Check out what Gretchen made with the Pop-up Bat die by clicking on the link to her blog here:
CLICK HERE: GRETCHEN'S BLOG (IT'S MORE THAN JUST A BAT)
She used the Pop-up Bat Die (click the picture below to go to the die on Sizzix.com) for both her projects.
I asked Mom to pick two random numbers and then counted which two comments those numbers matched up to.
The first winner is:
"I love your dies and designs. I hope you design more for Stampin' Up! in the future"
Posted by: Susan Arthur
The second winner is:
When I met Gretchen she was unaware of what I do. (I know, I know . . . shocking!) But in her defense, she was several months into a use-your-stash challenge where she didn't buy anything new.
I gave Gretchen a set of pop-up dies and it's been a joy to watch her create stuff with them. For G, every die is new, so it's also fun to see some of my early favorites become stars on her blog.
Her latest creation, Welcome Home Baby, uses the Pop-up House Die, which is currently on sale at Sizzix.com!
I threw together a little mash-up of six ways I've decorated the house:
(Click to make it bigger)
The house die is single-piece construction, so it's a quick one to assemble. Of course, you can spend hours on the decorations, because it's just plain FUN to make door decor, window frames, flower boxes, roof tiles, etc.
What can you make with the Pop-up House Die?
Check out Tara's Gothic Cottage card.
My Mom is in town visiting for a couple of weeks and we've been tackling my office. I've been working out of bins and boxes and two card tables for months and it's time to finally get the supplies organized and the room cleared out so the new cabinets/counters can be installed.
One of the walls of my office has built-in bookcases already (NICE!) so Mom organized all my extra die inventory into one of the cabinets:
When you design products for a company you get a certain number of your product as part of your contract. I use these dies to supply my design team and other designers with dies, and then the rest are used for classes and door prizes.
But I haven't been teaching many classes this year.
For more on this subject, read any of my blog posts for this year and look for the word TEXAS.
Heh.
But enough about that. The point is - the dies fit in the cabinet! Yippee!
While we were celebrating the perfect fit . . . the doorbell rang . . .
Uh oh.
New dies have shown up on my doorstep. Now this is a good thing, but I really need to get organized and having boxes of things that have no home is not part of the new zen.
Obviously I need to give away some of the dies in the cabinet!
First up:
Two lucky winners are going to get their own Pop-up House die, PLUS, the discontinued Pop-up Tree die, which works so nicely when glued to the back of the house. (See samples in the mash-up for visuals of this effect. Hang a swing from the tree - I always do!) Both of these dies are Bigz XL size, so you'll need a Big Shot or Big Kick machine to use them, plus some Extended Cutting Plates.
SHAMELESS PLUG FOR FRIEND:
If you need an online source for Sizzix supplies, you can get your machines and plates at a discount by visiting Maria B's Sizzix online superstore: it'scheaperthantherapy.com
END SHAMELESS PLUG FOR FRIEND
OK, back to the free stuff.
Leave a comment here and you're entered into the drawing. That's it. You've got the whole weekend to comment, and then on Monday morning, September 27, 2010, I will have Mom randomly choose two people to win a House and Tree die. I will post those people's names on my blog on Monday and we'll connect by e-mail for mailing addresses.
Good luck!
RKQOTD (Emma: Mom, I found a new song that I really like by Owl City. Me: That's cool. Emma: Yeah. I'm not telling Karl about it, though, because then he'll just play it over and over until I hate it.)
The time has come.
The time is now.
Queen of Toshiba you can go. Go now.
You can go by blue screen of death,
(Like you've been practicing every day)
You can go by fall or spill,
You ARE replaceable, and with sadness . . . I will!
You can go by trojan or virus,
You can go by electrical surge,
You can go, Queen of Toshiba. I can tell you have the urge.
You're tired, Queen of Toshiba.
You're missing all your "L".
N, O, I and K are looking shabby as well.
You're old, Queen of Toshiba.
Age 4's a relic in tech years,
Go, Queen of Toshiba,
Worry not about my tears.
Rest, Queen of Toshiba,
enjoy your time in laptop Heaven.
I'm going shopping in a minute . . .
. . . for a PC . . .
. . . with Windows 7!
There's something about seeing a product I designed in a print/web ad that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Archivers Ad Pop-up Spiderweb
If you scroll down to the section that says Halloween Dies, you'll see the Pop-up Spiderweb Die.
This is by far the easiest pop-up die to construct. You could whip out 50 Halloween cards or invitations very fast and your kids could help, even little ones - it's really that easy.
And then when Halloween is over, you can use the pop-up web as a streamer, or a roller coaster track, or here's a clever idea from Gretchen: Beach card.
Words cannot express how thrilled I was to learn that we had moved just a hop and skip away from my former-just-thru-FB-friend Gretchen, who fast became my in-person-talk-me-down-from-a-Texas-sized-ledge-friend Gretchen. She's funny and helpful and a great designer and a heck of an enabler.
Before continuing on with just how much G has enabled me, let me first just clarify something about my last post -
We don't have roaches.
I mean, not a lot. Just the ONE roach, that John let in. The roach hung out under the couch overnight, meandered to the pantry, made a run for it when Karl opened the pantry door, met his untimely demise from my slobbery dog, was summarily scooped up and discarded, and then all of his little roach friends were told in no uncertain terms (ala Bug Guy) that they were unwelcome. Six met their demise on the driveway, either trying to get in (wishful thinking) or, more likely, fleeing the house.
Since then, there have been no more. None. Not a one. I promise.
You can come over for dinner.
Only not, because there are 2 baskets of clean laundry on the couch, dog toys everywhere, and a general air of clutteriness from a particularly busy week.
Which brings me back to Gretchen-the-enabler.
She took me to IKEA.
I'd never been to IKEA.
I'm moving to IKEA!
Words cannot express how much I love IKEA. And Gretchen. But mostly IKEA. Well . . . Gretchen introduced us . .. so both, equally.
They have EVERYTHING at IKEA! And it's so chic! And cheap! And perfect!
I spent less than $5 . . . (true!)
But mentally I spent $5,000. (true!)
In all seriousness, I will be building out my office with IKEA cabinets. I think they're beautiful, and affordable, and perfect in every way. I'm actually rather glad that my office is currently an explosion of boxes, bins and two card tables because I haven't had time to design it. NOW I have the inspiration.
Thank you, IKEA! (And Gretchen) (But mostly IKEA.) (Just kidding, G!)
Speaking of Gretchen, do check out this cute Halloween card she made using the new Pop-up Bat Die. One of these days I'm going to get caught up and have a chance to play with the new dies and make some cool stuff and don't even get me started on what I'm going to create with my new eClips, but in the meantime . .. thank goodness for my awesome designer friends!
Also, Tara has a new blog! Check it out here: T'Art
And Bonnie is up to her usual awesomeness and cleverosity. See her new biz cards here.
"Karen it was great to meet you at CHA. We now have two things in common - Eileen and Sizzix dies.... What a combination."