Oh Phooey!

Well, Ol' Man Winter has done it again! There are inches of snow on my "hill of a driveway," with more than another half-foot predicted, and two of my stamp clubs were supposed to meet today! I was even ALL ready to go!! And those of you who've known me for awhile know that I'm "famous" for my last minute stints at the paper cutter, so being completely ready. . . well, that must be what jinxed our day!

So, I plated up a few of the snacks I had prepared for this morning and figure I'll sit at the computer and "chat" with you. Now, if you're in one of my stamp clubs, this is fair warning--SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! With all my stamp clubs meeting next week AND a nearly-full roster of stamp campers coming the following weekend, chances are I won't get the club projects posted if I don't do it today. So, if you don't want to see the projects until you walk through the door, stop right now. Close this window. Go check on your friends on SCS. Finish those swaps for next week. Call your mom. Heavens, if you're really desperate, go shovel a little of that snow! Just don't say I didn't warn you. . .

At each of my stamp club meetings, I teach a "technique," a different way to create a new background paper or embellishment, or maybe an unusual way to use one of the products in the Stampin' Up! catalog.

Something new in the newly-released Occasions Mini Catalog are glassine envelopes. The smallest ones measure 2" X 2" and had me thinking that perhaps they'd be good for making shaker cards. But one of my "issues" with shaker cards is that they don't always "shake" very well. Most of the time the "confetti" inside the shaker gets stuck at the bottom of the window and a lot of the effect is gone. So I thought I'd try making something that looked like a shaker but "kept the party going" all the time.

I stamped the cake from the new Sale-A-Bration set, "Happy Moments" on the front of the envelope with black Staz-On, colored with markers, and then slit open the sides of the envelope with my hobby blade, added some Snail Adhesive to the areas where I wanted confetti and sprinkled 1/8" punches over the adhesive. I also stamped another cake image on Pretty in Pink cardstock, cut it out and adhered it to the inside of the envelope too, so the cake would remain the focal point. Then all that was left was to close up the envelope and add it to the front of the card. The Snail that I applied for the confetti worked to hold the envelope closed and the glassine material is such that the Snail isn't visible the way it is when used on vellum. Not exactly the same effect as a shaker card, but I was pleased with my take on a "faux shaker."

The second project for stamp clubs this month uses three products from the new Occasions Mini--the Very Vintage Jumbo wheel, the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die for the Big Shot, and the cute scalloped-edge "Hugs" die cut note.

I love using wheels to make background paper--it's what I originally started stamping for--so that I could make whatever background paper I needed for scrapbooking rather than having to wait until the scrapbook store opened in the morning. So, a couple of quick swipes with the wheel and a quick stamp (with a sentiment from "On Your Birthday") on the "Hugs" note and the stamping's done. Add equally-quick, super-easy embellishments with a couple of butterflies from the Embosslit (there are 4 different sizes/textures on the one die!) and a knotted piece of the Polka-Dot Grosgrain and it's done. Oh, wait. I also used my piercing tool to add a butterfly "trail." Now it's done.

But the snow is not, so off I go to do the first of what will probably be several clearings of the driveway. "Our" puppy is coming to stay with us for several days and her "other mom" needs to be able to get up our silly hill.

Stay safe and warm!