Happy Fourth! Stay cool.

This scorching weather has forced me inside from the garden. I go out a few hours a day and drag my sprinklers around to keep things alive. The temp showed 106 in my car on the way home yesterday. YUCK! Today it's only supposed to get to 99, still awful. We are camping this week for a few days just to get our dog out of town for the Fourth of July celebrations as she doesn't do well with fireworks. 

I had fun making these little cuties a few days ago. I put red vines into pretzel bags. I tried out different combos of Designer Series Paper, ink and glitter. 

This one was my favorite! (Mike's too, yes I made him choose one)

I am still collecting names for the giveaway of this set of note cards:

Respond to this post and I will deliver one of my licorice packs and enter your name to win the note cards.

As always please let me know if you'd like a SU catalog. I still have quite a few

 and would LOVE to share them.  

summer blogging

Eeesh, I had no idea how hard it would be to keep up blog posts in the summer! Setting a new goal to get one--and only one done a week.

To make up for a bit of lost time--here is a bit of blog "candy," to encourage a bit of response from my followers. I had some extra cards made up from my Open House a couple weeks ago. I have five sets (2) of birthday cards to give away to the first five to get me their address.

Please keep "entering" so to speak and I will put your name into a drawing 

for this set of (6) thank you cards:

I still have lots of new SU catalogs to give away--let me know if you'd like one. If you can pick it up or I can deliver, it will be totally FREE. If you need it delivered further, then you will just need to pay for postage. Printed matter via USPS is not very expensive, so just let get in touch. 

What happens when I am waiting

There are areas of my stamp room that are NEVER clean. I took all day Friday to prepare for my Open House. While waiting, not too patiently, for the UPS man to arrive with my new stuff that I needed--I cleaned.

This is the hallway between the kitchen and the bathroom. There is a storage closet on the right. I am constantly hauling stuff in and out of the closet. I hardly ever put stuff away once I drag it out. I really need to improve the shelving in the closet--someday. 

This kitchen counter on the side of the sink is NEVER cleared off and is normally sticky. Tada, looks good today!

My scrapbook area is right inside the entrance to my craft room, therefore I "dump and run." There is normally a pile of stuff ready to topple. It's not perfect, but I have a couple projects I am prepping for a crop I'm attending in August. 

This is the hall way right outside my craft room--notice the HUGE pile of new SU catalogs. Yippee!!!

This is my "office" area and is in constant disaray. I had to tidy up so I could take orders and tally purchases that night. Yipee!!

I even cleaned the bathroom, and added a jar of cut flowers from my yard! 

Annual Customer Appreciation Open House

Today is the day--in my craft room---from 5:30 to 8pm

I am busy getting ready for the big event tonight. But it's hard not to get distracted on this beautiful day. Thought I would have my first order of new stuff in time to plan a project, but alas even with early ordering UPS will be delivering it late today.

Waiting for Emily to wake up--not sure that will happen anytime soon. She had a big day yesterday: last day of school, she walked home from Garfield with a group of friends (took them over 5 hours), then there was a big end of year party at the park last night.

Here is one of the projects I am planning for tonight---quick and cute, totally my style. Another perk, I made the colors match my stamp room. Hee! Hee!

Open House is tomorrow!!

Date: Friday, June 7, 2013

Time: 5:30 until 8:00 pm

Place:  Darcie's Craft Room

(please enter from around back, if possible)

FREE catalogs, FREE Make & Take Projects, and gifts to people who RSVP!!!  

Retired Merchandise for sale, order specials, and champagne!!  

Open House--RESCHEDULED

As some of you know, Mike's grandma passed away last night. She was an amazing woman and we were blessed to have had her in our lives. She was creative and adventurous. I have always vowed to be like her as I get older. She was such an inspiration.

Her memorial service has been set for next Tuesday, which was the date of my annual Customer Appreciation Open House. I have just now changed it to be:

Friday, June 7th from 5:30 to 8pm

Come celebrate the new catalog year with me! 

FREE 2013-14 Stampin' Up! Catalog (while supplies last), 

Champagne!!!!

FREE stamping project, 

plus a sale on all my retired merchandise.

Ordering specials for that night only, too

RSVP to this event and get another FREE GIFT!!

Stamp Club

Stamp Club was at my house last night--very well attended, which was super fun! These are the projects we made:

I used the DSP from the This & That product line introduced in the current mini catalog. It is in the new, yearly catalog as well. Love the color combos! Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Gumball Green, and Calypso Coral. Yummy! 

Thanks so much to Becky Roberts for introducing me to "pretzel bags" (found in cake supply type stores). They are the perfect size to pretty up little candy bars

Loving the chevron embossing folder (see above)

The above two designs were inspired by a sheet of hexigon patterned dsp from the This & That collection. I cut it to size then "fussy cut" the design in half and applied each element to a card with washi tape. 

This particular stamp club meets every other month--this year we are skipping summer months--and is required to purchase $25 each time before s/h & tax. The hostess benefits rotate to each member once per club year and there are seven members in this time.

If you are interested in starting a club with your own friends, let me know. 

I am very flexible in how to work things.