My Rag Bag!

Hello friend!

I had such fun making this rag bag!  All you need are basic sewing skills and supplies--and of course the Big Shot to cut all the squares....

I wanted a long handle, so that's what I put on it... you can make this to suit your style & needs!

 
If you'd like to make one of these with me, reserve your spot for next Saturday, March 27.  The cost is only $15, and I need you to make your reservation by March 25. 

It will be "sew" much fun!  :)

Wendy

A good day....

Hello friend!


The brownies are in the oven. The corned beef & potatoes are almost done. Tim’s at work, Nick’s at baseball, and Nat is at bell practice. This means something very unusual has happened… the house is QUIET!

It also means I spent some time in the Stamp Cave.  Let me show you what's been going on....

This one was fun, mostly because it is so different from my usual style, which is much simpler.  I decided I wanted to use lots of products and see what I could come up with.  I just kept adding and adding, and it was fun!  Every part is stamped, sponged or punched--and sometimes all three!  The hummingbird is from one of my new favorite stamp sets--and you'll be able to get it from the Summer Mini Catalog, which will start on May 1.  (be patient)

This next project is one I've been thinking about since last summer.  One of my friends at work is a Civil War buff.  To be more accurate, he's totally into the Battle of Gettysburg.  Because he is such a great guy, we (I mean the court employees, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and other involved in the legal system) went together and gave him this special gun last July.  I took photos that day, and intended to give them to him...  but somehow I just never got it together.  This is the scrapbook I came up with.   

You might recognize the Flower Fusion tin, and Hodge Podge Hardware.  To make it look like this I beat it with a hammer, sponged it with Stazon ink, and did my best to distress it.

On the inside lid and bottom I distressed Chocolate Chip card stock in an effort to make it look leather-like.  The photos are printed in sepia tones, and I mounted them on a thin chipboard to give the appearance of cabinet cards.

This is a description of the gun, directly from a soldier's Civil War diary.  

This lady was not there when we presented the gun.  :)  Actually, this photo is from a cabinet card from approximately the 1880's.  My mom has it in an old album, and I took it to Spectrum and copied it.  I've researched these cabinet cards and this lady in particular on line.  I believe she was a snake charmer in a circus, and her name might have been "Miss Uno".  Lovely, isn't she?  I just added it as a joke--and he kept referring to her as his wife.  (I can't imagine Lisa's going to like this comparison!)

The color on those other photos was not good.  this is a little more true.  I've certainly had fun putting this together.  I love scrapping, and when you can do something just a little bit differently, I think it is even better!

It's almost time to head out and get Nick.  Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy

the Borg....

Hello friend.

No stamping today.  I went this afternoon to get "fitted" for my cpap machine.  Tim has been teasing me that I was going to look like a jet fighter pilot, and sound like Darth Vader.  Actually, I think I'm going to look more like one of the Borg (If you are not a Star Trek fan that won't mean much--but it isn't good).

Wish me luck, this will be interesting tonight!

I have a couple ideas for projects, so I'll be bringing them to you later this week.

Wendy

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

Hello friend!

Today is Hannah's 20th birthday (gasp!) and tonight I wanted to show you her card: 

Last week Janet Hamilton sent me a photo of a card, and asked if I knew how to do the technique.  (I think she referred to it as "newspaper reveal")  Anyway, we figured it out, and I thought it would be an appropriate thing to make for Hannah because of her journalism minor.  This is my version.  

It is so easy--all you have to do is clear emboss over newspaper, then use your brayer over top (I used Mellow Moss.)  Use a tissue or paper towel to buff the excess ink off the embossing, and there you have it. 

Unfortunately, I was in a hurry and did not allow the newsprint to dry before I glued it on the card, so I ended up with all these ridges.  Next time I'll know better--and now you can learn from my mistake, too!

Wendy

Ink Spots Newsletter

Hello!

There is so much to tell you, and I've decided I need to start with an apology. It seems that in the last 6 months (or year, or more?) I've just been having a hard time getting anything done. My newsletters are late. I don't make phone calls the way I should. Well, the list goes on. I'm tired all the time, and just seem to be getting the essentials done, and feeling guilty because I want to do more but just don’t seem to be able to. (I'm lucky I have a fabulous husband, because he's been helping more and more around the house, too.) Well, I've had several sleep studies done in the last couple of weeks, and have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Soon I’ll be using a CPAP machine at night, and I’m looking forward to not being tired all the time and maybe having some energy back. At that point, hopefully you will see the “old” me again. I am truly sorry to have put you and my stamping business on the back burner, and hope to be able to make it a priority gain. Thanks for your patience.


Now for the fun stuff....


Time flies when you are having fun, and Sale-A-Bration ends on March 31. There is still plenty of time to take advantage of this, so give me a call. You can place individual orders, or collect orders from friends & family and earn hostess benefits. There are also Sale-A-Bration benefits for new demonstrators—so ask me about that, too!



On Saturday March 27 I will be hosting a Rag Bag/Big Shot Class. You will SO want to make this darling purse/tote! I’m making one now, and will post it on my blog when it is done. The cost is $15, and I will provide you with the list of needed supplies. Classes will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be staggered—depending on whether you have your own Big Shot and sewing machine. (Class size will be limited to the number of sewing machines we can set up in my house.)


Two-Step into Spring product sneak peak in April! Are you curious to hear about a stamp set coming in the 2010/2011 Idea Book & Catalog? It is called Awash with Flowers, and it will definitely make you think SPRING! I will post samples as soon as I have it, but for now, here are the details of the promotion:

Hostesses:  Host a $350 workshop and receive the brand-new Two-Step Awash with Flowers stamp set FREE, in either version—wood-mount or clear-mount!

Customers:  Two-Step into spring and be the first to add the Awash with Flowers stamp set to your collection.

117062 Awash with Flowers (wood-mount) $39.95

120549 Awash with Flowers (clear-mount) $27.95

Plus, purchase spring-themed Two-Step Stampin' sets at 20 percent off the retail price--no additional purchase necessary! The qualifying stamp sets are listed below:

113824 94 Greenhouse Garden $20.76

113734 98 Fifth Avenue Floral $19.96

111578 101 Flower Fancy $29.56

113258 112 Trendy Trees $14.36


The next Scrapbook Fundraiser at Trinity is on April 23, 2010! We’ll have the same great fun, with a twist on the times. You're gonna like this! The regular cost is the same: $15 from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, with a pizza supper, snacks, beverages, make & takes and door prizes. Then, if you would like to extend your time, you can pay $3 more to scrap from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and/or $3 to stay from midnight to 2:00 a.m. (For example, the total cost from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. would be $21.)


Please save the date for my annual Hostess Appreciation Brunch! Yes, its time to be thinking about the Brunch again! We’ll be having fun on Saturday, June 26, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. If you have been a hostess with me, or a member of a club, or have even placed a book party order since the Brunch last year, you are invited! The “real” invitations will go out at the end of May, so save the date!


All Day Scrap & Stamp will be on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and the cost is only $25.  We’ll be back at the Holiday Inn on State Route 250. There will be a potluck lunch (with a sign-up sheet so we have a wide array of foods) that we can snack from all day long. To keep the costs down, I won’t be providing any additional food—but of course there are plenty of fast food places close by if you want a sandwich.  (Of couse, a lack of food has never been a problem before, and I don't anticipate it this time either.)

That's a lot of information! 

Wendy