Handmade Christmas Wishes

I received many handmade Christmas wishes from stamping friends, and I wanted to share them with you...

The following 2 cards are legal envelope-sized, but I had to shrink them to get them to post the complete picture. Even small, you can see how wonderful they are!

Tracy

(Tracy was one of the original Meade Girls. She and her family

are now stationed in Alaska. I miss her!)

The sentiment says "Happy Holidays from Alaska".

My "cuz", Michelle D.

Rose

Paula R.

(Go Ravens!)

My mom


Kathi

Jeaneen

Jane T.

Gloria

Cindy

Beverly

Thank you all for the beautiful cards!!!! I love them all!!

Please Vote For Me!

If you haven't voted in the Bombshell Stamps' Design Team's "Playing Favorites" contest there's still time! You can vote through December 31st. If you haven't voted, please vote for me here.

Thanks!

Hurry Before It's Too Late!

Don't forget to enter Bombshell Stamps' "Follow This Blog" Contest! It's super easy to enter, and the winner will have their choice of 2 stamp sets (1 rubber + 1 digital)!!! How cool is that??
Check out the sets that the winner can chose from here!

The contest rules are as follows:
1. Sign up to follow the blog by December 20th, 2010
2. Provide a post on their personal blog promoting the contest (current followers just need to add a post to their blog)

Head on over to the Bombshell Stamps Blog to enter, but hurry! December 20th will be here before you know it!!!

Meade Girls' Cookie and Gift Exchange 2010

This year, 14 of my stamping friends, The Meade Girls, decided to get together for a cookie and gift exchange. Dawn Marie had us all over to her house today for the festivities and I do believe that we all had a great time!!!!

Gloria wasn't able to be there in person (sending healing thoughts, Gloria!!), but she was there in spirit! We were glad that Gloria's daughter and fellow Meade Girl, Theresa, was able to attend in her place and bring her "mom" with her!

Wow, look at all those cookies!! I thought the table would bow in the middle from all the weight!

So many cookies, they wouldn't all fit on the table! It was so fun to see how differently everyone packaged their cookies!

Not only did we do a cookie exchange where we all got 1/2 dozen of each other's cookies, but we also made recipe cards for our cookie recipe to swap. Here is the one that I made:

The pages are 6 x 6", which doesn't leave alot of room to decorate, so mine is pretty simple. I used SU's Pretty in Pink, Buckaroo Blue, and Very Vanilla cardstocks. The cookie-making patterned paper is from The Paper Studio. The stamp set that I chose to use is Sew Pretty by Gina K. I stamped the larger lady with the apron using SU's Bashful Blue ink directly over the recipe. The sentiment "What's Cooking?" is also from that set.

Now, take a look at the fabulous recipe cards that the other Meade Girls made...

Chocolate Pepper Cookies (out of pocket) by Dawnmarie

Chocolate Pepper Cookies (in pocket) by Dawnmarie

Raspberry Jam Drop Cookies by Michelle D.

Fast & Fancy Macaroons by Cindy

Fiesta Fudge Cookies by Rhonda

3-Minute No-Bake Cookies ("Reindeer Poop") by Amanda

Basic Rolled Sugar Cookies by Paula L.

Butterscotch Cookies by Paula R.

Peppermint Meringue Kisses by Jeaneen

Sand Bars by Jane (and Sara!)

Pecan Meltaways by Gloria

Ribbon Cookies by Rose

Snickerdoodles by Kathi

Apple-Raisin Cookies by Jen

I had such a fabulous time and I sure hope that we can do this again!! It was alot of work but it was WELL worth it!!!

WWII Nose Art and a Challenge

During World War II, and again in the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars, colorful images appeared on the nose sections of American military aircraft. Loved and hated, photographed and censored, the paintings known as nose art have been a controversial tradition.

Not to be confused with official markings or insignia, nose art personalizes a plane for its crew, because it is the crew members who name the plane and create the art, giving the plane an identity of its own. Although some examples of nonregulation art can be found on the military aircraft of other English-speaking countries, the phenomenon is predominantly American, perhaps due to the streak of rebellious individualism attributed to American culture. Nose art is important as an historical and societal indicator over time, an example of folk art or popular expression, and a record of the past.

Our family has visited several museums over the years, and I was thrilled to see some fabulous nose art while we were there. Here are a couple of my favorites...

The following 2 pictures were taken at the Yankee AF Museum in Ypsilanti, MI.


This next photo was taken at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH. Unfortunately the lighting isn't very good there.


Aren't they fun??

OK, that's your history lesson for today...but I LOVE nose art. For some reason, I'm fascinated by it...maybe it's my upbringing as an Air Force brat, I don't know...but I love it! When I first saw Bombshell Stamps' images, they reminded me of those painted ladies...and I knew I had to have them!

Shannon, who creates these fabulous Bombshell images, assigned me to come up with a Design Team only challenge...and I knew what I wanted to do...my challenge to the girls was "Playing Favorites". I wanted them to create a project using the very first Bombshell set that they got. My first-ever Bombshell Stamp set was Bombshell Angel...and she is a beauty! If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've seen quite a bit of her.

For this challenge, I wanted to create an album to put some of my favorite nose art photos in.

It didn't come out quite like I had planned, but at least it gets the idea across. Here it is:

I drew the shape of an airplane nose onto a folded piece of silver metallic cardstock to make a card. I scored the front about 3/4" in from the left side and inserted silver brads to simulate rivets. I stamped the Bombshell Angel image onto GP110 white cardstock and colored her using Copic markers. I then cut her out and adhered her to the "plane". I stamped the word "Bombshell" above the image. I wanted to add the tally marks that pilots would put on their planes showing the number of bombs that they had dropped, so I used the tiny skull image from A Pirate's Life and stamped it several times using Stazon black ink. I adhered the "plane" to a piece of chip board that has been covered using a star pattern DSP. Inside of the plane card I attached a brief blurb about Wright Patterson AFB and the Yankee AF Museum. The album contains 8 pages of vanilla cardstock to put my favorite photos on. The book was bound using my brand new Cinch binding machine with a spiral coil...and I DO love my new Cinch!!! It's SO easy to use!

Please go to the Bombshell forum here and vote...and if you vote for me...thank you!! :) The design team member with the most votes will win a fabulous prize from Bombshell Stamps!

Thanks for stopping by!

Black Friday!

Ms. November, Mary H., Bombshell Stamps' guest designer of the month, challenged us to create a "Black Friday" project. This could be interpreted in several different ways- shopping, the color black, a really bad day in the stock market or some other creative way...

My original idea was to make a receipts holder to use when shopping on Black Friday. As hard as I tried, I couldn't get it to come out like I had planned in my head, so, instead, I made a black card- well, black with shades of gray. Here's what I came up with...

I used the "Bucking Bronco" stamp set that Bombshell Stamps just recently released. I'm having SO much fun with these new images!!! There are SIX brand new western images now available! The image is colored using Copic Markers- black, warm gray 1, warm gray 2, and warm gray 3. I "shadowed" around the image using warm gray 3, then trimmed it out. The card stock is Stampin' Up's Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, and an old Halloween DSP pack. The black dotted ribbon and the white satin ribbon are both from Offray. The image is popped up using dimensionals.

Head on over to the Bombshell Stamps blog to see what the rest of the design team has come up with for this Black Friday challenge! And while you're there, make sure to enter the "Follow this Blog" contest to win a fabulous prize!!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again real soon!

WANTED!

This pretty little lady is WANTED...for being GORGEOUS!!

I do love this image from Bombshell Stamp's brand new western stamp set called Western Gal, available in both rubber and digital. The WANTED poster is also available for purchase as a digi image BUT...you can get it for free if you're a subscriber to Bombshell's newsletter!

Cardstock used is Stampin' Up's new Crumb Cake (quickly becoming one of my favorites!), Buckaroo Blue, and an unknown DSP. I used a strip of cream-colored ribbon that I recycled from a gift set and natural-colored hemp around the middle of the card. The WANTED poster is printed onto GP110 white cardstock, cut out, distressed around the edges and sponged with Stampin' Up's Creamy Caramel to help age it. Antiqued brads were inserted in the corners as "nails" to hold up the poster. The poster was popped up on dimensionals. The western gal was printed onto GP110 white cardstock, colored with Copics and shadowed using Warm Gray 2. I cut her out and also popped her up on dimensionals.

Check out all SIX of the new western sets over at the Bombshell website. If you shop this weekend, you can save 25% off of your order of $25 or more during their Black Friday sale, but hurry!! To get your discount, use coupon code "BLACKFRI".

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Bombshell's "Follow This Blog" Contest!

To kick it off and celebrate Bombshell Stamps' brand new blog, we're having a "Follow This Blog" Contest! It's super easy to enter, and the winner will have their choice of 2 stamp sets (1 rubber + 1 digital)!!!

The contest rules are as follows:

1. Sign up to follow the blog by December 20th, 2010.
2. Provide a post on their personal blog promoting the contest.

If you are already a follower of Bombshell's blog, you'll just need to add a post to your blog to be entered!

How easy is that??? What a simple way to earn some FABULOUS stamps and images (including the brand new western sets!!)!!! Here's a sample of what you could win...

The above picture shows one of the new western digi-sets and the Retro Cowgirl rubber stamp set- just 2 of the MANY sets you could choose from if you win!

Also, Bombshell is having a BLACK FRIDAY SALE!!! Get 25% OFF your order of $25 or more!
Start saving right now thru Sunday! There are lots of wonderful sets to choose from- including the SIX brand new western stamp sets!!! Use Coupon Code “BLACKFRI” to get your 25% off, but hurry, this coupon expires 11/28/10.

Having a "Ball"!

The Meade Girls had a "ball" yesterday at Amanda's! She had us over for an ornament-making day and boy, did we all have a great time!! Look at this adorable ornament that Amanda designed for us to make:

She got the little tins from Ollie's- 30 in a box for only $3.99. What a great deal!!! (I really MUST go there more often!) The penguin image is from Just Rite Stamps and fits perfectly inside this little tin! I colored the adorable image using Copics. The circle image is glued into the tin using mono and some irridescent "snow" was added. A cute little felt snowflake was added to the front with a silver brad, a strip of coordinating DSP was glued to the outside edge of the tin (also helping to keep the lid on!) and some pretty deep red satin ribbon (from Amanda's never-ending ribbon supply!) and double bow to hang it on the tree with.

We also made some fabulously glitzy ornaments using the clear glass balls which I got from Hobby Lobby on my maiden trip there...some of the ornaments were clear, some were irridescent. Take a look at these!!

The first couple of ornaments were made using either Stampin' Up's re-inkers or alcohol inks and glitter. Just put about 30 drops of re-inker (less of the alcohol inks) into the ornament, gently (and carefully!) roll the ornament around until the entire inside is coated. Drain off any excess ink. Using a funnel, pour glitter into the ornament and shake, shake, shake! Dump out the excess glitter and you're done!

This one is made using Tempting Turquoiuse re-inker and silver glitter. A silver snowman sticker was added to the front (this was an irridescent ornament- you can see the rainbow effect it gives).

This next one was made using Adirondack alcohol ink in a Hunter Green color and a very light green glitter. Silver snowflake stickers were added to the front. This was also an irridescent ornament.

I love the color of this one!! Believe it or not, it was made using Adirondack Cranberry alcohol ink and a bronzy-color glitter. Isn't it pretty?

Being a big Ravens fan (and with purple being my favorite color!) this ornament is my favorite!!

I used SU's Eggplant Envy re-inker and purple glitter. This is one of the small glass ornaments. The picture does not do the sparkle justice!

Miss Jane brought a "kit" that she had purchased at Queen's Ink in Savage Mill. The kit included a bottle of liquid (sort of like thin glue) that you pour into the ornament. You then gently roll the ornament around, making sure to coat the entire inside. After pouring out any excess, you sprinkle beautifully colored powders (think PearlEx!) inside, adding whatever colors that you'd like. Next you add a "medium" (which is a lighter color powder- yellow, silver, white, etc.) and then you shake...and shake...and shake...until you get the look that you like....and boy, are they beautiful!!!

This pink one I added some silver glitter.

I love the way this one turned out with the gold glitter .

Gorgeous color combination on this one! You can see the glimmer...

This is one of the small glass ornaments. I'm VERY pleased with how this one turned out!

We all had such a fun time making these ornaments and I'm looking forward to making some more!! I still need to add some pretty ribbons and bows for hangers. They'll make nice little gifts or gift tie-ons...IF I can bear to give them away!! :)