United Way Contribution

United Way expects everyone in the school to make a contribution.  I am not crazy about the idea of contributing money from my pocket, but contributing my artwork is another story.  I have all the supplies already and for the selfish reason that it advertises my business.  These items will become part of a silent auction.  Whatever is bid will become my contribution.  Yeah, works for me.

The brightly colored School Rules is a 5X8 notepad  with a pocket on the inside of the cover.

The 4X5 Thank you cards go inside the box with the pumpkin on the front.

The six little 3x3 thank you cards go inside the little drawer.

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Sports Bar

I think this is so cool.  One of my teachers asked me if I could make a sign for her son, Christian's, loft. He is only about 11 or 12, but he told her it wasn't his loft, but his sports bar.  Yes, I know that these balls are out of proportion, DH has already pointed that out.  Too Bad, So Sad.  What do you want when you are making them from scratch, right?!?  Can you think of anything else I should add to it?
I think I might get to bed early tonight, how nice for me.  I want to get up early in the am so I can run by WalMart and get a birthday cake.  Tomorrow is the principal's birthday.  I made her a card, you already saw that the other day, and I gave toward a gift card to Bath & Body Works, but she is a special lady.  You can never have enough cake, right?
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Couple of cards 2

Check out Vicki Wizniuk's card here.   This is cased from her blog.  Vicki makes and sells the most beautiful work and  I always enjoy visiting her blog for new ideas.  The card is for my boss.  Her birthday is Thursday and her favorite colors are pink and green, which is also her sorority colors.  

This card is for our Teacher of the Year.  Ms. C. Smith.  We have so many  Smith's in our school we call them by their initial.    I used  the Notebook paper pack.  One of my absolutely least favorite paper packs of all time, as the papers have coffee stains ALL over them.  In all CTMH paper packs there are 6 different 12X12 papers, two of each design and there are 10 sheets of 12X12 card stock six of them in the colors that are found in the papers of each paper pack and four in white daisy or colonial white to use as bases for layouts or card making.  Back to the coffee stains - ewe yuk.  I DO NOT like distressing done on a card, layout or other project.  Some people really think it looks nice, but to me it looks dirty.  Why would I put all that effort into a project and then half destroy it before giving it to someone?  To me that would be like taking an article from around my house that I didn't want or care much about and giving it as a gift.  Nope, not happening!!!!  I was able to cut this paper so that little to none of the coffee stains showed.

Thanks for tuning in.  If you haven't seen them check out my other three posts today.

another version of THANKS from the idea book

For this set I used the Passages paper pack and cut my chipboard from nestabilities.  The one that I copied from the idea book on page 38 is made from a Mix and Mingle album.  I had this one at work and was showing it to one of the clerks when a teacher walked by and said she wanted one.  I will take this one and the other, two sided one in and see which one she prefers.

I have a couple of cards to share and will do so in a 4th post today.  Check it out.
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Imitation part 2

Here is side two of my imitation of Annette Green's project.  The paper pack is Olivia, the stamp set used is Many Thanks and a very old one, I cannot remember the name.  More of the Mocha opaques.
Thanks for tuning in and stayed tuned for another version.of the THANKS. I don't think I have posted it yet.

Imitation - the sincerest form of flattery

Annette Green made a beautiful project (for want of a better description) based on a photo from our idea book.  It has Thanks on one side and Joyful on the other side.  This is my imitation.  Annette used an acrylic and chipboard shaped album from CTMH called Mix and Mingle.  I used coasters.  I attempted to make one similar to the one in the idea book using chipboard, which I will post later.  Be sure to check out Annette's (link provided).  It is beautiful.  She is a graphic artist so please don't compare mine to hers.
I used a brayer and put cranberry and garden green inks on my coasters.  Used the new Mistletoe paper pack from CTMH and the new Mocha opaque gems.  The stamp sets are: I Believe and A Timber.  
I will post the other side of this project in a second post.
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thank you cards for my birthday gifts

I was overwhelmed by the love I received on my birthday.  The Office Chicks gave me a gift card for JoAnns.  Two ladies from our parent/volunteer department bought a cookie cake for me.  One of the teachers that I eat lunch with bought my lunch that day.  The next day my bosses, the principal and assistant principal, bought a flower cake for me.  One of our substitutes bought a mini cake for me.  I made these thank you cards for them.  Also a couple of teachers are celebrating birthdays this month so I made cards for them. I love the pumpkin with the polka dots on it and the paper pieced pumpkin.
I was telling DH this evening I have so many things I need to work on and no energy to go into the scrap room and do anything.  Tonight I spent two hours overtime at the school getting our payroll keyed. Didn't make it to my other office and then had to go to my son's school for spaghetti dinner.  I am wiped out.  Maybe this weekend I will find some mojo and energy to get some projects finished.

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birthday gift

The pattern for this card holder  is by Vickie Dutcher.  Hers is actually  for a 4.25 x 4.25 card.  I adapted it for a 4X5.5 card  at .5 inch deep to hold about 3 or 4 cards and then  added another inch to it so it would hold 6 card and envelopes.

This was the first card holder I made using Vickie's pattern adapted for a 4X5.5 card.  I really like this holder, but it  is only a half inch deep so it only holds 3 cards and envelopes and I wanted to be able to give my friend, Marci, more than 3 cards.  I used the Olivia paper pack - actually the level 1- for the front of the box.

I was at Michael's the other day and they had some Free - Take me patterns.  This is  based on a pattern by Debi Hammons

This card is CASED from Vicki Wizniuk.  She made a set of these in a card holder.  I thought it was so cute I had to copy it.  I especially like Vicki's work and get quite a few of my ideas from her.  The paper is from the Animal Cookies paper pack.

This is called a windmill card.  I found it on Sheila's Stampin' Stuff blog.  I used the Olivia Paper Packet for it.

Oh my goodness, I really really like this card.  This was patterned after another one of the Michael's Free - take me patterns by Arlene Lobach.  The background is random stamped, the pumpkin is from the stamp set Friendship patch.   I colored the 'punkin' in with copic markers and set it aside.  I don't know what made me think to add the white dots, but I am so tickled with how they came out.  I used a "Brad Buddy" which is just a piece of plastic canvas and dotted every other hole with a white get pen.  The ribbon I picked up at Joann's.  Totally my favorite.

Anther pattern from Michael's by Arlene Lobach.  I used the Cherry O paper pack, Something Splendid stamp set for the flower and Buttoned together for the sentiment.  You don't notice them but there are three tulip colored brads in the upper left corner of the card.  Not my fav either.

Not bad, even if I do say so.  This is a new stamp set called Father Christmas.  Isn't he beautiful?  I think maybe the area under his beard should have been red, but. . .   I am also not sure where the ivy stops and his hair and face start, but you get the picture.  I think I need to get some gold and silver gel pens for things like the bells

This is the front of the card holder that I am not happy with.  The size is great.  I think I need to remove the bowl of cherries though.

Next weekend a couple of my sisters are coming to town.  We will be celebrating several birthdays over the weekend.  One of them is Marci's.  I made two card holders because the first one is too narrow to hold a half dozen cards.  I really like it much better than the second one, but . . .
In fact, I really don't like the second one at all.  I am going to have to rethink this gift.  The cards are okay, some I like better than others as you can see.

I am also putting together a beginner card class that I am hoping some of the teachers will attend.  One of them will be the birthday card above, the other will be the Friendship card and the third will be the pinwheel card.    I don't want to overdo the first set with coloring and cutting.  That can be frustrating to some people.

Got to keep moving.
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