Journal Club meets today from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

I'll be at the store briefly this afternoon to deliver more papers. The remainder of my holiday order (Berry Melody) from SEI's booth at CHA this summer finally arrived, along with the second order of the Joyful Cheep paper.

Joyful Cheep

Gleaming Trill

Frosty Peep 

Shimmering Call 

6x6 Paper Pad including an added couple of sheets
not available as single papers.

Woven Sheet  . . .  this is a special woven paper that is so beautiful and
below is the other side -- very lightweight and looks so delicate!

Red Crinkle Paper 12x12
Feels almost like a crepe paper . . . has some stretch to it too.

Everyone likes to be creative and original for the holidays. Have you thought about making your own holiday-designed papers for your cards and layouts, and possibly wrapping paper? A mixture and blending of Impression Obsession's Cover-A-Card background stamps with holiday-colored stamp pads on plain paper could be the solution you're looking for!

A recipe book from IO showing the various combinations is available for you to look through at Art 'n Soul. If you really want your own copy, we can order one for you at a special price of $25 plus tax. Ask us, please!

Speaking of IO, here's a posting from their blog that I really liked . . .

Tuesday T&T It's Still About Those Dies!

"I was inspired by DT member Kittie Caracciolo's post HERE.  I didn't have the tree line die, so I improvised with Fancy Trees and this is what I did:

1. Cut 3 of the plain trees using Fancy Trees Die set and green cardstock.   Trimmed the stars at the top as shown.  Put each diecut through the paper crimper, 2 horizontally and 1 vertically.
2. Embossed a pieced of white Laid cardstock with dots.
3. Cut a piece of white laid cardstock 4.25"X5.5".  Mounted a 3.75"X5" green cardstock to the laid.  Cut the embossed dots cardstock to 3.5"X4.75" and mounted on top.
4. Tore 3 pieces of leftover Cover-A-Card Dots paper (it had been stamped with Versamark, Stamp and Bond added, embossed until clear, and then Deco glitter added and embossed again).  They were layered as shown.  Added a little bit of glitter to the 'snow' torn edges with a glue pen.
5. The trees were mounted using glue dots and 3D pop dots.
6. Pearl stickers were added with Glossy Accents and QuickStik (great for picking up little things you need to glue (learned this from Kittie too!).
7. Used one of the trimmed stars and a piece of cardstock from the die cutting to make the star shown and added a pearl in the center.
8. Made a bow with the bow-easy, mounted with a glue dot, and added a little peal pin.
9. Last I did the inside of the card and the envelope as shown below.  Two more diecuts.  One trimmed down for the envelope and with both stars left on top.  I used a glue pen and glitter below the trees.  The sentiment is Merry Bright Cheery.

How To Use Dies

With Their Coordinating Stamps

I had a question from one of our customers who asked how to use the our dies with their compatible stamps and so I asked our Design Team how they used them.  This is what Dina said, and rest of the team agreed with her:

This is what works for me:

1. Stamp the image.
2. Cut the die on a scrap piece of paper.  (Clear would work good too).
3. Lay the scrap piece of paper over the stamped image, aligning it so your stamped image is centered in the opening or negative cut. Tape the die cut paper in place on an outside edge or 2.
4. Position the die in the negative die cut, and tape it in place, then cut.

Thank you, Dina, for the great answer and tutorial as well!  That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by to look and share."

 Shirley

SUPPLIES:

Fancy Tree - DIE031-N CAC Dots Merry Bright Cheery - D8796 Bazzill Dotted Swiss Clover Leaf, Irish Eyes, Celtic Green Trio Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Laid Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Fiskars Paper Crimper VersaMark Ink Pad Memento Bamboo Leaves Ink Pad Deco Art Glamour Dust Crystal Stamp 'N Bond Adhesive Powder Sakura Quickie Glue Pen WHITE PEARL ROUND HEAD CORSAGE PIN Oriental Trading Self-Adhesive Pearl Jewels Mark Richards Crystal Stickers 3mm White Pearls QuickStik

from Memory Box . . .

New Christmas paper from Memory Box  . . .  Cranberry Snow Pattern and Pool Snow Pattern in 8.5x11 text weight. A real holiday bargain at only 40-cents a sheet! These papers are also part of my afternoon delivery today, along with the rest of the Memory Box order for the store, i.e., stamps and dies that were ordered.

And this from the Memory Box blog . . .

Tags/Bookmarks for your Holiday Packages

"Here's an idea for using your Memory Box collage stamps with the Distressed Tag Die to create tags that can also be used as bookmarks! I made these fourteen in assembly line mode--stamp, die cut, color, add ribbon. These will be perfect to add to my holiday gifts. I'm already thinking of ways to make similar tags using some of the other Memory Box collage stamps for Valentines Day, birthdays, and thinking of you occasions.

MATERIALS:

• cardstock:  Neenah Desert Storm
• stamp:  Winter Collage G1830
• die:  Distressed Tag 98244
• ink:  Distress Gathered Twigs
• Distress Markers in shades of brown, green, and red
• ribbon:  red/cream plaid on sale at JoAnn's

Happy Crafting!"

Gotta run  . . .  run to Art 'n Soul! And then it's to the Apple Store to fix my little workhorse of a laptop; the email program disappeared and I'm having to use the web-based email access in the meantime and that's very painful for me!

Enjoy this sunny, fall day!

P.S.  Just found out we have a couple spots to fill in tomorrow's class by Lisa Lee, Inchie Arts! If you forgot to sign up, you still may by calling the store at 360.357.6820 or stopping in yet this afternoon. I can't wait to make my Inchie holiday box  for those little gifts under the tree!

by Lisa Lee, Inchie Arts, for Art 'n Soul Class on November 11

DECORATIVE HOLIDAY BOXES WITH INCHIE ARTS – ART SQUARES $30 -

Saturday, November 11, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Transform jewelry size gift boxes into something spectacular by embellishing with stamped and colored Inchie Art Squares. Each box will feature a holiday themed image and bling! Use for those special holiday gifts or to keep for yourself as a place to hold little treasures. We will make 3-4 boxes. Please bring your Basic Kit.