Grand Birthday Cupcake Challenge

I actually found a cupcake in my collection to use on one of Taylor's Cupcake Challenges! I also needed to make a birthday card for a party I'm attending today, so I used the sketch challenge to make what I needed. However, in order to use the stamp I wanted, I needed to turn the sketch around. Here's the actual sketch.



This is the card I made using The Angel Company's Miss Moxie paper collection, the Happy Celebration stamp set and the retired Grand Birthday set. I also used my Copic markers for the first time to color the images. I highlighted part of each image with Prisma Glitter by using an ultra fine tip on my Designer Dries Clear Glue. I've used the ultra fine tip when I've been making t-shirts with glitter before, but this was the first time I used it on a card. I usually opt for Stickles, but this design needed something more delicate. The ultra fine tip and glue was just the ticket.

Honored With Retirement - The Angel Company's Spring/Summer 2008 Retired List

It's that time of year again. The Angel Company is getting ready to issue their new catalogue - June 20th (my birthday). I'm so excited that I get to spend my birthday at seminar surrounded by friends, some of whom I get to see only rarely! And on top of that, I get the excitement of the catalogue release on my actual birthday. In my opinion, there are few better ways to spend the day.

In anticipation of the new catalogue, TAC has issued the retirement list. I've typed out the names below, and linked them to the actual set on my website. If any of the stamps on this list are ones that you've been holding off on, now would be the time to act. The final day to order through me and get GWP or Hostess credits will be Monday, June 16th. After that, I will be gone at seminar. If you would like to place an order through my website at http://meri.ismyangel.net, you can do so until Friday, June 20th, when the new catalogue will be released.

RETIRED LIST

Pg. 26 A God Thing, Item #T-2746
Pg. 36 Abundance Is, Item #T-2660
Pg. 75 Animal Blocks, Item #T-2680
Pg. 92 Autumn Smiles, Item #T-2604
Pg. 80 Be, Item #T-2265
Pg. 86 Be Authentic, Item #T-2181
Pg. 55 Beach Fun, Item #T-2656
Pg. 31 Beautiful Place, Item #T-2605
Pg. 67 Birthday Buggies, Item #T-2358
Pg. 21 Blossom Builders, Item #T-2321
Pg. 99 Buggie Christmas, Item #T-2515
Pg. 69 Calendar, Item #T-2202
Pg. 87 Chicken Scratch, Item #T-306
Pg. 37 Distressed Designs, Item #T-2573
Pg. 81 Diva Dresses, Item #T-2124
Pg. 56 Don't Bug Me, Item #T-2619
Pg. 19 F is for Family, Item #T-2755
Pg. 95 Faith Hope Love, Item #T-441
Pg. 27 Fanciful Flowers, Item #T-2283
Pg. 91 Fangtastic, Item #T-2562
Pg. 34 Forget Not, Item #T-2650
Pg. 90 Friendly Goblins, Item #T-2623
Pg. 76 Friendly Note, Item #T-2611
Pg. 92 Giggly Goblins, Item #T-2791
Pg. 54 Hang Loose, Item #T-2328
Pg. 69 Happy Celebration, Item #T-2728
Pg. 101 Happy Holiday Squares, Item #T-2713
Pg. 87 He Said She Said, Item #T-2769
Pg. 38 Heart-itude, Item #T-2406
Pg. 37 Hip Hardware, Item #T-2325
Pg. 40 His Angels, Item #T-2370
Pg. 92 Jolly Jack-O-Lanterns, Item #T-2794
Pg. 102 License to Chill, Item #T-2704
Pg. 56 Lilly Pad Pond, Item #T-2560
Pg. 41 Little Inspirations, Item #T-2375
Pg. 40 Live Inspired, Item #T-2615
Pg. 100 May Your Merry, Item #T-2372
Pg. 69 Mini Sampler, Item #T-2548
Pg. 53 More Season Skinnies, Item #T-2334
Pg. 81 My Favorites, Item #T-2578
Pg. 41 My Spiritual Journey, Item #T-2874
Pg. 88 My Story, Item #T-2821
Pg. 45 Needed Numbers, Item #T-2649
Pg. 43 Nurture Your Soul, Item #T-2661
Pg. 43 Old Friend, Item #T-2643
Pg. 17 Old World Ornamentals, Item #T-2649
Pg. 51 Pals, Item #T-2357
Pg. 68 Party Notes, Item #T-2858
Pg. 69 Party Time, Item #T-2690
Pg. 75 Playful Paisley, Item #T-2683
Pg. 76 Pretty Posies, Item #R-2027
Pg. 85 Ragdolls, Item #T-2540
Pg. 18 Remembrance, Item #T-2774
Pg. 100 Retro Christmas, Item #T-2797
Pg. 90 Retro Halloween, Item #T-2788
Pg. 100 Retro Reindeer, Item #T-2787
Pg. 90 Retro Treaters, Item #T-2789
Pg. 81 Rub a Dub Dub, Item #T-1232
Pg. 44 Running Stitches, Item #T-2610
Pg. 51 Sassy Cats, Item #T-2353
Pg. 75 Sentimental Boxes, Item #T-2712
Pg. 61 So Girly Swirly, Item #T-2152
Pg. 45 So Silly, Item #T-2288
Pg. 32 Stipple Bet, Item #T-2639
Pg. 87 Sweet Sayings, Item #T-2221
Pg. 88 Swirly Seasons, Item #T-2695
Pg. 50 The Buzzz, Item #T-2327
Pg. 92 The First Thanksgiving, Item #T-2800
Pg. 95 The Only Thing, Item #T-2618
Pg. 33 Tip-Toe, Item #T-2566
Pg. 92 Too Spooky, Item #T-2602
Pg 27 Truly Blessed, Item #T-2301
Pg. 14 Wedding Wishes, Item #T-2360
Pg. 69 Wishing You, Item #T-1205
Pg. 33 Write It, Item #T-2569
Pg. 38 You are Mine, Item #T-2823
Pg. 17 You're a Hoot, Item #T-2809
Pg. 69 You're Invited, Item #T-1203

Cupcake Challenge

I've had another chance to participate in Taylor's Cupcake Challenge this weekend. The sketch was kind of fun, and I had an idea of what I was going to do right away, but the project ran away with me, and while the idea is the same, the look of it is completely different from how I pictured it. I'm not usually a "dirty" stamper. I don't particularly like distressing paper or inking edges, but that's exactly the direction this challenge took itself.

It started because my friend Pat taught me that if you run a piece of double sided cardstock through the Cuttlebug with an embossing plate, you can sand the raised area and the color from the back will (eventually) show through. Now Pat showed me this technique on the Swiss Dots pattern, which is much smaller and apparently embossed more deeply than the Allegro pattern that I used, because when Pat sanded the paper, the color showed through in a matter of seconds. When I did it, it took much longer to see the pattern. But after sanding until my arm muscles fatigued, I wasn't about to let the two pieces I made go to waste (even though they weren't my style). So I used the embossed and sanded papers as my background and used remaining scraps to make my circles. I anchored the circles with some music note eyelets that I just had to have, but then never used. (I know some of you are with me on that.) Then I used my Rockabella stamp that I colored with watercolor pencils and accented with Christmas Red Stickles. I put her on a panel of the double sided paper again and used my Scor-Pal to emboss a line an 1/8 of an inch from each edge, and sanded those raised lines until the red came through again. (I've found that the best way to do this is to place my piece of paper on the divider of the sink and sand there where I can use the pull-out hose to wash away all the dust when I'm finished, rather than getting it all over my table). When I put Rockabella on, she looked much to crisp and clean, so I inked the edges of that panel with L'Amore Red Palette ink and distressed them. And now I have a card with a completely distressed look that I think fits it, but was quite a stretch for me. I hope you like it.

Same Card, Two Looks

One of my stamp sisters is getting married today, so I made her a card. I've made the card before in black and white for one of the company's contests and really loved the elegant look of it. But her colors are hot pink and orange, so I decided I'd make the card using her colors in celebration. The pink and orange give the card such a different fun look, so I thought I'd post both to really emphasize how different a card can look when you change the color scheme.





Both cards are made using patterned paper from The Angel Company's Designer Collection paper packs. The black and white came from the retired Metropolis collection, and the pink and orange came from the current Brighten My Day collection. The stamp sets are Blissfully Ever After and one of my old favorites, Express Yourself. The rings are colored with a gold paint pen, and the diamond is accented with Crystal Stickles.

Next time you're in a slump, try making an old card with a new color palette. Give "something old" a new twist.

Cheers To You - 21st Birthday Card Feedback

I feel so fulfilled! Yesterday, we gave my co-worker the 21st birthday card I made for last Saturday's post, filled with cash from everyone in the department for her to use on her upcoming trip to Vegas, and her response was priceless to me. She didn't say, you guys are the best, or thanks so much (well, she did...and she had thank you cards to all of us before the end of the day) but the thing she said after that, that really touched my heart, was "I can't wait to show this card that you made to everyone I know!" It was so gratifying to be told that the card meant as much to her as the money we gave.

Doodle Tag Thank you

Recently my husband decided to overhaul his musical equipment. Let me tell you, it's been like a child's Christmas every day for the past few weeks. I've been waking up to, "It's so exciting! [Some component or another] might be arriving today!" Our stay-at-home neighbors have graciously been accepting the deliveries for him while we've been at work. To thank them for being available to take in numerous packages over the span of several days, my husband bought them flowers and I made this little thank you tag to go with them.

The tags are Lasting Impressions Doodle Tags that have been hiding in my craft closet for a while. The stamps are The Angel Company's Fanciful Flowers (one of my staples) and Write It. I inked the flower using Pearlescent Yellow Brilliance ink, and then tapped Pearlescent Orange Brilliance ink around the edges. This is a technique that works best with the Dew Drop ink pads. You can really be precise about where you want the edging color to go. I don't have the Dew Drop pads because I generally prefer full pads, but if I start using this technique more often, I might have to invest in the Dew Drop pads as well. The leaves are Pearlescent Thyme Brilliance ink using the leaves from the Write It set. The "Thank You" is one of the Gift With Purchase stamps you can get free if you place a $30 order with a demonstrator from The Angel Company and will retire at the end of June.

This tag took a minimal amount of time to complete, but has great impact. Especially if you see the pearlescent ink in direct sunlight. It really sparkles!

Another Birthday Card From Scraps

This is a card I made in just a few minutes using scraps from my scrap box. Have I told you how much I love it when I can use scraps?! This one uses scraps from The Angel Company's Kaleidoscope Boyz collection. I just stacked different sized squares, with the corners rounded, on top of each other. The candles are made from The Angel Company's Write It stamp set. No candles in that set; they're made using the flower stem, and the flames are each of the leaves stamped over each other in Pearlescent Orange and Pearlescent Yellow Brilliance ink. The Happy Birthday is the same sentiment from the retired Wishing You set that I used on the 21st Birthday card in my previous post.

Cheers to you! - 21st Birthday Card

This is a card I just finished making for a co-worker's 21st birthday next week. It had to be big enough that everyone in the department could sign it, so it's 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.

I colored Cosmo Bella from Stamping Bella with watercolor pencils. The black martini paper is from Creative Imaginations, and the Olive Martini Time vellum is by The Paper Company. I don't know who makes the green Cheers paper, but I got all of the paper from Archiver's last night. I cut the 21 from the Graffiti Sizzix dies and the Happy Birthday is stamped from The Angel Company's retired Wishing You stamp set. My favorite thing though are the green eyelets with the red brads through the center on the Cosmo Bella panel. I think they mimic the olives in the paper perfectly!

funkyfairyinspirations: BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY time

funkyfairyinspirations: BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY time

Funky Fairy Blog Candy

I was reading blogs today and ran accros this one for Funky Fairy Inspirations. They will randomly choose three people that answer their question "If you were a Fairy, what would you call yourself & what type of Fairy would you be?" and send them some miscellaneous Funky Fairy products. I thought it was a fun question. Wanna see my crazy answer? Click here and read the comments.

Funky Fairy Blog Candy

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! Here is the card I made for my mother using K & Company paper, decorative scissors, a scallped punch and a circle cutter. The sentiment is from The Angel Company's Trendy Greetings stamp set.

Another Graduation Card for Cupcake Challenge

It's been a crafty couple of weeks. This makes three in a row where I've been able to participate in Taylor's Cupcake Challenge. My submission is another graduation card. Not only because graduation cards can be useful this time of year, but also because the circles from this card are the ones I originally stamped and cut for last week's challenge, only to find that they were far to large to fit three across on the 4 1/4 side of a card. So it worked out well for me that Taylor's challenge this week also included three images and I was able to utilize these images so quickly.



This card uses the same Keep Smilin' stamp set as last week's graduation card paired with The Angel Company's Trendy Greetings set. I also used the Traffic Jam Cuttlebug embossing plate and some Platinum Stickles to add a little extra detail.

Let the champagne flow and the band play loudly - It's time to celebrate!

Many of you that have been following my blog and reading my Angel Company newsletters know that when I started with The Angel Company (TAC) in 2005 I had two really BIG goals. The first was to be published in a TAC catalogue, which happened for me with my Halloween samples in the current Spring/ Summer 2008 edition. The second was to have enough in sales and people signed up under me with TAC so that I could make the level of Manager. This week, I finally made that goal as well. I am now the Manager of the Sassy Stampin' Syndicate!

Making Manager was something I could not have done without the support of others. I am thankful to everyone who has hosted a party, placed an order with me, participated in one of my in-home classes and/or signed up to be an Angel. I am thankful for people that have enjoyed what I have shared with them enough to tell their friends about my projects and the products I sell. I am thankful for the encouragement I have received from other Angels. And I am thankful for the people who have posted blogs that inspired me, and those who have read my blog and left comments that motivated me.

I think goals are very important. They give you something to work towards, and even more fun, something to celebrate when you've achieved them. Fortunately for me, I have the distinction of reaching both of my goals this year with my fellow Angel and goal buddy, Leah. We have worked together both competitively and encouragingly on what were for us the same shared goals. Leah and I were published in the current catalogue together, and Leah also made Manager this week. Our combined success also helped our friend and upline, Pat, reach her eve loftier goal of Director, making the title of my post very appropriate. It is time to celebrate; and who better to celebrate with than friends.

In celebration of these pinnacles that have taken me three years to achieve, I am going to offer my first ever blog candy. Please leave me a comment about one of your goals, either that you are working on or have achieved. I will choose one person randomly from all the comments posted by Midnight Central Time on Friday, May 9th and will send them an assortment of Lengthy Notecards and Envelopes from Lasting Impressions, a pack of Heidi Swapp White Florals and some chocolate.



I look forward to hearing about the goals you are working towards or have achieved. And remember, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. It's never too late to take your first step towards a goal. You may be amazed at how far you can go!