SORRY THIS IS A BIT LATE

I need to post the winner of the GIVEAWAY —> from here!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

230

Timestamp: 2010-03-31 02:31:18 UTC

 So the winner was:

———————-

Melanie Milbe |

Hi Lauren, thanks as always for showing us your beautiful work and inspiring us…and the chance to win of course :0)

Congrats! Melanie!

I will be emailing you with details tomorrow.

Thanks to all who entered.

Be right back with the next peek bedfore the release!

Well tomorrow begins our official peeks of the April release for My Time made Easy ™ LLC.

I’ve had too many requests/suggestions sent asking for peeks to start early, to NOT do peeks. I honestly thought you all would LOVE the “BUY IT NOW” approach, but you all suggested otherwise! Those not wanting to be teased…..well, you may not want to stop by until the first of the month, then scroll back to view everything. I wouldn’t have changed my approach, had the majority asked I do so. YOU are the customer….so I will listen It only means even MORE projects than before How can that be a bad thing?

So for our changes we will do 3 days of peeks, where you will get to see a total of 9 samples before we have our release.

March was an amazing month for My Time Made Easy ™ LLC and I have to say it’s going to keep getting better! I have some really fun stuff in the works for future releases.

 Pretty Packaging © templates that will have you saying “I DEFINITELY NEED THAT!” All our templates have full color, step by step photos with written instructions, so anyone can make them. Seriously, give them a go. You often spend more on a fancy latte drink from a coffee shop! This is a gift/purchase that keeps on giving. You can’t get much for $5 these days, and trust me they are worth it.

On anther note:

We sold out of all 3 sets this month! WOOT! WOOT!

Fanciful Flourishes is now back in stock, as is Bringing Home Baby.

 So Sentimental © set has been sold out (again), but will be back in stock for April 1st! Just in time for our next release.

More exciting news……..

I’d like announce that there is the addition of 4 NEW! Design Team members! That is my big and exciting news.

(Be sure to visit them as each one has a GIVEAWAY!)

I’d love to introduce you to

Dawn Easton-http://treasureoilerdesignz.blogspot.com/

Geny Cassady http://madisonavenue.typepad.com/ 

Lesa Rapp-http://paperpossibilities.blogspot.com/

 and last but not least Stephanie Kraft-http://handkraftedbystephanie.blogspot.com/

Check out our Design Team page –>HERE!

I am over the moon to have these very talented women join our team!

Stephanie and Geny are jumping right in for the April release and Dawn and Lesa will both be starting next month as they wrap up some other commitments.

Geny and Dawn are going to be our cardmakers!

We spend much time sharing complete gift packaging, and while that is AWESOME, I think we would all love to see some more cards thrown in the mix! Afterall these stamps are just as good for cards, as they are gift packaging! These two girls are just who we needed for that job. I have worked with both on other design teams and I have long admired each of them. They are wonderful and talented women. I feel they both take excellent photos, and thier use of layering and patterned paper always inspire.

Stephanie and Lisa will join the team for our complete packages! They both bring something unique and fresh to the group, and I cannot wait to see what they do with our products once in hand! I’m sure you will be inspired too. They both do some jaw dropping work and both are so wonderful in every way.

It’s been hard to hold on to those changes!

You all need to know that Kristin is stepping away from the “Designer” responsibilities of the team, and focusing on the digital paper and assisting me with some administrative duties (I can’t believe I already need help!). She will still design at liberty and is very much still a part of the team, just not the countdown stuff etc. 

Now another sad announcement, Catherine has had some family issues arise and she will be leaving the team. She is welcome back when things settle down, but for now she has decided to take what time she does have and focus on her family and when time allows….. stamp design! Catherine and I worked together on a set and template combo that will be releasing sometime soon! She is a wealth of ideas

Catherine and I have discussed some designs she is going to be working on in the future (time willing and at her leisure while she deals with her family issues). While I’m so sad to see us lose her AMAZING talents by contributing her wonderful projects each month, it will be great to work with her in another aspect. So we shall see what the future holds with that new journey.  I’m so excited and proud of all these new additions. Please be sure you stop by thier blogs to welcome them to the team!!

I really look forward to our peeks starting tomorrow!!! I think you will be really excited too.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Leave a comment here today for your chance to win a FREE Stamp set from MTME of your choice! Whatever you want to say…what are you hoping to see, what is your favorite stamp set or template…..whatever!

 Also visit our new designers for a chance to win a template of your choice too! It’s a WIN! WIN!!

Giveaways to be announced on the 30th! So don’t delay.

See you tomorrow.

I have mentioned numerous times that my daughter Alexa LOVES writing poems. Many of you asked to hear some of them.

This is so special and important to me because these are things that medical professionals tried to convince me she would never do (I knew better!) and now this AMAZING, beautiful, strong willed, loving, smart and sweet girl is the brightest spot in my life. I can’t even imagine having to go through it without her. The gift I would have tossed away. How sad the thoughts make me. She is precious. She is just like everyone else. She has good days, bad days, she laughs, she cries, she feels happiness and pain….she understands everything though she may not always say it right at that moment. She truly sees the world through an amazing set of eyes. She touches lives everywhere she goes. She brings something special to the world.

I think she is very good at writing her poems.  I just LOVE reading what she thinks about or associates a topic with. All the memories she expresses on her own! A true gift to our family. I find her ability to express herself in this way so wonderful for her, but selfishly myself too. I feel like I can really get into what is often in her head, but may go unsaid, or unexpressed. To actually hear what she feels and thinks about things in such a manner touches my heart. I truly cherish every word she writes.

I love being able to see her do so well with her reading and writing skills too as these are vital to her future independence in the big world. I truly believe someday she could make a career writing. She says she wants to be a “story writer” someday. I fully plan to encourage that dream she has for herself! The world in going big places with the Internet, she could easily be employed in this manner someday.

My friend Kristin said I should publish her poems in a book for her, and I think I will do that!

Her biological father currently has the book of ALL her poems from last year and I am PRAYING he gets it back to me. He has had it for several months and I don’t think he cherishes it nearly the same as I. Looking back I never should have let him take it with him when he did! UGH! I keep asking for it. I bet he lost it. OK let’s not go there. This is a happy post! LOL!

SO today I am sharing a poem she wrote after her doctors appointment on Wednesday. She asked me for a subject, as she was stumped. I told her to write what she thinks about Spring!

Here it is

—————————————

Spring Is

By Alexa Kauppila

Grass grows

Pretty butterflies

The birds are singing

Bunnies are born

The trees are blowing in the wing

The leaves open

Spring is here!

————————————-

This is Alexa today.  Getting her to smile for me was quite the chore. She was in a “mood”. You the kind when they wake up and the first words out of their mouth is something like “Leave me alone, and don’t look at me” (OH! BOY!!) Anyway, I reminded her that I needed a photo of her holding her poem for my post today so she gave me a little smile.

(she drew some grass, flowers, clouds, a sun and a butterfly but its very light)

That is how she thinks and views the world. So simple, and to the point. She is very black and white. There is no gray with her. She is literal and tangible. To her, if it can be seen, felt or heard it doesn’t exist. She takes everything in. Even things you don’t think she is paying attention to, it is all there, somewhere inside her. Sometimes she doesn’t know how to say it, but she can write it.

I look forward to reading these with her someday when she is all grown. When I had children I never REALLY realized they would actually grow up, and so fast.

Thanks for letting me share a very happy piece of my life here with you all.

Spend time with your children TODAY, because tomorrow they are a day older.

(that was from my friend Kristin too-She read it to me while she was at Caribou Coffee, and it has stuck with me, so I thought I’d share it with you too).

Where on earth has everyone been? I’m getting a complex! LOL!!

Maybe its the nice weather?

Its been very quiet here. What have you all been up to? I know you are around because the store is buzzing with orders, but HERE where all the eye candy for the store has been has been eerily silent.

Have you all enjoyed the projects shared over the last 10 days? I love hearing your feedback on what you liked, what you loved and maybe even what you hope to see from me.

I did a “test” this month sharing peeks 3 days early and am wondering how you all liked that? Should I do that again next month or did you love the original idea of INSTANT gratification and seeing everything on the first? I am doing my best to continue to improve, and YOU the customer are what helps me do that.

So let’s hear it!

Now how about my news?

If you aren’t in New England then you may not care, but if you are this might pertain to you!

I am sponsoring/teaching a class at the next Stampin Around event!

I will be there at Wholly Scrap Saturday April 17th! Details —->CLICK HERE! You definitely will want to sign up soon as space is LIMITED!!!

I am going to use a stamp set and template from my MAY release! Everyone will get an early peek . I hope to meet you there!

Now how about a card?

 Tis the season for all sorts of blahs and sickness as the weather turns, so I thought I’d whip up a Get Well card

Wishing you….

a speedy recovery.

This is one type I never have enough of, and always seem to need.

Once I created the All A Flutter © set I KNEW I needed a flourish set. I mean I think it is a staple for each company to have their own!! When I designed my set I was careful to make sure I had a variety of flourish styles, and sizes. I wanted a “go to” set that had something for everyone! With my flourish set you can use it on it’s own, with butterflies, as flowers stems, with sentiments or build your own flowering flourish! You can even used the dashed lines, pierce in between for a faux sewn look! Gotta love that!

As you can see the large flourish from Fanciful Flourishes © makes the PERFECT butterfly trails! That was definitely intentional, given my love for butterflies!

Now speaking of flourishes, how about that butterfly!! This butterfly is from All A Flutter ©. When I created the PLAIN open lined butterfly I had big plans for that! I knew paper piecing, layering the wing prints from the set, of stamping in smaller patterns would prove to be a JAW DROPPING possibility! So here I used the small flourish from the So Sentimental © set (designed to match the Fanciful Flourishes © set) and stamped the flourish pattern on either side of my wings!  It looks like a whole new stamp!!

There are 2 flourish patterns in the set. They go in opposite directions. That is so they can be stamped on either side of the frame that is in the set, and it just so happened to be perfect in the butterfly wings too! I just made sure to mask on side of the butterfly as I stamped it. SO PERFECT!!

I used the leaves in the Fanciful Flourishes © set to stamp some leaves under my Prima flowers that you see here. It is a subtle detail.

Now I used that same flourish that you see in the butterfly to stamp my own pattern on the bottom portion of my creation! I stamped all of the images in brown ink. On the bottom layer I did some stamping of the same flourish in white craft ink for a softer “fill in” of pattern! I used a white gel pen to dot my flower centers!

Quick and easy.

The sentiment is from So Sentimental ©. This is a must have all occasion set with sentiments and matching verses! Great for either the outside or INSIDE of any card! OR use it anywhere else!

Well I will return tomorrow with another card for you!

I hope you enjoy the gorgeous weather we are having! Spring feels so close now! I cannot wait

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:

Pretty Impressions stamp set: All A Flutter, So Sentimental, Fanciful Flourishes

Cardstock from Couture Cardstock:Santa’s Beard, Oat, Ganache

May Arts ribbon, PRima Flowers, Adhesive Pearls, White Gel Pen

There is just SO much that can be done with this month’s release!

Today Mona Pendleton is sharing something special!

Be sure to check her out!
Also Katie Cotton has a GIVEAWAY on her BLOG for the SCAL software!!! This comes courtesy of CandaCraft! If you have been wanting the software for your Cricut, so you can cut SVG files the go head on over and enter to win!!

OK time for my project!

I’m so excited.

I know many of you are intimidate by templates still. You really don’t need to be. ALL my templates come with very clear step by step written directions with photos. It really is easy, I promise. We even have a FREEBIE for you to try risk free!!! We have a freebie for our templates, digital paper and digital stamps! If you try it and need help or have a question, just email me! I do my best to help any/everyone to the best of my own abilities

I encourage those of you who have tried my templates to write a review on our website! This is really helpful to others! Simply click on a product to read a review, or write one yourself. There are tabs to guide you.

OK speaking of templates……

Bouncing Baby Buggy ©© is an especially versatile template! I have so many ideas for it, my head just SPINS!! I know many of you are still seeing “child themed” projects, given the samples you’ve seen thus far, and the template “name”! I hope today will totally change your mind.

How about using the Bouncing Baby Buggy © template to create a Wheel Barrow??

Yes! This is seriously a Wheel Barrow made purely out of cardstock Isn’t it SO pretty! I about did a cartwheel over this one!

This template is so perfect paired with our newest release  So Sentimental © and the Fanciful Flourishes ©Pretty Impressions stamp set! Those two sets are a match made in HEAVEN!! So many ways to use them both, and they were designed to coordinate too (like everything we do at MTME!)

The colors used are Santa’s Beard,  Pasture, Thistle Stalk, Acorn Squash and Oat are perfect for Spring. I’m so in love with these colors. I am also in Love with Couture Cardstock! They have GORGEOUS textured papers and amazing colors to choose from. I feel like I have been able to add even more WOW to my projects with all the colors I have now.

I pulled up a photo that I GOOGLED of a actual wheel barrow when creating this. My first attempt was true to the actual wheel barrow style, and the wheel/handle bars were on the outside of the template.They covered my stunning design so I made them go under my decorative layer for my new and improved version!

The wheels are the same wheels (for size comparison if you were wondering) you receive in the template. I just made mine purty That STUNNING May Arts ribbon helps too.

This could easily be for a Wedding, house warming, gardening party….tea…..anyone!!!

Here you can see a closer view of the flourish pattern stamped in a green, and the added flowers stamped in rusty orange. It was so quick and easy but really POPS. I love that I can build my flower pattern, or choose no pattern at all.

The “Best Wishes” and sentiment from are So Sentimental © . The tag was cut using the So Sentimental Frame which is a perfect match to our set!! It makes the perfect cut every time The oval is created using a SU! Oval punch. Quick and easy.

Look at this GORGEOUS flower that I created myself to add to the flourish! The flower was created from our coordinating cut file Fanciful Flowers I will be taking some time soon to show how I create these. I think it really adds to this project.

When I think gardens I think bunnies! So I added a delicious Lindt Chocolate bunny to my Wheel Barrow

He come with a red ribbon around his neck……

I removed it an added my own to match my project.

I did put a block inside do he didn’t fall to the bottom! LOL!!  It is now hidden by grass! Now is the time of year to stock up on “grass” filler too. I use it all year round.

This is the other side of the wheel barrow.

It is ALWAYS important to make your project look complete on all side. Don’t get lazy or messy!

This could also get filled with flower/vegetable seeds, maybe a small planter?!  You could fill this up with all sorts of yummies.

Or just like me…this cute lil chocolate bunny.

Here are the supplies from today’s project:

Supplies:

Pretty Packaging © template: Bouncing Baby Buggy ©

Pretty Impressions stamp set: So Sentimental ©, Fanciful Flourishes ©

Cardstock from Couture Cardstock: Santa’s Beard,  Pasture, Thistle Stalk, Acorn Squash and Oat

Ink: Studio G ($1 at Michael’s)

Pretty Pieces Cut Files: So Sentimental Frame, Fanciful Flowers

Other : SU! Brad, May Arts Ribbon, Copic Air Gun, Paper Crimper, corner rounder

As always thanks for stopping by.

Tomorrow I will have some more eye candy for you as will one of our designers! See you then!

Can you believe the I still have SO much more to share?

Tomorrow the entire team gets together to post yet ANOTHER amazing gift ensemble using elements from the latest My Time Made Easy ™ LLC Release!

Now today we have a peek from Catherine Doucette 

Words from Catherine

I just love the “You’ve Got Mail” Pretty Impressions Acrylic Stamps from the February release!  Take a look at how I used them to “build” my house!   I love to use my stamps to create custom backgrounds, and even use them for something totally unexpected…like a stamp window for a house :0)

Wait until you see her creation!!! Click HERE!

 Myself, the design team, and YOU the customers have just fallen in LOVE with Argyle Amazement ©. It is easy to see why! This is a background building set, unlike any other I have seen, that just like its name-is AMAZING!!

Argyle is one of the hottest pattern trends right now! It is literally everywhere and I LOVE it. My girls especially have lots of clothing with the fabulous pattern.

You will be totally amazed at how quick and easy you will be building backgrounds, or using this set as the main focus or accent over and over again. It has elements to make things masculine, elegant, clean, simple or whimsical. Scroll down on my blog the last week and you will see this set used on just about every project possible.

So let me share a couple QUICK samples!

I’m tight on time today.

I have 3 samples specifically using the Argyle Amazement © set today, all with relatively similar layouts, but different color schemes to show you have it can go from Primary color WOW! to muted monochromatic colors, to the soft pastels for a baby card.

Summer Time

I used just the trio diamond flower pattern from Argyle Amazement, stamped on my cardstock in a staggered pattern, in chocolate ink. I then dusted off my copic markers to color it in! I had a blast. It actually came together VERY quickly. The main layer is cut with a circle, then layered onto a scallop circle.

This color combination just warms me up! It is like the sun on a perfectly warm summer day. I love this sentiment "Perfect in every way".

I had to use the All A Flutter ©set to make it appear that they were flying around this summer argyle garden. Butterflies stamped in red, and colored with markers and a Copic Spica glitter pen for some POP!

Then onto a darker, more muted combination.

Argle paired again with the All A Flutter © set

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pattern this made! With all the options in the set the combinations, and color schemes are so endless.

As you will see, if you scroll around on my blog, I used the flourish flower argyle A LOT! I am just in love with it! That pattern is actually the flowers in the Pretty Printables paper collections this month!! Too fun.

I added the similar wing print in the cross pattern to the butterfly.

The colors more monochromatic here . I defnitely think it has some elegance to it. I’m keeping the occasion options open on this one by leaving it blank. I love the pearl accents I added to the butterfly, ribbon and flower centers.

In the bkgd I stamped a sentiment from the All A Flutter Sentiment set too.

Now lets get to a quick and simple baby card

Admitedly very clean and very simple. There is however dimention to it that isn’t coming across in the photos (I swear! LOL!)

Sadly my lighting was a bit brighter than I realized, so you can’t get the full effect of the argyle :C Had I noticed how bright it was I would have re-taken them for my post today. Oh well.

The pattern in this one is stamped in brown, and it has a crosshatched texture diamond in a celery, and a turquoise diamond in solid, alternating patterns. Really fun and easy.

I used the little carriage that comes in the newly released You’ve Got Mail © set to make this into a baby card. SUPER SIMPLE!

The sentiment is from a set named So Sentimental ©. It is NOT released yet. Just a TINY peek at what is coming.

So that is all. Now you can see how one set using virtually the same layout can look so different. Make sure you scroll down to check all the samples that I’ve been posting. There is SO much that has been shared from today’s post to how to use the Cricut and SCAL as well as the awesome value in our Cut Files! I am hoping our gallery will be ready at some point. It is a lot of work and very time consuming. I want to ensure it doen’t have any glitches or CRASH if we have X number of people loading or accessing it. So hold tight on that. There will be a place we can all share our MTME creations soon.

Soon I will do a tutorial for those of you who are SCARED to try the digital paper, and NEED to see how super easy it is, as well as why it is SO cool, or want to see the cost effectiveness of printing your own! So be looking out for that.

Well I need to run. It’s Valentines week for the kids so I need to prepare all the supplies for them to complete their Valentine projects and class Valentines!! As I stated before I will share their completed projects.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sending me those super sweet comments and emails. I read every single one, and appreciate any time you take to stop by
See you back here tomorrow!

Where did the week go?

Where have I been?

I have been “around”, just the kids have been keeping me busy! I know that is a common phrase I have shared on here the last 2 months….but it is getting better. As the hustle and bustle from the holidays wind down…and I get back to stamping all will be right with the world!

Alexa had her post cancer check up. She never talks to me on the way there! EVER! No matter what I try to drag out of her. This time she shared with me that she hates going back to that hospital. She said “I was really sick and I stayed there a really long time. Everything hurt me and all my hair fell out.”

WOW! What can you say to that. She can often have a hard time with her expressive communication (but she writes everything she thinks in poems and stories) so when you do “have a moment” to get in her head as to what she is thinking it is rare and beautiful. Granted that time heart wrenching, but nice to know why she may be so quiet.

I told her that was a long time ago, and she is all better. We just need to keep checking to make sure she stays healthy.

Her bottom line “I don’t like it there”.  You know what? I don’t blame her one bit! I don’t either.

We are coming up on our 4th year since she got Leukemia. Each winter, when we make that long drive I am flooded with the thoughts, emotions and memories of THAT day that she got diagnosed. I just can’t help but remember that day like it was yesterday. It is just like the day you have your children-unforgettable. I am so grateful she is doing so well now. Not a day passes that I don’t thank God for that. Not a single one. ESPECIALLY when she is being difficult! LOL! She is 10 now and lets just say the attitude could use an adjustment at times! LOL!!

Through the holidays and my first release I was SO busy and consumed with everything that I needed to take some extra special time with my kids. Like I said I NEED to cherish this time that they are small (well I guess that is the point, they are getting SO BIG! SO FAST!) and that means some of my creative time has taken a back seat. Plus I really poured out the projects for the My Time Made Easy ™ LLC release!!

The kids and I are working on some fun projects togehter that we will share soon too!! They missed me while I was busy getting everything all settled, and now I can slide back into a work routine and spread myself more evenly through my family, friends and work. I just needed that little break so the kid know that they are #1!

I have some guest spots coming up as the week ends, new releases for some companies to share……one being Pink Cat Studio! She released a ton of fun stuff so go to her store and check out her blog! The design team did some AMAZING stuff with it all!

Also my friend Katie had a FAB new release at Paper Makeup Stamps! Check those out! Ally is my favorite from the release, and on my MUST have list Katie made this project using Cutesy Cover ©, and I about fell over! She looks SO real (and so much like Katie! LOL!)

More MTME projects:

Pam made a STUNNING frame for her craft room for ONLY a $1—>HERE!

Mona use Shutt-erfly © for a color challenge!

Kristin as a few FAB projects too!!

Framed card

Masked card

I think that is all for me today. We are taking the kids bowling, then I have some creative time.

Sorry nothing to creative yet….but I’ll share soon.

Additional info-it wasnt my website update it was USPS!!

They  updated their software so EVERY STORE all over the world had to update if they use USPS for International Shipping

YEAH!

Hi everyone-Quick update! If you live outside of the US you will want to read this. If you live IN the US you can skip it.

Up until today our shipping for International orders was working perfectly! People outside the US were able to get our stamp sets using the First Class option! Now that means it only cost somewhere under $3 to ship to places like Austraila!

I promised no overblown shipping costs-you pay what we pay.

That been said, we have been modifying our shipping software to speed up our order process, and with that came a bitty glitch! Somehow the “first class” shipping option “disappeared” for international orders, leaving only an expensive array of shipping options.

 We have found and fixed the issue! So if you are international go ahead and place your order!
If you tried to order and noticed the shipping cost and left, it is now fixed.

So thank you for your patience Happy Shopping!!

I can always count on Melissa at Pink Cat Studio to come up with the CUTEST images.

She is my cutesy fix

It feels like forever since she has had a release (and it has been about a month or so) so it was overdue! She has some really sweet images for Valentines Day, some in rubber, and others in Digi downloads so be sure you check it out —> HERE! SO much variety

Today I am working with a NEW! Lily Valentine Fairy

She is just the sweetest thing.

I have missed using her stuff. I’ve gotten so busy….its just fallen to the wayside. But Lily is my FAVORITE so it was nice to se aside some time to just play.

I knew I wanted to package up some candy in the In a Pinch © Pretty Packaging template. I also knew I wanted to use RED and some other non-traditional Valentine colors, so I got inspired by the heart paper, and added some flowers from American Crafts.

Admittedly this was created during a MOJO lacking moment, and when I was completely exhausted. No excuses though, but now I’m thinking (with a clearer head and some creativity) I could have totally omitted the heart paper! LOL! Oh well…..

I had to cut her all out. I so love the coloring and colors (of this portion anyway)

Be sure you go to the BLOG to see what all the team members have out together to get yourself inspired.

Thanks for stopping by