Flu season

We are all sick in the Matsumoto home.

Whatever I have is terrible. I don't know how the boys managed the past few days without complaining any more than they did. They were so good for me! A few tears and tantrums but nothing out of the ordinary. Keiji was very sick Wednesday night but we thought it was from either eating too much mango ice cream for his cousin's birthday or maybe a stomach virus. He was really out of it all day on Friday though... probably from not being able to keep anything down for a day and a half. Then Ken got sick Friday night and again tonight. I was having cold symptoms earlier but started feeling worse today. Now, I can tell you I'm pretty certain I have the flu. This really stinks. :(

Hostess club workshops for tomorrow are cancelled.
Monday hostess club workshops are still pending... as much as I want to push through this and hold the workshops, I don't want to get anyone else sick.

So ladies, I have alternative days for you.
Thursday 9:30a - 11:30a
Thursday 7p - 9p
Saturday 10a - noon
Saturday 7p - 9p

I hope this will work for all 14 of us. Yes! I believe we have a new member to our club!

Serendipity Bake Off!

Hosted by Familia Bencomo

Contest rules can be viewed on the Familia Bencomo blog.

Now for the PRIZE!

Let me tell you something... nothing has ever worked for these chapped and cracked craftin' fingers of mine during the cold winter months except for Serendipity Bath Co. products. Seriously! When I had shingles on my face, it was this company's Whoopsie Daisy! soap that got me through one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life! By the way, it is just sheer coincidence that my blog/online name is the same as one of my favorite products ever. Serendipity! lol! OMG! The Sugar Scrub alone is to die for! I use it practically every day! Really! Don't even get me started about my favorite scent, Brazenberry. Heavenly! You simply can not go wrong with these natural, handcrafted, made with love, bars of soap and products!

Please go over to Amy's blog, leave a comment, and give the Bake Off a try!

Be sure to visit the Soapchix at Serendipity Bath Company! Tell them I sent you!

The Middle Name Game!

I've been Tagged! Again. lol! But wait! This is a new one!


I've been tagged by my sister friend, "Maria" Carolina , in the Middle Name Game!
These are the rules:
You must post the rules before you give your answers.
You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name.

Each fact must begin with that letter.

If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name.
After you've been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers.
At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name.

(Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details. )



OKAY! Here you go!

I - intuitive

Z - zany

U - unique

M - messy

I - inky


Cheers!
Izumi

It's a Sale-A-Bration!

The Sale-A-Bration promotion starts on February 1 and runs through March 17.

For My Customers
When you spend $50 on Stampin' Up! merchandise, you will receive a free Sale-A-Bration set. There is no limit! For every $50 you spend, you can select a free Sale-A-Bration set! The rubber images are die-cut!

View your selections online here.

For My Hostesses

When you host a workshop of at least $300, you will receive

a free Sale-A-Bration set in addition to all of the terrific hostess benefits! Reach $600 in net workshop sales and you will receive a second free Sale-A Bration set!

Be sure to check out the Promotions page on my Demonstrator Website to see what other customer specials I have in store for you each month!

For New Demonstrators

During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose a stamp set

(a value of up to $47.95) from the Spring-Summer 2008 Collection!

Plus, new demonstrator recruits get 20 percent off the Demonstrator Starter Kit

(over $350 of Stampin' Up! products and business supplies) for only $159!

For joining my team, you will also receive a free stamp set of your choice

valued at $29.95 or less to add to your starter kit ~ available only through me!

Please contact me for more information!

Scalloped Edges tutorial update...

I have noticed quite a bit of traffic coming in for my little old tutorial on Scalloped Edges.
Here’s an update on how to get it even (more or less) on each side.

Don't forget to leave comments/thoughts! It helps me to know what to work on!!

Here's the link to my original tutorial Scalloped Edges.
* 2/19/08 - How do you do that? A guide to removing the guard off your punches.


What you want to do is figure out where the center of your project is.


Don't forget to take that guard off of your punch! I am using the Stampin' Up! 3/16" Corner Rounder with the guard removed.

Carefully go across one side of your cardstock or paper.

Take care not to punch all the way through the paper or you will create a "notch" in the paper.

When you are done on one side, go across the other way starting again at the center of your project. When you are done, you should be fairly even on each side.


It gets easier with practice. Believe me... I was doing this at 3 in the morning today and after the 10th time, I had it down just right!

Check out the card I made for the SC161 challenge! I posted it next...

A Good Egg

That name for the stamp set cracks me up! lol!

Well I finally did it! I jumped in and did a SCS Sketch Challenge. SC161
Here's what I came up with:



The egg is stamped in Chocolate Chip on Berry Bliss DSP (the one with pink spots on white). I stamped the flowers with the polka dots over the stamped egg and then trimmed it out. On another sheet from Berry Bliss (pink flowers on pink) I stamped the zig zag pattern in Close to Cocoa and trimmed that out and mounted it onto the egg.

Using the Tombo Multi Liquid Glue, I added the micro-beads to the outside edge of the zig zag pattern.

If you look closely, you will see that the pink strip of DSP has been stamped over in Pretty in Pink with the flower and polka dot stamp.

I finished it off with some scalloped edges and ribbon treatment.

Cheers!
Jane

Holding my breath...

Will my little sister get her big package in the mail today?
I am holding my breath in anticipation! Will she like it? Will she be surprised that it's me? Does she already know who I am?

Here's what I sent her...



Each of the above items were individually bundled up. Can you guess which one holds my business card as the final reveal? :)

Here's the card I made for her:



Stamps: Hostess set Infinite Goodness, Curvy Verses, Watercolor Vine Jumbo wheel
Paper: Kraft, Barely Banana, Wild Wasabi, Textured Wild Wasabi
Ink: Wild Wasabi
Accessories: White Gel pen, 1- 1/4" Square punch, 1-3/8" Square punch, Wild Wasabi Double-Stitched ribbon

Here are close-ups of what I sent my little sister:









In that big box, I also put 3 extra mailboxes from Target. One of each color... red, white, and pink. There were mini Valentine pails so I put a couple of those in there for her to play with as well. I found some yummy chocolates for her "boys" and kissables for her daughter. I think that's it. I'm so excited! I can't wait for her to post. I hope she gets it today!

Off to take the Country Lane Elementary School tour this morning.
I can not believe my son will be starting Kindergarten in the fall!
Then it's off to the dentist. Thank goodness Kevin is able to stay home with Keiji while I can do all this! Then I pick up the Ken from preschool and drop the boys off with my in-laws so that I can pick up my friend, Kristin, and take her out to tea at Lisa's Tea Treasures.
Then finally, I pick up the boys and rush home so that I can prep for a workshop this evening.
Phew! Crazy day! Anyone else having a busy Monday?

You've Got Mail!

Have you been to the dollar section at Target lately? Have you seen the adorable little mailboxes that come in red, pink, or white? They are a dollar each! I altered one for my little sister for Valentine's. Here's how I put it together:

Step 1: Cut a Designer Series Paper (Berry Bliss #110749 - page 169)) 4" x 12". It fits right in between the raised grooves of the mailbox.



Step 2: Hold one end of the paper at the bottom half of the mailbox and bring it up along the side.



Step 3: Carefully pinch the area around the base of the flag so that you create an imprint of the circle that is at the base.



Step 4: Take the paper off of the mailbox and set it down on the table. Take a 1/2" Circle punch (#104390 - page 180) and punch out the impression you made.



Step 5: Take your Paper Snips (#103579 - page 184) and cut a slit from the bottom of the paper to the punched circle.



Step 6: Turn the paper over and adhere Sticky Strip tape (#104294 - page 186) to all four sides of the paper.



Step 7: Peel and cut off about 2" of Sticky Strip tape from around the punched circle.



Step 8: Carefully slide it under the base of the flag. Tug and pull until it fits snugly around the base.



Step 9: Pull up one end of the paper and peel the red protective tape off. Carefully adhere the paper to the mailbox.



Step 10: Turn the mailbox over to the other side and pull up the paper. Peel off the red protective tape and carefully adhere the paper to the mailbox.



Step 11: When you are done, you should have a mailbox that look like this:



Step 12: Remove the front lid of the mailbox. On a different coordinating patten of Designer Series Paper, trace the lid on the paper. Cut the traced lids. It will help to trim the lids inside the lines (opposed to outside the lines). Using the Tombo Multi Purpose Adhesive (#110755 - page 186) glue the paper down to the lids. Be sure to put the glue on the backs of the paper you want to use!



Step 13: Run Sticky Strip tape along the sides of the lids.



Step 14: As you peel off the red protective tape, begin to adhere the ribbon .



Step 15: If the sides of the paper are a bit off the lids, use Sanding Blocks (#103301 - page 184) to sand down the edges.



Finished mailbox:


What I made for my little sister:

I've been tagged.... again!

I was tagged by Laura A Life and Art in Progress.

1. I have a new hairdo! Woo hoo! I took the boys in for a much needed haircut this morning and as I was waiting for them to get done, I asked if they would cut my hair. I let her have her way with my hair. What do you think?

2. I donate my hair to Locks of Love. It will have to wait another year, but at least they will be getting freshly cut hair this time! I will take better care of it this round.

BTW, that's baby powder floating around the camera in the first picture. Ken took the picture after he had doused himself in baby powder. LOL!
3. I like to multi-task and run a very tight deadline when it comes to getting things done.
4. I don't like pizza but am surrounded by pizza lovers. My boys will eat pizza morning, noon, and night if they could. Blah!
5. I have 3 pairs of shoes that I wear regularly. My tennis shoes, my boots, and my wooly slip ons. Very sad.
6. I learned to drive in 1997 and totaled my first and only car in 2006. It was paid in full off the lot too! Bummer. I was entering an intersection when someone made an unprotected left turn just as I crossed the crosswalk. I tried to swerve to my left to avoid him but still ended up hitting him somewhere between his passenger and rear passenger door. It was like hitting a brick wall. I was lucky my boys were unhurt. I ended up having to have a root canal from the punch of the airbag. Xrays now show extensive trauma to my neck and spine which chiropractic therapy will eventually help straighten out. I'm just grateful we were able to walk away from the accident and even more grateful for the help and the support we received on that corner.

7. I love to bowl and my highest game so far is a 289. I had 10 strikes in a row and the 11th ball was the best of them all... left a ten pin up, which I managed to knock down with everyone staring at me during the tournament. That was so cool! My husband, Kevin, has a perfect 300 game! He bowled that during a tournament too. :)

I tag:
Amy - Familia Bencomo
Lisa - so-muchlove



Thinking of you, Bean!
Sending all our love to the Davey Family.

Big Sister Julie!

I would like to introduce everyone to my Big Sister, Julie (a.k.a. jeweleintn - SCS) who has been treating me to her wonderful cards over the past few months. Today, I received a big box full of treats and the big reveal! I had NO idea that she was my Big Sister this whole time! What a sneaky sister!

Along with a sample stack of fun glitter and some felt flowers to play with, I received:


To show you a sample of Julie's talent:


The tall tin was full of yummy chocolates. Yes... was... I ate most of it during the time it took for me to take the pictures and upload them on my computer. :)

Julie was also sweet to remember my boys:


From the bottom of my heart... THANK YOU, Julie!

But wait... that's not all!

One of the cards that Julie shared with me was published in CARDS Magazine this month!
CONGRATULATIONS, JULIE!
Read more about it on her beautiful blog: Rubber Room Ramblings