Happy New Year!

Let's celebrate with a drink! Well, how about a stamped drink? I was so excited when this set came out. I bought it right away and mounted it and then it just sat on my shelf. My goal today was to use some of my new sets. We will be making these cards at my next club workshop. I just used the large scalloped circle die for the Big Shot with a folded card just showing about 3 scallops. Then I used a piece of DSP with the smaller scallop die (it has 2 sizes on it). The drinks are stamped and then punched with the scallop punch. I used the small scallop as a seal on the envelope. Both drinks have some dazzling diamonds thay may be difficult to see in the pics. These fit just perfectly into a regular envelope and work for all kinds of occasions. Woohoo! Hope you enjoy the first day of 2009!

Last Post of 2008

I just got this cute cupcake stamp from Stampin' Up the other day. I had been contemplating buying it for awhile but I was hesitant because of the writing inside the base. Last night when I went to mount it I thought, "Why not just cut it out? That way I don't have to worry about trying to mask it and I can always use my stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the words if I want them." So, that's what I did. It was quite easy and I am so happy I did it. I just need to find a block to put the inside on now. The card was inspired by another one I did awhile back using the Flight of the Butterfly set and this scallop envelop die for the Big Shot. I added some piercing (which I need to remember to do more - it looks so nice!) and just used the new heart punch which I LOVE! The DSP is from the new Candy Lane paper that is part of the new Valentine's Day Bundle from SU. Unfortunately it is sold out at the moment but hopefully they will have more in soon. I am waiting for my stamp set that goes with the bundle.

I hope to do some more stamping today. I just have to watch that I don't do too much or my back gets sore. On a happy note I got my new vehicle! Decided to go with an SUV this time so I am now driving a Volvo XC90 in silver. I haven't had it out much yet but so far I love it. I hope everyone has a very safe and happy new year's eve. We don't have any plans. My husband is sick so that puts a bit of a damper on the night but the kids and I will have fun playing the Wii that Santa brought us. That thing is awesome! I used the Wii Fit yesterday (first workout in way too long!) My back has been really sore but I figured I would try it anyway. I did some Yoga and some strength training as well as a few balance games. LOVE IT! If you have a Wii and don't have Wii Fit, get it! I hope that it will keep me motivated. Only 1 month until we are in Puerto Rico...not really enough time to get back in shape but it's better than nothing. OK, well I will stop rambling and let you enjoy the rest of your day!

Sweet Treat

Isn't this cute? It is a modified 2-4-6-8 box. Here's how I made it:

Cut a piece of transparency so it is 4 1/4" x 10" (You could make it taller or shorter by changing the 4 1/4" measurement)

Score at every 2" along the 10" side. You will need to use your bone folder to fold sides in after scoring as it is tough to fold.

Use a small amount of snail on the 2 ends and fold into a box and stick sides together (one will completely overlap)

For the base and top do 2 of these:

3" x 3" piece of cardstock or paper

Score at 1/2" along each side. *A little less than 1/2" is better than a little more. If it's scored too small then it will not fit.*

On 2 opposite sides cut along the 2 small score lines

Fold edges in. Put a small amount of snail on the small flaps and tuck them inside.

Use one as the top and one as the bottom of the box. I adhered the bottom one on with some snail.

Hershey Kisses are quite heavy. A lighter weight candy may work a little better but the bottom still sticks even with the kisses.

I decorated with some ribbon, a tag, and the new heart punch. All done in Real Red and Silver cardstock. "Love" is stamped in silver.

If you cannot follow these direction and need some help please feel free to contact me! Just leave a comment and I will help you out. I can always post a picture tutorial or maybe even a video if need be.

Just Playing

Today I decided to just "play" with some of my stuff. I have a workshop on Sunday to prep for but I just didn't feel like doing that. The first thing I made was the scallop card. It's super easy. Just fold a piece of cardstock and place the fold just inside of the scallop die for the BigShot. I left 3 scallops showing. Run it through and viola! A scallop card! The paper is some Barbie scrapbooking paper that just happened to be on the top of a pile (I have many!) and I used the hearts from Someone New To Love. My second project was to use the Create a Calendar set I got a couple months ago. I saw this idea on Jill's Card Creations blog and thought it was awesome. Wish I had done this before Christmas; these would have made great gifts! Maybe next year. I just used a clipboard from a stationery store and covered it with some DSP. Then I added some peices from the kit and some ribbon. It turned out great! I also plan to stamp the bottom corner of each month's page with a coordinating stamp.

Xmas Tic Tac Toe

I wanted to give a little extra something out with some of our Christmas cards this year so I decided to make Christmas Tic Tac Toe CD tins. I think the kids will enjoy them. They are so easy to make. This one uses the Deer Friends set. I love it but I am slightly annoyed that not all of the centres can be punched with the 1" punch. Some of them catch the writing along the edge. Not very good planning there. Anyway, I found 2 that work, but they both are brown ones so I used Chocolate Chip for one and Close to Cocoa for the other. Still look pretty darn cute! I used my 1/2" punch to punch out magnets for the back (just used old business ones) and put a dimensional between the circle and the magnet. The dimensional makes them easier to pick up. The front is done with the Top Note die for the Big Shot and then I printed labels off for the front using the Harry Paul font from the SU cd. On the back I also have a small label with "Merry Christmas 2008! Love the Livingston Family"

I hope everyone has a very safe and Merry Christmas!

Love You Much Bundle

Promotion details: The products featured in the Love You Much Bundle are sneak peeks from our Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalogue. Before the launch of the new catalogue on January 19, the only way to purchase these products is through the Love You Much Bundle. Get ready for Valentine's Day with the exclusive Love You Much Bundle (item 115405) for $50.28 .This is a savings of 20%. The Love You Much Bundle includes the following:

Love You Much Stamp Set

Candy Lane Designer Series Paper

Heart to Heart Punch
Promotion Dates: December 23, 2008 - January 31, 2009

Gifts Galore

I spent most of last night madly finishing teacher gifts. I had planned to do them much earlier but the accident set me back so last night I powered through. I made several of the note boxes for teacher assistants, the music teacher, librarian... Found the them at a dollar store ages ago and just covered the top and inside of the cover with some paper and added a few embelishments here and there depending on the paper. The one with the notes was, of course, for the music teacher. I made matching pens for all of them too, but the music one is the only one that I beaded. I also made these fabulous gift card holders that I gave to their classroom teachers along with a DVD tin album and a set of tile coasters. So easy! Just used the top note die for the big shot and a brad! The inside has a top note cut in half and adhered along the edges to the bottom top note. The brad allows the top to swing open. The last picture is of a card my mother in law sent to each of my kids. Isn't he cute?

Frosty

I got this card from a friend and thought it was post-worthy. Especially since I have not had much opportunity to stamp. I love this little snowman and 3 of him is even better! Thanks, Nicole! I did get some stamping done last night as I madly try to get teacher gifts done. My back has been very sore and I have not been able to do too much but I pushed thru last night and made a few things that I will try to post later today. My 6 year old is home sick AGAIN and we are heading back to the doctor at lunch to get her checked out.

Not Again!

So for those who visit my blog on a regular basis, you may recall that I was in a car accident this summer (a guy turned in front of me as I was going thru an intersection). My van was a write off and I got a beautiful new Volvo S80 that I love. Well, today I was in another accident. Again, totally not my fault. A guy had stopped at a stop sign and I was driving past on a secondary highway and I guess he decided to go without looking and drove right into the driver's side of my beautiful new car. I don't think he expected to hear the words that came out of my mouth when I finally managed to climb out the passenger side door! I am still so angry right now. We are not sure, but the car is likely a write off. What are the chances that I would go through life with no car accidents and then have 2 in just over 4 months? And pretty major ones, too. Sheesh. The blessing is that I was alone, my injuries are minor and I was able to walk away. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't stopped in the first place, especially since he was driving a large delivery truck. I can guarantee I would not be posting right now! And the really scary thing is that my brother was in an accident at that exact corner 3 years ago and was nearly killed It was his big beautiful dog riding in the passenger side seat that saved his life. Unfortunately Okeet did not survive. Anyway, this is not the post I had planned for today but that's life. I just hope everyone reading this will take a little more caution the next time they head out on the road...
Hopefully I will feel like stamping tomorrow.

Snowman Tin

So, I made another DVD tin. Well, a couple actually. I made one for my daughter's teacher for Christmas. They are spending Christmas in Phoenix so I made one that they can use for pictures of their trip. I just made this one because I love the paper. It is inexpensive paper from a pack of xmas paper I bought a couple years back that has sat untouched pretty much since I bought it! I really have to use up some of my supplies! Anyway, I love how it turned out - might just have to keep it for myself!

Mmmmm! Chocolate

Thought I would post another recipe since I just made this yummy treat and the kids are upstairs giggling as they watch "Home Alone". This is an easy and delicious treat I make at Christmas since getting the recipe from my good friend Deanna.

Dad's Oatmeal Bars

18 Dad's Oatmeal cookies

1/4 cup butter/marg

3 square semi sweet chocolate

1/2 cup butter/marg

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup crushed nuts (I use pecans but peanuts also work well)

Melt 1/4 cup butter and add crushed cookies. I find the best way to crush them is to put them in a ziplock bag and bang them with a hammer or a "cooking" hammer...what is that thing called? Press 2/3 of the butter/cookie mixture into a 9x9 pan and bake at 325F for 10 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and allow it to cool. Add icing sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and nuts and beat well. (I use my electric beaters.) Spread chocolate mixture over baked cookies and then sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top.

Refrigerate and then cut into squares.

Picture shows the recipe doubled and cooling on my front porch - one of the advantages of living where it gets cold. I do this will all my Christmas baking!

Enjoy!

DVD Tin

I have a whole pile of these DVD tins so I decided I would make some albums with them and use the for Christmas gifts and to sell. Here is the first one I did. I just used some paper from Costco that I really like. I am pleased with how the cover turned out as I was stumped for a while. I just put in 4 silver brads and then had the idea to put the linen thread around them. I wanted to use some on the front to tie it in with the thread inside.

I *heart* Canada!

To my fellow Canadians:

While I am not one to get too involved in politics, I cannot stand by and watch our country fall apart at the hands of these anti-democratic and anti-Canada opposition parties. Please take the time to visit these websites and let your opinion be heard. Please contact your MP and let them know that the coalition is violating our democratic rights.

http://www.petitiononline.com/CANADIAN/petition.html

http://www.canadians4democracy.ca/index.php?lang=e - You can easily find your MP on this site and contact him or her!

Tin-o-Tags

I used this empty tin (from Epicure) and covered it with last year's awesome "Dashing" DSP from Stampin' Up! Inside I put a dozen handmade Christmas gift tags made using the tag set also from last year. I am not yet sure what I will do with this tin but it sure looks cute!

Weaving!

I had an idea tonight to weave some paper together and then run it through the Big Shot with the top note die. I used the Real Red from the prints pack and just chose 2 different patterns. I think it turned out great! I added the gingham ribbon which actaully runs around the whole front of the card. The snowflake is from the Felt Flurries in the Holiday Mini. They are so fun! And the brad is one of the rhinestone brads. Then to finish it off I scraped the edges with Glorious Green to add some interest and colour.

The other picture is of the "pretzel yummies" that I showed a few weeks ago using the hugs instead of kisses. This is what they should *really* look like. They are addictive so be careful. See my recipes for instructions on how to make this. But be SURE you keep the temp low (I use 200F...most things I cook at about 350) and keep checking them every minute or so after about 3 minutes as the chocolate will dry out quickly after it softens and then they will look cracked and awful!

Quick and Cute!

This may be the quickest card I have ever made. Saw it on Dawn's Stampin' Thoughts blog the other day. A few simple punches, a stamp, and a little colour and viola! A super cute Christmas card. A hint for the scallop edge...punch the 1 3/4" circle out of bashful blue and then line up the scallop punch around the circle. It will make it much easier than trying to punch a circle out of the scallop. To punch the circle out of the card I just moved the punch until it would not go any further and punched there.

Pretty Poinsettia

This was the 3rd card that we made at today's Christmas stamp-a-stack. My original was made using Riding Hood Red for the flowers but we made them with Ruby Red which is very close to the same. I like that it's simple but the 3-D poinsettia really adds something. The leaves are the punch cut up and then I layered a red flower on top of a red with a dimensional in between. The dots are More Mustard from the 1/8" punch. Tiny little guys but they went on well using the 2 way glue pen. The edges of the top note are coloured with pastels.

Final Stamp-a-Stack of '08

The reindeer card was inspired by a swap I received at the Edmonton regional event. I like it because it is simple and does not have a lot of colouring. I used Dazzling Diamonds on Rudolph's red nose. Colours: Very Vanilla base with a Riding Hood Red layer. The edges are scraped with Chocolate Chip. The snowman card is similar to one I made a week or so ago. I just changed up the snowflake and sentiment which is on dimensionals. The colours are bordering blue and Night of Navy with silver cardstock layer and silver ink for the snowflakes. We will make these at a stamp-a-stack I am holding on Nov. 30. Hard to believe that November is almost over! Where does the time go?

Greatest Night EVER!

I have not stamped in days so I have nothing to show except these pics I took at the NKOTB concert on Tuesday night. It was the greatest night ever! Aside from my wedding and giving birth to my 2 kids this was definitely the BEST night of my life! It may sound childish but I lived out my teenage dream. I met the New Kids, gave them hugs (Joe was wearing the softest cashmere sweater...and I said to him "Ooooo, you're so soft!" Very mature! LOL!) and then to top it all off we ended up with tickets in the FRONT ROW! But wait...it gets better. During one of the songs (Games) Joe held my hand and sang to me. OMG. Boy was it fun to feel like a teenager again!

Tonight!

OK, I have resisted putting this on my blog long enough. It has been all over my FaceBook page but I have resisted posting here until now. I am so excited for tonight. I am going to see New Kids on the Block and I actually get to meet them. OMG. I feel 14 again. I will not go on at length about it (although I am certain that I could). Just know that I will not be stamping tonight and that is just fine with me! LOL! Hope you are having a great day.

Little Piece of "Heaven"

I decided that I should make some of these to show you exactly what they are. I posted the "recipe" earlier and decided since I had the stuff to make 'em...why not make 'em? Now, these are actually done with "hugs" instead of "kisses" but they turned out ok. I think that white and milk chocolate melt at different temperatures so they are not as perfect as they usually are but you get the idea. You can see how I "tested" one to see if the chocolate was soft enough but the m&m would not go down all the way so I heated them another minute or so. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Something Different

Good morning. Today I thought I would start out with a post that's a little different. A recipe! Well, it's so simple I don't know that it can really be called a recipe. These are the yummiest little treats ever!

You need:
-small twisted pretzels
-Hershey's kisses
-M&M's (chocolate kind, not peanut)

Lay out some pretzels on a cookie sheet and put an unwrapped kiss on top of each pretzel. Put the tray in the oven at a low temp (about 200 or so) and let the kisses soften. It takes maybe 5 minutes or so but every oven seems to be a little different. Check them frequently the first time you do it so you know how long it takes. If the oven is too hot or you leave them in too long the chocolate will dry out. What you want is for the kiss to be soft enough so that when you place an m&m on the tip and push down the chocolate just sinks. When the chocolate is soft take the tray out and place an m&m on each kiss and push down gently. Allow them to cool and then store in a container in the fridge. These are sooooooo yummy and addictive! And they are a great treat to make with the kids. Let them have the task of unwrapping all the kisses - they love it! We really don't have a name for these and when I asked my kids what we should call them my 9 year old replied, "We should call them Heaven!" LOL! He's right! These are a great treat any time of year but we especially like them at Christmas.

Hard to believe that is right around the corner. I think we will try to get our lights up today while it's still fairly decent outside. But they will NOT be turned on for a few weeks. That is a real pet peeve of mine...Xmas lights on in November! And trees up! Are you kidding me? At least 2 houses on my street have their trees up! I find that a little weird. I usually put mine up around the end of the first week in December and that sucker is down on New Year's Day. Any longer than that and I think I would go crazy. Well, enjoy your Sunday. I hope to have some cards or scrapbooking pics to post later today.

Still sick!

This bug has made itself right at home in our house...hence no posts for nearly a week...again. Sigh...one day I hope to get back to daily posts. Anyway, we have had some testing done but no results yet. And then Jenna woke up with strange rash today so back to the doctor we went. Doctor didn't really know what it was and said it was probably nothing to worry about. Just wait and see...I am tired of waiting! She has been sick for 2 1/2 weeks! Oh yah, and to top it all off I got an eye infection on Thursday so by Friday morning my eye was pretty much swollen shut. As a result I had to cancel a stamp-a-stack event for that night. Sigh again.

Anyway, my hubby and son went to a hockey game tonight so Jenna and I slipped downstairs to do a little stamping. I made 3 cards in about 45 minutes. They are all pretty simple. The Christmas tree one is cased from page 37 of the catty -just used different colours. The red one is cased from my friend Jodie; I just love the simplicity of it. And that ribbon is amazing. The third one is a Leanne original. Just playing around. I really like how it turned out. I hope to do more stamping and some scrapbooking tomorrow.

Lovin' Silver

Well, apparently the flu bug has not left our house. I was sick in bed from Sunday afternoon until this morning. I sure hope that is the end of it. I got downstairs today to do some stamping. My first order of business was to create a Christmas card for one of my customers. She asked me to create a card that she can "mass produce". I made 2 different samples using the Cool Dude set. These are the colours she requested and they are beautiful. I added the silver as I thought it went well. We'll see if she likes them. Then I wanted to play with my Felt Flurries so I made another card with the same colours using the medium size white snowflake, a rhinestone brad from the Ice collection and some silver elasticord. I love it! I based the card on one of the sketches I printed off the other day. I highly recommend looking for sketches to use; it makes things so much simpler! The picture does not do it justice. We will make this card at my club workshop next weekend.

Baby Album

I made this 5x5 chipboard album tonight. Phew! That was a lot of work- those things have a lot of pages - I have only shown a few here! But I am so happy with the results. I will be giving this to my best friend whose son, Easton, will be 1 this month. She just doesn't have time to scrapbook with 2 little ones so I wanted to make her something special to put Easton's baby pictures in. The album was made using the Special Delivery Boy simply scrappin' kit from Stampin' Up as well as paper from the prints pack. I only stamped once in the whole thing. Used a bunch of phrases on vellum from the dollar store and the rest is all SU (of course!) I will be seeing Nicole next week for lunch (it was supposed to be this past week but I had to cancel twice because of sick kids!) We don't get a chance to go out as often as we used to now that we both have 2 kids. I plan to do some more stamping and/or scrapping tomorrow! (Woohoo!)