Sites of the week

Did you want to win some stamps? See THIS post

The 1st of the month has never seemed so exciting! So, what’s happening at the strike o’ midnight? Lots of stuff!

1. HOT STUFF from My Favorite Things is making its smashing debut. Are you singing Donna Summer yet? “Lookin’ for some hot stuff, baby, this evening. I need some hot stuff, baby, tonight”
Here is another card using this set.

I was completely inspired by the MFT packaging {that’s why it’s part of the background} and I just love this little phrase to go along with the mugs. Details/recipe are at the bottom of this post.

2. Pre-orders for those super fun scalloped punches at PaperTreyInk. Which ones are you getting? I still have not decided, but I know at lease one will be a circle. I love what Nichole did with the heart scalloped punch HERE.

3. SU! demos can order from the preview catty. To be honest, the bulk of what I am getting consists of paper and ink in the new “In Colors.” There are a couple sets that I am considering, but am still wavering on. Anyone else LOATHE the Zoofari set? Is that snake sticking his tongue out or smoking a little something? As a joke, the girls that were over a couple weeks ago and I were joking that you could add the swirls from Baroque Motifs and the sentiment “Delight In Life” for a pretty amusing card!! Yes, I can be a little twisted at times. LOL!

4. The Guest Designer for iheart2stamp will be announced. Want a sneak peak?? Here ya go:

I’m such a lil’ tease, huh!?!

5. The winner of the blog tart will be announced!! Please note that this will be a separate post from the Guest Designer Announcement.

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Stamps: My Favorite Things… Hot Stuff and Behind The Scenes.
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty In Pink, Basic Black
Ink: Pretty In Pink, Basic Black
Other: Dimesionals, Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch

See THIS POST if you want to enter to win stamps {and see why I get to give them to you }!!

For those of you who live in Texas, you know the phrase, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.” Well, I happened to like the weather this morning, but apparently Mother Nature had some plans of her own. It was nice and sunny early this morning, but soon enough the black clouds started rolling in. I was able to snap a few shot of their creepiness. Ick, right?!?!

So, when I sat down to stamp I wanted something that would warm me up from all this grossness happening outside my window. I grabbed my My Favorite Things set that is going to be released on Friday. Mmmmm….gross weather outside….hot tea inside. This card also uses the colors from today’s Color Challenge on SCS. The Word Window Punch with “Tea Time” stamped on it was a little bit of an afterthought. It is actually covering up a little boo boo. LOL

Stamps: My Favorite Things
Paper: Cool Caribbean, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: Cool Caribbean, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip, Palette Noir
Other: 3D glue dots, Dimensionals, Word Window Punch, Brad, Ribbon, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Eyelets

A couple weeks ago I got a phone call from Brenda Peterson, Editorial Assistant of Paper Crafts Magazine. She was calling to congratulate me on my Stamping Royalty win…WoooHooo!! As she continued, she let me know that not only did I win in one category, but I won in three categories. WoooHooo x 3!!!! Needless to say, I was a *little* ecstatic. I got a jumbo prize package in the mail that included this tiara. LOL!! I can’t wait to get a picture with it on!

Also included in my prize package was a set of stamps that I happen to already have. Hmmm, what should I do with these? You guessed it…I’m offering them up as a blog tart!

As you know, I introduce a new Guest Designer on the 1st of each month. You are going to love what this girl has come up with for us to ogle at! To be entered to win the blog tart, guess who you think it is, or who you would like to see featured here. I will be announcing the winner of the blog tart on the 1st, along with the new Guest Designer. Good Luck!

**PS** two of the three people that won last time never responded, so Debbie got some extra goodies in her blog tart package. Very interesting

I am really not the biggest fan of forwards in my mailbox, but from time to time, a gem comes through. Tony shakes his head at my sense of humor, and maybe you will, too. Regardless…I find this funny!!

Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married. One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom. The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely. After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, the bride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, “I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!!!”

“IMPOSSIBLE !!” said the groom broom.

“WE HAVEN’T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!!”

Bwahahahahaha!!!!!!

So, what the heck is a Genie Bag? Well, awhile back I posted this bag on SCS and someone dubbed these Genie Bags after my SCS screen name, genie1314. You can say that I was/am a *little* flattered!
I get a lot of emails and PMs asking me how they are done, so I figured I would create a quick tutorial for them. They are super easy and super fun to make, as you can personalize them in so many ways.

Challenge: Create a Genie Bag and post a link here.

Supplies:
Lunch Sack
Paper {8.5″ x 11″}
Stamps {My Favorite Things shown here}
Ink {Palette and SU! Classic Inks shown here}
Paper Cutter {yep, I still have the old style!}
Adhesive {I am a Tacky Glue person, can’t stand Snail}
Punch to make handle

Step One:
Cut bag down to about 6.5″ and cut base paper in half, so that you have 2 panels that are 8.5″ x 5.5″

Step Two:
Decorate base panels as desired. I generally leave the back blank.
***When decorating, be sure to leave plenty of room at the top for a punched handle!!***

Step Three:
{no picture shown}
Punch handle out of both base pieces. I punch these one at a time. To be sure that they are even, punch one, then line it up on the other piece and make pencil marks as a guide.

Step Four:
Glue bag onto base panels. Notice that I show the glue on the bag and not on the paper. This is because I have made a grand mess putting the glue on the paper instead of the bag.

Step Five {optional}:
Create matching tissue paper by stamping the edges of tissue paper.
***Note that there is a slick side and a matte side. You want to stamp on the matte side.***

Step Six:
Fill with yummies or a gift and it is ready to be given away and oooohed and aaaawed at

Side View:

Genie Bags can also be done using mini lunch sacks. To make these, you cut the bag in about half. The base panels are 4.25″ x 5.5″ {a quarter panel of a 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper}. The word window punch makes a cute handle on these.

Dress it up a little more by tying ribbon onto the handles. I did this one with ribbon and punches dangling from the handle.