The cardmaking-party hostess told us to bring our own supplies too, so I thought it was a great opportunity to pull out the stamps I bought a while back from JustRite. I hadn't tried them yet, so it took a little experimentation to figure out the right sizes and balance for the circles and scalloped circle. As I look at it, the white card in the background could have used some sprucing up, but again, for me, stamping is more about the experimentation than worrying whether the card is perfect. After all, the recipient of a card, homemade or not, is more interested in the fact that you cared enough to send a card than whether the stamped image is perfectly centered on the layered background or whether the card needs a little more spice. And if they aren't, they should be! I think there might need to be some practice with my circle cutter or the purchase of a large circle stamp to help me make the layers work better, and I look forward to having a little more time to play after I get the craft room set up in the new place.

Jenn really has lots of sets of stamps, lots of paper, and lots of inks. I got on a color-play kick--and the pink, green, and brown were available in both ink and paper. So I started playing with white paper and stamped the flowers and verses on five or six. The placement of the flowers is far from planned, but I made a total of five of them in the same color set and gave two to the hostess. She spent most of her time helping everyone else out, so she didn't get to make many cards. It was fun to try out different sentiments!

It's not often that I make a card in yellow and white. I don't personally have any yellow ink pads, but my friend Jenn does! So on the card play day, I made this card. I'm very much a "keep it simple" cardmaker, and this one is no exception, though it did use a few more stamps than the previous one. I stamped the iris first, and Jenn and I were concerned it was very pale. However, once I mounted it on the golden paper, the contrast seemed to help. When I placed the mounted image on the white card, though, we decided it needed a little more pizazz. So we used a swirly stamp and a speckly stamp to add color to the card front and then placed the image on the card and we were pretty pleased with our solution. Perfect? No way. But a good lesson on experimentation and breaking out of your comfort zone.

My good friend and Stampin' Up demonstrator Jenn had another cardmaking party a few weeks ago. Basically, she invited a few of us over to play with her stamps. And play we did! I made a bunch of cards, got to use stamps that I didn't have (or might not have otherwise chosen), and worked with some new ink colors.

Meanwhile, I'll be sharing some card photos over the next few days. Today's card is a very easy card, requiring two stamps--the main motif and a sentiment. This intricate stamp provided excellent results for this type of card. One ink color, two paper colors, and there it is.

The thing I love about this stamp is that it is actually very versatile. In brown on turquoise, it reminded me of a henna tattoo. But it would look very different colored in--Victorian or Dutch, depending on the colors. I'll have to keep an eye out for this stamp, since I think it might be discontinued. Ahh, discontinued stamps--the one flaw in getting to play with the stamp collection of a Stampin' Up demonstrator.....

I spent Sunday afternoon trying to finish up the cleaning and tidying and organizing of the sewing & craft & stamping & quilting room. (Doesn't that seem like a lot of titles for one room--maybe it should be more than one room....)

I put all of the beads into one big storage container from Plano Molding. Rich gave me four of them that he wasn't using a while ago. He thought they might help me get organized. (He's always thinking of me!) And he was right. I was able to organize most all of my jewelry-making supplies into the three large and two small containers stored inside the big ole box (which is stored underneath the dresser). And the whole containers is ORGANIZED! One small container has jewelry projects that need something or are already ready to be something (all the parts for a pair of earrings, for example), the other small container holds extra clasps, jump rings, head pins, etc., one of the big boxes holds strands of beads, another holds seed beads, and the remaining box holds miscellaneous beads. The only things that don't fit in the box are the flexible beading wires and other stringing materials and the tools. And the lunch-room trays that I use sometimes to organize things while I'm beading. And now, all of it is tucked away.

I also got all of my cross-stitch and embroidery supplies, floss, fabrics, etc. in the drawers of the dresser, so that dresser is full of great craft stuff! Smocking in the bottom drawer, embroidery in the middle, and jewelry in the top!

I was able to get rid of some things, making space to actually put away other things. I was able to clear off the rack and put the quilts on it. The three-drawer plastic container now holds things it should instead of random stuff poorly organized. And I threw away a big bag of stuff that needed to go. I can now navigate the entire length of the room without stepping over anything. The only thing I have to do still is set up the quilting machine. And then, its on to cutting out baby Violet's paper doll quilt, my sister's Stack-n-Whack, and my next quilt, a Storm at Sea. I'll talk more about that in the next few days.

I'm SO excited about how the cardmaking station came together. And I'm especially excited that it's no longer in the living room! Check it out--the plastic drawers on the right are filled with paper, punches, and coloring things--chalks, colored pencils, etc. The rolling cart under the table holds metal containers (free at the office surplus supply giveaway/sale) filled with rubber stamps. The drafting table and stool were purchased from a neighbor's garage sale several years back and have served me well. I love having it as a work area.

A few weekends ago, I framed out the pegboard and added support bars to the back. It's not perfect, and I didn't get the trim painted, and the mitered corners don't match, but it's turned out to be SO useful. Lots of ribbon, scissors, glues and tapes, and other stuff fill the board, and there are, in fact, still some empty containers, believe it or not. After I had it all arranged on the pegboard, I realized I needed to do more than just lean it against the wall. I took a bunch of it down, moved it to the floor, secured the back slats in place with screws and added big ole' OOK hooks along the top and on the wall so it was secured in place. With plaster walls, those OOK hooks are fabulous.

Valentine's weekend, I "won" a metal board with magnetic containers at the Camp Shaw fundraiser. Some of the containers are filled, some are empty, but again, that gives me room to get better organized. The colored containers hold eyelets; the little plastic containers were getting to be too much to handle and they kept opening at inopportune times. I did mix the colors, which seemed like it would be okay, since I was cautious about it and put very different colors/shapes in each container. The multicolored tins came from American Science and Surplus this week. I had to add magnets, also from American Science and Surplus, but that worked fine, because I was able to glue them to the back of some plastic containers I had around (see the top right corner). They hold eyelet setting tools and some extra stamped bits.

In all, I think this station will be great to work at, once I get the rest of the room all cleaned up! I'm looking forward to making some great stuff in this room!

I was in Toronto last weekend for a CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) board meeting. Because of how I had to book my flight, I had 6 hours from the time I landed until I had to be at the hotel for the start of the weekend. Yes, you guessed it, that was just enough time to visit a few quilt shops. But since the week prior had gotten a bit chaotic, I hadn't had a chance to do much research online to double-check locations, hours, etc. I located addresses of several shops, thanks to Dad's GPS, but only two of them were still where they were located when I printed a quick map from Google. But one shop staffer suggested another shop, so in the end I visited three shops and still had the chance to look around the town and get ready for the meeting.

What shops did I visit?, you ask.

First, I stopped at Cock-a-Doodle Quilts. I found some fat quarters--I'm assuming they're quarter meters, which is slightly larger than a US fat quarter. But since fabric is more expensive in Canada, I didn't want to get carried away. They had some lovely batiks, this adorable farm print (I'm pretty sure this is bigger than a fat quarter, but I don't have it here to measure), and a panel that I can't yet disclose. As always, you know I'm a sucker for farm fabrics.

Next, after a few misses, I had another hit. The Quilter's Block is a smaller shop, but it was filled with some great fabrics. It's more of an urban shop, which was a new experience for me. As often happens, I ended up with two of the same prints in different colorways. And I also picked up a black-and-white and a black-and-gray print, which are also becoming a pattern for me. And the gal in the shop was very helpful, as we chatted about my mini-shop-hop, she suggested one other store in the area. So off I went.

The shop she suggested was Sewing Machine Factory Outlet in Scarborough. (Again, thank goodness for Dad's GPS!) I found some bolts of fabric that weren't full price--some marked down and some buy-one-get-one-free. Yes, at this shop, I bought yardage, but only off of four bolts. And then there were two fat quarters. As before, the two circle prints are the same print in different colorways--and I love circles and dots. I absolutely fell for the geometric print--it reminded me of some of the ones I picked up in Utah. As for the mosaic-looking print, I thought it would be a great fabric to use to get some practice freehand quilting with that big ole machine of mine. It's beautiful--shades of teal, creams, and brown, and there are birds and florals. I'll do another show-and-tell after I get it quilted--I'm itching to play with that machine again. I need much more free time! As for the two fat quarters, just some batiks that I thought were interesting.

And to round out my trip, here's a funny story. As I walked into the shop, I noticed a gentleman just hanging out in the store. Turned out, he was a fabric rep. I should have guessed--this is not the first time I've been visiting a shop while the fabric rep is trying to do show-and-tell. I don't mind it at all, I love to get a sneak peek at fabric lines, but I always feel bad for the shop owner and the rep, as it's much easier to do fabric selection when there's no one around and you don't have interruptions. I know when I was managing the quilt shop in Florida, we did our best to have the reps come in the evening, which was probably quite inconvenient for them but was very convenient for us. When I was in North Carolina on that vacation I mentioned a few weeks ago, the same thing happened and I bought a lot of fabric then too, partially because I wanted to make it easier on the shop owner, so I just had her cut half-yards. Talk about a tough time getting everything to fit in an already-packed-full suitcase! I was much more frugal with my purchases this trip and was able to get the fabric in my carry-on bag without too much trouble.

So that's my tour of the quilt shops in Toronto. I'm sure I missed some, so if you know of any that I missed, share it in the comment section so anyone who stumbles upon this posting looking for quilt shops in Toronto will have a more complete list for shop hops of their own.

(P.S. If you haven't heard, CHA's planning another Craft SuperShow in Anaheim in January 2010. For a recap of the Summer show, check out these blog posts: Judikins, fabric, Kaiser, JustRite Stamps.)

I discovered JustRite Stamps at the CHA Craft SuperShow in late July. The premise of these stamps is that JustRite sells font sets so you can basically typeset your own wording. The wood stamp I bought back in July was round, so letters can be set in the center, like a monogram or wording, and the mini-font I bought then can be placed in the circle around the exterior. But when I saw on their Facebook page that they were having a font sale, I thought I'd better consider a purchase, because I'm having a difficult time finding their products locally. So I did, as you can see. I got the horizontal stamper set that comes with two sizes, Times New Roman in upper and lower case, and their special occasions font which only comes in upper case. All three font sets come in three point sizes, so I should have all the options I need for now.

And if you have a chance, check out the JustRite blog, filled with great ideas and inspiration from their team. Plus there are hops, videos, and more.

As I said, I have a weakness for demos. And Judi Watanabe does amazing demos. She was demo-ing how to use their Mica Gloss inks on glossy cardstock--both white and black, and using the brayer and stamps to create patterns. I was watching her demo and several others were watching as well. One woman who was also watching the demos actually admitted that she brought her hubby along so that, between the two of them, they might remember how some of these products were used once they got them home. Judi said the magic words. "We have videos online, in case you forget." SOLD! As you can see, the brayer, the papers, the inks, and even a sample as a reminder found their way back to Wisconsin with me. Nothing like a good demo to sell a great product!

Once you've watched Judi Watanabe demonstrate stamping techniques, you get inspired to make cards. And I was VERY inspired. A bunch of Judikins stamps were available for sale at Queen's Ink booth, and I made the best of this amazing opportunity and the inspired feeling the demos created! I should have brought my camera in, because I'd like to remember some of the very cool ideas they had for these stamps, but I know they have a bunch of sample photos on their site, so I'm not worried. But aren't their stamps great!?

Wow, it's just one electronic mountain being conquered after another. The blog is working, and now, after several invitation from friends, I've joined Facebook. So if you're on there, you can friend me.

Meanwhile, in the health department, I finally went to the Dr. and got something for this cough. Hoping it kicks in fast, because I'm on a plane to the CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) Show less than a week from now. I can't wait; I get to see everything new and fabulous in the craft industry and all of the wonderful people that also work in the creative industry. And after the show, I get to spend a few days with my friend Vicki in Long Beach and my sister Alice in Phoenix. So I want to be healthy for all of that.

But before I go, I have to get my project done for the Ornament Thursday group. As I look at the stack of cardmaking supplies across the room, I think it might have to be a card.

Meanwhile, there's beef stew underway in the crock pot, so I better go check that.

I braved it today, going into work, but I didn't make it a full day. Don't know what this illness is, but it's more powerful than I thought it was. And with the snow overnight and the wind chill of 9 below, I find being home in my slippers and jammies to be a pretty good place to be. I have a retreat tomorrow for work, so we'll see if I make it through tomorrow without needing a nap.

So it's the end of day 5 and I really feel as though I've accomplished a great deal in these five days. Here's the rundown:

Basement--tidied up and organized
Sewing room--reorganized
Quilting machine and frame--set up and ready to go
Christmas decorations--packed away
Living room--rearranged
Excess craft supplies--in the car and ready to share with my coworkers
Turkey breast--cooked
Ham bone--boiled down into broth
Dozen eggs--hard boiled
Papers--shredded
Lots of trash and recycling on the curb

So there it is. My five days in a nutshell. I'm really proud of what I got done and I'm okay with how much I accomplished. Of course, you always think you'll get more done than you do, but I'm really okay with that list. There's still more to do--the stamping corner in the living room still needs to be organized, but I can't do that until I get the "new" piece of furniture for the living room, and the dining room is still a wreck, filled with all of the things I want to make in the next few months for gifts for 2009. And then there's the Christmas cards and letters...

So thanks for hanging out with me for this 5-day trek through my house-clearing "staycation" (if that's what they're calling it these days). Here's to the next week of finishing it up.

On my Friday off, I made a bunch of cards (not enough, but a bunch). I wanted to make more, but after the clock passed midnight, I had to stop. I'd watched several Christmas classics while I worked on them, and always find something amusing that I hadn't noticed before in those movies (more later).

About the card inspiration: I went to a stamping party a week ago and got so excited about making cards that I decided to make cards for some of my friends. I used some decorative papers, figured out how to use my Fiskars Shape Boss Ultimate Embossing System, played with some stamps, and mixed some paper colors. I'm all about making multiples this time of year, so I made about a dozen of each card, swapping out colors as I went along. I've got more to make, and I'll be experimenting more in the coming week.

As for the old movies, I was watching Miracle on 34th Street and at the end, Susan runs into the house and her mother says something like "Susan, you know you shouldn't run in other people's house." Seriously, if the kid opened the door of a stranger's house and walked or ran in, wouldn't you think that there'd be more important things to discipline her for than for running in the house? Yes, it was late at that point, but really, I couldn't stop giggling over the idea that that was what the kid was getting in trouble for. And that's when I realized it was time to get some sleep.

And though I didn't get some of the other projects done, my high-school buddies who gathered for lunch on Saturday were pleased that I made some cards. After all, doesn't everyone need some all-occasion cards for those last minute "thinking of you" cards?

No, my Christmas tree still isn't decorated, but the house is clean. Unfortunately, the sewing room got a little cluttered in the picking-up process. My plan for New Years Eve, Day, and the next weekend is a total re-org of the sewing room. I might even take that Friday off and have 4-1/2 days to do a full-blown drag-everything-out-and-get-rid-of-some-things weekend. I know, it's a fabulous life of glamour that I lead, isn't it?