Countdown to Christmas!

December 1st! YAY... 25 days will FLY by! Here is a Christmas card I made a while back. I love to do the hemp this way and tie in knots.. Adds so much and that stuff is so cheap! :-) Be sure to check back EVERY day as I will be posting SOMETHING from now until Christmas DAY!

Warm Wishes!

Use these as a perfect "bow" to put on top of a gift, to pass around at work, or an additive to spruce up a small gift! Start with plastic spoons- you can use pretty ones like these fake silver ones. Melt white chocolate and milk chocolate in seperate bowls. Dip the spoon in and let 'set' on wax paper.

Next tie them off with plastic and bread ties. I took plain sandwich baggies (fold top- not zipper) and cut off one end of a corner and used that. Next you put a pack of hot cocoa in cellophane bags with some mini marshamllows in the bottom. Add your spoon. (white choc. for white choc. cocoa or french vanilla cocoa. Use the milk chocolate spoon for regular cocoa)

Cut a 5 x 3 piece of cardstock and stamp to your desire. Score cardstock at 2.5. Fold over top of cello bag and staple with colored red or green staples.

You can also tie bag with a ribbon. Punch a hole and thread ribbon through to add tag.

ENJOY!!!!

Thankful for you guys!

As I was switching my background from the Thanksgiving theme to the Christmasy one- I stopped again to think of the things I am thankful for. I realized I have not said on my blog how thankful I am for all my customers! You guys rock! You make this work so much fun. Joining CTMH has brought me closer with lots of people I may not otherwise have gotten to know! So thanks to YOU!

It's Almost Over!

We won't see this sale again for at least a year! (or more) Stampganza is over TODAY- Last chance for buy 2 stamps get one free! :-)

Holy Shopping Day Bat Girls!

WOW! How productive was I! Okay - for all of you who say day after thanksgiving shopping is nuts- Let me tell you- I had a GREAT day of shopping with my mom and my sister AND I am 95% DONE with Christmas shopping!! yay- I have just enough shopping leftover to ENJOY doing it throughout December! :-) I honestly did not think it was nearly as crowded this year... Maybe its the economy or maybe it was because Toys R Us opened at midnight and most went home after that! ha!~ I was trying to upload the pic of the line at Toys r us Amie sent me, but it was on my cell and I cant get it over.. Anyway- for those of you who shop this day too - understand when I say it was WRAPPED around the building! yikes!

SHOP TILL WE DROP

T.D.A.T.S......Okay So my sister, my mom, and I are those crazy people who do the "Black Friday" shopping. We plan and talk about it so much that saying or emailing "the day after Thanksgiving shopping' was just too much for us!! Sooo we shortened it to TDATS. (tee-dats) Yeah- so if you didnt think we were crazy by now- let me tell you that we plan on hitting Toys R' Us at the midnight sale this year! YIKES!!! I promise you wont see me on the 5 o'clock news however as I will gladly let the last $4.00 light saber go before I wrestle 'She-Woman" for it! :-) Have a great weekend and stay tuned on Monday for a VERY cute & inexpensive lil gift idea (or lil extra gift) for those coworkers, teachers, or church girls.

With all the holiday events coming up you are bound to need a good and easy recipe! So I thought I'd post a cool recipe my sister Amie found somewhere and shared with me!

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball 1 packages (8oz.) cream cheese softened ¼ teaspoon vanilla ½ cup of butter (not margarine) ¾ cup powdered sugar 2T brown sugar ¾ cup mini chocolate chips ¾ cups pecans Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars and beat until combines. STIR in chocolate chips and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place mixture on wax paper and form into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll ball into pecans just before serving. Serve with vanilla wafers or graham crackers for dipping.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVE!

Check out the place cards I decided to make last minute! Thanks to Jeanette Lynton (CTMH CEO) for the inspiration. These would be even cuter if I tied some raffia around the stands OR walked out in the yard and picked some pinecones to stick the cards into! Who has time for that right! LOL My hope for you all is to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday. I will not be posting tomorrow so see ya Friday! (actually I'll be shopping in the madness, but I'll get something on the auto post!) Count your blessings!

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings name them one by one And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you till your journey’s end. Johnson Oatman, E.O. Excell (pg 33 in our book! lol)

Christmas Card 2009 Trial and Error

I have been trying to decide on my Christmas card for this year. This is my first trial run- I really need to sit down and work some up. They have to be 4 1/4 by 6 1/4 for my photo.. That takes a lot of paper! This is the inside of the card. This is last year's photo. I need to come up with something creative this year!

Jingle Jingle Jingle all the WAY!

Oh what FUN it is to SCRAP! fa la lala Jingle workshop layout! I have done so much with this paper (as you will soon see on here!) This is the layout CTMH suggest with the workshop kit.. $30.00 Kit includes: Jingle Level 2 Paper Packet ($12.95), My Acrylix® Somethin’ Special STAMP($13.95), Twinkle Brads Jolly Assortment ($3.95), and a full color step by step Workshop Guide ($1.00) Join me for a workshop or contact me for the kit! FUN! It's almost Christmas time! Let's all have a happy Thanksgiving first!

Tea Anyone???

My friend Stacey is about to have her third daughter in January, and we celebrated with a quaint lil tea party! We had so much fun being fancy and playing baby games! This is my thank you card to Stacey's mom Trish for hosting the tea party! She had decorated so dainty!!

Stacey and I all feathered up! This is a picture of our fancy second course! First course: cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, quiche, etc... Second course: cream puffs, tartletts, choc. covered strawberries! WOW! How pampered were we?! Hot tea with sugar cubes and almond fruit tea during social hour too! :-)

Life is Good............

Take a moment now & think of 3 things you consider blessings. And then thank God for them! Mine: #1 Privilege of prayer, #2 A husband who supports me staying home with our son, #3 wonderful family and friends who love me and care genuinely about my well being. There is JUST 3! Thats hard because there is so many! Have a great weekend everyone!

Christmas Card Workshop

Basic Christmas Card Workshop! Join us to make 5 each of these 4 cards- 20 TOTAL! This kit includes Jingle level 2 paper packet (22 pieces of paper), 20 white blank envelopes and cards, Juniper ink pad, Petite Perks Stamp set (3 images & 2 sentiments) for only $24.00. You will have TONS of paper left over to make more cards or scrapbook pages or gift books!

The workshop is November 30th at 5:30. Let me know by THIS FRIDAY (20th-sorry for short notice!) if you are interested and I will get you a kit and give you the details! If you miss the class you can still by the kit and I'll get you a cutting guide!

Dress up your cards with these optional add ons:

Liquid Glass p98 $6.95 Twinkle Brads p 92 $3.95 Cranberry Ribbon p91 $6.95 Sparkles p91 $2.95 Tulip Ink pad p101 $5.25 Tulip marker p101 $2.95 Cranberry Ink pad p101 $5.25 Edge Distresser p 97 $2.50 Bonding Memories Glue p96 $6.95

"LET ME SHOW YOU HOW!"

Another Wish List Book

LOVE this Jingle paper! Im normally all about tradtional green and red, but this has grown on me so much.. These little guys are so easy to make- see below for details!

Leave enough open space in your pocket for all your receipts! you can also use a paper clip at top for added security if needed!

Start with 12 x 8 3/4 piece of cardstock. Score & fold at 6 x 8 3/4. Add a piece of B&T (background and textured) paper to the right inside to cover. Add pop dots (glue dots) to the back of a pad and adhere. Cut out your flap for the left side and stamp however you'd like! If you adhere with brads make sure to do this before you decorate the front so you can cover them backs up! Add an extra 6 x 1/2 inch of paper at the bottom for extra protection of the receipts! Decorate the front and start SHOPPING!

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

Evensong Paper with New England Ivy & Cranberry Ink! I love this stamp set too- you'll be seeing alot of it on here over the next couple of weeks! ;-)

I made a super cool Christmas Wish List booklet! This will help you keep all your ideas handy! And your receipts! I had heard of this being made from a couple of different consultants, but I have to give my cousin in law (and friend!) Cindy snaps for this one! THANKS! She showed me one she got at a craft fair over the weekend, and I thought (as so many of us do) "I can do that!" hahahaha I made two.. I'll post the other one tomorrow! It's with our Jingle paper.. Enjoy!

Make a pocket on the inside left cover to put all your receipts in! Adhere the left side and bottom piece. You can use glue or brads.

Tie a Pen to a Paper clip or binder clip and attach to the top or side! You can detach it this way easily if needed too!

Half Way through Stampaganza!

Its November 16th! Half wat through Nov.!!! Dont miss out on the sale! So we know CTMH has TONS of Dsize stamps ($22.95) that are gorgeous but the A, B, and C sizes are awesome too! Here's a few that will be retiring December 31, 2009!! Now or Never! Buy 2 Get 1 FREE! Shop online @: tonyamccrary.myctmh.com to see ALL stamps!!!! Ltr Tatrs...

Fabulous Fall D-size, $22.95

Bootiful A-size, $10.95 Ahoy Matey C-size, $18.95

Ring it in the Year C-size, $18.95

Hallo-Scream, Bsize $13.95

Little Spooks B-size $13.95

Roughin It C-size $18.95

Give Thanks Dsize $22.95

November Stamp of the Month- How Cute is this!

Jingle house card by Melanie Boyer ( a CTMH consultant) she rocks! I love this paper too!

Halloween house card by Mary Ellen (a CTMH consultant) -so cool! You girls are WAY creative!

So my artwork isnt my best (below) BUT you can see the potential this stamp has. I love it. I cannot wait to make a gingerbread house with it!

Grace Level 1 cards

I usually make a personalized card for each occasion as I need one, BUT I like to have cards around just in case I need one quickly! I will usually pick my favorite newest paper of out each new catalog and scrap up some 'level 1' cards.' I have chosen "grace' this time.. So simple!

Thank a Veteran

Acknowledge the sacrafice they made by simply telling them how much you appreciate them! Everyone knows at least one veteran or someone serving. Make them proud by saying THANK YOU.

Bella oh' Bella

Level 1 pages are a super great way to get alot done really fast! Just add some ink, ribbon, and maybe a few stamped images and dress them up! Turn the above into these!~

Bella doesnt have to be all girl either! :-)