Saturday, July 23

VISITING DAUGHTER AND FAMILY

Hi all,

I am away for 9 days visiting my grandkids and their parents (my daugher and hubby).  ha - GRANDS always come first, right?!!

The weather here is so wonderfully cool compared to our 100+ degrees we have in Texas this summer AND there is a cool breeze.  Highs in the 70s and 80s - feels like heaven!!

I have been following my regular bloggers I love to follow each day so I know what is going on in the stamping and crafting world.  But I don't have any stampin supplies with me so can't make or post any cards until I get back home.

Hope you are having a fun summer.  Here are a few photos of my granddaughter, grandson and daughter as we did a picnic in a park by a little creek.



My daughter made us ham and swiss panninis, fresh sliced peaches, pudding and lemonade.  Awesome picnic and awesome company.  Kids had a ball.

Hope you are getting some stampin' in this week and next week.  If there is anything I can help you with or anything you want to order, I am only an email away.

Inky fingers y'all!!

Wednesday, July 13

OH MY GOODNESS, HAVE YOU SEEN IT??

Have YOU seen the NEW Specialty Designer Paper called Mocha Morning?  It is absolutely YUMMY and so elegant!!  Two of my club members ordered this paper for my FLIP FLOP PHOTO ALBUM class and it came out so wonderful!!  Here is a sample view of the paper and the catalog info so you can ORDER FROM ME ONLINE;

Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper (item #122366, p. 183).   

The last two papers on the right side are FLOCKED!!  They are so awesome!!  The flocked sheets are not double sided, but the rest are double sided.

Stay tuned for tomorrow for photos of stamp club and what we created with this designer paper and more.

Inky fingers, y'all.


Sunday, July 10

JOIN STAMPIN UP FOR ONLY $99 NOW

Join Stampin' Up! & the Luv 2 Stamp Group for only $99


CLICK THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT TO LEARN MORE!!

$99 Starter Kit



During July, you can join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator for only $99! This limited time Starter Kit--valued at $185--comes with the following high-quality products:

•Easy Events Clear-Mount Set*

•Pennant Parade Wood-Mount Set*

•Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad

•Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

•Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad

•Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

•Brights 8-1/2" x 11" Assorted Card Stock

•Just Add Cake Designer Series Paper*

•Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon*

•Note Cards (20)

•Clear-Mount Block C

•Blender Pen (1)

•SNAIL Adhesive

•Business supplies

*Brand new to the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog!

Plus, join in July and get a FREE Christmas Keepsake project kit--a $40 value! Imagine an afternoon spent chatting with friends while creating something beautiful--isn't that what Stampin' Up! is all about? But act now because this special kit is only available as part of this limited-time offer.



As an added bonus, first-time demonstrators can get two free months of Demonstrator Business Web Services (DBWS) when they sign up during their first 21 days as a demonstrator. Subscribing to DBWS means having your own online store, blog, hostess portal, and much more!

Join Stampin' Up! in July and get brand-new products, including an exclusive project kit--all for just $99!  CONTACT ME NOW AND I WILL HELP YOU WITH THE PAPERWORK.


Friday, July 8

FIGHTING THE DROUGHT HERE IN TEXAS

HERE IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS WE ARE FIGHTING A BATTLE WITH THE HORRIBLE DROUGHT WE HAVE THIS YEAR.  WE HAVEN'T HAD BUT ONE OR TWO SMALL SHOWERS SINCE NOVEMBER LAST YEAR!!  WE DON'T WANT TO LOOSE OUR BEAUTIFUL OAK AND ELM TREES SO WE ARE ON A WATERING SCHEDULE TRYING TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.  HERE IN OUR TOWN, THERE ARE DEAD OAK, ELM AND PINES EVERYWHERE.  I WOULD SAY ABOUT 15% OF THE TREES HAVE DIED OR ARE DYING.  IT IS SO SAD.  I HATE TO SEE THE BIG, OLD GROWTH TREES DIE LIKE THIS.

CHINCH BUGS HAVE INVADED MOST LAWNS DUE TO THE STRESS ON THE GRASSES.  IT IS A HORRIBLE SITE, BUT CAN EASILY BE FIXED NEXT YEAR.  I AM MOSTLY WORRIED ABOUT THE TREES AND THE CRITTERS THAT LIVE IN OUR FOREST.

SPEAKING OF CRITTERS, WE HAVE HAD A PAIR OF CROWS COME EACH SPRING AND NEXT IN SOME TALL PINES IN OUR NEIGHBOR'S YARD EACH YEAR TO HAVE THEIR BABY.  SEEMS THEY HAVE JUST ONE BABY EACH YEAR.  THEY ARE A NOISY BUNCH SO I ALWAYS KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE FLEDGED THE BABY AND ARE TEACHING IT HOW TO EAT AND HUNT.  THE LAST YEAR'S FLEDGLING SEEMS TO HELP WITH THE FAMILY ONCE THE BABY FLEDGES BUT BY SUMMER IS GONE AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE TOGETHER AGAIN.

ANYWAYS, THERE WAS A BIG, I MEAN HUGE RUCKUSS IN THE BACKYARD WITH THE CROWS CAWING.  A CACAPHONY OF NOICE.  HA HA  THERE WER SIX CROWS IN THE BACK YARD MAKING A FUSS SO I WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.  THEN I SPOTTED THEIR PROBLEM.  THEY WERE UPSET BECAUSE A POSSUM WAS WALKING ALONG THE BACK FENCE.  I GUESS THEY DON'T USUALLY SEE ONE DURING THE DAYTIME SO THEY WERE ALL IN A TIZZY ABOUT IT.  DO POSSUMS EAT BIRD EGGS I WONDER?  ANYWAYS, ONCE I SPOTTED THE POSSUM AND WENT NEAR IT, THE BIRDS DECIDED THE HUMAN HAD IT UNDER CONTROL AND FLEW OFF. 

IT TURNS OUT IS WAS OUR OWN MR POSSUM WHO WAS A BABY LAST YEAR IN OUR BACKYARD.  I KNOW THIS HOW?  DOESN'T ONE POSSUM LOOK LIKE ALL OTHER POSSUMS?  NOPE...OUR LITTLE GUY WAS BRIGHT WHITE AND NEVER GOT THAT GRAY OR GRIZZLE COLOR LIKE OTHER POSSUMS DO.  WE FIRST SAW HIM LAST YEAR IN MY WASHING MACHINE...YES, HE HAD FALLEN IN BECAUSE I LEAVE THE LID OPEN DUE TO HUMIDITY.  HE HAD COME INTO MY GARAGE AND SOMEHOW FALLEN INTO THE EMPTY WASHER AND WAS SLEEPING IN THERE WHEN I WENT TO DO THE LAUNDRY.  YIKES!!  THERE WAS POSSUM POO EVERYWHERE.  HE MUST HAVE WORN HIMSELF OUT TRYING TO GET OUT.  HUBBY PICKED HIM UP AND I SNAPPED A PHOTO OF HIM BEFORE WE SET HIM LOOSE.  A MONTH OR SO LATER WE SPIED HIM AGAIN IN THE BACKYARD AND WITH GLOVES THIS TIME HUBBY PICKED HIM UP AND WE GOT ANOTHER PHOTO SHOOT OF HIM.

SO, BACK TO THE CROW/POSSUM SITUATION---HE DID NOT LOOK WELL. HE LOOKED DAZED AND CONFUSED AND JUST SAT ON THE FENCE AS I TALKED SOOTHINGLY TO HIM.  I WENT INSIDE AND GOT HIM A PIECE OF BANANA AND PUT IT ON THE FENCE AND LEFT HIM ALONE.  I THINK HE WAS HUNGRY OR THIRSTY OR BOTH.  WHEN I LOOKED AGAIN, THE BANANA AND THE POSSUM WERE GONE.

IT WAS FUN TO SEE MR POSSUM AGAIN A YEAR LATER.  I BELIEVE HE WAS A RUNT OR HAS HAD A HARD TIME THIS PAST YEAR BECAUSE HE WAS QUITE SMALL.

SO THE CROWS WERE GONE AND WENT ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS, MR POSSUM WENT ABOUT HIS BUSINESS, AND I WENT BACK TO MY CRAFT ROOM TO GO ABOUT MY BUSINESS OF HAVING FUN WITH PAPER, INK AND SUCH.  AND WATERING MY TREES, AND ITTY BITTY GARDEN.

MORE SAMPLES TO SHOW YOU NEXT TIME! 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT CROWS, POSSUMS OR CRITTERS IN YOUR BACKYARD.  WON'T YOU LEAVE ME A COMMENT?

 WE ARE GROWING YARD LONG GREEN BEANS IN A LITTLE GARDEN THIS YEAR.  THEY ARE SO FUN TO WATCH THEM GROW.  I SWEAR THEY GROWN SEVERAL INCHES OVERNIGHT.  I PICK THEM WHEN THEY ARE ABOUT 12-16 INCHES LONG.  YUMMY.
 HERE IT IS A VERY SMALL BEAN JUST FORMING.
ALSO GROWING YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES.  HAVE TO DO SMALL CHERRY OR GRAPE TOMATOES BECAUSE THEY BIRDS AND SQUIRRELS GET THEM BEFORE WE CAN OTHERWISE.

INKY FINGERS Y'ALL.

Friday, July 1

NEW CATALOG GOES LIVE

THE NEW CATTY IS UP AND AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD OR TO VIEW.  CLICK ON THE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT TO DOWNLOAD YOURS.
ALSO, A NEW WONDERFUL PROMOTION FOR JULY ONLY - JOIN STAMPIN UP IN JULY AND GET YOUR KIT FOR ONLY $99, PLUS GET A FREE PROJECT KIT PLUS MORE.

ENJOY perks of becoming a demonstrator, like

•A 20 percent product discount!

•A free monthly issue of Stampin' Success, Stampin' Up!'s demonstrator-only magazine!

•Sneak peeks at brand-new products!

•Invitations to exclusive Stampin' Up! events!

•Regular get-togethers to stamp!

•Free access to a community of 30,000+ crafters/stampers and creative artists, as well as 160,000+ project samples!

In addition, you will be eligible for TWO FREE months of Demonstrator Business Web Services (DBWS)--including you own business website and Online Store, access to a blog, calendar, a monthly e-newsletter, project gallery, and e-cards--if you sign up within 21 days of becoming a demonstrator.

click here for details:
http://www.stampinup.com/us/enu/20918.asp

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN MY SU GROUP!!

Happy Independence Day and inky fingers y'all!!