ANOTHER WINNER

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My blog hop candy is getting oldy-moldy - still looking for a winner ....

how about:

*****MAUREEN REISS*****

Maureen - contact me via email with your snail info, by Wednesday, Midnight (8/4/10) to claim.


AND EVERYONE - head over to Papercraft Star as voting begins today for this past week's submissions. !!!!!

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365 Cards - Friday sketch

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Here is a very very simple card based on Friday's sketch at 365 Cards.

Very easy, and just the sketch you need if you are looking to put a card out there real quickly. Boy, those don't happen very often, do they !

After no one has cooked me a meal for the whole month of July (sob) I finally broke down and put some baby back ribs in the oven today. I can't decide if I need to keep awake to take them out, or just take a teeny nap and let the oven turn off.

I KNOW I am not Rachael Ray, but I do make the very best ribs I have ever tasted, and everyone who has eaten them agrees. Easy peasy.

Cut them into 2 rib pieces. Put them in a shallow pan. Cover the pan with tin foil, seal tightly. Bake at 325 for a couple hours. You will know they are done cause your house will smell amazing. Brush on some cheapo bbq sauce, cover, cook another 15 minutes. They are falling off the bone, and truly, all the fancy rubs and sauces, and baking them for 3 days, doesn't hold a candle to this simple method. The smell wafts out the windows and onto the sidewalk, where all the walkers and joggers pause for a minute, drool politely and move on .

Hey, I can only cook a couple things, and this is one of them. Probably cause it is so easy, I cannot screw them up. Try this - your guy will be sooooooooo happy.... and your kids.

Don't forget submissions close tomorrow at Papercraft Star - bring your mojo out to play, and see you there !!

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365 Cards - Thursday sketch

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Wow, this card didn't turn out ANYTHING like I had envisioned, not even one iota. 365 Cards continues with its sketch week. I think I may try this one again down the road, since you can only see the bare bones of that sketch in here, if you squint your eyes real tight and wave your wand over it ...

Although the background looks like kraft cardstock, it is really a metallic (copper) kind of paper that looks really rich.

I made this one for Dom for our 33rd wedding anniversary, which is next month. He hasn't had one moment to look at my blog most of July, so I can keep it secret. There are lots of stickles on here, of course, my camera never sees them, but they are there.

And now, sigh, it is 5:30 and no one has made me dinner, sigh, so I guess I just hafta pop that quiche in the microwave myself, and eat on a tray in front of the tv, sigh. He says no work tomorrow night or this weekend, I am unbearably grateful...

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Time running out to claim candy

Sorry to say my blog hop candy has been unclaimed. If it is not claimed by Saturday 12:01 am I will award it to someone else.

Don't forget to get your submission in this week to Papercraft Star !!
Beth gave us a very versatile sketch I will use again.

365 Cards - Wednesday sketch

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As you can see, I am still working on a steampunk style, I think it will be an ongoing process.

Isn't it funny how something so simple can be so excruciatingly difficult to execute...

365 Cards is continuing its sketch week, and this is Wednesday's contribution. Pam announced that the triple winners this week will be asked to be guest designers in the future. Isn't that a great prize ? AND I am making absolutely no bones about the fact I am actively campaigning for my inclusion. Yup. Yup. Yup.

Dom is still working those terrible hours, 7 days a week, sometimes 14-16 hours a day, but he says the end is in sight. (Whew, someone has got to fix me a meal around here !! ) As Spencer would say, " Someone is MISSING!"

Stopped at JoAnn Fabrics today and spent $1.19 in a wild and crazy fashion. Spencer has spent the past year walking around with my little hand mirror pressed up against his eye. Huh ? Finally finally he has the verbal skills to explain to me that it is a magnifying glass, or so he thinks. So I bought him a real one - I will have to do a little treasure hunt for him to find it. But, can he find it without a magnifying glass ? what a dilemma ...

Played Word Racer at Yahoo last night, as I have every night (that I'm home) for more than 12 years. I told one of my buddies that I don't use the word "myrrh" enough in conversation, so here it is.

Don't forget to enter your card or layout at Papercraft Star this week !!

I am required to provide the fine print here for the ship's wall - and that is steampunkwallpaper.com, used under creative commons.

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Papercraft Star 6

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Wow, we are on Papercraft Star challenge 6 already ! A really versatile sketch from Beth is our challenge this week.

This is full of Tim Holtz, paper, stamp, and Ranger Ink and stickles.

And to balance that out - a whole lot of Michael's dollar bin !! You know you love that $1 sign just as much as I do ... Bonjour I simply printed in Word on some cardstock.

The challenge opens today, and submissions close Saturday, 7/31, and voting closes Monday 8/2.
So head on over to Papercraft Star - even if you don't submit (and I sure hope you do!) be sure to vote for your favorite.

So - here is the small print:

Details :
Cardstock : Recollections
Paper : Tim Holtz
Ink : Ranger distress ink, Versa-mark fine
Does anyone : ever read this stuff
Stamps : Tim Holtz, Recollections (on the tag)
Stickles and Rock Candy Stickles
Die Cut : Spellbinders
Edge punch : Martha Stewart
Image : Whimsical World of Fairies
Ribbon, bling, flowers : Michael's $1 bin

365 Cards - Tuesday sketch

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365 Cards has sketches all week, this is Tuesday's.

I thought I wouldn't post this because it just wasn't very good, but you know, I do my best to be honest with my readers. And it is what it is.

I don't know if I just jumped in without a real plan, I do that often enough. Or, the papers don't gel together, that does happen once in awhile.

But, with failure comes the opportunity to be better next time !! When I once told a friend how foolish I had been she said well, that is part of who you are now, and I love that person !!

Well, tune in tomorrow for my Papercraft Challenge 6 sketch. I did much better on that one.

Oh, the little tag is from Tattered Vintage etsy shop, it was a freebie !!

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365 Cards - Monday sketch

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365 Cards has a whole week of sketches, how fun is that!

Haven't done a wedding card for, oh about 3 weeks, lol. Not only are they functional, but they can be so attractive too. Plus, Cuttlebug time - Spencer loves that little crank.

Do not know what possessed me to work on an all white card on a 90 degree day, when the best part of the white is that it is so crisp. But I did manage to keep the sweat off of it, whew.

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BLOG CANDY WINNER !

Papercraft Star's first blog hop was quite a success ! I really enjoyed reading all the comments, and want to thank everyone who became a new follower, both here at chai tea n me, and at Papercraft Star.

Of course, the important question is who won the candy ?

The winner here was Pam Sandy !! SO, MISS PAM - email me with all your snail mail info, and this will be in the mail to you right away. Hope you enjoy all the goodies!

I would personally love it if you all came back to Papercraft Star with your submissions. Our challenges are posted way in advance. Please vote for your favorite, and take advantage of our super forums too. We would just love to have you as part of our Star circle !!!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY BLOG HOP !!

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Hi there friends!


Welcome to the first ever Papercraft Star Blog Hop. I hope that you are enjoying all of our "Christmas in July" projects.


If you have arrived here from Regan's blog, you are in the right place. If not, you'll want to start at the beginning, right HERE. Each member of our team has some wonderful blog candy to give away, so be sure to visit every stop along the way.


All you need to do here at Chai Tea N' Me to win all these goodies is become a follower and leave me a comment. My regular followers need only leave a comment. You will have a lot of fun scrounging through this pile!!
I'll announce the winner on Monday July 26th, so be sure to come back and see who wins.


Now on to my project..

I did a wall hanging for my Christmas project. This was super easy, and would have been easier if I had just sewn the paper into 4 blocks, instead of cutting them apart. This is a good way to use those 12 x 12 papers that have just one really large image on them. I do cards almost exclusively, which means you can only ever see a part of the paper itself. I did back it with another piece of cardstock, and shadowed the letters too. I cut the letters with SCAL and a font from dafont.com.

Glad you stopped by ! Hop on over to Kristina's World next - you will be glad you did !

and now for the small print:

Paper: DCWV, Rustic Stack
Cardstock : Martha Stewart
Brads : Recollections
Ribbon : Michaels $1 bin
Distress Ink from Ranger Ink
Beading thread
Old dead stick from Jan's back yard

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365 Cards, Book Cover

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What an interesting idea this was for a challenge - choose a book cover, and model your card after it.

What is really unusual is that I actually had my choice of several papers to do it !

The book is my baby book, oh deardee dear, how long ago was that. Well, babies still wore clothes that needed to be starched and ironed - no sweet little fleecy things or even pants for little girls. Gosh, no wonder I am such a grump now....

This was the challenge at 365 Cards, and a really good one too !

Don't forget tomorrow begins our Papercraft Star blog hop - I have lots of "stuff" here to mail off TO YOU, if you are my winner. Goodies at everyone else's blogs too, so don't miss it. AND, you can win more than once ! See you here and there, I hope !

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365 Cards, What's Cookin'

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At 365 Cards today we have a cooking theme.
The tag is left blank for an invitation to tea or lunch.

So here is another customer service story ... ok I have two. Both at the same fast food restaurant.

1) Me: "I would like a 99 cent drink please
2) Him: " That will be $1.09"

huh?
and
1) Me: "I would like a 99 cent drink please
2) Him: "Your number is 62"

huh? gimme the cup and no one gets hurt ....

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Papercraft Star 5

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This week's Papercraft Star challenge is circles !

If you have had a look at the forums at Papercraft Star, you may remember the discussions about cutting circles. Everyone avoids them ! That is what makes this challenge so much fun - stretching our minds and fingers to do those difficult things !!

So, today I tried to use a lot of circles a lot of different ways. Of course, the circle paper (my first easy-way-out solution to this challenge ), the card, the swirly, the sentiment and the little paper piercings.

I used my SCAL to cut the card by simply welding two circles together, and the swirly was (gulp) in an actual paid-for file from SVGcuts. I usually use only freebies, but I will admit I have spent about $20 at that site and acquired a huge truckload of things I am crazy about. So, while I was at it anyway with the SCAL I just cut my scalloped circle and blue circle too....

So - challenge opens today ! Submissions close on Saturday 7/24, voting closes Monday 7/26. Head on over to Papercraft Star, and vote, even if you don't submit. It is a terrific way to support your fellow artists, and while you are there, check out the fun forums too !!

And now for the small print:

Details:
Cardstock : Recollections
Paper : K & Co.
Ribbon : Michael's dollar bin
Rub-on sentiment : old, from stash
Wow, what a cheap little card this was !!

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Blog hop coming up !!!

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ADVANCE NOTICE !!!

Papercraft Star will be having a blog hop next week starting Friday 7/23 !!

Our judges, Beth and Kristina, and our whole DT will be on board, and everyone has a little blog candy to offer.

Mine is pictured here, lots of stickers, buttons, ribbon, lace, some Martha glitter, some stickles, a couple stamps, some tags I have made, a little pillow box and a dinosaur edge punch.

I will be giving this away on Monday 7/26 - so be sure to check back next Friday for our Christmas in July blog hop. It should be fun !!!

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Project Tuesday - Easel Card

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I have been wanting to do a steampunk card for awhile, but gosh, they are so hard. It is a style I have admired for many years, and maybe I have it or maybe not, either way, still a good card ! (AND I will keep trying...)

Click on the pic for a nice up close view. I know it looks like I put a magnifying glass on it, but that is really a part of the image. I just put some Ranger gloss on the glass part, and I think it looks pretty real.

Project Tuesday has an easel card project this week. Who doesn't love that kind of card ! It looks complicated, and always sharp. (Don't ever tell your recipient how easy they really are !)

The art on the top of the card is Rob Kleemen.

Hope you enjoy - I am definitely going to keep trying with this style, as it really is my most favorite to look at it, and I would love to gain some finesse.

Have a wonderful wonderful day !

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