Here's a little sneak peak...

of CTMH's new Mistletoe papers. I am behind on my goal of 5 Christmas cards per month despite actually holding these workshops. I need to focus on getting my own cards finished from each of them before the school year starts again (and who can believe tha's in less than a mnth now??) But I digress...

Here is the July card, modified from a template out of Wishes or Original:

Recipe: CTMH Papers: Garden Green, CTMH Mistletoe (Autumn 2010 Idea Book); Inks: CTMG Garden Green, Cranberry, Sunflower marker; CTMH Stamp: Holiday Jingle; Generic: White papr, card base, pop dots.

Simple to do. We did make 5 of a different ard to make up for missing a month during the summer, and 1 bonus card was also made. I'm spacing them out to post them since I'll be very busy for the next few weeks. In fact, I'm am waaaay behind on cleaning out & up my craft space & office, so I need to get moving.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

(P.S. If you live in the area and want a fun group to scrap, stamp, or take classes with, check out my CTMH website for what's going on!)

H-U-G-E CTMH "Clearance Sale"...

is going on right now. My Stickease are $2 (regularly $4.95, some were even $8.95!), Level 1 packs are just $4 (reg. price $10.95), and Level 2 packs are only $6 (normally $12.95.) The sites were all very slow this morning but the issue seems to have been fixed (have patience if you run into this situation...these prices are worth it!!) The sale goes through 8/11 but all items are "while supplies last." A decent 1/3 of the items are already sold out. Those still available are the only ones listed under the promotion. Want to see if your fave is more than 50% off? Click on that photo of the Idea Book to your right - the one woith the adorable red head on the cover! Once on my site, click Shop Online (left menu), then the "$2, 4, 6, 8" area underneath it.

Between the retiring list and this sale I am glad I was able to snatch up some of my favorite paper packs this morning. Unless there is some repackaging going on, we're in for a lot fewer choices until February rolls around...but wait until you see how great the Fall IB chocies are!! Don't have a Consultant and need a new Idea Book? Leave me a comment with your email address or email me directly!

As always, thanks for looking!

Just call me Julie...

While swapping cards at the CTMH Mix & Mingle event at Convention I ran into someone who exclaimed "I saw this card! I read your blog!" I was shocked, to say the least! It came on the heels of an ongoing, umm, "discussion" between Mike & me about blogging. More specifically, about anyone reading my blog (because it turns out even some long-time friends didn't know I had one.)

As you can imagine, I was very excited! Despite being on roaming since I left NY (for reasons unknown) I called Mike right after this happened and blurted out "I have a reader!!" After I explained what happened in a coherent manner and without that shrill voice he loves so much, Mike laughed at me. Literally.

And then called me Julie. As in the movie "Julie & Julia." You can probably guess what my response was. So, add "Julie" to the list of names he now (mockingly) calls me when I am crafting.

Huge waves & hugs to Janelle for recognizing my card at Convention! (I hope it was better in person than it looked on here!!) You really made my night at the Mix & Mingle - THANK YOU!!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Retiring

No, not me. I wish. Not Mike either. He wishes. Eight of CTMH's current colors are being retired, so if any of them are your favorites or "go to's" you'll want to start ordering your paper, etc. (You can do this via the link to my website if you choose.) Once a color is retired, it is "while supplies last." I always recommend purchasing a reinker if you already have the stamp pad, that way you can continue to use the color for quite some time for stamping, coloring images, etc..

The retirees are: Ocean, Watermelon, Clover Meadow, Hydrangea, Orange, Star Spangled Blue, Citrus Leaf, and Bubblegum.

The new colors are FANTASTIC! I have to say, I love them! Sneak peaks coming as soon as I make something. (We all know what that means..."don't hold your breath," lol!!)

As always, thanks for looking!

Drum roll please.....

I did it! I finally finished all 80 of my swap cards. I am now thinking I don't have enough, but I am out of the photo corners and, more importantly, time. I was told that the cards "should" have layers, an embellishment, use new(er) products, should not contain anything already retired, and shows at least one technique. Then there was straight cuts, straight stamping, neither of which I do well. And so, I present to you my very first CTMH Convention 2010 Swap Card:

Recipe: CTMH - Passages B&T; Desert Sand & Barn Red CS; Cocoa, Barn Red, & Versamark Inks; Antique Copper Brads & Mini Medley corners; Live Inspired (I think) stamp set; Originals template, adapted; Clear Detail Embossing Powder; EK Success border punch. I used heat embossing and the "ghosting" technique from the Wishes book as my technique(s.) This sample used UTEE, the detail worked much better!

So...what do you think? Bad photo, I know, but do you think it will get a decent review from the swap snobs? Mind you, this is also my first "real" swap. Tell me...I can take it!!

Thanks to the stifling heat I will be heading to Lancaster, PA for a little supply shopping at some of my favorite Amish & Mennonite stores there, then head down to DC. Keeps me out of the sun, frees up some time on the way back for stops elsewhere.

I'll report back the week after Convention. Hope to learn new things to share!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Lesson of the Day...

If you are a 10th grader - or more - sitting in my Global class and I repeatedly tell you to learn Stalin since, say, January because "you'll need him for the Regents," you might want to listen. Same if I tell you that about Mao starting in February. And when I describe how "versatile" they are for Regents essays you might want to pay attention. That outline I'll give you about how to get the highest essay score when using Stalin and Mao for your essay topic, if you can use them...you might want to read it.

For example: on TODAY'S Regents Exam one of the essays was on leaders and changes they created in a society. Hummmmm...sounds vaguely familiar...

The other essay was on Geography and it's affect on societies, which I correctly guessed and told them to learn. I could not predict it being limited to monsoons, cold climates, and deserts, but it's a DBQ so they had significant help. (I don't get the concept of a DBQ essay yet, to me it defeats the purpose of writing an essay.)

I did see a lot of Stalin, not so much about Mao. Most wrote the 3 pages I require of them, so they might have a fighting chance yet. I'll have the resutls Friday afternoon. I'll keep you posted. Fingers crossed please!!

After that, it's back to crafting. WOO HOO!!

The most wonderful time of the year...

...is upon us! Well, upon me anyway. Sorry to all you parents of school-aged kiddos, but the year is almost over. If you teach HS in NY like I do, you have less than 5 days of classes left, a few days of finals, then Regents begin. Hence the lack of activity on the ol' blog. I can't access blogs at work, and I am at work for 3.5 hour review sessions with 30 kids (no joke!) 2+ days per week after school. The Global H & G Regents Exam is June 15th at Noon. Light a candle for them. Make that a few candles. And for me, too, because I have 5 reviews to go, the night before being a 7.5 hour marathon review session. AND I get to deal with all the garbage that makes my job sooooo much fun (which has nothing to do with the kids.) But only for 4 more days of classes, 3 days of finals, 1 half day of classes, 7 days of Regents, & 2 Rating Days. Thats a mere 17 days until my already-packed summer vacation begins and I get to wear my Lady of Leisure crown once more.

Bear with me until the craziness ends. :) That's only 13 calendar days away.

Now...where's that crown??? (Yes, there really is a crown.)