Leah and I Published Together

My friend Leah and I have had two goals pretty much since I joned The Angel Company. We were going to make it to the level of Manager and we were going to try to get something we created into the company's catalogue. This year, one of those goals was achieved. Both Leah and I were asked to create samples for TAC's Spring/Summer 2008 Inspiration Book/Catalogue. We were both excited about being asked, and about achieving the goal, but even more than that, we were over the top about having been asked at the same time so that we could share each other's excitement. Leah's pages are shown above. Mine will be in a separate entry.

O.K., O.K. I elfed myself (and my family)

Everyone's been sending me links to the pictures they made of themselves as elves, and I finally caved. It was fun, but I think we all look better as ourselves than elves (I think we dance better too, even without practice), but you can always use a little elfing during the holidays. So celebrate the season and check us out.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1374529012

If you enjoyed us as elves, thank my sister-stamper Leah for getting me off my behind and making an elf of myself.

Awesome gift from my stamp sister

This past weekend was the team meeting for the stamp group I'm part of with The Angel Company, "S.A.S.S.Y." We had a Christmas party, with a potluck dinner where everybody brought a different part of the meal, lots of socializing and a "prop swap". In the Angel Company rubberstamping world (and maybe elsewhere, I don't know), a prop swap is a grab bag where everyone that wants to participate makes one papercraft or rubber stamped item that is not a card or scrapbook page, but is actually a home decor item, small personal scrapbook, pin, or other 3-d gift. We wrapped them up, put them in a pile and then chose a package from the pile to get our gift.

I received the picture frame shown above from my stamp sister, Teri. It's a gorgeous frame made with the now retired Vintage Holiday paper, and I'm looking for a picture right now to put in it so I can have it on display in my house for Christmas. Thanks Teri. I love my gift!

I thought it might inspire you to make one of your own to give to someone this season.

Who knew what scraps could do?

Here's another Christmas card that I made using some square cards and envelopes that have been sitting in my closet for years and scraps of Amelia paper left over from other projects. According to The Arthouse, a little frame and gift shop that is selling my cards for me this year, these are the cards that are the most popular.

Two More Christmas Cards

Last weekend my computer wasn't working, and I wasn't able to publish any Christmas cards on my blog. So this weekend I'm putting up two for your viewing pleasure.

The card with the trees is made with green/beige double sided paper, with the green torn at the bottom to show the beige inside. The stamps are Mountain Scenery and just the Merry Christmas portion of Faith, Hope, Love. The ink is Giverney Green palette. I also covered the tree panel with a light coat of glitter.

The Joy card is one of my favorites. I sent it in as a contest entry for TAC. Part of the reason I like it, is that it's really simple to make. I used black card stock and the mottled red pattern from the Amelia Soar With It paper collection. Inside is a piece of white cardstock with each corner cut with a decorative corner punch, so I can write on the inside. The rest is just our Ornamental Joy stamped on the focal point black piece, and then stamped around the edges of the Amelia paper. You can use perfect pearls and perfect medium to get the gold, or you can use Encor Ultimate Metallic Gold ink.

Give these cards a try. They're really not as difficult as they might look.

Christmas Cards (already)

Well, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But you know what happens once Thanksgiving rolls around don't you? Things get BUSY! And have a tendency to stay that way until the beginning of the New Year. That's why last week I offered my most popular Christmas Card Stamp a Stack for my Angel Company customers. We made 12 cards, four each of three designs. And I've got more ideas for other Christmas cards too. So if you're looking for ideas, I'll try to post at least one card here a week from now until Christmas to help get your creativity flowing.

Here's the first of the Christmas cards.

To make this card, I used the green mottled pattern from TAC's Amelia collection, some white, red and green cardstock, The Angel Company's "Christmas Joy" stamp set, Landscape Green Palette ink, Noir Black Palette ink, Christmas Red Stickles, colored pencils and red ribbon.

Check back here for more Chrtistmas card ideas in the coming weeks, and have fun making your own.

The Angel Company's Fond Farewells

Click on image to enlarge.

Well, it's that time of year again, only the time has changed. Now that The Angel Company is issuing two catalogues a year, we also get two retirement lists. Stamp sets on this list will be honored with retirement on December 31, 2007.

Some of the stamps on this list were favorites of mine that I turned to again and again to help me with my creative process. I will truly miss Retail Therapy, my standby for creating invitations inviting the girls for a day of shopping and camaraderie or for making the Black Friday coffee holders my sister and I use the day after Thanksgiving. And I don't know what I'm going to do without Luscious Leaves, my staple for festive fall cards and scrapbook pages. For me, these stamp sets leave my main stash in favor of new and exciting images from our upcoming catalogue, but that doesn't mean their usefulness ends for you. If any of the stamps on this list are ones you've been eyeing, but haven't gotten around to purchasing for your collection, they'll be available for just a little while more. So order yours today, and then get ready for the new idea book and catalogue to be issued January 1st.