thanks so much ladies for thinking of me...I do get so excited when my mailman comes around. He, on the other hand, is always insatiably curious as to why I get so much mail from all over the globe!

At last, my boxes...

I never thought I would get them done...but I did...

These are super cute but I don't think I would make them so "fussy" next time. I hate to say it but I think these boxes were more to please me and you, my PSFs, than those kids...ha! Especially since they will look at them and then immediately tear them apart to get at the candy inside (a tootsie pop, a mini "Wunderbar" [is it bad that I gave them the chocolate bars we don't like?] and some sour kids).

Here is Tristan as a super motocross star! He will be something different tonight (to match Charlotte) but he had to be cool for school! I will share more later...hee hee!

Linked Tutorials of Note

Newly Discovered

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Whoa!

I just had my 200th guest book visitor (see all the way at the bottom!)...thanks guys...you rock and I appreciate all your visits, comments and e-mails!

Today has been a day where I wished the gypsies would have made a visit...the kids kept fighting like banshees! I am in the midst of making 15 2, 5, 7, 10 boxes for Tristan's preschool class tomorrow (nothing like waiting till the last minute!).

Cross your fingers and I will be able to post them tonight!

Linked Tutorials of Note

Newly Discovered

Just Throwing One Out There...

This is another one of Nancy's stamps...super cute!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Aloha!

This card is for Tracy's "{ October Happiness Giveaway Challenge }". She wanted to see cards with either a Disney or Hawaiian theme. Well, obviously this is for the Hawaiian one...it doesn't smack you up the head with the Hawaiian theme but hopefully the subtlety is enough to make a good everyday card (esp. coming from cold Calgary!). TFL!

Sara's Discipline Magnets

Sara worked out a discipline plan with her kids...to manage behaviors/rewards, she worked with them to decide their family rules and then had the kids make magnets from various SU kits to track their progress...

Have a peek...I think we "family managers" could all use one more item in our toolkit!

Linked Tutorials of Note

Newly Discovered

Before I share...

...this layout, a disclaimer...

You all know that I love my lil' Charlotte. However, she does test my patience (as a daily occurrence, I have come to accept that washing her face, brushing her hair, getting her to clean up, etc. will be a challenge). When I took this picture of Charlotte, it personified this trait of hers to a "T"...she just looks like a) she's in charge and b) anything that her Mommy asks is likely to be ignored. So, when I used this stamp to sum up the layout, it was done all with love and my tongue firmly planted in my cheek!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Masculine Z Fold

I know we are all a'rocking with Beate this weekend (isn't that what we do every weekend [that and take over the world, Pinky])? I decided to so a masculine Z fold...once again, I am not sure. I love it when I love a card...I gotta try again later. Right now I am heading out to dinner...ciao!

Announcing the 400K Winner....



These are the entries for my black and white challenge...wow! I hope they give you much inspiration for trying something like this yourself!

So, without further ado, the winner is Penny. Congrats Penny...I will e-mail you once I have had some sleep tonight!

ETA: Lana has a late entry so I decided to add it here!


ETAA: Kim played too and has posted her card!

Did You Hear...

...continued cursing from this part of the planet yesterday? Yep, that was me...b!tching about my cutter...come on home Tonic! (I have one on order...I hope it is the mea culpa that I think it could be!)

Here's the relatively simple card that was giving me a headache...

I love the color palette, Basic Grey DP and sketch (from Julee with my own little twist) but everything else (the layering, the piecing, etc.)...arrgh!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Linked Tutorials of Note

Newly Discovered

Playtime!

I made a card using Angel's sketch 13 (great one!) with more Basic Grey Infuse DP! (It is so Christmas-y in it's own way. It will have to do as I long for Dasher and Figgy Pudding!) A bella and a fun sentiment from It's Snow Time and she be done...yay!

I saw this knit cap...

...on PBS today and it almost made me pick up my knitting needles! It is too cute!
If you are interested, the pattern is here.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

All I can say is right now...

...I am in love with Jen! When I get a camera later (DH has it to take pictures of his now-fixed car [it only took two months and a $9000 repair bill]), I will share why!

ETA: Finally, I am back at my computer with a camera, some time and a finished manual!

  • Jen sent me this super care package today! I had requested a TAC catalog from her...in that package she included some awesome stuff!
This picture doesn't include it all. She had also created a Halloween tag and a popcorn slider. Those items were stolen by the kids to decorate their bedrooms since their "Mommy hasn't any Halloween decorations"...that, and I ate the popcorn about an hour ago...hee hee!

I love these Hero Arts stamps in a way I can't even describe...birdies, sentiments and flourishes...oh my! And she sent me a TCP card...I {heart} those stamps too (as anyone who follows along here may know)! Thanks Jen so very much...your aloha wishes knows no bounds!

A*muse goodies? Yes, A*muse goodies! Me loves them...I am so thinking of using those stickers on my next project (let alone those pretty note cards)! Wow, Beverly...you rock!

I am spoiled by all you gals...your comments, cards and on bang-up days like today, your prezzies, makes all the blurfing totally worth it! Mwah!

Linked Tutorials of Note

Winter Wonderland

Last night it snowed and it stuck (it has snowed before but melted as it hit the ground). It is pretty and not too shocking since it always snows in time for Halloween around here!

I couldn't get my head wrapped round this card...everything I did in regards to layout (esp. trying to add another image) just wasn't happening so I left it. Sometimes, you just gotta move on. Good news though...I am almost done re-constructing my manual! (I found a PDF version so all was not lost!)

ETA: DP is Basic Grey's Infuse. The stamp is one of Nancy's and I have no idea who the manufacturer is!

Newly Discovered

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Well I did it...

I made a card for SC147...pretty simple and basic. I have been trying to restore my system all night (Windows blows!) so I haven't got much else done. I think I may be recreating a whole manual since I cannot get my Desktop settings back where the file was...sigh!

Craziest Blog Roll!

Did I tell you that I recently updated my blog roll...oh yeah, it is huge! So, if there is an omission or a correction that I need to be notified of, just holla! Cheers!
ETA: I fixed the Australasian link...thanks Frances for the heads-up!
ETA (Again): Make sure that you check your listing at either the beginning or end of these lists if they include special characters (e.g. quotes, brackets, etc.).

Why Can't I Be Popular?

Why can't I be popular in some super-cool way instead of merely adored (and never ignored) by my children and co-workers? All work and no crafting make Allison something-something (Simpsons reference)! Stay tuned...I am bent and determined to make a card today!

Newly Discovered

Linked Tutorials of Note

Monday, October 22, 2007

Tres masculin?

I really like how this card came out...I seem to have a yen for masculine cards lately (esp. with this Basic Grey DP...yum!). I have a problem though. You see none of the men in my life (DH, DS, fathers, brothers, etc.) fish, hunt, sail, etc. They need to make a stamp set of guys loafing on the couch watching the hockey game, playing the XBox or surfing the net. Those are far more in keeping with the men in my life!

Meh...

It's another "meh" card. I like it but it just seems blah.

Newly Discovered

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Linked Tutorials of Note

Stealing Some Images...

So I was at Nancy's and just happened to have stamped off a whole number of images from her display stand (and I am not exaggerating here razz) of holiday and winter-themed stamps. So, most likely this week you will be seeing all of her stamp collection rather than my own! (There is just something so appealing about another crafter's stamps!)

P.S. It is Beate's weekend sketch too!
P.P.S. Shannon and I will be knocking over a local convenience store so we too can have a stand like Nancy's...ha!

Doing the Blogthing...

You Are 69% Perfectionist

You are a true perfectionist. You are both demanding of yourself and others.
While it's great to have goals and standards, they don't need to be sky high!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Just Cleaning Up the Scraps...

I am making my mom a series of gift card enclosures...these are great for cleaning up scraps of DP and ribbon! The last one is regular size with lots of added glitter...plus it has Nancy's balloon! (Did you ever make those 200 cards with this coveted balloon anyway?)



See My New Emoticons?

If you work with Blogger using a Firefox browser, you can get emoticons to include in your posts here. Thanks to mrgreen
  • Install Firefox.
  • Install Greasemonkey (it permits you to modify a page when Firefox charges it).
  • Install the emoticon script. (Click the link and then click the Install button when prompted.)
  • Modify the CSS of your blog.
  • From your Blogger dashboard, click Layout.
  • Click Edit HTML.
  • Select the Expand Widget Templates checkbox.
  • Press Ctrl-F (the Find function of your browser).
  • In the Find menu, enter skin.
  • Enter (before the skin line):
    img.emoticon {

    padding: 0;

    margin: 0;
    border: 0;
    }

  • Click Save Template.
  • Once complete, create a new blog post and your emoticons should display under your formatting toolbar in the post window.
Good luck!

Note: I cannot add brackets in this post to mimic that found in the original (Blogger does not permit HTML).

Newly Discovered