Quick Valentine's card

Do you ever visit blogs just hoping that some of the creativity will ooze over the web to your chair? Lisa Johnson's projects always amaze me. When I saw this card (scroll to the bottom of her post), I knew I needed to pull out my Love Doodles and Sweet Goodies sets. I'm just loving the kraft cardstock and the simple color scheme. And WooHoo....already got one Valentine ready to mail.

OCC Sketch Challenge Card

One of my goals for 2009 is to participate in at least one online blog challenge every week. I loved this week's sketch at Our Creative Corner and decided to use it to make my daughter's birthday card. I used the Pirates and Treasure Seeker sets coloring the images with Prismacolor pencils and OMS. The paper is from the A Little Whimsy pack. Then I applied Stickles over the "treasure" and added some craft jewels for extra sparkle. When she opened her card she said, "How did you know I liked pirates?" LOL She turned 7 yesterday and you can peek here for pics from our little family celebration.

Don't forget! The great Spec-TAC-ular Sale started yesterday! 50% off almost ALL the stamp sets in our catalog...but only until January 26th! If you're shopping online, the prices have already been adjusted for the 50% off. What a great time to try out TAC's unmounted rubber stamps or add to your collection if you already know how great these stamps are! Shop online...then email me your order to make sure you take advantage of any free Gift With Purchase stamps or hostess benefits.

More Specials in January

As if the Spec-TAC-ular Savings Event wasn't enough, here are a few more promotions going on right now!





Click here for more details on Vintage Bella Flor


Click here to view the Wonderful Winter Wishes Stamp Sets



and another Great Giveaway!

Click here to Enter to WIN this Lilly Anna™ Package!


What you could win!!!
• Lilly Anna™ Soar With It Collection™ retail value: $6.95
• Lilly Anna™ Hardware retail value: $4.50
• Lilly Anna™ Cardstock retail value: $6.50
• Lilly Anna™ Ribbon retail value: $4.95
• Bold Flourishes Stamp Set retail value: $15.95
• More Abundance Stamp Set retail value: $19.95

Total retail value: $58.80

Storing Odorless Mineral Spirits

My friend Julie asked about using odorless mineral spirits and prismacolor pencils for coloring stamped images. There are lots of tutorials out there that show how to color and blend and shade, but I told her I'd show how I store my OMS. It's not the prettiest set-up but it works for me. LOL

I cleaned out an old jar of nail polish remover. Any jar will work as long as it has a spill-proof lid. I put a couple of round sponges in the jar and then just pour enough OMS in the jar to barely cover the bottom and keep the sponges saturated. The sponges will soak up the OMS. Then when I'm ready to use it, I dip my blending stump into the sponge. A bottle of OMS will go a LONG way. I've had mine over a year and still have a lot left.

I keep my pencils, blending stumps, sandpaper (for sanding the stumps in between colors) in a mini tote from AMM. There's even a pocket on one side that keeps my pencil sharpener handy.

So when I need to color, I just grab the little jar and the tote and I'm ready to go! I have been in a frenzy all weekend with organizing my craft room/office. I am exhausted but I hope to post some pics on my personal blog later today!

Quick and Easy Thank You Cards

After all the Christmas cheer, I was especially in need of extra holiday Thank You cards. When I saw this design by Joan B., I knew I could knock out several in just a few minutes! Paper from Merry Wishes (retired), a Spring/Summer '08 GWP stamp, a scalloped square punch, and VOILA!!!

New Catalogue Plan

The Angel Company has announced their plans to return to an annual Inspiration Book & Catalogue. This new catalogue plan will involve a “Base Book” which will be our “core” catalogue. This catalogue will be released on an annual basis at each year’s summer Seminar and will offer a variety of merchandise including our top-selling stamp sets. To supplement that annual catalogue, two “magalogues” (cross between a magazine and a catalogue) will be released throughout the catalogue year…one during the fall and one during the spring. These magalogues will have a seasonal focus and will also introduce new products, including new hostess sets.

A new 48-page magalogue will be introduced at Leadership Conference at the end of January and will go “live” February 1, 2009. This magalogue will introduce a variety of new products. It will have stamp sets corresponding to the Spring/Summer seasons and will take the place of our Spring Supplement. The items in the current catalogue will remain in circulation until the new catalogue takes its place in June.

One of the most frequent requests heard was that our stamp images be reflected at 100%. Returning to an annual ‘base’ catalogue will allow TAC to do that. Stamp images will also be 100% in our magalogues.

I'll be submitting my order for the Spring Magalogues soon. Just let me know if you'd like to receive one!

Ornamental Snowflakes Thanks

I need a few thank-you cards to send for Christmas presents and such. Coincidentally, this happens to be the challenge over at Mothers & Daughters Creations! I started with CPS sketch #97. The paper is Merry Wishes (retired). I stamped the circles with Ornamental Snowflakes. The sentiment is one of the free Gift With Purchase stamps available with any $30 order. (Actually this GWP is from an old catalog, but there is one very similar in the current catalog).

Absolutely Spec-TAC-ular !!!

WOW! That is all I can say....WOW!!!


www.theangelcompany.net


What an unbelievable opportunity to get those stamps that have been on your wish lish! From Jan. 6 - 26 you can chose ANY (or ALL) T-coded stamp at 1/2 price!! Shop here and start making your wish list! If you'd rather have a catalog in your hand, let me know as soon as possible and I'll get one in the mail to you!

TAC Giveaway

You've got a few more days to enter this great giveaway from The Angel Company!! But hurry! December 31 will be here before you know it!

Back in the Swing with TECC48

I'm definitely past ready to get back in the swing with my stamping and scrapbooking. It seems life got so crazy in 2008, I let it fall by the wayside. I'm not saying that life is any less crazy now...only that I don't want to let it interfere with what I enjoy any longer! LOL

There's nothing like a great sketch to jumpstart my creativity. So I loosely followed Taylor's Sketch 48 for this fun birthday card. The stamps are Sweet Skunks and Ordinary Greetings, and the paper is from the Kaleidoscope Boyz collection.

Craving the Fall Colors & Quad Challenge Card

Yep! You read that right! This card was made with FOUR challenges in mind. Sometimes I wonder if I ever have an original idea. LOL But when there are so many projects floating around in your head, letting other people tell you what to do takes the away the agony of the decision-making process.

I found out last week that a neighbor at our old house just had knee replacement surgery, so I'll be getting this in the mail to her tomorrow.

First, Beate is back! After taking the summer off for some well-deserved family time, she started posting weekly sketches again. I always love participating in her sketch challenges and Sketch #54 was so fun to work with.

The Dutch Dare Challenge blog asked for Get Well cards this week.

Our Creative Corner's weekly challenge was a color challenge: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip.

And the new card challenge at Scrap Attack Scrapbooking was to make a card with fall colors without a fall sentiment.

The stamps are Butterfly Bits and Ordinary Greetings. I used a smidgen of patterned paper by Scenic Route, my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, and dimensionals for the top layer of the butterly. Did I nail it? I love it when I can mark four things off my list!!

A Challenge Junkie Card

I don't always have time to participate in blog/forum challenges, but I love it when I can. To make good use of my time, I find it thrilling when I can combine two (or even three!).

This card started with sketch from A Spoon Full of Sugar's Challenge #13. I had already decided to use these stamps from the Tickled Pink set when the Cute Card Thursday blog issued a challenge to use bright colours! I used Tombow markers to color in this flashy flamingo and paired her with some of the Kaleidoscope Girlz papers. Cardstock and mini brads were from my stash.

I'm sending this to another stamper. I hope she has her sunglasses on when she gets the mail. LOL

Palette Inks

Although you can purchase several different inks from The Angel Company, I've primarily converted to the Palette hybrid inks. If you've been considering Palette, this review from Craft Critique might answer some questions.

If you have any other questions, let me know. If I don't know the answer, I'll try to find someone who does.

August Stamp of the Month

Just a few more days to take advantage of the special if you're thinking about signing up as an Angel.

Ahhhh!!! Taylor's Sketch #27

Yes...it feels nice to take a break from the scrapbooking and make a card. I love doing both, but I really enjoy the instant gratification from card-making since it takes me so much less time to "fill up the canvas."

I wanted to try out Taylor's Sketch 27 so I finally cut up The Morning Buzz set. This coffee-themed set is one of the Level B hostess sets in the new catalog. It can be yours with a workshop or catalog party of $250 or more.

The sentiment is embossed with some copper embossing powder (copper looked a whole lot better than the brown in my stash). Little coffee beans are stamped to border the patterned paper by Flair Designs. I picked this up when my LSS was closing a few weeks ago and now I'm wishing I had bought more of it. I added some pretty sheer dotted organza ribbon. Thanks Taylor for another great sketch!