September Stamp of the Month

Since it is almost September (only a few more minutes) I thought I would show you the September Stamp of the Month. When you purchase $30 in TAC products, you can add this set for $4.25. (a $10.95 value).

Don't forget the "Remember September" sets that are a promotion during September. Mimi and LillyAnna, complete sets (paper, cardstock, ribbon, hardware) plus a limited edition stamp set (3 cute girls in each set)! These stamp sets are ONLY available during September as part of this promotion! (The stamps will cost you only $2.05 above the cost of the Soar With It Collection - Mimi or Lilly Anna) What a great way to add to your own collection of TAC papers & embellishments, and get some special stamps too!

Tech Squad meets on Sept. 12

Just a reminder that I need an RSVP with preferred session by Sept 10, so I know how many kits to prepare for TECH SQUAD on Sept 12. We're planning on an "Adventure with Crayons" - creating backgrounds with regular crayons and watercolor crayons, too! I'm sure that you will enjoy it!

I have the following RSVP on my list -
9:00 Cathie & friend
1:00 Pat W, Debra R., Paula Kay B
5:30 Heather, Mary, Debby B., Arlene, Jacque, Becky

If you are planning to come - please let me know!

A Fantastic week of learning

It's hard to believe it is Friday, and the end of August. Shortly (in about an hour) it will be September! Amazing! I have spent a fantastic week of learning at my computer. While riding to and from San Antonio last week-end, I spent some time reading a Better Homes & Gardens Digital Scrapbooking magazine. When I bought the magazine (probably about the 10th one I own), I hoped that it would actually give me some hands-on things to try - most of the previous purchases were just beautiful samples of what could be done, but no real information about HOW to do it! But this one is different!!!! Most of the information in it applies to PhotoShop in many of it's incarnations (Elements, CS2, etc) but I have found that much of the information transfers to Paint Shop Pro which is the program I use on my desktop computer. (I have PhotoShop Elements on my notebook, but barely know anything about it! - that one is next). I also located some great TUTORIALS on line. If you are interested in learning more about digital scrapbooking, and would like the list of Tutorials, please e-mail poki, and I will be happy to share them with you. I have also been taking advantage of some digital freebies that are out there - it takes a while to download on my dial-up connection, but I have collected some useful background papers, and other embellishments. I haven't made much headway on a completed layout in Paint Shop Pro, but I have used some of the digital elements in a Word document, and actually have 20 pages of the vacation scrapbook done! And tonight I accomplished (with the help of an on-line tutorial) a goal I set for myself yesterday. I wanted to take a scanned image (a leaf punch) and make the background transparent, so I could layer it over a background paper, just like you would the paper version! - but no GLUE necessary! With a couple of do-overs I was able to actually accomplish that goal!!! I am so excited ... just had to share! Next time you see me, ask to see my New England scrapbook! I'm pretty proud of it! (although I am taking issue with something my printer is doing - but I think it's the paper, not the printer!)

Fun trip to San Antonio!

Mike and poki spent the weekend in San Antonio for the annual Dell Employee Appreciation event - at Fiesta Texas! - and although I enjoyed the amusement park, dinner on the RiverWalk TWICE was a much more pleasant experience. I got up early on Friday, and drove Mike to work (we were in Austin by 6:45 a.m. - yes, my alarm clock went off at 4:30 a.m.) I spent the day shopping, and trying to stay cool! (It was a HOT day on Friday) We drove to San Antonio after Mike got off at 3:30 - even with the TRAFFIC JAM in Austin, we were at the hotel by 6:15. Dinner was at Joe's Crab Shack - poki's favorite - followed by a stroll along the river, and back to the hotel. Of course, we had to stop off to talk to the horses who work the carriage ride trade! But it had to be a short night, since the day began at 4:30 a.m. Saturday we were at Fiesta Texas all day, but the weather wasn't too bad - survivable! Saw a couple of new rides - of course we had fun on the water rides, and bumper cars. And Mike even rode the carousel with me! (I rode a GIRAFFE! - I love carousels!) Dinner on Saturday night was at the Republic of Texas, with drinks at The Landing afterwards while we listened to the big band jazz - same band since 1963 (with the exception of a few new members!) We tried to go to the Brackenridge Park Japanese Gardens after breakfast on Sunday, but they were having a face-lift. Oh, well - we made a couple of shopping stops on the way home (one for poki - the Outlet Mall in San Marcos, the other for Mike - Fry's in Austin) and we arrived back home at 3:30 or so! I thought I'd go take a nap then - but instead I went right back to work on my digital scrapbook that I am doing for our New England trip - about 20 pages done (and that's just the FIRST DAY! - but it was BOSTON!!!)

Lots of butterflies!

On Tuesday morning after my water aerobics class, I took a drive out to my friends, Pam & Lloyd's house in San Saba County (to make an Angel delivery & visit). I was greeted with about 300 butterflies in their garden - mostly Queens, but this Monarch was magnificent, and the first of many pictures I took in the garden. Pam said her massive flower garden just comes back every year now, no planting necessary, and she didn't even have to water that much this summer because of all the rain! She is being rewarded for all her hard work in the past though!! Pam & I then took a drive down to Fredericksburg for lunch and a trip to a cute new scrapbook store on Main Street, called Journey Lane! (opened last November) Beautifully displayed in lots of antique containers, including a punch bowl and cups for some antique ribbons & laces in the punch bowl, and small embellishments in the punch cups! I was impressed with the space she had (classroom with seating for about 30, I suppose!), and her unique displays!

Christmas Card Club #2 - Oct. 9

I surprised myself this afternoon - I actually made all 3 of my cards for the Christmas Card Club at I Scrapbook in Killeen.

This card will be my second class - scheduled for October 9, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Class fee is $15 for 10 kits completely prepped and ready to be put together!

Soar With It Collection - Lilly Anna

Here's Lilly Anna!

Soar With It Collection - Mimi

Here's Mimi

"Remember September" promotion from The Angel Company

Great news! The Angel Company has a "Remember September" promotion starting on Sept. 1 (just in time for our next TECH SQUAD Club meeting on Sept. 12 - don't forget to RSVP for the session of your choice!) The promotion highlights two of our new Soar With It Collections: Lilly Anna (pg 14) and Mimi (pg 11). Each promotional package is $24.95 and includes the following products: SWI paper collection ($6.95), matching cardstock ($6.50), ribbon ($4.95), hardware ($4.50) and a LIMITED EDITION stamp set - the Lilly girls and the Mimi girls. When TAC says LIMITED EDITION you can be sure that this is the ONLY TIME that they will offer this set. (Some of you may have seen the "girls" before - they were part of the Seminar Set given to all Angels who registered for our Seminar in June - and one of the Mimi girls is stamped on my pencil box that I had on the table at TECH SQUAD in August! Thanks to Paula Kay!)

It's here!

The order we placed last week is here! I have sorted and will begin delivery on Wednesday at tARTs supper (that's a stamping group that I belong to with several of the ladies who came to TECH SQUAD last week!) Cathie and Heather, I will call you before Friday and make your delivery when I am in Killeen on Friday!

Collector's Club

For my regular customers, just wanted you to know that I am keeping a list of the products that you have ordered from me! If you are home, looking at your Angel catalogue, and making your "wish" list - and can't remember if you have purchased something before, just send me an e-mail and I will check your COLLECTOR'S CLUB list. I haven't printed the list since they change each time you make a purchase or win a PRIZE! I will print the list in December and include it with your December delivery, so you will know what you purchased during 2007! My files will be cumulative though (continuing into 2008), and hopefully we can avoid the mistake that so often happens "I already bought that stamp, and I bought it again!" (That is unfortunately how I get some of the poki's choice stamp sets - including the Salsa Flowers set that Freddie won in August!)

Thanks, everyone!

Thanks to all my good friends who attended my very first TECH SQUAD club meeting on Wednesday, August 8. We had a great time with our VersaMark techniques, did 5 technique cards for the file and a card with my favorite butterfly (T1014, flutterby, page 48) Samples on the blog will come later, when I have time to scan them and post them! Thanks to everyone who made purchases and made it possible for the "mystery hostesses" to get 5 prizes! I hope to continue have "mystery hostess" contests each time we meet!

I have been doing some "brainstorming" on ways to use my space more efficiently, and I think I have come up with a way to have more participants in each session! If you are interested in joining one of my sessions on September 12, please RSVP (poki04@aol.com) We will be having ADVENTURES WITH CRAYONS! Always remember your adhesive to post your samples to your technique directions! In September, a small DRY iron would help with two of the samples (There is a Heidi Swapp version in The Angel catalogue that would work beautifully!) If you can bring one with you, please do! Can't wait to see you!

Hostess "Mystery" solved!

The winners of the "mystery hostess prizes" are:

Level A set - Jacque J
Level B set - Cathie H.
1/2 price item - Barbara S.
1/2 price item - Heather A
Salsa Flowers - Freddie H.

Congratulations, ladies! Expect an e-mail from me (especially if I need more money from you!)

August Stamp of the Month

We have this new Stamp of the Month for August - girlyaccessories TAC-2682. It can be yours for $4.25 (Retail value $5.95) with a $30 purchase during August. poki will also be having a "Mystery Hostess" at TECH SQUAD on Wednesday, August 8. If you haven't e-mailed your RSVP yet to come join in the fun, please let poki know you want to come by Monday, August 6 (poki needs time to prepare all of the goodies for our project!) You'll find out about "Mystery Hostess" when you get here! There are openings at all 3 time slots: 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., 1:00 - 3:30 p.m., and 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. See you then!

Summer Kid's Kamp projects are complete!

I have had a very busy summer working with Kids in Temple. I had eight weeks with kids at Ralph Wilson Girls Club, and six weeks at Wendaful Scrapbooks, both in Temple. I had the last class yesterday! I celebrated today with a NAP and a PIZZA! And now, I must get busy on the next project!