tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83276446230013323352024-03-12T17:09:07.372-07:00Molly Lee CardsMollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.comBlogger283125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-70943135241642498432012-01-31T20:13:00.000-08:002012-01-31T20:13:53.702-08:00Craft Day Coming!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrxt9qrV_v_Ioi2EKUzPKPtvDM5J0EDIo0XaONcEU5dawAW-r_FgdiW1_qjAi0Li6CPBj85CMEMsdgeXag_i-jcOH6fSN884rttP6lfPkAG1m9S7P37y38UOLYFwW7y3kQQXBbWbK2rU/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrxt9qrV_v_Ioi2EKUzPKPtvDM5J0EDIo0XaONcEU5dawAW-r_FgdiW1_qjAi0Li6CPBj85CMEMsdgeXag_i-jcOH6fSN884rttP6lfPkAG1m9S7P37y38UOLYFwW7y3kQQXBbWbK2rU/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a> <br />
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It's high time for another crafting day with some friends!<br />
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This weekend, I'm breaking out the Bind-it-All I begged the family for a couple of years ago for my birthday. I made this little sketch pad with it (the cover is from a box of tea):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQxMUTRJs5YcQdTft_RJOFUz14Q8jn-duA8eY00_ZzZufTFtpEYIrsonO_UMQBXSZN63cSirpLGvF98F2a1NZfLFWNFDLaGhchTswecFz3_0NJkeEC0YlpqIBkmfMQLkxtrBflSPuzWw/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQxMUTRJs5YcQdTft_RJOFUz14Q8jn-duA8eY00_ZzZufTFtpEYIrsonO_UMQBXSZN63cSirpLGvF98F2a1NZfLFWNFDLaGhchTswecFz3_0NJkeEC0YlpqIBkmfMQLkxtrBflSPuzWw/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a> <br />
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Isn't it cute?<br />
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These pretty books are what we'll be making, with scrapbook paper and chipboard for the covers:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4Z-uCKwPEtEj0HF7hDGAJ297ZN5InEIlKGidba72_hk72mdpUdcZJAFPF8ijm9XN-X8yYBRCtxyjPe25SmU5ZI-yUKGhOpFCdwgbbmqJ0bwE7fhVAqyTSWKqpFWTK2ZY_mg9D63wSOI/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4Z-uCKwPEtEj0HF7hDGAJ297ZN5InEIlKGidba72_hk72mdpUdcZJAFPF8ijm9XN-X8yYBRCtxyjPe25SmU5ZI-yUKGhOpFCdwgbbmqJ0bwE7fhVAqyTSWKqpFWTK2ZY_mg9D63wSOI/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a>
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And the insides will be envelopes that I'd rescued, back in the days when I dabbled a bit in dumpster diving:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawHVf8yQKb57bHPZMKcH1tw2F-F33ep8si5O8R2YXh-jZEPdRVL8JSRN3UoFtmVoprsxJFrr3EKXg8LaUb4dcDKZ8Hx2PSGsObe9qRnglCPHeSoTxq7n7HX9G3jfEL6unPofIvVHMK1Q/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawHVf8yQKb57bHPZMKcH1tw2F-F33ep8si5O8R2YXh-jZEPdRVL8JSRN3UoFtmVoprsxJFrr3EKXg8LaUb4dcDKZ8Hx2PSGsObe9qRnglCPHeSoTxq7n7HX9G3jfEL6unPofIvVHMK1Q/s400/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a> <br />
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The envelope booklets can be used to collect receipts over the year, paper ephemera, ideas, etc.<br />
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I have some lovely paper and I've taken a road atlas apart for the covers:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wpxl21zaoq6WB79zp9SRRDvVd45OqXmndE9DxLdk0XSxwPvCqAgbLIrlfllQX2Txcr609CoT7Nj3ebYtle5mWO_Qnjgw85c0mRNK1JG3KsouLNswdB-9sepYe1ej2kpnm2hrmOMRfqs/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wpxl21zaoq6WB79zp9SRRDvVd45OqXmndE9DxLdk0XSxwPvCqAgbLIrlfllQX2Txcr609CoT7Nj3ebYtle5mWO_Qnjgw85c0mRNK1JG3KsouLNswdB-9sepYe1ej2kpnm2hrmOMRfqs/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a><br />
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Should be fun! Looking forward to crafting with friends. I'll post photos of what we do next week!</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-46675877526644041072012-01-29T01:59:00.000-08:002012-01-29T01:59:48.681-08:00Cake Pops!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq20s-JrPxlDIQOP9tCYWpMRI-DEP3wsQL_qcEFq8glFbz4iKGS1j66wJAXzcOqNfa_VqHZ7KBwR-JgVK94OPJkR1lpTyIl-5b7SzyE4J6IYOWLTx_roLb5ptDzfgRuCUs_F_cZIBp28k/s1600/IMG_0042.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq20s-JrPxlDIQOP9tCYWpMRI-DEP3wsQL_qcEFq8glFbz4iKGS1j66wJAXzcOqNfa_VqHZ7KBwR-JgVK94OPJkR1lpTyIl-5b7SzyE4J6IYOWLTx_roLb5ptDzfgRuCUs_F_cZIBp28k/s400/IMG_0042.JPG" /></a> <br />
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Have you fallen in love with Cake Pops yet?<br />
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It's just a matter of time before you're smitten...<br />
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They were popularized a few years ago by the utterly fabulous <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/" target="_blank">Bakerella</a>... and now you can find them at Starbucks... you can buy machines to make them with, but I wanted to do it old school, the way Bakerella intended us to do.<br />
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Check out her site for loads of tips and adorable inspiration.... better yet, beg, borrow or buy her wonderful book:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Pops-Tricks-Recipes-Irresistible/dp/0811876373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327829083&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Sqmx0K+oL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's utterly chock-full of the most marvelous creations.... and while the website gives you all you need to make your own cake pops, the book goes into the ins and outs in much greater detail.</div>
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I decided to make pops based on the Hello Kitty pops posted on her site. </div>
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As instructed, I made cake from a packaged cake mix. I chose red velvet cake, but, with some modifications to make it more like from scratch (substituted melted butter for the oil, buttermilk for the water and added a tablespoon of vinegar for that familiar red velvet tang).</div>
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Once the cake is made and cooled overnight, break it all up til it's just fine crumbs.</div>
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You're then supposed to mix the crumbs with prepared frosting, but as I'm not a fan of canned frosting, I made the homemade cream cheese frosting from this site instead: <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-cake-balls-78637">http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-cake-balls-78637</a></div>
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Mix it all together til uniform. You might need to use your hands (it's helpful to have some handy middle schoolers on hand for this messy job -- rewarding them with a lick of the frosting beaters helps!).</div>
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Pop in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to firm up a bit. Then roll into balls (I used a scooper to measure out uniform amounts).</div>
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Put the balls in the freezer for another 15 minutes or so. In the meantime, melt some Wilton candy melts -- I had to use two 14oz packages to cover a batch of cake balls. Nuke them in the microwave in a small bowl for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, til they're all melted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAaSJ7YdwIJ0YE9DjWYqJr9x6XvJmaq6F-tfPRzZ0uZ7vRPYw49qnbn1otK_O2JY5Mlkzu9t93qPak9LHlZQYKsrekyChOnEd_w6T0lzFA0rQyarpbfH_2vjmKAChCAD9ZCC09yVXLPM/s1600/01_28_12.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAaSJ7YdwIJ0YE9DjWYqJr9x6XvJmaq6F-tfPRzZ0uZ7vRPYw49qnbn1otK_O2JY5Mlkzu9t93qPak9LHlZQYKsrekyChOnEd_w6T0lzFA0rQyarpbfH_2vjmKAChCAD9ZCC09yVXLPM/s640/01_28_12.jpg" width="452" /></a><br />
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Now comes the fun part!<br />
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Take your balls, reshaping if necessary. Dip a lollipop stick into the candy melt and then push deeply into your cake ball. Set aside that ball while you do a few more balls.... it needs a little time for the candy melt used as "glue" to set.<br />
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When you're ready to dip into the candy melt, try to do it in one motion -- the less you swirl the cake pop in the candy melt, the better (too much time spent at this step will result in the bumpy surface). Gently tap the cake pop to allow excess melt to drip off, then give it a swirl to incorporate the last little drip into your pop.<br />
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This will make a perfectly round cake ball. Before the candy melt has set, you can sprinkle it with candy decorations.<br />
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To make the kitty shape, with ears, Bakerella cleverly instructs you to adhere chocolate chips where the ears are with candy melt before dunking... the smooth coating over the cake ball and chips will give you that adorable Sanrio shape.<br />
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Ideally, I would have punched holes into a spare bit of styrofoam to hold my drying cake pops, but, sadly, we had no such styrofoam, so we made do with a wicker basket, making for an odd device in the kitchen....<br />
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Once the candy melt has fully hardened, you can draw in extra features with edible ink pens. This is another marvelous invention Bakerella introduced me to! Felt tip pens you can use on food! They made drawing in Hello Kitty's features really easy....<br />
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This would be a fun project to do with kids or other crafty adults. Just have lots of interesting candies and sprinkles on hand to decorate your treats with...<br />
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Hope you enjoy!<br />
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<br /></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-29489029509335958672012-01-04T20:02:00.000-08:002012-01-04T20:02:57.058-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.299951909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.299951909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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Happy Chinese New Year, that is...</div>
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The Lunar New Year begins on January 23rd. Will you be ready?</div>
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2012 is the Year of the Dragon, a most auspicious astrological sign. It also happens to be the astrological sign of my twins, who were born in 2000, a golden dragon year, triply full of luck. Coincidentally, their father and paternal grandfather were also born in dragon years, so I'm surrounded by these fire-breathers!</div>
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So, of course, I had to make the effort and make a few cards... I'll definitely make one for my mom, who really was psyched about the whole golden dragon thing (and she's normally not into that kind of thing at all, but my pregnancy suddenly had her spouting off strange superstitions like an extra from the Joy Luck Club).</div>
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I found some lovely artwork depicting the twelve animals of the Chinese horoscope, which adorns the front of this card:</div>
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<a href="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.299949883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.299949883.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The inside of the card is blank... in fact, there is no writing on the card, in English or Chinese, making it appropriate for other cultures celebrating the lunar new year. Or as a notecard or birthday card to someone who happens to have been born in the year of the dragon.</div>
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For full details, check out my Etsy listing for the card:</div>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89725988/chinese-new-year-dragon-pop-up-card">http://www.etsy.com/listing/89725988/chinese-new-year-dragon-pop-up-card</a>
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Thanks for looking!</div>
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<br />Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-42714668723628537952011-12-07T21:18:00.000-08:002011-12-08T23:43:05.512-08:00Holiday Gift Card Pop-Up. Free Download!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeLQ-mmQz4cZjHBj4g41A1-EEeeaZvyfAujk9mWZrddQlnYH7c2ZK3NhAotD2UGNmJLzyP3riLx7laDDL8sNyecby8vSZWEApTZ0wCP5W0GJiAOU5KUp1thcR7H9EBJcWIE8vPY8ABQU/s1600/IMG_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeLQ-mmQz4cZjHBj4g41A1-EEeeaZvyfAujk9mWZrddQlnYH7c2ZK3NhAotD2UGNmJLzyP3riLx7laDDL8sNyecby8vSZWEApTZ0wCP5W0GJiAOU5KUp1thcR7H9EBJcWIE8vPY8ABQU/s400/IMG_0036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw5rOoAWcLbqq0WcEJHLyxfNdyZEJ7HTNhEoD7JbadvziQ-Y2snlobAp2cVNIRLtC_CHTn94mn7zWsNR0M-DW9xY7za-2Ibez2YzIc3sG7oahxg3-azAoFLOjUpRW07-ooYn7ij593Mc/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw5rOoAWcLbqq0WcEJHLyxfNdyZEJ7HTNhEoD7JbadvziQ-Y2snlobAp2cVNIRLtC_CHTn94mn7zWsNR0M-DW9xY7za-2Ibez2YzIc3sG7oahxg3-azAoFLOjUpRW07-ooYn7ij593Mc/s400/IMG_0035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Time for some holiday crafting! I love sharing these freebies with you!<br />
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This year, the nieces and nephews are all getting gift cards... to make them a little extra special, I designed a pop-up holiday gift card holder. With a very simple mechanism, the recipient opens the card and.... snap!... the gift card is presented with a little pop...<br />
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Here's how you do it....<br />
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First download these two pdfs:<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_ejX13eil6pZDlhMGFiYWYtYjYxZC00YzViLTg2NDMtYWMxYWM5YTIwZjM5" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQ0kL-xW54byLZsBecEvyw-nDUstnckzosl5tz798dnDzSwVdpKZtsTDMjrhSn0tvdfXA-ok0Cbr4A8GUyP0qY2jOatmmLDXS3m9mc-SHfbGjeZTuqt-eF191dDNZrqTslG7m1Zo_FoM/s400/gift+card+card+front.jpg" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_ejX13eil6pNTFhNGRiM2ItYWZkYi00NTlmLWJkOWYtNTUyZmZlMjRjNjg0" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyerqEb9tiYS9SGw21TU0qgYuW5UTMkq5ZU_9r3zzRpzLV3KCQcAnOnsAzfRK8_EPzthJG9qIEaSzzJ7N4Pa6FiYdpFaut53IPGuKqlZnLPi6WWnYd_DMXC5YuB6fhyphenhyphen8D_VIu_3L-GkU/s400/gift+card+card+inside.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then follow along with the instructions and photos below....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBMVGeFhTvZaJapgaAkRK9ns-qKDFI2u9KwwTQ201a4SHO5tG0QTCbQoWx8eNkYsFtMec5BdXebgXfChiQhJ6NgaDa3TuX3pD7ses2_UcAN5fevcTknwLF9184aHmj7RYYeimmG4K5lI/s1600/12_07_11.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBMVGeFhTvZaJapgaAkRK9ns-qKDFI2u9KwwTQ201a4SHO5tG0QTCbQoWx8eNkYsFtMec5BdXebgXfChiQhJ6NgaDa3TuX3pD7ses2_UcAN5fevcTknwLF9184aHmj7RYYeimmG4K5lI/s640/12_07_11.jpg" width="452" /></a> <br />
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1) First print out one of each pdf on some nice stiff cardstock. The outside of the card (with the elf) is 2-up, meaning that there are two of that piece on one piece of cardstock -- you only need one for one card, but I figured you might want to make a second one (and I hate wasting paper). 2) Cut those two pieces apart, as shown. I could only fit one of the inside piece (on the tan background) on one piece. Cut that piece out, close to the colored area, as shown.<br />
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3) If you have a scoring board, score the inside (tan) piece along the three vertical lines -- scoring is optional, but it does make your folds nice and crisp. 40 Score the outside piece in half.<br />
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5 & 6) Fold the inside (tan) piece in half (unprinted sides facing). 7) Find the diagonal slash mark along the fold and cut that.<br />
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8) Fold along the other vertical lines to make the little mountain as shown in the last image, above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI-xefzTUUQMICTqQAYn1MCQqw6v6A1J0ChKmCyJzjVhZqer2AEH39eQXUXiwC-5GeuRhh2EB5lAJPfyPuF32aJuqK7Bo0o3zXH4wfrtceQ94Q1NHkDj8niq15ryZu3o1_8jO-W2XVdA/s1600/12_07_111.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI-xefzTUUQMICTqQAYn1MCQqw6v6A1J0ChKmCyJzjVhZqer2AEH39eQXUXiwC-5GeuRhh2EB5lAJPfyPuF32aJuqK7Bo0o3zXH4wfrtceQ94Q1NHkDj8niq15ryZu3o1_8jO-W2XVdA/s640/12_07_111.jpg" width="452" /></a> <br />
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1) Fold the outside (elf) piece in half. 2) Put the adhesive of your choice on the first panel of the inside (tan) piece. 3 & 4) Line the outer edge of the inside (tan) piece to the outer edge of the outside (elf) piece and adhere. 5) Squish down the folded inside piece so that the folds are compressed. 6) Put adhesive on the back panel of the inside (tan) piece. 7 & 8) Fold the card closed, adhering the back panels together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKIhvFgVL2imBfgmlrKdV7fGPUM9VcVRggQgNRHVOlRuZM4f4e3sf783I5M9Xscwq_L-kicKCr8hrlLnyHTHL-oLcc4voT3O7o6gKOsV5lME6rxhAlSSkmEO8nMVR4-5A9NwSaMgoC10/s1600/12_07_112.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKIhvFgVL2imBfgmlrKdV7fGPUM9VcVRggQgNRHVOlRuZM4f4e3sf783I5M9Xscwq_L-kicKCr8hrlLnyHTHL-oLcc4voT3O7o6gKOsV5lME6rxhAlSSkmEO8nMVR4-5A9NwSaMgoC10/s640/12_07_112.jpg" width="452" /></a><br />
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1) Open up your card. It should look like the first image, above. If you like, trim the edges so that they're all even (no matter how careful you are, the edges won't ever meet up exactly right). 2) Partially close your card and place your gift card in to the diagonal slash.<br />
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When your recipient opens the card, the gift card will "pop" into place!<br />
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Enjoy! I hope you like this holiday freebie! Let me know if you make this card!<br />
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<br /></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-40218457524662327772011-11-07T18:19:00.000-08:002011-11-07T18:19:17.143-08:00Jen and Jason's Wedding Invitations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVZ2Rt55XDJyFJnWGiasMpW0WANxF9tGijxZAGDjFd7Dpsr5A7-4UYgmrcQTpIraGAoKd7y5ubnODLrwBh2Mbn5VfDz1UDc98wXLcZYIfFSQtsBnuQIPLRV8FlYQRFm1w9nZJu2HxufU/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVZ2Rt55XDJyFJnWGiasMpW0WANxF9tGijxZAGDjFd7Dpsr5A7-4UYgmrcQTpIraGAoKd7y5ubnODLrwBh2Mbn5VfDz1UDc98wXLcZYIfFSQtsBnuQIPLRV8FlYQRFm1w9nZJu2HxufU/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
My friends, Jen and Jason, were married in September. As a wedding gift, I offered to do their invitations (and a better client I've never had!).<br />
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Jen wanted a brocade pattern, which we used as a formal, classic background. The quote for the front read: "Love is friendship caught on fire." I love the gorgeous label she selected!<br />
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(in addition to the invitations, I helped her with commemorative bookmarks that they gave away at the wedding -- you can see them in the above image. I've enjoyed having Jen and Jason peer at me over the pages of my books, helpfully holding my spot for me)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ht8UUi3jcDzYHcB6iZ60jdkVscX7sdslgsHERmYcYTMFOhU3sybXD-pMunkEFPJId5qy_iwMFW10sxuGUAYACXJts7lJoZAOz0TuWTYkbdJyDrSkMh9KMpLbp-hszBVsu_Opf0Hoy6E/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ht8UUi3jcDzYHcB6iZ60jdkVscX7sdslgsHERmYcYTMFOhU3sybXD-pMunkEFPJId5qy_iwMFW10sxuGUAYACXJts7lJoZAOz0TuWTYkbdJyDrSkMh9KMpLbp-hszBVsu_Opf0Hoy6E/s400/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Open the cards and they pop up at you... it's a fun and fresh idea for an unusual wedding invitation!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIv02zDG_Yly4wtTSKOTSR6I0pgcKsZMXcPqM_9IMjbfqoFoqD4uDO64IGF_ZIuob_DE1jAnc9-JmzZZZbNFRagBtpyofEweY3y3RJ-3gr3TMJ7FbvaRLc67N9DQtxxoj5A6I7vR8YwU/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIv02zDG_Yly4wtTSKOTSR6I0pgcKsZMXcPqM_9IMjbfqoFoqD4uDO64IGF_ZIuob_DE1jAnc9-JmzZZZbNFRagBtpyofEweY3y3RJ-3gr3TMJ7FbvaRLc67N9DQtxxoj5A6I7vR8YwU/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a> <br />
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Their daughter, obviously an important part of their lives, was a fitting addition to the invitations, peeks at us from a hidden support in the card.<br />
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The invitations were placed in translucent vellum envelopes which allowed the black damask pattern on the backs of the cards to show through, which made for an intriguing preview of the contents.<br />
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The invitations were fun to do (it's great having easy, laid-back clients!) and I have been compensated by boxes of comics gifted to me by Jason, which my boys (okay, along with me) have loved (especially the Star Wars ones!)....<br />
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Congratulations, Jen and Jason!<br />
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<br /></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-11476657279373081432011-11-05T17:02:00.000-07:002011-11-05T17:02:31.868-07:00Birthday card for the nephew-in-law<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXX0wKcPAmMG4f-Ow1kjVHAncQMcc91HDUMArCoHQfMdnE5Xo2RPHgZvB_1JcA2pL_g03PsunFXwDdacQSmkioif5dgFEqEYpZtqNGwsJA92fYiLXHa-UZtnBDwzsngAPyxiX2EEndDY/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXX0wKcPAmMG4f-Ow1kjVHAncQMcc91HDUMArCoHQfMdnE5Xo2RPHgZvB_1JcA2pL_g03PsunFXwDdacQSmkioif5dgFEqEYpZtqNGwsJA92fYiLXHa-UZtnBDwzsngAPyxiX2EEndDY/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
As part of the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/52weeksofmail" target="_blank">52 Weeks of Mail</a> effort, I decided to mail my great nephew-in-law a belated birthday card, rather than just settle for sending him a greeting through Facebook.<br />
<br />
This is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/55117731/drink-a-toast-birthday-card-interactive" target="_blank">my favorite card that I make</a>... when you pull the lever on the right, he raises his beer in a toast and says "A birthday? I'll drink to that!"<br />
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The envelope is a page from a comic book (it's a duplicate that the boys had) that I thought would be fun to use my Martha Stewart Scoring Board on.... LOVE making envelopes with that thing!<br />
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On the back, I stuck on a label for 52 Weeks of Mail:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D3AX4C53m-i8Mg01e3YiRsFvfvcOV0i5K_00jzpuJtUzYR6K_Hhk_f89V1LvQa2X1D0hI1X17TNGl56G3JeAYfFVtzSZRfQvIaRaqPIiFJ4o5WfR7VVXLFws_Nwcx4Yz6P8oI_BmDqg/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D3AX4C53m-i8Mg01e3YiRsFvfvcOV0i5K_00jzpuJtUzYR6K_Hhk_f89V1LvQa2X1D0hI1X17TNGl56G3JeAYfFVtzSZRfQvIaRaqPIiFJ4o5WfR7VVXLFws_Nwcx4Yz6P8oI_BmDqg/s400/IMG_0013.JPG" /></a><br />
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I love this effort! It's been motivating me to use mail more... and this way of reaching out has encouraged my friends to reach back out to me. Love it!<br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-22364823591236934692011-10-30T09:07:00.000-07:002011-10-30T09:07:23.924-07:00Glitter WerewolvesI'm all about glitter werewolves this Halloween!<br />
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I found this wonderful artwork from Cindy Mindy Pindy's lovely blog:<br />
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<a href="http://papercutting.blogspot.com/2009/10/template-tuesday-halloween-werewolf.html">http://papercutting.blogspot.com/2009/10/template-tuesday-halloween-werewolf.html</a><br />
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I made some slight adjustments and cut them out of black cardstock.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXKAq1MUI_nO7xXogiy_DOMYG7jwG_BqG9lS8ul8UOfsSXfhiyDnzt2ZfGyDAkKaKWM6jkzN1CsICEllOsp_F50PXLoqDtYGWj8tiHi9jxzhruG3yXRy-23ilgpl6hrO8_QYw5TXQKxo/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXKAq1MUI_nO7xXogiy_DOMYG7jwG_BqG9lS8ul8UOfsSXfhiyDnzt2ZfGyDAkKaKWM6jkzN1CsICEllOsp_F50PXLoqDtYGWj8tiHi9jxzhruG3yXRy-23ilgpl6hrO8_QYw5TXQKxo/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a><br />
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Working outside, I sprayed them, a few at a time, with spray adhesive and then sprinkled black glitter on them. I like to press down lightly on them with my hands before shaking the excess glitter off.<br />
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If I'm being particularly good, I'll give them a coat of clear acrylic spray to seal the glitter on better.<br />
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I think they're lovely!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSpXIwC3IgWjdG_mEIR_3fvtA64mEIMUuwi3VmsJ9ziTMEuV68uMq3x7kquglV3LceVBchiNXQb-CiDTbkb_gqGrJyzUIiR9xTD-BxS9d0k6pYWtu0wU0dLNp11hiNosmWv3sQpPoESg/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSpXIwC3IgWjdG_mEIR_3fvtA64mEIMUuwi3VmsJ9ziTMEuV68uMq3x7kquglV3LceVBchiNXQb-CiDTbkb_gqGrJyzUIiR9xTD-BxS9d0k6pYWtu0wU0dLNp11hiNosmWv3sQpPoESg/s400/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a> <br />
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I was so enamored of how cute they looked (the very delicate handles on the jack-o-lantern and the tiny teeth in his mouth) that I ended up cutting out probably dozens on my robo/silhouette and sending them out to all kinds of people.<br />
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I didn't mount them on cards -- they were so sweet just as they were -- but I put them in some old glassine envelopes that my husband no longer wanted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QlBw8jmkgvjjAFGT7xuOsGxrWgP6w-KvRtQrQwWAfeypY1s-23Bjt6gaEpbzlU5gOpPIJqf2rzY_z4DIG8OUbr7OHumX9VKau2to9Wck6a0zREQb8fuGG0D3W3QZTAcf_alfHjX7G4o/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QlBw8jmkgvjjAFGT7xuOsGxrWgP6w-KvRtQrQwWAfeypY1s-23Bjt6gaEpbzlU5gOpPIJqf2rzY_z4DIG8OUbr7OHumX9VKau2to9Wck6a0zREQb8fuGG0D3W3QZTAcf_alfHjX7G4o/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a><br />
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I wrote a short message on the backs with a white pen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPT2YdZcypywo-VfomLkCn5yt5DQ-I2XaZpTtWJl9X9kZLs16bVzy2PM9rSyvAfUfRoGNYqJX-mzqGh1_x0bhyN3Q33Ioy72pbyDiJ2ctRM4-aP0wrDbVGNnf0DG0PvKniAbW_LJfeBM/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPT2YdZcypywo-VfomLkCn5yt5DQ-I2XaZpTtWJl9X9kZLs16bVzy2PM9rSyvAfUfRoGNYqJX-mzqGh1_x0bhyN3Q33Ioy72pbyDiJ2ctRM4-aP0wrDbVGNnf0DG0PvKniAbW_LJfeBM/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a> <br />
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And sent them off to people all over the place!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5nNRYmP8_GEI5VkMQYWU76drWB6EZXav4HA71ygKSuAjagf0GDYlvwo1v_aZtV3h8DqNIIAA_H3-XXukIeFlZ-ZEWNqkXi2lyj9HGtcXPejFj1DFvtXrTiarXicAJtcc3qweksXkuus/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5nNRYmP8_GEI5VkMQYWU76drWB6EZXav4HA71ygKSuAjagf0GDYlvwo1v_aZtV3h8DqNIIAA_H3-XXukIeFlZ-ZEWNqkXi2lyj9HGtcXPejFj1DFvtXrTiarXicAJtcc3qweksXkuus/s400/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a><br />
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It was fun because I know most people wouldn't be expecting a Halloween greeting from us, so it will be a nice surprise.<br />
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It's my week's offering to the 52 Weeks of Mail that I've signed up for: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/52weeksofmail">http://www.facebook.com/52weeksofmail</a></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-90442520220821785882011-10-28T08:15:00.000-07:002011-10-28T08:15:00.747-07:00Cycling Girl Silhouette<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0a50y3Wk-sHuKarxo24vKJB1T5ZBjywGRJI1pchAJcEMdiHbRevQXM8WgL9GHrnzS6rmDjTPFcOabA6iPf4NftvlBu6_Eg6ctc0wL3PUVKsHXWw_WAzVZoVU-sB1Ef7kauOnjmbzrLY/s1600/IMG_0048.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0a50y3Wk-sHuKarxo24vKJB1T5ZBjywGRJI1pchAJcEMdiHbRevQXM8WgL9GHrnzS6rmDjTPFcOabA6iPf4NftvlBu6_Eg6ctc0wL3PUVKsHXWw_WAzVZoVU-sB1Ef7kauOnjmbzrLY/s400/IMG_0048.JPG" /></a><br />
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I have been completely enamored of glitter!<br />
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Combine an intricately cut silhouette (cut using the Craft Robo/Silhouette) with spray adhesive and a little bling from glitter and I'm transported...<br />
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I love this blog: <a href="http://papercutting.blogspot.com/">http://papercutting.blogspot.com/</a> It's called Scherenschnitte ("scissor cuts" in German) and is the papercutting blog of the very talented Cindy Ferguson.<br />
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Her work is FABULOUS! And I can't believe that she cuts her work by hand... and awesome feat!<br />
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On Tuesdays, Cindy has a feature called "Template Tuesday" which I very much look forward to! She features an original work that you can download as a pdf, so that you, too, can be a papercutting genius!<br />
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I really loved this particular Template Tuesday offering, of a girl on a bike:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoaeCo3lMVlAvjeqyxRNTk9nRyQAFWQqqdYT2IFx1zdzAtFOeDy3zKND1rtdu1EkN1IW9qYl8FM1wEyNRcukc9hwze-sbruKhb0MS7eSSUyRidkish-Hrb4UzewPCjrKGtv2ZB6R7vmdI/s320/audre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoaeCo3lMVlAvjeqyxRNTk9nRyQAFWQqqdYT2IFx1zdzAtFOeDy3zKND1rtdu1EkN1IW9qYl8FM1wEyNRcukc9hwze-sbruKhb0MS7eSSUyRidkish-Hrb4UzewPCjrKGtv2ZB6R7vmdI/s320/audre.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can read all about it (and download your own pdf) at her blog post:</div><br />
<a href="http://papercutting.blogspot.com/2009/08/template-tuesday-end-of-summer-bike.html">http://papercutting.blogspot.com/2009/08/template-tuesday-end-of-summer-bike.html</a><br />
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I cut some of these adorable girls out in black cardstock, sprayed them with spray adhesive and covered them with black Martha Stewart glitter.... the results were absolutely divine!<br />
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I happily sent my first one (adhered to a card) off to a friend to congratulate her on her recent participation in a 10k run (20th place in her age division! Go Linda!).<br />
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(It also counts as my week's participation in the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/52weeksofmail">52 Weeks of Mail</a> event... yay! This was a fun one! And it encouraged me to reach out when I wouldn't have done so otherwise!)Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-60776815901278184942011-10-25T20:08:00.000-07:002011-10-26T17:36:31.109-07:00Martha Stewart Scoring Board: Making Boxes!Okay, I am STILL loving my Martha Stewart Scoring Board!<br />
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This afternoon, I selected two coordinating pretty papers I had (a "Taj Mahal" inspired stack of paper from Premium Stacks) -- they're light cardstock:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbgdmOR674VMnYLdOPUrdjMh9a4vKfxKBn7ewXeOmrEsL8nceJYcG5Wax0BDSCzKM0L5XqJ46L6PkRBFvHIwAXigXmxsVtW_UVsy-eICk03dsipu_tM_ArvEZV9TXLzbVyhSXvBkT7cY/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbgdmOR674VMnYLdOPUrdjMh9a4vKfxKBn7ewXeOmrEsL8nceJYcG5Wax0BDSCzKM0L5XqJ46L6PkRBFvHIwAXigXmxsVtW_UVsy-eICk03dsipu_tM_ArvEZV9TXLzbVyhSXvBkT7cY/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a> <br />
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I checked the handy cheat sheet of measurements on the inside of the compartment of the Scoring Board lid and decided that I wanted to make a base that was 4 x 4 x 4" and a lid that was 4 x 4 x 2":<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWWjN-XAJM1OPz_2Og247dyc5gMP-CgAMQeqCMiGx3E0J_X1oM1pC_hsnS2bHspmmtZMfinN8vIgymqPiGflEBzpCfPLI8aW9rjl8p4KR7l4EU6xvG8tKd_vkBlsGFQysTIByW8jj30I/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWWjN-XAJM1OPz_2Og247dyc5gMP-CgAMQeqCMiGx3E0J_X1oM1pC_hsnS2bHspmmtZMfinN8vIgymqPiGflEBzpCfPLI8aW9rjl8p4KR7l4EU6xvG8tKd_vkBlsGFQysTIByW8jj30I/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a> <br />
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As per the instructions, I cut my base paper to 12 x 12" and then scored it at the 2" and 6" marks:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpvqVpkCC-W_NLgYiPOYg32SKJ71I0fqeejc-y2DGot2KoFkcMO3hY8FlbUIejjiLt4jzVUwLHRL0H9J8yVr-0GkBVlNJDVj_LknURHTAPmijF3zXusM-pVK2YKJBkIxhBc6hqWw8nSY/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpvqVpkCC-W_NLgYiPOYg32SKJ71I0fqeejc-y2DGot2KoFkcMO3hY8FlbUIejjiLt4jzVUwLHRL0H9J8yVr-0GkBVlNJDVj_LknURHTAPmijF3zXusM-pVK2YKJBkIxhBc6hqWw8nSY/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a> <br />
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(I'm only pretending to score here 'cause I'm right-handed and I can't score and take the photo at the same time)<br />
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Then I cut as shown:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KpULH5BacY-WLKJgqMRSJgYmVJcn6Y4Oya1NbsEpFoqm01-V37Wfy09Gprqkz4xO0fbIj81SPjx5vQUchvcKHUFj9l8kFE_b-EDU0oMVgsO3KxwRRcukSCXsOWdj5yU-2L0rkz_hUF8/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KpULH5BacY-WLKJgqMRSJgYmVJcn6Y4Oya1NbsEpFoqm01-V37Wfy09Gprqkz4xO0fbIj81SPjx5vQUchvcKHUFj9l8kFE_b-EDU0oMVgsO3KxwRRcukSCXsOWdj5yU-2L0rkz_hUF8/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a> <br />
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Fold the flaps up and secure with adhesive to form the base box:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX5HnabGSBffWGvn5sdLDnZiH8m4fUcAWiA16VYt_Dq6J0eZ79ZMpeAPia9J7gKOap0bxhBKubOhENEBqLF373SS4BRzRYagJLNrU0ldjhjaNa-F5CXFF6Afv4IrwGfqF-NnnF8Csqp0/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX5HnabGSBffWGvn5sdLDnZiH8m4fUcAWiA16VYt_Dq6J0eZ79ZMpeAPia9J7gKOap0bxhBKubOhENEBqLF373SS4BRzRYagJLNrU0ldjhjaNa-F5CXFF6Afv4IrwGfqF-NnnF8Csqp0/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
The top measures 8 x 8". When you score lids, you don't butt the paper to the left edge of the board. Instead, you line it up to the first mark, marked by a downward facing arrowhead. This way, the lid ends up being just a little bit bigger so it fits nicely over the base:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHBtqB6VpVndfClzRdFJoBJ333HH6d_JH_o6mr2LTKiRMgeosdsXb_0Nb1nhs_OLjVJnbzR9T496kN2p24wq7HWluTE6ABy5kyg_4anM09ASgom4ShBkuyAgRLQBXDDi8WQiqMj8FQK8/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHBtqB6VpVndfClzRdFJoBJ333HH6d_JH_o6mr2LTKiRMgeosdsXb_0Nb1nhs_OLjVJnbzR9T496kN2p24wq7HWluTE6ABy5kyg_4anM09ASgom4ShBkuyAgRLQBXDDi8WQiqMj8FQK8/s400/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
As per the easy-to-follow instructions, I score at the 2" and 6 1/8" marks:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sPKZWbugtRrAAOnpv-OybD7OFnivBG8K4iEPJro-6F7WYlb5jDVuaxuQmtBCKt5X-EdvEZDVVaAC4lZSpHfroAl3p9eiJQVYbqJuF-9quQjG2oFZ7KxP_kLL2wUTCpbn2x4XilbQTeI/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sPKZWbugtRrAAOnpv-OybD7OFnivBG8K4iEPJro-6F7WYlb5jDVuaxuQmtBCKt5X-EdvEZDVVaAC4lZSpHfroAl3p9eiJQVYbqJuF-9quQjG2oFZ7KxP_kLL2wUTCpbn2x4XilbQTeI/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
Then cut the same slits:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4i9arbqYAgOyrtkgqkMGPXqdBpcr8NtbMZaQmxFmNgxrktIp3IMdPx-pzu5NJtntbq2sjfxZJMPCUXEhrdLc6iJnnBtdfxWUKwQpnFsAajYidjSv2YuS4cHiS7eeJ9rgh7eUTqpWGVY/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4i9arbqYAgOyrtkgqkMGPXqdBpcr8NtbMZaQmxFmNgxrktIp3IMdPx-pzu5NJtntbq2sjfxZJMPCUXEhrdLc6iJnnBtdfxWUKwQpnFsAajYidjSv2YuS4cHiS7eeJ9rgh7eUTqpWGVY/s400/IMG_0009.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
Fold up flaps and adhere together. Then see how it fits together:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4PSak52s7U8ScQwnQ7oCDSJyUeUBWlS0PY9ei3uUSrFWh4nXO2TkI6mCPUi29T9iXoAC0HZbSFRLYKxgtySCJ1HnPTdFWE4u9RmObkywk9hy4_CaLF7YFIQWbNzquSXpgTbt-TeBL2M/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4PSak52s7U8ScQwnQ7oCDSJyUeUBWlS0PY9ei3uUSrFWh4nXO2TkI6mCPUi29T9iXoAC0HZbSFRLYKxgtySCJ1HnPTdFWE4u9RmObkywk9hy4_CaLF7YFIQWbNzquSXpgTbt-TeBL2M/s400/IMG_0012.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
So cute!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZMnqMQMHPsVb1TjtHG3xCV2Tw3IBwX4nlldzAELU6ia6NHnuZ_jwTzWk46TZTb-ypg1v3y681eQXrzhnirR-Hlq_H60MkRoD5eacpoq24Rs6860QJiB-1VqwBROnAmVuObq-iiKNUMs/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZMnqMQMHPsVb1TjtHG3xCV2Tw3IBwX4nlldzAELU6ia6NHnuZ_jwTzWk46TZTb-ypg1v3y681eQXrzhnirR-Hlq_H60MkRoD5eacpoq24Rs6860QJiB-1VqwBROnAmVuObq-iiKNUMs/s400/IMG_0015.JPG" /></a><br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;"><br />
The board includes measurements for a variety of different box sizes, but after doing a few, you can get the idea and map out your own sizes...<br />
<br />
What do you think?</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-13011322756256559522011-10-24T18:50:00.000-07:002011-10-25T17:16:41.509-07:00Scor-Pal vs. Martha Stewart Stewart Scoring BoardBack some years ago, the two scoring combatants were the Scor-Pal and Scor-It. I remember agonizing over the choice and pored through various blogs looking for guidance.<br />
<br />
I happily settled on Diana Crick's excellent Scor-Pal and have been very happy since.<br />
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But now there's a new kid on the block. You can hardly call yourself a papercrafter and not be aware of the juggernaut that is Martha Stewart and her presence at Michael's and other crafting havens. With her cleverly designed tools, she's really created a lot of covetable items.<br />
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And now she has a product that competes directly with the Scor-Pal.<br />
<br />
After seeing a lot of interesting videos of how to use Martha's product and with a 50% off coupon at Michael's burning a hole through my pocket, I finally sprang for the MS Scoring Board.<br />
<br />
To help you with your own buying decision, if you are thinking of getting one tool, I thought I'd point out my own personal findings.<br />
<br />
So here are the two competitors:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibg83IgqBzXOa5LCUR6aiy0NxgFKnp4HvoitKWod-rjlifhsj_o80Xu07Rvk_uxRp4PomzXGEaBAPa4ZlMFou-aHYm1Yh0LJejPG9E8Iy_69F-gHnepjeZecSRPTSVymo0BVwKt8eunaQ/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibg83IgqBzXOa5LCUR6aiy0NxgFKnp4HvoitKWod-rjlifhsj_o80Xu07Rvk_uxRp4PomzXGEaBAPa4ZlMFou-aHYm1Yh0LJejPG9E8Iy_69F-gHnepjeZecSRPTSVymo0BVwKt8eunaQ/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
Martha's product is on the left, the clean white board. The Scor-Pal has seen a lot of years of use. You can see some ink where I've marked some measurements that I score a lot.<br />
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Here are a couple of differences. Below, the ends of the two scoring tools. Martha's tool is a lot thinner and held below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4ZBRaPnSZCrtpz4Mv3b9gAdFAX07J_6FXwv0alk345ItKpsaV2PTVmdAqfr7Z8N_dpwIAKGxT8Go2VtDaKICE_WryHsuGMZBbq6ouAzK8LxdBlnzJnSWGfrlC3FbFH7ehvjE5M6RQeM/s1600/IMG_0001b.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4ZBRaPnSZCrtpz4Mv3b9gAdFAX07J_6FXwv0alk345ItKpsaV2PTVmdAqfr7Z8N_dpwIAKGxT8Go2VtDaKICE_WryHsuGMZBbq6ouAzK8LxdBlnzJnSWGfrlC3FbFH7ehvjE5M6RQeM/s400/IMG_0001b.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
The first time I tried out Martha's board, I cut right through the paper with the thinner tool, which was very sad. However, once I changed the way I was holding the tool (so I wasn't pressing down with the very tip) and eased up on the pressure, it worked just fine.<br />
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Martha's tool comes with measurements for common projects (cards, boxes, etc) in a compartment at the top of the board. Handy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0d4H_TK-wyUxrAmFNbJE_7eDTyP3-HQm3LBxu6EH7lDnsIv5wuoXiP7JFEs9xvh8BwPWrrHYaDBlvXmsScjXna_htjvg5mpqA0WxRN2YKUoOu8q99Zdm82Jr336KjKVQ1uJQ1157R78Q/s1600/IMG_0002b.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0d4H_TK-wyUxrAmFNbJE_7eDTyP3-HQm3LBxu6EH7lDnsIv5wuoXiP7JFEs9xvh8BwPWrrHYaDBlvXmsScjXna_htjvg5mpqA0WxRN2YKUoOu8q99Zdm82Jr336KjKVQ1uJQ1157R78Q/s400/IMG_0002b.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
The Scor-Pal has its tool held near the top of the board. It is VERY easy to grab and snap back into place whenever I need it. The scoring tool in the MS board tends to rattle around in its spacious compartment and, because you have to open the space, it's not nearly as handy as the Scor-Pal's.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKeoPQZa1kisPqEcH-vEkowdo5uI_oAhf_VkXDzOcP6eTCua6jQ4WmC6qcqURLTCz2uMv0L7VHvOSVU4DfN8rJopPiHa4yuEW22Sa0-xnL6YM3EUQ6AZ31exLX2qhyphenhyphenjvVDHszfp1wwCxA/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKeoPQZa1kisPqEcH-vEkowdo5uI_oAhf_VkXDzOcP6eTCua6jQ4WmC6qcqURLTCz2uMv0L7VHvOSVU4DfN8rJopPiHa4yuEW22Sa0-xnL6YM3EUQ6AZ31exLX2qhyphenhyphenjvVDHszfp1wwCxA/s400/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
Another immediate difference: the MS Scoring Board has grooves every 1/8". The Scor-Pal only has grooves every 1/2" plus some additional grooves at commonly used points (like 4 1/4"). Some argue that the MS Board has too many grooves and that you can skip into a nearby groove too easily when you use it. I haven't found this to be the case. The additional grooves give you extra flexibility and allow for extra projects, like rosette-making, that would be harder to make with the Scor-Pal.<br />
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The triangle that is the extra piece that comes with the MS Board fits cleverly into a slot at the bottom of the board. This I like!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ2AGYSNJ3-CFGWcx5psaaVjUlKVlsG32ogu7aB3h7N_WsxpJoOfdL1pTEyoZFkMXw7t1srXOP-ivlBJk3yZvqFk3VEA-_4-gnKlkiHuAdYps7itsWRoqXaKVgP1APCaV_eO-Lt55tRM/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ2AGYSNJ3-CFGWcx5psaaVjUlKVlsG32ogu7aB3h7N_WsxpJoOfdL1pTEyoZFkMXw7t1srXOP-ivlBJk3yZvqFk3VEA-_4-gnKlkiHuAdYps7itsWRoqXaKVgP1APCaV_eO-Lt55tRM/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
The triangle is the envelope-making part of the MS Board, which is unique to this product.<br />
<br />
Note the handy measurements below. The video I found on YouTube describing how to make envelopes with this tool was what really sold me on trying this product and I was delighted on my first try at making an A2 envelope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVXJhNrJUoJTPkKVBAO_EYSe6QQBw_2MTP_znIWoJQE3p_M7MO_W7J0fc__CbA_kpXa_CriDabXw3XETwXRc6_vXBczD0_SB1M27smuvlq_zuDuv0Fd42uKl5CSpfMj3Ksa3N603NeE0/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVXJhNrJUoJTPkKVBAO_EYSe6QQBw_2MTP_znIWoJQE3p_M7MO_W7J0fc__CbA_kpXa_CriDabXw3XETwXRc6_vXBczD0_SB1M27smuvlq_zuDuv0Fd42uKl5CSpfMj3Ksa3N603NeE0/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a> <br />
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As per the instructions, I cut an 8.5" square of paper and then lined it along the edge of the triangle and scored it alternately at 3" and 3 3/4". Cut off the four small triangular pieces between the folds and voila!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT7JMtTZnk4Po3SDr0KfrLUEX1WsMm3UtBQxzHrSB2rOqoW1IRWGR3sZR_ElCo2uoJf-pOb5-M1tmJPBFHI0r-_cU6JNVEy-jbPbFqA1ktmcmtgnnpLa4bHdReQ2qqV8p8iPEOFmvGBg/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT7JMtTZnk4Po3SDr0KfrLUEX1WsMm3UtBQxzHrSB2rOqoW1IRWGR3sZR_ElCo2uoJf-pOb5-M1tmJPBFHI0r-_cU6JNVEy-jbPbFqA1ktmcmtgnnpLa4bHdReQ2qqV8p8iPEOFmvGBg/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
A quick and special little envelope.... I can totally see designing and printing out some paper that would include a cute design on it for a really fun homemade envelope!<br />
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(in the above piece, I rounded the flap's corner for a little extra oomph.)<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;"><br />
So, what do I think?<br />
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I have LOVED my Scor-Pal. Really, it's been a terrific part of my papercrafting arsenal! But if you don't have one already and were thinking of buying a scoring tool, I think I'd advise you to get the Martha Stewart Scoring Board. Not only is it a great deal ($20 retail, but who ever pays retail at Michael's when you can so easily get a 40 or 50% off coupon, which brings it down to the insane price of $10?), but the envelope-making tool really makes it quite a bit more versatile.<br />
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The Scor-Pal is about $30, but is only available online, so you'd have to spring for the shipping on top of it.<br />
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(Update: there is a newer version of the Scor-Pal that has grooves every 1/4" plus additional ones here and there.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLO_IuYMs2lgxKTIDNKpmBJn6rXEFuNvqH9emVAk_5MiEaYAFQA_HdWzLGckOrYTh611KNe8In3ijBY3e5CmP4z3VdNj5eXPQ9jZDMUcbu-jyyrjWiDuhjtiDn_H8bBM36opTLpnhRgB4/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLO_IuYMs2lgxKTIDNKpmBJn6rXEFuNvqH9emVAk_5MiEaYAFQA_HdWzLGckOrYTh611KNe8In3ijBY3e5CmP4z3VdNj5eXPQ9jZDMUcbu-jyyrjWiDuhjtiDn_H8bBM36opTLpnhRgB4/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Here's how to make envelopes with the Martha Stewart Scoring Board:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nOWXUmLroE8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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The Scor-Pal's website includes a ton of intersting projects (however I find the navigation of the site a bit difficult to manage): <a href="http://www.scor-pal.com/projects.htm">http://www.scor-pal.com/projects.htm</a><br />
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I hope that this is helpful!</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-59362988195395582272011-06-07T17:41:00.000-07:002011-06-07T17:41:22.911-07:00Presenting Dawnygirl<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZbAeFaaPpz9dquwFkviB5_4WV8afPMCTuYBGHHyDgdhRG-Ufr-FMtQf9XIINIDfNsWaYNDX7ZNxd9vvfvCJtLT9E2BaV_k2VkbIU4ccEUXvgije8-5eDlD6tJ1mjMEqLmIL81Mois1Q/s1600/06_01_11.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZbAeFaaPpz9dquwFkviB5_4WV8afPMCTuYBGHHyDgdhRG-Ufr-FMtQf9XIINIDfNsWaYNDX7ZNxd9vvfvCJtLT9E2BaV_k2VkbIU4ccEUXvgije8-5eDlD6tJ1mjMEqLmIL81Mois1Q/s400/06_01_11.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I found a new sweet Etsy Shop! I couldn't resist treating myself to a little giftie which came in the mail extra super fast:</div><div><br />
I love opening packages....</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2zSVxBquYuET0FMoFNCOYf7gj9Wv5Du1i_w_pWdrgVdBZkt6whvCJPEdjCSomN6ibsUFEtP9moBk8wwpgnviP61vmrBvkd_rXtASPLoc0MM2I7Ljk6g_ltespECOG7i9sinNhymCQe4/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2zSVxBquYuET0FMoFNCOYf7gj9Wv5Du1i_w_pWdrgVdBZkt6whvCJPEdjCSomN6ibsUFEtP9moBk8wwpgnviP61vmrBvkd_rXtASPLoc0MM2I7Ljk6g_ltespECOG7i9sinNhymCQe4/s400/IMG_0082.JPG" /></a> <br />
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Look how cute the packaging is on the inside, with the pinked edges on the bright blue tissue paper and cute lil' sticker:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaRzkaTlqyk1YTjUUu_pPiMWZY0DIHmmjjr8Toq2j3W0eLhim3-I2fv0pmvGfdjpQg6Hdch5LP45cUU5-o0c_nvDwUIOunXMhuJu7bKRj7-EPHy65apHs6mokAn03pJdynuhyCTmk83k/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaRzkaTlqyk1YTjUUu_pPiMWZY0DIHmmjjr8Toq2j3W0eLhim3-I2fv0pmvGfdjpQg6Hdch5LP45cUU5-o0c_nvDwUIOunXMhuJu7bKRj7-EPHy65apHs6mokAn03pJdynuhyCTmk83k/s400/IMG_0083.JPG" /></a> <br />
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The tag was a sweet touch:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU24_hO4YSUnXAnmM5tiUQIMKTGKUcNo3Z7FBGMr3-oo3DLnAaw0fD7x3V1jC_XEbD-P8kMTkt2qhOjkZmIulL9AyMSwys_h4bg_MPcg7Jh2ZrSq6j1fgpe5kP9dXw3_a0o0tMqzBBAAY/s1600/IMG_0085.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU24_hO4YSUnXAnmM5tiUQIMKTGKUcNo3Z7FBGMr3-oo3DLnAaw0fD7x3V1jC_XEbD-P8kMTkt2qhOjkZmIulL9AyMSwys_h4bg_MPcg7Jh2ZrSq6j1fgpe5kP9dXw3_a0o0tMqzBBAAY/s400/IMG_0085.JPG" /></a> <br />
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It's a coin purse made by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/dawnygirl">DawnyGirl</a>! Check out the sweet lining:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bn271ABks3aAk9HSs1NrzsFXw_U2bEOjodVdXXJfU13vAUY9NVtJmYoy-i76Ie-8KaEGuZH_vvW_J9Y3sIBWp75IAda_qJnduoLHv3TFTcDojjKjyDN-xSOJdb2PB49Mww29U3zU3G0/s1600/IMG_0087.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bn271ABks3aAk9HSs1NrzsFXw_U2bEOjodVdXXJfU13vAUY9NVtJmYoy-i76Ie-8KaEGuZH_vvW_J9Y3sIBWp75IAda_qJnduoLHv3TFTcDojjKjyDN-xSOJdb2PB49Mww29U3zU3G0/s400/IMG_0087.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Yum!<br />
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My next favorite thing is <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75345299/red-and-white-paisley-oil-cloth-wallet">this oilcloth wallet</a>, equally perfect for a guy or a girl:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGWn6Ngom4LlN8sn23RmyEllwKd132se6hofeimCDR6_R_xLX1GqniB3OGmdYD1TzPUeZq2GD2b0iNAK-6l_xOkjdYKBoeSz10IZfQ-QOywPuE-w6Q1qeWbXnVavXcTsM96oCnx2TXGs/s1600/il_570xN.248810720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGWn6Ngom4LlN8sn23RmyEllwKd132se6hofeimCDR6_R_xLX1GqniB3OGmdYD1TzPUeZq2GD2b0iNAK-6l_xOkjdYKBoeSz10IZfQ-QOywPuE-w6Q1qeWbXnVavXcTsM96oCnx2TXGs/s400/il_570xN.248810720.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;">Check out <span id="goog_1713222013"></span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/dawnygirl">Dawnygirl's sho<span id="goog_1713222014"></span>p</a> now!</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-12633296389163257862011-06-02T21:43:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:43:59.706-07:00New Wine Drinking Card!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54YLGyscyq5f0L0UI0csu6bU9FzgS0P5_y-edU7kcjti_EVq08ptaDqv7fWKHowY4SgEehNF3S0BhyphenhyphenCbqWAoisJB9YNstkdFxdtBUp0AHxke1SJH4DRzGTp19orjcKW2kMuZkeEBqqSo/s400/IMG_0095.JPG" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a new card!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think it's been more than a year since I've created a new one, so I'm terribly excited about this one!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The thing that broke me out of my huge rut was a challenge issued by my <a href="http://etsygreetings.blogspot.com/">Etsy Greetings Team</a>! This is a terrific, supportive group of cardmakers who sell on Etsy. I've been a part of this group for years now and find all the tips and our active discussion groups highly inspiring.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our organizer created this terrific challenge for us to share. We all purchased the same digital paper pack (after voting for our favorite from a whole slew of would-be candidates). The paper pack is called<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74722723/the-lake-digital-paper-kit-12x12-and"> The Lake by KatiesWish</a>. It had just a yummy selection of digital papers from which to choose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pack looks like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.246668261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.246668261.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I selected the wavy background but I'm also in love with the three on the right....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, right now, all the other participating team mates are busy designing their cards -- it's so fun and exciting to see what different ideas people come up with when they have the same basic materials. Later this month, we'll feature all of them on our team blog and run a special promotion... more to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Purchase my Drink a Toast card here: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/75300665/drink-a-birthday-toast-to-a-friend">http://www.etsy.com/listing/75300665/drink-a-birthday-toast-to-a-friend</a></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-74235153740395712332010-12-27T17:45:00.000-08:002010-12-27T18:12:11.511-08:00Buche de Noel!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtti5_O7iYEE6dnlfThkaXDIBILiTdLQO6jt44eL0BnpDIvCtCwKzmQZSJwAhgmvd2yWM9eXdc4xKXke295ZS7pYj4PB41SgCPZt2alOPHEfN2RvF0jE0Ggq6KmK315YlwwiqTrzrWle4/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtti5_O7iYEE6dnlfThkaXDIBILiTdLQO6jt44eL0BnpDIvCtCwKzmQZSJwAhgmvd2yWM9eXdc4xKXke295ZS7pYj4PB41SgCPZt2alOPHEfN2RvF0jE0Ggq6KmK315YlwwiqTrzrWle4/s400/IMG_0031.JPG" /></a> <br />
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This year I decided I wanted to do something a little different for Christmas dessert. Typically I'll do a couple of pies (pecan, pumpkin, sometimes banana meringue) but I wanted to get out of the rut.<br />
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I've been seeing a lot of lovely images of the traditional Buche de Noel, or the Yule Log, a French specialty.<br />
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I ended up using Martha Stewart's recipe: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/buche-de-noel">http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/buche-de-noel</a> (but I consulted many, many links, which gave me a nice understanding of how it's constructed).<br />
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I started out making the meringue mushrooms. They took a LOT longer to bake than I'd been lead to believe (I think I had them in there an extra 40 minutes), but they finally felt dry enough to be done.<br />
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Then my boys helped me assemble them. Below, Colin is skewering a hole in a cap. Then Ethan is spreading melted chocolate on the underside and a stem is inserted into the hole.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFZpk0NmKe1BGU0Uofsh5PAuahcWSeJU5swOaNpYZbSo2aZcODY0OOz_b7kTpgyu7EWqNqhmMJh4H9vN3yGq7RWPJfgtGuhETwS-qC6o2qNwU98jjX1sjeeNYf_GFo6G_AJ9F3AldUf4/s1600/12_25_10.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFZpk0NmKe1BGU0Uofsh5PAuahcWSeJU5swOaNpYZbSo2aZcODY0OOz_b7kTpgyu7EWqNqhmMJh4H9vN3yGq7RWPJfgtGuhETwS-qC6o2qNwU98jjX1sjeeNYf_GFo6G_AJ9F3AldUf4/s400/12_25_10.jpg" /></a> <br />
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The tiny bit of cocoa powder Martha tells us to put in made them look pretty realistic and the imperfections in my meringue piping worked to my favor.<br />
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The last image, above, is of the cake batter, all beautifully whipped up.<br />
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After baking, it's rolled up in a damp dish towel and allowed to cool (you pre-roll it so that it's less likely to crack in the final roll-up).<br />
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Chocolate mousse is spread inside the cake and the whole thing is rolled up once again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCoE94O1x56bCWVfF3rQPbvg4VgrZuEFQD_3RE_Xe9ZB3MgPo7SB5wBOMRm5xyWC1LuCUpB4oTVdrH-yxm_mOQdTO9zT7qWxSdsylT_OS7AfNJNG66Jg59nT-ptb7jEtJCdH5MiswTv4/s1600/12_25_101.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCoE94O1x56bCWVfF3rQPbvg4VgrZuEFQD_3RE_Xe9ZB3MgPo7SB5wBOMRm5xyWC1LuCUpB4oTVdrH-yxm_mOQdTO9zT7qWxSdsylT_OS7AfNJNG66Jg59nT-ptb7jEtJCdH5MiswTv4/s400/12_25_101.jpg" /></a><br />
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A couple of bits are sawed off at 45 degree angles and attached to the log (one really short stump looks cute on top).<br />
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The whole thing is assembled with a chocolate ganache icing that is raked with a fork to give it a rough bark-ey texture. It can be assembled the night before, however the final touches should only be added the day of presentation. (I also added graham cracker crumbs to give it a nice "ground" to rest on and a few sprigs off the Christmas tree, which added a nice touch of color). A few shards of broken chocolate add to the rustic bark appearance and a light dusting of powdered sugar give it the feeling of snow.<br />
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It was tasty also! The mousse filling really kept it from being too rich and heavy. Serve each slice with a meringue mushroom (the recipe made enough to cover a field of buches that I just kept handy for little boys to snack on).<br />
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I'm embarrassed to admit that I took far more photos of my buche de noel than I did of my kids opening presents (well at all on Christmas) and spent a lot of time inserting as many references to my creation as possible all day ("Oh, just move the buche de noel over there... anyone up for a little slice of buche de noel? What do you think? Just a splinter? Buche, buche, buche?"), but really, I was very pleased with how it turned out!<br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-9440213314860182502010-12-21T07:17:00.000-08:002011-01-11T19:18:41.140-08:00Spicy Glazed Pecans Gift: Free Download!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQDrZHxOOGp_6cdG2z1q1AfPzmeVv_wUq9IYn5gjt2s6JA_PMaek9rF-GaFHB55PVnmeZpLIjipbkskR6Naq60Qwj018hHxWcoqPRwILT1J23KVcSo-dhTkKZmDbxyV7iZ98OgLD7pUE/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQDrZHxOOGp_6cdG2z1q1AfPzmeVv_wUq9IYn5gjt2s6JA_PMaek9rF-GaFHB55PVnmeZpLIjipbkskR6Naq60Qwj018hHxWcoqPRwILT1J23KVcSo-dhTkKZmDbxyV7iZ98OgLD7pUE/s400/IMG_0011.JPG" /></a> <br />
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I made these super yummy glazed pecans as a gift for my coworkers and neighbors. They turned out so well that I'm sharing the recipe and including the label as a free download!<br />
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First of all, make a batch of these delicious (and super easy!) pecan from Martha Stewart:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/tv/martha_stewart_show/show_photos/4051_4100//4062_121208_spicedpecans_l.jpg" /></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=ae78c768d2d1e110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true">Go to Martha Stewart for the recipe.</a><br />
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Below is a nice big double batch (all piled together -- you'll roast them in a single layer).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2u-vZIrhsneJ32h5EUXzw8Hxos7pKrd2E2xoKiW8AR4blsARww_BYALFhvkxCKIlW7tKHkbWan2KVDT7iPtMiVrxq3HeefSBX_bABR7q15XRKwndYbuk5foWgtK4-tVSRV2Lq3L4KdH0/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2u-vZIrhsneJ32h5EUXzw8Hxos7pKrd2E2xoKiW8AR4blsARww_BYALFhvkxCKIlW7tKHkbWan2KVDT7iPtMiVrxq3HeefSBX_bABR7q15XRKwndYbuk5foWgtK4-tVSRV2Lq3L4KdH0/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I packaged my pecans in cellophane bags that were 3.5" wide. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_ejX13eil6pODg5ZGE0NWEtY2ViYS00ZDlhLWFhOTktODk1Mjg0OWFmMTIx&hl=en&authkey=CLn0hO0D">Download my pdf of label</a>s:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimApV-g8Nro-WfjLuw4ouVNbPc5iGPCN5MAS_qNgAyKjvHsbmfafqrVd_nWxsTVehueup8s4IGtlrIemAZXL1pdxg4J1jaCGP3pnEsMmbvpfQ4mXu6FPGJf_cYJw_RO1YJHyHRyoN3mA/s400/labels+laid+up.jpg" width="308" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cut on the crop marks. Each label looks like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58pAD6FkKRpbbnOwHEEs_r2chigEh1sfkzPrINhinjUSuqIwV7KLrW-OHw8ziEBpDKrxs4bXHXHjfaocxxWt4gMFcepHgE6K3ycqxuNlqivrjpuh20VmJigYTr55C2vIPw8RYKNw6Y0A/s1600/label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58pAD6FkKRpbbnOwHEEs_r2chigEh1sfkzPrINhinjUSuqIwV7KLrW-OHw8ziEBpDKrxs4bXHXHjfaocxxWt4gMFcepHgE6K3ycqxuNlqivrjpuh20VmJigYTr55C2vIPw8RYKNw6Y0A/s320/label.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fold in half. The back will be white, leaving a nice place for a personal message.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The cute snowman graphic is from here: <a href="http://www.vecteezy.com/Holiday-Seasonal/743-Free-Christmas-Themed-Sketchy-Vector-Graphics-Pack">http://www.vecteezy.com/Holiday-Seasonal/743-Free-Christmas-Themed-Sketchy-Vector-Graphics-Pack</a> Free download! Love the generous web! And it's a vector-based image, so I was able to easily lop off his arms, which didn't work with the design (sorry, snowman!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Staple over the folded top of the filled bags (I put about a cup of nuts in each bag below).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5ILRElcScuu0Uq0Fw9VuTJh-NS0pXfQftkqeTt09C68Bi1AroLz3zwTDbi5lVHqfHHASsVKierupDAaj-ifT6xSPr492j6tAvbFhiD_DI4KakSVoKGfCmpM0d6K1LBdh7k6TklSox-c/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5ILRElcScuu0Uq0Fw9VuTJh-NS0pXfQftkqeTt09C68Bi1AroLz3zwTDbi5lVHqfHHASsVKierupDAaj-ifT6xSPr492j6tAvbFhiD_DI4KakSVoKGfCmpM0d6K1LBdh7k6TklSox-c/s400/IMG_0010.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5ILRElcScuu0Uq0Fw9VuTJh-NS0pXfQftkqeTt09C68Bi1AroLz3zwTDbi5lVHqfHHASsVKierupDAaj-ifT6xSPr492j6tAvbFhiD_DI4KakSVoKGfCmpM0d6K1LBdh7k6TklSox-c/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A great little gift! Enjoy!</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-71841974840936989542010-12-15T21:33:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:33:18.992-08:00Christmas Riddler: A Holiday Papercraft!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIso0H37Wvj6KpEda6HWhkqfeIiWSELxoI1GEs7VQkEb4KE7tN-61Tu_M-VMI1jBTSa7rdzYAi8BU-1pfE3xMQF8qBVyjfV-v84bcQvaggTwc7NiPbEpLZaeqsoCz1bdLTDA4PJhqIh8o/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIso0H37Wvj6KpEda6HWhkqfeIiWSELxoI1GEs7VQkEb4KE7tN-61Tu_M-VMI1jBTSa7rdzYAi8BU-1pfE3xMQF8qBVyjfV-v84bcQvaggTwc7NiPbEpLZaeqsoCz1bdLTDA4PJhqIh8o/s400/IMG_0020.JPG" /></a><br />
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<div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;">Some people call them fortune tellers. Some knew them as cootie catchers. Whatever you called them, these fun little origami toys were a mainstay of my grade school days.<br />
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And now, they're a cute little holiday gift!<br />
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I've filled this version with groaningly bad Christmas-themed riddles. They're truly terrible, but they're kind of jokes that my little boys would hoot at. I'm going to make them for all the little neighborhood kids. Super economical and easy to boot!<br />
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The pdf is available to download and all the instructions are included below!<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_ejX13eil6pNGFlNjRkMjUtNGQ5OS00NDI2LWE0ZWMtNGQ1YTg1ZGJkYmE3&hl=en&authkey=CMbys7MP">Download the pdf template now.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_ejX13eil6pNGFlNjRkMjUtNGQ5OS00NDI2LWE0ZWMtNGQ1YTg1ZGJkYmE3&hl=en&authkey=CMbys7MP"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Wv1n5C6wm3gL-Tz0Sxk8LRrr5AwJgou2ws8-QCGIcZImm5-7deAVF19r7SJZN4FSLJp3zObKm2z5-jOX3YAFqfRNF8j8WJ2idCJmXBmWS7AsDOeO7Uf7YSqjEoEXRNcMmJUYyGOVhBs/s400/christmas+riddler.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Print the pdf out on regular weight paper (not cardstock).<br />
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If you don't remember how to fold these from when you were a kid, it's surprisingly simple. Just follow along with the images below.<br />
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First cut the excess paper off the edges of the design, using the crop marks (the crop marks extend all the way to the edges of the paper -- I find it easier to use a paper cutter for trimming when I do this). Do this carefully! If you are precise this paper toy will work better! You should end up with a perfect square.<br />
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First, fold the square diagonally, corner to corner. Unfold. Then fold diagonally, corner to corner the OTHER way. Unfold. This will give you two creases that will clearly show the exact middle of the square.<br />
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Fold each corner to this middle point. Turn it over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDODQQ06_j4eqnv1X1EE-x7RXeUY_x8s0YvX89NL8UllDPUjgLPXnuD0wsz4SLxGColQlJPtzVTSxwyCvHIhqpH_pSrIXey1UtfGJgJgyNN0L_8DsrKSsZDpaK1j_z2_dUj2y6fEuaTg/s1600/100CANON1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDODQQ06_j4eqnv1X1EE-x7RXeUY_x8s0YvX89NL8UllDPUjgLPXnuD0wsz4SLxGColQlJPtzVTSxwyCvHIhqpH_pSrIXey1UtfGJgJgyNN0L_8DsrKSsZDpaK1j_z2_dUj2y6fEuaTg/s400/100CANON1.jpg" /></a> <br />
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As before, carefully fold each corner to the middle of the square, as shown in the images below.<br />
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When you are done, fold the item in half, as shown in the middle image below (not diagonally). Unfold and fold in half the other way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToXHkHY61VxrN3Y1mGOdiELhiZ-gtXIMfzLOVovPTzImGI0X1mWWQRqJmSWuR3kcugU0-4-SAtUUAP9B9bZIHzuuB4t6veUbTzLN2V3QZgAMYEZwVGVILk6Tw_SJcdd1uj5KHp-Y9r9g/s1600/100CANON2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToXHkHY61VxrN3Y1mGOdiELhiZ-gtXIMfzLOVovPTzImGI0X1mWWQRqJmSWuR3kcugU0-4-SAtUUAP9B9bZIHzuuB4t6veUbTzLN2V3QZgAMYEZwVGVILk6Tw_SJcdd1uj5KHp-Y9r9g/s400/100CANON2.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Put your fingers in the hollows under the "Ho" corners. Work the creases so it looks like the last two images above. Flip it over and you're done!<br />
<br />
Insert your thumbs and index fingers of both hands (not as shown below -- I had to hold the camera with one hand!) and alternately open the riddler first one way then the other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJsZuoOsJ_yJM8ZhRkuLnC6lXSxP7d6pGypQtcmuYlP82x5g95Xc1RJ5mWQL6TUHfaHBGAqgJ6o3dWywSkQio1Hxp3TykRY3STU5ApAAavmwG6eOAAUFbRvkcifnRjM-Ma8DAaHNMwSE/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJsZuoOsJ_yJM8ZhRkuLnC6lXSxP7d6pGypQtcmuYlP82x5g95Xc1RJ5mWQL6TUHfaHBGAqgJ6o3dWywSkQio1Hxp3TykRY3STU5ApAAavmwG6eOAAUFbRvkcifnRjM-Ma8DAaHNMwSE/s400/IMG_0019.JPG" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
<br />
Ask the child their age and open open the riddler that many times. Then ask the child one of the riddles that appear.<br />
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Get ready for fun!<br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-28946409954233763642010-10-30T15:32:00.000-07:002010-10-30T15:32:36.344-07:00Skeleton InvitationsI love Halloween.<br />
<br />
And I love Martha Stewart (I can't help it, she has such clever ideas).<br />
<br />
Throw in some papercrafts and, well, I'm completely yours!<br />
<br />
I love these <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/invitations-to-dread?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/halloween-cards-and-invitations">skeleton invitations from Martha Stewart</a>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/ms_living/2008Q4//mld104111_1008_skeleton_l.jpg" /></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I downloaded the wonderful template and made some cute cards to share with the neighborhood kids:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wwtlXWWkYgWVQNpb42hd0MpVuyjAoLRHPncCFK0jdXLh6HvqB0GLsymR48NpZNmXHNUrHuq4vBWls424G3RFNBXjvN0mXX0x5ETom-YSf4jszR4QP35ZjXvBdNv5qZuUZklz1aCZ9Dk/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wwtlXWWkYgWVQNpb42hd0MpVuyjAoLRHPncCFK0jdXLh6HvqB0GLsymR48NpZNmXHNUrHuq4vBWls424G3RFNBXjvN0mXX0x5ETom-YSf4jszR4QP35ZjXvBdNv5qZuUZklz1aCZ9Dk/s400/IMG_0010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
I LOVE them! I love how you pull him out of a regular #10 envelope and he unfolds to an unexpectedly large, gangly size...<br />
<br />
The boys just ran around the neighborhood delivering these... if you'd like to make your own, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/invitations-to-dread?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/halloween-cards-and-invitations">check out the page on Martha's site</a>.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-66914862554793812472010-08-30T06:52:00.000-07:002010-08-30T06:52:41.978-07:00Carved pencil leads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.designspongeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/dalton-ghetti-amazing-pencil-art-1_RyRWx_11446.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.designspongeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/dalton-ghetti-amazing-pencil-art-1_RyRWx_11446.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div><br />
<br />
These carved pencil leads are amazing!<br />
<br />
See more of Dalton Ghetti's work here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/08/dalton-ghetti.html">http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/08/dalton-ghetti.html</a><br />
<br />
and here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.silvermineart.org/gallery/exhibition_detail.cfm?exhibitionID=119">http://www.silvermineart.org/gallery/exhibition_detail.cfm?exhibitionID=119</a>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-65842697604788985522010-08-03T19:58:00.000-07:002010-08-03T20:02:21.137-07:00Customer Spotlight: Shannon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjJ8uI9CEPZedevKsDQ6m5Ia-_wCiL_fhSwXEsChTyXnB4qbCBHTRHGA4FrYKpWRehTVKRaiTeczVxVVEAOTLByAPFKLhdCQv5iQje4HSxcQGrR5ZbPZ1HWi2uwu7TvoCwcT43w2T5Qg/s1600/knight+party.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjJ8uI9CEPZedevKsDQ6m5Ia-_wCiL_fhSwXEsChTyXnB4qbCBHTRHGA4FrYKpWRehTVKRaiTeczVxVVEAOTLByAPFKLhdCQv5iQje4HSxcQGrR5ZbPZ1HWi2uwu7TvoCwcT43w2T5Qg/s400/knight+party.jpg" /></a> <br />
<br />
Constantine is Shannon's son and such a lucky kid! When she decided on a Knight theme for his birthday, she went all out!<br />
<br />
See the photos she so kindly shared with me of the fabulous medieval party in the park she put together. Constantine's costume, cupcake toppers, bouncy castle... everything for a perfect party! Shannon made the felt swords and shields, tiaras, wands and painted the little wooden knights -- amazing!<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45714549/medieval-knight-birthday-party">My Knight invitations</a> had been sent out before the party, setting the tone for the event:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45714549/medieval-knight-birthday-party"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN8ov6oB3rOFLKgHnrOGoEL6kijkKQVjFG5P7foQTzlcDryA9MBgRHwhcrvSsuVqGFwmI2RkRQhrYhcaGcsa6lFex6BimKa0Iit9TKUFM4tKs-ihYtbXY7NUZG_eS4QuHhP6ZBzcS1gw/s320/front+holding.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And, afterward, guests received a personalized thank you note:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8UVvSzpE5P36Z8Q2-6CjCUPt8JpCaWGmnWtgvqqCISJ6ueZLTPlAa2VUtOfotxSapae5y6ABYTKSk_3hilGYJ4wOBKaTFlD4uO4zsO9Y6VpIWv20TnnwKEad4DIKvdcmYX5DEUtfEDA/s1600/IMG_8455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8UVvSzpE5P36Z8Q2-6CjCUPt8JpCaWGmnWtgvqqCISJ6ueZLTPlAa2VUtOfotxSapae5y6ABYTKSk_3hilGYJ4wOBKaTFlD4uO4zsO9Y6VpIWv20TnnwKEad4DIKvdcmYX5DEUtfEDA/s320/IMG_8455.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Fun!<br />
<br />
Thanks for sharing your photos, Shannon!<br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-71546750363945181892010-07-27T05:48:00.000-07:002010-07-27T05:48:36.655-07:00Dragon Cards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNUoKjFJIhTM4kZg9JxE8hHurTyUJzCdhD740WX8uOYJeEcsLG78BCt55pj-NjwO-oYijo8UqB6zplhjWbmMAv5mMONj61TTZqOS5Ecqt6UNwAkdW88-Qd3WoYtV3nwiFzj0PR0zOqt0/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNUoKjFJIhTM4kZg9JxE8hHurTyUJzCdhD740WX8uOYJeEcsLG78BCt55pj-NjwO-oYijo8UqB6zplhjWbmMAv5mMONj61TTZqOS5Ecqt6UNwAkdW88-Qd3WoYtV3nwiFzj0PR0zOqt0/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
Sometimes a biggish order can be a little overwhelming. I had an order of 60 custom dragon invitations to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31v2WJ4CRBNzQHdi_LoU8B00GpAE9BRfgOCQGFOVTSNOrV5WCdWw2LpvY5c_aom7lyuyn1Ss9AmmPSnaAySUz4Hm3LuOjVDwVpi9iB1YLKgjchGARfgp8rS0uJ_djWEA7ZrTEIBEu7Dk/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31v2WJ4CRBNzQHdi_LoU8B00GpAE9BRfgOCQGFOVTSNOrV5WCdWw2LpvY5c_aom7lyuyn1Ss9AmmPSnaAySUz4Hm3LuOjVDwVpi9iB1YLKgjchGARfgp8rS0uJ_djWEA7ZrTEIBEu7Dk/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
The most tedious and exacting part of the project is cutting out all the pieces. Everything needs to be cut out just right, otherwise they don't pass muster and must be reprinted and recut.<br />
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The card stock has to be scored -- I love a nice, clean crease.<br />
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Below are all the pieces (finally!) all cut and ready for assembly (my favorite part of the process).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaQO54CrYWU4P9j4WgUFc0ZYRRjpVeKA_g5Mceway92eMev3dbdeEWCtJIZ7npX94OCiJZ9_peQN3o2bm71nlEn6_FyYH8vo-FLFcKLokfrTLhDyNtkhIYnMuvmybEHsDgoZaL5fHlpI/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaQO54CrYWU4P9j4WgUFc0ZYRRjpVeKA_g5Mceway92eMev3dbdeEWCtJIZ7npX94OCiJZ9_peQN3o2bm71nlEn6_FyYH8vo-FLFcKLokfrTLhDyNtkhIYnMuvmybEHsDgoZaL5fHlpI/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
After that, everything goes together pretty quickly!<br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-74842193811086240092010-07-19T21:38:00.000-07:002010-07-21T08:55:28.948-07:00Community!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KysbvD1PYdKblqqcM1SXutUTwZQf54ZiEuunS7_Z5EFzxSxJyA_N4uVHyYSQNmlRut2fnd3RRpTWxwPFPz1d5_gLlsAeuvCce-XGAh1scyGP58l54WT3VcUSbOIuPUcIdI7koCsZH74/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KysbvD1PYdKblqqcM1SXutUTwZQf54ZiEuunS7_Z5EFzxSxJyA_N4uVHyYSQNmlRut2fnd3RRpTWxwPFPz1d5_gLlsAeuvCce-XGAh1scyGP58l54WT3VcUSbOIuPUcIdI7koCsZH74/s400/IMG_0031.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
A few years ago, I gathered up contact information for all the neighbors (well, the ones I knew and liked) and put together a little directory.<br />
<br />
Prior to that, there were people that I had chatted with for years whose last names I didn't even know (okay, I was even fuzzy on a lot of first names).<br />
<br />
Thus was born the neighborhood directory!<br />
<br />
The first edition was a great success and, I think, helped to bring some of us a little closer together. With email addresses at our fingertips, it was very easy to make plans for gatherings. I could call someone up if I was short a cup of sugar. The neighborhood teenager became easier to engage for date nights. Addresses helped us match names to faces.<br />
<br />
So two years later, it was time for a new edition -- people had come and gone and our tight circle was expanding.<br />
<br />
<div 1em;="" class="separator" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5VapLwwvw3RMXIvBN08cFtoqhhKRd3dKYVN92YbV7sdA3Fup2Rq2H7JnfmPjGsH2_SEqkbH8-MPvUL8MZJGofsP6uwH8M8Oko-K-kRX4ukXZcUlKISliTSzB5nwK8HX5rPfHbqSUlcU/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" margin-right:="" style="clear: both;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5VapLwwvw3RMXIvBN08cFtoqhhKRd3dKYVN92YbV7sdA3Fup2Rq2H7JnfmPjGsH2_SEqkbH8-MPvUL8MZJGofsP6uwH8M8Oko-K-kRX4ukXZcUlKISliTSzB5nwK8HX5rPfHbqSUlcU/s400/IMG_0034.JPG" width="400" /></div><div 1em;="" class="separator" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5VapLwwvw3RMXIvBN08cFtoqhhKRd3dKYVN92YbV7sdA3Fup2Rq2H7JnfmPjGsH2_SEqkbH8-MPvUL8MZJGofsP6uwH8M8Oko-K-kRX4ukXZcUlKISliTSzB5nwK8HX5rPfHbqSUlcU/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" margin-right:="" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div 1em;="" class="separator" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5VapLwwvw3RMXIvBN08cFtoqhhKRd3dKYVN92YbV7sdA3Fup2Rq2H7JnfmPjGsH2_SEqkbH8-MPvUL8MZJGofsP6uwH8M8Oko-K-kRX4ukXZcUlKISliTSzB5nwK8HX5rPfHbqSUlcU/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" margin-right:="" style="clear: both;">Of course, I can't show you the actual information -- that would be a bit of a violation! But on the real directories I included names, address, phone number, email address, cell numbers and names of kids and pets.</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W1XYLexl39-2jbiSwtWv1TThlTI0Ee5fCgcuSCFsnG8olhEQqMUrYJ78_E5bbSbCIGc54lh6dhm8CCiI0xnR_vXlgjtH3q5GadbQIJ-rjesBa2afcYEuoEGMYMpWZ3HYoklXBEyFgA0/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_W1XYLexl39-2jbiSwtWv1TThlTI0Ee5fCgcuSCFsnG8olhEQqMUrYJ78_E5bbSbCIGc54lh6dhm8CCiI0xnR_vXlgjtH3q5GadbQIJ-rjesBa2afcYEuoEGMYMpWZ3HYoklXBEyFgA0/s400/IMG_0032.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
On the back, I included some handy local information as well as a little map of the neighborhood (the shaded areas are participating neighbors).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqxa_veU1HwSMPbCNgqHqNubkCfVfUCIrdxT02xuKkQN7sVQEFn7iqHPRRXMnAHcs_1HkVsvpSRsEx8pj2kB-JFUKl9uhidGWBAWw5MJfilOo2XqxnxOcEztudjjP78Pbirmk1qN99cY/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqxa_veU1HwSMPbCNgqHqNubkCfVfUCIrdxT02xuKkQN7sVQEFn7iqHPRRXMnAHcs_1HkVsvpSRsEx8pj2kB-JFUKl9uhidGWBAWw5MJfilOo2XqxnxOcEztudjjP78Pbirmk1qN99cY/s400/IMG_0033.JPG" /></a> <br />
<br />
The "guts" with much of the information. I tried in vain to find a stapler with a long enough reach to staple these, but was never successful. Luckily I remembered <a href="http://mollyleecards.blogspot.com/2010/02/make-little-sketchbook-with-greeting.html">my own tutorial about stab binding </a>and my ginormous spool of gorgeous baker's twine. It was really easy and is so much cuter than staples!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglt3Gj2fvjak76Q14gCbfJZYsrTXz2kV1QwydPQ3GZgWSpkSS3ZueVGEg2tWOxAw2yX2iGpBJNfHfcD1W2o4UKgOPGWC4uOT7Vd9LxWW6W8yucrrfW-r5bK4bkGkSqVRvxEIQh26ujrxk/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG"></a><br />
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<div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i=""><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied497Kds6E2CedSBFL0POjVTCXNKeYZJ63Ab3mx_iR2MsMx7u3C7f8YDInPmowbXn_C-H2CUimprMkEkLjRUopKTSxZt3sKewltg34cnmQXnTUegWlIn3iZByAOae2GZEnRVjn-m3vow/s400/IMG_0035.JPG" width="400" /></div><div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i=""><br />
</div><div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i="">On the backs I hot glued a magnet, making it handy to keep on the fridge.</div><div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i=""><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__RvneC4irbEO8XpvcXSjs2UfFU8fSPmxXzKT9xdLgQZIBlmJTMMq3FiytwPKtvN3OY5IkPMIWssbkXpDC9MveDrysaUh9ppphduldK_A5kA69T59UBcohn39JMOajMzWsubTSCdedPw/s1600/IMG_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__RvneC4irbEO8XpvcXSjs2UfFU8fSPmxXzKT9xdLgQZIBlmJTMMq3FiytwPKtvN3OY5IkPMIWssbkXpDC9MveDrysaUh9ppphduldK_A5kA69T59UBcohn39JMOajMzWsubTSCdedPw/s400/IMG_0036.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i=""><br />
</div><div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i="">It was a fun little mini project! The boys and I delivered them tonight and they were very well received!</div><div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i=""><br />
</div><div 1.bp.blogspot.com="" 9hwzu5auo6s="" _0okdbu96xmo="" aaaaaaaacri="" class="separator" http:="" imageanchor="1" img_0035.jpg?="" s1600="" style="clear: both;" teunh5pqn5i="">Let the community-building begin!</div><br />
</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-61898533540993136622010-06-26T19:27:00.000-07:002010-06-26T19:44:14.717-07:0050th Wedding Anniversary Invitations just about done!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9XGIkcahXx5CwiKGG6BVksz6SEtvryWt2hwPm-I36VzeF6p9p0E0WOe4PdU0OxnrYiJKbPjYJmghv7vmWXssObXUzy10FzpTJuoqBWlqeaXrYkYEPbIjrB_nC3zgUyjGJphznklrrkI/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9XGIkcahXx5CwiKGG6BVksz6SEtvryWt2hwPm-I36VzeF6p9p0E0WOe4PdU0OxnrYiJKbPjYJmghv7vmWXssObXUzy10FzpTJuoqBWlqeaXrYkYEPbIjrB_nC3zgUyjGJphznklrrkI/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am getting serious about finalizing the invitations for my in-law's 50th wedding anniversary. This is my current final, final draft, awaiting final tweaks and approval.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Guests will open the white square envelopes to see a photo of honeymoon-bound teenagers with the inscription: "John and Mary Lou. The First 50 Years." It's meant to look like a record sleeve.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJGwZkoC9O64tmHhBYpV17yjPEpw70AgFUZccySoYuKajwGW-_lWWi3sQVnFyl_AOEm3sEgmRY3ncKCr1jq03ELiP7hB_KaNiYN3OxBf7sow8NldE4g1ttIqU6-PNdBgjDVyJG4ME_JA/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJGwZkoC9O64tmHhBYpV17yjPEpw70AgFUZccySoYuKajwGW-_lWWi3sQVnFyl_AOEm3sEgmRY3ncKCr1jq03ELiP7hB_KaNiYN3OxBf7sow8NldE4g1ttIqU6-PNdBgjDVyJG4ME_JA/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJGwZkoC9O64tmHhBYpV17yjPEpw70AgFUZccySoYuKajwGW-_lWWi3sQVnFyl_AOEm3sEgmRY3ncKCr1jq03ELiP7hB_KaNiYN3OxBf7sow8NldE4g1ttIqU6-PNdBgjDVyJG4ME_JA/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Flip it over and they'll see a present-day photo of their entire brood (that's me in the middle in the red). Their "greatest hits" include the major milestones of their marriage disguised as song titles. For instance, "Double Wedding Bells ('98)" was the year two of their boys were married (one of them to me). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJGwZkoC9O64tmHhBYpV17yjPEpw70AgFUZccySoYuKajwGW-_lWWi3sQVnFyl_AOEm3sEgmRY3ncKCr1jq03ELiP7hB_KaNiYN3OxBf7sow8NldE4g1ttIqU6-PNdBgjDVyJG4ME_JA/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUf_7tBRZuEoQyMWnjA9TIlwaxyL6ZwAi9REEnX6Tnz1KlEbKRcXl4a0zPFYHSUYjPeFU_ZfrYpQk_3g_-hTOzX2NUs0CVGA7qJQQuKWwjZxUpUrLOsyqkU0vuTeYIuTKcgIkUyruenE/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUf_7tBRZuEoQyMWnjA9TIlwaxyL6ZwAi9REEnX6Tnz1KlEbKRcXl4a0zPFYHSUYjPeFU_ZfrYpQk_3g_-hTOzX2NUs0CVGA7qJQQuKWwjZxUpUrLOsyqkU0vuTeYIuTKcgIkUyruenE/s320/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To the right of their greatest hits is a traditionally laid out invitation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcB-yET1yM37H0luqldGQCbEQG2lC3QlxcH-bYWP-p5jzVZRp8GFJDz3e0IViGGs48X0n1138b6wkYhj92fpJB6jraWp4vUxMHpFycQj6g4I3X0pEo4VAr-r4rm3jqivsNsWG6iMW4j8/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcB-yET1yM37H0luqldGQCbEQG2lC3QlxcH-bYWP-p5jzVZRp8GFJDz3e0IViGGs48X0n1138b6wkYhj92fpJB6jraWp4vUxMHpFycQj6g4I3X0pEo4VAr-r4rm3jqivsNsWG6iMW4j8/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcB-yET1yM37H0luqldGQCbEQG2lC3QlxcH-bYWP-p5jzVZRp8GFJDz3e0IViGGs48X0n1138b6wkYhj92fpJB6jraWp4vUxMHpFycQj6g4I3X0pEo4VAr-r4rm3jqivsNsWG6iMW4j8/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcB-yET1yM37H0luqldGQCbEQG2lC3QlxcH-bYWP-p5jzVZRp8GFJDz3e0IViGGs48X0n1138b6wkYhj92fpJB6jraWp4vUxMHpFycQj6g4I3X0pEo4VAr-r4rm3jqivsNsWG6iMW4j8/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">People will notice that this is a sleeve in which is enclosed the record invitation.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyOd4vNuOaJ7Mk0Si2b03XaHNHmv7jBQWbgQbLqflFTc6cqeHnr2VJwxoAW1YAQv-q0KbmUZCi7jjLjuzN3pyHuAeGURE0wwcKNf3itJDzBmAAqfysfX2XueoUYgiLmvMWVZ0fbAF0E/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyOd4vNuOaJ7Mk0Si2b03XaHNHmv7jBQWbgQbLqflFTc6cqeHnr2VJwxoAW1YAQv-q0KbmUZCi7jjLjuzN3pyHuAeGURE0wwcKNf3itJDzBmAAqfysfX2XueoUYgiLmvMWVZ0fbAF0E/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyOd4vNuOaJ7Mk0Si2b03XaHNHmv7jBQWbgQbLqflFTc6cqeHnr2VJwxoAW1YAQv-q0KbmUZCi7jjLjuzN3pyHuAeGURE0wwcKNf3itJDzBmAAqfysfX2XueoUYgiLmvMWVZ0fbAF0E/s320/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyOd4vNuOaJ7Mk0Si2b03XaHNHmv7jBQWbgQbLqflFTc6cqeHnr2VJwxoAW1YAQv-q0KbmUZCi7jjLjuzN3pyHuAeGURE0wwcKNf3itJDzBmAAqfysfX2XueoUYgiLmvMWVZ0fbAF0E/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyOd4vNuOaJ7Mk0Si2b03XaHNHmv7jBQWbgQbLqflFTc6cqeHnr2VJwxoAW1YAQv-q0KbmUZCi7jjLjuzN3pyHuAeGURE0wwcKNf3itJDzBmAAqfysfX2XueoUYgiLmvMWVZ0fbAF0E/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's meant to look like an old time 45 record album of their last big hit "Return to the Scene of the Crime." Since they have chosen to renew their vows at the same little church where it all began, they have been jokingly referring to the celebration as returning to the scene of the crime.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you rotate the record, the red arrow points to "Who" "What" "Why" etc and information appears in the cut out window.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYoIY8IVY8gko2JX82oy3g503nXJ0dwS8k0nRF24vAXZuLqK7nKeR_AIzqNlPb4zqEDnDDgqCFxeicBeoZ3uczJtIU8Re2S1aITjq8Y6d9xpw2-zJiWrGn1FZg4FznaTp81nNkHx_axI/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYoIY8IVY8gko2JX82oy3g503nXJ0dwS8k0nRF24vAXZuLqK7nKeR_AIzqNlPb4zqEDnDDgqCFxeicBeoZ3uczJtIU8Re2S1aITjq8Y6d9xpw2-zJiWrGn1FZg4FznaTp81nNkHx_axI/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYoIY8IVY8gko2JX82oy3g503nXJ0dwS8k0nRF24vAXZuLqK7nKeR_AIzqNlPb4zqEDnDDgqCFxeicBeoZ3uczJtIU8Re2S1aITjq8Y6d9xpw2-zJiWrGn1FZg4FznaTp81nNkHx_axI/s320/IMG_0008.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">RSVP postcards are included in a complementary color scheme.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CpwyWN18Ve5p8MjpW6DiQUsWI4O9sfA7GAthU-F9h8F8rZJ7G9qStWQ3yU0UFI6EA1AWmnGYNUh_RYzn2drV7vEXQN2V4d-JBS1DeX23jXmmPY9Sg1Ib75ybujagdXq6h1rm_wvTjN0/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CpwyWN18Ve5p8MjpW6DiQUsWI4O9sfA7GAthU-F9h8F8rZJ7G9qStWQ3yU0UFI6EA1AWmnGYNUh_RYzn2drV7vEXQN2V4d-JBS1DeX23jXmmPY9Sg1Ib75ybujagdXq6h1rm_wvTjN0/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CpwyWN18Ve5p8MjpW6DiQUsWI4O9sfA7GAthU-F9h8F8rZJ7G9qStWQ3yU0UFI6EA1AWmnGYNUh_RYzn2drV7vEXQN2V4d-JBS1DeX23jXmmPY9Sg1Ib75ybujagdXq6h1rm_wvTjN0/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">And, in lieu of gifts, the happy couple would prefer that people fill a book with happy memories and wishes from friends. A paper band gives instructions to people to write something special on the sheets and return them at the celebration (or mail them, if not attending). The sheets will be bound into a book.</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-89529679326001657492010-06-16T06:33:00.000-07:002010-06-16T06:33:11.879-07:00Hey Cancer Card Featured in MommyMishMash<a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.150581746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.150581746.jpg" width="320" /></a><div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://mommymishmash.com/2010/06/hey-cancer-take-that/">Katy, of MommyMishMa</a>sh, contacted me for three of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/49183130/hey-cancer-take-that-animated-card">my Cancer Cards</a>. </div><div><br />
</div><div>While I hate the idea that someone would need to place a quantity order of this particular card, I am glad that the empowering message can bring a little needed levity to someone in a tough situation.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Check out her blog, with <a href="http://mommymishmash.com/2010/06/hey-cancer-take-that/">a nice feature about the cards</a>:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://mommymishmash.com/2010/06/hey-cancer-take-that/"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1-9WxtaoUP_ckm4CJ0IIF6vRnBwSV7qWBGeyN3UfROF9_YY4oVC3R5QIvPtTW0at2W8J81NGXpi1hp-_haJXnRpKndIc44xFVdZHcZEEdWXhFhU4avOw_zdS5W-UnlP2cJANEm_fNtY/s400/mommymishmash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-60787363116700365122010-06-03T05:40:00.000-07:002010-06-03T19:11:46.339-07:00Cowboy InvitationsBefore I got a Craft Robo or even a handy ATG gun, I had an X-acto knife and a glue stick...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyWZmTbrXOwxMhfvwg3LzM7x93jbZnzFG4gVNAfDCxSIjUz7eELsjVoNL3MeBPZuDYcaa8SS2SFYCPOxN9mLgGepn-NMoRx6tVthJ_7NebNIADOEhD3eSPjKokDib2s9od0mGOn3eoEA/s1600/P1000983.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyWZmTbrXOwxMhfvwg3LzM7x93jbZnzFG4gVNAfDCxSIjUz7eELsjVoNL3MeBPZuDYcaa8SS2SFYCPOxN9mLgGepn-NMoRx6tVthJ_7NebNIADOEhD3eSPjKokDib2s9od0mGOn3eoEA/s400/P1000983.JPG" /></a> <br />
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The boys wanted a cowboy-themed party for their fourth birthday and I contrived this somewhat over-elaborate invitation.<br />
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As you pulled the tab on the right, the bucking bronco and cowpoke rode across the desert. At the same time, information about the party was revealed on the tab.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YLfMTSSOqKF4Y0RZ5P8MZLM5jr4U3lpPAsN4eX7UpUS9PdYqfU3yKf-OOSwISwnq8QV-WoGCsT7BD4bF2JQKygoe4hpwu2nv7YAhUCQCsoCas9NJi6giH-CsTQv9Nmj3OO8kXxMS_hk/s1600/P1000984.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YLfMTSSOqKF4Y0RZ5P8MZLM5jr4U3lpPAsN4eX7UpUS9PdYqfU3yKf-OOSwISwnq8QV-WoGCsT7BD4bF2JQKygoe4hpwu2nv7YAhUCQCsoCas9NJi6giH-CsTQv9Nmj3OO8kXxMS_hk/s400/P1000984.JPG" /></a> <br />
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In retrospect, it wasn't a bad invitation, really! The tab's a little stiff and could use some work, but it was pretty cute back then...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx44QcIhzDiwNpvGzKsk6pwUo6-r8pwJBk6-X6OcuYoLcKoUaJYyOK3xM6z2bsdMwkhxfaaTYWOU35mApldCKa2RGSEh97dDlpF2kjRN1EyDmLz2IarvcJ1j9IA1Z97OyRgweCIkEqETI/s1600/P1000986.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx44QcIhzDiwNpvGzKsk6pwUo6-r8pwJBk6-X6OcuYoLcKoUaJYyOK3xM6z2bsdMwkhxfaaTYWOU35mApldCKa2RGSEh97dDlpF2kjRN1EyDmLz2IarvcJ1j9IA1Z97OyRgweCIkEqETI/s400/P1000986.JPG" /></a><br />
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I got a kick out of finding old Lone Ranger comic art and substituting my own quotes in place of the Lone Ranger and Tonto's conversation for their thank you notes....Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-21125882871777789602010-05-28T07:23:00.000-07:002010-05-28T07:23:31.746-07:00Hot Dog!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">June's just around the corner and with summer coming, I can't help but want... a party! Tad's gamely letting us host a little barbecue/potluck next month, to bring the neighbors together. We'll also celebrate the boys' 10th birthday party.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSXXiLiYJlolxgRgfaz-CBpmGCcmauobN77MhQYkCtA5keYTPf7i51pHsoZASeF7KvNJuqCJztQF5jGqjKUSh7bZGDX_VtdE1t6wH7U4N86U3T6ntCTv30gaF8T6_RhzOY39eu59A8l4/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSXXiLiYJlolxgRgfaz-CBpmGCcmauobN77MhQYkCtA5keYTPf7i51pHsoZASeF7KvNJuqCJztQF5jGqjKUSh7bZGDX_VtdE1t6wH7U4N86U3T6ntCTv30gaF8T6_RhzOY39eu59A8l4/s320/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We did the same thing last year -- a neighborhood food fest with a little "Happy Birthday" party in the middle. It was very low key and just felt right (as opposed to the big themed partyzilla with decorations, clowns, goody bags, etc. Okay, I'll admit, I have done the over-the-top parties myself, but as they are a little older now, it feels right to take it down a few notches)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86caI9yp4EtFDENjkGM2BQ2zrtaVoEtnQANpYPt5WwN8soM901PrlV3WZn1JYwnnSN5UhUVRcfbyK-9GRqtGKqDcPHtVd4vTagEv8bFEJ-3XRancMn9dyARXKcd8zXMtru4Osgd0vHbI/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86caI9yp4EtFDENjkGM2BQ2zrtaVoEtnQANpYPt5WwN8soM901PrlV3WZn1JYwnnSN5UhUVRcfbyK-9GRqtGKqDcPHtVd4vTagEv8bFEJ-3XRancMn9dyARXKcd8zXMtru4Osgd0vHbI/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">The hot dogs were my nod to frugality this year -- we're in the beginnings of a major home renovation, so we're a little budget conscious right now. The important thing, I think, will be getting together our friends and neighbors and having a good time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUEkPt9baRe5fwsPfUyYM_TSd_3BsTprs0o-kriwCXp6mGU_Mmu7YKi_yeMBe9vUblFDlDE-vJGxZgJ5PdOb6AjVH5C8ydNH-kspNDWkOwRONiMU1MbTm0BK7uiPKMPGRq3vDGqN7jEo/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUEkPt9baRe5fwsPfUyYM_TSd_3BsTprs0o-kriwCXp6mGU_Mmu7YKi_yeMBe9vUblFDlDE-vJGxZgJ5PdOb6AjVH5C8ydNH-kspNDWkOwRONiMU1MbTm0BK7uiPKMPGRq3vDGqN7jEo/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUEkPt9baRe5fwsPfUyYM_TSd_3BsTprs0o-kriwCXp6mGU_Mmu7YKi_yeMBe9vUblFDlDE-vJGxZgJ5PdOb6AjVH5C8ydNH-kspNDWkOwRONiMU1MbTm0BK7uiPKMPGRq3vDGqN7jEo/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUEkPt9baRe5fwsPfUyYM_TSd_3BsTprs0o-kriwCXp6mGU_Mmu7YKi_yeMBe9vUblFDlDE-vJGxZgJ5PdOb6AjVH5C8ydNH-kspNDWkOwRONiMU1MbTm0BK7uiPKMPGRq3vDGqN7jEo/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The invitations are a simple cutout, with the front piece pivoting away from the back on a brad.</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdai6mA-FWfJlSVoeX_OmrmbxVsdo-jKaviQxGg6Wi4iUgkWPwlosvISrKB_63g4H9cxLHCW6V6exCeHn38FsyScjq6CXmzJQN7NEnRjor2RPckYeM3l6TJ-Usxq6Yfub4N2WlV3SYt30/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdai6mA-FWfJlSVoeX_OmrmbxVsdo-jKaviQxGg6Wi4iUgkWPwlosvISrKB_63g4H9cxLHCW6V6exCeHn38FsyScjq6CXmzJQN7NEnRjor2RPckYeM3l6TJ-Usxq6Yfub4N2WlV3SYt30/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdai6mA-FWfJlSVoeX_OmrmbxVsdo-jKaviQxGg6Wi4iUgkWPwlosvISrKB_63g4H9cxLHCW6V6exCeHn38FsyScjq6CXmzJQN7NEnRjor2RPckYeM3l6TJ-Usxq6Yfub4N2WlV3SYt30/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The artwork was free.... I found it in a big book of clip art that I already own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Does anything say summer like a hot dog in an envelope?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGPVkzwbI3HtnL4KWKrbve878zty0SuGnWtHNPI8WdXH63y1aXUXdaaSJ1j_OROZzmt8qQRdSaXbwMtv9dDjv6hd2SWaS5468t8ZOxARH6mFXZIPnRE97rf-EF3C7RHxsPpRRP1ol1oM/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGPVkzwbI3HtnL4KWKrbve878zty0SuGnWtHNPI8WdXH63y1aXUXdaaSJ1j_OROZzmt8qQRdSaXbwMtv9dDjv6hd2SWaS5468t8ZOxARH6mFXZIPnRE97rf-EF3C7RHxsPpRRP1ol1oM/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGPVkzwbI3HtnL4KWKrbve878zty0SuGnWtHNPI8WdXH63y1aXUXdaaSJ1j_OROZzmt8qQRdSaXbwMtv9dDjv6hd2SWaS5468t8ZOxARH6mFXZIPnRE97rf-EF3C7RHxsPpRRP1ol1oM/s320/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These bright yellow envelopes were leftover from a long ago firetruck-themed party invitation I did for some friends. The sunny hues just scream SUMMER!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yay!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327644623001332335.post-20290762628789647632010-05-25T06:09:00.000-07:002010-05-25T06:09:00.458-07:00Mmmmm.... yummy twine!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIyU2w2cdIHm5OUBk0NNFuR4KActSOOLdYi_mmU0CBJI7DZdDL3tKg61xYWtGtbWw8GPofW2AOoojr2AMh792KQOChRK6SXwHdXdeiBRhd0IW7GJgf5MBgNM7M1hEnciL0hv0b1myfeA/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIyU2w2cdIHm5OUBk0NNFuR4KActSOOLdYi_mmU0CBJI7DZdDL3tKg61xYWtGtbWw8GPofW2AOoojr2AMh792KQOChRK6SXwHdXdeiBRhd0IW7GJgf5MBgNM7M1hEnciL0hv0b1myfeA/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a><br />
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Have you, like me, been seeing baker's twine EVERYWHERE?<br />
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Sure it's divine and oh-so-yummy, but what's the deal? It's just string, right? And the prices that I'm seeing for it just seem outrageous ($10 for 100 yards? $.30 a YARD???) Forget it!<br />
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Then I found the deal of a lifetime (and by lifetime, I mean I'll be using this spool for an entire lifetime!) at $9 for 3,200 yards!<br />
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CRAZY!<br />
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Of course, you have to spend almost that again for shipping, but still...<br />
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Get your own at: <a href="http://www.wesellcoffee.com/page79.html">http://www.wesellcoffee.com/page79.html</a><br />
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I plan to use this on EVERYTHING. I started with some new packaging for my card packages.<br />
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Check it out:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtswDOnL4OEVtLFkpgQaw_xiqfvTpS7RJ570Yl-enN2dHFxdlbBKPhmP6iNde7Yz-9WQsTG21afmA5A7akxo-6-66xhtx8-F8DR5KwbixFa5ARFcHaedyLONknRQVeopw9zl23DhX3sdA/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtswDOnL4OEVtLFkpgQaw_xiqfvTpS7RJ570Yl-enN2dHFxdlbBKPhmP6iNde7Yz-9WQsTG21afmA5A7akxo-6-66xhtx8-F8DR5KwbixFa5ARFcHaedyLONknRQVeopw9zl23DhX3sdA/s400/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a><br />
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I like the cheerful red and white twine against the natural brown tissue paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_S5PIiClM8xriQSIvapF9bKtmpig5OGnpYyUPgGDfX8J1k96mZUhIrL2J12d3ywVUrAt6y0Cyt-Q1jcbiF65G1kecAoEj2lACxAfp463UxgWpL7gxTEWI6SkkVhfAZhm1K8k_N3xxt8/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_S5PIiClM8xriQSIvapF9bKtmpig5OGnpYyUPgGDfX8J1k96mZUhIrL2J12d3ywVUrAt6y0Cyt-Q1jcbiF65G1kecAoEj2lACxAfp463UxgWpL7gxTEWI6SkkVhfAZhm1K8k_N3xxt8/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a> <br />
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What do you think?<br />
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<div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16020128804529545956noreply@blogger.com1