Warm Wishes!!

Hello! Hope you are not blowing away as we are here in Chicago...YIKES!! Today is my turn to post on TaDa Creative Studios' Blog and it's all about WARM...as in hot chocolate :0) I created a gift bag perfect for the theme...here's a sneak peek...

Heehee!! For the finished project, you'll have to go to my Sending Warm Wishes! post on TaDa's blog so go visit....please!!!

Head's Up: Scrap-Mart.com will be teaming up with these fabulous manufacturers to bring you a week long blog hop dedicated to Christmas-themed projects!

Boss Kut

October Afternoon™

The Rubber Cafe

Canvas® Corp

Heartfelt Creations™

Want2Scrap™

LaLa Land Crafts

Sizzix®

JustRite® Stampers

Each of the generous manufacturers will have prizes for you along the way so be sure visit and complete the hop each day from Dec. 5th through Dec. 10th to be eligible to win.

Happy Early Thanksgiving!!

Because I'm not sure if I'll be posting or not before Thanksgiving...so I am wishing you all (in the U.S.)  a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving wish :0)

I recently purchased Spellbinders™ Grand Template LF-010 Square Bracket Edge Box from Scrap-Mart.com. I know that the price point can be high but at Scrap-Mart.com I think it's more affordable (esp. with their monthly online coupon - wink wink!).

This die template can be used in SO MANY WAYS - think of all the gifts or home decorations that come to mind! You can customize it to your own theme and they're FUN TO CREATE WITH!! SOOOooo I created a place setting with my die template...

Thanksgiving Place Setting by Margie Higuchi
Supplies Cardstock: Core'dinations; Patterned Paper: TaDa Creative Studios (Bountiful Blooms Collection); Ink: Clearsnap; Marker: EK Success; Dies and Foil: Spellbinders Paper Arts (LF-010 Square Bracket Edge Box, S5-073 Orchard Havest Tags and Accents, and F-012 Precious Metal Premium Craft Foils Assortment); Adhesive: ScraPerfect (The Best Glue Ever)

What do you think? LOVED how this turned out :0) Do you have the Square Bracket Edge Box? Share your project with me by linking in my comments - would love to see!!

OH...before I forget....the winner of the JustRite Stamper giveaway is....(drum rolling)....

byondbzr said...

Congratulations! I love all the Tim Holtz products available at Scrap-Mart.com! (following ya too!)

WOOHOO!! Congratulations, Rebecca!!! Send me your address through my blog profile email, 'K? Thanks to everyone who participated :0)

Again, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xo
I am thankful for my friends here!!
Thanks for stopping by!!

November Birthdays...

I have friends who are celebrating their birthdays this month. Mostly male...my nephew, a sweet friend from the industry, Katie's husband and her twin boys...how do you create a masculine card? This is what I ended up with...

Happy Birthday!! by Margie Higuchi
Supplies Cardstock: Core'dinations; Patterned Paper: Donna Salazar Designs; Clock Face: 7gypsies; Dies and Premium Craft Foil: Spellbinders Paper Arts (S5-048 Sprightly Sprockets, S5-049 Carnation Creations and S5-028 Nested Pennants); Adhesive: ScraPerfect (The Best Glue Ever); Other: Computer Font

And I even managed to get a flower in too! HA! It was cut with a patterned paper of a map and it doesn't look all that girly, right?

Also wanted to add my congratulations to fellow TaDa Creative Studios Design Team Member Lisa Watson for winning the grand prize from ScraPerfect's FaceBook Contest!!!! WOOHOO~! Congrats, Lisa!! See, sometimes it's good to know me ;0P BUT I had nothing to do with picking out the winner - just wanna clarify that point! LOL!!

Don't forget my giveaway below!! It ends tomorrow night at 11:59PM U.S. Central Standard Time - please read carefully...be a follower on my blog, visit Scrap-Mart.com and tell me what you like about it on my post below :0)

Happy birthday (Nov. 17th) to Ken Kume and Kevin Renz!!
Thanks for stopping by!!
MargieH

Scrap-Mart.com Design Team!!!

I am so stinkin' excited to be a part of Scrap-Mart.com Design Team!! They are my favorite online store! While preparing dinner (not my favorite time of leisure - HA!), Design Team Coordinator Katie Piotrowski rescued me for a few minutes to call and tell me the wonderful news! WOOHOO~!

Scrap-mart.com Design Team:

Eva Dobilas

Gini Williams Cagle

Karen Maldonado

Katie Piotrowski

Ly Le

Margie Higuchi (me!)

Talk about being intimidated!! YIKES! Hope I can reach into my creativity bag and keep up with these talented gals!!

To celebrate my recent apppointment, I am giving away a new set of JustRite Stampers Deck The Hall Cling set which happens to be on Scrap-Mart.com's JustRite Cling page.

TO ENTER:

• Be a FOLLOWER on my blog
• VISIT Scrap-Mart.com - what do you like about the site (i.e. I like that they offer Copic refills or they offer Spellbinders at a reasonable price...)
• Make your COMMENT on THIS POST to enter (DEADLINE: Thursday, November 17th at 11:59PM U.S. Central Standard Time)
• INTERNATIONAL entries are WELCOME!!

If you missed your chance to win here, go to their JustRite Stamper Cling Page to order one for you - they offer FREE SHIPPING on this particular item. Join their email list to receive your month 40% coupon. How can you pass up a deal like that?! LOL!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
MargieH

Thank You, Veterans!!

Today also marks a very important day...Veterans Day. For those of my friends outside of the U.S., Veterans Day is an annual holiday here that honors our military veterans. It started after World War I ended with the Germans signing an armistice (a truce) on the 11th hour on the 11th day on the 11th month of the year (1918). So many thanks and gratitude to our Veterans and their families!!

Speaking of Veterans Day, it is my turn to post on TaDa Creative Studios' FaceBook Page (please go visit and "LIKE" them if you are a FAN) so I thought it was most appropriate to create a card to commemorate this important day...

Stars N Stripe by Margie Higuchi
Supplies Cardstock: The Paper Company; Patterned Paper: TaDa Creative Studios (Star Spangled Banner paper, Festivus Collection); Embossing Folder: Sizzix; Ribbon: DCWV; Button: Tessa Ann Designs; Bakers Twine: Divine Twine; Tool: ScorPal; Adhesive: ScraPerfect (The Best Glue Ever)

I created the medallion to reflect a military theme - did it work? It turned out better than I thought. The pleated papers were used from the same patterned paper from TaDa - love how the flags look! Oh! The star embossed button is over the top wonderful - it's handmade by Tessa Ann Designs and is full of glitter :0)

ETA: I wanted to add that I am including this card for Paper Craft's Championing Award Medallions Challenge in the Moxie Fab World!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you have a great 11-11-11 and a wonderful weekend!
MargieH

I am heartbroken...

My heart is heavy with grief as I write this...a dear friend through this wonderful world of paper crafting, Katie Renz has passed away early this morning.

Katie Renz at 2010 Winter CHA
photo by Vicki Conquest (thank you for capturing the TRUE Katie!!)

Thankfully she passed peacefully in her sleep and was surrounded by her family until the very end. I will truly miss this bubbly personality landing in my email box from time to time...I only wished that I had met her face-to-face over coffee.

Do you know Katie Renz? Would you like to send a card to her family? Please join me in sending sympathy cards to:

The Renz Family

PO Box 5913

Bellingham, WA 98227-5913

This little tidbit, I read on my friend, Kimberly Crawford's blog:

"Also, in case you're interested, the twins, Nate and Will, will be turning 6 on Nov. 19th and Hunter will be 12 on Dec. 1. It would be wonderful if we could shower them with cards for their special day, just like their mom would do. Kevin's birthday is November 17."

Keeping my prayers of comfort for the Renz and the Emerson family. She will be truly missed...rest in peace, my dear sweet Katie...Heaven is lucky to have an angel like you!!! xo

Happy Linky Day!!

JustRite Stampers is having their very first Linky Party!! This is a great opportunity to share your JustRite Christmas projects. The Linky Party is a week long party - although mine is at the tail end of it (tomorrow is the last day). If you want to join in, go tot JustRite Stampers' Linky Party.

I used JustRite Stampers Deck The Halls Stamp Set and Spellbinders Die Template - S4-334 2011 Heirloom Ornaments.

And came up with this shaped window card...

Deck The Halls by Margie Higuchi
Supplies Cardstock: WorldWin Papers; Patterned Paper: Authentique Paper (Wonder Collection); Stamp: JustRite Stampers (Deck The Halls); Ink: Clearsnap, VersaMark; Embossing Powder: Sparkle N' Sprinkle; Ribbon: Offray; Adhesive: ScraPefect (The Best Glue Ever); Tool: ScorPal and ScrapPerfect (Perfect Crafting Pouch and Embellie Gellie); Die: Spellbinders Paper Arts (S4-334 2011 Heirloom Ornament); Other: Foam Tape, Button

Here are some steps that might help when you make your own shaped window card...

It's always handy to have repositionable tape - no slipping or sliding for this die template! And I can use the die cuts for other projects :0)

I used another pattern for the card but you get the idea - lol!! You can't see here but I inked the cut edges of the die template for a reverse stencil on the embossed edges. I love that I can cut, emboss and stencil with Spellbinders dies!!

Before I go...I need to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the most wonderful partner a girl can ever have - LOVE YOU HOSHO!!! xo Nineteen years ago, this guy and I got hitched...it's been a FUN 19 years and hoping for many more to come!!!

Authentique October Color Challenge

Last minute I decided to enter my take on Authentique Paper's October Color Challenge. This is the color combination we were to be inspired by...

At first I was stumped...maybe because I had Halloween in my brain at the time. All that came to mind was Frankenstein! LOL!!! So making the black and cream as my main colors, I used a touch of green and came up with this gift box...

Blossom Gift Box by Margie Higuchi
Supplies Cardstock: The Paper Company; Patterned Paper: Authentique Paper; Ink: Clearsnap; Dies: Spellbinders™ Paper Arts (LF-010 Square Bracket Edge Box, S4-351 Spiral Blossoms One and S5-055 Layered Poinsettia); Adhesive: ScraPerfect (The Best Glue Ever)

What do you think? I LOVE how this turned out. Great for birthdays, Mother's Day...any day! I used three different collections for this project - Glowing (box top), Blissful (blossom) and Wonder (leaf).

Thanks for stopping by!
MargieH