I am a Christmas card designing machine

I have been working diligently on new designs for the stamp camp coming up. Check out the slideshow of all the design choices. Christmas cards are just so inspiring...

Preparing your new TAC stamps

I love my TAC stamps and so will you but first we've got to get them ready for you to use. They have come in a regular bulky plactic case. There is the rubber sheet with the images and a sheet of Creative Cling to match.
First off, we index our stamps. This means you will be putting the image on the cling side of the Creative Cling. Lay the sheet of rubber with images on a flat surface. Use black ink(I prefer StazOn ink because of the super fast drying time, other black inks will need about an hour to dry on the Creative Cling surface). Ink up the image. Peel off the white paper on the cling side which is the smooth side. Each rubber sheet has a 4 digit number in one of the corners. Use this corner as your guide. Lay the Creative Cling smooth side down on top of the inked up rubber sheet using the numbered corner as your starting point. Pull off the Creative Cling, clean rubber sheet.
Secondly, you will attach the Creative Cling to your rubber sheet. Use the numbered corner to match up the rubber sheet image with the stamped image on the Creative Cling.
And finally you are ready to cut the rubber sheet. Cut with the rubber image facing up so you won't accidently cut into the rubber image. Cut with straight lines as close to image as possible. Do not undercut the Creative Cling which means you are angling your scissors under the rubber image! Keep your scissors straight up and down or angled outward.
You can store them in notebooks or CD cases. Please do not store on Acetate sheets!!!
I personally use the CD cases. You must buy the regular size CD cases and take out the inserts, then label. I have over 50 stamp sets on ONE shelf! If you have any questions regarding getting your stamps ready, please don't hestitate to drop me an email or call me. I want you to be able to use The Angel Company's wonderful stamps and enjoy them like I do!

Technique Camp starting this SAT!

I am starting a technique camp that will be held the first Saturday of every month. We will be learning 3 new techniques and do 3 cards with these techniques. The directions will go on the back of your cards. I am going to be putting all my technique cards into a 4x6 chipboard album The Angel Company sells for $4.95. I can order one for anyone that would like or you can find your own option to store your tech cards. The cost for each camp is $7 and you are welcome to bring a lunch item to share with the group since it will be over the lunch hours from 10am-1pm. This will be a great way to learn some more challenging techniques that produce beautiful results. These kinds of techniques I do not do in any of my general stamp camps or funshops as they are more advanced and intimidating. So for anyone that wants to see what other fun things you can do with inks, colorants, papers, etc. this is the camp to come to. The first three techniques for October are: Split Negative, Crinkled Paper and Fossil techniques. The photos on the right will show each one of them. Call or email me to RSVP for this event!

Teacher Gift in the midst of scary search by cops

Wow, it has been one of those days you won't easily forget, if ever. We were awakend early this morning with a reverse 9-1-1 call about a man who had kidnapped a women in New Mexico drove north and ran out of gas at the Gleneagle Exit in COS. That's my exit! We were watchful this morning getting the kids off to school but didn't hear much else except that the kidnapped lady had gotten away and the man was still out there somewhere. He apparently broke into someone's house at about 7:30am and assaulted a women and took some jewelry and went out the back door. Another lady on the street behind us reported she saw a man in her backyard this morning at 9:30. She lives on the street right behind us. So, as I casually go out this morning at 10:30am to drop some mail into the mailbox. I see police 2 doors down at the stop sign. They see me and yell at me to get back into the house. I RAN! Slamed the door, set the alarm and looked out my back window to see the swat team with dogs in the backyard behind us. I called me hubbie and he came home to stay with me. I had to call everyone in crop club to tell them not to come. Found out later that the schools my kids are in are locked down. The swat team and dogs eventually came over and sweeped our backyard. I was a bit leary about being down in my basement studio where I felt the most vulnerable in the whole house but once the swat team went through our yard I made my way down here to start and finish a teacher gift card/bookmark pocket card that I will teach at the Crop-a-Latte in Castle Rock on Sept 27th. I am feeling a little spent. They still haven't found the bad guy and I am waiting to hear how we are going to get our kids? So, I have been crafting away keeping my mind away from the horrible possibilities that could happen. I think I am going to just go and veg for a while now in front of the TV.

All Occasion Card Camp on Sept 14th!

It's coming up! Here are a couple of cards we will be making. I am having so much fun just thinking up designs and prepping these cards. I could do this forever!

Stamping and Scrapbooking Expo

Wow, so I got the opportunity to work in Terri Ott's booth for Eyelets Etc. It really was my only way to get some TAC info out to people other then handing out flyers which they would not have liked. It wasn't easy because I really was there to work for her but whenever I had the opportunity to bring up theangelcompany then I would. I got a couple of leads and a possible recruit that I meet with tomorrow so it was a productive 2 days.
I am still struggling with the hormone imbalance issue so my Friday and my funshop Friday night weren't the greatest. Thankfully, the rest of the weekend I felt good. It's one of those things that the doc said is a process to figure out what I need to feel right and good. It's definitely improved but still needs tweeking to avoid the headaches and now naseau. Yuck. It's like being pregnant without being pregnant. No fun!!!
My bat mitvah invitation order is just about complete so I am looking for more work. Need some cards, invites or scrapbooks made? Point people my way, please!
My good friend, Michelle, is having her funshop with me on Thursday. I am really enjoying doin the funshops for people. It's great to show people about TAC and stamping and scrapbooking. I have the knowledge and skills so it would be a shame to keep it all to myself. Besides, we always have fun. Gotta a couple of new classes lined up for Sept and Oct that I will be offering so make sure to check out my website for details. www.janinerobertson.com Off to clean the basement...

Funshop Fun

I love designing cards. I tend to go by the seat of my pants but will ocassionally follow a design sketch from a magazine or the TAC catalog. Anyways, my very good friend, Michelle is going to have a funshop coming up here at the end of August. She requested a birthday card and a Christmas card for the make-n-takes. These two are fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants card designs. Enjoy!