Here's lookin at me kid

Card Making Tutorial

I have a card making tutorial up on the Hambly Screen Prints blog today!  Be sure to check out step by step instructions on how to make your very own card like this one.

Envelopes.

They're an often overlooked aspect of card making... why oh why? I'm not much of a card maker, to be sure. But the cards I gravitate towards are simple in design. So when I'm finished with a card, I usually feel like... now what? That's it?! Until my little cousin, Rachel, told me about how she makes her own envelopes. Genius! This is something I'm sure is not new to you wise readers, but oh wow, it's like a whole new world I've discovered! :)

For any of you who have never used any Hambly products, you just don't know how exquisite the paper is until you hold it in your hand. So silky and scrumptious! Perfect for upping the ante in card giving.

And speaking of giving... my lovely friend Kara sent me a gift in the mail this week. Totally brightened up this dismal time of due dates and final exams. Not just lovely art and goodies, but a gift card to my fave! Urban Outfitters. She's the sweetest. And whenever she sends me something in the mail, she addresses the package to "Mandi Pants." So now and forever, Phil calls me Mandi pants.

Fun with Hambly

and let's not forget Kraft and Mr. Woodgrain Dymo.
Hambly does not ask me to tout their products.... but people, I just can't help it. I seriously hardly use any other product these days. And I think it's so easy to come up with designs using their screen printed papers, overlays, stickers, and rubons.

Making cards is pretty much the easiest.

And while I had my scissors and glue (who am I kidding? We all know it's Xacto knife and rubber cement! Sorry, scissors and glue...), I decided to make two! (Two quickly led to three... but more on that another day.)

I don't need a photo or a reason to make a card. But I like to have a stock pile of them, because we all know that when we're running late to a party, the last thing you have time to do is make a card.

So this card making thing is sort of turning into a new hobby....

Life's unexpected pleasures. :)

Catch up time!!!

Every day that I thought about blogging (which, by the way, was not every day) there were so many things I wanted to say. Life has been flying by. With all the stress with family and work responsibilities, I've realized just how important time with loved ones is. So.... blogging pretty much fell to the bottom of my priority list. But time is freeing up a bit now.... and now that I'm finally back, I just can't think of much to tell you!
Let's see....
I rearranged my bedroom. (to move furniture from the living room to make room for the Christmas tree!)

I did NOT put up the Christmas tree. Which was very sad, because I was determined to make it a yearly tradition to put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving.
I worked a lot on projects.... (school, scrapbook, etc)
I spent time with family and friends.
I dyed my hair red. Well, reddish, if I am being completely truthful. I went with dark auburn... and it looks nothing like the box. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go a bit lighter red next time. But I'm determined to do red and to do it right! :)

I decided I am going to MAKE my Christmas dress this year. (Yes, I want a Christmas dress, and NO I am not nine years old any more.)
I got some really awesome red boots that I'm majorly excited about. (or- about which I am majorly excited- if I don't want to end my sentence with a preposition)

I worked on making a model of a hostess stand I designed for extra credit (yes, I need extra credit that badly, and yes, that has contributed to my uber busyness)... and still have to find a transformer to get the light in the top of it to work.

As far as my family's health... my dad finds out today if he can start lifting his head or not. (it's been face down for five weeks! Poor guy.) My grandpa's pretty much not getting better. :( He has a feeding tube now. I'll spare you all the details of the frustrations that have occurred in the last five weeks with him. I'm really trying to enjoy my favorite time of the year, despite all the hardships right now. Also... trying to figure out how we're going to afford Christmas gifts for one and all. And I really want a house of our own. Although, I think buying Christmas presents will be easier than buying a house. heh
Alright... so I'm sure I'll come up with something better to say later this week! And yes, I plan on becoming a regular blogging now that it is FINALLY the last week of school! YAYYYYY!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot! Scrapbook pages and cards that I made for Hambly this month....

Well, the month is over.

and it occurred to me,
that I was really branching out in the blog world in October.
Here's some places I've been:

Here are some places I've been:
Thrift Candy,
Vegan and Vintage,
Unruly Things,
Apartment Therapy Unplugged,
Little Brown Pen,
Not Paper,
Loveology

Now, where have I been this week?
It's hard to say,
since this week seems like it was more like three weeks.
So much happened.
Things that weren't supposed to happen.
Unpleasant surprises.
Eye surgeries for my Pop.
Babysitting pop.
Failing tests.
Being extremely emotional.
Parking tickets.
Aunt Flo (yes, I say "aunt flo")
and so so so much more.
But there were good things too.
Vintage Gloria Vanderbilt jeans from Salvation Army.
Exercising.
But I missed the blog world this week.
So, if you've missed me,
here I am waving hi.
I have a lot to tell you all,
but for today I'll just be sharing some Hambliness.
Seriously, being on the DT for Hambly,
is such an awesome thing.
The only thing i ever have to buy for supplies
is cardstock.
I feel so blessed.
And Allison and KL are so easy to work under.
So without further ado,
here's what I did for this month.
And oh yeah, I actually did a lot more this month,
but I submitted my favorites to possibly get pubbed.
Most likely,
I will just be sharing them with you next month.
:)

And here's a card:

I seriously love those little birdie rub ons.
I've got a project in mind for Christmas gifts,
using Hambly, of course.
So I hope to get started on that next week!
But that's all for now,
I've got some work to do today.

No sugar tonight in my coffee.

No flour tonight in my jar.
Went to make muffins.
Didn't have liners.
Went to the store.
Bought liners.
Came home.
Found out my wheat flour was rancid.
Dumped it out.
No muffins tonight for me.

Last night was better.
I dug out my Hambly and went to town.
I made three layouts in one night,
which I usually shy away from,
for fear that all three layouts will turn out the same.

I think that the two 12 x 12 ones are kinda similar,
but I particularly love the 8.5 x 11 below.

I did this layout using a recent picture,
but with journaling about the objects in the pic,
which are things I got in Spring.
So I guess you could say it's my ode to Spring fashion,
even though I'm all about the fall fashion right now.
Which reminds me... it was 78 degrees outside today.
Seventy.  Eight.
Ridiculous.

Anyway, I got home from school today,
and lo and behold,
more Hambly!
All new stuff this time.
Sooooo so sooo excited I was.
(so excited, aparently, that I'm talking like Yoda.)
So I whipped together a couple of cards.
I've had the design for the first one in my head
ever since I first saw the debut of the moustaches.
I have all these envelopes for 6x6 cards
that are leftover from my wedding invitations.
So I made this wedding card to fit inside.
I cut the lips out of a Hambly brocade.
I decided brocade lips might be a bit much,
so I used the back.  :)

The black dots are part of the new clear sticker set.
There's so many good stickers in there.
But I stuck with basic black for this card.

I am so in love with the silhouette rub-ons.
And when I first thought to do a dinner party invite,
I thought I'd use the silverware rub ons.
But then I thought of the clock-
and thought how perfect it would be to put the time
right on the cover of the card.
And Lord knows I love my classic movies.
But the silverware still made it into the inside.  :)

There's a spot in the inside for me to write the date,
whenever I decide to have that dinner party!
The 6x6 size of the card is great,
because I can use one sheet of pp for four cards.
I'm all about making the product I love last forever.

But that's all for now!