Please Remain Seated

Today was my big stamp club meeting. I have the dubious honor of being in charge of it. Actually it isn't that bad once you accept the fact that someone will always be unhappy about something. The hard part about the meeting is you never know what will happen, or not happen.

Our meeting has a basic outline of things we do and sometimes things are over in a blink of an eye and other times they drag on ad nauseam.  Sometimes they run right down the perfect middle between those two. Those are the best days because then the meeting just rolls along nicely and I don't have to do that much to guide it.

Today was one of those days. I got to sit for most of the meeting which is a very rare event for me. So rare that my feet decided to hurt in protest. How stupid is that?

Anyway I was going to share some of the cards I made for the meeting but they are still on the camera and I don't feel like fussing with them. So have a taco truck in honor of the food truck that served us lunch today at the meeting.

The Fine Print: Stamps by Stampin' Up. So who was unhappy at our meeting today? Me! I had a Cesar salad for lunch and they made it with kale. What is with people and their unholy love for kale?! That shit is bitter. But see, I lived through it and now I'm going to live longer because I ate kale or whatever benefit it is people think they are getting with kale.

Adventures

May your adventures continue! Unless of course you live along the Texas Gulf Coast, in which case, you've probably had your fill of adventures.

The Fine Print: Stamps by Stampin' Up, topiary die by someone else whose name eludes me right now. 

It's the Cupcake Man!

In honor of birthdays everywhere and anywhere.

The Fine Print: Products by Stampin' Up. 

Road Trip!

Last night I dreamed that my dad told me to look in his file cabinet and I found information on how to find a black diamond mine in the Santa Catalina mountains. Those are the mountains along the north of the city I live in. They were in cave that wasn't easy to find. While I was rifling through my dad's files my mom was having all these ladies over for a pool party and the pool was only half full. One lady wanted to be in a floating lounge chair and read the newspaper only we didn't have a floating lounge chair. We had a metal lawn chair. She threw it into the pool and it sank. She was bringing the mood of the party down.

But I didn't have time for a pool party! I had black diamonds to find! So who do I pick to find this hidden treasure with? Why, my cat, Charles of course! It was a dream so it made perfect sense. Only first Charles and I had to stop off at this gun and drug dealer's house to see a guy about a thing. While I was talking to the guy, one of his hoodlum friends was giving Charles important life advice. I remember thinking, "Charles is probably too young for that." (But apparently not too young to climb all over a mountain looking for a hidden cave).

The Fine Print: All products by Stampin' Up. Are black diamonds even a real thing? I have no idea what this dream was telling me. I didn't even get any good life advice out of it (Charles got it all). 

Uplifting

You know what makes me laugh? And I mean the kind of laugh where it sounds like I'm wheezing and choking all at once while tears leak out of my eyes.

Those silly auto-correct bloopers. I don't know what it is about them but they crack me up every time.  I think part of their appeal is that is how my brain works.... can't think of the right word? Well then, just substitute something that sounds about the same!

Yeah, it doesn't really work but at least you can say you tried.

The Fine Print: Stuff by Stampin' Up. 

Spring Break

It's Spring Break week and isn't that cool? Nope, I'm not down in Mazatlan or Daytona Beach or any of those college kid vacation destinations. In fact, I'm right here in my office for now but there aren't many of those pesky kids around to ruin my day (only the usual assortment of pesky coworkers).

The Fine Print: Stamp, designer paper, and flower punch by Stampin' Up, dies by Spellbinders and twine from the Joann's Impulse Aisle. 

BYOS

Our wonderful weather is taking a downward slid. It looks like we'll have to truck in some sunshine if we want to have a pleasant weekend.

Yep, it's a BYOS--bring your own sunshine--kind of situation.

The Fine Print: Stamps by Taylored Expression, bow die by Stamp Doctor, and designer paper by someone cool. 

Tommy T

Except for shivering all day yesterday  (it's cuz we had a couple 80 degree days so the powers that be turned the air conditioning to the summer setting even though the forecast said it was just a fluke), I had a really wonderful day.

That is until I had to go home. I hobbled out to the parking lot (I hurted my foot) and groaned when I saw the ridiculous truck I had to drive home in:

This thing is a tank only I suspect tanks are less rattly and have a better turn radius. Anyway, this is the rental car I'm driving for the next few days while my truck gets fixed (Tommy T Toyota got backed into in a parking lot). I need to weigh another 200 pounds, have 3-5 uncontrollable kids, and fill the inside with fast food wrappers and soda cans before I can do this truck justice. It's all about excess... it takes up excess space, it requires excess gas to drive, and takes an excessively long time to stop.

I can't wait to get my cute little Tommy T Toyota pick up truck back. In fact I might have a homecoming party for him when he comes back and give him this card. Maybe I'll even reward him with extra premium gas.

The Fine Print: Tank by Nissan, red truck and sunshine by Taylored Expressions, flower ribbon from A Muse and chevron paper from my stash. 

Pretty Cool

Doesn't it seem like a good day to grab a little dog and go for a bike ride over the rolling hills?

The Fine Print: All products by A Muse Studio. Stamp set-Basket Case, dies-Basket Case and Landscapes, and cardstock-azul, sugar, and wasabi petite hexagon. 

Celebrate

Lookie! I made a vintage looking card with an old Stampin' Up stamp set. This is about the only stamp I use from this set. Sometimes I think I need to break out, go crazy, and try the other stamps but once you have this one, why would you need to fuss with the others?

The Fine Print: Well, I already told you the stamps are from Stampin' Up so why are you reading down here? Are you expecting an important announcement? Well, here's one: It's National Tequila Day! Please celebrate accordingly and don't drink and drive, especially on a contraption like this one.

It's the Little Things

I was just thinking the other day, which is a dangerous hobby no matter how you slice it. Anyway, I was pondering what it is that suddenly made me care about the little things that don't really matter. I decided it was moving to a new house and having everything be neat and shiny.

Now that I care about the little things that don't really matter I have to do annoying chores like get my truck washed. That's right, for the first time in over a decade my truck got a bath! And no, it was not the dirt holding the thing together. Next up, I'm going to get me some new, non-scuffed up shoes. Then I'll probably sit down and rest for a few weeks.

The Fine Print: Stamp by Taylored Expressions, designer paper by DCWV, paper flower, brad, and zig zag ric rack from my stash.

I Think I Love You

Isn't this a fun and crazy stamp? I picked this up from my friend who is downsizing like crazy. I think this is her and hubby from back in the day. I'd love to be one of those wild and crazy little old ladies, but man, that sounds like it takes a lot of work. I'm all about the naps.

The Fine Print: Motorcycle couple by Diamonds, greeting by Alias, Smith & Rowe, designer paper from HOTP, and ribbon from my stash.

One of Those Sets

Do you have one of those stamp sets in your stash?  You know what I mean... the one that when you are rifling though things you pass it and wonder why you don't use it very often?  I'm sure I have more than one of those sets but recently I ran across this one.

I bought it because it has great images in it but I really love this truck. I thought it would be great for masculine cards and since I was making manly cards at the time I decided it was time to stop wondering about it and start using it.

As soon as I started using the set I remembered why I don't use it often.  This truck stamp does not stamp worth shit.  I tried different ink, different paper, different surfaces... and still it took me seven tries to get one decent usable image from it.

The stamp is by a well-known company with a good reputation for quality stamps but this one is just a lemon. I did buy the set used so maybe its previous owner did something horrific to the stamps or maybe that is just how this set goes. I understand that sometimes in life poop happens.  It might be happening right here.

The Fine Print: Stamp by a well-known company with a good reputation, you probably know who it is, papers and stuff from my stash.  I put the set in my sale pile but I feel kind of bad passing a lemon on to someone else. Then again the last time I passed on a lemony set the new owner had absolutely no problem with it. Maybe this set just doesn't like me?!

Bowties, Bojangles, and Bears on Bikes

I lied.  There aren't actually any bojangles in this post.  But there are some adorable little bow ties.

And even a bear on a bike.  Okay, so that's really a trike, but you know, close enough.

The bowties are from a SU Workshop that I did not attend this past Monday.  They were sweet enough to make me a card from the workshop though.  They were trying out the new bowtie punch from Stampin' Up.  The bear is from my deceased friend's stash.

The Fine Print: It's Friday, who cares about anything else!  Top card: everything by Stampin' Up; bottom card: nothing by Stampin' Up.  Yeah, that's all I got for you.

Camper Sweet Camper

I'm not a let's-go-camping kind of person, but if I were I think I'd prefer a retro camper over a tent any day.  It just seems like it would have more of the comforts of home.

But you know what really has all the comforts of home?   That's right, home.  That's why I don't go camping.

The Fine Print: All products by A Muse Studio.  Stamps--Happy Camper.  Cardstock--French Roast, sky, evergreen, wasabi and sugar.  Other Products--Tree die and French Roast baker's twine.

Wheee!!!

The Fine Print: All products by A Muse Studio. Stamps-Enjoy the Ride and Silver Lining. Cardstock-Violeta, marigold, sky, Seattle, and wasabi petite polka dot.  Other products-grass border and many flowers dies and onyx mini brads.

It's Summertime!

It's time again for the latest A Muse Studio Challenge and this time I get to be the hostess.  In honor of the ice breaking on the Santa Cruz River* this weekend, I thought this latest challenge should be all about summer!  I apologize in advance if you are still shoveling snow.  Try to think ahead to warmer times.... I promise they are coming!

Summer is a time to carefree and have fun! What do you do in the summer?  Summer is all about vacations, food, great times, and outdoor activities.  I work at a school so I still associate summer as a time with no school, even though my school has summer classes.  Summer students tend to be serious folk who know what they want so they don't need us around to hold their hands, so summer is a much more laid back time.


What does summer mean to you?  Summer here is about extreme heat and sunshine, wearing gloves to drive your car, and looking for the cool shady areas to while away the hours.  Tucson empties out in the summer as the university students and winter visitors all head home and many permanent residents leave for vacations in cooler locations.

So, for this challenge think of what summer means to you and make a card representing that.  You don't have to use A Muse Studio stamps but you get bonus points if you do.  Swing on by our Challenge Blog and link up your summery card today!

The Fine Print: *Having the "ice break on the Santa Cruz" means we hit 100 degrees for the first time that year.  All card products by A Muse Studio.  Bike Card: stamps used-Enjoy the Ride and Friends Fur-Ever (for the stamped grass that mostly got covered up); cardstock used-Bermuda, grass and papaya; Other supplies-Bermuda tiny pearls. Beach card: stamps used Grunged Sunrays and Life's a Breeze; cardstock used-ocean blue, cherry red ad sugar white; other info-sand is cocoa ink sponged on with a dauber.

The New Phone Books Are Here!

No, wait!  I mean the new A Muse catalogs are here!!  And by "here" I mean not really here; but live. 

Live!  Live and on-line because the print ones are not yet here, but will be here soonish, which is much better than say, later. 

Anyway enough babbling, the 2013 A Muse Studio is on-line and can be purchased from as of today.  I know I've been looking forward to it and hope you have been also.  I have a couple of "advanced notice" sets that I made some cards with.

This card is made with the new Sunset Beach set, which has this fabulous VW Beetle stamp.  I really liked it when I first saw it even though (or perhaps because) VW Bugs make me think of serial killers.  Um... you know, because Ted Bundy drove one? Yeah, that's not doing it for you?  

These next two cards are from the Go Wild set, another fun new one.  The bottom one is a take on a card from the catalog that had a similar layout.  I really like the idea of different sized circles of wild pattern print, as you can see since I used it on both cards.

The Fine Print: Top card--"Sunset Beach" set, papaya and grapefruit petite polka dot cardstock, and onyx brads.  Middle Card--"Go Wild" set, orange cardstock, and onyx and white twine.  Bottom card--"Go Wild" and "Mesh Background" sets, kraft and sugar cardstocks, onyx and white chevron ribbon.

Oh.

The main reason I haven't been blogging as much as I used to is because I'm taking a class that is consuming all my time, my remaining braincells, and my sanity.  When people hear that I'm taking a class they ask, "What class are you taking?" So I answer honestly, "Economics."

And to that the reply always is, "Oh."     

That's it.  Just "oh."

And I can't say I blame them because where do you go from there?  You can't have a lively discussion about economics because that's an oxymoron and who the heck knows anything about economics except for, you know, those people.  And who wants to be associated with those people?!

Sorry folks but my job, the one that pays the bills and buys the stamps, won't give me a raise for taking a class in stair-step cut cards or fanciful folds for fanciful cards.  And such a shame too, because I'd be a much better employee if those were on the menu.  But alas, I get to take dull classes like economics that put me into a stupor and ruins any creativity I may have.

Since all work and no play make something something I do sneak away once in awhile to play.  Luckily for me I know some Stampin' Up consultants who will think up the card and do most of the prep work for me so all I can do is create (and buy.  lots.  which stimulates the economy.  which is a good thing.  maybe.  actually this has not been discussed in my class.  and now you know why it is so boring.).

The Fine Print: Yep, since I made these at a Stampin' Up workshop I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that every last thing on these cards is by Stampin' Up.  Yep.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Oh and that paper that looks like a page from a book?  It is patterned paper by SU. I know that because I asked.

Miss You!

I miss you.  I really do. Oh?  You haven't left yet?  Well, let me show you the door. That way I can miss you for reals.

Hey--Why is it that when you are giving a rude goodbye to someone you are happy to see leave, you say, "And don't let the door hit you!"  It seems to me you'd be quite fine with them getting hit by the door.

"Don't let the door severe your fingers because I ain't cleaning up after you!"  Now that is a greeting I could wrap my head around.  It makes more sense.

The Fine Print: If the door didn't hit ya, then the dog shouldda bit ya.  Airplane stamp by A Muse Studio, letters by Basic Gray, other elements by We R Memory Keepers some card kit or another.