convention adventures

I've been home from Stampin' Up!® national convention a week now, and the Kites Over Branch County competition has been completed as well, so I'm finally getting some crafting and blogging time.  There was so much going on at convention, I can't begin to tell you all about it, but how about some highlights?  After I met my llama friends in person for the first time Wednesday morning, some of us went to Riverton to see Stampin' Up!® headquarters:

We returned to the Salt Palace convention center to work on our Make & Take projects.  The first one I worked on totally frustrated me, I just couldn't get it right.  My friend, Buffy, did it correctly and posted hers on her blog:

I made the flower and attempted twice to make the banner; I brought it home incomplete.  I tried the banner again two more times last night, and I tore the flower completely apart and put it completely back together, but I still didn't like any of it.  And, I can't figure out what purpose the pouch might serve.  So, I put the flower in a vase and the banner on a card:

stamp set - Affection Collection; ink - Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals; card stock - Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Whisper White; Big Shot with Delicate Designs textured impressions embossing folder; Basic Rhinestones

Since I opted not to use More Mustard for the wings (the way the instructions and sample were done), I believe my colors fit the current Play Date Cafe challenge - bonus!

 

Besides the Affection Collection stamp set, we also received the Daydream Medallions and You're Amazing stamp sets as part of our registration.  I did a lot better with those projects, and I love this little set:

stamp sets - Daydream Medallions, Affection Collection; Stampin' Around  jumbo wheel - Daydream; ink - Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Midnight Muse, More Mustard, Primrose Petals, Versamark; card stock - More Mustard, Primrose Petals, Whisper White; Big Shot with Floral Frames Framelits, linen thread, Vintage Faceted designer buttons, Basic Rhinestones, Primrose Petals 3/8" stitched satin ribbon, glue dots, kraft gift boxes, square envelopes

I've barely started to tell you about the first day, and there were three  wonderful days full of products, samples, demonstrations, sessions, friends, food - more than I can ever share!  I'll tell you more, though, I promise.

Before I log off so that I can get some sleep, I want to brag a little bit about the golden Postage Due card I posted just before convention - the Less is More team, Mandi and Chrissie, selected it as a Showcase card!

Thanks, ladies!

adventures in gratitude

My husband has several buddies, who like him, enjoy Radio Controlled aircraft, but no one was available this morning to make the drive to Northville, Michigan for a swap meet, so he asked me yesterday if I'd be interested in driving over with him. Well, no, interested wasn't the right word, but I was willing.  It was a beautiful day for a drive and after I peeked at the swap meet (a lot like the computer swap meets we used to attend in a different decade) I went for a walk.  There are many beautiful homes like this one in Northville:

Quaint beauty notwithstanding, the walk reminded me of how grateful I am to live in the country.  On the subject of being grateful, this is how Tom expressed his appreciation:

Mmm-mmm-mmm!  Absolutely worth the entire drive, just for this!  We also took a little side trip to IKEA and bought a new lamp that will turn on in the morning before my alarm clock, since I have such a hard time waking up that early (no matter what any of you early birds think, 7am is EARLY for the night owl I've been all my life).  There was a sign in the department that stated that a large percentage of the world's children don't have electric lights to make it possible to read after dark, so I am also grateful that we have reliable electricity for lamps, computers, laundry, and all the other advantages of life in the United States, including crafting!

Months ago I saved a link to this card by Diana Gibbs, because I really liked it and wanted to CASE it.  Pals Paper Arts posted a color challenge - Early Espresso, Soft Suede, River Rock - that was meant for this card, don't you think?  Stamp sets are Have a Seat, Teeny Tiny Wishes, and Woodgrain.

Meanwhile, over at Stamping 411, there's a new color challenge of Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade, and Early Espresso.  I have a little list on my table of the current challenges in which I'd like to participate, and there was a sketch that I thought would work:

Funny thing is, the sketch is also Stamping 411 - oops ;\ - will it be silly to post it twice on the same blog?  Stamp sets on this card are Polar Party and Kidoodles.  One of these days I *will* learn to put Dazzling Details on LAST.

Michigan adventures

I have two cards for your viewing pleasure today which meet four more challenges:

At SU-Only Challenges, A Place to Share Stampin' Up! Only Creations, Robin and the team asked to see our favorite stamp sets, and at Stamping 411 we were challenged to use the new In Color combination Pool Party, Island Indigo, and Calypso Coral.  When I placed my first order from the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog, I was pretty sure Up, Up, and Away would be a favorite stamp set, since I have so many memories of ballooning with my parents.  This is the first time I've used it, I may have been a little carried away by the fun little cloud and bird elements, but I was really excited that stamping the basket under the balloon with two different stamps was so easy to line up using clear-mount stamps!  There's always a stamp-a-majig for that reason, but it's one more piece to clean and put away, you know?  But, really, my favorite stamp set is Perfectly Penned, with the four calligraphic sentiments.  This one may replace the long-loved and well-used Sincere Sentiments.

Clean&Simple Stamping, in combination with CAS-ual Fridays, have offered up a 2-in-1 sketch challenge, and Pals Paper Arts have a Dress for Success recipe of 1 piece of designer series paper, 1 punch and 1 sentiment.  I combined them for this card:

I used some Paisley Petals designer series paper on Tangerine Tango card stock and added a strip of Not Quite Navy punched with the fabulous new Lace Ribbon Border punch. Still having fun with the Up, Up, and Away set, this little sentiment reminds me of my friend Dawne, who moved away from Michigan many years ago, but usually returns each August to attend the county 4H fair.  Her work schedule this year didn't allow for vacation this week, so I took this picture for her when Tom and I went for our traditional fair-food dinner Friday evening:

 I didn't have the now-trendy fried pickle, because I've had them before, but I did try a new fried pick-a-stick - choose up to four items (from a large variety), and the booth operators will stack them on a stick, batter them and deep fry the whole kebab - I chose onions, mushroom, ham, and cheddar cheese.  yum.  We also passed on the elephant ears, but only because we were at Magic Fest in Colon last weekend, where they offered rabbit ears!  hahaha

To round out our Michigan adventures, we browsed garage sales Saturday afternoon along US12.  I know we 'borrowed" this idea from some other highway, but can't seem to locate the original just now.  I picked up this lovely treasure:

$30 for a turn-of-the-century record cabinet that used to belong to a music teacher from Lansing.  At least, that's the story his granddaughter told me, along with some stories about his driving antics as a 90-year-old.

It looks great in my craft room, holding 12x12 designer series papers!

adventures in catching up

I seem to be *behind* on everything, and have been since at least Friday, when I rushed home to finish the laundry so I could pack for our long weekend in Chicago and Milwaukee.  I needed to check on the bees before we could leave, too; they seemed to be doing well.  We had a lovely time over the weekend - Andrew and Heather got their custom-made (engagement gift) kite up for the first time with help from Donna Schenk who created it:

We stopped at the new and expanded Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha and they actually had samples available - mmm!  Usually we stop just before closing and the samples are gone, but it was rainy and windy at Family Kite Festival Sunday so we left early.

While I was unloading the car Monday, the screen door shut on my bare foot and caused massive bruising.  I've been limping along and accomplishing little ever since. I did complete my demonstrator preorder for new Stampin' Up! merchandise yesterday evening - YAY - there will be new stamps, ink, paper, and punches in the house, hopefully next week!

I missed TWO card-making challenges in the past week - aargh - one at Jingle Belles and one at Shopping Our Stash.  I made ONE card this evening that covers the current challenges at both sites, though - maybe I can be caught up before the end of this weekend.  Here's my dual-challenge card:

 At Shopping Our Stash we were challenged this week to use our oldest stamp; at Jingle Belles we were challenged to "Let it sew, let it sew, let it sew".  Lauren & Stef are just so clever with their blog titles!

The first stamp set I remember purchasing is Sincere Salutations; it's still available and I still use it regularly, so it's not really the neglected or untouched set the SOS team were looking for.  Of the stamp sets I own, there's a circa 1999 set called Star Santa that I tracked down on eBay because I fell in love with it, but I've only owned it about a year and I've used it for two or three Jingle Belles challenges already.  Then I remembered that at that first Stampin' Up!® workshop, I purchased a Stampin' Around wheel called Candy Cane Christmas which I never used.  Ever.  And it's a Christmas stamp, so therefore it's automatically a Jingle Belles card, too!  So I opened the Real Red cartridge that I've also never used, clicked it into the handle (I have used that) and made a background.  Staying with "oldest" as a theme, I did use the Star Santa for a focal piece.  I had already decided that I could continue to avoid putting card stock in my sewing machine by cross-stitching Baker's Twine through a Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch.  Some day I really will put some card stock in my sewing machine, but it wasn't this evening.

When I went to file this card I discovered five other Jingle Belles Christmas cards that needed insides and envelopes, so I finished them up.

We'll be home most of this weekend, so there's some chance I may be caught up by Sunday.  Or not.  That reminds me, I'll need a graduation card.  And a gift.  And I need to send Stampin' Up!® newsletters.  And there's still a Less is More challenge for this week...