There's a sale coming up!

20 Aug, 2008 | Jan | Leave comment - 0

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

I know how everyone loves a sale! This month I'm offering 30% off of all my files (individual files and collections!) on this Friday and Saturday! If you've been contemplating joining any of the new challenges on Paperthreads, now's the time to make up your wish list and load up on some files! I've uploaded 12 new files to the store since my last sale and 4 more should be uploaded before the sale starts!!! If you want a quick link to my newest files to check them out, just Click Here! Remember that my collections, which are already discounted, are an even greater deal when there's a sale!!!!

Samantha said the funniest thing today. It's my new quote of the week over there on the left... If you are reading this via an RSS or other Feed you probably won't see it unless you go to the full page. I know it's long, but I just had to share it. I should preface this with the fact that we have been watching a LOT of the Olympics since they started. After she got home from school today she was having a snack and we were chatting about her day as usual. Out of the blue she says the following:

Sam: "Mom, next winter when it's the Winter Olympics, I want to see some Ice Skating!"
Mom: "Oh really?"
Sam: "Yes, and I'd also like to see some Snowman Building... (taps her head thoughtfully)... and some Ice Tugging, and Ice Jumping, too."
Mom: "Oh? What is Ice Tugging?"
Sam: "First, you take a big block of ice and then punch some holes in it (demonstrates punching with her hands), then you grab it like this (acts like she's grabbing on where she punched the holes) and try to break it in half. You make ice cones out of it."
Mom: "Sounds exciting! What's Ice Jumping then?"
Sam: "Well, Ice Jumping is when you have tiiiny pieces of ice (cups her hand like she's holding an ice cube) and you have to jump over them. Well.. they're more like this size (makes a 'c' with her hand) but you jump over them... that's Ice Jumping."
Mom: "Wow, sounds really cool!"
Sam: "Yup! It is!"

Maybe you had to be there, but it was all I could do not to just laugh my head off. She's so serious about making stuff up lately. Today she said that she went on a berry hunt at school and her teacher took them down the street to pick blueberries. I said, "Did you really do that, or was that made up?" She said, "Oh, it was just made up, we didn't really do that." ("Oh GOOD!" I thought). So now I have to figure out what's truth from fiction. She says these things soooo convincingly! At least she owns up to it right away if I ask her. Crazy, huh? At least I know she's got a good imagination!

Oh by the way, this was my previous quote of the week in case you missed it. It was up there forever though. I should change it to Quote of the Month, or maybe Quote of the Quarter. Doesn't that just roll off the tongue?

Samantha: "Mom, I don't like Home Depot!"
Mom: "Oh really? Why not?"
Samantha: "It's just so boring and orange. If it was pink I'd like it."

Well, I've got to get some work done. I've got new files swimming all around in my head. It's like in those old movies where there's a swirl of newspaper headlines all floating around and then one comes into focus for a minute and then another and another and so on. Sometimes I have to force myself just to slow down and focus on one thing at a time!

Thanks for playing!

Jan

Snakey Layout and What I'm Working On

19 Aug, 2008 | Jan | Leave comment - 2

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

I hope your week started off fantastically yesterday! I received a wonderful surprise from Karen (aka Scrappinmama) who used my Reptiles File to make a wonderful Herpaquarium layout. Don't know what a Herpaquarium is? I sure didn't before I saw her fantastic project! Apparently there is an aquarium just for reptiles in Louisville, KY. Who knew? I love how she used all kinds of different techniques to give my simple snake silhouettes superb depth and texture. You can view this layout along with the rest of Karen's work here on the Paperthreads Gallery!

Thanks so much, Karen!

Yesterday, I was sooo busy! I made nine new files in a flurry of creativity! I had a brainstorm for a new Background Edge Cuts file and once I got started I couldn't stop! It will be a while before these are up in the store yet. I still have to test cut them all and refine them if needed but I thought I'd share some little snippets with you!


The other thing we're working on? Potty Training! Aaaaaghhhh! Never in a million years did I think it would be hard to potty train Hailey. She wants to be a big girl so badly that I thought for sure she would pick up on it in a snap. Well, this is a girl who really doesn't care if she's wet or dirty! By the time nap time rolled around this afternoon we'd gone through almost all the pairs of training pants we own. And that's just in one day! We started a sticker chart today. That worked really well for Samantha. Today she earned two stickers which is sadly outweight by more than double the amount of dirty clothes. I'm not giving up yet though. But I do see a lot of laundry in my future!

This week at school, Samantha is the class "Star of the Week" so she had her very first homework assignment tonight! The teacher sent home a poster for her to fill in about herself. She quite enjoyed doing it. Daddy and I helped a bit towards the end when she needed to make a collage of her favorite activities from magazine pictures. Part of the request from the teacher was that we send in a bunch of pictures of Sam and her family. It was fun to go through pictures past and present to pick some out to send. I realized that there were some pictures from this summer that I never got around to posting! Here's a few of the girls on the trampoline at Victor's brother's house.


They originally thought that just running around on the trampoline was the best.


Then Hailey thought it would be funny to try walking over the top of Samantha.

Which Samantha didn't care much for.

And ended up in a heap together. Hailey thought this was hilarious.


The fun didn't really start until Uncle Gordon got underneath the trampoline and started bouncing them from underneath.

Sam especially liked this part of the evening the best!

We've been thinking of getting a trampoline, but I'd have to have one with a safety net. I was worried the whole time they were on there!

That's it for today folks! Thanks for playing!

Jan

New Paperthreads Newsletter & The Monday Super Steal

18 Aug, 2008 | Jan | Leave comment - 0

Happy Monday, Everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I know I did! Once I got the Paperthreads Newsletter all sent out, the weekend was pure bliss of just enjoying not having any stress or deadlines. The Newsletter is a lot of work but I really enjoy being the editor (and all-around newsletter journalist and flunkie). I hope that you all enjoy the newsletter, too! If you haven't seen it yet, you can see it here!

It's also that time again! Monday morning and the Monday Super Steal is back! This week it is my new Flower Edge Background Cuts! If you haven't tried any of my new Background Cuts collection, now's the time to grab this one up for just $1 at 50% off the regular price! Click on the picture below to head over and snap it up before it's gone! Remember the special price ends at Midnight US Eastern time tonight.


Don't forget that I'm still accepting submissions for the Sam & Hailey Designs Creative Team! Get all the details here! I'm also having another Inspiration Pack drawing! Find out how you can enter here!

Thanks for playing!

Jan

Win with the Scrapbooking, Cards & More QMC!

16 Aug, 2008 | Jan | Leave comment - 0

Hey There!

I was thinking the other day about how much fun I had making up the Inspiraction Packs that I used for June's Bingo game and for the first drawing I had for members of the QMC. I've decided to make up a couple more! If you don't recall what they were or never saw them, you can see the one that Dreamin won at the beginning of this month right here:


This is a REAL PRIZE, folks! Just ask everyone that won them in June Bingo! The ones I make up this time will probably be a little different with other brands of paper and other goodies, but they'll be just as packed with fun!

Do you want to win one? Here's how! Everyone that purchases my Scrapbooking, Cards & More QMC between today and August 31st will be entered in a drawing to win one of my two new Inspiration Packs! Everyone is eligible to win (even if you've won before) for the new member drawing as long as you:

1. Have a US mailing address (sorry it's expensive enough to ship these to the US, I just can't afford to ship outside the US) OR you are willing to pay the shipping.
2. Purchase your Membership before August 31st at Midnight US Eastern Time.

You don't need to let me know that you've purchased you membership because I'm notified through the forum whenever a new person joins!

Are you already a QMC member? I'll have a separate drawing for another Inspiration Pack just for those of you who can convince someone else to purchase a membership! So, if you get one of your friends to sign up, just send me a PM on the forum with their name (and forum name if you know it). Once I can confirm that they've purchased the membership, I'll put your name in the drawing!

Everyone is eligible (even if you've won before) for the referral drawing as long as you:

1. Have a US mailing address (sorry it's expensive enough to ship these to the US, I just can't afford to ship outside the US) OR you are willing to pay the shipping.
2. Are a member before August 31st
3. Have referred someone else to the membership and they purchase their membership before August 31st
4. AND you have sent me a PM with the name of the person you referred before August 31st
5. All of the above must happen before Midnight Eastern US Time on August 31st, 2008!

OH! And if you refer more than one person, I'll put your name in the drawing twice!!!

Here is a link right to where you can purchase a membership:
http://www.paperthreads.com/store/index.php?
main_page=product_info&products_id=3771

Both drawings will take place on September 1st and the winners will be announced here on my blog and on the special QMC section of the forum.

Thanks for playing!

Jan

New! Save Gas, Stay Home & Scrap Challenge II - School!

15 Aug, 2008 | Jan | Leave comment - 0

Happy Friday, Everyone!

I can hardly believe how fast the day went today! I've been working non-stop on getting the Paperthreads Newsletter ready for publication. Well, maybe not non-stop but it feels like it!

I wanted to let you all know about a new challenge on the Paperthreads Forum that Ileana of I Scrap Designs and I are hosting! It's the second in our Save Gas, Stay Home and Scrap Challenges! This one is a school/education/life lessons kind of theme. I think you'll enjoy it! You can get all the details here at the Paperthreads Forum!

Just for signing up you'll receive this brand new file I just finished up today!


Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! And keep an eye out for that newsletter in your inbox soon!

Thanks for playing!

Jan

What a day!

14 Aug, 2008 | Jan | Leave comment - 1

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

It's been a busy, busy day today. Or so it seems! It's funny how I seem to pile on all the work at once! Well, maybe not funny!

These days at our church I'm the "Enrichment Leader" for our women's organization called the Relief Society. I guess they think that I'll be good at helping people enrich their lives! I think I'm good at helping people make their lives busier, but I'm not so sure about enrichment! I had a meeting this morning with my Enrichment Board for planning our next activity. We're doing a "Survivor Night" where we will all get together an learn about Emergency Preparedness. I think it will be really fun and informative. We're going to try to find someone to come teach us about desert survival (I'd prefer dessert survival, but I don't think that would help you in an emergency), and we're going to learn about 72-Hour Emergency Kits, and Solar Cooking among other things. I'm really excited! I found this really interesting solar cooker setup that is relatively cheap and allows you to cook basically like you would in a crock pot, just outside in the sun. One thing we aren't lacking here in AZ is sun!

I've also been hard at work putting together the next Paperthreads Newsletter! It will be coming out in just a few days. This time I've personally contributed a tutorial on opening AI files in Create & Cut (Wishblade). There's also a bunch of other cool stuff, plus freebies, of course! Don't miss out! Sign up here, if you haven't already!

I also just posted another file to the Scrapbooking, Cards & More Quarterly Membership Club! It's the latest in my Itty Bitty series called "Itty Bitty Fruit"! You can only get it in the QMC right now! I've been immersing myself in Japanese Cute lately. I just love the happy feeling of smiling inanimate objects! LOL!


Hmmm... what else... I'm working on some new box files. These ones are specifically for packaging up cards as gifts or display. I made one up the other day that looks like a box purse. When Samantha got home from school she took one look at it and decided it was for her. Come to think of it, I can't see it anywhere on my desk or work table so she's probably absconded with it somewhere. That girl!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day! If you are looking for the info on how to apply for my Creative Team, just click on the button on the right hand side of the page, or click here!

Thanks for playing!

Jan