It’s Blog Candy Time

As Thanksgiving approaches, I would like to thank all of you who visit my blog. There is definitely something to be said for blogging, as it has allowed me to make friends with fellow stampers from around the world. It never ceases to amaze me how much we care about and support each other as we gain little glimpses of each other’s lives. We learn the names of our spouses, children and pets. We celebrate weddings, anniversaries, births and promotions. We mourn our losses and our tragedies. We make plans to meet up at Conventions, Regionals, classes and workshops. We send words of encouragement and words of condolences.
I will be forever thankful for the friendships that we have forged. I truly do look forward to your comments and emails. I wish that I could send each and every one of you a card of Thanksgiving, but since that it not possible, I would like to offer you a chance to win Blog Candy. Here is what it includes:
  • Northern Hearts Clear Mount Stamp Set, which will arrive in time for Christmas
  • Over 140 sheets of 6″ x 6″ retired Designer Series Paper
  • Over 150 retired Stampin’ Up! buttons
  • 10 yards of Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, perfect for Christmas or Valentine’s Day
  • One On Board Bird Book
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Basic Rhinestones
  • One Thank You card

All you need to do is leave a comment on any of my posts this week, beginning today (Monday) and ending on Thursday…Thanksgiving Day at 11:00 PM CST. After that time I will tally up all of the comments. A random number generator will be used to determine the winner, whose name I will post on Friday. The winner will then have until Monday, November 29th to email me their name and address so that I can mail their package.

Since there is no card on which to comment today, why not just share a “favorite”. It could be a favorite tool, color, technique, style, paper, stamp set…you get the picture! I will get you started: My favorite stamp set from the Holiday Mini is French Foliage! Until next time..

P.S. Take advantage of Stampin’ Up!’s Starter Kit Special. Why not take advantage of all of the perks and benefits of being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator at the no-risk price of $87.50 for over $300 worth of products and business tools! Click here for more details. Have questions? I am just an email away!


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Paisley Pines for The Paper Players


Welcome to another Paper Players challenge! This week it is a Sketch Challenge designed by the talented Nance Leedy. As you can tell, today’s card has a distinct country flair, combining both the Paisley Prints stamp set and the Paisley Party wheel. I could not resist a little cross-stitching with Linen Thread and adding a few torn paper snow drifts! Please join us this week, won’t you? I can’t wait to see your interpretation of the sketch!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Select the right tools for the job! I used to hate using wheels…I couldn’t “wheel” a straight line for the life of me…until I purchased the Stampin’ Around Wheel Guide. You never have to worry about crooked lines or overlapping images. Plus, you can also create mitered corners with it!
  • Simply Scrappin’ is not just for simply scrappin’! The luscious Always Artichoke Dotted Paper is from the Christmas Cheer Simply Scrappin’ Kit! Don’t you love it!
  • It’s a distressing situation! To accent the edges of the snowdrifts and moon, a little Soft Suede ink and a Sponge Dauber does the trick!
  • “Pop” it up! Both the foreground tree and the “Peace” sentiment are popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals to add depth and interest.
I refrained from adding pearls, but I was oh, so tempted! In fact, I may go ahead and try adding a few to the polka dots for a different look! However, sometimes I have a tendency to over embellish. And did you notice the mistake with the stitching? However, I did not go back and redo it. I am proud of myself for accepting it the way it is!
If my day had not been so hectic, though, I just might have changed it! Our satellite dish decided to go wonky during the Iowa-Ohio State football game, which did not set too well with a family room full of college boys. So Mom spent the afternoon “chatting” on-line with technical support. We would no sooner get it to work, and then it would go out again. A mere three hours and three technicians later, the bottom line was that we needed a new receiver, which will be delivered in three to five business days. Yikes…I guess the family will spend quality time together during the upcoming week without the intrusion of television. And gee…it is a good thing that my husband went out and purchased a new laptop for me to chat with, since my old one crashed Thursday night for the second time in less than a year. No way would I ever trust it again! And to top it all off, one of the Boxer Twins decided to talk on my cell phone. I am assuming that they became frustrated with their inability to push the buttons due to their lack of opposable thumbs, and just decided to chew it to bits. Why wasn’t I watching them more closely you wonder? Where was I at the time? Well, I was chatting on-line with one of the three dish satellite technicians. Maybe it was Stephanie, or Christine, or Alex. Poor Alex! By technician number three, I was not a happy camper! Arghhh! As for the phone…I am due for a new one at the end of December. Let’s hope next week is a better one for me and my electronics!
Please, won’t you help to restore my sanity by leaving a comment? And remember, I am more than happy to answer any questions that you might have about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use…and I can even tell you how to conduct a hard reset on your satellite dish! Until next time…


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Stamp Sets: Paisley Prints (W 120817; C 121121—Holiday Mini), Paisley Party (120875—Holiday Mini), Four the Holidays (116921); Ink: Always Artichoke (105219), Soft Suede (115657), Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker (119680); Paper: Early Espresso (119686), Naturals Ivory (101849), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Christmas Cheer Simply Scrappin’ Kit (117401); Tools: Stampin’ Around Wheel Guide (104834), Stampin’ Around Jumbo Handle (103661), Paper Piercer (116631), Mat Pack (105826), Sponge Dauber (102892), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Punches: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border (119275), Scallop Oval (119856), 1-3/4″ x 7/8″ Oval Punch (119855), 2-1/2″ Circle Punch (120906); Glitz and Glam: Linen Thread (104199)

Dasher, Diamonds and Pearls for the PPA


It’s Thursday and time to play at PPA! This week the Pals at Pals Paper Arts have planned a Clean and Simple challenge entitled “Living in the Material World”. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a Clean and Simple card using ribbon or fabric. I opted to use ribbon, and one of my favorite stamps of all time…Dasher! It’s quick, easy, and hopefully elegant and classy, too! Won’t you join us this week? We have BLOG CANDY… I can’t wait to see what you create!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Don’t forget your buddy! When heat embossing, don’t forget to swipe an Embossing Buddy over the surface of your paper before stamping. This will reduce the dreaded embossing freckles!
  • Did you forget? Don’t fret! Camouflage those “freckles” with a smooch…Smooch Spritz, that is!
  • Remember your pals, too! I use the Embossing Buddy on the inside of my Powder Pals. Excess embossing powder is returned easily into its container!
  • Three second rule! I inked Dasher in VersaMark and stamped him onto Whisper White card stock. When stamping in VersaMark, leave your stamp in contact with the card stock for several seconds for the best possible transfer of ink. It really does make a difference in the quality of your heat embossed image. Try it! Dasher was then heat embossed with Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder.
  • Diamonds and Pearls! Dasher’s antlers dazzle with Basic Pearls and Rhinestones! And what better way to accent embossed Northern Flurry snowflakes than with a few of these jewels!
  • The finishing touch! A Basic Black satin bow, smooched with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, adds a touch of class and elegance!

I personally love the look of the matted Dasher, but if you are in a pinch for time, this card looks great with only the Dasher mat, making it a viable option if you need to make several to send to family and friends.
The Puppies Need Middle Names

For half a century (doesn’t that make me sound old?), I have always given my dogs middle names. Just like any parent, when they misbehave, they get the “full-name-treatment”. For example, Missy the Boxer was “Missy Jo Schach”. Whenever she heard her full name, she would give me the infamous “Boxer eyes” look, knowing she had done something wrong. However, I am having a wee bit of a problem with Muffy and Brody. I know, I know…people will think I am crazy. But surely I am not alone in this. Any suggestions?
Brody the Boxer wanted me to alert everyone that he will be offering Brody Blog Candy, just as soon as Mom gets it photographed, in celebration of his “Big Boy Ears”! His handler, Michelle Cramblett, thinks he looks “amazing”. I think they look like very big ears…but I was assured that he will grow into them. The Boxer Twins are growing up so fast. Brody has trained me well, so he is nearly “potty-proofed”. Little Muffy, on the other hand, isn’t quite there yet…although she has not made a mistake today! On the other hand, Muffy is doing much better at her leash training, and walks most of the time on a loose lead. Plus she is learning how to use SNAIL Adhesive…at least I think that was what she was trying to do when I found her with it! Brody, on the other hand, prefers Crystal Effects. (Don’t even ask about that mess! How I wished he had a middle name that day.) They are both going to be such great little stampers!
Muffy would also like to thank Nancy E. for the adorable get well card, and Jaydee for posting the “ouchy ear” picture. Poor Muffy almost lost her left ear in a freak crate accident and required emergency surgery. A few weeks later she had an allergic reaction to what I think was a bee sting. However, she is back to her sassy self…and I do mean sassy!
I hope that you enjoyed today’s inspiration card. It truly is quick and easy to make. Won’t you leave me a comment and let me know what you think? And remember, I really do like answering your questions…it’s the teacher in me! So never hesitate to email me if you have a question about the cards that I make or the techniques that I use. Until next time…


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Stamp Set: Dasher (116816); Ink: VersaMark (102283); Card Stock: Whisper White (100730), Basic Black (121045), Brushed Silver (100712); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (120902), Embossing Buddy (103083), Powder Pals (102197), Heat Tool (100005); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Basic Rhinestones (119246), Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109131), Basic Black 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (117285), Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772)