Hello Carpal Tunnel!

I know you all are thinking "Cry me a river!", but my arm and hands are so sore from cutting out all these stamps! So far I have cut out 23 of my new sets (213 stamps). I think I'll leave the last two unmounted until I need a pick me up that can only be cured by new rubber! I've really given these new Stampin Up Craft & Rubber Scissors a workout. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's fun, but they definitely beat any other scissor I've tried to cut stamps out with. I do have a blister on my knuckle from where the handles hit me wrong, but other than that I'm pleased as punch with my $20 investment. I'm about half way done mounting the stamps on the wood (12 sets done). Then I get to seal them all with clear fingernail polish. Uggh - but it will be worth it when I can finally play with them all!


I did take a break today and did the Ways To Use It challenge over on SCS. This challenge was to use Sahara Sand, which I really like, but seem to neglect. Since the month is getting close to half over and I haven't done my 10 Christmas cards for the 2007 Christmas Card Challenge, I thought I better get to work on a design. I've had this Wise men seek Him still stamp from Stampin Up's retired Inspirational Greetings set for ages and never used it because I didn't have the right stamp to go with it. While browsing over at stampington.com I just fell in love with Christine Adolph's Chrismas line and had to have this Wisemen Postcard stamp to go with my Wise Men sentiment.


To make the card, I started with a piece of Sahara Sand and stamped the Linen background in True Thyme. Then I stamped the Wisemen Postcard in Black Stazon and then stamped the splatter stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds in Sahara Sand over the top. I tore the edges and set aside. With a left over piece of the Sahara Sand with Linen, I stamped the Wise Men sentiment in black Stazon, cut out, punched with my ticket corner punch and matted with a 1/8" border on Basic Black CS. Next I stamped the Paisley background on Cranberry Crisp with the same color ink. Cut to size, layered on black, and then on the Sahara Sand card base. I intended to use black grosgrain ribbon, but my stash has been depleted, so I cut a strip of black, pierced holes using my new Stampin Up Mat Pack and used a white gel pen to do the faux stitching between the piercings. Next I glued the postcard piece down at an angle with mono adhesive and attached the faux ribbon strip. I then used my 1/8" hole punch to punch holes in the Wise Men sentiment piece and attached black Making Memories minibrads. Used small popdots to adhere to the center of the ribbon strip. The card is a little smaller than the usual size, to accommodate some great new envelopes a friend sent me.