It's BLOG CANDY time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We finally did it!!! We went over 6000 hits on the counter! (I'm convinced about a third of those are from ME, but we'll go with it!)

SO, it's time to give away some AWESOME blog candy. :) There's a Simply Scrappin' Kit called "Friends & Flowers" that was a hostess-ONLY item from last year, a current wheel called "Watercolor Joy", black hemp twine, a Sale-A-Bration set from last year called "So Very..." which is great for stamping OR scrapbooking, and a paper bag album for your use and/or inspiration! You're looking at a prize worth over $40!!!

How can you be the lucky, blessed winner of this wonderful blog candy??? Well, here's the deal. You can ONLY enter by leaving me a comment this week ON MY BLOG. No where else - not in my email, not telling me face-to-face, not hate mail, NOTHIN'. :D JUST by leaving a comment! A random winner will be drawn on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19! So start commenting - and be nice. :D Don't forget to leave me a way to get in touch with you if you win!!!!!!

OK, I'm off to work some more. Don't forget to leave a comment - and then go take the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a wonderful day!

REALLY, think about this Paper Pack Promotion!

We're having SO much fun with designer paper around here these days!!! :) You REALLY should think about going for the special while it's still available....

These trees are another project from our DECK THE HALLS stamp camp. They're just styrofoam cones cut in half, decorated, and with hangers on the back. Easy!!! :)

Here's the wording on the special, straight from Stampin' Up!®:

Stock up for all your upcoming projects with Stampin' Up!'s exclusive double-sided Designer Series paper. We've got so many pretty patterned papers to choose from; you're sure to find the perfect patterns to help you show off your unique crafting style. Best of all, you'll get a FREE pack of double-sided Designer Series paper ($9.95 value) for every three packs you buy-no limits, no restrictions! Visit pages 170-173 of the Fall--Winter Collection 2007 to view our beautiful double-sided Designer Series paper. And be sure to download the patterns and instructions for all of the festive projects featured on our home page.

So, there you have it! This morning is GIVE A HOLLY JOLLY stamp camp, and it's going to WOW everyone coming. Keep watching; I'll be offering a couple of kits from this one. :)

OK, time to go - it's time for people to start arriving! :) Have a WONDERFUL weekend, enjoy your loved ones, and TAKE TIME TO STAMP SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I can finally share! :)

My Tennessee Stampers Secret Sister knows who she is now, so I can share the cards I made for her with you. :D

Faith LOVES purple, so every card I made for her has purple involved somehow - including this Halloween card! The circle punches have Bitty Boos II stamps on them; the cat is from Party Punch, a level 1 hostess set in the Fall Idea Book & Catalog. (Remember, dear readers, those hostess sets are ONLY AVAILABLE until December 31, and ONLY OBTAINABLE by hostessing a workshop OR purchasing enough to qualify for whichever level you desire!!) Isn't it FUN????

Card stock and ink colors are Only Orange, Lovely Lilach, Whisper White, and Basic Black. Easy, breezy! :) Use it as a template - and email me a scan/photo of what YOU come up with!!

Time to get back to prep work - I'm almost done with stuff for Saturday, then I have two workshops and a 6x6 to design for! :D But the month's almost half-gone already! WHERE did it go?!?!??!

Have a WONDERFUL day, dear friend!! And go STAMP something, would you??? :)

BLATANT ad, but I'm SO excited!!!!!

I've had a few people ask to see the photos that are in the calendar; here are thumbnails of them. They're all TN landscapes, and the calendar is printed on matte heavyweight paper, so you can write on the calendar part easily. They're being printed as I type - I take possession in less than a week, and I cannot wait!

We are SO excited!!!

This is a private printing; each one will be assembled by hand at the printer's, just for you. It is a 12-month calendar, with each month having a different landscape from rural Tennessee. Each month's picture is printed with a verse from Psalms on it. The calendar is coil-bound, and the covers are laminated - it will be a GREAT calendar that will give you or your gift recipients beautiful scenery all through the year.

It's a real deal at only $17.50 plus $4.60 PRIORITY MAIL shipping. If it's for a gift, we will ship directly to them, so you don't pay postage twice! We're going to begin shipping as early as November17! We've kept the cost as low as we can! Enjoy, everyone! Please feel free to forward this offer to whomever you wish. Any questions? Just email or call us! :)

You can click paypal us at pooh0612@aol.com, or contact us at HeavnlyPhotos@aol.com for mailing information for checks or money orders.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and encouragement. Be blessed!!!

Helllllloooooooo, out there?!?!??!

OK, I'm starting to feel like I'm talking to myself again. :D

This is one of the projects from yesterday's DECK THE HALLS stamp camp; they're lovely star ornaments made from decorative paper. This will be this week's TEN WEEKS OF CHRISTMAS item; if you aren't on my regular email list, just email me at poohisstampin@aol.com to get put on it! :) You'll get periodical emails from me about classes, Stampin' Up!® specials, and instructions for various projects. Like this one. :)

We had a wonderful time! I love all this decorative paper - it's so easy to work with, and the colors are wonderful. I'd love to hear what you think about them!

OK, I'm off to design some more things! Don't forget, my dear reader, to TAKE TIME TO STAMP SOMETHING - then bless someone with it! :) Have a wonderful day!

Are you in the Houston, TX, area????

Greg McDougal is going to be in the area on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, to do a concert. He's got another concert in LA the next week: WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE HIM DO A CONCERT FOR YOU????? Please go to his website and email him, so he can get you on his schedule!!!! Let me tell you, his concerts are worth attending, and you will be SO blessed by their experience with God!

OK, on to stamping. :) This is a card from the Christmas Card 10/10/10 last week. It's a smaller card, because of the size of the stamp, but I really like it. We used Night of Navy card stock and ink, and Whisper White card stock; the white you see is matted on the inside on top of a little sliver of Summer Sun, the same color as the marker we used to color the star. The stamp is from the set HOLY TRIPTYCH, and the sentiment inside is from STAR-STUDDED SEASON - both of those are only available until the end of this month!!!! We used the Aquapainters to pull the ink color in from the stamped image. It's one of my favorite techniques with them - because you can still get the coordinating color, but it's not as dark as if you use ink directly.

Don't forget, too, that the DECORATIVE PAPER SALE is only good for this month, too!!!!! I'll be showing you some projects using it this week, because it's SUCH a great sale!!! Buy three at regular price - $9.95 each - and get one FREE!!!! Use it for your Christmas cards, decorations, gifts - SO much!!!!!! Email me at poohisstampin@aol.com for more details! :)

OK, everyone. I'm going to get going; I have a class to teach this morning, and one tonight. Actually, they're STAMP CAMPS! :) All about DECORATING for Christmas! So tomorrow will be a picture of one of the projects. :) I can't wait to share with you!

Please forward my blog link to people! So many of you are now subscribing to my updates that the counter's not moving - and we all want to have a BLOG CANDY CONTEST, don't we???? :D
Have a WONDERFUL day, everyone!!!!!! Don't forget to TAKE THE TIME TO STAMP SOMETHING!!!!!!!!

Challenge still going on! :D

Read on later for a reminder of what the challenge actually WAS.... :D

I'm sorry I've been So absent lately - life has completely taken over here. If teaching classes was the ONLY thing I had to do in real life, I'd be a happy camper.... :D Oh, well. Get on with it and get over it is one of my many mottos. :D

This is one of the cards from October's Advanced Techniques Class; it's called Rainbow Double, and is a technique I learned from Pat Huntoon at Technique Junkies. She's an incredibly talented stamper, and has some great designers working with her to keep our stamping techniques exciting and updated. be sure and let her know I sent you! :)

I'm not going to tell you how to do this card - that's why we pay her for our susbscriptions, and why you pay to come to my classes. :) This card is simply stunning in real life, and I think everyone felt that way. The next Advanced Techniques is coming up on November 20, and will be the last one for this year! Sign up NOW!

OK. The challenge that I mentioned before? It's from about two or three weeks ago, and I've only received ONE entry - from Becky P. All you have to do is design a card that uses the Split Negative technique - and this is the card that inspired the challenge:

Now, then, you have until November 30 to get me either a scan or a HARD COPY of your creation. We'll put them all up on a website, and then my READERS will get a chance to vote on whose card they love the most. :) EASY challenge, kids!!!

We're not too far from 6000 hits on my blog! There will be some BLOG CANDY when that happens, because y'all just rolled on past 5000 when it turned! LOL!!!!

Now, then. Go take the time to STAMP something! :) Have a WONDERFUL day!!!

WAY behind!!!

But I'm trying to catch up - the newsletter is already late going out, too!!!!! SO, here's some fun stuff for this post. :) I'll catch up with you again tomorrow.

Your Love Is Represented By a Red Rose

You love passionately and fully, without any reservations. And while romantic love comes easily for you, you also love many people platonically. You are a true romantic, and you always can see the best in people.

What Rose Represents Your Love?

Last night was Advanced Technique Night!

We had a good turnout last night - six, which is just about all I can handle at one class where we walk through the projects together.

This is the easiest one we did, Modern Grid, which I learned from Pat Huntoon at Technique Junkies. She ABSOLUTELY rocks, is SO talented - as is all her design team - and is one of the nicest people I've "met" online.

The colors of ink are Close to Cocoa and Pumpkin Pie; card stock is Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, and Kraft - oh, and a little Very Vanilla thrown in. :)

The next class is Thursday, a 10/10/10 - all Christmas! The design work is done, and all I have left to do is the cutting. There are some beautiful, simple cards - I can't wait to show you after the class!

Well, it's time to get busy some more. :) Don't forget to take the time to STAMP something - then bless someone with it!!!!

Hostess Appreciation 2007 a SMASHING SUCCESS!

I think I can say it was a smashing success! I had thirteen hostesses actually be able to attend from the last year; some of them have hostessed multiple times, and some are continuing in the hostess club to hostess. But there is always room for new hostesses; if you'd like to come next year, please contact me to have a party - even if it's YOU placing a large enough order to earn party benefits, you get to come! :)

So. I fix a homemade meal every year; this year's menu was:

baked ham

au gratin potatoes

green beans

butternut squash - the ONLY thing that I didn't make enough of. WOW, was it popular!

Apple crisp with storebought vanilla ice cream

It was yummy, for sure - Laura said, "...the food was more than Luncheon, it was dinner and everything was so delicious...." :D I love hearing that!! LOL!

Next, we all cleared off the table - it was amazing how quickly this happened! :D - so we could get to stamping. Oh, and I didn't mention everyone won a door prize during the day, plus a grand prize, did I....

Part of my gift to my hostesses at this luncheon is table favors - there were two different ones this year - and the templates for those. Nothing we make at the hostess appreciation will I ever do in a class or workshop, so those are different and very special every year. Same for the projects; I try to do one more for the "supply" or "business" side of stamping, and this year, I gave everyone a CD with 182 jpegs of projects and 2 other templates on it. So, one of the projects was decorating the CD and making a matching envelope for it; it's on the collage up there.

The second project was a tunnel card. This is the outside; the inside is up in the collage photo. It's intricate, and a lot of work, but I think everyone enjoyed it - a few people said they were going to do some for Christmas, even! Once you get the concept understood, it's just work, not HARD. :D

So, it was a great afternoon! Here's what Kathy said: "I will definitely be a hostess next year. I would not want to miss out on this special day!!!!!" I hope you'll take advantage of this special, extra perk for my hostesses. Don't ask to learn a tunnel card from me! ROFL! It's HOSTESSES ONLY, my dear reader!!

But I DO hope that you'll take the time to STAMP SOMETHING today!!!!!!!!! I'll be back tomorrow, to talk up that challenge - and talk about some blog candy! :D

Another fast post!

OK, things are starting to settle down - I'm either ready for tomorrow, or I'm not. :D

ANYWAY. I wanted to make you dear readers aware of this opportunity!

Heavenly Perspective Photography (our photography business) is proud to announce that we are printing our first calendar this year for public purchase! This is a private printing; each one will be assembled by hand at the printer's, just for you. It will be a 12-month calendar, with each month having a different landscape from rural Tennessee. Each month's picture will be printed with a verse from Psalms on it. The calendar will be coil-bound, and the covers will be laminated - it will be a GREAT calendar that will give you or your gift recipients beautiful scenery all through the year.

It's a real deal at only $17.50 plus $4.60 PRIORITY MAIL shipping. If it's for a gift, we will ship directly to them, so you don't pay postage twice! We're looking at a possible shipping date as early as November 20!

If you're interested, you may Paypal me at pooh0612@aol.com, or email me at poohisstampin@aol.com for an address to send checks or money orders.

I am SO excited about this opportunity!!!!!! I hope you will be, too. :)

Next posting will be at least ONE photo from the Hostess Appreciation Luncheon! :) Have a WONDERFUL weekend - and don't forget to take the time to STAMP something!!!

Hit & run today....

I have SO much to do for this weekend, it's not funny! So I'm going to drop this out there, then go get busy on something else. :D

This is another design from the last 10/10/10. Colors are So Saffron, Handsome Hunter, and Mellow Moss; Watercolor Vine Jumbo Stampin' Around wheel, done in Mellow Moss; gold embossing on top, with a verse from Elegant Inspirations. Simple, but the inside of mine is stamped with a sympathy greeting; I didn't want it to be a standard gloomy sympathy card. :)

OK, everyone, I'm outta here!!!! If you're coming this weekend, expect great things! :D I can't wait!

I've only received ONE PERSON'S entry for the contest!!!!!!! Look at the last posting for the challenge, ladies & gents!!!

TAKE THE TIME TO STAMP SOMETHING - then bless someone with it! :) Have a wonderful day!!!

Easy WOW card!

This card was one of the two projects we did tonight at the Chocolate Party. We had a small turnout, but we had a GREAT time!

We stamped the largest image from LOVELY AS A TREE in Chocolate Chip Craft Ink on the Very Vanilla card stock, then stamped it in Very Vanilla Craft Ink on the Chocolate Chip card stock - and embossed with clear embossing powder. Next, we cut both pieces of card stock on the diagonal, and mounted one piece of each color on the Ruby Red mat. The next step was to emboss the "thank you" from WONDERFUL WORDS with the Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and clear EP, and inside we put "from the heart" from HUGS & WISHES. Then we put the image on the Creamy Caramel card stock. Voila! And EASY.

Quite a stunning presentation, isn't it? It's beautiful with any detailed stamp! Here's a challenge: do the same technique, and either mail it to me or scan and email it. We'll have another contest!!!!

The NEXT post will probably be another contest, too! We're almost at 5000 hits, and that means BLOG CANDY!!!!!!! :) So, go STAMP something - and share it!!!

Oh, ye of little faith!! :D

See??? All ready for tonight! I still need to do SOME things, like sweep the floor - and my desk has piles on top of piles - but at least the space is USEABLE again! :)

This will be my last photo of my stamping area this week, because I expect to have things started to be laid out for the hostess appreciation luncheon - and EVERYTHING for that is a surprise, so you won't get clued in until after Saturday. Sorry about that - but YOU can always be a hostess, too! :D It's EASY - ask me how! Freebies, free lunch, and loads of fun - what's NOT to enjoy????

OK, off to get in the shower, and prepare for the rest of my day. :D THAT was a big task that HAD to get done, and I'm so glad it is! GO STAMP SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I'm getting there....

See? It's only HALF a mess now! :D I've got the projects for tonight cut out and designed, one of the offerings for the chocolate party is in the oven, and I've been able to work on other things for the hostess appreciation luncheon today. All this in less than two hours! I'm feeling like I'm accomplishing something finally! :D

I'll post the card we're doing tonight after everyone comes to party with me. :) It's going to be a small crowd, but we'll have fun - how can you not, with chocolate involved???? :)

Back to work for me - I hope you're taking the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AUGH! I'm caught in a MESS!

Would someone PLEASE stop the world for a while?? I need to catch up! LOOK at this mess - and I'm having a chocolate party tomorrow night!!! Not to mention the Hostess Appreciation Luncheon on Saturday....

So, any guesses what I'll be doing the next few days? Oh, yeah, things like baking chocolate desserts for tomorrow night, working on wedding photos, yadda yadda.... :D Cleaning up the stamping room is DEFINITELY in the cards, too. I can't promise that my DESK will be cleared by Saturday, but I've GOT to get organized, or this luncheon will NOT be fun for any of us!

Stay tuned for updates - and stamped things. (Think this next part to the tune of "I Am Pretty"....) I am busy, o so busy! I am busy, and crazy, and stressed! :D

OK, I'm going to go stamp something now. Make SURE you take the time to stamp something, too! :D

My favorite card from last night...

HAS to be this one. :) It's simple, but I just love the colors. :) The "thank you" stamp as the background is from the WORD ON WORD hostess set. The stamp as the main image is from GREETINGS GALORE, stamped in Basic Gray on Whisper White. I've decided that Purely Pomegranate is one of my all-time favorite colors; I'm going to be sad when this IN COLOR group goes away next year! :)

We used Aquapainters dipped in the lid of the Purely Pomegranate ink pad to color in all the little hearts. Such a simple card, but the color is wonderful, don't you think?

We had a great time in both classes yesterday. I hope you're deciding which classes you want to take between now and the beginning of December!

OK. I'm off to get busy on something else. OH, I'm changing out the Inspiration Station; there's some fall out, but also a lot of CHRISTMAS!!! It's that time of year finally. :D I'm going to be changing it again in about 3 weeks, to ALL Christmas. The rest of the samples are still around, so if you need an idea, please don't hesitate to come look! :)

Have a wonderful day, dear friend!!! Don't forget: take time to STAMP something!!!! :)

Halloween Gate Card

Good morning! I succeeded in doing simple yet fun cards for today's class - the girls in this morning's class were done in just over an hour. YEA! I did it! LOL!!!

This gate-fold card can be done for Halloween, like you see here - and inside it says "Happy Halloween" with the jack-o'-lantern face behind it - or without the face, and "Happy Thanksgiving" stamped inside. Class participants have both choices. The pumpkin and faces are the CARVED & CANDLELIT set.

The colors here are Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Garden Green, and Naturals White card stocks, with Pumpkin Pie ink thrown into the mix.

To make a gate card like this one:

Chocolate Chip layer on back - 4.25"x5.5"

Creay Caramel layer that folds - 5.25"x8" - score at 2" and at 6"

The "latch" can be any size you want, to accommodate whatever size stamp you use

It's REALLY an easy card! I hope you'll try it - it looks difficult, but really isn't. :) Go ahead! Take the time to STAMP something! Impress yourself, then pass on your project to bless someone else! :)

FINALLY! :D

I can show you some projects! :D

This card is really fun! Nelda showed us how to do it at the Tennessee Stampers Annual Retreat, and I had to send Becky P. a thank-you card, so here's what I came up with. The colors of card stock are Groovy Guava and Wild Wasabi, but the ink colors are Cameo Coral and Garden Green. It folds up like this for mailing:

And IF you do it correctly, it SHOULD fit in a regular envelope. This one didn't - but it was my first one by myself. :D

Don't worry! We'll be learning this one in a class - it may be a Christmas card we'll do for an advanced techniques soon, so be on the lookout! :)

One more project: this was one of the cards we did at Donna's workshop

on Tuesday night....

Isn't it cute??? We used Only Orange card stock, and stamped in Going Gray with the ghost from Bitty Boos II. The "happy" is stamped in Basic Black from Happy Everything; the BOO is embossed in white with the Headline Alphabet set, and we used a Basic Black Stampin' Write marker to write the "to you!" at the bottom. We tore the Basic Black card stock, then sponged lightly with white craft ink around the edges to give it a little depth - then popped it with dimensionals. It's a fun Halloween card - and another little something you could do with a lot of sets!

OK, it's time to head off to bed, so I can be bright-eyed for tomorrow's 10/10/10. I'll show you a design or two tomorrow, OK? Have a WONDERFUL day, and take the time to STAMP something - then bless someone ELSE with it!!!!!

I'm sorry!

Blogspot.com is having some issues right now - actually, it's been going on for a few days now - so I can't post any photos or pictures. As soon as I can, I'll have you back to OOOHing and AAHHing at stamped stuff. :D

UNTIL THEN: take the time to STAMP something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am!