Hopefully I will get back into the swing of posting more often. My Sister Maureen has been visiting with me and we have had such a wonderful time. She was awaiting the birth of her new Grandaughter, and I have really enjoyed our time together.

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The projects for this month are 3 cards using the Big Shot Scallop Die  I have seen similiar cards on several websites, and of course had to put my own twist on them. I will be teaching the "Ribbon Rose" as shown in the picture.

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We will also be doing a more masculine Spiral Book using the "Sense of Time" Stamp Set from the Occasions Mini and the "To the Nines" textured DSP. I will be sending out class confirmations today.

Pics of the Class project for May 22nd and 23rd are below. This is the totally tool card you have all be waiting to do. These classes are really filling fast so be sure to e-mail me and reserve your spot. You can view all pics full size by clicking on each picture.

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The Spiral bound books we have been doing in classes have been a big Hit. I hope to be able to sell kits for my projects in the near future, so be sure to keep checking. I also hope to sell some of my pins and spiral books…completed with directions. This should be available in the near future.

Here is the Spiral bound book we will be doing in our March Class. Class dates Friday March 20th and Saturday March 21st. The class for Friday is filled, but there is still room on Saturday. Be sure to view each picture individually to see the complete page.

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In this booklet we have added Vellum sheets with computer generated poems and verses. These little booklets are so much fun to do. I can hardly wait to do another for Mother’s Day, and then a more masculine on for Father’s Day. 

Since I have brought up fathers day I have to show you the WOW card I created using the Totally Tools set. We will do this project in our May Class. There is a pocket in front to put a Home Depot or Lowes Gift Card. I made this for my Son-in-law Brian for his Birthday…then told him I had to borrow it back to make one for Father’s Day. He laughed alot, but took the gift certificate out before returning it. 

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I just had to show you a picture of the Nectarine Tree in my back yard. I have quite a few fruit trees in bloom. What a beautiful sight.For those of you back in the snow I hope it brings a hope of what will be around the corner for you soon. This is actually very early blooming for us. I just hope that we don’t get freezes while the blossoms are on.

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I used the following products to make this book:

Stamp Sets:  Simple Friendship,  Friends 24-7

Paper: Bella Blue Designer Paper, Not Quite Navy Cardstock, Natural Ivory Cardstock

Inks: Not Quite Navy Pad and Marker, Basic BrownPad

Punches: Wide Oval, Large Oval, Scallop Circle, 1 3/4" circle, 1 3/8 circle, 1 1/4 circle, Eyelet Border

Accessories: Big Shot  Top Note Die, Zutter Binder System, 1/2" White Wire, Swaroski Rhinestones, Kraft and Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon ,White Gel Pen, Paper Snips

That evening as I was trying to catch up on all my recorded shows, I decided to try and make a Pin from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. (Item 113734). I used the leaves from the Central Park set (Item 113732). I do alot of stamping while watching T.V. with a lap tray. First I did the small flower, then I attemped to make a pin from the large Rose. I was so jazzed that they turned out so nice. These pictures were taken before I sprayed them with the Krylon Triple Thick Spray, so imagine how gorgeous they will be with the finishing spray.

I used the following cardstocks: Pretty-in-Pin, Rose Red, Certainly Celery. I used the Basic Black Stamp Pad.

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It is going to rain here for the next few days, so I hope to get alot of creative artwork done. So be sure to subscribe and enter you e-mail address so you will be notified when I add new posts to my blog.

I will be working on projects for my next classes Friday February 27th and Saturday February 28th. so be looking for the projects to be posted. Talk to you soon. Kelli

I woke up this morning early (Tuesday Feb 10th). The rain is over for at least a few days, and last night it got really cold. When I looked out the window there was frost on the lawn. This only happens maybe  five or six times a year at my house, but it reminds me that we do have some visible season changes here. This is one of the reasons I love living in Fallbrook .

Of course I normally would not see the frost, as I am a late to bed, late to rise person.  I do most of my creative stamping late at night…..except when my Grandson’s are here. They are early risers (6:30 a.m. ugh…), and all the dogs were anxious to go out a play with no rain.

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It was a cold but sunny day. We played outside much of the day, and you will see the dogs after a great day of playing. Talk about couch potatoes.

I have spent the last few day watching my Grandson’s Trent and Kyle, and their 2 dogs Peta and Leisha. The one dog is part wolf and the other a Great Dane. Both are still in their "baby years". It has pretty much been raining for the past 2 days so this means we have 4 dogs and my Grandsons and I pretty much in the house.. yikes.

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You will notice I said watching instead of babysitting, Both of my Grandsons are teens now, so we don’t babysit anymore. Trent and Kyle are homeschooled so this allows for a fun break in the middle of the week, My daughter had a chance to go on a date away for a few days with her husband, so I got to enjoy this time with my Grandsons.

Trent had an Art Class in town on Tuesday, so Kyle and I went into the stamp room and he made the Candy Heart Box I pictured in a previous post, for his Mom for Valentines Day. Kyle loves to work with me in the Stamp Room, including checking in orders. hummmmm a future helper?

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Several of you had  asked how this cute box is made, so I will attempt to describe the process. I have seen this box in several places so don’t know who to credit for it.

1.  Cut 2 each of the Big Shot Petal Box Die using solid colored cardstock. (I used Riding Hood Redcard stock)

2.  Cut 1 each of the Big Shot Petal Box Die using designer paper (I used Bella Rose Designer Paper)  Trim the 2 bottom petals off to form a heart. Cut the heart down the center to create 2 heart halves. Adhere 1/2 heart to each solid colored Petal Box.

3. Stamp the heart and scallop stamp from the Love You Much Stamp set, on Ultra-smooth White Cardstock  (item 113756 $25.95 page 27 of current catalog) Cut the heart out and adhere to the front side of the heart box. Punch the Scallop out with Scallop Punch and adhere to the back side of the box. Punch heart using our new large Heart punch (Item 113694 $15.95 Page 184 current catalog) from Real Red cardstock and adhere to the front of the box.

4. Cut a 1 1/2 X 5 1/2 strip of Riding Hood Red Cardstock and fold in half.

5. Fold the the bottom 2 petals from the Front Die Cut and adhere to the strip. Adhere the Back Die cut the same way.

6. Add your ribbon handles using the wonderful Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon (item 111365 $6.95 page 179) and 4 gold brads.

7. Fill with the candy of your choice…or fill it with stamps for a friend…or yourself.

I would like to say I posted it twice because it is one of my favorite pins (being one of my favorite pins is true), but the truth is always better….right?

The pictures I am posting tonight are of my Roomies. Their names are Lexie and L.T. (lethal tail). If you haven’t guessed they are my 2 yellow labs. (Both girlie girls) They have kept me going thru hard times and keep me laughing the rest of the time. Lexie has eaten more stamps than I want to admit, and a few wheels also. I found the wheels could be salvaged by removing the remainder of the rubber from the wheel, and mounting it on wood, thus making it a border stamp.

Today in class we made these adorable heart pockets from the Petal Card Big Shot Die, filled them with a bag of chocolate hearts.

I had my samples sitting on my worktable and while I was putting away all the stamps and accessories like the organized demonstrator that I am, sweet Lexie did a table surfing trip and grabbed the bag of hearts. She was so fast, she raced out of the stamp room and out into the yard. I don’t think I have moved quite so fast in a long time, but I managed to get the bag from her with only 1 heart missing. Since she is about 90 lbs. I don’t think it will hurt her. P.S. the heart pocket was unscathed, unlike so many other projects that have been destroyed.

If you have  read the book "Marley and Me" or seen the movie, you can get a pretty good idea of my life with my dogs. Just double the excitement with two of them.

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Greetings to everyone. Just a little more personal information. Many folks know me as the Pin Lady. I developed a technique to create pins from stamped images on layered cardstock. When the pin is complete it looks like it is a ceramic pin. I plan on creating some terrific pins from the new catty, but until then I am showing some of my pins created from some of the retired sets.

  GENERAL PIN INSTRUCTION Design and Technique by Kelli Purkey

1. Layer 3 sheets of desired card stock.  Stay primarily with the Soft Subtles, Earth Elements, Ultrasmooth  White and

Natural cardstocks,as the color turns quite a bit darker when sprayed with the Krylon spray. Always test a sample so

you don’t build your project andfind out it sprays too dark.

2. Stamp Image on the top sheet with your desired cardstock. On some I use Basic Black stamp pad and on  some the

craft pads with clear embossing powder. It depends upon the desired finished look. Color your image if needed.

3. Cut a square around the stamped image cutting thru all 3 layers. The bottom layer set of the pin is always 3 pieces

of cardstock, each set layer after that is either 2 or 3 layers sheets of cardstock depending upon the design..

4. Turn over the top sheet with the image, Smear tacky glue onto the cardstock, then adhere to 2nd sheet of Cardstock,

Smear tacky glue to the back of the 2^nd piece of cardstock and adhere to the 3rd layer of cardstock.

5. Cut out the image while the tacky glue is still wet (all 3 layers are glued together as one for cutting).

6. While the tacky glue is still wet, form the pin and let it dry. Do the same with each additional layerset.

(Use only 2 sheets of c/s for the additional layers sets).

7. Use your marker (usually black) to color all edges unless you are embellishing with embossing powder. If you are

embellishing your pin edges with metallic embossing powder, squeeze out a dab of tacky glue on a piece of paper,

use your finger or a tooth-pick to apply a small amount of the glue to the edges of your pins. Dip it in your

embossing powder and heat with your heat gun. The glue will bubble up as the powder melts and create a nice edging.

8. Repeat steps 1 thru 7 for each additional pin layer, using 2/3 pieces of cardstock

9. Put together multiple pin layers with dots of tacky glue. Let Dry.

10. Spray your pin with 5 to 6 layers of Krylon Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze (Until you get the amount of shine

that you want.) Spray both the front and back of the pin.

11. Embellish as desired. Always add the Rhinestones after all spraying is completed.

12. Adhere magnet or pin back using tacky glue. If  you are making the magnet pin  (no more holes in your clothes)

use a 2nd magnet for your pin to adhere to on the inside of you blouse or dress.