Okay....Thanksgiving is over so we can now look forward to Christmas! Here is a darling Snowman card I'll be teaching to a class. The snowman is colored using the TJ technique called Distress Ink Watercoloring. Really easy with great results. The background of the card is made using the TJ technique called Distressed Spritzing. I used a stencil from The Crafter's Workshop. The snowflake is a punch from EK Success. Hope you enjoy!

Cute little snowmen!

I've been working really hard getting things done for my upcoming vendor spot at the University Club of Portland.

My goal was to have 35 snowglobes done for that sale (plus the 15 from special orders).  That's 50 total to do.  CRAZY!  Anyways.........I don't normally do too many of the snowmen because they are crazy involved.  There are 12 pieces and each needs to be colored on both sides.  AND when they are done they are only 2" Tall!!!!   Hope you enjoy those little masterpieces!!  If you are interested in making your own snowglobes.......head on over to Some Assembly Required!  Tell Sandy I sent you.  I don't get anything for it, just thought she'd like to know.  The dies are called Slice Forms on the site.

PCP's winner of the week was ME!

Have you ever visited Paper Craft Planet?  No?  Here is a link.

They have all kinds of challenges, free digis, and giveaways all the time.  Susanna Boyd does a great job with the site and I think you'll enjoy it if you go.

Well........they had this really great tutorial on how to use Dreamweaver stencils, adhesive sheets, glitter and Tim Holtz distress powders.  (HINT:  you may have to log in to view the tutorial)   AWESOME!  BUT.....what was even more awesome was that they had a weekly giveaway of a stencil from Stencil with Style and this week it was ME!!

Now the hard part will be to pick ONE. 

THE BEST CANDY EVER!

No.....this is NOT a critique about Halloween candy!!  BUT it certainly is THE best blog candy ever.  Pat Huntoon from the Technique Junkie newsletter is offering a LIFETIME membership to ONE lucky blog candy winner!!!

Go HERE to enter!

You'd get over 100 techniques every year and all the special CD's that are produced.  SUCH an awesome prize, you just can't miss out!

Our Newest Family member!

Yesterday at 7:10pm, little Braelyn Rae Zagel made her appearance into this ol' world. Mommy, Leah, was induced 17 days early due to cholestatis problems. Little Braelyn surely doesn't look 17 days early though. She weighed in at 7 lbs 11oz and was 19.5" long. Nice bit of hair and cute little baby rolls. Mommy and Baby (Daddy too) are all doing great. I thank them for letting me be there to experience this miracle! It was a wonderful experience! Here are a few pictures for you!!

Her first minutes of life 

 The Happy Zagel Family

 Me - the Happy Grandma

 Look at all the hair!

Braelyn Rae chillin' in the warmer!

TODAY is your 'guest designer' chance!!!!!!

The Technique Junkie newsletter has had a 10th anniversary bash all month long!!  Today is a special blog hop where Pat (TJ's owner), is giving away THE best gift of all the days........A CHANCE TO WIN A 'guest designer'  SPOT FOR AN ISSUE!!!

This blog hop starts HERE.  Make sure you start at the beginning so you don't miss any of the inspiration on each blog!

To be eligible for the chance, you need to comment on all the blogs on the hop. 

So.............if you arrived here from Beth's blog, you are in the right place!!  Didn't she share a great technique?!!

My technique is called Popped Blooms from the August 2011 issue of Technique Junkie.  I can't believe that I waited so long to try this technique!!  So easy with such an elegant impact!!  I hope that you enjoy!!

Make sure you comment on my blog, then hop on over to Holly's blog HERE.  I hear that there is going to be something glittery there!

Good luck!

Faux Chinese Fern

I had a card in my "love it" file that had a cool fern with a chinese/japanese symbol in the upper corner.  Well.......I didn't have a stamp like that so I created something similar, then redesigned the layout of the card as well.  I used a solid stamp with a light golden pad edged in the dark green.  Stamped the fern and then added the small leaf in the upper right corner to replicate the look of the symbol on the other card.  I'm happy with the outcome.  The original card had the three images beside each other.  Since my image was wider, they wouldn't fit the way I wanted so I overlapped them instead.    Enjoy!

Feel Better butterfly

This thinking of you card was inspired by a card I had saved on my computer WAY back when.  The original card was made by Linda Bullard, whose work on Splitcoaststampers was on my "Love" list!  I made this into a get well card.  Counting down to the sale...only 5 productive days left.

Well....I really wanted my day to be card productive but it turned into a dog productive day instead.  I decided that instead of waiting until the last minute to bathe my standard poodle, Gabby, for my sale, I would do it today instead.  While soaping her down, I noticed some odd looking skin problems on her tail and back.  When I told my mom about it (she lives with us), she mentioned that she just saw a bug on her mini poodle.  Augh!!!   I checked Yoyo (mom's poodle) and he was covered in fleas.  How could this happen so fast?????   So........I had barely gotten Gabby dried from her bath to turn around and bathe Yoyo as well.  We saw a lot of fleas wash down the drain!   So....once Yoyo was dry, I ran Gabby to the vet.  Sebaceous cyst was the diagnosis.    A number of real tiny ones on her tail.  the skin problem on her back?  The vet just thought it was aging skin.  Hmmmmm.......think I'll just watch it in case.  While I was there.....got some Advantage for Yoyo.  Got to nip these fleas in the bud!!

Layered Goosebumps

This card uses a lovely collage stamp from I brake for Stamps.  It also uses the Layered Goosebumps technique from the Oct 12 TJ newsletter.  I should have probably used colors that were slightly different.   That Goosebumps spray is really weird.  Dries with kind of a rubbery feeling.....smells rubbery too!  You MUST remember to clean anything that it touches right away.  (Not your card, just your tools).  I speak from experience as I have one ruler that is covered with the spray and it does NOT come off. 

Another layered masked collage

This is another Layered Masked Collage card.  Technique from the Oct 2012 TJ newsletter.  The cool fish image is from I Brake for Stamps.  If you are a TJ subscriber, you get a discount from her site!  She has great customer service, ships quick and is easy to work with. 

Another Copic Airbrush Direct

Here is another Copic Airbrush Direct technique card using another of my Stamp Camp background stamps.  I just love the way this technique makes it look so watercolory!  Getting lots done for my sale......it is coming up is a few short weeks!  Augh!!!!!!!!

Layered Goosebumps Cross

The cross stamp on this card is from Heartfelt Creations.    I used the Layered Goosebumps technique from the Oct 12 TJ newsletter.  I'm not sure why but the color photo'd really strange on this card.  Maybe the rubbery smell from the Goosebumps, threw the camera off....hahahahahahha.

Copic Airbrush Direct

The background stamp is from Stamp Camp......I have a ton of their background.  They are a sponsor the the TJ newsletter and their stamps were perfect for the new Copic Airbrush Direct technique.  I also got to use one of my newer Spellbinders dies.  Enjoy!

A sad, sad day.

Yesterday we lost a member of the family.  Our shepherd mix, Willie, succumbed to his Cushings disease and left for that doggie heaven where he can chase all the kitties he wants.  He was a pound puppy that we inherited from some friends.  He was 130 lbs of love and kindness.  He was part Husky and had the hair to prove it.  Our hearts are heavy.  It was sad to see him die yesterday.  It was also somewhat unexpected as he was walking around several times like normal.  He hadn't eaten for several days and yesterday he even refused his treat.  We knew he wasn't doing well.  We noticed that he was laying in the entry flower bed where he often does but was laying kind of funny.  We went over to him and found him breathing really heavy.  His eyes were dialated and gums were black.  We were pretty sure he wouldn't last long, and he didn't.  I was happy that we could be there with him in his last minutes.  We will miss him a bunch.  Here is a nice picture of him taken a couple of years ago.  If you have doggies, give them a big hug for me!

Just poppin by to say hello!

This cute card is made with a pop n cut die from Sizzix that has flowers on it.  It is teamed up with the corresponding "Hello" sizzlets set.  Lovin' these new dies so much!  Got four of these done for my sale.  Hope you enjoy!! 

Today we are hoping to have our car lift installed!  Woo Hoo!  No more crawling on the cold concrete to do oil changes and car repair.  Maybe we should rent it out to help pay for it~!!