Where's Mary???

I'm MIA!!!

A few weeks ago, Sam, who was on crutches at the time, got tangled in my laptop cord and down it went. The screen broke. To say I'm anxiously awaiting word on whether or not it is going to be repaired or replaced under my extended warranty is an understatement. I so miss my computer. I'm very thankful to Karine for loaning me one of her old laptops. I can at least communicate. I did take some pictures, but couldn't figure out how to get them from the camera to the computer so i won't be able to post any new artwork until my computer is back. So sorry. I do have some good ones ready to post.

Last weekend I spent the weekend at Candice's house, Karine also joined us. I got 4 pages done, 2 are just great. I haven't done much else this week but shuffle papers and add things up here at the house. Ray and I did pass out the campaign 7 Avon books. If you like Anew products, there are some great sales going on in this campaign. I'm hooked on the stuff after seeing some of the brown sun spots slowly disappearing from my super sensitive skin and it's not tearing my skin up. I love it!

My exciting house news is while I was away, Ray almost got the floors finished in our bedroom--no more carpet! Sam's room is the only room left and we will be carpet free again. Off and on I have talked about how nice it would be to have a laundry chute. Our bedrooms are on the top level, living rooms on ground level, and garage with laundry are on lowest level. My laundry chute will soon be reality; I was told today that he has "the hard work done." I'm so excited.

With bad knees, I don't do stairs well. We have a chair lift inside, but not going down to the garage. Normally I just open the door to that area and pitch clothes down. Then I won't go down those stairs for fear of tripping. Now they will go straight from my closet into a laundry basket right by the washer/dryer. He doesn't know it next, but I've already started talkng about a dumb waiter to get clean clothes back upstairs without waiting for him to bring them up. ;-)

Avon--What a Great Company

So I went to the Avon Believe World Tour last week and had a wonderful time. I remember taking baths in the original Skin So Soft as a kid and wearing Platinum  colored Avon lipstick (I know, I'm dating myself here). I used to be an Avon rep years ago, but never thought much about it. Now, I'm more serious about it. Going to this event was the best great. I learned stuff about the company I never knew. It was started by a man. It is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, there is one consultant who has been with the company 70 years!

Avon has multiple celebrity spokespersons. Patrick Dempsy is one who was at the event. Others spoke via recorded messages. They represent Avon because it is a company that actively fights against breast cancer and domestic violence, while promoting women. Patrick Dempsey's mother has had 5 bouts of cancer, including ovarian cancer and is still alive. Here is a photo of our Chairman/CEO is Andrea Jung--what a beautiful woman.

She too has been affected by breast cancer as she shared that her mother and grandmother both have had this dreadful disease. So with each purchase y'all make, you help avon build centers and fight this dreadful disease.

AVON



This is the company that puts mascara on lashes and food on tables…

That fights wrinkles with one hand and Breast Cancer with the other…

That knows the value of a perfect lip,

 but still opens its mouth and speaks out against

Domestic Violence and for Women's Financial Independence...

This is the company that not only brings beauty to doors, but also opens them…

The company that supports 6 million Representatives in over 100 countries…

This is AVON.

The company, that for 125 years,

has stood for

beauty, innovation, optimism and above all

for women.

Our First Club Workshop Calendar Page

I've made one little change . . . when I signed up with Avon, they assigned my website address so it didn't have my "MKP." I wrote and begged and they changed it! My new Avon website address is http://mkp.avonrepresentative.com/.

I hold monthly club workshops. My club members commit to monthly purchases for one year, get projects, are hostess one month of the year, and get 20% off their purchases during their birthday month. For February, They purchased the Wings Workshop on the go (I will post that later) and we made the two pages, I sent them home with homework--to make the cards, and then I provided supplies, using the gorgeous Magnifique papers, to make our first calendar page. For those who don't want a calendar, it will work as a 12 x 12 page. Close To My Heart has a top, spiral-bound 12 x 12 calendar for $7.95. This is a bargain for those who want to make the calendar. For the months, we can stamp them, or us Silhouette, Cricut, or even Sizzix or Quickutz dies.

My page was inspired by CTMH's Book Magic. It is page 70, layout: "Ta-Da!" The book provides tips, layouts, ideas, cutting dimensions AND layout patterns for 35 12 x 12 kinetic layouts. BUT they have made the book so that they can be standard layouts or those that are movable, with pop-ups, slides, etc. It is really a clever book with lots of detailed, colored photos accompanying the directions.

My large bird was stamped on Sky cardstock with Lagoon Ink, then before stamping, the image was rolled in Vineyard Berry ink. Because you can't roll in all areas, I used a Sponge Dauber to ink those edges. Then it was cut out and I used a sponge to brush the edges with Vineyard Berry ink providing more depth to the image. Both Large an small images were affixed to the page with the body flat and the wings and tails popped up with foam tape. 

The little birds were punched out of some old copper colored paper I had from Hero Arts, using a Martha Stewart punch.

There was a shadow of the person taking a photo on the lower right corner of the photo--by the date. I stamped a swirl on photo twice to sort of hide it. It does a much better job of hiding in person. Just remember that you can ink edges or stamp on photos with our Exclusive Inks as long as you let them dry before handling them.

 

There is a hidden journaling tag behind the photo on the left. A few tips--my buttons are clear buttons. I ran my Background and Texture Paper through Xyron so the adhesive would be on the design side. Then we cut little squares out, put the design side next to the button and just trimmed excess off--super fast and easy. You can't even tell that the cut isn't even. Then the bracket--we've used that before. I run Background and Texture Paper through Xyron and attach it to Cardstock. I stamp the bracket on my cardstock and then trim. The stamped image just provides the cutting diagram. The cardstock provides stability so that I can pop it up on foam tape so that it looks like a cardstock image.

PRODUCTS USED

X7127B Magnifique Level 2 Paper Pack $12.95
D1438 Circle of Love My Acrylix Stamp Set $22.95 (big peacock in top left and photo swirl)
D1452 Find Your Style, January Stamp of the Month. (SOM's are available on a sliding scale--email me for more info.)
My bracket stamp is discontinued, but check out C1399 On the Edge $18.95
Z1391 Clear Button Assortment $5.95
Z697 Sponge $1.25
Z726 Sponge Dauber $3.95
Exclusive Inks Stamp Pads $5.95/ea
   Z2157 Vineyard Berry     Z2192 Pacifica     Z2195 Lagoon
The Foundry Tabs (on Journaling Tag) have been discontinued
The polka dot ribbon are old, discontinued CTMH products--see how nice even discontinued products coordinate!
Old Hero Arts Copper paper
Martha Stewart Bird Punch