Time: Unfortunately Warped

My local scrapbooking store, Lonestar Scrapbook Company, does a layout kit of the week, each week. A few of my friends happen to work there, and gave me a sneak peak at this layout a few weeks before it was to be sold. I was SO excited! Millie Jones (Mother to Mr. Bazzill Basics Paper), is a scrapbooking legend around here, and she designed this page! I couldn't wait to make this purchase!

Well...I was a bit let down. When I sat down to put together the page, I found that some of the pieces of paper given were cut too short, or were too long, and the two scalloped strips were of different styles of Bazzill. I tried to make the best of it, but I wasn't entirely pleased. I do, however, LOVE the colors and the clock paper.

Lonestar Scrapbook Co: All Star Round Up

My mom and I had the BEST time today! Our local scrapbooking store has an All Star Round Up every few months. It's basically a 2 hour long class, where several instructors take turns coming to your table and giving you a 20 minute mini project to do that showcases the idea around their class that they teach at the store. The store offers a pretty nice discount on purchased product the day of the class, and you recieve the money paid for the class back on a store gift card. The projects today weren't as impressive as the last class we took, but it was still fun. It was so fast-paced that I forgot to take any pictures, except for this one, because we took it before the class actually started :)

With my discounts after the class, I made a few purchases. I got 2 more colors of Perfect Pearls (Forever Green, Blue Pantina), an UHU Stic glue stick, a package of Tim Holtz Grunge Paper (I was running low), and the Tim Holtz Design Ruler. I've heard that you have to be careful with the design ruler when cleaning it. I'll have to remember not to use an abrasive cleaner, or the numbers and grid will wipe off (or so I've heard).

More to come this weekend, promise!

Condensation Collector: It's a messy job, but someone has to do it

I have been absolutely floored by the explosion in my blog traffic and comments! I added a vistor counter to this blog last Wednesday, and it's already over 2100 hits, in 6 days! I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to browse my blog, and leave a comment; it means so much to me to wake up every morning to new visitors, followers and commentors! Some of you may have noticed that I had a special person comment on my last post. That's right! THE Tim Holtz commented on my shadow box! Yesterday, was absolutely the best day yet in my crafting career!

I head back to work tomorrow morning, so I thought I'd get one last post in before I busy myself with laundry and gathering my work supplies. Per the requests from several people, I am considering beginning to post tutorials on a few of the techniques and projects that I do. Whether those tutorials will be in the form of photos and text, or video, I don't know yet. We will see!

Alrighty, down to business:

I made this coaster as a practice project, and wanted to make sure that it was made to be functional. There isn't enough room in my house to allow me to justify another decor item, so I made a coaster that could (hopefully) withstand heat and moisture. I do think that with a few more embellishments, this would make a neat home decor item, but for now, mine is protecting my desk from the dangerous condensation dripping from my Cream Soda bottle.

Now you tell me, is this something in which anyone would like a tutorial? I'd hate to start doing tutorials that no one wanted, so I figure I'll play it safe and take some advice!

Shadow Box: A Vague Tutorial

When the 12 Tags of Christmas Finale winner was chosen, along with the 15 artistic winners, I immediately started brainstorming ideas as to what to do with the tags I had made. There was no way I was going to let them just sit on my table or in an album after all of the work I had done! I mentioned making a shadow box to my father-in-law, and the very next morning, I woke up to wood, stain, and a sander in the back yard. He just looked at me, and said, "I've got some work for you to do." I've spent the last two days sanding, staining, glueing, measuring...it's been great! He helped me with the nail gun, and cutting the glass, but he let me do the rest! I am SO proud of myself, and I now have a beautiful box to display my tags.

The Challenge: Make Something for Someone

I want to start out this entry by thanking all of the new people now following Hand Me A Stamp, either on my blog, or via Twitter. It means so much to me to recieve comments and emails from all of you! It lets me know that you're reading!

With that said, one of the blogs that I frequent is that of Robyn, My Pink Stamper. Yesterday, she and her visiting friend, Karlee, issued a challenge for New Years Day: Make something for someone else. Easy enough, right? How could I turn down such an easy challenge! So, after our New Years Day tradition of cleaning up the yard from all of the fireworks the night before, I began making my 'gift'. One of my very best friends had asked me if I could possibly make him a bookmark, after showing him my Tim Holtz tags. He loves to read philisophical/scientific type books, so this is what I came up with:

The base of the bookmarks is Tim Holtz Grunge Paper. I love this stuff! It's flexible, yet durable, and smells awesome! A friend of mine and I think it smells like leather :) I also used images printed on Bazzill cardstock, Tim Holtz stamps, and Tim Holtz Distress Ink (What? Me? A Tim Holtz fan???).

I have something really cool that I'm working on. Hopefully, it will be ready for uploading tomorrow afternoon! Again, thank you all so much for stopping by. Please, follow, comment, take my button or find me on Twitter! Adios!