Prepping for Stamp Camp...

I made the Halloween card that was featured in the back of October's Stampin' Success. I am not a big fan of wheels but I actually bought Stampin' Around Jumbo Spooky Skyline.
I also got the Stampin' Around Wheel Guide. This handy tool allows me not to worry about crooked lines or overlapping images! I also used the Dots Are Hot set. I also used the word Halloween from Everyday Flexible Phrases.

So much fun!!


I am also giving each Stamp Camper a little decorated Matchbox using the Designer Series Paper - Creepy Crawly. Each box has a surprise chocolate inside. It's difficult to find these little boxes - restaurants don't provide them much - so I hit my mom up for 10 - she kept the matches:) I used Bitty Boos Too stamp set too. Currently SU has a Fall Frenzy Promotion going on - Spend $30 in regular priced merchandise and qualify to purchase one of each of the six promotional stamp sets at 30 percent off! Bitty Boos Too is one of those promotional stamps.

Long Beach, CA

I had a fantastic few days in Long Beach - I saw my 90!!! year old grandmother "Nana" while visiting Long Beach (she is from Florida and was touring the country seeing her kids/granchildren). She returned to Chicago with me and is staying at my parents in Naperville til tomorrow. We celebrated her bday for like the 5th lol last night at the Park Grill - dilly-lish. I had the best Pumpkin Soup - fantastic for a fall evening.

While in Long Beach, we visited the Japanese Garden at California State University at Long Beach. My cousin Jesse is a Professor there. It would be a great place for a wedding or an event. We also spent time in San Juan Capistrano - such a quaint town! I love my pictures from there. The Mission is just so historical and when we arrived it was starting to sprinkle and just gave it an amazing feel. We had a fantastic dinner at King Fish House in downtown Long Beach. I had the best Macadamia Nut Halibut and I tried my cousin Paisley's husband's Ona fish (which I had had in Hawaii at the BEST FISH HOUSE in the world called Mama's Fish House. It's located on Paia and its divine. Anyways, side note lol)

But the main reason for my visit was to see the kiddos... Kate who is 3 is growing up to be the sweetest kid - she is my godchild and I try to see them 2x a year. She has a strong personality just like her godmother lol - Her little bro Ben just turned 6 mos and he is like a wise old man and gets this quizzical face sometimes.

Tying the Perfect Ribbon Knot

Check out Kristina's blog - I am definitely going to try this!!!

Going to see the kiddos...

My godchild Kate and her baby bro Ben (the one I did 80 birth announcements for :) live in Long Beach - they are my cousin Jesse and his wife Kristin's children. So I will be meeting my 90 year old "Nana" there tonight (today is her BIRTHDAY and Ben's .5 BIRTHDAY - actually I think it was yesterday lol). Anyways, we are spending a few days with them and my cousin Paisley and her new hubbie Doug. They were married in Belize this past June. Getting on a jet plane today!

Some of my latest creations

Ronald McDonald's House

I am volunteering at the Children's Memorial Hospital






in Chicago through the Ronald McDonald House. Fran the Team Lead has asked for us to send cards with envelopes by November 1st. You can make as many as you wish and as detailed as you wish. They like Birthday cards, Thank You cards, Get Well, Holiday and Blank cards.

I am also going to be a RMH volunteer and do a stamp class with the families on Wednesday, October 24th. The class will last for one hour and we will make projects for 8 to 10 people. The families come and go all day so it's very casual atmosphere. The projects should be simple because the kids mainly make the projects.

artScape - Arts & Appetizers

Last night Grace and I taught a class at artScape - they had an event called Arts & Appetizers.

Here are the 2 cards I made.

This one I cAsed from someone on SCS.

Stamps: All Holidays & Garden Silhouettes
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral & Always Artichoke markers
Paper: Linen Prints designer paper, Groovy Guava, Vanilla and Chocolate Chip Cardstock.
Accessories: Pewter Brads, Pop up Dots, 5/8 inch grosgrain Chocolate Chip ribbon.































The other card I had cAsed from Kristina and had taught at an earlier Stamp Camp using the Three for You Punch Box

Stamps: Three for You set
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red & So Saffron
Ink: Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red & So Saffron
Accessories: Three for You punch; brads; Bashful Blue gingham ribbon.

Garage Sale

Here are some retired stamps I am selling, email me at stampingonthelakefront@gmail.com if you are interested :)


Just ‘Cause I Like You 2006 Set of 6 M/Never Used
Springtime Stems 2006 Set of 8 gently used
All I Have Seen 2005 Set of 4 UM
Pocket Full of Posies 2005 Set of 4 UM
Everyday Celebrations 2005 1 M/Gently Used
Sweet On You 2006 Set of 4 M/Never Used
All The Best 2004 Set of 7 M – 1 barely used/rest brand new
The Art of Life 2005 Set of 4 M not used
Oh My Word 2005 Set of 6 UM
Flower Filled 2005 Set of 9 M Gently Used
So Very 2007 Set of 8 UM /not used
Swirls Background Stamp 2000 UM
Swirls & Blossoms Background Stamp 2003 UM
Soft Swirl Background Stamp 2002 M/barely used
Groovy Lines Background Stamp Gently Used

Emily's 10th Birthday

Well it was a BLAST of a weekend - remember when I made these invites a few weeks ago for my friend Shelly's daughter's birthday? Well the P*A*R*T*Y was this past weekend and a fun time was had by all!

Uninked Spectrum Pad

I didn't even know Stampin' Up carried these - look what Patty did at Patty's Stampin Spot. Very cool!!!

World Card Making Day

32 more days til...

World Card Making Day which is a holiday especially for card makers around the world to:

Celebrate the creativity of handmade cards and the personal connection that they create between friends and family

Kick off (and get a head start on) the holiday card-making season

WHEN

The first Saturday of each October, kicking off the holiday card-making season, the most popular time for creating and sharing handmade greetings.

WHO

The card-making community worldwide, including hobbyists, beginning card makers, manufacturers of card-making products, retail sellers of products, educators, and press are invited to come together to celebrate this holiday and creative passion.

WHY

It is a day to connect with fellow card makers both near and far, to applaud the creativity that powers the craft, and to provide an opportunity for card makers to connect and find resources that will empower, inspire, and encourage them in their card making.

Card-Making Facts Card Making

The exchange of handmade greeting cards can be traced back as far as the ancient Chinese

Today, card making is a worldwide hobby, especially popular in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

1 in 6 U.S. households participates making cards

86% of scrapbookers also create handmade cards

92% of paper crafters create cards more than any other type of project

The top occasions/themes for making cards are

• Birthdays
• winter holidays (Christmas, New Year’s, etc.)
• thank you
• Valentine’s Day
• Mother’s Day

Card makers prefer stamps and rub-ons for use on their holiday handmade cards

73% of card makers use their computer in part or all of their design