It's not TOO late!!!!

You DO have time to make some BEAUTIFUL cards for the holidays. This is a class I'm offering as a "to go" option only. You will make 10 absolutely gorgeous (GOJUS! I tell you!!) cards. The kit includes all paper, pre-cut and scored, and slightly stamped, 1 package of Season of Cheer Rub-ons, 8 Build-A-Brads, 18 Felt Flurries Snowflakes and the directions to put all of them together. Plus, as an added bonus, you will receive directions for a cute little portfolio to keep your cards in. (or use the directions at a later date, change up the paper, and make it into a gift for someone else!) Remember - you get the entire set of Season of Cheer Rub-Ons - you'll only use 10 of the phrases and 8 snowflakes, that leaves you with a LOT of extras. Put them on a glass jar, put some candy in the jar, instant gift!!! The fee for this class is only $30. Here are the cards included:

Card #1

Card #2

Card #3

Card #4

Card #5

The deadline to sign up for this Class To Go is December 4th. That way I can build your packets and have them shipped out to you ASAP. Please keep in mind, these 10 cards will take you an hour or less to "build". Such a short time, such wonderful results!

Email me today to sign up!

Alex is ONE!!!

Ribbon Frenzy

I love ribbon! You'll notice that about everything I create has ribbon incorporated in it. Would your like to have lots of ribbon too? Want to try every color in our spectrum? You can! Here's how = you can have 2 yards of each color of our 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon for $20 by emailing me by November 15th. That's 40 YARDS of ribbon. What a great way to sample each color and figuring out which color you use the most of! So email me today. Again the deadline is November 15th!

Peeling myself off of the creative block...

I felt like I hit a creative block...I'd sit at my table, get my paper out and just stare at it. Hmmm. I know I promised that I would have the Holiday Extravaganza items posted LAST WEEK...but, I just couldn't get past the block. I really hope that you like what I came up with...I don't know that it's my best of all creations, but I've gotta give you something. And this week is Alex's birthday (#1 - I can't believe it!) so I'll be busy with the preparations for that this week.... So, here goes -

ANNOUNCING - HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!! Remember - you can choose to make either 10 cards (you choose which one and you'll make 10 of that card), 24 gift tags, or 8 gift packages. The cost is $15, deadline to sign up is November 16th. Here are your options:

1) Cardinal Christmas

2) From Our House to Yours

3) Best Wishes Snowflake

4) Noel - Big on Christmas

Here are the Gift tags - You'll make 3 of each design:

( Please note - some designs may vary depending on availibility of Designer Paper and Rub-ons)

And, the gift packaging - you'll make 2 of each design. Again, patterned paper may vary depending on availability.

Where does the time go?

Do we lose it when we change our clocks from Daylight Saving Time back to regular time? I don't know, but I do NOT have enough hours in the day to save ME! Can we create Jen Saving Time? That would sure help me out. If I could live without sleep - that would be a way to add some hours into my day. But the doctors tell us that we must sleep, and every so often, my eyelids tell me the same thing. "You must sleep now, I'm shutting these lids so you can't see anything. Don't be alarmed, after a good night's sleep, I'll open again. No, no, don't try and force them back open, here I'll help you out. Do you feel how heavy your head is getting? It wants a pillow." And with that, I stop fighting the fight, and go to bed. Anyway - I know that I was to post photos of my creations for the Holiday Extravaganza on Monday. Well, I've hit a creative block. I have been working on things, it's just a matter of coming up with some "knock your socks off" items that all of you will be dying to make yourselves. So, I promise that I will REALLY try to post the pictures tonight....But, in the meantime, let me fill you in on the Holiday Extravaganza event itself!

First off - the event will be held on November 21st and 22nd. The location will be determined by the amount of attendees. Likely it will be at the Denison Municipal Utilities building.
You will have the option of making 10 cards, 25 gift tags or 8 gift package items. Maybe you will want to come both the 21st and 22nd and make cards one time and the tags the next? This is up to you. The fee is $15 for whichever item you elect to make. $15 for 10 cards, $15 for 25 gift tags, or $15 for 8 gift packages. Sounds like fun doesn't it!!!

The gift tags will be a variety of tags. There will be some that use rub-ons, some that are big, some that are small. You WILL love them! The gift packaging items will be: 2 gift bags, 2 bag toppers, 2 triangle pouches and 2 treat holders.

Again, I will try my best to get these items posted tonight....or at least tomorrow sometime. The deadline to sign up will be November 15th. I hope that will give everyone plenty of time to make their decisions!

Happy Halloween!!!

The boys had a great time trick-or-treating last night. I know I don't normally post photos of my kids, but thought it would be okay - since they are wearing costumes that I created! Will wanted to initially be a pig. I couldn't quite justify having a 2 1/2 year old boy dressed in pink, so we convinced him that a cow was the way to go....


After some overly shy moments at the office, he overcame that and was most glad to go knock on doors or ring doorbells. He'd even say trick or treat, and thank you to each and every house. As soon as we were walking back down the sidwalk, he'd ask if we could trick or treat again.

Alex, he got the pleasure of being the pig. I hope that this won't hurt his ego much in his future. After he was referred to as the little sister a couple of times, the guilt was really setting in. He will not be dressed in pink for several years - and only on his own will.


I thought his costume turned out cute, but it will likely be burned now - or handed down to some other little one - with the recommendation that it goes to a girl.

Alright - I know this isn't much, but I've got a whole pile of work to be done. To clean or not to clean, to stamp or not to stamp. It's a difficult decision....But I must get my Holiday Extravaganza items ready so I can post those on Monday. Holiday Extravaganza you ask....stay tuned!!

Needing somthing new to look at???

Our nephew Lance recently celebrated his 3rd (!) birthday! I can't believe he's three already - and quite the character for being 3!! I made him a "box" and filled it with his own crayons and markers, scissors, paper, etc. No more fighting with his big sister over the crayons! Here's my creation:








It has a clear lid, so he'll be able to see just what's inside. He can also keep all of his little cars in there if he wanted to. I just loved it!! (patting myself on the back!) Want the deets? I used Crew Kids DS Paper (Retired Stampin' Up!), my coluzzle to cut the circles, and chipboard letters from Stampin' Up! - I believe these were Timeless Type. I inked the letters up in Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White. I also stamped the Real Red paper with Versamark using the stamp set Sporting (stars and #1). I hope that he'll enjoy it!

Happy Birthday Lance!

The Cardinal...

he must have flown away....I tried last night to get my Cardinal Christmas card done, and it just wasn't working out the way I planned. Mainly because I don't have the correct scallop die for my Big Shot. Guess Billy Joel would be disappointed - I'm not such a big shot after all! Anyway, he'll show up for sure at the Christmas Stamp-A-Stack 2. Which FYI, I am tenatively scheduling for November 21st and 22nd. Please see my poll off to the right to vote on class options. I really value your opinions, so this will help me decide on some upcoming classes. Or leave a comment at the bottom of this post if you have any ideas....

Thanks - Jen

Drum Roll Please.....

Okay - here are your options for the first Christmas Stamp-A-Stack!

1) Vintage Postcard






2) Happy Holidays





3) Snowswirled tree (this is much prettier in person)



4) Snow Swirled Snowflakes


5) Our house to yours


6) Felt Flurries (this too is neater in person!)


So pick your card, you will make 10 of that card. If you want to make 3 different cards, you will end up with 30 cards. Email me by 10/15/08 with your options. FYI - I will be adding one more option tonight - using the Cardinal from the Holiday Mini.

Stamp-A-Stack details:
When: October 25th 1pm - 4pm
Where: Denison Municipal Utilities Bldg
Fee: $15 per "stack" (10 cards) You will more than likely have plenty of time to make 2 stacks (20 cards)
Register and pay by: October 15th

The fee includes your cards, pre-cut and scored, and envelopes, plus use of my supplies. You just stamp and assemble.

Please email me if you have any questions. thearkfelds@fmctc.com or call 712-269-2714

The next Stamp-A-Stack will be in a couple of weeks, but the options will be different.

Coming soon!!!

Mark your calendar, put it in PEN - not pencil....the first Christmas Stamp-A-Stack is just around the corner...OCTOBER 25th, 1pm - 4pm. This will be the first of a couple Stamp-A-Stacks. I will post 5-6 card selections in the next day, so check back tomorrow! I will also hold a couple of Stamp-A-Stacks in November, but I will likely have a couple of different card options for you at that time. More later!!!

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!

I'm just back from Stampin' Up!'s Kansas City Regional Seminar. It was a great time! I took about 65 "swaps" with me to trade with other demos that were there - here are the goodies:

I'm really fond of this one - I think I love the simplicity of it. It uses Whisper White cardstock for the base, and Maine Blueberry Designers Series paper - I'm in love (LOVE) with this paper. I used the scallop edge punch to do the scallop. The only stamp set I used was Best Yet (hostess yet), and I used my markers on it to get the two colors. Punched it out with the large oval punch, then punched a larger oval in Old Olive cardstock with the Wide Oval Punch . Added a couple of brads, and some Bashful Blue striped ribbon and voila - instant beauty!


Card #2 - Yep - I'm loving this too!! Simple, elegant, and easy!!! Here I used the Snow Swirled Set that's in the Idea Book. Stamped the snowflakes with Versamark, then used my Iridecent Ice Embossing Powder and embossed away. I had also tried this using Heat and Stick and Dazzling Diamonds, but the detail was really lost because DD is just a little too "chunky". Then, tied a ribbon in it - the new Alpine Ribbon that is in the Winter Mini - it's great stuff. You get a lot of ribbon, some is this striped grosgrain, and the other is a felt ribbon, that you'll in a second, but you gotta keep reading! Lastly, I stamped Season's Greetings in Choc. Chip on Very Vanilla and punched it with the Wide Oval Punch, edged the sides with Choc. Chip and stuck it on with Stampin Dimensionals.....oh yeah, Baha Breeze was the base for this one....

... and this one too. Baja Breeze base that is. I used the To You and Yours Stamp Set...kinda vintage, very classic...makes me sing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" And when I do my voice automatically changes to that of Bing Crosby is it??? I don't know...back to the card....okay, I stamped the house in Choc. Chip on Naturals Ivory. (one of my new very favorite papers), then punched the corners with my ticket punch, layered it on Choc. Chip paper. Added a little two way glue to the "snow" swirls and sprinkled on some Dazzling Diamonds. Oh, it's coming together! Then, I punched (using the horizontal slot punch) a slot for my ribbon to go thru. I had to do this side by side about 3 times to get the slot long enough for this Choc Chip stitched ribbon to fit thru. I'm not going to take credit for this one, I totally CASED it off of Splitcoast. I'd give credit to the person if I could find it again....She however added felt fusion flowers in Choc Chip and it completely added a WOW factor. If I would have had some on hand, I would have been all over it....

Then we move onto Upsy Daisy. Holy cow this set is versatile...it can be masculine, it can be feminine...I'm loving it. This was super easy. Basic Grey base, add a strip of Prestwick DS Paper, stamp the daisies in Not Quite Navy on Naturals Ivory (remember one of my new favorite papers!), layer it on Not Quite Navy, add some Navy Ribbon and a couple of brads, and viola! Simple, super easy card....done!


Another Christmas card here - and really pretty simple. Remember, any time you add DS paper to a card, your life gets easier.... I started with an Old Olive base, added some paper from Holiday Treasures, and tied a bow on with Baha Breeze Striped Grosgrain ribbon. I'm all about ribbon these days. Just like the DS paper, it's an instant addition that really makes your card something to love. And really, ribbon isn't a huge costly thing, a little goes a long way. Well, then I stamped the tree from Snow Swirled on Baha Breeze with Versamark, and used Iridecent Ice embossing powder, used the ticket corner punch, layered it on Choc Chip, and Riding Hood Red papers. Another elegant Christmas card done my Moi! Do a little dance....

Last swap card was the first one to be gone, and I really love him! Of course, I did save one for myself, and I don't know that I'll part with it, unless I make more....are you ready to see it???I should give you fair warning - the set I used is from the Winter Mini and the Winter Mini is DANGEROUS!!!! I really mean it. I was a naughty, naughty girl and ordered not just 2 sets from it, not 3, but 5 - yes FIVE stamp sets from the mini....this is probably my favorite mini ever! It's got a lot of vintage inspired sets, and I just love that look! Well, and to really sway me, Stampin' Up! offered us demonstrators an additional 20% off the sets we preordered. Talk about enabling! What a great incentive...I love Stampin' Up! Oh, so you wanted to see that card right? Okay, here goes nothing!









Isn't he ADORABLE? I used the cute little scarecrow from Happy Blessings out of the Winter Mini. The DS paper is also in that mini - remember - very dangerous! It's called Autumn Vine. The colors in the paper are gojus! I hope they keep it around a while! I already tried to order more of the paper, and SU! wouldn't let me!!!! Is that a sign or what???? We are only allowed one per preorder period....Well, I'm ready for some more dang it. So I inked him up with Stazon on Very Vanilla, used my Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a blender pen. I took my blender pen and grabbed color off of the crayon instead of using the crayon directly on the paper. I scraped the edges of the Vanilla across my Choc Chip pad to distress them and used the Choc Chip marker to do some faux stitching. Then I popped him up off the page with Stampin' Dimensionals. I also used that Alpine ribbon that's in the....MINI!!! (if you need a copy of the mini, please let me know....) And some Earth Elements buttons with some hemp twine. Here's a close up:

Pretty darn cute wouldn't you say???? Okay - I really must go take care of some laundry and unpack my stuff from KC....

Keep on stampin'!

World Card Making Day - Upsy Daisy Class

If you’re looking for quick and easy cards to make that have a real “wow” factor, then this class is perfect for you! You’ll use the Upsy Daisy stamp set and Urban Garden designer paper to create eight stunning cards in four designs and a sleek little box to hold them in.

Date: October 4th, 2008 sign up deadline is Sept. 25th

Time: 9am - 11amCost: $25 or $10 with a purchase of the product bundle (see below)

Location: Denison Municipal Utilities

Please email me to sign up for this class: thearkfelds@fmctc.com

Product Bundle: Purchase the Upsy Daisy Stamp Set (currently offered at 15% off), half a pack of Urban Garden Designer Paper, one roll of Baha Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and one roll of Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain Ribbon for $41 (plus shipping and tax) and you can take the class for $10. This way you can go home and create more of the cards that we make at class!!! Bonus for you!

If you can't make it to class, but want to "participate", ask me about the Class-to-Go option!

Back from sabatical...

Oh, I really wish that were my excuse. For a while there I forgot that my blog even existed....and really there isn't an excuse that this poor site hasn't been updated for an eternity. I've just been flat out busy. Summer, kids, camping, kids, work, play, kids. You all know what I mean. But just because I haven't been posting jack-diddly here, doesn't mean I haven't been creating away. There have been many a nights sitting in my craft room with the juices flowing, when I really should be in bed instead. My body has figured out that I can stay up past 9:30pm, and it doesn't kill me at all. I fondly remembered that Jay Leno has this great monologue, and yeah - it's worth staying up for sometimes. But, I have been working and have made some great things - some of which I have forgotten to photograph. Like the card that I submitted to Stampin' Up! for one of their monthly contests, which I obviously didn't win, because the phone has not rang on this end from Salt Lake City. And trust me, I've been checking not only the answering machine, but also the caller id....Shelli, feel free, give me a call sometime.





Yeah, I know, you really want to see what I've been creating....here it goes:








I made this little bottle topper last night as a gift for our babysitter's birthday today. She said that she really appreciated the enabling! FYI - this is a bottle of Fetzer Gerwurtztraminer. It's YUMMY!! A nice white with fruity undertones, not too sweet, not too dry. I'm in love! Here's a close up of the topper. In the box, I tucked a gift certificate:



This stamp is from Happy Blessings and can be found in the Holiday Mini - available Oct. 1. And the paper is also from the mini - Autumn Vine. It's great paper. I think I'm loving it more so than all of the holiday paper. It combines Choc. Chip, Really Rust, More Mustard (which I NEVER use) and Sage Shadow. Makes a really great combo. I also used Choc. Chip wide grosgrain ribbon and choc. chip paper. The directions for the box can be found here on Splitcoast Stampers.

Here is a card that we made at our last Stamp Club meeting. We have so much fun at our club meetings, I wish we could do it more often. It's a great group of gals! Anyway, I LOVE this card - that's right love it! I CASED it off of Splitcoast, and can't remember exactly who...she did have some felt flowers included on her card, I opted for dazzling diamonds instead. I also used the ticket punch. But, I really love the combo of Choc. Chip and Baha Breeze. Warm and cool all at the same time! Who'd a thunk it?


This stamp set is To You and Yours. I LOVE it for it's simplicity and elegance. The background is stamped with snowflake images from Snow Swirled. The little snowflake is down in Baha Breeze, while the bigger flake is with Versamark. It helps give a little dimension I think. (doesn't show the best here) I stamped the house with Choc Chip, then used my 2-way glue pen and sprinkled dazzling diamonds over the top... gojus!

Our technique for this month was moonlighting. I cased this card from the infamous Jan Tink, the goddess that she is. If you haven't checked out her blog, do so.



There is a great tutorial on her blog for this moonlighting tech. My photo isn't great colorwise....

Here is our other moonlit card:




This one uses the Upsy Daisy set that I love....it can be masculine - kinda like the card here, or it can be way feminine. It's nice a versital. Again, the color seems off. This was Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Choc. Chip ribbon, black ink, Really Rust and Pumpkin Pie for the sky. Very simple, and quite easy really. And if you like this stamp set, be sure to check out my upcoming class for World Card Making Day. You won't want to miss it!