It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Anyone who makes their own Christmas cards knows you have to get an early start. Somehow it does seem strange to be working on Christmas when it's in the 8o's outside. I have been busy working on a few projects this weekend and have lots of cards in various stages but here is my first picture.

Meet Polly Packages


I love this stamp because there are just so many possibilities. For this one I paper pieced her coat and scarf with DP from a DCWV Christmas stack. I used liquid applique on her hat, the top of her bag and the bottom of her coat. I also love the candy cane stripe leggings. The Ho Ho Ho is done with the Stampendous Candy Cane Alphabet. This set sold out last year before I got mine so when we got them in at Archiver's again this year I snatched mine up right away. Again, so many possibilities. More Christmas cards to come!

HUGE Blog candy for a good cause.

Check out Cammie's blog for the most amazing chance to win blog candy valued at around $1000. She has gotten donations from so many amazing people and companies all in honor of National Alzheimer's Day. She asked everyone to make a card to send to someone with Alzheimers or to the people who care for Alzheimers patients. Here is my card.

This one is going to the facility down the street from my house. I don't personally know anyone there but I am sure they are doing great things and this will brighten someone's day.

Sneek Peek...

So my last few posts have been about a very special thing I am working on. Finally I have a little something to reveal (with Gretchen's permission). This drawing means so much to me I cannot even begin to put it all into words... but here goes. Gretchen wanted to help NieNie. I wanted to help too. I love Gretchen's work so it made sense for me to help her help...get it??? I won the auction and sent my donation to the Stephanie and Christain Nielson Fund and the forwarded Gretchen my receipt. She asked what I wanted and so I explained.

I want something special for my daughter. She turns 21 in October. I am so very proud of the young woman she has become. We are very close and she loves stamping and scrapbooking like I do. We both fell in love with Gretchen's fairies on Stamping Bella. I wanted something to celebrate that special bond between mother and daughter. I also wanted something that would in some small way honor Nie Nie because her view of motherhood has inspired so many and after all she is the reason for the design. I emailed Gretchen my ideas along with some pictures of Ashleigh and I and she got right to work. I knew I would love whatever she came up with becuase I so love her style...but I had no idea. Here is what she sent me originally.



I love her sketchy sketch, obviously an artist at work. I am not sure what I had in my mind. I have one of her images of Lottie and Gussie and I asked for something along those lines. When I opened the email and saw her interpretation of my ideas I cried. This was much better than anything I had ever imagined. She even hid "Nie Nie" in there...can you find it? She also included little hearts that say, "my mother", "my daughter", "my soul" in French. How perfect is that?? Now Gretchen asks for changes or additions. I only have a few, Ashleigh's hair needs to be curlier, she needs to be wearing a hoodie with her hand in the pocket (anyone who knows her will get that). Another idea, maybe hang the hearts from the branch of a tree...a family tree.


Again she went to work and here is her final draft....I am in awe.




Now she will hand paint this just for me. I cant wait to see it colored. We also talked about another idea...a way for this image to keep on giving...more details on that to come.

So Excited!!!

A while back I posted something about an auction that was being done by one of my fav artists on behalf on Nie Nie. Click here for more info on NieNie. Well I won that auction and now I am working with Gretchen from ChichiBoulie on something really special. She is making a drawing of mother and daugher fairies. I asked for this because my DD will be 21 years old in October. We are very close and I thought it would be something special to give her. She loves the ChichiBoulie fairies too and she is going to college in Utah not far from where Nie Nie grew up. One of her roomates knows Nie Nie. You can donate too by clicking here.



Anyway, I was happy to be donating to the NieNie Recovery fund anyway and getting an original piece of ChichiBoulie art is icing on the cake. I just received a first draft of the sketch from Gretchen. Her talent amazes me. I am hoping to post it here, but I want to ask her permission first since it is her orignal work. Anyway I can't wait to share it with all of my sistahs, and if my dream comes true I may have something else special in store too.

I've been tagged

So.... My new Bella Sistah Ramsey tagged me, so I'm it!
Here are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Ok so you want to know a little bit about me:
1: I am a Stampaholic
2: I run a Harry Potter themed summer camp where we recreate Hogwarts for kids from3rd to 8th grades. Some people know me as Madam Hooch
3:I once won $1000 on a radio station by singing the theme from Armageddon "Opera Man" style...it's amazing the stupid things I will do for cash!
4: I am an only child and I have an only child.
5: I drive a convertible.
6: I just cut 5 inches off of my hair, and even though I was scared at first, I love it.
7: I am a sucker for chick flick, my all time fav is Pretty Woman

Here are my 7 picks:
1. YOU!!!- If you are reading this then you are tagged :)
2. Becca
3. Katie
4: Gretchen
5: Laura
6: Patsy
7: Katie S.

Win some original ChichiBoulie Artwork

Wanna win some ChichiBoulie original art hand watercolored just for you???? Check out her blog for a chance to win and help out an amazing family at the same time. Click here to find out more. Right now I have the highest bid but I really want someone to beat me and give more to this family.

To find out more about the family and their tragic accident click here. To donate directly click on the Nie Recovery button to your right. To send a card to decorate their recovery room .

c/o c jane
2250 N. University Parkway #4876
Provo, Utah 84604-1590

Angel of Blog Candy

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Chcck out Suzanne's Angel of Blog Candy giveaway. Her card is darling and the blog candy is quite a haul.

Spooky....

Jeepers, Creepers...





I love Halloween and all of the fun and spooky stuff that is out there. Working at Archivers I get a chance to see all of the new products and great Halloween lines that are coming in. I couldn't wait to play so here are a few of my first Halloween creations for this year.

The other thing I love is mixing and matching all of my stuff to create my own designs. This first card is a perfect example of that. This is going to be my October Homepage contest card for the bellaholics group.
I used the Three Trees set from SU for the trees and the leaves.The bat is from a Stampendous Halloween set. The fence and the cat are Martha Stewart punches. I added Witchybella from http://www.stampingbella.com/. Her dress is covered in black flock from doodlebug and copper stickles.I even used glossy accents on the pumpkin for tha 3D effect. This really was a conglomeration (sp?) of materials but I love how she came out.

This one I did using my new haunted house cuttlebug embossing folder. I love all of the new holiday designs. I used a navy cardstock the added color to the windows, trim and moon with souffle pens. Witchybella was the final touch on this spooky scene.

Next on to another Halloween card I made as a Make and Take for mania last night at Archivers. I love hosting mania because I get to create my own make and take projects.

The pic isn't the best but I love this card anyway. The BG paper is Bo Bunny and the stamp is from Inkadinkado. The bat is flocked and then I added black and orange stickles to the flourishes.

Finally I did a Halloween page using the K& Company Halloween Whimsy line and round stickers from Archiver's Yours Truly stationary line to make 3D pumpkins. The large picture is one of my favorites of my daughter growing up. She is just turning three in the pic and she will turn 21 this October. Am I that far behind? Not really, but this was made for a sample at the store so it was a great way to reuse and old favorite pic. Thanks for looking.