Don't Be An Administrator

The other day at work, a coworker was trying to get suggestions on what to bring to a function she was going to that weekend. It was a potluck type of thing and she wanted to bring something substantial. We were batting around ideas when one of our peers said, "Whatever you do, just don't be an administrator."

That made us all laugh. See, where we work administrators, you know those folks whose salary has six digits before the decimal point, proudly offer to bring the soda. They show up with a few 79-cent bottles of no-name, half-flat soda from the Dollar Store and act like they've saved the day. Meanwhile the housekeepers, who squeak by on minimum wage and no benefits, bring dozens and dozens of homemade tamales that they spent all night beating the meza all night on a rock by the river.

So whatever you do, just don't be an administrator.

Unless of course you are already an administrator then offer to bring the tequila, but for god sake's make it top shelf and bring plenty.

The Fine Print: I forgot to mention that administrators also leave said soda in the car all day until the event so every cup requires enough ice to sink a ship. Party pigs and parts by Stampin' Up. 

World's Lousiest Scissors x 3

Where I work we have a reception desk where we're all forced to take shifts at even if some of us (not moi) have the personality of a rabid weasel off their meds.  It's not incredibly horrible, but it does have its moments.

Like the other day I needed to open a pile of shrink-wrapped calendars. There are three stations out there but only one pair of scissors and it took some digging to find where they were at. Then, once found, they were as useful as a spaghetti noodle. They wouldn't stab into the plastic and wouldn't cut through it once I dug a hole into it with my fingers.

I finally had to manually tear the plastic apart with my brute strength, which is sorely lacking because of my bum shoulder and faux sprained thumb. I decided those annoying scissors were no longer allowed to be on the same planet as I. I unceremoniously tossed them into the trash can and then wiggled it around so they slid to the bottom (my coworkers are not above garbage can picking).

 I asked another coworker if she could order some new scissors for the reception desk and told her to get 3 pair this time.  I don't know how she did it, I don't know why she hates us so much, but she managed to buy 3 equally lousy pairs of scissors!

And here I thought the other ones were just bad because they were worn out! But no! They actually sell brand new pairs of scissors that don't cut and hurt your hands. I had no idea there was a market for that.

The Fine Print: I understand that we aren't going to buy $85 a pair finely tuned crafting scissors for the reception desk, but still! I also understand why last year when they wanted to cut tissue paper flowers they stole all the scissors out of my office (and never returned them). Elephant, balloon and HB die by Stampin' Up. 

Mailbag Mania - July 10

I only have one card to share with you this week. It isn't that I only received one card in the mail--I got three. I sort of never got around to photographing the other two. But that's something to look forward to for next week.

This card is nice and sparkly and festive and fun. It inspired me on a card I needed to make. I can't share that with you either because that picture is still on my camera.

I'm sounding pretty hopeless but in my defense, I'm seriously allergic to my own house. It got painted this weekend. Our little pink house is now a little brown house. I guess it really isn't "little" but it isn't a McMansion either although we contemplated moving into one during a moment of madness.

Anyway, it's the fumes from the paint (and probably all the dust that got stirred up) that is wreaking havoc on my allergies. Probably I should leave my house outside to air out...

I card I made.

The Fine Print: Balloon card parts from and old Simon Says Stamp kit. 

Tic Tac Toe No. 2

I meant to get off my generous bee-hind and join in the inaugural Tic Tac Toe challenge last week, but it never came together for me. However, I got it together this week for challenge number 2.

I went straight across the middle to create this gray and yellow birthday card. I actually made it for man but decided it was too frilly for the man in question. If I had a hexagon and some wood I could have filled the whole board.

The Fine Print: All products by Stampin' Up except liquid pearls (Ranger) and gold brad (stash).

Let's Celebrate

Every day I think, "Oh yeah, I need to update my blog." and every day it doesn't happen. Except today. I'm not sure what went wrong (or right?) that I actually am doing it.

I had my friends make this card at a recent gathering. As soon as I saw this set and all its related parts (dies, designer paper, and embellishments) I knew it had to be mine. I'm so tickled to have it. My friends thought it was okay and weren't nearly as impressed with it as I was.  What's wrong with those people?! I suspect I have to make cards with this set so that they can see the error in their ways.

The Fine Print: All the parts by Stampin' Up. 

Spiffy

I made this card for someone's dad based on a similar card I once saw. I have to say that I am a little heavy handed on that sponge. I think it still works for a nice dude card.  And lookie--matching envelope. How spiffy!

The Fine Print: Stamps and designer papers by Stampin' Up. 

It's the Cupcake Man!

In honor of birthdays everywhere and anywhere.

The Fine Print: Products by Stampin' Up. 

It's My Birthday!

I'm Poppy and mom says I'm ten years old today.  Mom says she's older than that today too. It's a birfday kind of day now that we are elderly ladies.

The Fine Print: Stamp by Art Impressions. 

Happy Mail Day-May 8

The past week brought me this fun RAK that shows me my part of the world. Now I no longer have to ask where I am? (and where am I going? and why am I in this handbasket?!)

This next card was from my weekly swap that should have arrived last week but didn't because it didn't have the card above to guide it. The one after it is the one from this week's swap.

The next two cards are from swaps this week.

And here are some of the birthday cards I received to celebrate my upcoming aging. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that this is a picture heavy post? The last two photos show the same card, one the outside and one that fancy dancy pop up inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fine Print: I hope I haven't thrown out my mailman's back!

S'up Saturday

Now that my mother's birthday has come and gone I can share with you the card I made for her. It is one of those twist and pop cards that look like you need a degree in engineering, but really you only need a patient teacher to show you how.

The Fine Print: All products by Stampin' Up except for the numbered washi tape.

Mail Bag Monday

Happy Monday Mail day! Last week I shared the cards I received in the previous week, inspired by Stamping Serenity. I commented I wasn't sure I could or would do so every Monday. I definitely have to this week because I hit the jackpot.

We'll start with this card from my friend Pam. Yeah, it's store bought but she does know how to make them. She's been my penpal for many, many years. She came to visit last month. We had lots of stamping fun.

Then came a mysterious padded envelope.... which was chock full of Stampin' Up swap cards. I forgot I joined a swap and these are my returns. Such great inspiration!

The weekly swap I do (you sign up a month at a time) netted me this gorgeous card which would have been right at home in the Stampin' Up swap.

My friend from back east sent me this flip flop card. She spends her time dreaming of summer because she says you can't trust the weather gods to not dump snow on you on Easter (It's true! They've even done that to us here in Southern Arizona).

This card came to me from the Pacific Northwest. It was a good reminder that Easter was coming. This elegant card comes from swap pal, Yara.

This card also made an appearance this week. It by the same artist who made the stand alone Stampin' Up card, Darlene. It is very fancy. I'm impressed with her command of wide ribbon.

This last card is made by me. No, I didn't mail it to myself. This is the card I made for the SU swap.

The Fine Print: Everything on my card was by Stampin' Up which was hard at the time I made it because I didn't own a lot of their products (besides stamps and dies). Now I have the sample packs of cardstock in every one of their color families. Go me!

Cold Snap

I have a lot of birthdays coming up in April. Why so many?! What was happening 9 months prior? First cold snap of the year?

I totally don't understand that. I certainly don't want to get naked when it is cold out. And I don't want someone's colds hands all over me. And I don't want to share my blankets. In fact, I'd rather just cocoon myself in my blankets with a couple of cats thrown in for good measure and call me in the spring. Yeah, not conducive to baby making.

It might explain why I have so many cats though.

The Fine Print: Everything except the twine by Stampin' Up. 

HB 2 U

I haven't made any birthday cards lately and my stash of them is getting dangerously low. People need to stop having birthdays until I catch up!

The Fine Print: Made from a Basic Gray card kit.

I Could Totally Do That

Sometime last fall I saw this video for an interesting card design and I watched it. I thought to myself, "I could totally do that!" Except I didn't. Then my friend made me a card with that design for Christmas and that got me thinking about it again--I could totally do that.

Except, again, I didn't. Then a local SU demonstrator said, "Come to my class and I will teach you how to make that design." I said, "Now I could totally do that!" And I did.

So here it is in all its glory--the famous Twist and Pop card that is not nearly as obnoxious to make as you might think (actually I didn't think that because I watched that video so many months ago).

The Fine Print: All products by Stampin' Up cuz it was a SU person who taught the class and that's super okay because SU has some cool things as evidenced by this cool card. Party on. Oh, that row of nifty bling across the front of the card is from a Dollar Store. It's mega cool looking in real life but probably all the Dollar Stores in your area have been pillaged of that item because no one can say no to it. 

Pretty Garden Cards

I made some pretty cards last night which is amazing because Tuesday night zumba night and usually I'm too wiped out afterward to play. I guess that means I'm getting into some kind of shape. Or maybe I was just extra motivated to play. Or maybe it was to escape my plague cough which was.. um... plaguing me. Whatever. Here's pretty garden cards I made.

Yes, yes, yes, they are completely the same except for the treatment on the greeting. I started off sponging around the oval and wasn't too thrilled with that so the next one I sponged inside the oval. Only the piece fell out of the oval before I got nice coverage. Anyway, I liked the second card better until I added that heart embellishment to the first one. Now I like that one better.

The Fine Print: All products by Stampin' Up except the oval die by Spellbinders. Avant Garden stamp set, Flirty Flamingo and Basic Grey ink, Pear Pizazz marker, and Up Up and Away designer paper. BTW, I don't actually have anyone to send birthday cards to right now. I just wanted to play with this set and thought this greeting worked best. 

Viva la Fiesta!

So after yesterday's kind of meh card I thought I'd best step it up today by bringing in a mariachi band. These guys know how to party!

The Fine Print: All products by Stampin' Up except kraft card base (stash), the ink (Memento) and googlie eyes (Michaels). "Fiesta Birthday" and "Thoughtful Branches" stamp sets and "Festive Birthday" designer paper.

Party Llama

I made another llama card. This one doesn't have the fancy inside because the card is oriented the other way. Party on.

The Fine Print: Stamps 'n stuff by Stampin' up. 

Manana Monday

I like this llama set that Stampin' Up put out so I had to use it to make a card with bright colors and peppy designs. Then I got extra wild and crazy and did up the inside as well.

Of course I took the lazy way out and just used dies, but hey! It works.

The Fine Print: Probably most everything by Stampin' Up, no srly, the cardstock, the dp, and the dies. I mean they make it to go together you might as well use it together. 

Kitties and Puppies

What better way to wish you a happy day than with kitties and puppies?!

The Fine Print: Kitty and Puppy stamp sets by Stampin' Up "Pretty Kitty" and "Bella and Friends," flower punch by SU, cards and topper by My Mind's Eye, ribbon from my stash.