You've got me swinging on a star....

........or swinging on a moon would be more accurate, I suppose. Told you I wasn't nearly done with the H&S stamps. I actually made this a couple of weeks ago and never got around to posting it but I have been sucked in to the black hole that is Facebook and haven't been in the stamp room for days!

My favorite technogeek (her word, not mine) and I were discussing some other computer stuff and the subject of Facebook came up. I told her I had signed up, checked around and just didn't see what the fuss was about. She told me to try again and that I would love it. So I did and Ermmm......... makes a BIG difference once you have some "friends"!! I have found so many people from school, from Scotland and from our Navy days - it's my new, new addiction which has sucked up the time I was reserving for the new (blogging) addiction. I need a few more hours in my day to deal with all this cyber stuff.

A sexy little number...

Isn't 50 the new 40? And isn't it odd how your perception of "old" changes as you get older yourself? I used to think 50 was perfectly ancient, but as I close in on it myself, I view it completely differently!
I have a very good friend who turns 50 on Sunday, and while I know she's not thrilled about it, it's still better than the alternative, right? I'm hoping this card will make her smile. I got the idea from SCS (where else?). I saw all these corset cards appearing in the galleries and futher investigation led me to this thread which has the link to the template and everything. I've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it. The cardstock is a beautiful sheet my aunt sent me from the UK - the black pattern is raised and glossy, like you had embossed it, only without the mess, and I found the ribbon on clearance in Michaels this weekend and immediately fell in love with it. The little card slides into the card and although you can't really tell from the picture the white cardstock is mounted on black "glittered" paper - it's very cool IRL. I can't decide if it's "done" yet or not - should I add something to the top of the card (I have some very pretty heart shaped eyelets - maybe one of those and some ribbon) to make it tag like so she knows to pull it out, or whether to leave it as is and just make sure the insert is visable amongst the lace - what do you think?

It's good to be Queen

I'm a big fan of Mary Engelbreit and was beyond delighted when Michaels started carrying her stuff - especially since it's in the $1 spot. But then, it is in the $1 spot and the quality isn't always the best. The card stock is kind of flimsy, the cards aren't folded evenly - all minor details, but they still bother me. So I made them not bother me -and used up a few of my million Primas at the same time. I cut the card and mounted on a larger card, which was covered with some retired TAC DP, then I added some scrummy velvet ribbon that I got at Joannes, I think. I like the way it turned out, even if it is a bit of a cheat. I liked it well enough to decorate the inside too, although I can't for the life of me figure out how to make the two pictures show the way I want them too. And the title of the post? One of my favorite Mary Engelbreit illustrations - a couple of positions ago I was the office manager and I used to have a copy of it on my office door. How unbearable does that make me?

Pretty In Pink

Another adorable image from Hanglar & Stanglar - and since they are my latest obsession, I know it's far from the last. Does anyone else become addicted to things/images/sets? I have a compulsive nature I think. When I get new stamps, I have this need to use them for everything - until I get the next new set.

Anyhow, this bookmark was made for a young friend of mine who loves to read. I love to read - and I love to encourage other people, especially little, impressionable people with sponge like minds, to read. I bought her a book called "What the Dickens" by Gregory Macguire, who just happens to be the author of "Wicked" - and I just happen to have tickets to go see "Wicked" in May - see how that works? See how neatly that all came together? I also have a tendency to get sidetracked but I usually get back on track at some point during the conversation.

So the DP came from Micheals (I think) the image from H&S via Miss Dawn, the "e" is from TAC's AlphaGrunge (one of my favorite alpha's evah) and the butterfly was punched with my MS butterfly punch from some glittery paper sent to me by my aunt. I introduced her to stamping last year when she was visiting on vacation and she now has a collection of goodies that would rival some small stores. (or so I've heard - she lives in Scotland so I haven't seen it for myself - yet!) Compulsive, addictive personalities apparently run in the family but since she is very good about sending me surprise packages of "stuff" I'm not complaining too much.

Hanglar & Stanglar Happy Mail

I used one of the Hanglar and Stanglar images I got from my friend Dawn to make this card for my mom's birthday. I so wish we could get these stamps here, they are so cute!
It's colored with Copic markers, an expensive little addiction of mine. I was so determined I didn't need these pens...... then I was in Hobby Lobby one day and there they were on sale, so I had to get a couple to try just to see what the fuss was all about. Of course, you know it was all downhill from there and I was sucked in to the cult of the Copics. Resistance was truly futile.

Surfing Ocean's 11

As a regular reader of way too many blogs (and really, how many is too many? Google reader anyone?) one of the things I've noticed is how many people write about the new friends they have made while blogging - it's one of the things I hoped would happen to me too when I finally joined in with the fun. And it has! I've joined a blogging group and you will find a list of all the links in the sidebar under the heading of "Surfing Oceans 11". There are some very talented ladies in there so enjoy checking out their blogs. I love "finding" a new blog to add to my reader list - hope you find some inspiration in there. I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of them - hi girls!!

Bugs, colds, flu and general yuckiness.....

........have abounded in our household. Despite all preventative measures, the winter maliase has spread itself around in ever differing forms meaning that as one of us got better, the other got sick and then the one that got better got sick again, leaving us feeling a little like

And the weather has been awful which has added to the gloom but yesterday spirits were lifted by the arrival of the mailman with happy mail. Not one, but two packages that I was not expecting! The first package was from my sister - it had 24 packets of crisps (chips) in it - total cause for celebration.!!!!
In Scotland we take junk food very seriously and there are chips in flavors not even imagined here in the US - Prawn Cocktail, Roast Chicken, Cheese and Onion, Worcestershire Sauce and Smokey Bacon to mention only a few. I've pretty much adjusted to life without these simple delights (harder than it sounds actually )but I really, really miss Smokey Bacon crsips most of all - now I have 12 packets to savour.... and my DS has 12 packets of Cheese and Onion which he really, really loves. I also have an issue of Good Food (another little thing which I really, really miss) and DS has a Tim Minchin DVD (impossible to find here) so it's all very good. My DH doesn't understand the rationale of spending way more in postage than the actual value of the goods in the package - what does he know?

In the other package was a bunch of goodies from a Scottish stamping friend, including a beautiful hand crafted Halloween banner, a bunch of stamped images (Magnolia and Hanglar and Stanglar) and some new Magnolia stamps - she is a honey!! Thanks, Dawn
I "met" Dawn on SCS - even although she lives about 40 mins from my hometown, I had to move to another country to find her. The internet has made the world a very small place and SCS has made the stamping community even smaller. That forum is one of my very happy places - if you are a stamper and have never checked it out (where have you been, in a closet for the last few years?), rush over there right now to see what all the fuss is about .

Serendipity

The much anticipated, brand new spring supplement/magalogue from The Angel Company is here with 48 new sets, including new hostess sets, a ton of great tips, ideas and card sketch ideas and our revamped hostess rewards plan. I love the whole thing! And I love most of all that the company has listened to its demonstators and is changing to meet what we and our customers want, especially now, when every crafting dollar counts. I'm very excited to see what other changes this year is going to bring to TAC!

Serendipity goes "live" for ordering tomorrow so I'm sure it won't be long before it's available for viewing on the website, but if you can't wait, I'd be happy to mail one out to you . If you cover the cost of the supplement ($2.95) then I will cover the cost of shipping (media mail) Just e-mail me and let me know.