Another Fabulous Day

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - WE'RE THREE!

2012-02-08T14:55:00.001-08:00

So for those of you who have been with me from the beginning, you know that this started out as a little hobby, a way to spay for my own addiction to paper. And now, here we are....

As of tomorrow, it will be three years since I opened my little spot on Etsy. You, my fabulous customers, have been with me through paper that didn't sell, orders from my vendors that didn't arrive, things that sold too quickly, things that never sold, and so much more.

Three years ago, nobody had heard of Amy Tangerine, Tim Holtz only did chemicals, flocked paper was the most fabulous thing on the planet and new companies arrived in our sights regularly. What a different world we have in papercrafting today.

So enough about where we have been together....let's talk about where we are going....

For the short term, I would like to invite you to my anniversary party. Until Friday the 10th (the anniversary of my first sale which was, by the way, German scrap) take 20% off your total order at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com. Use coupon code happyanniversary and your 20% will automatically be deducted.

Lots of fine product there at lots of fine prices...more arriving all the time. Enter your comments below and on Friday I will choose one comment to win a $25 credit toward your shopping.

Because you are my favorites...my blog followers....you are getting this announcement a day before the rest of my customers..... As always, thank you all for your support and encouragement.

Let's all sing now.....Happy Anniversary!

HI HO....HI HO....IT'S BACK TO WORK WE GO

2011-11-28T06:57:00.001-08:00

So that we can go shopping, right? I have already started the two for them and one for me cycle that seems to work so well for me this time of year......coldwater creek (40% off and free shipping) for them and crocs (25% off and free shipping over $60) for me.....so love this time of year..

So....I have stuff on sale today. I have 16 items listed that are specially priced. Here is a sample:

Tim Holtz Grunge Blocks originally $11 now $6
Amy Tangerine Paper - 32 sheets originally $25.60 now $12.00
Thickers - selected varieties - now $2
Select Basic Grey Collections packs - originally $21 now $7

The thing is that many of these are the LAST ONE. They are the first listings that you will see on the page and they all have LAST ONE in the item title at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

So here's my promise....for every one that sells out, I will list something similar at similar savings. I have them all lined up and ready to go.....I will also be adding an item for every order received today...so you can see that there can be lots and lots of items showing up today at incredible prices.

You will want to check back often.

You will want to fill your cart many times....if you place more than one order today, note for me in the comments section that it is a second or third or fourth order and I will refund the shipping costs down to actual on the combined orders......how easy is that?

Also have the Farmhouse collection from October Afternoon in stock and ready to ship.

Thanks so much for all your business and good wishes at Thanksgiving....hope you all had a great one....now get back to work.....or shopping...whichever is better for you.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:10:00.001-08:00

I hope that you are all enjoying your day....for some a day of rest....for some a day of frantic kitchen activity....for some a day to be with loved one by phone or in person (by skype for the advanced technicians)

I hope, though, that for all of us we have or make a few minutes to take a look around and see our lives from a cup half full perspective. We all have things that we wish were different, we all have things we want to change....but we also all have things and privileges and rights and beliefs that so many would love to have....they key is to appreciate what we have not worry about the things that are not....

I'm not cooking much today...the bird is scheduled for Saturday.....my daughter is an executive for Target and nobody is asleep at midnight on black friday there....my son is working on his master's and is taking the weekend to get caught up on studies....but I will still have people around today who love me, a pack of dogs wondering where the turkey drippings are, and a stack of boxes ready to ship that show love in a different way.....

I hope for you, this Thanksgiving Day, that you all have a life filled with happiness, health and comfort....I wish you the gift of loved ones, the gift of friends, and the gift of peace. It is what I feel I have and would wish nothing less for you.

Happy Thanksgiving

Is It Friday Yet?

2011-11-22T12:43:00.001-08:00

Don't you just hate waiting for something? I, personally, am a lot about instant gratification....so the fact that they have been showing me black friday preview ads for weeks now but telling me i can't have the stuff is just crazy making.

So why am I telling you this? I am telling you this because unlike the others, I will not make you wait. I am actually cooking the big meal on Saturday, so I would prefer to have all my orders current as of Friday....

So the black friday sale is all about free......free stuff and, for some, free shipping.

Don't like free stuff? Check back over the weekend for Cyber Monday deals.

Buy any set of Jenni Bowlin foam stamps - Get a complete set of foam alphabet stamps from Pebbles free

Buy any set of 7gypsies printed paper tape or gaffer tape - Get a roll of 7gypsies plain paper tape free

Buy one studio G paper/embellishment kit for $4.00 - Get another paper/embellishment kit free.

Buy any item from the new Tropical Travelogue collection by Graphic45 - Get a 10 sheet set of paper from the Graphic45 Domestic Goddess collection free

Buy any misting product from Tattered Angels, Studio Calico or October Afternoon - Get a 1 ounce bottle of Shimmerz mist free.

Buy a set of October Afternoon Boarding Pass paper - get a matching set of buttons or rubons free.

Buy any 7gypsies 12x12 or 8x8 paper pack and get an 8x8 paper pack free.

Buy any Basic Grey product - get a set of Basic Grey embellishments free

Buy any Sizzix product - get a free pack of 24 sheets of 6x6 patterned paper - cut down from 12x12 - papers are from basic grey, 7gypsies, cosmo cricket, etc

For every three ribbon items you buy - get a free ribbon item

Buy any Tim Holtz product and get 50 #8 manilla shipping tags free

Buy any Kaisercraft dimensional wood ornament and get one free

Buy any three stickles and get one free

Buy any Melissa Frances album or kit and get a set of pearl brads free

And yes, you can get all of these free gifts with the purchases stated....you could really get a lot of free stuff.

All free products are my choice from stock.

And, for a bonus, spend $50 and get free U.S. shipping - half off Canadian shipping.

You MUST MUST MUST put GIVEMEFREESTUFF in the comments section of your order. If you qualify for free/reduced shipping, your shipping charges will be refunded into your Paypal account when the label is printed.

These deals are available now and continue through Sunday Night at Midnight when the Cyber Monday deals are announced.

So what are you waiting for? Shoppppppppppp

www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Fabulous Friday With Kate - Hero Arts/Sizzix Goodness

2011-11-18T07:36:00.001-08:00

It's always fabulous here but especially on Fridays when Kate shares some goodness with us. This week she is using one of the sets of Hero Arts Stamps and Framelits on a Christmas project....

Kate Says:

tgifabulousfriday!!!! happy friday everyone!

in this video we are going to be creating the first page of my very first december daily. using a hero arts/sizzix product that includes stamps and framelits is going to make this ohhh so easy. we are going to use some october afternoon & studio calico papers to die cut all of our embellishments, add a few mini markets alphas, tie it all in with the new tim holtz distress ink, and our first page is done.

below are a few photos of the products used. for step by step instructions please click the link to video below. for products used please head over to www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXOwsGVoScU

thanks for watching and have a fabulous friday!

CARDeo Therapy - Pumpkin Card

2011-11-16T15:45:00.001-08:00

Today's card is from my very special cupcake Jessie Mae Ross...It is a fabulous Thanksgiving card. Jessie does the most amazing things with the most unusual set of materials.....I'll have to get her to do my favorite butterfly embellishment for a future posting.

Here is the pic of this week's card:

and here are the directions:

Die cut (sizzix-Tim Holtz) pumpkin with your orange cardstock folded and so that the top edge is inside the die, so it makes a card.

You need to cut a just the stem part stem from brown cardstock and cut the bottom as shown.

Chalk the creases of the pumkin

Stamp the top with leaves in brown, (I used the one from SU-French Foliage)

Add the Thanksgiving saying (I used SU-Day of Gratitude).

Die cut (sizzix-Tim Holtz, tattered leaves) a leaf from a pop can or flashing metal

Dry emboss the leaf in a folder so it has texture

Scuff the leaf with versamark, and emboss with orange powder then dark green.

Attach at the top of the card with glue dot and add a fork bow.

Simple and yet so cute....I think these would also make excellent place cards for your holiday table....don't you?

Thanks to Jessie for the card.....I think I am gonna love Wednesday's from now on....

Jessica Danger - Working with Vintaj and Sizzix - Part Two

2011-11-12T03:27:00.001-08:00

Today is a great day to settle back and watch the second part of Jessica's tutorial on working with Vintaj Brass and Etch/Emboss dies from Sizzix.

Jessica says: Today we are going to see how to paint, ink and design your freshly embossed Vintaj Naturally aged brass blanks! In this video we are using Jenni Bowlin Paint Daubers and Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JDangerDesigns#p/a/u/2/fWCZaPVorMI

You are going to love this video...so many good things to know.

New Cover A Card stamps from Impression Obsession listing today. Take a peek....you won't be disappointed.

Fabulous Fridays with Kate - Hero Arts Stamp and Texture Embossing Sets

2011-11-11T04:09:00.001-08:00

Kate's video today shows some of the great possibilities from this new Hero Arts/Sizzix collaboration.

Don't just stamp your paper.....don't just emboss your paper, but use this combination set to emboss your stamped image.

The sets are versatile and work with your Cuttlebug, Spellbinder's Wizard or, of course, your Sizzix Big Shot compatible products.

Kate's video suggests the use of chalk in for this type of work and, in addition, my experience is that this product/technique works well with white or color core paper.

The product comes in several patterns including Christmas, holidays, botanicals, and florals...all, of course, available at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Take a peek at this weeks video from Kate....you won't be disappointed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei8958DYOeE

This card is from the Hero Arts Blog using the Birds N Trees product

You can see how the images are raised right where they are stamped....how cool is that. This card also uses the letterpress feature of these sets....the embossing folder itself is inked (in this case with light blue) to apply the color only to the areas that will not be embossed. First the trees are stamped in green on the white paper...then the background blue is used with the embossing folder letterpress style....this puts the blue background in and embosses the trees...all at the same time.

Hope you enjoy this Fabulous Friday with Kate ....the second installment from Guest Designer Jessica Danger will be posted tomorrow.

CARDeo Therapy - New Wednesday Feature

2011-11-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings and Salutations......isn't that what cards are all about! Sending a message...

So I have these Scrapbook Retreats every couple of months and, through them, have met the most fabulously creative group of women. I, myself, am not a good card maker. I don't do well on the format. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't know a good one when I see one. So I asked the girls to share and they agreed....Every Wednesday the blog will show a card or cards made by this talented group..along with directions to recreate the card....how fun is that?

Our first artist is Ricki. She amazes me with her decisive creativity. Here's how she introduces herself:

I had been a scrap booker for several years, on and off. A good friend invited me to a scrapbook weekend last fall, it was hosted by Sue (now a fabulous new friend) and held at Loredo Taft in Oregon, IL. On my second day there, a wonderful lady named Pam shared her cards and they changed my life. I have to admit I have not scrapped since, although my pictures are piling up! I simply love, love, love to make cards. It is my “stress-buster”. I have two young children and this is something we can do together, I even give my 5 year old scraps to cut and paste to a pre-made card and he gives them to his teachers. My eight year old has designed and sold cards on her own, I am teaching her about making money while doing what you love to do!

What draws me to card making… I enjoy the ability to pull together colors and textures. I am big on simple layering and inking the edges. My motto is “always ink the edges”, it just seems to “finish” the card and can also help “hide” minor imperfections! I love to look at magazines, blogs, and websites for new ideas. Many times one item, a special piece of ribbon, a patterned paper on sale, a stamp, will inspire the creative process.

Fun tools…I use make up sponges to add layers of color to paper and edges, they are inexpensive and easy to use. I just rub or tap them on the ink pad to get the amount of color I want, I can also pick up a few colors and mix them. Another item from the make up aisle is eyeshadow brushes, I use them with my chalks mainly for shadowing and adding depth to corners.

You can also see my cards on Facebook, if you are interested you can “like” my page, Clever Cards and Crafts. Ideas for selling your own cards, I sell at a local store in Downers Grove IL on consignment as well as craft fairs. I keep a basket with cards at work and people buy frequently, especially birthday, sympathy, and get well cards.

Here's her card

Here's what she has to say about this card

Right now is my favorite time of year, the beautiful rich colors as the leaves change make me smile! This card uses both leaves and those rich colors. I started with a 5 x 6 ½ in card from white card stock. I stamped the front of the card using a maple leaf stamp I bought years ago from a craft store. I stamped in olive green, burnt orange, brown, and red, overlapping the leaves and the edges of the card. I also applied some olive green and burnt orange ink using a make-up sponge.

Next I cut two blocks of card stock, one in a pumpkin orange (5 ½ x 4 in), the other from a wood grain paper (5 ½ by 3). I adhered the orange, slightly off-center. Then I used two cool ribbons I purchased from Sue, a yellow 2 inch wide web-like ribbon and an orange maple leaf ribbon. The yellow was wrapped around the wood grain paper and adhered to the back, the maple leaf was cut to fit and adhered using small dots just over the top of the yellow ribbon.

I stamped “Happy Thanksgiving” in burnt orange on white card stock and the cut it out free-hand. I inked the edges in burnt orange and adhered to yellow ribbon. I used the make-up sponge to add some olive green to the corners. I added two small orange “jewels” to the two upper corners. The final embellishment was an olive green button with twine threaded through from the bottom and tied in a knot. I simply separated the twine on the ends. It was adhered with a round pop-up.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Ricki does next.....See the link on the sidebar to find her facebook page whoch has more news about her and what she's working on....

Guest Designer - Jessica Danger

2011-11-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

I am pleased and excited to share the work of a fabulous metal and jewelry artist...Jessica Danger.

Here how Jessica describes her inspiration:

My name is Jessica Danger and I live in South Orange County California (I am NOT a "Real" Housewife). I create jewelry in my "free" time, which is really not free at all. Mostly, its me shushing my kids while trying to assemble a lobster clasp.

All of the designs in my shop are handmade by me and each has their own quirks and eccentricities. I love using found objects to create something new and unique.

Thanks for looking around! If you have any questions or special requests, please let me know.

Find me on Facebook - http://tinyurl.com/6e6ol92

Follow me on Twitter- JDangerDesigns

For the first three posts, Jessica will cover working with Vintaj brass and the etching/embossing products from Sizzix....starting with basics through coloring and altering the metal through completing a necklace with the pieces made. There will be two more posts after that, but the contents are a surprise.

In this first video - learn how to use a Sizzix Big Kick/Big Shot Machine (the Vintaj machine is used for the video) along with Vitaj etch/emboss plates to work with Vintaj metal.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JDangerDesigns#p/a/u/0/lZWyDQYZRLE

You can see a great collection of Jessica's completed jewelry designs on her etsy site at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JDanger?ref=pr_shop_more

Check back tomorrow for the premier of our new Wednesday feature - CARDio Therapy where we will be showing a different card every week for your pleasure and inspiration.

Making Your Holiday Shopping Experience Worry Free

2011-11-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

So because I process a lot of orders, I thought that I would send along a few tips for you to be that trouble free internet customer that everybody loves to ship to. These suggestions will help make you the dream customer whose order flies out the door and into your waiting mailbox.

1. Do some profile tuneup now. Don't wait until the day you place your order to update your basic information..you may forget. If you have moved or changed email addresses...take a few minutes to update basic information like that on the sites that you are most likely to purchase from. This will make sure that you are notified with questions/information from your merchant and will make sure that your package will go to the right address on the first attempt.

2. Pay attention to your Paypal account. Etsy defaults to the address on your paypal account for shipping and many of the smaller companies you might purchase from will ship to you through a paypal mailing service like I do. With this service, your package is automatically insured without any cost to you or to merchants like me. This only applies, however, if your papal address is the same as your mailing address. Take the time to change that information now so there will be no delay while labels are voided and reissued. Some merchants will not ship to you if those addresses do not match. Also, did you know that if you have a really cute Paypal name like ChrisandSue and you put your whole name in the first name spot on Paypal - EVERY SINGLE MERCHANT WHO SHIPS A PAYPAL SHIPMENT TO YOU HAS TO FIX YOUR NAME before your label can be printed because there must be a value in both the first and last name fields on your account for shipping purposes. If that isn't there, your merchant must change it for every shipment......and that may cause a delay in shipment.

3. Save yourself some money and worry...shop custom items early. We all will probably have a few last minute purchases to fill out the piles under the tree, but some things we know we want now. Photos for albums/frames, custom sized items, handmade things.....those are the types of things that should be a priority now. While many merchants have a backstock of partly done handmades waiting for your custom requests, you never know which things will be so popular that backstocks run out and you are left without the perfect gift. Gift cards can be acquired on Christmas Eve....custom coats for Fido are not so easy to find.......and if you request a change or customization to a product in November, you are much more likely to get accommodated than if you ask on Decmeber 15th.

4. Make yourself into the perfect customer.....recognize that many Etsy merchants don't work weekends or evenings, many are working alone, and there is no shipping and receiving department...think of merchants for handmade and small companies more like Santa's elves with families and carpools and......lives. Thank your merchant for great service....recommend your merchants to friends and...most of all....partner with your merchants to ensure that everyone has a great and hassle free holiday season.

If I missed any suggestions you might have, please leave a comment...New Guest Designer Tomorrow and a new blog feature on Wednesday.....lots going on...don't miss a thing....

December Dailies

2011-11-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

So I think I am the last person on the planet to get this on my schedule of things to do....am I? It seems that everyone is getting their books prepped this month so that come December 1st they are ready to scrap and photograph daily for an album. Are you in?

If you are doing one of these projects, email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com with the Subject DECEMBER DAILY and I will add you to the list. The list will then get invited to a weekly chat on tinychat (instructions and specifics will be mailed to interested people in advance) to keep us all informed, inspired and working. We'll have an email list so we can share progress, ideas and more.

I'm gonna go start my book right now....well maybe later today.....but for sure this week.

Fabulous Friday With Kate - Mister Hueys

2011-11-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

hey guys, welcome to another fabulous friday video tutorial. this week will focus on studio calico mister hueys. i adore this product and i comes in a multitude of fabulous colors. one of the newest additions is calico shine. this is a product that will transform any flat, matte, mist into a sparkling, shimmery, mist. it can be applied directly over an already misted project or mixed with distress ink to create a great twinkling h2o doop!

to do this simply take your craft mat or wax paper and directly apply your distress ink pad to mat.

then mist with calico shine.

stir with a paint brush and go to town.

it can be used as a watercolor to color in stamp images, with a sponge to create fabulous backgrounds, or simply added to pattern paper details for a little something extra.

another favorite way to use mister hueys is with the masks created by studio calico. below is a layout using a mask and mist that adds some detail to a 12x12 piece of kraft cardstock.

get the most out of a 12x12 die cut paper by using it as a mask. here i have used a die cut by studio calico and used it as a mask to mist the entire background of this 12x12 layout.

hope you enjoyed this video and dont miss next week!

kate

To see the video and hear all the commentary go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CuEwlEKIcI

Customer Art

2011-10-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of pieces that customers have sent. I always love to get art from customers who use what they buy here to make fabulous things.

First comes a great tag from Betsy Gray. Betsy used the little goodie bag she got with her order to make this tag....how cute is that!

Then Purnima made this fabulous tag with her new Tim Holtz Distress Stains.

Fabulous creations...don't you think?

Have some fabulous art to share? Send it along to me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com and it will post at some future time....

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Chevron Pattern with Washi Tape

2011-10-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Today Kate works with Washi tape to make a card with a chevron pattern but not just for cards, this technique will be your next 'go to' technique to add a burst of fabulous to all your projects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niikOwDEA0Y

it's a great video and great instructions. Have fun watching....and here's one of projects made with today's techniques...

15000 - A Celebration - 15% Off Everything

2011-10-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

You guys are the best...you know that, right?

So this past weekend I hit a milestone that was a goal to reach by the end of the year.....15000 sales...

So much for considering this a hobby and not a career...

So, since you are responsible for the phenomenal results....you get the present.

Very simple sale....15% off everything until Sunday at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Because you are blog followers, you get this one day before the rest of the world.

Use coupon code blog15 to automatically receive 15% off your total purchase (except shipping)

If your shipping charges are high because you put a lot of stuff in the cart, remind me in the comments on the order and I will adjust the shipping charges when i print your shipping label. Cannot adjust afterwards....if you have problems with the coupon code, email me before you process your order.

Thanks again so much for making all of this possible.

A Project From Special Cupcake

2011-10-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

A while back on one of our out-in-the-country scrapbook weekends, I was calling everyone cupcake. What a fabulous page, cupcake. Love the paper you used, cupcake...etc....etc....etc. So one of the girls pointed out that she thought she was my only cupcake....so I said that she was not my only cupcake, but she is my special cupcake....so it stuck.....

My special cupcake Jessie does these amazing 7gypsies trays...I posted her winter one earlier this year. Since she was kind enough to send me a pic, I thought I would share....fabulous...don't you think?

So when Jessie showed her tray around to the others, some of them got inspired and some of them pointed out that they could really just have one tray with velcro in the spots and make a different set of cards for different seasons and change out the cards and it all got very exciting....so much inspiration....do you have a pic of a tray to share?

Kerry's Remaining Project - Comment for a Chance to Win

2011-10-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

Kerry has even more goodness to share....This is her last project. I'm sure you'll agree that Kerry has been a great source of inspiration. Leave a comment about Kerry's great projects between now and November 1 and I'll draw for a $20 credit to www.itsalwaysfabuous.etsy.com

Here's what Kerry says about her fourth project:

I had so much fun making this mini. I found a video on youtube to make my own mini coin envies. I found a template online for this at http://houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/coinenv01.html

For this project I used 3 different paper packs...and I mixed and matched them....I used Pink Paislee Hocus Pocus, Basic Grey eeerie, and Fancy Pants Designs Oct. 31st paper. I used all three papers for the colors and the theme....and could interchange them....they still worked great together.

I had fun using the Stickles on the cover and using Crystal Effects for added dimension. I used the Stickles straight from the bottle and kinda used the bottle tip to move the Stickles around.

I used my distresser on the edges and added a little Tim Holtz distress ink to emphasize the distress.

I love to use my Spellbinders dies to create tags and frames. I use my trusty Big Shot or my Cuttlebug with my Spellbinder Dies....they work just great.

The tags in the envies got sprayed with Tattered Angels mist and then stamped with Crafty Secrets stamps.

When I got all the individual envies done, I played with the sequence until I was happy with the way the papers worked together.

Fabulous Friday with Kate

2011-10-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

hey guys welcome to another fabulous friday video. today, we are going to make a super quick & easy paper 'flower embellishment.' if you would like to follow along with the video please click link below. i have also, included step by step photographs. here were go :)

supplies needed: 12"x1" strip of double sided pattern paper, scissors, scor-tape (or any other strong think adhesive), paint brushes (or any round objects in varying sizes i.e., pen, glue stick), buttons, twine/thread (embellishment for flower center

select a double sided pattern paper and cut into 12"x1" strip

apply thin adhesive to both sides of paper, making sure the orientation on both sides is the same

leave a one inch space at one end of the the side you wish to be visible

the thinner the adhesive the lower profile the flower will have, the thicker the adhesive the taller it will sit on you project

make perpendicular cuts along entire strip of paper in varying sizes making sure to cut all the way to bottom of adhesive

you can use any scissors, i happen to have the martha stewart fringe scissors that make it go a lot faster

(9)(8) i miss numbered ...

once you have cut strips the entire length of paper you will chose the size flower you would like to create

the size is determined by the center of flower

if you wrap paper around a large circle object you will have a larger flower, and the same for smaller

here i wanted to make a smaller flower so i am using a think paint brush

remove adhesive backing from both sides

i start with area that does not have adhesive (don't want our flower sticking to paintbrush) and roll

remove flower from brush and press firmly in center to spread petals

choose a button or other embellishment large enough to cover center of flower

adhere flower to project ( i use glossy accents for this step)

hope you try this out on your next project! thanks so much for watching! see you next week :)

to see a video of this demo go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh_68CfKWy4

Where Have I Been?

2011-10-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Every year about this time, I take a bunch of the most fabulous scrappers on the planet (that live in the midwest) out to camp. We go from Friday to Sunday and have great times with great people.....beautiful surrounding, outstanding food and all the scrap space and time you can use.... So last weekend was that weekend. 74 of us met to do what we love....we played with paper. So I pack up the store and we go.....and because I pack up the store gradually and then have to unpack it at record paced to fill orders when we get back....I get a little lost....but I'm back now.

For those of you looking for Kate's Fabulous Friday Video from last week, it will be posting later today. But now, I bring you another excellent project from Guest Designer Kerry. Don't forget to visit Kerry's blog to get a coupon code good at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

I love the way that Kerry uses bits and pieces on this layout.......design elements like the scalloped border that 'float' on the page that tie the whole thing together....and who can resist that face....

For this project Kerry used: October Afternoon 5 and dime, and rocket age paper
used October Afternoon Kite Tales stamp
Rocket age chipboard and stickers and miscellany
Jenni Bowlin No 9 Spiced Tin
Basic Grey basics manilla paper as well

Easel Card from Guest Designer Kerry

2011-10-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

Today Kerry shares a fabulous easel card that she made using the Rocket Age papers...here are her comments about the project:

I love the little boy in this collection he so reminds me of my son. my son is about the same age as the little boy in the stamp now..so it's like his twin!!

for the little boy I fussy cut him out..and paper pieced his shirt and pants from the October Afternoon Rocket Collection Paper…I love to paper piece…its so fun to do instead of coloring. i did color his face and hair arms with my copics On the little boys shirt I added Crystal effects to pop up the planet on his shirt…I tend to color with Copics and Prisma color pencils a lot..I like to blend the colors to give the image more dimension.

This collection is one of my favorite of all times..because its out of what I normally create in and its fun to just let the boy in me out..I tend to be really girly!!!

I used my Jenni Bowlin Spice to ink around the edges

when I saw the moon card from the Miscellany Pack I knew I wanted to use it and for it to be a major element in my design I usually have a centerpiece that I create around, that works best for me..then I can focus on the items I need to match it with.

I used crystal effects on the moon and the planet on the boys shirt Crystal effects is one of my "go to" items I seem to use a lot..it just give the item a finished look to it.

and I so love to make easel cards they look like they take a long time but really are very easy to make .here is the link for the easel card…its too hard to try and explain..but this is how I learned it from these instructions and video!!

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard

I think that you will all agree that Kerry's results are incredible.....More from Kerry later....she has much more to share. Here are the pics of her project

Fabulous Friday With Kate - A Layout - Start to Finish - Part 2

2011-10-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the fabulous conclusion to last weeks layout ...enjoy.

Click here to see the video.

Guest Designer - Featuring Kerry Duff

2011-10-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Kerry is a fabulous artist and fabulous youtube participant. Her enthusiasm for her craft and her life are contagious. Although Kerry and I have not met in person, we share our passion for all things paper. I asked Kerry to talk about herself a bit and this is what she had to say:

I started Scrapbooking in 1994 with Creative Memories…and was hooked on scrapbooking from the very 1st class..and even went on to sell it for a while.

I am married to a wonderful man of 17 years, and have 2 loves of my life , Makenna 12, and Griffin 7. I am in the Ohio Air National Guard as an Active Duty Member, and have served for 23 years and will retire in less then 5 years, its a job that lets me afford to scrapbook, and I have great friends there.

I found scrapbooking on youtube in July of 2010, and have made lots of great connections with people on there..and truly learned so much about scrapbooking, and mixed media. I have also run a lot of 5/10Ks and 1 1/2 marathon.

By way of introduction - I asked Kerry some questions...those and her answers are below:

your favorite thing to work on is: Layouts for scrapbooks (my kids love to look at them) and making minis of any kind and cards

your favorite paper company is: not fair question LOL!!! I like them all…G45, K and Co, October Afternoon, Sassafrass Lass, Websters, PinkPaislee, 7 Gypsies, Basic Grey

your go-to product is: my ATG, paper of any kind

your style can best be described as: I don't really have a style…it depends on my mood and the project can be real clean and simple or grungy and heavy with embellishments

most my scrapping gets done: (when) the weekends in the morning, and weeknights after the kids homework..and Mondays I am off during the day kids at school

if i could only take three crafty things with me on a long weekend they would be: my ATG, something to cut with, and paper!!

So you can see why we think Kerry is fabulous. Without further ado - here's Kerry's first project followed by her notes on the project:

On this layout the font I used in the photo collage was a driving factor of what style I was going to use. Old School!!

I like a lot of layers but knew I couldn't make it a bulky since it was going to go into a scrapbook album
and I am finding that I like to use a lot of different papers… just by getting out all the papers I like..see how they go and how they don't go..and use the ones I really like… I tend to use my scraps 1st..that is if I find one I like otherwise I start with a whole new piece of paper…and I try to stay with the same company…but not always…sometimes I use many different companies..but in a way that, they match.

Then I just cut pieces from the papers I like and lay them out on the page..and this is the fun part.. A lot alot of times I will have seen a layout that I like from a magazine, the internet, a blog and use that as inspiration…and I make it my own…sometimes I cut all the pieces and sometimes I tear away…it really depends on the project and my mood!! As far as the shapes of the pieces I just cut or tear…and see how it works…sometimes it does and sometimes I have to rethink it!!

My favorite element on this page is the notebook paper that I stamped and then crumpled all up..there is some kinda satisfaction about that for me..I flatten it out somewhat..and distress it them a lil Tim Holtz Ink. When I distress I mainly use a foam applicator.

I like when there is a mess up..and it just works!!

I also inked all the edges of everything withTim Holtz Distress Ink. I seem to distress a lot of the items I create with…it just makes it blend into the project better...
Kerry has lots more to share. Visit her YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/duffer9904. It's possible that Kerry has a coupon to share....ya never know.

Come back tomorrow for more from Kerry....you won't be disappointed.

A Sunday Night Treasury - Fabulous Colors

2011-10-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

Today I am fortunate enough to have one of my items included in a very beautiful treasury.

Sunday Night Treasury

Take a peek at this collection.......you won't be disappointed....the color palette is amazing.

Fabulous Friday With Kate - A Layout - Start to Finish

2011-09-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

This week Kate has decided to go through her creative process from start to finish. She will be starting with a photo and ending with a work of art. She'll take you through her creative process from paper selection through hand-made embellishments to finishing touches.

In part one of this two parter ----follow Kate as she selects paper, makes fabulous stacked circle embellishments and selects tools for the second half of the creative process. Some highlights for those of you not on youtube:

Papers don't have to be from the same collection, select a single color that will unify all your paper choices
If inking the edges of your page elements, your page will be much more unified if you use the same ink for all edges
Choose your photo first. That will help you find your unifying color and patterns.
When making page embellishments with papers that match your backgrounds, use the 8x8 or 6x6 papers, you will not waste an entire 12x12 with a few punches.
Don't feel a need to make all your choices before you start....pull out things that you think you might use so that you can visualize everything as you work

And now.....the video link...

in this video i create a step by step layout using the new october afternoon sidewalks collection along with some pink paislee nantucket, studio calico autumn press, & pebbles fresh goods papers ... tons of homemade embellishments & lots of ink!!! enjoy!

Thursday Thriller Sale

2011-09-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

OK, so in case you haven't noticed, I am in purge mode. There are some lovely products that just need to sprout wings and fly from here to someone's happy craft studio. I have raised and nurtured them and now it is time for them to leave. Many of them are just ones and twos...things that were listed and then not relisted. Today the clearance items are 6x6 paper pads from Sassafras Lass.

Apple Jack
Count Me In
Cherry Delicious
Indie Girl
Sweetly Smitten
Elie's Tale

Original price everywhere was $6.00. Today you can get them at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com for only $3.00. How excellent is that.

Lots of Glimmer Mists sold but a few still around at $3.50...take a peek ....you won't be disappointed.

Wild Price Wednesday

2011-09-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have 22 different colors of Tattered Angels Mist that I just marked down to $3.50....that's right....3.50 perfect time to stock up for those upcoming holiday projects. Regular retail price of these mists is $7.00. Won't list them all here, but if you go to www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com and type in Tattered Mist at the top of the screen (next to the little house) you will see them all.....well.....what are you waiting for..you know you want to peek.....

Guest Star Day

2011-09-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

If any of you are old enough to remember the original Mickey Mouse Club (the one filmed in black and white with a very very young Annette Funicello

(if you don't know who that is, I highly suggest you google her...you are missing a slice of Americana) then you may remember that Tuesday is Guest Star Day.

Guest Star Day Intro Video

In keeping with that theme I would like to announce that the little blog here will be starting a Guest Designer program...our own little guest stars...You are all so talented and so crazy happy about what you do that I thought it only fair to ask you to share what you do with others.

About twice a month, on a Tuesday, I will be posting an introduction to our next Guest Designer. There will be, in multiple postings, pictures of their work, commentary and techniques, links to their resources, information about special offers and so much more.....I'm excited, how about you?

Our very first Guest Designer will be introduced next week on...of course....Tuesday.

Excited about the program? Leave a comment on this post and next week I will announce the winner of a $20 itsalwasyfabulous.etsy.com store credit.

Don't forget to stop by on Fridays for Fabulous Fridays with Kate....whole lot happening here..

Recent Treasuries - Take a Peek at These

2011-09-27T01:05:00.000-07:00

I have been very fortunate recently to be included in several Treasuries on Etsy.

The most recent is a fabulous collection called Chocolate and Candy and is a luscious collection of pinks and browns. See it here. It features my pink burlap string which is 10 yards for only $1.00.

Also featuring the pink burlap string is a Treasury titled

Lucy Lovelace Slaps Vintage Upside the Head With Modern Style

which is a fabulous collection of this, that and so many beautiful things.

For Halloween, two different treasuries featured my Jenni Bowlin Mini Halloween Bingo Cards

Ticks and Treats has everything from paper misfortune cookies to homemade sandwich cookies while October is Near has felted ball necklaces, retro orange chairs, and everything in between.

Stop by and take a peek at these fabulous treasuries. You won't be disappointed.

7gypsies Artist Advent Kit - Limited Edition

2011-09-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

and available....according to the 7gypsies blog (which I am mentioned on....YIPEEEEEE) at my Etsy Store

These are very limited edition....I'm only getting 12.... and I would suggest that you stop by and pick one up....they are fabulous..you get so much stuff..and this project will be a focal point of your holiday decor for years to come.

the entire 7gypsies creative team and staff have
designed this season's MUST HAVE kit!

Starting October 10, the Gypsy Journal blog will

be taken over by our creative team and they're

inviting YOU to create with them.

purchase your kit NOW before the fun begins!

There are only a limited number of kits available

learn new techniques and unique ideas from each of

the 7gypsies designers and staff as you complete

each section of your vintage mini clip receipt holder.

Only 12 - that's all they would let me get....so let me know if I can pack one up for you.

Spellbinders - The entire collection at your fingertips

2011-09-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to be able to post that the entire Spellbinders collection is now available for you to browse and order here. The catalog has been put together to make it easy for you to shop...not only for all the spellbinders products, but also the Candi paper dots products and the Want2Scrap pieces that match your favorite Spellbinders dies...that includes bling, chipboards and so much more. And the best news? All the items in the catalog are priced at 20% off .....every day. No waiting for a sale or coupon....this is every day. Remember that these dies work in your Big Shot, Big Kick, and Cuttlebug machines....which makes the possibilities endless. The price list is shown here and is exclusive to ordering from me. Find something you like? Email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com with the item numbers you want and I'll be happy to put together an order for you.

Price Code	MSRP	The Fabulous Price Here
D2	$3.25	$2.60
E3	$3.50	$2.80
D4	$3.75	$3.00
E1	$4.00	$3.20
F1	$5.00	$4.00
G1	$6.00	$4.80
H1	$7.00	$5.60
J1	$9.00	$7.20
K1	$10.00	$8.00
P1	$15.00	$12.00
U1	$20.00	$16.00
X1	$25.00	$20.00
Y1	$30.00	$24.00
BB	$40.00	$32.00
EE	$50.00	$40.00
EF	$60.00	$48.00
FF	$70.00	$56.00
HI	$80.00	$64.00
KL	$140.00	$112.00

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Distress Stains, Sparkly Flock, and Scrapping with Your Scrap

2011-09-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is Kate's video that is just packed with information....in words the contents are:

hello friday!!! so this week i changed things up a bit! instead of doing a tutorial on a technique i will show you some great new products, how to use them, and what i made with them.

the first product is tim holtz distress stain this stain comes in the variety of colors the same as distress ink and stickles. Distress Stains are fluid water-based dyes for papers and other porous surfaces. They come with a built-in spring-loaded dabber top, which makes them perfect for quick and easy ink coverage of backgrounds and larger areas. There are lots of ways to use them, but my favorite three ways are 1. apply directly to paper 2.apply to craft mat (or other non-porous surface) then smear paper in ink 3. apply stain to a red rubber stamp and use it like ink.

By applying the distress stain directly to an embossed card front i created this card

pink paislee has come out with several wood alpha sets called expressions workshop a number of paints, stains, dies, and inks can be used to alter this alpha. using distress stain on them is one technique that will allow the wood to show through.

crafts lounge makes sparkly fluff. a hybrid of flocking and soft metalic shards. this product is so much fun. no heat required. just apply a wet adhesive to your project, pour on sparkly fluff, give it a little press, shake off excess and you have added dimension, texture, and dazzle to your project. here i have stamped an image of a pine tree, colored it with copics, applied sparkly fluff and it gives the appearance of snow on the image. how cute is that?

the last thing i cover is what i like to call 'scrapping with scrap' hehe ... we all have little piles, folders, even drawers of little itty bitty scraps lying around. that leftover strip from border punching or that last little square you just cant part with ... so dont ... scrap it! (layout pics) in this layout i have taken a variety of scraps, cut outs, stamped words and created a layout. i did not cut one piece of this paper from a 12x12 sheet ... it was all headed for the scrap drawer never to be seen again.

i hope you enjoy this episode of fabulous fridays with kate and head over to itsalwaysfabulous to purchase products used

To see the video that accompanies this posting....click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07BtkOXjIaE

SALE HALLOWEEN SALE HALLOWEEN SALE HALLOWEEN

2011-09-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

but I don't want you to think it is all about Halloween.....

If you go to the Halloween Section of the Etsy shop at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/itsalwaysfabulous?section_id=10287951

you will find 121 items related to Halloween....not necessarily about ghosts and cats (although there is some of that) but also grungy things and distress stains in fabulous colors related to the season and perhaps stickles and tim holtz stamps and ribbons.....sigh....I just get so carried away.

For U.S customers, purchase $25 in products from this section and get 1/2 off your shipping, purchase $50 in items from this section and get your shipping free. Canadian customers who purchase $25 in items from this section get 5% off their purchase of items from this section and $50 in purchases from this section gets you half off your shipping.

Funds will be refunded to your paypal when I print your shipping label. Discounts on shipping applies to total order shipping, not just the shipping on the items from this section. Is this too confusing? Have fun shopping and let me know if you have questions.

Come back in a little bit for Fabulous Friday with Kate.

It's My Birthday and You Get the Present

2011-09-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

On the 14th, I will be 29 again. My children are in their 30s now and I have been highly encouraged to raise my own age to at least 39 but I am holding out for another grandchild before I acknowledge my advancing age.

The two digits of my real age add up to 10.....no, not 73 for you jokesters in the room, but all that you need to know is that since my digits add up to 10, that is the percentage of the discount you will receive off your order if you use the coupon code HAPPY29 at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Coupon code is good only till midnight September 14th, 2011 so don't delay. Take advantage of the coupon.....

Pink Paislee Has Arrived

2011-09-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

So, for those of you Pink Paislee fans who have been waiting, the Phantom and Nantucket lines have shipped and there are some fabulous items in stock now and selling quickly.

First....in addition to the Hocus Pocus items from last year's Halloween collection (selling at incredibly low prices) there are items from the new Phantom line... 6x6 papers and clear stamps. The stamp set is 24 stamps (and how fabulous are they) for a mere $8.25.

Secondly.....paper, stamps and ephemera from the Nantucket line. This is beautiful product in very beachy colors....perfect for scrapping your summer adventures or just your everyday life in soft pastels.

Stop by and take a peek at these products in addition to some new Unity Stamp offerings that just arrived yesterday.

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Distress Stains and Creating Your Own Resist Paper and Embellishments

2011-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Kate has sent along a great video this week......

Using stamps and embossing powder, she is creating embellishments like this:

1. Stamp the image that you want to work with using Versamark or some other slow-drying ink. Cover with your choice of embossing powders and heat until the powder 'sets' and your powder is melted on your paper.

2. Using either a blending tool (tim holtz or inksentials foam pad holders) lift ink from your choice of distress ink pad and apply the ink to the area of your embossed image using a swirling motion. Don't worry about your embossed image ....the ink will not stick to it....

3. Cut out your image to use as an embellishment or repeat the process over multiple images to make a border or background.

See the video for details as well as more techniques using distress inks, craft mats, embossed images and more.

Click here for the video on youtube and look at these great samples using the techniques on the video.

Studio Calico arriving next week.....watch this space for news on the arrival.....

OCTOBER AFTERNOON SIDEWALKS - SHIPPING SOON

2011-09-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

I just spoke to the fine folks at October Afternoon and they said that the Sidewalks line is shipping soon....possibly even this week. 12x12 paper will be available in sets of 1 or 2 of each style sheet...whichever you prefer but you must buy the set

Several of you have requested to be notified when the products are on their way .......so this is the notice that they are coming soon.

Want to reserve your favorite items from this line and get them shipped as soon as they arrive?

Go to http://www.octoberafternoon.com/line.php?line=SW

to see the entire line.

Send me an email at sue.stoughton@gmail.com with a list of the items you want.

Your email will reserve those products for you. I will notify you when it arrives and send you a paypal invoice.

Everything you see on the site is available except the rubber charms.

Happy shopping and let me know what I can put aside for you.

Labor Day Clearance Sale

2011-09-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have been busy marking down prices.......you don't want to miss this sale. I have over 85 items priced to clear. I will be adding more over the weekend but put what you want in the cart now and checkout. If you find more later in the weekend, just put a note in the comments and I'll combine your shipments and refund you the excess shipping. Some notable sale items:

All Wendy Vecchi Art Parts and Stamp Sets - 50% off
7gypsies Clear Acrylic Stamp Sets - Selected Styles - $2.00 - Originally $14.95
Tim Holtz - Selected Products - 50% Off
Studio G Paper Collections (8 sheets paper/alpha stickers/chipboard stickers/epoxy brads) $3.00

And on.....and on......and on.....

I don't run a sale like this often, so you will want to check this out.

www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com in the top search box on the screen - type in clearance - and you will get the listing of all the clearance items.

happy shopping and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Unity Stamps

2011-09-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Todays video from Kate has lots of fun information - all using Unity Stamps. Some Christmas stamp sets (a very cute card paper pieced), some excellent change-ups using a set from Jillibean Soup and so much more. Take a peek at the video....you won't be disappointed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1JNXWOzFQs

Jeni Bowlin Stamps, Paint and Ink - A Match Made in Heaven - And A Free Stamp Offer

2011-08-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

OK - so I have been scrapbooking for a while now and, as with most things in life, trends arrive and disappear, and sometimes they come back.

I am thrilled to see the return of foam stamps. Jenni Bowlin has three different sets of foam stamps - three in each set and they are fabulous. Some are backgrounds, some are shadow stamps for Jenni's acrylic stamps - but all of them are fabulous.

I put together a little technique video for how to work with these stamps along with the paint daubers, acrylic stamps and Jenni's ink. Just a short little bit of youtube that you might be interested in. You can see it at: http://www.youtube.com/user/itsalwaysfabulous?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/M_KQw318Tzo

While I can't give away the new Jenni stamps, I can give away some fabulous foam alphabet stamps. From now until September 5th, place any order at itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com and put the phrase I LOVE FOAM STAMPS in the comment section of your order and I will send you a free set of foam alphabet stamps - can't beat this......

Fabulous Friday with Kate - All About Cards

2011-08-26T03:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another Fabulous Friday with Kate!!! !

I have been a card maker for a very long time. I got my first stamp and ink pad in the second grade so I thought we would make this week all about cards - some basic supply thoughts and a few techniques.

6x6 paper pads are great for card making. You don’t waste paper and it is a great way to see the papers before purchasing a 12x12.

For me, background stamps are a must in my card making. I am partial to Impression Obsession & Hero Arts. Sentiment & Image stamps are great also. I tend to go with image stamps that are open to allow for coloring & paper piecing. Solid images will show off colored ink & are great stamped in the Jenni Bowlin colors.

Ribbon is an awesome embellishment for any card as well as brads, flowers, & chipboard. Using those last few embellishments from your other projects is a great way to embellish your cards and use up your stash.

My favorite and essiential techniques and tricks:

create a card front to work on – i cut my card front paper (which can even be computer or inexpensive white cardstock) to 3.75”x5.25” for a kraft 4”x5.5” card. You can do this with any size card, by making your card front .25 to .5 inches smaller overall than the card you will be mounting to. That gives you a nice border for your card and will give you something to work on without worrying about messing up your base card.
pop it up – when attaching my card front to card base i like to use pop dots. Remember, never throw away the sheet of pop dots even if you have used them all. I save the holey sheet and use that to pop large surfaces.
ribbon – when tying a bow around a card, i cut two strips of ribbon and secure them to the card front with staples, this saves some ribbon and grounds the ribbon nicely to help you tie it. When you staple the ribbon to the back of the card front and then bring the ribbon around the front to tie it, you cover the staples.

Here are some examples of cards and the supplies used to make them!

All three cards use the same background stamp, but just by changing the ribbon, position and color, I have created three unique cards.

Impression Obsession: woodgrain stamp
Jenni Bowlin: fountain pen and chicken feed ink pads
May Arts: striped twill ribbon in black and mesh ribbon in orange in black
Hero Arts: Happy Halloween
Jillibean Soup: 12x12 stirred elements
Recollections: black flower
Paper Studio: Halloween brads

I put together a little video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmD4wuyxH1o

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Fabulous Fridays with Kate and I hope to see you back here next week.

Sunday Promotion - Blog Followers Only

2011-08-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All -

I am so excited about the new Graphic 45 school and Christmas lines that I will be doing a gift with purchase all week this week.

Purchase any paper pack - 12x12 or 8x8 from either line today through August 28 and I will include a set of paper from the following lines (your choice) Fashionista, Translantique, or Domestic Goddess. How fun is that. You will receive 12 sheets - including either a punch out tag or alpha sheet - all for free when you purchase something you are dying to buy anyway. Please BLOG FOLLOWER and your choice of free paper in the comments on your order.

If you are interested in the Fashionista, Transatlantique or Domestic Goddess papers without the purchase of the new, let me know and I can put something together for you.

Thanks so much for reading along today. Have a great finish to the weekend.

New ABC Primer Paper

New Christmas Emporium

Fashionista

Domestic Goddess

Transatlantique

Fabulous Friday With Kate

2011-08-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

hey there, and welcome to the first in the fabulous fridays with kate series! this video
features one of my favorite techniques and tips. in july i had the pleasure of going to cha
with sue, i was able to meet jenni bowlin and have a little chat with her. we discussed her
new ink colors (weather vane, speckled egg, & lavender sachet) and she shared a really
fabulous tip with me. one question i always had was why she didn’t make color mists to
accompany her ink pads, reinkers, and paint dabbers? her response, i will never make that
product because i because i just make my own sprays with the reinkers! what? what a
fabulous idea!!! here is how you do it:

supplies – empty mister, water, reinker

step 1: fill the mister halfway with water

step 2: add 10-12 drops of reinker

step 3: shake mister to combine color

step 4: spray away

how easy is that? now you can create custom mists to match all your favorite jenni bowlin
inks.

here is a little technique i like to use with any spray/mist. instead of spraying the
traditional way, i like to remove the sprayer, place it over my paper/product and tap the
lit to create a droplet effect rather than a spray. you can also just let the ink drip off the
end to create larger drops.

i hope you enjoyed this tip and technique! check out www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com for
jenni bowlin products and have a fabulous Friday!!!

thanks for watching ~ kate

see the technique on video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfjQwI2FsMU&feature=email

Technical Trouble - Please Enjoy The Music While Our Technicians Work to Correct the Problem

2011-08-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

I know it's Saturday - really I do.

I know that you were all expecting Fabulous Friday with Kate yesterday. We all were......

I am having difficulty receiving the content.......hopefully, we will get this worked out today.

Thanks for your patience.

In the mean time, I leave you with a couple of quick photos of a layout I made last night with the Amy Tangerine stuff - the birds in the sky are brackets from the alpha set. How fun is that.

FABULOUS HAPPENINGS HERE AT THE BLOG

2011-08-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

I so do hope that you are all having fun as summer makes way for the fabulous fall routines. Kids back to school (and not a moment too soon), cooler weather (seriously, i'm ready) and changes all around.

Here at itsalwaysfabulous, we have some really exciting things going on also. In addition to lots of product arrivals from CHA summer, I am pleased to announce that itsalwaysfabulous has a new Resident Designer.

Many of you are already familiar with kraftinkate on youtube. If you are not, here's what Kate has to say about herself:

Hey, I’m Kate and I have been stamping & card making since I
was about 7 yrs old. I have always loved ink, stamps, and
photographs so when I began scrapbooking about 8 months
ago it was the perfect marriage. I took a long hiatus from
crafting during college and law school, but once I became
settled on the Gulf Coast, I found the urge to create again. I
find inspiration in travel, local art, amazing food, and most of
all from living in such a beautiful place on the Gulf of Mexico.
A day is not complete unless I have created something, whether
it is a card, a layout, a new recipe, or a just a mess! I still use
the same heat gun I had when I was 7, I definitely don’t get
enough sleep, and I can’t imagine an undocumented life!

Kate does the most fabulous videos....showing product and projects, she has a lot of followers and a lot of love for the hobby. I am so pleased that she and I will be working together to bring our followers the best product and the best commentary, samples and demos.

Starting this week, you will want to mark your calendars for every Friday when Kate will bring you Fabulous Fridays with Kate ----- could be technique, could be video......you never know what it will be.....you only know that whatever it is, it will be fabulous. I hope that you will join us here on the blog for lots of fun every Friday with Kate.

Kate has a button on the side of the page so that you can find her quickly on her blog and another on her youtube.

Welcome Kate! Leave a comment welcoming Kate between now and the end of the month, and be registered to win a $25 gift certificate to itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Last Day to Hop and Some Treasury Goodness

2011-08-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Last day to make like a bunny and hop. Many of us are drawing our winners tomorrow (Sunday). Have you left all your comments?

It's been a good week here. Lots of new subscribers (welcome all) and lots of new treasury lists on Etsy featuring stuff from itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

The first treasury features items in shades of heliotrope and they are fabulous. You can see the treasury at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/OTA2NDMzOHw1NjYzMDc3NjQ/here-is-heliotrope?index=2

it features fabulous Stickles in a Thistle color

The next treasury features State Fair things. You really have to look at this one because there are so many fabulous things in it. It features the fabulous blue ribbon embellishments from Jenni Bowlin. You can see the treasury here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTIyMzI1NDd8NTY4MDIzMTY3/see-you-at-the-fair?index=1

The final treasury contains many fabulous grey and purple things, including the Cover A Card stamp with a music theme. You can see the absolutely excellent treasury here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTMwNDM0NzR8NTczMDEyMTQ2/purple-and-grey?index=0

All in all a great week for treasuries. Take a few minutes and stop by to see them. You wont' be disappointed.....

Blog Hop Still Moving - Still Chance to Leave a Comment and Be Entered to Win

2011-08-12T03:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogosphere -

This blog hop is fabulous. So many of my old friends stopping by to say hello and so many new friends checking in for the first time.

The new stuff keeps pouring in the door at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com Today we'll talk about ribbon and Melissa Frances products.

The box from May Arts arrived and it has some fabulous satin cut out ribbon. If you have not seen the satin cut-out it is truly a fun addition to your projects. You can use it as ribbon and keep the little things connected, or cut them apart.....imagine the 'sky' of your halloween projects filled with black satin witches and bats...how fun.

Also from may arts are some fabulous striped twill ribbons. Get out your favorite Stazon ink and stamp on these beauties or use them as they are. Either way, the dimension your project gets from these guys will be amazing. Lots of colors to choose from.

The box from Melissa Frances contained some old friends that have been relisted - my favorite is the Kitchy Kitchen Retro Recipe album kit. So much fun and such a great price. New from Melissa are some great pastelly shabby chic colored pom trims and some fabulous floral stems. Listings being done for the later stuff as we speak.

Have fun on the hop. Make sure you have all your comments in before drawing deadlines.

Blog Hope Day Three and New Stamps

2011-08-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Day Three of this very fine Blog Hop.

Still lots of chances to comment and win prizes on most of the blogs. In addition most are offering a coupon for their etsy shop. What a great opportunity to get some early early holiday shopping started.

I received new stamps today and listed them right up. They are from a fine company called Impression Obsession and they are, of course, fabulous. All of them are 5.75 x 5.75 inches and truly amazing. about 17 different varieties listed but I am just showing a few of them here. Stop by and see all of them at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Blog Hop Day Two and More New Stuff

2011-08-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hi All -

See the post below for a coupon code and details about the giveaway here.

Welcome Fran to the Blog Hop. She is giving away a fabulous vinyl welcome sign - suitable for your front door, entryway or anywhere you want your guests to feel welcome. What a fabulous addition to your holiday decorating. You can find her blog at http://thetwintornadosmommy.blogspot.com/

Ruby Rock-It paper is now in the house. From Australia, this paper doll line is a great addition to your stash of girly, shabby chic, vintagey stuff. There is paper, border sticker sets, packages of die cut flowers, and a sheet of matching word stickers. Pics are shown below. Take a peek at the site at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Hope you are all enjoying the blog hop. Come back tomorrow for more new product announcements.

Blog Hop and Coupon

2011-08-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

Good Morning -

Today is the start of a great blog hop.....I'm sure that you are going to have fun and find many amazing Etsy sellers. There are lots of prizes along the way so be sure to visit everyone on the hop. The link for the next blog is available at the bottom of this post.

The temptation here is new products that have arrived and a coupon code for special savings on my site at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com.

New products are:

Off the Wall Paper by 7gypsies - Available in 12x12, 8x8, or 6x6 sets.

Three new colors of Jenni Bowlin inks, reinkers, and paint daubers.

Halloween Lasercuts in four styles (two not shown here):

How fun is all that?

To see details on the items, visit the shop at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com to find these great items and over 900 more - all at discounts of at least 20% off retail. Use coupon code BLOGHOP at checkout to receive an additional 10% off your order.

Leave a comment here about your favorite product on the site not mentioned in this post and be entered into a drawing for a prize package of one sheet of each of the new Boarding Pass papers by October Afternoon shipped straight to your door. Drawing to be held next Sunday, August 14th.

So enough about me.......the address for your next hop on the blog is

www.sheilaoxley.blogspot.com

Sheila has some great stamps that you are going to love.

Thanks for stopping by.....

Halloween is Arriving

2011-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

So first of all, welcome to all the new subscribers. We have some occasional fun here and this is truly the spot to know about sales and special happenings at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Secondly, CHA last week (Craft and Hobby Association Show - where they show all the new product coming out for the next six months) was amazing. Ordered lots and lots of fabulous things including Jillibean Soup, Studio Calico, Unity Stamps, Amy Tangerine in addition to your favorite companies like Crate Paper, October Afternoon, Jenni Bowlin, 7gypsies, Maya Road and more.

I'm writing today because the new Halloween and Christmas papers from Jenni Bowlin are arriving at the world headquarters today. I am so excited....just like a kid at Christmas....when the new Jenni stuff arrives. There are 5 double sided papers in each collection including the accessories papers which include jouranling cards, borders and labels. Each collection also includes the sheet that cuts down into 4x4 papers....how excellent is that. I have shown the Halloween collection below.

I also listed the Hocus Pocus collection from Pink Paislee at some truly amazing pricing as well as a skull and crossbones album from Kaisercraft, potion bottle label stamps and oh so much more Halloween.

Never too early to get going on those Halloween projects.....

I'll be posting new product arrivals here on the blog and see videos of what is arriving on you tube at itsalwaysfabulous or see great great videos done by my sister from another mother Kate at kraftinkate on youtube.

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE

2011-07-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

Say that 10 times really fast.....not as easy as you would think.

Just a quick note today.....I overpurchased the Tim Holtz Mover and Shaper words and, alas, it is time for them to leave me.

Great news for you because they are now just $8.00. I sold a bumch of them at $13 instead of the regular $16, but now is your chance to get them for half the suggested retail price.

How cool is that? Friend, Family, Dream and Imagine....all available for $8.00. Also, the sale on Core'dinations paper continues....don't miss out on this great pricing.

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. CHA is next week so stay tuned for lots of news from the show floor.

July Treasuries and a Special Sale on Great Products

2011-07-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Rocket to the moon and enjoy the summery feel of lemonade in recent treasuries featuring items from itsalwaysfabulous.

The first treasury features rocket ships in blue and can be seen at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTI2ODI4MDB8NDAxMjQyNzI1/rocket-power-in-blue?index=2

the items are fabulous....everything from vintage sneakers to vinyl decals for your ipad.

The second treasury is called Back to School for the Young Folks and features some excellent vintage school supplies and other pieces of excellenct. You can see it at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE3MDM5MDJ8NDIyMDk5Mzk3/back-to-school-for-the-young-folk?index=1

The final treasury is just a bundle of lemony yellow goodness. You can see it at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/OTE4MTEzMXw0MzI3MTY1MTk/lemonade?index=0

Great treasuries all. Be sure and take a peek at them and stop by the shops of the treasury curators. You won't be disappointed.

And now for the sale - Today and tomorrow - July 10 and 11 - the price of all Core'dinations paper packages - from Basic Grey, Ranger, Jenni Bowlin and more - all at 50% off retail. How excellent is that? You'll find some of them featured across the top of the shop so take a peek and gather up great deals on all the Core'dinations products on the site.

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom and happy shopping at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Trip to the State Fair Treasury, Giveaway Alert and Rocket Age Layout

2011-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hope that all of you are having a great week and gearing up for the big holiday weekend. In that holiday spirit, there are a lot of summer fun treasuries being created on Etsy. The Jenni Bowlin little blue ribbons were included in the State Fair treasury located here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTQ1MzU2NjJ8Mzg0MTIyNjE3/state-fair-treasury-challenge?index=0

Take a peek at the listing - lots of vintagy goodness there.

There is a giveaway going on the YouTube home of itsalwaysfabulous. I did a video with new products and am giving away every item in the video. You can find me here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/itsalwaysfabulous

View the video, leave a comment and be entered to win. Drawing happens on Sunday July 3.

As always, love to see what you make with the stuff you buy. I leave you with pics of a great layout made by my youtube buddy Kate. How fabulous is this layout? You can find more of Kate's work on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/kraftinkate

Discount Product Just Listed

2011-06-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

So this is the time of year the manufacturers try to clear out their old stuff to make room for the stuff they will be selling at the trade show next month. Lots and lats of bargains and the UPS man is complaining of a sore back.

Lots of this stuff will be part of the 10,000 sale (looks like next week) but the stuff is being listed now, it will just get tagged and categorized for easier shopping next week.

Today's highlight, and now listed, is the Old School Collection by Pink Paislee. This is the perfect product for scrapping your school or graduation. Some of the items are not necessarily school specific. There are 12x12 papers, 6x6 papers, transfers, metal buttons, canvas borders, flip notes, clear cards, tinsel ribbon and so much more. To purchase the entire collection, all of the stuff listed above is $19.00. Certainly enough for a mini album and oh so much more. You can see all the fabulousness at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com. If you want the whole collection, email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com and I'll put it all together for you and send you a paypal invoice for the whole thing - with a blog-follower-only bonus of 7gypsies stickers thrown in for good measure.

For you smash book lovers - see the fabulous silver fabric stretchy band perfect for your next creation - at a price that will make you want more than one.

If you are planning to shop the 10,000 sale next week and are worried about shipping, fill a cart, send me a note in the comment section that you are not done yet and I will hold your order until next week.

Canadian customers - I cannot ship to you at this time. I cannot even take your packages to the post office. You can either check out and pay and I will package and hold until I am able to ship or you can send me a list of the things you are interested in and I will hold them until I can ship.

Have a great day and a great weekend.

10,000 Sales - Who Knew?

2011-06-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Who knew that this little thing I started to do 901 days ago would take me here.

I am so grateful for all my fabulous customers....they are fun....they are loyal....they are fabulous.

I love getting going every morning wondering who I will hear from. I love shopping for new items to sell, trying to envision which of you will order it. I love when you tell me what you like and think about your stuff when you get it.

Thank you all so much for getting me here.

Give me a couple of days to finish the details and the listings and I'll announce the sale. Teaser? 7gypsies stickers and portfolios, pink paislee 6x6 pads, kaisercraft pearl brads, graphic 45 papers, more and more and more and more.....I've been saving up for a while. Some things you have seen here before, and some have been ordered just with this sale in mind.

Again, thank you so much for getting me here....

Lions, and Dorothy, and Toto Oh My.....

2011-06-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, Graphic 45's Halloween paper this year is based on Vintage Wizard of Oz images. Talk about fabulous... There are Witches and Wizards and all of the characters you know and love....right down to Toto.

Interesting thing ....with this collection, Graphic45 has stopped designing the tag sheet and frame sheet they usually issue out of paper and replaced it with two different sets of die cut chipboards. All the other favorites, the 12x12 pad, 8x8 pad, and cling stamps are also available.

I was out of town this weekend and when I came home the neighbor came home with my boxes. How excellent to come home from a fabulous wedding to see this great product waiting for me....wow. You can see the whole collection at www.g45papers.com

Purchase any of the new Magic of Oz collection and I will put 5 sheets of Graphic45 papers from some of their other collections in the package with your Magic of Oz product. Just put GIVEMEFREEPAPER in the comments (not coupon code) section of the order.

Stop by the shop at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com and take a peek. You won't be disappointed....

More Treasuries and Loads of New Product

2011-05-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while but sometimes life gets in the way. Hope you are all having a great Memorial Day weekend. Woke up to fog this morning in the midwest. Does not bode well for a sunny day. Lots of news.

So first of all, stuff from the Etsy shop was featured in three treasuries recently. The first was all about flight and features some really good stuff including a beautiful set of steampunk wings and a butterfly stamp set from www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com. You can see the treasury here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4ddacca474638eef002fa2ee/tribute-to-flying-things?index=0

Treasury curator NAMEYOURWISHIMAGES does fabulous things with customizing images. Really great stuff. Be sure to stop by and see the shop at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nameyourwishimages

My stuff was also included in a treasury by PoplinHomewear. This treasury is the best lead up to summer fun with ice cream you can imagine. You can see the treasury at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dd2a801aaed6d91480f12cd/ice-cream-nation?index=1

Treasury curator PoplinHomewear makes fabulous sleepwear and is in Istanbul, Turkey. Stop by and see the shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoplinHomewear for some fabulous photos of wonderful products.

In other news - Lots of new product that I'll be posting more about. New Mykonos collection by 7gypsies (incredible), new Haven collection by Jenni Bowlin (so cute - especially the new stamps) and New Rocket Age by October Afternoon (all you boy scrappers, this is a must have)

I hope that you are all having a great Memorial Day weekend. If you feel like shopping, use coupon code MEMORIALDAY when you check out at www,itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com ......you never know what kind of discount you (as a loyal blog follower) may get on your order.......

Have a great weekend.....I leave you with pics of the new 7gypsies Mykonos collection....

Fabulous Treasury and Deal of the Day

2011-05-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

I am fortunate enough to have my Basic Grey Sweet Threads Paper Wheels featured in a fabulous treasury on etsy. You can see the treasury at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dc3eaab452f6d9135e406c6/sweet-sangria

The Treasury is fabulous and features a great mix of items that incorporate the colors of Sangira. How excellent is that!

Deal of the day is Basic Grey Marjolane 6x6 paper pads for $2.50. See them on the site at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com. While there, be sure to see the brand new 7gypsies stamp sets. Go straight to the listing for the paper here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73569396/marjolane-basic-grey-6x6-paper-pad

Have fun today!

Deal of the Day - 10% Off Everything - Blog Followers Only

2011-05-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Today is one of the days we live for here on the blog .......the fabulous 10% off everything sale. No restrictions, no exclusions, just 10% off. This offer is good today, May 3rd. See all the new October Afternoon, Tim Holtz products, Making Memories Closeouts and more.

Excess shipping charges will be refunded when the shipment is processed.

Have fun shopping!

More Treasury Goodness and Deal of the Day

2011-05-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

It was a big weekend for treasuries at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com because my items were included in two different and equally fabulous treasuries. The first, which can be seen here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dba281e916e6d916881292e/id-rather-be-scrapping?index=1

is all about scrapping and includes some handmade embellishments as well as some wonderful supply items.

The second, which can be seen here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dbc93b03a0a8eef646c7020/basic-supply-ingredients-milk-cream-and?index=0

features some beautifully colored items around a theme of the colors of basic baking supplies. Great concept and a great collection of things that includes some of my Jenni Bowlin Dauber Paint. Be sure to check them both out. They are excellent.

Today's deal is on a set of Tim Holtz stamps. These are from Tim's newest release and they are whimsical and the perfect addition to your set of stamps. The regular price of the set is $21 and the price of the 5 remaining sets is only $12. While you're there, check out the Cosmo Cricket Wanted paper and chipboard embellishments along the same theme. These items are at the top of the list and will be on the first page of listings.

Thanks for reading and have a great spring day.

Happy Friday and Deal of the Day

2011-04-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

So what about something interesting today. How about a deal on a very fine product. I have an excellent set of 7gypsies stamps. These stamps originally sold for $20. The set is huge. The set is fabulous.....it is versatile.....it is fabulous.......it will be so much fun to use it......it is fabulous.........you will never run out of uses for the items in this set......did I mention it is fabulous.........and it is $7.00...Can you believe it? $7.00. I have listed the number of sets available and when they are gone they are gone. While you are there, see the new product from Tim Holtz and October Afternoon.

Find the sale set at http://www.etsy.com/listing/41545883/7gypsies-clear-stamp-set-disclaimer?ga_search_query=disclaimer&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5471865

Don't wait too long....I don't have that many. Enjoy your weekend.

Pictures that are peaceful.....

2011-04-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

A new Etsy treasury by mooretreasures features some stunning vintage goodness. The treasury, which features my Jenni Bowlin Silhouette Rubon, is a 'not to be missed' collection that you can see at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4db6469eb1528eef8d2ef821/pictures-that-are-peaceful?index=0

Thanks to mooretreasures for including my item and so many other fabulous items.

Also featured in the treasury is an item by reginasstudio. If you have not been to see her etsy shop, hang on to your wallet and go. She has some of the finest vintage paper items on etsy.

That's what I know today. I have new Wendy Vecchi Art Parts listed in addition to the newest items from Tim Holtz so stop by and take a peek....you won't be disappointed.

National Scrapbook Day - Coming Up

2011-04-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

First there is Easter, then there is Mother's Day....but wait.....what is tucked in between the two of them? NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY! How fun is this gonna be.

So many opportunities to get together with friend and scrapbuddies for a bit of concentrated fun..

If you are in the Chicago area, there is an event at my house on the 30th (yes, early I know). Drop me a note if you are interested. We'll be going from early morning till the wee small hours. If you're not in the Chicago area, check with you local scrapbook store or in home party consultant. Pretty much everyone has something going on.

If you can't make it for the festivities or in preparation for the festivities - check out the Treasury from my buddy Jessica. She has put together some great items for your inspirational needs. You can find the Treasury at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4daf16904eb76d91dccf1911/national-scrapbooking-day-is-may-7th?index=0

Also a papercrafter, her Etsy shop features some really excellent jewelry. She has a special for Mother's Day that includes a handmade card and gift wrap for your purchase. Be sure to check it out at http://www.etsy.com/shop/JDanger

That's what I know today. Out to door to transport rescue dogs from foster homes to permanent. Truly a good day when a dog who has been abandoned goes home to a new family.

Fabulous Easter wishes from my home to yours.

Jenni Bowlin Fabulousness

2011-04-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

I know that a lot of you follow the Jenni Bowlin Blog (and if you don't, you really should). Well, there is another blog just for wholesale customers and one of my Etsy customers had her work featured there recently. Her name is Alissa Fast and she does wonderful work. This is one of the layouts from the wholesale site. How fabulous is that!

You can see more of Alissa's work and so much more on her blog at:

http://alissafast.typepad.com/

Take a peek....you won't be disappointed.

Which Kraft?

2011-04-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

The treasury inclusion streak continues....

My little mini envelopes with tags were recently included in an Etsy treasury all about Kraft items....some great stuff.... tags, twine, journals and oh so much more. You can see it at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4da51d8910628eef157573b8/which-kraft?index=1

So many fabulous things on Etsy these days....most particularly for Spring. I know we're not having much spring here in the midwest where it was 44 cold, wet, and windy degrees here today. Not very springlike as we roll up on Easter.

Got your Easter bonnet ready for the weekend?

Fantasy Treasury and Tim Holtz In The House

2011-04-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

So again I am fortunate enough to have one of my products featured in a treasury on Etsy. You can see the treasury here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4da7b3265b966d913a41d4ac/when-i-dont-want-to-think-about-my?index=0

The treasury is all about things the curator likes to think about when she wants to think about papercrafting instead of whatever else is going on. What do you think about when you want to take a mental mini-vacation? The treasury has some really cute items in it. Be sure to take a peek.

The fine man from FedEx came to see me on this cold and rainy midwest morning and brought a box of Tim Holtz love. Dies and Texture Fades join the paper and pen nibs and placquettes and resist paper sets and salvage stickers and bottles and baubles and......well..... you get the point. I think the highlight of this shipment is the shabby banners die. Very very cute.

Tomorrow's project - paper mache eggs decorated with 7gypsies tissue paper. What do you think?

Pink for Mother's Day

2011-04-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

You know that it is never too early to think about Mother's Day. So many fine opportunities for gifting just the perfect thing.

I am fortunate enough to be included in a Treasury on Etsy that is all about Mother's Day gifting and all things pink. You can see the treasury at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4da11b39d8328eef09e5b3bc/mothers-day-gift-guide

A great treasury which includes my Tattered Rose Glimmer Mist - the perfect thing for adding a touch of pink to your next project.

Added some half sheets of German Scrap to the site today at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Take a peek....you won't be disappointed.

Cotton Candy and Signs of Spring

2011-04-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know how I am getting so lucky but I have been included in yet another Treasury. This one is all about Cotton Candy Land and is full of some of the most beautiful pastels you will ever want to see. You can see the treasury and get the inspiration it provides here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d9bb43380496d9177ddf751/cotton-candy-land

The curator of this fabulous Treasury is just up the road in the Green Bay area and she has great home decor items on her Etsy site that you can see here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cedarcreektreasures?ref=pr_shop_more

Thanks for stopping buy today.....check out the Pink Paislee Daily Junque stamp sets that just got relisted at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Its All About Yellow

2011-04-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Today (and, yes this is three days in a row) I have an item featured in a treasury on Etsy. Today's treasury can be found here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d9b2af4951e6d91ec26f2f0/abbys-favorite-button-finds-tuesday

Abby, the curator of the treasury, has a great shop on Etsy that you can find here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AidforAbby

It features her austic daughter's art and has some truly beautiful and creative pieces.

Take a minute to take a peek.....you won't be disappointed

Going Bananas

2011-04-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

So today, I am fortunate enough to have my little fruit felties included in a treasury on Etsy that is all about bananas.

You can see the treasury here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d99ec92faa58eef3432b656/im-going-bananas

The treasury was created by Nurit Spiegel who has a great shop on Etsy that showcases her jewelry creations. You can find her Etsy store here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/NuritSpiegel

So monkey around for a minute or two and peek. Check out the new Hampton Arts Stamps and the Sassafras Lass embellishments listed earlier today at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Button Button Who's Got the Button

2011-04-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Do you love buttons like I do?

Some of my buttons were featured in a treasury all about buttons today. The treasury can be seen here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d986f3b6cad6d9104eef849/buttons-from-heaven?ref=pr_treasury

The creator of the treasury has a fabulous blog which can be seen here:

http://butterflyintheattic.blogspot.com/2011/04/il-o-v-elove-buttons.html

Enjoy the treasury and you Sunday afternoon......do something crafty.....perhaps with a button or two?

Easter Stuff - Not Much Time Left Before the Hopping Begins

2011-03-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

So it's like Ash Wednesday is a wake up call for me. It means that it's time to make sure that the Christmas decorations are down (you think I'm kidding....there are always one or two stragglers), time for me to consider whether the porcelain bunnies will make it out of their boxes this year and time for me to look for a new spring project (like I need another project).

I am concentrating on vintage bunnies this year. Not that I haven't concentrated on them before, but I am thinking that there are more out there that I haven't seen or used or acquired yet and I am on a mission.

So first, let's talk about scrap....vintage scrap.....vintage German scrap. You know I love the stuff. They have the cutest vintagy bunnies and chicks. One of my fabulous etsy customers bought some and made cards with them. She is a genius and I show you her work below. How can you stand to be without things this cute.

I am on the hunt for papier mache eggs now - want to decoupage them with scrap and paper flowers and all kinds of spring things.

Thanks again to Heather for pictures of her beautiful cards below. You can see more of Heather's work on her Etsy site at http://www.etsy.com/shop/atouchofgray

New Jenni Bowlin In The House - Again

2011-02-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

OK, so I am a Jenni Bowlin fan. It is good that she lives far away otherwise I would be like offering to take out her trash and stuff just so that she could stay inside and make things.....

So, imagine my excitement Monday when the guy in the white FedEx truck delivers a box of goodies and wonderment. Like a spoiled brat child on Christmas morning, I opened the box and breathed a sigh of contentment and relief. It was all there (at least all that I ordered)....the stamps, the stickers.....the blue ribbon banners.....the bingo cards......all of it. Wanting, of course, to keep it all to myself, I instead decided to do the charitable thing and SHARE with my fabulous blog followers.

Not only am I sharing, but I am having a SALE to celebrate the arrival.

Etsy now has coupon codes, so no more waiting for refunds on purchases....your discount is deducted at checkout. So use coupon code ILOVEJENNITOO at checkout and get 10% off your entire purchase - even the stuff that is not new and not Jenni. How excellent is that? Sale goes until Friday at midnight so hurry along and shop. www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

If there are any Wendy Vecchi fans in the house, I have a very limited quantity of her new stamps at a discount. I won't have time to list them today and they are not eligible for the additional 10% because they are already discounted 25% off regular retail price. If there are any you are interested in, email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com and I'll set up a listing for you.

I leave you with teaser pictures.

28 Days of Inspiration and Contest Information

2011-02-01T04:49:00.000-08:00

OK, so I have started asking customers for pictures of projects (yes, the completed kind) that they have made using stuff they bought from the fabulous etsy shop and the pictures have started to roll in. So I hope to share one a day with you in the month of February....what a great way to spend the cold, snowy days of winter.

The first project that I would like to share comes from the fabulous Jessie Mae. She got a hold of one of these trays and is just going crazy with fabulous art. Jessie Mae does beautiful stamp work and gets a group together in rural Illinois once a month to make cards. Her Christmas card class had 22 crafters this past holiday season. Her work and her 19 grandchildren are all fabulous which makes her the perfect person to start out our 28 days.

Thanks to Jessie Mae for sharing. Want to be featured here? Send me good quality pics of your project. Could be cards, ATCs, altered books, scrapbook pages.......pretty much anything (completed if possible) If your project is featured, you will win a $10 store credit at the etsy shop. How cool is that?

Echo Park paper has a contest on their facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/EchoParkPaper Leave a comment and like the site for a chance to win one of four complete paper collections.

SALESALESALESALESALE and a Winner

2011-01-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

Do I have your attention?

Simple sale today, blog followers, and you guys are the first to know.

10% off everything in the etsy store at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com - Shipping will be at actual. When I ship your order, I will refund to you through paypal 10% of the value of your product and all shipping charges over what I actually paid.

Pretty good deal especially since there are Tim Holtz dies already reduced under $15 and brand new - just released 7gypsies.

You must put BLOG LOVER in the comments on your order to get this deal. The rest of the world will not be notified of this sale until noonish so you have the first opportunity to shop with a full store and save. If you have questions, let me know.

Winner of Tim's Day 6 posting?

PlumTuckered's Paper Plays said...
I'm in love with it all but the Paper...ohhhhhhhhh the paper!! I didn't think I'd ever love another paper stash as much as his Lost and Found but he proved me wrong LOL

Thanks to all for playing along. That means that all who did not win can order the
Paper pad for 25% off retail.....just drop me a note.

Have a great day and thanks for checking in

I Know I'm Behind Again

2011-01-25T06:10:00.000-08:00

but I was so buys mopping up the drool that I couldn't get the to computer.

Although I don't stamp as much as I should, that doesn't keep me from wanting all the stamps I can get my hands on.........and I want my hands all over these (seems that in another part of my life I used that phrase for other purposes, but that escapes me at the moment.)

Last day of contest. Starting tomorrow, will be continuing to unearth contests for you to enter and also showing some fabulous work by some of my etsy customers using products for sale on the site (would love to see your projects.)

Send in your pics and, if you are featured on the site, good things will happen.

Winner? Let's see Cher was last.....who will be next?

Day 5 winner (texture fades) is

~Tonya said...
Oh my aching wallet is right!

Oh me, oh my....

How does one choose just one? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the mini folders for the trading cards.

But if I must choose just ooooone, it would have to be the pocket watch & steampunk set.

And yes, Tim does post on weekends (sometimes).

Have a great weekend, Sue!
Tonya

Congrats to Tonya

As always, this set is 25% off for the next 24 hours (email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com) if interested. All other texture fades available at 20% off retail on preorder.

Thanks for playing along. Another winner announced tomorrow.

Sue

Bazzill Contest - An Extra Bonus for today

2011-01-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

I know that you all love contests - here is one from Bazzill Basics Paper -

They are giving away a full set of their first patterned paper line. Go to

http://northridgemedia.net/blogs/create/departments/northridge-giveaways/giveaway-friday-bazzill-basics-2/comment-page-8/#comment-54552

and leave a comment to win.......

Daily Tim contest coming in a bit. Enjoy the chance to win the paper....

I Know ....I Know....I'm a day behind

2011-01-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

Ok members of the House of Tim.....I apologize for having a life yesterday. Dinner party (see prior post for the New Year's Dinner Party Resolution) featuring the food from Provence. Carrot/Anise soup, Pork Stew with Sweet and Hot Peppers, Mushroom/Walnut Tarte Tatin, Creme Brulee..... so, needless to say I was in the kitchen then at the table.

This post is for the DISTRESS STAIN only. Give me your THREE favorite colors in your comments.

Day four winner?

Anonymous said...
lol u crack me up! I want the bitty bird cage...luv bitty and mini and teenytiny...but u know me, might have to have them all lol...damn I need a corner..ty for a chance! xo cher

So Cher wins the Day Four contest. If you would like to pre-order the Bitty Bird Cage Die for 25% off retail, drop me an email at sue.stoughton@gmail.com I am accumulating pre-orders and then, when the contest is over, I will send you a summary of your pre-orders. This 25% is only good for 24 hours......after that, all day Four items can be preordered for 20% off the retail price.

Next contest posting a little later today, then I will be caught up.

Thanks for playing along....

My Grandaughter Won't Have to Break Dolls for Me Any More?

2011-01-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

Seriously? Another MUST HAVE day here in Timland. Between the light bulb going off in my head, I needed to hang up my doll clothes....wishing I had wings to fly up the stairs, I checked my bingo numbers against the numbers on the drawers and pulled them open, looking for the tassels I needed to complete my project. Did I get it all? What did I miss. Leave me a comment for a chance to win your favorite item from today's Tim post. Winner? What winner? Oh....the day 3 winner. Kathy Eddy said...
Imagine! Will end up with all of these though, I can tell! Well, Kathy, good news ....one less to buy because you will be getting your Imagine free from me. As usual, this die will be available for preorder at $15 for the next 24 hours. Drop me an email at sue.stoughton@gmail.com and I will give you the details. Any of the other day three product can be preorder for $16. Thanks so much for playing along....

I Didn't Know I Needed a Tissue Tape Dispenser....

2011-01-18T15:15:00.000-08:00

until he told me I did. Sad that I I would never have thought to acquire such a thing until the master of all my crafting inspiration told me how my life would be improved if only I could automatically dispense tissue tape.

Same rules for today .......leave me a comment about your favorite and you may win your favorite.

Day 2 winner is......

and the drumroll please.......

Carol P said...
The Typeset alphabet will have to be my first choice. So many possibilities with this one. Also, love the "On the Edge" - Pennants!

So Carol wins a typeset alphabet. For those of you who did not win, drop me a line in the next 24 hours if you would like to preorder the typeset alphabet for only $15 ($5 due now, the rest when I get the dies). All other of the days items at 20% off regular retail pricing with shipping at actual.

Congratulations Carol.....

I'm Late I'm Late - How Can I Stand to Be This Late on Paper Day

2011-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Everyone who thinks that Tim Holtz is a genius, raise your hands!.....you way in the back....why isn't your hand up....

I don't really think there is anything I can say other than one for me and one for customers.....one for me and one for the customers.......

Same rules - leave me a comment on which of today's product you think is the most fabulous and if I choose your name, you will win that item when available

Oh, you say I'm late with something else......winner? what winner? OHHHHHH the winner of the first day drawing.......and the winner is.......

post number 37 which belongs to.....

Stephanie Rodgers said...
So ... hard .. to ... choose ... ugh! Okay ... the mini Rosette die.

Congratulations Stephanie - you win the mini Rosette die. For those of you that did not win, for the next 24 hours you will be able to preorder the die that Stephanie won for the final retail price of $15. I think the regular price is going to be 20, so this is 25% off. Shipping will be at actual and that includes international customers.

If you are interested, email me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com and I will give you the details. Small deposit holds your die.

Good news for Stephanie....good news for everyone.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave today's comment....

Co'ordinations Contest - Win Free Paper

2011-01-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

The fine folks at Co'Ordinations paper are running a contest to win free paper. They are sending around links like this

http://pages.email.darice.com/coredinations/p?eKey=RqcXRugqteug4dtElF0XSgE

click on the link to enter to win. They have fabulous textured paper packs that coordinate with Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin and more.

What's even crazier is that if you enter to win, you will get an email that you can share with your friends....the more your friends enter, the more chances you have to win and.....if your friends win.....you win too.

Why would you not do this?

Looking forward to Tim goodness tomorrow.....any guesses on what he'll be showing tomorrow? (no there is no prize today, but I will be announcing the winner of day one.....You'll want to read that email, because there will be something of interest to everyone who commented on day one.

Have a great Sunday....go Bears.

My Wallet is Screaming........OUCH!

2011-01-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Although probably not a life changing decision, the decision about which of these are need to have, which are want to have and which are I'll take it if somebody gives it to me free is disconcerting. I can't find any of them are only wants - THEY ARE ALL NEED TO HAVE.

Oh, my aching wallet.......

Same rules as the other days. Tell me which of today's sneak peek items is your must have and be entered to win that item.

I am unpacking 17 (no that is not a typo) boxes of 7gypsies closeout products including some excellent stamp sets, bookboard, book binding rings and paper at unbelievable prices. Check it out if you have a minute at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com . Mention that you are a blog follower and get an excellent gift in your package.

Does Tim post on weekends?

Thanks for stopping by.

sue

Mini Birds, Mini Gears, Many Mini Movers

2011-01-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

So just when I thought he was done enabling me.........

So if I hang the cage from the tree limb and put a bird in it with a leaf in it's mouth, do I use them all correctly?

I want them all......which one do you have to have.

Rules are the same as every day....leave a comment choosing your favorite.....must be a blog follower to win your favorite free.......

Thanks for playing along....love reading your answers.

sue

Tim Holtz Sneak Peek Contest - Day 3

2011-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

OK love love love the stuff.

What's your favorite word of the day? Journey is so much Tim....he's been using that as a theme for so many years, and matches so well with the Jalopy, don't you think?

Remember - leave a comment for a chance to win your day three favorite....

Thanks for stopping by....

Tim Holtz Sneak Peek Contest - Day 2

2011-01-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Wow - so I guess everyone heard that I am giving away free stuff. Welcome new blog followers.

Tim's second day peek is available here http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/

I think that my favorite is the long banner. Love the rosette thingy also, but the banner wins out for me today.

Same contest as yesterday.....leave a comment with your favorite die on day two and be entered in a drawing to win your favorite (when it is available - I have no magic powers to make them available ahead of time.) Only rules are that you must be a blog follower and your comment must be on the correct post (can't post your favorite day one die on the day two contest post.) simple simple and easy too.

Snow is off the streets today so no hope of a snow day....sigh.... I leave you with some vintage valentine goodness.

Valentine's Day Inspiration from Alice Carman

2011-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

I just love to see what people do with the stuff that they buy from my little Etsy shop. People do absolutely fabulous things with the little bits that find their way out of my store and on to their craft tables.

A very fine crafter named Alice Carman was nice enough to send me a pic of a very nice Valentine's Day card she made with some of the product she got from me. What an adorable card! See how great that white Jenni Bowlin button looks? And how fabulous are those tiny little white letters.

You can see more of Alice's work on her blog at http://alicecarman.wordpress.com/

For those of you living in southern California, check out the information for Alice's classes.

Thanks for the inspiration Alice!

Dinner Parties, a Bit of Snow and a Contest

2011-01-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

Ok, so deceptive title - the first thing I want to talk about is TIM HOLTZ SNEAK PEEKS!

Yesterday, he started posting pics of his new Sizzix dies and they are to die for - no pun intended but is fun anyway. Go to www.timholtz.com and click on blog to go right there. Papercrafting goodness at its finest.

So here's what I think. I think we need a contest. Go and look at Tim's Blog. Choose your favorite new die. Post a comment back here about which new die is your favorite. If your comment number is chosen, you will win that die....simple....elegant and fun. Must be a blog follower to win, so tell all your friends.

In other news, we talked a while back about looking forward to the new year. One of the things that my husband and I are doing this year is to invite people we know to dinner - concentrating first on those we haven't seen for a while or haven't spent quality time with. Our first party is this Sunday. Just a small group so that we can catch up. All Barefoot Contessa recipes....so yummy. We are going to take pics of the group at dinner, print it out in black and white and start a gallery in our kitchen....kinda like in the restaurants where they have the pics of the owners and celebrity guests. How excellent will that be and so much fun to do. When was the last time you had someone over to dinner?

Finally, we have a small dusting of snow here today, Little tiny bits of snow, not enough to ruin traffic yet, but just the same, a good day to stay inside and pack orders and list new stuff on the etsy. 3 ring albums from Pink Paislee - in three sizes - 6x6 for $4.00, 8x8 for $5.00 and 6x12 for $6.00...just the cutest fabric covers with chipboard pages.....loads of potential....

Don't forget to leave a comment about your favorite new die.....drawing will be Sunday.....check back every day that Tim does a preview for a similar contest........

Goals We Set

2010-12-31T07:19:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve is a good day to look in two directions. In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of gates, doorways, beginnings, endings and time. He is often shown as having two heads, one facing the past and one the future. I feel a bit like that today.

The opportunity on days like today is to look at the half full glass...give ourselves a pat on the back for all we accomplished this past year and plan how we're going to carry that success and set of accomplishments into the new year...

You could spend time on all the things that didn't get done, but why make yourself crazy? There is always something more that could have been done or finished or started, but either they weren't important enough or didn't get to the top of the 'to do' list for a reason..... nuff said about the unfinished

OK, so I'll go first......

I wanted to lose weight this year and started out strong and lost some......didn't lose any more but kept off what I did lose......gold star

I wanted my personal scrap room in order and I did accomplish that, complete with paint and shelves and new light fixtures and all...... it's a challenge to keep it tidy but most days I can see at least a bit of the table top and the days I have spent in that room scrapping with friends have been amazing....

I wanted to blog more this year and that was a mixed accomplishment - some months more and some less, but I'm going to focus on the more and try to improve on the less next year.

My last goal (of those that I will talk about here at least) was to reach 5000 sales by the end of the year and, thanks to my excellent customers, I made it.....way back at the beginning of November. So I looked at my sales and my stuff and said......why not go for more....and I set a goal of 6000 sales by the end of the year.....bold I know, but doable....

I'm short. Only 65 items, but I'm short. sigh..... So I spent the obligatory 5 minutes thinking about what I could have done differently, about the sales I didn't make, the items I didn't list and then I stopped. My business has taken such an upturn this year and I have been so fortunate that it would be absolutely stupid of me to be anything but happy about my accomplishments this year.

Which brings me to all of you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.......

for your support
for your encouragement
for your business
for your feedback
for your friendship
for reading my ramblings
and for giving me a reason to keep doing this

I wish you and your families the very best of everything in the New Year. Take a few minutes this weekend to be Janus-like. Give yourselves all the credit you deserve for all the things you did and daydream about all the opportunities the next 365 days will bring.

You guys are the best.

Sue

p.s. Since you read all the way to the bottom, you get a prize. Free shipping on any order placed today...Mention JANUS in the comment section of your order at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Wandering Around the Blogopshere

2010-12-28T04:57:00.000-08:00

So there is the blog feature that allows you to see what blogosphere location they come from when they get to your blog (how cool is that?). So I was looking and the list carries the usual mail and search locations along with some visitors from the etsy site. But then there was an internet address that I didn't recognize so I went there to see what it was and I sure am glad I did.

Apparently, at some point, Sandi Manning in New South Wales Australia stumbled over my blog and listed me on hers as a source of inspriation. But, talk about inspiration, you should she her stuff. She is currently working on a series of heart hangers (how perfect as we turn our attention to Valentine's Day) that are truly FABULOUS. You have to see them.

You can visit Sandi's blog at http://puddleduckfarm.blogspot.com/

Today, I leave you with a great New Year's Eve image.

Enjoy the day.

Whatcha Doin'?

2010-12-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

I find myself with - oddly enough - very little to do.

Don't get me wrong, I have lots of projects and things that I 'should' do, but nothing pressing.....nothing with urgency......nothing that compares with the pressure of the time leading up to Christmas.....

Odd feeling..

I cleared the sidewalk salt off the front hallway floors, took the sheets from the beds in the guest rooms, got the holiday serving platters ready to pack and downloaded the pics from the camera and put them in their folders......gonna go clean off the table in the workroom and get to some of those scanning projects I've been meaning to get to.

I just listed some new colors in some great Chatterbox albums at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com - a couple of the colors perfect for Valentine's Day projects. Never too early to get started on the next big gift making event.

Have a great week. Carve out a little bite of peace and quiet somewhere - sometime.

A Long Sigh....

2010-12-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

of contentment.....

The children and grandchildren have moved on to the other families......

There's just enough snow on the ground to make it beautiful but not enough to cause traffic issues...

It's just the two of us (not counting the dogs)

We've already watched A Christmas Story....we turn to It's A Wonderful Life now

We're thinking maybe a little turkey sandwich in a bit - perhaps a side of cranberry sauce and the last two pieces of apple pie..

We just downloaded the pictures from the camera and look back on all the fun....

Thinking about whether we need to go to Target in the morning for stockings to hang for the grandchildren next year

I'm wearing fabulous new slippers, a fabulous new ring and cleaning up the carnage that is the kitchen after two days with that much food, that many small children, and that much making at least one of everyone's favorite foods....

The only thing left is to share my best wishes for you and your families. I hope that you all had the Merriest of Christmases and that you with join me now in a

sigh.......of contentment and peace.

One Last Sale - For Blog Followers Only

2010-12-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Before I wish you all a Very Merry.....I thought we would have one more sale.

10% off everything and free shipping over $50.

It's easy, it's simple and it's fun. Remember - for every two gifts you buy for others....you must buy one gift for yourself. It's a rule...

Hope you are all enjoying the holidays. New blog followers are also eligible so tell your friends.

Please put the words VERY FABULOUS in your comments on the order so that I make sure to do the discount thing.

Have fun shopping. www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Sue

More Free Stuff......YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

2010-11-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

And even if you don't have to work today, let me help you feel better by giving you sale pricing and free stuff. In addition to the 5000 Black Friday specials, I am offering the following

10% off all 7gypsies
10% off all Jenni Bowlin
10% off all Glitz Designs
10% off all Kaisercraft
Buy any 12x12 Sassafras Lass collection kit - get a free set of 12x12 alphabet stickers
Buy any Tim Holtz product and get a set of 7gypsies clear buttons free
Buy any Melissa Frances Product and get three yards of velvet ribbon free

1/2 price shipping on all US orders, $5.00 off international orders

Shipping and discount amounts will be refunded when I ship your order. You MUST put the words SAVE ME in the comments on your order to get these specials. www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

In addition,

The 5000 Black Friday Sale items that are still available are:

Material Girl/Garden Variety 12x12 paper pad at half price with free shipping. Normally $20.00 now $9.95 with free shipping
Jenni Bowlin Reader Chipboard buttons - buy one get a sheet of Jenni Bowlin stickers free (stickers are my choice - please do not put any in your cart unless you wish to buy them)
Nikki Sivils 6x6 Paper Pads - Buy One Get One Free - put two in your cart and I will refund one
7gypsies - Metal Reinforcers - $2.00
Queen and Company Felt Borders - Buy 2 Get 1 Free - free is my choice - please do not put the third in your cart unless you wish to buy it
7gypsies Chipboard Tags - $1.00
Vintage Look Magazines - Lots of Excellent Advertisements - $3.00
October Afternoon Flashcard Books - $2.00 off - online price reflects the discounted price
Select Tim Holtz Alterations Dies - $13.00 - Regular Price $20
Tim Holtz Halloween Texture Fades - $7.75 - Regular Price $11
Select Victorian Scrap - $1.25 - Regular Price $1.69 to $1.99
Sassafras Lass 12x12 Collection Packs - $10.00 - Regular price $17.99 - Indie Girl and Mix N Mend
That's about it for now. Let me know if you have questions.

Prices are good from the time you receive the email until midnight November 29th so don't delay.

Thanks, as always, for being the best customers a girl could hope for.

Without Further Ado - The 5000 Black Friday Sale

2010-11-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

OK, so enough already.

The thought of doing a 5000 Sales Sale and a Black Friday Sale is just crazy, so let's do them together.

This is what you will find:

Material Girl/Garden Variety 12x12 paper pad at half price with free shipping. Normally $20.00 now $9.95 with free shipping
Jenni Bowlin Reader Chipboard buttons - buy one get a sheet of Jenni Bowlin stickers free (stickers are my choice - please do not put any in your cart unless you wish to buy them)
Nikki Sivils 6x6 Paper Pads - Buy One Get One Free - put two in your cart and I will refund one
7gypsies - Metal Reinforcers - $2.00
Queen and Company Felt Borders - Buy 2 Get 1 Free - free is my choice - please do not put the third in your cart unless you wish to buy it
7gypsies Chipboard Tags - $1.00
Vintage Look Magazines - Lots of Excellent Advertisements - $3.00
October Afternoon Flashcard Books - $2.00 off - online price reflects the discounted price
Select Tim Holtz Alterations Dies - $13.00 - Regular Price $20
Tim Holtz Halloween Texture Fades - $7.75 - Regular Price $11
Select Victorian Scrap - $1.25 - Regular Price $1.69 to $1.99
Sassafras Lass 12x12 Collection Packs - $10.00 - Regular price $17.99 - Indie Girl and Mix N Mend

and more. As always, shipping will be adjusted to actual so don't worry about your shipping going crazy. International customers - convo me for a custom listing. Have fun with it. More will be added as things sell out. I may have missed changing a couple of listings, so if you think I need to fix something, let me know.

What are you waiting for? Start shopping

Victorian Scrap

2010-11-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

I know that you all love it.......the stuff that makes your projects so much fun. Tiny flowers, little santas, fish and birds and horses and all kinds of stuff.

This stuff is great. If you haven't used it before, now is the perfect time to try it. This is a slightly glossy thick paper, printed with the original art from the 20's and 30's and then it is embossed so that the paper now has dimension. How cool is that.

I listed a bunch of new designs yesterday (even got my husband to help) and they are so cute and I am so excited about them that I am offering free shipping on them starting today until Sunday for only my fabulous blog followers. As always, check out and I will refund your shipping charges.

Also, take a peek through the rest of the shop. I have started to list the items for the 5000 sale and you never know what you will find.

I leave you with a pic of one of the scrap designs I listed yesterday.

Happy shopping

Giving Money Away

2010-11-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

now that I have your attention.......

This is referral week.

From now until Sunday, November 21 - refer a friend to www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com and receive a credit of 10% of their purchase toward YOUR next order.

So let's just say you have a friend Barb who goes to www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com and shops (of course Barb loves you now because you sent her there to shop.)

Barb gets 1/2 price shipping on her second order and you get 10% of Barb's purchase refunded to you on your next order. The more Barb spends, the more you get. Would be a great time to send all of your friends that shop A LOT to see me.

Necessary fine print....the friend you refer must be a new customer to me....your credit amount does not include their shipping charges.....your freind must put your name in the comment section on their order....the order where you receive the credit should mention your friends name in the comment section of your order.

No limit on the number of friends you refer or on the amount of credits you accumulate. How excellent is that. Referrals must be made by this Sunday and credits expire at the end of 2010.

Let me know if you have questions......what are you waiting for.....start referring......

New Ranger Ink Products Have Arrived

2010-11-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

So, you know that I am a fan of ink. (Just ink, you ask.....silly girl) but I love to play with chemicals on paper so needless to say this was a big week at the receiving dock (otherwise known as the front door) when one box arrived with the new - reformulated - Adirondak Color Washes (in 12 colors no less) and in another box the new Liquid Pearls. You can get information on how the products have changed and how to use them at www.rangerink.com Is there anything better.....

Actually there is. Another box came and brought me the cutest stuff from Glitz Designs. The Glitz Girls outdid themselves and have packaged me up the most wonderful stuff....fabulous stamps, stickers (thanks Erin) albums, rubons and just, in general, the kind of stuff that can make your project unique and fun. You can get ideas and inspiration for this product at www.glitzitnow.com

Add to that the Basic Grey Curio paper and embellishments, new victorian scrap from my friend Adreas and new gold, silver and blue Dresden accent pieces and all of the sudden, the world is a happier place.

It really is a good time to stop by and take a peek. You might just find the perfect thing that will make your holiday gift projects the best ever.

Mention that you read about this stuff on the blog and get half price shipping on your order just for being a blog follower. Just type follower in the comments on your order at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

and I will refund half of your shippng costs back to you. How fun is that?

I leave you with a couple of fun images.

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom and happy shopping.

I'm Feeling in the Pink Today

2010-11-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

In my never ending (well, that may be a bit much but I'm feeling dramatic today) quest to bring you the best - today I bring you a fabulous blog with visually stunning photographs and great vintage paper to copy and download for your personal use - kinda like sharing good things with friends.

Take a peek at

http://littlepinkstudio.typepad.com/little_pink_studio/2010/11/pretty-old-things-1.html

Get your coffee or tea, sit back and just stroll through the visuals....immerse yourself in the vintageness of it all. Leave the husband and kids and dogs and cats and laundry and cleaning and ..........you get what I mean.....all behind while you take a visual vacation. You won't be disappointed.

5000 sale postponed. Trust me, you want me to get all this stuff listed. I got new German Scrap listed yesterday but more to come.....