You better watch out...you better not cry... not even in July!

Tammy, one of my Papertrey PALs have come up with yet another PALlenge! :) This one is to make a Christmas card in July... and Tammy wants us to get an early start! :)



I've been wanting to use this cute little image of Santa for quite some time... and now was the perfect chance!

Here's a close-up (hoping you can see the little sparkly buttons!)

And this is my favorite part... the inside sentiment!

(Yes, that's a stamp! :) Love it!)



Surprisingly, this has got me in the spirit of making some Christmas goodies. I'm thinking of selling at my school's Holiday Fair...this may be the kick in the pants I need...thanks, Tammy! :)

Thanks for looking and/or commenting!





Stamps: Good/Bad Santa, Define Good (both Whipper Snapper)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Glorious Green (all Stampin' Up!)

Other: Gold Stickles; Copic markers; Dimensionals; ATG



 Happily Ever Yours,

 

Happily Ever Challenged #7 - Winner announced!

Okay! Well, it's the time we've all (at least 13 of us!) have been waiting for! I'm going to now choose a random number from trusty http://www.random.org/ and show it for the entire world (or at least 13 of us!) to see!



*shakes up random.org a bit before putting his hand out and drawing a number*

Yay! Number six is the winner!!  WOOT WOOT WOOT!



This means Debbie is the winner! Debbie created a very warm color and it's sure to warm the heart of the recipient. :)



Debbie, you have until next Monday, July 5 at 3:00 PM PST to email me at happilyevercrafter at gmail dot com with the email address to where you'd like the $10 PTI gift certificate sent!



I want to personally thank ALL of the people who participated this month. I truly am grateful that you consider my HECs worthy enough to try! :)



Check back in a couple of days when I'll have yet another challenge up for grabs! :)




 Happily Ever Yours,

 

Happily Ever Challenged #8 - Old Glory

Hello friends, it's that time of month again. The time of the month that gives each and every one of you the opportunity to win a yummy goody, just for creating a project and stretching your creativity muscles! :) That's right... it's time for another Happily Ever Challenged (HEC)!!



This HEC is in honor of a flag that's near and dear to me. It's the flag that has flown for over 230 years! It's Old Glory. It's beautiful in its strength and it's noble in what it represents: a country that isn't afraid to fight for freedom, no matter what the cost may be.

Here's your chance to wish the U.S.A. a very happy birthday (July 4)! Even if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, I invite you to play along! :)



Here's the challenge (I'm sure you can see it coming):



You are to use three colors for your project (card, box, tag, quilt, WHATEVER):

(The gold background is just so you can see the "white" better! :) )



I'm not going to be TERRIBLY picky about the shades you choose, although I do ask that you keep them as "true" to the primary colors shown above as possible (ie. please consider NOT using: mauve, cream, and teal or hot pink, grey, and turquoise).  :)



Here are the usual guidelines:



1. You will post it on your blog or gallery.

2. You will then need to copy the URL of the BLOG POST (not your blog, but the actual post where you're featuring the project).

3. Add the URL and your NAME to the INLINKS below. :)

4. In your blog post, please direct others to this post so that they may participate!

5. The deadline is Wednesday, July 28 at around 3:00 PM PST.

6. I will choose a random number/winner then and post it.

7. The winner will have until Monday, August 2 to email me at happilyevercrafter at gmail dot com. If I don't receive an email by then, I'll re-draw a number and so on.

8. Only one entry per person, please. :)



As always, the winner will have the old GLORIOUS chance to win a *fanfare*

 

TEN DOLLAR PAPERTREY INK GIFT CERTIFICATE!!

I salute your efforts and want to thank you for playing along (if you choose to do so!) The more who play the more fun we have! :)



Happily Ever Yours,

 

Quite a JARRING experience!

Okay, so have you ever looked at a stamp set online (or in a store) and thought to yourself, "Yeah, okay... I'll never use that"?



That was how I felt when I first saw "Friendship Jar" and its companion set "Friendship Jar Fillers" (both by Papertrey Ink). I thought, "That's cute... but I don't preserve and I'm not going to start now!"



Then I saw what some of the PTI design team did with the stamp set and I was hooked! (*shakes fist at Michelle Wooderson and Nichole Heady!*) They both (along with many of the rest of the PTI DT) did some incredible work and I was, once again, inspired. :)



Little did I know that it would leave me with a harrowing memory I will quite possibly take to my GRAVE!



So I made it my own mission to get to Wal-Mart and look for some jars. Well, of course, in typical "guy mode", I thought "I'll grab a box of jars and be on my merry way to Best Buy". No. Wrong. There are many SIZES of jars and, to top it off (no pun intended!) there are various openings! So I took forever deciding. At one point a kinderly-looking grandmother type woman approached and I thought, "Okay... I'll watch what she does." She glared at me with a look that said, "Okay... why are you in this area wearing that NY t-shirt of yours?!" so I backed up and watched, ninja-style. Unfortunately, she was just getting some preserve chemicals gunk... gelatin? Or something like that...and since they didn't have what she wanted, she gave me one more sigh and went on her merry way, leaving me back in my quandry!



I finally settled on some "quilted" (is that the right word?) half-pint jars and some large wide-mouth jars (which I plan on stocking with some homemade cookies this Christmas season!) and got out of that store while the door was still left aJAR (sorry, couldn't help myself!), but not before stopping by the candy aisle to pick up some dark chocolate Hershey kisses (my dad's a sucker for dark chocolate). It'd been a while since I did something nice for him (sans Father's Day) so I figured, what the heck!  :)



I was thrilled to come home and discovered I had some foil sheets specifically made for crafting! I used the handy-dandy Jar die (also PTI) and cut out a lid from the foil sheets. I used the die to cut out a jar and went to work.



Imagine my happiness when I remembered I had a stamp that looked like chocolate chips/Hershey kisses! :) Since the real Kisses were covered in purple foil, I thought to use Orchid Opulence as my ink of choice. :)



The rest, as they say...is KISS-tory! (I'm on a  roll, don't stop this kid!)

Hmm, not the best resolution...sorry about that!



Here's a close-up of the tag. Sorry you can't make out the metal lid too well, but it turned out rather well (thanks to Staz-On Jet Black ink!)

Well that's it... the gut-wrenching story how I almost was WELL-PRESERVED by a Wal-Mart grandma!



Moral of the story: Do NOT get in the way of grandmothers who want their canning supplies!!



Thanks for looking and/or commenting!





Stamps: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fillers (both Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Orchid Opulence, Perfect Plum (both Stampin' Up!); Jet Black (Staz-On)

Paper: Whisper White, Orchid Opulence (for back of tag) (both Stampin' Up!)

Other: Dark Chocolate Kisses (Hershey); Quilted half-pint jar (Kerr); metal sheet, blue striped ribbon (from my stash); Jar & Lid die, Jar Label die (both Papertrey Ink); Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft); Dimensionals, ATG



 Happily Ever Yours,

 

Just a test post.  :)



Thanks for looking and/or commenting!





Stamps:

Ink:

Paper:

Other:



 Happily Ever Yours,

 

Papertrey June Blog Hop Challenge

Well, it's that time of month again... time for Papertrey Ink's blog hop! :) I love this time of month because I can look around at all my fellow papercrafters' blogs and just get amazed at the talent. It's incredible and so inspiring! :)

This month's challenge was:

"This month we thought it would be fun to focus on COLOR! We want to see your favorite Papertrey color schemes put to work. Be sure to post the color scheme near the top of your post in bold letters so everyone can collect them to use as a future reference! With everyone's different takes on combinations from the Papertrey spectrum, we will surely build an amazing resource that we can all utilize and fall in love with some new favorite color schemes!"

Well, I didn't use PTI colors, but hopefully that won't get me into TOO much trouble. :) In any case, I'm really happy with the results of my card.

I've always loved all things Americana... from Norman Rockwell, to classic bandana patterns. So, for the upcoming celebrations of my country's independence, I thought I'd make a card inspired by Americana. I chose the colors: dark blue, dark red, kraft. (specifically, Stampin' Up's Night of Navy, Ruby Red, and Kraft). For PTI, one could use Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy, and Kraft.

Here is the resulting project:

I wanted to "age" the card a bit so I actually took time to sand the edges (thankfully not breaking any of my stitching!) and sanded the surface of the Ruby Red designer series paper to scratch it up a bit. I also used PTI's Vintage Touch inking duo to color the edges and age them a bit more. :) Every now and then I'd brush one randomly across the surface for good measure!

Here's a close-up of the stars (from PTI's Star Prints):

I used my fingernail (of all things!) to scratch and distress the edges/points of the stars.

And a close-up of the sentiment (coming from PTI's Let Freedom Ring):

Again, for the edge of the circle, I used my fingernail to distress it. :)



Finally, a close-up of my bow (compliments of PTI's Enchanted Evening saddle stitch!):

Love this color! :) I love how it's not too dark...giving a faded, aged appearance. :)



Thanks for looking and/or commenting! :)



Editing to add: I just realized that Ingrid, one of my Papertrey Pals had issued us a challenge a few weeks ago to use the colors: red, white, blue and some stars. Well, at first I was bummed, but realized that my ribbon DOES have some white in it! :) Hope you'll go to that link and play along with us!



Recipe:



Stamps: Star Prints, Let Freedom Ring (both Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red (both Stampin' Up!); Vintage Touch Inking Duo (Papertrey Ink)

Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red DSP, Kraft (all Stampin' Up!)

Other:  Enchanted Evening Saddle Stitch ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Sew Mini, Fiskars circle punch, Fiskars star punch, Making Memories distressing kit, ATG, Dimensionals



 Happily Ever Yours,

 

Tribute to Alli Miles – You’re a Hoot!

I noticed on somebody’s blog that they paid a tribute to a particular designer and I thought that was a good idea and wanted to do the same. So here is my first project that involves a stamp set designed by the wonderful Alli Miles for Papertrey Ink (PTI). The stamp sets are called “Wise Owl” and “Wise Owl Bellies” and they’re just a lot of fun!

I think what I love most about these stamp sets (and MANY from Papertrey Ink) is how versatile they are and how many things you can make from just one stamp set. The sentiments are also an added bonus! :)



Here’s my card. Since the title is “You’re a Hoot!”, I wanted to show how the recipient stands out from the rest of the group. Thus, I stamped many “boring” owls in the background on some of Papertrey Ink’s vellum cardstock. I then adhered it to some Simply Chartreuse cardstock (also PTI) before adhering the whole thing on some More Mustard (from Stampin’ Up!) I used my ATG on the vellum cardstock and was disappointed to see that you can see the adhesive tracking on the back. Ah well, live and learn. I believe I have some vellum tape and I think I’ll try using that next time I decide to work with the vellum cardstock. One nice thing about PTI’s vellum cardstock – you can stamp on it with regular ink. Loving that! :)

Here’s a close-up of the goofy owl. I used Tuxedo Black ink (Memento) and then colored him in with Copics. I decided to make his belly purple because, after all, he stands out from the crowd! :) He may have come out a bit more orange than I had hoped, but overall, I’m pleased with the results. Loving those goofy eyes! :) Dimensionals help him stand away from the boring crowd…

Next, is a simple close-up of the sentiment. I used my Word Window punch (Stampin’ Up!) to punch it out and used dimensionals to make it stand out. :)

I’m hoping I did Alli proud with her stamp set. It’s such a cute stamp set with so many possibilities. I love her animals and hope she’ll decide to do more in the future!



Thanks for looking and/or commenting!

Happy Father's Day - Vrooom!

Well, my Dad (even at 71 years old) loves anything with a motor and two wheels. In fact, if his Harley-Davidson could cook, there might be no need for my Mom!  ;)



So, when I saw this stamp at Michaels, I knew it would be a perfect Father's Day image for him! :)

I didn't mess up on the notched corners. I always like to experiment on various looks of my mats, so I now know this look doesn't work for me! LOL!  ;)



Here's a close-up of the scooter:

Thanks for looking and/or commenting! :)



Recipe:



Stamps: A Little Argyle (Papertrey Ink); Scooter (Imaginisce)

Ink: Night of Navy, Taken with Teal (both Stampin' Up!)

Paper:  Night of Navy, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!); Hawaiian Shores (Papertrey Ink)

Other:  Enchanted Evening Saddle Stitch ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Label 1 Nestabilities (Spellbinder); Ticket Corner Punch (Stampin' Up!); ATG, Cuttlebug (Provo Craft); Dimensionals

End of the Year Gift - My principal

My principal, Lisa, has hinted to us that she's starting to become more active on her bicycle. So, for my end of the year gift, I thought I'd create a "Biker's Survival Kit" (translation: Hershey Nuggets! ;) )



I also wanted to have a card that coordinated with the Nuggets as well as reflect her new venture into bicycling. Here are the results:

A close-up of the card:

Sorry the purple doesn't look quite right. :(



A close-up of the nugget tin:

Thanks for looking and/or commenting. :)



Recipe:



Stamps: Everyday Button Bits, Limitless Labels (both Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Gable Green (both Stampin' Up!)

Paper:  Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Gable Green (all Stampin' Up!)

Other:  Rustic Twine, Cream Topnotch Twill, Spring Moss buttons (all Papertrey Ink); Hershey Nuggets; Ribbon (stash); Tin; Ticket Corner Punch (Stampin' Up!)

Goodbye, Stampin' Up!

I know I told myself I'd dedicate this blog ONLY to my crafts, and in a way, I guess this IS craft-related... so bear with me.  ;)



I'm submitting to you, my faithful readers, an open letter to Stampin' Up!, a company that has quite recently gone from my list of loves to my list of "yeah I don't think so"s. ;)



Dear Stampin' Up!,



When we began our love affair, I was new to the hobby... a rookie, if you will. I didn't know the difference between what you offered and what other companies offered. I was a fresh young crafter ready to be swept off my feet. And you did just that.



I became a demonstrator for you last year and sure, my main customer was myself, but I was happy with the arrangement. I bought stamps and you were generous enough to offer a discount. All was good.



But then a few months back, you wanted me to sign an IDA (I forget what it stands for and frankly, right now I don't care)... stating that I would no longer place ANY link to ANY store other than Stampin' Up! not only on my blog...but also in any PRIVATE emails I may send. All the while, stating how important it is for your customers and "family" to express their creative freedom. Sure... creative freedom as long as the creativity was dictated and monitored by you. Having some semblance of personal integrity, I refused to sign such a document and we went our merry ways.



I found a VERY good demonstrator who would allow me to purchase items from her and I was able to keep my supply of cardstock and ink pads ready. It was a good thing. I was happy once again.



Then a few weeks ago, you made an announcement stating that you're retiring over 30 colors and that you were going to with a "new system" of colors... one part of that being called "Neutrals" which really is just a group of browns. Nice job... take many of my beloved colors and tell me that I may no longer purchase them from you.



But you know what... after I let my initial anger defuse I was okay... because I realize you're a business and you have to think about the bottom line.... profit. I get that now and decided that I'll just have to stock up on the colors I want and hope they last me a while. I forked over some more of my hard-earned cash.



I did this in May, when I was told that I'd still be able to buy card stock of those colors. Phew! Made the deadline.



Or so I thought.



I receive my order only to find that five packages are on "back order". No worries... I'm told they'll come to my home as soon as they can.



Today, I receive an email from my beloved demo who informed me that this is on your site:



"Card stock presents a bit larger problem, as the process of ordering and producing new paper from the paper mills is very involved, and we can't order significant quantities at this point in time without putting the production of the new colors in jeopardy (and we know you want those!). To help us be able to provide you with the card stock in the retiring colors for as long as possible, we will be substituting textured paper for some of the smooth colors--including card stock in 8-1/2" x 11" as well as 12" x 12"--where the smooth is no longer available. You will notice these colors go on backorder, and we will be filling as many of those as possible with textured card stock. Because the demand for each color varies, we are unable to provide a list of what colors of card stock will be substituted with textured, or at what point that will happen. However, if you receive a package of card stock that is textured instead of smooth, there will be a sticker on the package indicating that change. There will be no change in item code or price for these substitutions."



Ah... okay, so I'm not told this when my demo places an order...and she isn't warned that that would be the case (thereby allowing her to NOT place that order...) No, it's akin to the following transaction at Best Buy:



"Hello, I purchased this Matchbox 20 CD and when I tried to play it, Frank Sinatra's music is on it."

"Oh...oh yes. Well, you see we're out of Matchbox 20 CDs and we won't be making them anymore. We substituted Sinatra. You're welcome."



Seriously... that's what it is. I order one thing, I'm given something else. No choice to cancel my order. No option to say no. Oh sure I can pay to ship the paper back and HOPE for a refund...but why should I pay for what YOU did wrong?



So, Stampin' Up!... this is goodbye. You wronged me for the last time. I truly hope that I'm not the only one who feels that your bait-and-switch scheme is completely unacceptable. I sincerely hope that you lose SEVERAL customers from this and that you perhaps learn the error of your ways. I doubt it. Because for you, it's not about the customers, is it, Stampin' Up!? You started out as a small company...with probably good morals. And then you saw dollar signs where smiles used to be.



I hope this mistake costs you dearly. I hope that it costs you enough customers that you start to eat just a bit more humble pie...and realize that without us customers, you are pretty much......NOTHING.



Shame on you, Stampin' Up! Just....shame.



Disappointedly,

Ted