Baby It's Cold Outside.....

I came home from work today feeling lousy - suffering from a headcold and sore throat and I was freezing! Just look at these blustery, cold clouds - and with them came cold wind.Here's another view right before dark - it is cold- but the clouds are beautiful.Then I walked in the house to wonderful aroma of this crock pot full of Pozole cooking. My good friend Kathy at work gave me this recipe a couple years ago -and since then I've made it many times. It is soooooooooooooooo easy you won't believe it. All you need is a 1-2 pound pork roast with as much fat removed as you can and then cut in quarters. Throw it in the crock pot and top it with 2 cans of Hominy (drained) and 2 jars of Goya Recaito sauce. Then let it cook on low at least 8 hours - come home and shred pork with a potato masher and serve with shredded cheese and crusty bread!! The perfect dinner for a night when I'm not feeling well. Here's to a better - healthier - tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Table

Heidi and Aaron hosted Thankgiving at their home this year and it was soooo nice. She did most of the cooking, but we all brought something also to ease it a little for her. But she did a wonderful job. Here is the favor at each of our settings - a gilded pear with a little die cut leaf tag from SU wood strips and then colored with the ink pads. She gilded them with edible glitter - so we took them home and enjoyed them the next day. Here was my place setting - and the center piece -

and then the entire table. It was just a wonderful dinner with family and friends - thank you so much Heidi and Aaron.

To see more of Heidi's stamping creations go to - http://www.stampinking.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Delights

On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for
Our blessings all year through,
For family we dearly love,
For good friends, old and new.

For sun to light and warm our days,
For stars that glow at night,
For trees of green and skies of blue,
And puffy clouds of white.

We’re grateful for our eyes that see
The beauty all around,
For arms to hug, and legs to walk,
And ears to hear each sound.

The list of all we’re grateful for
Would fill a great big book;
Our thankful hearts find new delights
Everywhere we look!

By Joanna Fuchs

To each of you that I hold dear - Happy Thanksgiving - you all mean the world to me!! Enjoy your day! ~Maureen

Nov Club Card Challenge Cards

Last month we did the Shaving Cream technique at our club, so this month the ladies were challenged to make their best card using that technique. Here is our winning card from Lyn - she actually ran the shaving cream sheets through the big shot embossing a design on them that looked great! Congratulations Lyn!Here's Karen's entry - look at those amazing swirls of color. Karen used the faux linen technique on her background layer.

Here is Jackie's entry - unfortunately my picture doesn't show the depth of her swirls. Jackie only had one re-inker but built of up the colors on the shaving cream by using and reinking - it actually looks like she used several greens. Finally - here is my entry. it's for a friend who just lost a beloved pet. I wish we had had this set sooner, as I have so many friends and family I would have loved to send a card like this to. It's so hard to know what to say during the heartache following the loss of a pet. I really love the way the colors swirled together on this layer. Thanks ladies for playing along - can't wait to see what you come up with next time!

November Stamp Club Technique

This month Kathy wanted me to do the Mirror Image/Reflection Technique. So here is the technique card we made to put in our binders - showing the Mirror Image way of doing this technique. And Kathy specifically asked if we could use "Lovely as a Tree", so here is the card I came up with using the reflection part of the technique. After we stamped the trees and created the reflection at the bottom, we created a sunset using SU pastels and q-tips. The key is to color the top darker and the reflection lighter, so it looks like what you'd see in a lake or pond at sunset. I really like the way it turned out. We then distress the edges of the focal point and mounted it on the card layers, added a little ribbon and voila! Our club doesn't meet again till January and then the challenge for the group is to make their best card using this technique - so ladies you have a couple months to do this one - the cards should be GREAT! Stop back tomorrow to see your challenge cards from this meeting and our winning card! To see all the techniques we've done so far click on the Techniques ... link at the top of my blog right under the header.

Club Member Journals

Last week was our November Club workshop at Kathy W's home - Thanks Kathy for being a wonderful hostess. Anyway I finally completed the hostess gifts I was making for each of them. I gave Karen hers at the workshop - but the rest I finished afterward and they will go in with their orders. Here is the group (less Karen's) all finished - I think they turned out so pretty. Here is a close up of Kathy's journal - I used Newsprint DSP, Artisic Etchings Stamp Set, Our wide black grosgrain ribbon and some pearls as accents. There is some dimension on them as the pearls are added, the background paper is distressed and the letters are popped up on dimensionals. But I didn't want to do too much as I'm hoping they'll we well loved :) Each had the person's initial on the front. I hope they enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed making them. Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow to see what technique we did :)

November Cards, Cards, Cards

Last week we had our November Cards, Cards, Cards Stamp Camp. Guests get to make 6 cards (2 each of three different designs). So here is what we did this month - A sympathy card using Thoughts and Prayers - I wanted it to be simple and elegant - so it was done all in black and white. We added some ribbon and four pearls to give some elegance.

The second card was a cute birthday card using the level 1 Hostess Set - Birthday Bakery. We made it bright and cheery and I love the sentiment "If you are what you eat - each something cute!" Ain't that the truth!

The final card we made was a fall card using French Foliage. This set is perfect for collaging - and to frame our collage we used the ink and acrylic block technique featured on Split Coast Stampers this week.

We had a great time of stamping, chatting, eating and laughing - hope you can join us next time.

Jeri's SSS Strikes

So a few days ago I came home to not one, but two packages on my front door from a Secret Sis - and they were BOTH for Jeri. Her secret sis made her this lovely fall card - Gave her this wonderful set of fall goodies for her kitchen -

and then remembered her FIVE year Stampin' Up! anniversary with these goodies. How nice is that!

Diane's SSS -

Look at this adorable gift bag Diane got from her SSS - I LOVE this little owl - can't get enough of him. And I hope Diane feels the same - Cuz here's what's inside - so adorable!!

November CSL of the month

Hi all - this month I want to introduce you to my next Crazy Stamping Lady of the Month - Maria Cameron. Maria signed up with Stampin' Up and in my downline on Feb. 8, 2007 - and she has been stamping away ever since. I asked Maria to answer a few profile questions about herself - 1) Tell us a bit about your family
Well, let see... I am not married, but have been with my boyfriend, Alan, for the past 19 years. He is amazing and puts up with all my crazy stamping habits. We live together in Simi Valley and have two dogs - a Shih Tsu and an Australian Shepherd. I am also a proud Auntie to my wonderful nephews - Korbin (3 yrs) and Lincoln (10 months).

2) What's your favorite stamp set in the current catalog or mini
I have many favorites, but I would have to say that "Day of Gratitude" from the Holiday Mini is my current favorite, in clear-mount - of course ;)

3) What's your favorite color family (current)
I have favorites in all of the color families, but if I had to pick only one, it would be the Brights Collection.

4) Why do you love stamping and Stampin' Up!
Since a very young age, I've always loved crafts - whether it was making our own Christmas ornaments or holiday candy, crafting has always been a part of my life. Still today, I find crafts to be very therapeutic and love to share my passion of stamping with others. Stampin' Up! products are truly amazing, not only because they are high quality and showcase the latest in color and design trends, I love the fact that they coordinate so beautifully together.

Maria is an amazing stamper - she always WOWs our group with what she makes. She also brings a lot to our group when we have our monthly meetings - great tips, wonderful attitude and fantastic stamping. Here are just a few of her projects to show you a bit of her creativity - To see more of Maria's great stamping - check out her blog at - http://stampinista.blogspot.com/

To join my wonderful group of "Crazy Stamping Ladies" it's as easy as can be. Just go to my website at http://www.stampingwithmaureen.stampinup.net/ and click on start your own business and then join now. You'll need a passcode and that code is "CSLs". Now is the best time ever to join as the kit is 1/2 price - that's right, you'll get over $310 work of Stampin' Up! goodies for ONLY $87.50. That is unbelievable. Email me today if you have any questions! I'd love to have you join my TEAM of CSLs. But you've got to HURRY as this deal ends NOV. 30th!!

Card from Kathy -

So this Friday is our Stampers Club at Kathy's - she dropped off these cute invites to remind us to be there. How fun is that - can't wait to stamp with this great group on Friday.

JOY Frame

Hi all - well I finally got around to finishing the cute little frame we started at our downline meeting courtesy of Sandy's demonstration. See here - http://crazystampinglady.blogspot.com/2010/11/downline-meeting.html
I took some of our beautiful designer series paper and cut out the poinsettias and added them to frame the JOY. Then I added bling tothe corners of the frame, the center of the poinsettia and the bow. Love it!! Thanks again Sandy.

More great SSS gifts -

Lyn's SSS gve her this adorable Halloween card - so well done - I love that little cemetary behind the fence. And then this amazing gift - that give Thanks sign was so nice and a matching candle - so perfect for the season.

Sandy's SSS made her this great gift bag using our French Foliage set - it is turning out to be my fav fall set.

and then this great set of fall cards using the same set. These cards were completely embossed giving them a sheen to the entire front. Very nice.

November SSS gifts

Here are a few of the Nov. SSS gifts my downline has exchanged - first is this journal and sticky notes for Theresa. Her Secret Sister also gave her the cute little casket - one closed and filled with candy if I remember correctly - and the other flat so she can use as a pattern for next year. Nice! And here was Toni's gift from her SSS- it is a decorated basket (I think it would be perfect for dinner rolls on the Thanksgiving table. Inside were three decorated flameless candles - so pretty. She turned them on and the glowed.

And this little Turkey greeted Toni! Gobble, gobble, gobble.

Come back for a couple more tomorrow.

Final Oct SSS gift

Hi all - the end of October Denise's SSS dropped off this adorable little Halloween gift for her. Along with this beautiful journal -

With this card and gift bag. Very elegant and pretty.

Check back for November's gifts!

Downline Meeting

Last weekend was our monthly downline meeting. Sandy was great and stepped forward to do our project - this adorable little JOY frame. What she taught us was how to make and apply our own decor elements - how cool is that. I plan to add more to this and will share when I get it done. Here's Sandy explaining the details of her project to the group - thanks so much Sandy!!

Christmas Comes EARLY -

Never-Before-Seen Offer Coming!
November 15, 2010 - November 30, 2010

For two short weeks, Stampin' Up! is making an offer you will find simply amazing! Starting November 15, and lasting until November 30, 2010, you can sign up to be in my Crazy Stamping Ladies downline by purchasing the Standard or Digital + Starter Kits for only $87.50--that is 50 percent off the regular price of $175 - for over $310 worth of paper or digital crafting and business supplies!

You can click here to see the full color flyer and details -
http://www.stampinup.com/us/documents/Starter_Kit_Flyer_1110_US.pdf

This is a fantastic time to sign up - with the new Occasions Mini Catalog pre-order beginning Dec 1 and the catalog starting Jan. 4, 2011 plus Sale-a-bration running from Jan. 25 - Mar. 31 2011. These catalogs are packed full of amazing new stamp sets and products and if you sign up, you can get them all at your demo discount of 20% (or more). Plus you'll be a member of my Crazy Stamping Ladies downline - a group of wonderful, creative and supportive demonstrators that get together on a monthly basis. So if you're interested - let me know - I'll be happy to meet you for coffee (my treat) and discuss all the possibilities. You'll never know if Stampin' Up! is for you - till you try - and you really can't lose with this offer.

Holiday Card Making Day

Today was our annual Holiday Card Making Day - I've done this event a few different ways over the year - but this year I offered to prep cards at a cost; or have people bring their own stuff and just work on their cards for free. We ended up with 18 people at the event - it was fun, loud, full of good eating and stamping - and hopefully everyone went home with a good stash of cards done for the holidays. Here are a few pictures of the group stamping -

And here were the five cards they could pick from if they wanted me to prep for them -

Snowman

25th

Ornament

Holly

Santa

SO MUCH FUN!!! Plan to join us next year!