PPA Peek and FREE Rhinestones


Can you believe it is Wednesday already? Of course, that means it’s time for a sneak peek at my Pals Paper Arts inspiration card, and a “bite” of Blog Candy. I hope that you enjoy both! Of course, while waiting for the full reveal on Thursday, won’t you please stop by the PPA and check out this week’s Pals Artist Picks?

The Twins are still “recuperating” from their first show, and are staying close to Mom. Muffy has had some trouble with an upset tummy. While at the show, she didn’t eat very much of her food which I sent from home. However, she loved chowing down on the ham, liver and hot dogs that her handler had brought to garner her attention in the ring. And she also coerced others of her admirers for a bite now and then. The result is that she is now on the equivalent of “doggy Pepto-Bismol” and some special canned food. However, she feels well otherwise. While she is not laying at my feet, or answering her emails, she and Brody are both playing.

Well, what do you think about today’s peek? Instead of a penny for your thoughts, how about a package of FREE RHINESTONES? Just leave me a comment on either this post or Thursday’s post by 10:00 PM CST Thursday, and I will randomly select a winner to be announced in Friday’s post. Also on Friday, I have blog award recipients to announce…that is always sooo much fun! And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away!

Congratulations to the latest recipients of FREE product earned through the “Shop with Schach” Rewards Program: Brenda and Kyra! Have YOU placed your Sale-A-Bration order with me yet? You can also earn free product through my loyalty program! Until next time…

The Twins Have the Blues


It’s Sunday evening, and two very tired Twins are recuperating from their first AKC dog show in Des Moines, Iowa. Because they wanted to tell you all about it themselves, I gave in and said they could say a few words about their first Dog Show Adventure. If you know anything about Boxers, you know that they can be very persuasive until they get their own way. Against my better judgement…here are The Twins.

Muffy: I am going to go first and tell you all about my very first dog show, because I am the girl and I am smarter.

Brody: But I’m bigger, and I went into the ring first, so I want to talk first. MOM….Muffy is being mean to me again, just like she was to all of the other boy Boxers in the motel room!!!

Me: Muffy, be a big girl, and let Brody be the alpha dog today!

Brody: Thanks, Mom! I got to go into the ring first on both Saturday and Sunday. Mom…why do they call it Saturday when Michelle the Handler wouldn’t let me sit in the ring? And why was it called Sunday when it rained all day? Anyway, I got to go into this big circle called a ring. There were other little boy puppies there. I wanted to play with them, but Michelle wouldn’t let me. On “You-Can’t-Sit-Day”, there was a man in the ring. I think he’s called a “Judd”.

Muffy: No he’s not, Brody. You don’t know anything. A “Judd” is a woman who sings country music. There are two of them. Mom and I watched them on Oprah when I was helping her distress cards.

Brody: MOM!!! Muffy said I don’t know anything. Those people in the ring with us, they are too called Judds, aren’t they Mom!

Me: Well, Brody-boy, you are very close, sweetie! They are called “judges”. You had two judges. A man on “You-can’t-sit day” and a woman on “Rainday”.

Brody: Oh, no! I remember learning about “Stranger Danger” and “Good Touch-Bad Touch”! But he touched me all over, and then he had the nerve to look in my mouth! And Michelle let him do it. I stood really still though, because Michelle was feeding me stuff my Mom doesn’t let me have, like Ham and Liver and Hot Dogs. Oh, no…MOM…was I eating other dogs???

Me: No, Brody. Hot dogs are made from…well…uh…something with hooves. But, Brody, they are not made from “dogs”. You weren’t being a cannibal.

Brody: Whew…I didn’t want to be a can of bull! Anyway, after the strange man touched me, I had to “gait”, which meant that I couldn’t just walk, but I couldn’t run either. It was kind of fun. People clapped, and so I did this little prance. And then they clapped more, because I was cute…

Muffy: No you weren’t! You’re not cute! You’re ugly. I heard Mom say so. She said you just look like some big brown ugly thing with a gorgeous head…

Brody: MOM!!!! Muffy is saying I’m not cute and that you said I was ugly!

Me: Oh, sweetie! Mommy did say your head was gorgeous, and you know that Michelle said that we needed to work on building up your muscles. Muffy Lin…quit saying hurtful things to your brother!

Muffy: Oh, just let me talk, Brody. You are taking way too long to tell the story. OK…So Brody won his class on Saturday and he won his class on Sunday, and he beat some other boy dogs. Big whoop! They were boy dogs…and everybody knows that boy dogs are stinky and have fleas. People want to hear about me…I am the perfect, pretty puppy with the awesome Boxer booty! I am the J-Lo of Dogdom! No…with my Boxer bottom, I am the Kim Kardashian of Kanines! I am beautiful! Everyone loves to look at meeeee!

Brody: MOM…Muffy’s doing it again! Make her stop!

Me: Twins! That’s enough! Go take a nap like good dogs!


Well, to make a long story short, both of the Twins won their classes both days. Brody did have other little boy puppies in the ring with him. Muffy was the only one in her class. If Muffy were telling the story, she would tell you that all the rest of the little girls were scared off by her beautiful looks! But that’s Muffy for you! Until next time…


Nature Walk in Blue for The Paper Players

It’s Sunday, and time to play with The Paper Players! It’s a sketch challenge this week, designed by the talented Nance Leedy, and what a wonderful sketch it is! Don’t you just love it? I decided to pull out one of my favorite Occasions Mini sets, Nature Walk, and whip up this fun and feminine card. Enjoy a Nature Walk in Blue!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Texture! Don’t be afraid to run Designer Series Paper through the Big Shot. A pattern from the Botanical Gazette collection was embossed with the Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for a look which is both feminine and vintage. And notice the beautiful blue Tulips border? It was part of the paper’s design!

  • Dye it…Try it! The Rosettes were dyed quickly and easily! I placed rubbing alcohol into a spritzer bottle and added several drops of Marina Mist Ink Refill and Frost White Shimmer Paint. I sprayed the medium-sized Rosette first, added more re-inker, and then sprayed the smaller Rosette. Finally, I added even more re-inker, and misted the darker, large Rosette.

  • Bling the bird! Dazzling Diamonds add sparkle and shine to make this bird divine! With Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue, it’s so easy! I just “painted” selected areas with Tombow, sprinkled on the Dazzling Diamonds, and shook off the excess!

  • Pearls! The “string” of Basic Pearls are perfect for outlining ovals and circles, providing a finishing touch to the raw edge of the paper. The result is delightfully feminine and romantic!
I hope you enjoyed today’s The Paper Players’ inspiration card, and I hope that you will join us in this week’s challenge. If you wish to create a standard sized card with this sketch, that is perfectly fine with us. What is important is that you have fun! Until next time…
Stamp Sets: Nature Walk (W 121925, C 121997), You’re a Gem (W 122268, C 122270); Inks: Crumb Cake (121030), Soft Suede (115657), Early Espresso (119670), Marina Mist Ink Refill (119787); Stampin’ Write Marker: Soft Suede (120973); Designer Series Paper: Botanical Gazette (121783—Occasions Mini); Card Stock: Marina Mist (119682), Early Espresso (119686), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (115963), Ovals Original Die (114525), 1-3/8″ x 5/8″ Oval Punch (119863), 3/4″‘ x 15/16″ Oval Punch (120908), Brayer (102395), Sponge Daubers (102892), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Glitz and Glam: Rosettes (118774), Basic Pearls (119247), Victoria Crochet Trim (118481), Marina Mist 3/8″ Taffeta Ribbon (119257), Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding (122330), Frost White Shimmer Paint (116854), Dazzling Diamonds (102023)