First Order Arrival!

This is my first order! It came yesterday, but we had so much to do, with basketball practice, and I had to work unfortunately all day, and then we had tickets to go see Harry Potter at Midnight...

I probably should've taken my stamp sets with me and mounted them while I was waiting, but I didn't want to take a chance in losing anything or carrying it around (it is heavy, even if you only carry a few stamp sets around)

I got alot of word sets, since Stampin' Up! retired so many greeting sets, I had to get current sets. I just hope these last for a time...they are cute fonts!

I also got New paper and Simply Scrappin Kits. As soon as i get to start stamping on the new textured papers, I will show you what they look like. I am excited to see what type of papers they will have included in the kits.

The Paper packages arrived too, and sorting through, they look better than what the catalog showed!

This is the PRETTIES Kit. They are silk like flowers that you can color by using your re-inkers to make them blend and complement your cards. Included is also straight pins for making a "hat" pin and brads, and cabechon pearls for making the centers. When the build a brad kit becomes available, it should work well with this kit too! (right now, the build a brad kit is not available due to quality issues). The tin for this box is nice too, since it can be used for storing goodies after the flowers are gone!

Taking a Cruise 1930

Have you ever thought of going back in time? I really haven't. I really would like to someday go on a cruise and experience the real deal, but it will just have to wait. But since we are just so close, and they were having a deal, Tori and I stayed at the Queen Mary. They were having a nice special so we stayed there one night.















We did not do the ghost tour, we've done that. We've seen the pool, and the changing room. The pool was NOT spookey, but the changing room was really spooky. It was almost eerie to go into the rooms and look down that tunnel and see the little rooms that people used to change their clothes. I think that we could almost imagine something popping out at us....but, we did not do that this time.




Instead, we walked around the ship and saw the different areas on deck...and the captains rooms (we've seen that before too..) and Tori drags me up stairs, and I hate heights. I hate them, to the point where I am almost crawling on the floor. I have that awful feeling in my stomach like I am going to just lay down and stop moving. I resist the feeling, but my legs feel like lead and won't move quickly. But Tori and I are like two silly tourists! As we're walking into the Captain's area, I almost scream, because she's dragging me into it, and my legs aren't moving. We stand in the dark, getting accustomed to the dim light, when all of a sudden a LARGE...did i say LARGE, I MEAN LOUD LOUD horn blows! REALLY LOUD! We both jump and scream. It is the Queen's horn, which sometimes we can hear from our house!






So, after it stops, we laugh at how stupid we are, relieved that no one is up where we are, and heard us scream...and slowly make our way to the Steering room. Well, it was a fun trip, and even though it was only 15 minutes away from our house, it was fun to see another side of Long Beach, CA that we never get to see. At night, we could see these city lights from our port hole and it was really pretty.





The room was small, but comfortable, and it was cool to have a blast from the past!





If you ever get a chance to do this...you should!

Piano Hinge Book

Making BOOKS this week!!!

One of the things I have always wanted to do, was to make a piano hinge book. I never knew how to do it, but I found it on http://www.craftvweekly.com/. I saw the video on it, and thought,"Well, I can do that now!"...so I took one of the simply scrappin kits and put one together. This one is smaller than the one they show, but it works! The main thing, is that you need to keep the pages consistent. It will work with an odd or even size page, and you need to cut your pages, get your shishkabob sticks, adhesive, waxed linen thread, and scissors, trimmer and voila! you got a piano hinge book!

It is really easy once you see the tutorial on making the book, and I found that by cutting notches instead of making straight cuts, it had a little gap, which made the sticks fit through easier. I also found that using thinner sticks was easier than thicker ones. I tried using the fat sticks that I bought from Vons market didn't work as well.

The pages I used, were Certainly Celery, and Barely Banana, which was in the kit that was last year's SELL A BRATION. I think the papers coordinated nicely, were "springy" but, it would be a good travel vacation book too.

I think next time, I will try darker cardstocks, and also staining the shishkabob sticks for added sparkle, rather than leaving it natural. It is good natural, but if you can change it to a color, why not?

NOW, the other thing I have been working on, is a JACOB's LADDER book. I did one before, using chipboard, but I saw one using chipboard coasters, and though, "HOW COOL IS THAT?" So, by using the Baroque papers, and chipboard coasters, I started this Jacob's ladder. I also added chocolate chip ribbon and the stitched true thyme ribbon and chocolate chip ink to the sides. I didn't have any of the new ribbons yet, so this was the best I could come up with.

I love this new paper. It is very rich and shows alot of style! Want to take a class in making either of these 2 books? Be sure to let me know, and also check out my classes! I should have more listed when I get my supplies....which I hope will be SOON!! I think they just shipped today from Stampin' Up!

so...be on the lookout....

hugs..dianne

Happy 4th of July! God Bless America

I am so happy that today is the 4th of July! We are having super weather, planning on swimming later today, and maybe friends might come over! -we'll see..otherwise, I might be stamping today too! A real estate lady put flags up on everyone's lawns a few days ago, and they've been waving brightly down the street. It is so nice to have the FREEDOM to wave what we want, and to be proud of our country and those who serve our country.
We saw Transformers last night, and although I liked the movie, it was hard to see soldiers being killed (they were not graphic, but the idea was alittle hard). The movie was filled with action, fighting and JOSH DUHAMEL! He was pretty good as an action/soldier/special ops guy!
Happy 4th! Be safe!

At least I got some stamping done!

Make a Quickie Scrapbook TONIGHT!

Using the RETIRED Simply Scrappin Kit, You can make a scrapbook in 1 evening! All you need is your paper trimmer, and adhesive, and you can have it done in just a couple of hours!

You cut the pages to 6x6, and then I cut 1 section of the printed cardstock in 1" x 6", 1.5 x 6" and 2" x 6" strips, and I place them on the pages. I then, trim the edges with the adhesive strips of decoration that is included (which I cut down to 6")

I put the letters on the Chocolate chip cardstock (which is also included in the kit) and decorated with the adhesive flowers. (sorry for the blurry photo, but the flash kept bouncing off the glare of the protectors.

I think these 2 pages popped out when I layered the Chocolate Chip cardstock behind the cut out letters. (the letters are used for the previous photo). I hope that Stampin' UP! comes out with more adhesive letters! It is fun using both the positive images and the negative images!

I also used these squares to bounce more designs, and to use up the kit. In my composition book I used these squares to make the tabs. But, I didn't want to use tabs for this book...

This is a total if 20 pages (double sided - 10 protectors total)

This was really done all in 1 night...and really not very difficult at all..You can use up your scraps too, by cutting out the areas you want to use....

Keep plugging away, and you will find uses for them all!

Too HOT to Stamp?

Stitch Before.......

with hair!

Stitch ...After....shaved!

He is still groggy at this point, and can't walk too well. He keeps stumbling, but I am sure he feels so much better!

I have to tell you..... I have alot of stamps for sale, all RETIRED!!
but, they are going fast..can you believe, I have already sold over 20 stamp sets!!! (okay, I won't tell you how many there are still on the table..hee hee!) Anyways...If you are interested in any retired sets, I hope you will let me know before I start selling them on ebay!

To be continued..!

July 1st is HERE!

This is the NEW Catalog and Idea book! Celebrate the OPENING of a NEW Year! (Well, it is for the catalog!) I think this is one of the best catalog and idea books. It has alot of beautiful stamps, ideas, and accessories. They trimmed out the fru fru and gave it some bohemian looks that are In-Style! Be sure to check out the IN-Colors which will be available until June next year. The Fall Winter catalog is just amazing with the layout....I hope you will enjoy it!
Using one of the Hostess sets, making a topper tent card. this does fit into a reg size A2 envelope! I got the idea from someone's blog...I can't remember who...I did try to look back...I think I will be looking through more blogs..I do like the way they photograph their cards....so, I will be changing the way I scan and photograph my cards.....