Teacher RAK

One of the reasons I am so excited for school to start is to start giving teacher gifts!! :) I saw this idea on Julie Pitta's blog HERE.

Next trip was to my local Target store to find the marker board. Found it in the dollar spot! SCORE!

I was able to use the Crop-a-Dile to put jumbo eyelets through the marker board. I attached the marker board pen to the board with sticky velcro.

FREE TOTE!

Look at the great incentive to join Stampin' Up! These totes were featured at Convention this year. Aren't they BEAUTIFUL??

This can be YOURS for FREE if you join my team during the month of September! By joining my team, you automatically become a weSTAMPER! We do a lot of fun things during the month. Even if you are out of state, you are VERY MUCH a part of our group! You will receive at least 20% discount on your orders (30% off your FIRST order if made within 45 days of signing up!)

Just go to my website HERE to get started! The codeword you will need to get into the site to sign up is welcomefriend.

Let's get together for coffee and CHAT! (Even if it's over the PHONE for those who don't live in AZ!)

Final OCC Challenge Project

Here is my final project as the August Guest Designer for Our Creative Corner! Thank you so much, Wendy, for inviting me to participate!

This week the challenge was to use the following colors in my project:

I just love all teacher desks I have seen on SCS, and thought I would make one that looks like my "Messy Stamping Desk"! I enjoy making Barbie-sized things, so this project was fun for me to make!

The desk part is easy to make. Just make 6 boxes using the matchbox die, and then stack them up! As you can see, the drawers slide out, and I filled them with Stampin' Up embellishments.

Card and Dessert!

I've been on an OREO KICK the last couple of months! I saw a card-front like this at Convention this year. I don't even own the card, but I took a photo of some else who swapped for it. Sorry, I don't even know who designed this! (If you know who it is, please let me know so I can give her credit!) I just knew I wanted to do this at one of my classes! (I should have saved my Oreo Truffle for THIS class! LOL Truffle recipe can be found HERE.
NOTE: I got an email from a stamper (Cheryl) who received this swap at convention. She told me the gal who created this card is Susan Campfield from MInnesota!! YAY this mystery is solved!! Thanks for the info Cheryl!!


I decided I HAD to decorate the inside!! The inside is an oreo with a bite taken out of it, with crumbs at the bottom.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Got Treats?, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Occasional Quotes
Paper: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso
Ink: Early Espresso, Craft White
Accessories: 1 3/4" / 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Scallop Circle Punch, Embossing Folders: Square Lattice, Vintage Wallpaper, Large Scallop Die, Coluzzle, Dimensionals (to make top oreo cookie POP)




I made an Eclair Desert for our treat this month. I'm sorry I took the picture from the blog I found it on: Little Birdie Secrets. (I forgot to take a picture of the one I made.)


Eclair Dessert
2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 can of chocolate frosting (or your own recipe)
8 oz. cool whip
1 box of graham crackers

Stir pudding mix and milk together and let set for 5 minutes. Fold in cool whip. In a 9 x 13 pan layer graham crackers (I usually break some to get them to fit right). Then layer on 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Layer twice more (layers should go: crackers, pudding, crackers pudding, crackers, pudding, crackers). Then spread frosting all over the top. Let set overnight or at least 3 hours.

This Week's Challenge for OCC

Here is this week's OCC Challenge! This week we were to follow a sketch that was provided by Wendy Janson. Since I have Fall/Halloween on my mind for my stamp classes, I decided to go with that theme.

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Wicked Cool
Paper: Wicked Fun DP, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Spider Web Embossing Folder, Waffle Paper, Black Chunky Glitter, 5/8" Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

School Starts!

Just had to post a photo of the two that are still at home with us. Little Brady started 1st grade a couple weeks ago, and his sister, Brittany, is going to be student teaching IN HIS CLASS 2nd quarter! (Not sure how THAT is going to work out!) Here is one of my favorite photos of them, Brady's look says it ALL!

Now onto some cards!! This is one of the cards we made at Girls Day/Night Out this month. There are a lot of versions of this card on SCS.

Recipe:

Paper: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, DP (Retired)

Accessories: Top Note Die, Build A Brad, 1/2" Circle Punch, Baja Breeze Ribbon (Retired)

I just scored the Chocolate Chip Top Note die piece down about 1 1/4. Then I CUT the DP piece about 1 1/2" so that both sides will show the same. (If you fold the DP down, you will see the back side of the DP, that is why I cut it.)

Guest Designer for OCC!

I'm sure many of you know Wendy Janson, who is a super creative stamper AND a CONVENTION DISPLAY DESIGNER! Wendy contacted me to see if I wanted to be OCC's guest designer this month! WOWZA!! Of course, I did not feel WORTHY of this, but was excited to accept the challenge! What an honor to be asked!

Each Friday during the month of August I will be displaying a project, using the "theme" that was sent to me. This week's project was to feature a project with a "Back To School" theme.

I came up with this idea using CORK as part of the focal point. I was so excited when Stampin' Up started carrying cork in their line of products!

Note how I used the brad on this. It is simulating a "tac", so it is literally just pushed into the cork.

I hope you enjoyed the project, and look forward to sharing again with you again next week!

Oreo Truffles

Sorry no project post today, but wanted to share the recipe to some treats I made for my Clubbers this month! These are Oreo Truffles, and my fellow weSTAMPER, Pam Wood, shared the recipe with me.


Recipe:

1 package of Oreo cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 package of chocolate almond bark

Crumble the oreo cookies in a food processor or blender. (If you do this in a blender, you may be able to just blend 1/2 the package of cookies at a time.) They should be SUPER FINE in texture.
Add the cookies to the cream cheese and mix by hand. This will eventually get to be dough-like consistancy.
Roll these into small balls, and then dip them into the melted chocolate almond bark. I found the easiest way to dip them was to poke it with a shish-ka-bob skewer.
Cool in the refrigerator to harden chocolate.

Stamp Club Project

Here is one of the projects we made for Stamp Club this month. The inside has a "Cold Stone" gift card. (Sorry about the black blotch on upper right corner, must have fallen on an ink pad!)

I got the ice cream sundae idea out of the Stampin' Success magazine, which is an AWESOME idea magazine that Stampin' Up demonstrators receive each month. I chose different colors and used some new products on it for my class. I got these cute sundae bowls from Oriental Trading Company. When you are finished, you can package this gifty item like the one I made in this post HERE.

Of course, it was a GIVEN that I make ice cream sundaes for the snack this month!! I want to share with you my great great grandma's recipe for hot fudge sauce! You can use this on homemade brownies, as well. See end of post for recipe!

Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Crazy For Cupcakes
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Rose Red, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Island Oasis DP
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Punches: 1/2”/1 3/4” /1/4” Circles, Scallop Edge, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Large Oval, Dimensionals

Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 1/2 squares of baking chocolate
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. milk
1 t. vanilla (after done boiling)

Stir and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Let this cool so it becomes thicker. You can speed up the cooling process by filling a large bowl with ice water, and gently setting the pan in the bowl. Stir until it is cool.

Stamp Club Project

Here is one of the projects we did at my Stamp Clubs this month. When I saw Becky Robert's card HERE, using the cork with the Top Note die, I knew I had to play around with that concept! Here is what I came up with, pretty close case of Becky's. (THANKS BECKY!)

Note how the brad is just stuck in so it resembles a tac. If you are mailing this card, I would recommend flattening the brad out how you would normally attach a brad. If you are hand delivering, I think the "tac"-look goes along with the theme better. Or is that "TAC"KY? LOL

Some of you have asked about the paper I used. I made my own school paper on my computer and then printed onto Whisper White cardstock. You can download the pdf file for the paper FREE!

The link for the pdf for the inside piece of school paper is HERE.

The pdf for the outside piece of school paper is HERE.

Inside:
Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Every Little Bit, Just for You
Paper: Basic Black, Cork (page 205 of catalog), Whisper White, Real Red, Daffodil Delight
Ink: Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, Real Red
Accessories: Punches: 1 1/4”/1 3/8” Circles, Small Scallop, Large Scallop, Spiral Border, Top Note Die, Yellow Ribbon, Black Brad

BLING Lipstick Pens Update

Way to go Erin McMilon!!! She emailed me telling me she found the BLING pens that I used on my Compact Note Pad project for only 99 cents each!! OH how I wish I would have discovered this site earlier!! You can find them HERE. (Sorry, not going to update the video tutorial with the new information!! LOL)

Compact Note Pad and BLING Lipstick Pen Video Tutorial

Here is a photo of the Compact Note Pad and BLING Lipstick item I made for convention.

I finally finished my first every video tutorial! I have a whole new appreciation for those of you who do video tutorials! There's a few bloopers in there, that's for sure! Also, after I made the video, Erin McMilon emailed me and found the BLING pens SUPER INEXPENSIVE at this website HERE. THANKS ERIN!

UPDATE on where to purchase the round post it notes!! Dollar Tree has them in with the school supply section. They are SO CUTE and will match the pens. (They are different than the ones I have pictured, but are just as cute. There is a stripe in the new ones.) They still come 2/pack.