Here are the March club cards.  I hope you will all enjoy them.  As you see, there are 6 cards out here.  You will actually be making only the normal 5.  You will have a choice to make either the toddler girl or toddler boy.

Karen Simon gave me the Cross embossing folder to turn in to a card, so I hope it did it justice. I hope she (and the rest of you) will like it as well!  You will notice that it has a lot of "pearls" on the sides of the card.  Well, using that many pearls would be too expensive, so I've used a product (liquid pearls), that I purchased for a faux pearl effect.  I think it turned out ok!  There's nothing like the others, but I think it's a good substitute.

Also, don't look too closely (but now I know you will because I said not to), at the bottom of the graduation card.  I ripped a piece of the white embossed honeycomb paper, and tried to "patch" it.  Don't any of you try to do this!  It looks totally bad.  And for once, I've decided I'm not going to change it.  Mainly, because I'm not going to send it to anyone, and I'm too darned busy to care about it right now.  I also want you all to know that I DO MAKE MISTAKES, and many of them.  I'm just real skilled at usually covering them up - except this one!

I wanted to do something a little "funky" with the toddler cards, so I thought of the old nursery rhyme, Ring around the Maypole, (kind of like Ring around the Rosey game), and used several colors of "swinging" ribbon.  You will most likely either like it or think it VERY STRANGE.  There won't be any in between.  If you don't like it, make the ribbons into something else, but I personally think it's different enough to be kind of cool...  I must have really been in a strange mood when designing this card too, because I chose to give the bunny a pierced ear and diamond earring.  I couldn't find a place for a tatoo, sorry!

See you soon.
Denise



Other than the embossed cross, all images are Stampin' Up! and meet (SU! copyright requirements)

Well, what have I been up to?  Creating, creating, creating.  I have so many projects that I'm trying to get up and running for my club gals.  I'm making plans for a tentative Spring crop day, designing a technique class (that includes such techniques as Shaving Cream Technique, Straw Technique, Emboss Resist, Joseph's Coat, Faux Patina, Faux Linen, Mother of Pearl, Polished Stone, Watercoloring with aqua pens, etc,) and a new surprise workshop day (not a regular club meeting) that I'm thinking of calling "Tea for Two". I have also finished the template for the club's year-end project (a cookbook).  Now I need to get started on cutting it all out.  It will be an extremely LARGE project.  I may ask a few of the girls to help me get it cut out.

As far as the technique class goes, I guess now that I think about it, whenever I have done these techniques before, they were done in classes where all we did was practice the techniques and bring home pieces of paper that just set around!  We never did anything with it.  What good did that do us?  So, I'm determined to make mine in to something, and that's exactly what I'm doing, and why it seems to be taking so long.  I've only been working on them about 5-6 days, so I guess I'm really doing good.  All I need to do now is make them in to cards.  I have already turned more than half into cards and they look totally awesome!  So glad I've decided to go beyond what others have done.  I'm very pleased with them.  I sure hope my girls think so and want to sign up for the classes.

I'm not getting much traffic out here on my blog, so I guess I will need to make a decision soon, on whether or not to keep it up and running.  So girls, if you would like me to post out here, please make some comments so I know you are looking at it!  I will discuss it at our March 9th club meeting.

I have the March club cards ready to go.  I hope to have pictures of them loaded out here within the next couple of days, so stay tuned everyone!

Until later...

Well, I survived the big Valentine club meeting last weekend, and so did my club members.  The weather cleared and we were able to meet on Saturday, as planned.  I think everyone took home some wonderful Valentines.  I haven't heard much about the recipients comments, yet.  Looking forward to hearing from my gals on this one!  So, if you are out here reading, dear club members, let me know how they went over.  I'm very anxious to hear which ones you gave out and to whom!

I was so very pleased and surprised to receive flowers from a couple of my club members this week!  And they did it, just to show their appreciation for my work on the crafting club.  I love what I do, and I love my club members, which makes it so easy for me to do my job.  Thanks to all of you, for sharing this time with me, every month.

I've started working on our club cookbook this week.  I seem to be a little over-whelmed with it, right now; but I'm sure as I get more in to it, it will eventually come together.  My biggest problems are 1), finding the space I need to decorate it, and 2) figuring out how to get as many recipes in to as we can.  Unfortunately, I don't think we will be able to get more than 30, so that means each member will only be able to submit two recipes.  I'm very disappointed about that, but then again, I guess we aren't trying to publish a complete cookbook, either.  I really wanted to do more.  At work we used to call this "scope creep".  So, I have to remember the real "scope" of the project, and what it is really meant to represent.  A small, cute little gift to keep or share.  I guess we could always make multiple versions until we get everything that we want.  There is always next year, although we may not want to do the same thing again. 

I have also started work on the March club greeting cards.  They are coming along well.  We will be making a St. Patrick's card, 2 Easter cards, Graduation, and Toddler Birthday.  I will try to post them later on this month.

Take care everyone, I'll see you soon.  Please remember:  you can always comment on my posts out here!

Until next time...
Denise

The first big snowstorm of the year and wouldn't you know it's my big craft club weekend with my friends?  I've been worried for 2 days about everyone getting here, or if I was going to have to cancel. The problem of cancelling would be that Valentines' Day is Thursday, and we don't have another time to get together to get them done!  Well, I'm happy to say that as of early today, the snow has stopped coming down, and the roads are being cleared up.  The club day is on! 

I've baked all day and set up the basement for everyone.... I'm tired out today, but very excited to have everyone make some of the best Valentines ever.  I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about it all.  The reason being, that we have so much to do, and some very detailed cards to make.  In addition, we will be making our "BIG" Valentine together as a group, along with the paper roses!  It is beautiful, if I say so myself.  I'm just worried about how much time it may take.  I'm willing to take all day and half the night if necessary.  I'm game if they are!

I'm beginning work on the club cookbook this coming week.  I've decided we will make it in 2 sessions.  One meeting in June and the other in November.  It will be ready for Christmas as a wonderful home-made gift for someone, or just to keep for ourselves.  We will be sharing each other's recipes too, so how wonderful it will be to have.  If we give it as a gift, we can always copy the recipes to keep for ourselves. 

Well, signing off until next time.....

p.s.  I have a couple of fun surprises for my friends, tomorrow!  Hope they like it!

I'm just about ready for my crafting club's big Valentine weekend (next Sat. Feb.9th).  I thought of something else today that I have to add... and something we could do if there was more time (and if I had enough money to spend time on it)... I'm trying to stay within my craft club "budget", but once again, I haven't.  I can't control my creativity, so what can I say?  It's my own fault!  I want to give everyone the very best I can.  My problem is I keep designing, and re-designing, and adding this and adding that.  Oh well, Christmas projects and Valentines only come once a year... Maybe I can control myself (and therefore my budget) next month...

We will be making these wonderful heart easel cards that don't fit in envelopes!  So, guess what?  I had to make boxes for them today!  If I only had enough paper to match, we could decorate the boxes... but we won't have time anyway.  What is a girl to do???

I have so many projects burning in my brain cells... I don't know when I'm going to have the time to work on them.  I want to do some exploring this year with some shadow boxes and mixed media albums.  I've started to study them.  Maybe by summer I could get one done and have a class.  But first things, first.  I need to start designing our club cookbook.  I have all the paper now, so that will probably be my first project.  And Jessie, if you are reading this, I have your paper in as well, and I need to start working on a project for you.  I guess I can understand why a young gal wouldn't want a boring cookbook... But what if you want to learn to make my chicken soup???

I just love what I do!  I'm looking forward every day to learning and studying something new.  I guess I'm officially called a "craft nerd". 

Check back soon, and please feel free to comment on items and pictures that you see posted out here! 

Until next time....