A Card from our workshop

We (well, at least I) had a lot of fun today. This is one of the cards we made. I love this set and the versatility of it... you can make all sorts of colored backgrounds. I may even try it in red and green for Christmas!

I was SO tired after everyone left that I wanted to crawl into bed at 7pm. Finally, at 9:00, I DID... and at 11:30 I still wasn't asleep, so I decided to get up and post something!

It's not that I haven't been stamping...

It's just that I've been busy stamping cards for us to make at the Open House/Catalogue unveiling on Sunday. So, I'm not posting them until afterwards so everyone can be surprised. We're making 5 cards with never-before-used stamp sets. As of right now, I have 4 of the 5 done. I just have to precut everything which won't be that bad.

Oh, and I've also been preoccupied flipping through the pages of the FABULOUS NEW TAC IDEA BOOK AND CATALOGUE. It's fantastic!!!! The new papers are incredible. I'm looking forward to this upcoming year, as crafting should be a joy (not that it isn't already).

Fanciful Flowers

I know, I know... enough of this set already! But I love it! I can't help it!!! This was a very easy card... I think I'm going to make a ton of them in different colors.

Raggedy Ann

This is a stamp from the new Rag Dolls set. I'm loving it! The background paper is Basic Grey, which I am sad to say is no longer being sold by TAC... BUT, we now have our own exclusive line of papers and I can't wait to get my hands on it and start playing!!!

Father's Day

So this was the extent of my creativity for poor Stephen's Father's Day card. In my defense, I got a monkey card for our first Valentine's Day together, so I guess we're even. I am absolutely loving this set from TAC. The designed is Missy B, and she has her own website where you can also purchase some of her other sets. Check out missybdesigns.com

Cammo Card

Well, this is the final design that was decided upon. I got the tea-stained background set off of e-bay last week. (TAC discontinued it last year.) I played around using brown, green, and black ink and I think I finally got the hang of making the cammo background. I stamped a whole sheet of khaki paper (much easier that way) and now I have to make another set for her nephew who graduated from West Point! Yes, I KNOW I could've just purchased cammo paper but that's not nearly as fun!!!

New stamps!!!

I got some new military stamps today. I only wish I had more time to play with them tonight before I collapse into bed (spent all day at Sesame Place and I'm beat!). These are samples that I've made for a friend, who wants to give them as a gift for Major McVeigh's promotion. I think I like the boots better. (Why maroon and white, you ask? They are the colors of the Medical Service Corps, of course!!!) :-)

The nice UPS man also left a box from TAC with some BRAND NEW stamps. We were allowed to pre-order some sets from the new catalogue, so I jumped at the chance to get some AND I got a free package of some of the new patterned paper... so, be on the lookout, as I plan to play with them soon!

Hungry Caterpillar ATCs

Here are the results of the Hungry Caterpillar swap I hosted on PCMB! We now have the whole story on ATCs. Of course I couldn't get them to display in order, but you'll figure it out!!!

Farewell, Yvonne!

Tomorrow is my mail-carrier's last day. So, I created this card to let her know she'll be missed. (She's VERY patient... I get TONS of mail because I'm hosting so many swaps... and I send out TONS of mail because I joined so many swaps!!!) This is a cute set from TAC. I think it was like $8 or something... I'm expecting it to be in the new catalogue. It's very similar to the "Let's Party" set from SU, but about 60% cheaper :-)

I bought a box of clear sheets used to make labels... then I typed up a bunch of cute sayings for cards and printed them out. The "Best of Cluck" is one of them. This is going to be SO MUCH EASIER than trying to print directly onto the paper.

The patterned paper is one of the new Basic Grey lines, and the stitching is just black marker. VERY simple card to make.

Another Lilac

The picture doesn't do this card justice. I used my watercolor crayons for this one (LOVE THEM!). I started with the stem, then stamped a bunch of the individual flowers in the shape of the lilac. Then, I stamped 5 more flowers on scrap paper and cut them out... then, mounted over the original flowers using pop dots to add some dimension. The "blessings" is embossed in white. This might have to be an entry into one of the TAC contests this month!!!

This was hard...

When I was in college, I taught the 6th grade girls' VBS class for several summers. I'll never forget the year I had Hannah Green... she was so vivacious and loveable! Shortly after returning to college that fall, I heard she had been diagnosed with leukemia. I remember calling her while she was still in the hospital, and thinking her attitude was remarkable.

Over a decade later, just in her twenties, Hannah lost her courageous battle this past week. This was a terribly difficult card to make, but I knew the paper from Dollar Tree would look fabulous with the lilac that I had seen April (Inkyhands) make out of my favorite stamp set. So, I put them together, along with this quote that I printed on vellum, and was very happy with the results. I only hope it brings some sort of comfort to a family who has lost a true gem.

Get your hands on the new 06-07 TAC Catalogue and Idea Book!

I am so super excited about this new catalogue. TAC has announced that they are unveiling a new line of exclusive patterned papers, along with matching accessories. They have also started referring to the Catalogue as an "Idea Book" so I am hoping that means more samples!!! Of course, there's guaranteed to be nifty new stamp sets, as well. I expect to receive the catalogues I pre-ordered sometime around 6/21 or so, and I can begin shipping them to those outside of Annapolis immediately thereafter! If you would like to pre-order yours for immediate shipment, all you have to do is Paypal $10 to lanettelepper@yahoo.com. Included will be a coupon for $5 off your first order of $25 or $10 off your first order of $50... I really wish I could send you all free catalogues, but I took a HUGE hit last year having to pay for them PLUS pay postage to send them all out. So, I hope you understand.

Those of you here in Annapolis... I am going to be planning a workshop on the last Sunday of June. (I think it's the 25th?) and you will have the opportunity to get your catalogue then (or earlier, if I'll see you before that point!)

Chores can wait...

crafting can't!!!!

So I know I said I was taking a break from swaps, but I joined like 5 more. My goal was to get them done this weekend so I can start seriously cleaning the house which leaves much to be desired. While I DID get them all done, tomorrow we have a BBQ in the afternoon so I guess the cleaning will have to wait until Monday. Too Bad! :-) I had the most fun with the RU Frugal swap. I encourage you to see what YOU can make with recycled items. You'll start seeing uses for all sorts of different items, and it will help you step up your creativity.

Would you like to swing on a star????

When I saw this swap posted, I had to join. One, because it's being hosted by Margo, a fellow TAC Angel here in MD, and TWO, because I've had the moon stamp for awhile and never even mounted it. So, I knew I could use it with my Country Jar set and come up with something cute. I am super happy with the way this one came out. It's almost exactly what I first visualized and that hardly ever happens when I'm crafting!!!

In the Jungle...

This is for a swap that I joined using cute jungle animals. This is another stamp that I haven't done much with... found the quote in the Pea Soup at www.twopeasinabucket (there are THOUSANDS of quote you can search through there. I use it frequently and highly recommend a visit if you're not familiar with it. Click on Resources and you'll see the Pea Soup link come up.)

Stars-n-Stripes

When I saw Pepper's post for a Stars-n-Stripes Swap, I had to join. I don't think I've ever used this stamp for anything, so I figured it was time to break it in. You can't tell from the picture, but the whole thing is covered in irridescent sparkle embossing powder, so it shimmers nicely.

Mission, Possible: Successfully Completed

This was a challenge swap. Our mission was to create ATCs with ALL of the following: a zigzag, a hole, something metallic, a triangle, a word or number, and ribbon (I think that's all). This is what I came up with. The 'stitching' is just black marker... I'd had enough sewing for awhile (see prior post re: my brother-in-laws stole).

RU Frugal???

Yes, Yes, I am!!!!

These are just a few of the ATCs I made for an "RU Frugal" swap... the challenge was to make ATCs out of recycled items. Some of the items I used for these cards are: cancelled stamps, jeweled flowers from dollar-store headbands that Abby refuses to wear, Christmas Cards, transparencies left over from my teaching days (don't worry, I paid for them out of my own pocket!), the cardboard packaging from Abby's plastic sunglasses, and images from the past issue of "Country Home"