Me and My Bright Ideas!

I have been accumulating these chocolate sample boxes from Whitman (?) for a couple of years. My intention was to alter them, fill them with greeting cards and gift them. The idea was there, but the expertise was lacking. LOL I found the whole notion quite daunting! So I decided to practice on one first. I then decided to list it at my store and now I'm not sure I'll be able to do that, but in the mean time I had to show you one of my bright ideas!

The paint doesn't look like IRL. I used a copenhagen blue (that's what the bottle had on it!) as the base and then went back over it with navy blue on the edges to give it a shadow effect and then dry brushed some pearlescent baby blue for some shimmer. It came out looking kind of distressed, but I can't capture that with the camera!

The ribbon color looks kind of yellowish, but it's a lime green color and matches perfectly IRL to the handkerchief.


I didn't think to take a close up but the tag you see on the end, it is like a soft metal long dog tag and I engraved "EMAdethis 4U" on it and on the ends are tack heads I broke the backs off of cause they were too cute and one reads "cola" and the other reads "fizz." EMAdethis is the name of my store cause I'm super full of myself in case you guys hadn't caught on to that yet. ;) If I make it, I want my name ALL over it! LOL Thus the name of the blog too, EMA-gination! :)


Supplies: Miss Elizabeth's paper and rhinestones; Colorbox inks; Delta acrylic paints; label holder and soft metal tag; MM tack heads and rhinestone brads; ribbon
Bright idea? Well, when I fitted it together to take pictures, it did not feel like a tight fit but now I can't pull it apart! LOL I'll keep working at it, but I'm afraid of tearing it! Oh, the sagas of a crafter!

Two-Month Anniversary!

With the Thanksgiving holiday, I completely forgot to come on here and congratulate myself on two months as a blogger! LOL So much has happened over the last 30 days! Where do I even begin?

Well, I came home from New Mexico and found . . . well, let's just say, I took lots of pictures to document the whole thing and shared the best of them with you! ;) LOL Things are slowly getting back to normal around here. Thank goodness! I've not done anything really special since my arrival. I've been too busy cleaning and getting things back on track. Seems like a contradiction there! So much has happened, but I've not done much! LOL But that is how it REALLY is! :)

Thanksgiving was good for us and I hope yours was too. Nina was astonished that we had a Thanksgiving without her. I believe she thinks my world still revolves around her. No longer true! After two years of her complete lack of respect for me has taught me to let go and get on with my life. I'm thinking Christmas will be lots cheerier for us too! :)

Jay has been hard at work dealing with his issues. He'll be turning 22 in about 2.5 weeks. How can I be the mom to a 22 year old?!? Someone needs to redo the math! LOL I think I may have given birth at an incredibly young age! Maybe I should have been in the book of Guinness Records! LOL

We're hunkering down and getting ready for winter . . . BRRRRR . . . and Christmas. I've not bought a tree yet and am hoping that I can manage to get one before Christmas Eve! I like to make it really challenging each year and wait till the last minute and almost not be able to find the perfect one! LOL But I plan to shop for one next week. REALLY! I'll post a pic when I do.

We've not had time for frivolous things such as books, movies, TV . . . well, OK, except for Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Clean House, but aside from that, ok, and a couple of episodes of Scrapbooking, but really, other than that . . . ummmmmmm, no yeah, nothing else . . . we've just not had the time to sit and devote precious time being entertained!

I do want to tell you that my biggest accomplishment this month . . . was making a total of 300 cards in one week! Whew! There were quite a few cards left over, cause along the way, we had some oops and so there's been a teddy bear invasion at my store over at Etsy! ;) There were mats and paper left over for about six more cards and even though I told myself I did not want to see or make another green, red and white card, I DID! Here is one just for your viewing pleasure:

For the very first time, since I bought it back in September for my birthday (a gift from my OLDEST sister, Lilly . . . she told me to stop telling you guys she's the oldest and I told her, "But you are!" LOL Aren't you glad I'm not your younger sister! LOL), I used the Crop-O-Dile! All I can say is get out of the way cause I'm punching holes and setting eyelets like NEVER before. I'm still figuring it out, but look at how awesome these eyelets came out! I just LOVE it! Love it, love it, love it!

Supplies: Nicole EYELETS(!); ricrac ribbon; cardstock; unknown printed paper (gift); unknown stamp (I unmounted it and thought I would remember forever and ever who the stamp came from, 8) ok, envision me rolling my eyes here and one pops out and rolls under the desk cause I often get way enthusiastic rolling the eyes); Pebbles pearlescent chalks (love these!); glue and glitter.

Well, that's about all I have to share with you this month. I absolutely must get going! I just received an email that I won a Toyota Cirrious (that's how it's spelled in the email from the attorney!)! All I have to do is send a cashier's check to some foreign company in a third-world country to get the keys! How incredibly lucky I am! I know, I know, something like this could NOT have happened to a nicer person! LOL ;) Hope you have a good day and . . . please . . . think of me driving around in my much deserved and needed new car! LOL ;)

More Christmas Cards

I just spent two days making 125 Christmas cards for two customers. Last week, I made 175 for another customer. I feel like I couldn't look at another red, white and green piece of cardstock without crying! :) The ones I made last week all had to be red, green and white color combination. The ones I've been working on since yesterday just had to have the same layout and teddy bear. Both ladies loved this TAC stamp as did I when I first bought it! LOL It is a very pretty stamp, but after stamping the image almost 150 (because you know there were going to be some oops along the way!) , I think I can put it away until next Christmas! :) The stamp is being retired and is only available until December 28th.

Every Christmas I HAVE to make a black and white Christmas card. I don't know what it is about that color combo that makes me want to have a successful card with it! LOL I really like the way this card came out this year.

Supplies: Cardstock; ScrapPack pp; TAC stamp; organza ribbon; rhinestone; Pebbles chalks; Nicole eyelets; glitter

This next card is from the same batch, but in a different color.

Supplies: Cardstock; ScrapPack pp; TAC stamp; organza ribbon; rhinestone; Pebbles chalks; Nicole eyelets; glitter

These are left over cards that did not pass quality control. LOL I've listed these and a few others at my Etsy store. I'd like to get rid of them, but if not, they'll make great greeting cards too! :)

DT Entry

I applied for the Card Studio Design Team and did NOT make it . . . :(

On the up side, I can now show you what I made! I'd been dying to post this particular card! :)

I was supposed to use a label, chipboard and a Making Memories product. I TOTALLY misunderstood the label thing, but did not find out till AFTER I submitted my card, and then when I first read the submission guidelines, I thought it read a "Thanksgiving" card, but instead it was supposed to be a "Thanks" card! DUH! So I guess I just wasn't meant to be on the design team to begin with! LOL :) The pumpkin chipboard is a pattern piece from ScrapGoods, so don't go thinking I'm super creative! I just WANT to be! LOL :) It didn't photograph as well, but IRL, the pumpkin actually looks golden-orangey brown and then the outer edges a more brownish-orangey orange and then I inked the edges of the chipboard with brown for more depth. I dipped the twine in glue and twirled it around a pencil to give it that viney look and if I'd been more patient, I think it would have had more of a curl to it, but I am too impatient for stuff like that! LOL

Supplies: Cardstock; 7Gypsies PP; Making Memories label holder; Inkadinkadoo stamp; ScrapGoods chipboard; twine; ScrapPack PP (I cut the leaves out from one of the realistic looking papers in the package); ColorBox and Tim Holtz inks; embossing powder

This is a second card I made for the same DT entry. The poinsettia won't photograph as well as IRL, but it's embossed in gold and very shimmery from glitter.

Supplies: Cardstock; TAC papers, tag and poinsettia stamp; ScrapGoods ribbon; Colorbox inks; embossing powder

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your feast be plentiful, your family and friends loving, and your day ever so long!

And if it's not any of these things, just take a look at this, be grateful your not the one in the oven and smile!

You know you are a scrapper when . . .

. . . your scrapping hobby dictates what you buy for dinner!

See this:

I purchased it with quite a bit of hesitation. First of all, it was $3.49 for 2 ounces! Kinda pricey in my book! The spices themselves are inside a little plastic bag and it comes with the cutest little scoop! Still . . . $3.49! Secondly, Jay won't eat any meats covered in ANY kind of sauce, so I would be the only one eating meats covered in this. That alone might require cooking two dinners in one night. Finally, reading the description and directions . . . sent me into a tailspin!
First it reads:
"Great for Grilling, Broiling, Baking & Roasting."
So, I thought to myself, "OK, NOT just for BBQing!" For those of you from the south, there's NO BBQing during the winter months in New Hampshire!
"Turn the cookout around with a brand new taste! Fit for the perfect backyard barbeque, the sweetness of brown sugar balances with the bite of ancho & chipotle powder in this blend perfect for ribs, pulled pork, and sweet potatoes. Garlic, onion, allspice and cloves mingle with these two flavors to create a symphony of Southern bliss."
So, I thought to myself, "OK, I'ma Southern 'n sum of dem dere spices sound purdy good." I had to throw in my Southern drawl for that though! Exhausting!
Then the directions:
"Sprinkle a bit on all sides and massage the rub into the meat with your hands and cook as desired. For a bigger bang in your barbeque, refrigerate and let the Sweet Southern BBQ Rub penetrate the meat a few hours before cooking."
Jeez, massaging? That sounds like a lot of work and getting kind of intimate with the meat!
So, I had to have some serious thought about the whole thing. I placed it back on the grocery shelf and start to walk away, but I keep getting drawn back to it. I must have spent a good 15 minutes standing there trying to decide whether I should bring it home with me or not. I finally gave in to that little voice I like to call "Reason."
Wanna know why? Because despite everything I'd read and the hefty price tag, all I could see was this:

And the worst part? They have seven other flavors! Oh, boy.

I have to brag . . .

. . . about my friend, Heidi! She was invited to join the Spellbinder's 2008 Design Team! When I grow up, I want to follow in her footsteps! :) She has some great stuff on her page! Go check it out yourself!

Recipe Swap LO

I signed up for a recipe swap over at Scrap Haven, a private message board. I had to make 12. I'm posting three on here, but if you'd like to see more, you can go to my gallery at My Scrapbook Nook. I did not post all of them, because for starters, I made three like this one. I like the way the turkey came out! LOL

Supplies used:

Cardstock; StoryTellers printed cardstock; craft leaf; Colorbox pigment ink; Pebbles pearlescent chalks; glaze pen; ScrapGoods ribbon; OTC metal charm; Ranger black embossing powder; embossing ink

For these next two, I used The Angel Company (TAC) papers and stamp. I love, love, love the rich colors of these papers!

For this first one, I used the Amelia line design papers. I love these colors! They are so rich and bold. I also used the "Give thanks" stamp from the Give Thanks stamp set. I used pigment ink to stamp the images. I thought the color matched really well with the colors of the paper.



Supplies: TAC paper and stamp
From my stash: Cardstock; Colorbox pigment ink; PSX mini alpha set; brads

For this card, I used the Winchester line design papers. I love the deep dark colors! I also used two stamps from the Give Thanks stamp set. I filled in the acorns with pigment inks to match the paper.

Supplies: TAC paper and stamp
From my stash: Cardstock; Colorbox pigment inks; brads

Christmas Cards

Here's my first creation with my TAC stamps and paper! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the colors of this paper! I also really like the poinsettia stamp. This stamp is being retired and will only be available until December 28th. I made this for a Christmas Card Swap at a private message board, Scrap Haven, that I visit. There were several variations with the poinsettia in that I used different techniques, but I really like the way this one came out and I wanted to share it with you! I also wanted to use an unexpected color for a Christmas card. I used pigment inks to color in the poinsettia. I stamped it twice and layered it with foam dots.


Products:

The Angel Company papers and Poinsettia stamp.
My Stash: cardstock, ScrapGoods ribbon, Ranger black embossing powder, foam dots, Colorbox pigment inks and glitter glue

The Aftermath

If I've been overly cranky of late, please forgive me! :) It's just that days of cleaning on end can do that to a person! I think if I had made the mess myself, it would not have been so bad. But the mess was NOT my doing! Plus, every time I found a box that needed to be unpacked, it was horrifying! My vintage scarves were used to wrap picture frames! And I just kept finding one horrific thing after another and I have to tell you about it! But first, I've finally finished cleaning somewhat. Not everything is where I previously had it and it's not as spanky shiny clean as I would like but they are clean, we can maneuver around the apartment without tripping over boxes or trash, things are in their place and now . . . sigh . . . life can resume for me! LOL So here's a shot of the aftermath of Hurricane Ema's whirlwind cleaning extravaganza!

Look! You can see the desktop!

Before returning to my life uninterrupted! LOL I want to just give a re-cap of what I found in the apartment this week.

Aside from horrors of cleaning bathroom, I had to clean cleaning supplies first!

The bowl in refrigerator picture? Crusted over. Threw it away!

Threw microwave away. I’m not cleaning that! Wish I could do the same with the refrigerator and oven.

Two umbrellas, one solid brown and another solid black. Now I have a brown umbrella with a black handle and a black umbrella with a brown handle. Why?

Before I left for Texas, I gave specific instructions that there was to be no drinking, smoking or drugs in the apartment. I found evidence of all of the above, to be specific 15 cigarette butts and approximately 21 bottle caps!

I was gone during the summer . . . 5-pc Halloween beverage set, now 4-pc Halloween beverage set. Perfect for a third wheel event!

One child likes to break off the pull tabs on cans. I found approximately 36 tabs.

Found a Lady Quattro razor behind the bookcase in the kitchen!

I asked that my pocket books be left alone! I received the response of "Your pocket books are not my style." Took awhile to find all of them and once I did, I found makeup products in them that I did NOT leave in there or do they belong to me!

Leather dog leash on floor with trash. "Been looking for that, where did you find it?" "Someone who could not bend at waist must have dropped it."

Day one: 2 bags of trash.
Day two: 3 bags of trash.
Day three: 5 bags of trash and 1 large box filled with empty cardboard boxes.
Day four: 3 bags of trash and 2 large boxes filled with empty cardboard boxes.

Baby shoes, child's belt, car seat, deep fryer and cat litter scoop. We do not have small children or a cat. What?

Profitable? Found $20 bill and $1.72 in loose change!

Dead jade plant. Isn’t that from the cactus plant family?

Beer bottle labels stuck on side of coffee table. Decorative?

Remember spit balls in high school on the ceiling? Yeah, I found those in here too!

Cigarette stench in apartment.

My sewing machine in living room closet. Upside down!

My black boots and snow boots were not in closet. OK, I was gone during the summer months. What was that all about?

One day, I needed some socks to keep feet warm. When I left, I had a small drawer full of matching socks. I went to get a pair. What did I find? I'll show you! BTW, the 21 bottle caps I listed earlier, do not include this little treasure!


Do not despair! After doing all the laundry . . . that took an entire day . . . I now have 5 matching pairs of socks!

Finally, I received my flat-screen TV I purchased while in NM on Friday and it was NOT damaged!! WOOHOO!! I'd been watching TV on this old 13-inch TV that belongs to the wayward child. Let me tell you, it was hard getting used to watching that after I had been watching a 15.4" flat-screen TV! :)

Oh, boy . . .

I've been home for an entire week now. I've been ever so busy and if you want to know why, read "My MasterCard Commercial." The good news is that I'm almost done with the cleaning and have even started playing with my stamps! I spent all Friday mounting and cutting and most importantly, FINDING STORAGE! I've outgrown my space and I told myself, NO MORE SHOPPING! Then on Saturday, my friend, Fireman Steve, took me to my LSS! He's such an enabler! He gave me $50 and told me to buy whatever I wanted but I had to be finished in 15 minutes! Well, never say something like that to a scrapper! LOL Talk about pressure! And after the candy overload I had after I got home, the sight of all those scrapping goodies just made me sick to my stomach! I KNOW! How insane is that? Try as I might I could not spend the entire $50, but I came pretty close . . . $35. Most of it was shiny stuff! I headed straight back to the embellishment area and loaded up on rhinestone this and thats! LOL I don't remember what all I bought, but I'll post a pic later. Right now, I want to show you what I came home to!

These are all items I ordered while living in New Mexico. Before the decision to stay in New Mexico was made and again, once I decided to come home to New Hampshire, I had all these packages shipped here. It was like Christmas, but without the wrapping paper! LOL

I was kind of disappointed with this first one. It's a kit that comes out every other month from Hot off the Press (HOTP). I think it's fairly new. Anyway, you don't get a preview of what you are getting and had I known I was gonna get these ding bats I would have passed on them. These seem to be all the rage right now, but I don't like them. So anyway, these are stamps for this month:

This is a card making kit also from HOTP. I like to get this because of all the doodads they send. These cards are pre-designed. I work on these on days that I am bored out of mind and have nothing to do. I do not sign them and I gift them to folks I know for their own use. I don't use the doodads! I keep those for myself and I have a huge stash that I cannot make myself use! Someone PLEASE rescue me! ;)

These are the doodads I am referring to:


This is a scrapbooking kit also from HOTP. I love all the matchy matchy things they do and the idea sheet that comes with each kit. I use their kits to make little albums to give away.



These next two are also kits from Memory Works. I probably ordered them cause I saw something that I couldn't live without. Now that I have them, I'm not sure what that was! Although with this first kit, I'm thinking it was the glitter! I have a hard time passing up shiny things! LOL

These are the last two kits from my favorite monthly club, ScrapGoods. I love, love, love their kits. I also love the idea sheets and they always have some kind of new technique to try with the things they are sending. I love their ribbons and they always send really cool chip boards. In case I haven't said this before, I love, love, love this club! I only cancelled my membership because I signed on with The Angel Company (TAC) and want to commit myself to them with my time and money and see what pans out for me there.





This is an order I placed for myself for my birthday from Stampin' Up with my friend, Heidi. I went a little overboard cause my total came to like $120 and I was so close to the free hostess benefits that I decided to throw caution to the wind and found another $30 worth of stuff to get for the extras! I can't pass up free shipping and freebies! I don't care how much I have to spend in order to get them!



This is another monthly kit from Tie One On. I love their ribbons and I know I purchased this cause of the PP! Even though I have no kids in school, I had to have it! This is one of my favorite paper lines!

And finally, as I wrote earlier, I did sign up to be a consultant with TAC. These are all the papers and extras that came with the kit. I didn't take a picture of the order forms, catalogs, invitations and so forth, because I thought to myself that part of the package might not interest you!


This is the MAIN reason I wanted to sign up with TAC! You can't see them all, but there are a total of 12 stamp sets that I requested, plus a small logo stamp, and then they sent a sampler set and a grab bag (the two on the far right).


So, the bad news is . . . now the pressure is really on! Oh, boy! Something about a room full of new stuff to NOT know where to start! But start I must, so stay tuned and you'll see what kind of damage I can make! LOL

My MasterCard Commercial

Airline ticket from Albuquerque, NM to Derry, NH: $118.83

Cabfare to airport: $36.00

Magazine and gum at airport: $5.49

Coming home to this:

PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!