Misc. Post today

I was SOO hoping to get my other Hooligans layout done for today's post - but it didnt happen.. NO time yesterday to make my finishing touches on it.. So I found something from last years posts! Here is a 'pillow box' I made last year from a template. (sorry- have no idea where I GOT the template!- I'm sure it was one of my awesome sideline CTMH girls!) But I had in mind to make lil Christmas door hangers (kinda like stockings) BUT I had to make one before then and it was Halloween! You could make up a bunch of these to hand out to co-workers, friends, or trick or treaters stuffed with candy!!! Email me (tonyamcc@twlakes.net) for the template- so EASY!

I LOVE these!

Gotta BRAG!

Do my club girls have talent or what?!!? Check out Rebecca's super cute Cherry - O page below! Super cute and she said she still had to add some stitching! ;-) This is Mrs Shawn's new Fall layout! This is a GREAT spin on the traditional Fall colors! I forget how well this Autumn color of pink can look with all the greens and oranges of Fall! Looks VERY similar to some new colors CTMH has- smoothie, sunset, and pear! And she didnt even plan it that way! LOL ;-)

Thank you girls for sharing your creativity!! I get so excited to see it! Keep it coming! Oh and Kelly I need a picture of your completed 'wood' layout! LOL :-)

October Club Layout!

Did I mention I LOVE the new catalog?!!? :-) Check out my sister's lil monster below... This NEW "Hooligans" paper is to 'die' for! There are sooo many things you can do with -The obvious is a Halloween page of course b/c of the colors, but you can use for sooo much more- Ill post pics of other layouts later and will NOT even recognize the paper packet! LOL SO versatile! LOVE CTMH papers for that (and many more) reason! I made me some glitter 'monsters!' I added our new opaques and sunset brads to my monsters' eyes on the left column there!

I've used liquid glass and prisma glitter to make these dots 'pop.'

On the top monster I used the waterbrush to make him 'wishy washy.' On the bottom one I used liquid glass to make him slimy!

To purchase or attend this workshop- drop me an email.. 22 pieces of paper, metal and ribbon accessories, and a STAMP- and a complete step by step workshop guide! $29.95! Awesome Possum!

WonderFALL Weekends

I don't usually post much on the weekends BUT I might just start posting some yummy recipes here and there! Everything about Fall is so fun - even the food. I love when the fresh apples start to pop up at little stands everywhere. Recently on our weekend getaway over labor day we found some honey crisp apples for sale. I whipped up some side pies! Mine are really simple. Cut up the apples, cook in a skillet on stove top on medium high with a tblspoon of oil and a buncho' butter. I wait until mine are starting to get soft and then I add some sugar (you can use a mixture of white and brown- i just use white) Sometimes I even use splenda if I'm trying to do 'better." Stir that all up in the skillet and then sprinkle cinnamon over it all and let cook some more. NOW here's my FAVORITE part... I use caramel syrup! YUMMY- Just when the apples are starting to get done ( I like to leave mine in their form.. many people mash them up- that is good too) If I'm using the syrup I leave them and then pour the syrup all over. Let them cook just a few minutes longer. It makes the caramel really gooey!

For my 'pies' i keep it really simple and use canned biscuits!

Now this is just one of my favs too in the fall. I love spiced cider BUT I cant have so much of that lately b/c of all the sugar BUT this is a great alternative! Orange and Black Tea. (Or you can just use regular tea and fresh oranges.) I DO BOTH! ;-) I love that orange flavor and spice. To make this SIMPLE spice tea boil 6-8 tea bag in about 4-5 cups of water for a few minutes. Turn off heat and remove the tea bags. Throw in a cinnamon stick and a teaspoon of spices. ( i just used cloves this day) Go ahead and sweeten it too- White sugar is YUMMIEST of course but for me these days I used Splenda so I could have as much as I wanted! Cut up some orange slices to put on top. Let steep for about 5 minutes. You can even leave the burner on 'low' or just off.

I have to confess- it made a really cute picture but the reason I don't have an 'after ' shot is because when I cut into my orange- I realized it was a grapefruit! ha! I didn't have oranges! ;-(

Feature Friday

Big thank you to Ami Wilson for sharing this with me! Very cool site!http://www.wordle.net/create She says she learned about this website at the Tech Women's Club meeting. If you type words in the spot provided and click go, the program will create a word cloud or a "wordle" of the words you typed. The words that appear most frequently will appear in a larger font. (See below- I typed in family 3 times!) THANKS AGAIN AMI for letting us in on this! Below I typed in all the things I love about FALL! It gives you the options to save or print! Print it out and adhere it to the front of a card or as an embellishment on your layouts! So many creative opportunities here- Share with us what you did! Tips when using this site: After you type in your words it will pop up a generic form- use the tabs at the top to modify! I chose font "sexsmith' (not joking!), and under layout - i chose 'half & half" so my words would be horizontal AND vertical. You can also choose 're-layout" under layout to make it it 'mix it up again!' Underneath 'color' I first chose "indian earth' for the fall colors but didn't want the black background- so i went with 'organic carrot' and then also chose option 'some variation' so i got 'some' of ALL the color palette!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

Okay - maybe ONLY in my studio! LOL I love Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving and I get a little peaved at the stores when I see all the Christmas stuff out before September HOWEVER- Christmas CARDS are a different story... especially if you like to hand make all of yours! I will be having a Christmas card workshop as always, BUT I wanted to show these off too- b/c they are BRAND NEW to CTMH this year- you can insert a 4x 6 photo and then decorate them right up! Includes 12 5x7 pre-printed cards (6 each of two designs) 3 - cardstock stickease deluxe sheets, 36 tulip sparkles & 36 sweet leaf sparkles (includes 12 small & 24 bitty- so CUTE!) plus 12 envelopes.

I plan on doing these for the bulk of my Christmas cards and making only a handful of the other to hand out! ;-)

Annual Labor Day Trip to Balsam Mountain

First Morning at Camp! Hammock swinging!

Riding my bike.....

Ran my benches OVER & OVER!

Chillin' by the campfire the last night......

BACK TO REALITY!

I hope everyone had a FABULOUS labor day! We OF course went camping! I'll post a pic or two later BUT until then check out below my latest and greatest from... You guessed it ... OLIVIA paper pack.. ;-)

Mix N' Mingle

Okay and also some more OLIVIA paper! LOL Last of Olivia for a while..maybe! ;) This "Mix n Mingle" is a new product from our new Book (email me for your copy!) and its so fun to play with! You can "mix" and match them any way you like- You can hang them by 2's in rows of 3 or link them all together like this. You could even hang from a mantel. I have made this one (inspired by the "thanks" pattern they've used in the new book! I'm going to use it on my table runner on my table for Thanksgiving!

Close up of my Thanksgiving mix n mingle

I love to sponge letters and stamp over them! CUTE CUTE! Another one of my fav things to do is use 'rock n roll' and sponge technique with fall leaves! gorgeous colors!

The new mocha opaques add so much to any project too! Have I mentioned how GREAT the new book is!?!!? LOL

Of course I had to decorate the back up a bit too since it is the Centerpiece on my table... Didn't want the back to be plain! ;-)

Feature Friday!

Today's Feature Friday is a bit different. Its ME! LOL http://www.tonyamccrary.myctmh.com/ Just wanted to pass along some things about it that you might not know. Lots of great tools on there! 1. WORKSHOPS ON THE GO- So much artwork here! In my clubs we do a layout & then you are left with some really GREAT paper- here is a good way to see some additional artwork with all that same great paper you already have!! 2. CTMH TV - I wish I could say I get to watch these EVERY TIME- They are great.. Talk about TECHNIQUES! I am always inspired after these. There is "Art & Soul" and "PBS" episodes. Be sure to check out the archives too. I usually pull it up - let it download and come back to it. The current is titled "Eclectic Elegance" - Featured technique is "Creative Clusters"- VERY COOL! 3. Art- I have just a few things on there- I post most of my art- here on my blog! 4. Last but not LEAST AT ALL- PRODUCTS! This one is MOST important because our new catalog JUST went LIVE September 1st and it is one of my favs- HANDS DOWN! I love everything in it! IF you do NOT have the new hard copy book- click HERE (or go to "Products" tab on my CTMH website (tonyamccrary.myctmh.com) and click Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea book and BROWSE around!

RECYCLE!

Here's a great idea from a fellow consultant & friend Charlene Ricketts! I got to know Charlene at CTMH convention when we roomed together this past July. Her idea is if you have any OLD outdated cards- for example- Graduation cards with an old date, OR old baby shower thank you's, or just some ugly stationary you don't EVER think you'll use- Well make a 'card front' and glue them on! We do that anyway right?!@ I am always buying 'blank cards' and envelopes so this is a great way to save some money and use up my own resources!~ Check out her photo at charcats.blogspot.com. She's using our new September Stamp of the month! Its a thriller! ;-)

More to adore about OLIVIA

It's September & that means I'm clear to put out the Fall decor! I bought a cutie lil punkin' at the DOLLAR STORE of all places yesterday. It was only $3.00 but it was so sweet! I have my Fall dishes out as well. So now I just have to go get out all my prints and pumpkins and start setting it out! Below are a few things I made with the Olivia packet- I have a feeling I'll be working with this kit ALOT! I have been embossing alot lately for some reason. I tend to do that - I might get on a kick using a certain technique that Ive 'forgotten' about for a while. One thing I LOVE to do with Fall leaf stamps is "rock n roll" technique and sponging in some color! Notice the Green leaf... its 'sweet leaf' stamped with a 'new england ivy' border.

This is a new A size stamp set in the new catalog. (email me for your copy!!) A- size means its a tad bit smaller than the rest and is ONLY $7.95! I am sure I will use this on MANY thank you cards for my gal friends! ;-) This is also the Olivia paper- I just really used the muted patterns so my coffee cup would stand out! I cant wait to use this stamp on my cocoa packets at Christmas too!

Calling Olivia! O-liiiii-vi-a... Olivia... I think I got your number...

Oh wait... That "gloria!" LOL This FABULOUS paper packet is called "Olivia." When I think Olivia I think elegance.. Well it - it's Fall elegance at its best! I cant wait to show you how versatile this paper is!! Stay tuned tomorrow for plenty that I have been doing with this paper! Below is the workshop Ill be teach this month! This workshop is ALL about your sanding kit!!!!!

Sand & stamp on your photo?!!?! Thats right! Teneal it IS optional! LOL ;-)

Passages INTO FALL.. hopefully soon!

this is the workshop we will be doing for club Scrapbook Superstars in a week or so- its so fun to make! and so easy!!

Life Preservers club had this one a couple weeks ago and Shannon 'caught' her daughters first fish on film! ;-) Check out her cool layout below. She used the photos how they are in the guide- I had different photos so that's why mine are a bit different! I LOVE when people 'tweak' it for their own! That's what scrapbookin' is ALL about! Make it your own...

Those HOOLIGANS!!!!

I am SOOO ready for Fall and all the cool stuff that comes with it!! Halloween, Thanksgiving, (day after thanksgiving shopping!), camping, apple cider, candles burning with the windows up!! i just cant wait! Making these cards from our new "Hooligans" paper just really excited me even more! Check out my monsters! Below is paper from Hooligans and fuzzy lil Hooligans we have in our new catalog! the lil monster is stamped and then liquid glass added to make him extra slimy! I added two of our bitty opaques for his eyes!!! The pennant is cut out of the design on one of the printed patterned papers in the packet!

It always amazes me how versatile you can make these papers look.. Same paper packet and LOTS of different results. Below I have used a piece of Autumn Terracotta Card stock and embossed some stamping to the top and bottom and added some monsters!

I am sooo ready for Fall adn Halloween!

We got our Scrapbook Luau ON this past Saturday!

This is right before the show started! My booth was still looking pretty neat - throughout the day it wore down! LOL I had so much fun doing this. If you came out this year - you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't get to then you need to start planning NOW to make it for next year. As a 'cropper' this year the girls paid $40 which got them a space to crop for 11 hours, breakfast (chickfila, pastries, fruit, and MORE), lunch (strouds & fixins'), dinner (olive garden salad & breadsticks, pizza, and cookies) and snacks throughout the day which included: TWO chocolate fountains- white and milk choc. - bananas, nutter butters, oreos, pretzles, angels food cake, and MORE for dipping - look out melting pot! and coffee & drinks ALL DAY! I am sure I left out something! it was PLENTY! Here is my lil corner I set up shop for the day in! BUSY BUSY! I taught a class on the coaster book and it was a success! Thanks to Shawn, Shannon, Melinda, Kelly, Kim, Dylcia, and Elizabeth for signing up!! It was GREAT getting to know you ladies! The photo I took - on my phone- b/c I forgot to take my camera up to class- well I obviously didn't press 'save.' Stinkers!

Heres some artwork I brought- the big blank black space in upper right corner bothered me all day! LOL I had a flyer printed out to go there and LEFT it at home!- so I thought.. I found it later on in one of my boxes - just about closing time! LOL