Wrapping It Up - Stampin' Up! Style

Hello Friends,

Today I want to share something OTHER than a card.

Shocking, yes, I know. But these little rubber stamps can do SO much more than just create amazing greeting cards. With Stamps, Inks and Papers, you can do so many wonderful things.

For example, I had a special gift for a friend last week. Well, she is SO special, that no ordinary wrap that you buy from a store would do. Nope. So, to give something extra special, what do you do? Well, you make it yourself, of course!

I had a plain white gift bag on hand, and that is where I started. I cut a few inches off the top to get rid of the handles. Then I measured the front of the bag, and cut my cardstock the same size to cover it. The layers I cut about 1/4" smaller so I would have a small border. And then I started stamping. I did the same for the back, but added a few inches to the height so that I could fold it over and create the closure flap.

Here is what it looks like all completed:

I used the Just Believe Stamp Set (in LOVE with it!) and used Pear Pizzazz Ink (my NEW favorite) to stamp the images on the Whisper White layer. The butterflies are cut from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die. So cute! I just attached them with glue dots. They look awesome floating off the bag!

The flap was punched with the Eyelet border - I added a 2nd layer under there to add a little more color - so you have Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizzazz eyelet border. I then used a velco dot for the closure.

I punched 2 holes in the top of the bag and threaded it with Basic Black Satin Ribbon, and then added bows in Pear Pizzazz Ribbon. Super cute!

Now for the tag. The tag was SO fun to make! I used the Big Shot and my Serif Alphabet set and die cut the initial out of chipboard (the Big Shot cuts Chipboard like butter!).

I then inked the initial with versamark ink, and sprinkled it with Heat and Stick Powder.

I heat it with my embossing tool until it melted, then quick sprinkled on our AWESOME green Cosmo Glitter. It matches the Pear Pizzazz perfectly!

Here is a closer look:

The benefit to using the Heat and Stick powder is that the glitter is very controlled. It won't flake off or get on everything else. It's great to use when you need the glitter in a very specific or small place and don't want it all over the rest of your project. Plus the initial is about 2" in size, and I wanted really good BLING coverage on it. I doubt that the 2 way glue pen (which I use on cards when adding glitter) could have handled the job.

One tip when making these bags - definitely use Sticky Strip when attaching your cardstock to the bag. The cardstock layers are heavy (if you are using awesome Stampin 'Up! Cardstock that is) and you want to make sure it's really stuck on there. You don't want it falling apart on you.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a great weekend!

Holiday Mini Sneak Peek!

Hello Stampers!

So by now, you ALL must have received your Holiday Mini Catalogs in the mail. Do you just LOVE it? I can't get over all of the AWESOME new things in there!

If you didn't receive one and don't have a demonstrator already, please email me and I will be happy to send you one. :)

The sales period for the Holiday Mini doesn't start until Sept 1. So, you still have to wait a week before you can order. But lucky me, one of the perks of being a demonstrator is getting the new stuff in my hot little hands before the sales period. It gives us demo's time to work on samples and creative ideas for our workshops and classes before the sales period begins.

I often participate in demonstrator swaps. We each pick a set, and then design our card. We make as many cards as there are people in the swap. This time I only had to make 20. So, we send our cards in to one person (thanks, Diana!) and she "swaps" them out. So we each get one of everyones card. So I send in 20 of my card, and get 20 different cards back. Cool idea, huh?

We demonstrators are always thinking! LOL

Halloween is always a big deal around here. We have an awesome neighborhood, and we do Halloween parties, and have lots of fun. So, natuarally the set I picked was FANG-TASTIC.

I also used the new Spider Web Embossing Folder and the FABULOUS NEW Raven Ribbon. It is black lace ribbon, so soft, easy to work with and tie...and I love it. I hope it sticks around FOREVER. It's just delicious. :0)

Here is my card!

The card base is Rich Razzleberry with a Basic Black layer. I ran the Basic Black through the Spider Web Embossing Folder.

Here is a closer look - very cool! You are gonna NEED this folder...it rocks!

I used the Stampin' Up! Two Tag Die Cut for the Tag. Isn't it awesome? I sponged Basic Grey and Pear Pizzazz ink on the Whisper White layer for the tag. Then I stamped my bat and kitty in Stazon ink and colored them in with a blender pen and Basic Grey ink.

I folded over the top of the tag, and put in a Jumbo Pewter Eyelet. I threaded the eyelet with Basic Black Satin ribbon and then tied a bow with the new Raven Lace Ribbon.

Here is a closer look at the ribbon tied up:

Now for our little witch...I inked her up in Stazon Jet Black, and stamped her on Watercolor Paper. I colored her in using Rich Razzleberry and Pear Pizzazz classic inks. I used the Blush Blossom Marker (thank GOODNESS that is still sticking around) for her face, with some Blushing Bride for her cheeks.

And yes, I really truly cut out all 20 of them by hand. It actually wasn't bad. She needed to be popped up on a few dimensionals. :0)

The greeting "Witch way is the Candy?" was stamped on Pear Pizzazz and punched out using the Modern Label Punch. I added 2 black brads, and added it to the card with a few dimensionals.

And you want to hear something FUNNY about this card? I HATE (with a deep passion) BATS... I am deathly afraid of them (the real ones anyway). And truth be told, I am not a big cat fan, either. I can't say I HATE them, but I certainly would never own one. (Well, I could say that, but I don't want to offend anyone.)

I am a dog person. (insert Bella picture here...)

So anyway, how funny that I chose 2 stamp images of things I don't even LIKE? I mean, who does that? I crack myself up. LOL.

Thanks for stopping by tonight! I hope you are having a great week.

Have a wonderful evening!

Punch Potpourri

Hello Stampers!

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few days. I have been a busy little bee over here working on swap cards for the new holiday mini. One of the awesome things that demonstrators do is organize swaps when we have a new mini catalog or new product.

We each pick a set out of the mini, design a card (and make about 20 of them!) and then we all trade with eachother. It's a lot of fun and a great way to get a lot of wonderful ideas for the new products. I can't wait to see what my stampin' sista's come up with! I will be sure to post my completed creation when I am done.

In the mean time, a special friend had her 40th birthday last week. We had a lot of fun going out to dinner and celebrating. I wanted to make her a special card and I went right to the Punch Potpourri set. This is a hostess set, and I love it. It coordinates with many of our punches. My friend LOVES the bird in the Always Stamp Set, and the bird punch, so I knew I had to use it.

Here is what I came up with:

The card base is Early Espresso, and the Designer Paper is from the Greenhouse Gala pack (the color of this design is Baja Breeze).

There are lots of punches on this card...scallop border punch, boho blossom punch (for the small flower with a brad in the center), Full Heart Punch, XL Bird Punch and the Modern Label Punch for the greeting. Everything was also sponged in Early Espresso to age it a bit and give it a vintage look. That pretty ribbon across the middle is our new Crochet Trim Ribbon and is it every delish! I love it! I even sponged a little ink on the ribbon to make it look antique.

If you want to get your hands on this set (and who doesn't!?) let's schedule a private (free!) class for your and your friends! It's tons of fun and you will earn lots of great product.

Have a great week everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

Espresso Watercolor Trio

Todays post is a quick and easy card. using Watercolor Trio. Are you sick of it yet? I think this is the last one that I have to post.

The cardstock colors are Easrly Espresso and Rose Red. Have I mentioned how much I ADORE Early Espresso? It is such a deep, rich brown (darker than Chocolate Chip). It is positively YUMMY and pairs wonderfully with every color. It's the new black (LOL). :0)

I am all about quick and easy these days. The Rose Red piece across the middle was scalloped with the scallop border punch, and stamped with watercolor trio using versamark. Tied across the middle is yummy Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon.

The main image was inked with our awesome Stampin' Write Markers in Early Espresso and Rose Red and stamped on Whisper White. Then it was layered with Rose Red and Early Espresso Cardstock.

The greeting is so pretty! I adore the script style font on the greetings in this set! It was punched out with the large oval punch and backed with a Scallop Oval punched out of of Rose Red Cardstock.

I hope you are having a great week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Watercolor Trio in Razzleberry

Hello All -

Are you sick of these sets yet? I am using them as much as possible before the Summer Mini Comes to and end on Aug 31. I love them!

Here is a real quick and easy one.

Cardstock color is Rich Razzleberry. I ran it through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, then sponged the edges with Razzleberry ink.

I colored directly on the stamp with the brush tip of Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Write Markers. I then misted with my water bottle, and stamped on my Watercolor Paper.

The little clip at the top is one of our small library clips, tied with a smidge of Whisper White taffeta ribbon. The main image is layered with a piece of Soft Suede Cardstock.

I think my most favorite thing about Stampin' Up! products (aside from the awesome quality) is the color coordination. It takes the guesswork out of it when you ink matches your cardstock and accessories. You can't go wrong - and it's simple to make a beautiful card. :0)

This card took literally less than 10 minutes to make. Easy Peasy!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a great day!

Vintage Just Believe

HELP! I can't put this set down! I love it! I stamp with it every day! LOL. You can get so many different looks by just changing the colors of the ink and the cardstock. This set is perfect for so many occasions!

So, I was browsing on this web site we have just for Demonstrators to post samples, and I saw a gorgeous card done by a fellow demonstrator, Jenny Peterson. I tweaked it a little, and here is what I came up with.

I love the vintage look you get when you do something as simple as sponging the edges and adding a button. It's the subtle little touches that make a card extra special.

Here is the supply list:

Just Believe Stamp Set

Early Espresso and Crumb Cake Cardstock

Whisper White and Early Espresso Ink

Scallop Edge Punch

Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper

Neutral Buttons, Linen Thread

1 1/4" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch

Stampin' Sponges

Now, I have to go clean up my stamp room! You wouldn't believe the mess in here. Being creative is sloppy business! LOL.

I have friends coming over tonight for my Open Stamp Night - they get to use all my tools and stamps. :)

I love just hanging out with the gals and chatting and stamping.

Check my calendar of events for upcoming classes, camps and open stamp nights!

I'd love to have you join us, too!

Enjoy this GORGEOUS weather!

Click HERE to place your Stampin Up! order online...24/7! Even in your jammies!

Elements of Style Portfolio

Tomorrow I am headed out with some friend in the evening, and I wanted to make a little something for the hostess's home we are going to.

I haven't made a portfolio in quite awhile, so that is what I decided on. I reached for my favorite, Elements of Style (again). I think it may end up in the LOVE FOREVER and TIMELESS Category along with Roses in Winter. :0)

Anyway, I spent most of today playing around and water coloring these beauties. I get a little lost in my own world with Aqua Painter in hand...LOL. I could do it for hours.

Here is the portfolio closed.

And here it is open with the cards on the inside.

I used the Early Espresso stripped ribbon to tie it closed. I love that ribbon. It is super quality and ties beautifully!

Here is a close up of the watercolored roses. So pretty!

Inside are 4 cards. I created two different designs.

I have had someone ask me if I would do a class on this. I guess I would if there were interest.

So readers....is this something you would like to attend a class for? If so, leave me a comment or email and I will get it scheduled if the interest is there.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you had a great weekend.

And if you haven't signed up for any Christmas classes yet, don't delay. Most of them only have 2 spaces left!

Stamp Happy ~

Just Believe Watercolor Technique

Here is an easy watercolor technique that makes it look like you spent hours painting instead of 5 minutes stamping!

The new set, Just Believe is ideal for this technique.

Simply use the brush tip of your stampin' write markers and color directly on the stamp. Then mist the stamp with water, and stamp on watercolor paper.

Here is the result:

The result you get will depend on how much water you spray on the stamp. Too much water will result in a gloppy mess. I usually do about 3 short mists holding the stamp about 4 or 5" from the stamp. It's a fun technique, and so easy.

Here is a close up of the flowers.

This was actually one of the make and takes that convention attendees got to make this year. I didn't attend convention, but saw the card and decided to give it a whirl. :)

The marker colors I used were: Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Bashful Blue and Not Quite Navy.

The cardstock is Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue and watercolor paper.

Give it a try and let me know how you make out! I know you will have FUN trying out this technique.

FALL & HOLIDAY CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT

I have just finalized my Autumn and Holiday Class Schedule from now until December.

Space is already filling very quickly, with some classes only a few seats remaining.

Contact me to reserve your space!

Here we go:

SEPTEMBER

7th - Monthly Card Club - 7 PM. 4 Cards (2 designs/2 of each). Guests welcome with $10 material fee, or Free with a $25 order.

11th - Saturday AM Card Club - same info as above. 10 AM.

17th - Christmas in September Stamp Camp. 4 Holiday Cards - $10 Material Fee. 7 PM. Space limited to 10 participants.

19th - Kathy's Private Holiday Class - Kathy and her friends are having their own stamping class. Cool!

25th - Scrapbook Class - make two 12x12 double page layouts (4 pages total). $25 Material Fee - includes a $5 OFF coupon towards product purchase. Space limited to 6 (only a few seats remaining). 10 AM

OCTOBER

5th - Monthly Card Club - 7 PM

9th - Saturday AM Card Club - 10 AM

15th - Fall/Autumn Stamp Camp - thanksgiving, fall, halloween projects - 6:45 PM. $10 Material Fee.

17th - Sunday AM Scrapbook Class - two 12x12 double page layouts (4 pages total). 10 AM. $25 material fee - includes $5 coupon. Space limited to 6.

24th - Xmas in October Stamp Camp - 4 holiday cards (different cards each month... no repeats). 2 PM. Space limited to 10 participants. $10 material fee.

NOVEMBER

2nd - Monthly Card Club - 7 PM

13th - Saturday AM Card Club - 10 AM

20th - Christmas in November - 4 holiday cards (different each month - no repeats). 2 PM. Space limited to 10 participants. $10 material fee.

DECEMBER

5th - Christmas in December Class - 2 PM - 4 Different Cards, no repeats. $10 Material Fee, space limited to 10.

7th - Monthly Card Club - 7 PM.

11th - Saturday AM Stamp Club - 10 AM

PRIVATE CLASSES are available for you and your friends - your house or my studio - - - your choice. Make 2 Cards for FREE at each private class. Contact me for availability.

Thank you for support! I can't wait to stamp with you soon! Just WAIT until you see the new Holiday Mini Catalog! WOW! It's AMAZING! We will use lots of new product!

Have a great weekend!

Scrapbook Classes Begin in September

I am happy to announce that I will be adding a monthly scrapbook class to my schedule!

One Saturday a month I will have a class where you will create two 12x12 layouts (double pages). So you will complete 4 pages in each class.

I provide all materials to complete the 4 pages. Photos are not necessary for you

to bring to class. You can add them later. You should bring adhesive and scissors.

Cost is $25.00 which includes a $5 coupon towards product purchase.

Here is one of the layouts will will make in September.

Close up of the individual pages:

This page has a vintage feel to it. We are using a lot of new product! New colors and new stamps! The top of the second page has a slit cut into it to tuck in the journaling tag.

The gathering of the ribbon and the vintage flower lends itself to an antique feel.

This page would be great for a little girl, your Grandparents Wedding picture, or a special picture of your grandmother.

If you are interested in attending this class, please see below.

DATE: Saturday Sept 25th

TIME: 10 AM - 12 Noon

Class is limited to 6 participants. Please email me at Stamp4joy@comcast.net to reserve your space.

Have a great weekend!

More Watercolor Trio

I have several samples of Watercolor Trio Cards that I made, and since the Summer Mini ends this month, I figured I'd better post them soon!

This one has a more elegant feel to it. I think its the Vanilla cardstock and the Vanilla Satin Ribbon. That stuff ROCKS. It's so rich and high quality. Love it!

I inked the En Francois Background Stamp in Crumb Cake Ink and stamped the backgrounds. The main image is inked with Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler ink. Such an awesome combo together. Love it. The focal point is backed with a piece of Early Espresso Cardstock.

Easy Peasy. I adore the simple, elegant cards. No lie, this one I made in less than 10 minutes.

Awesome!

I hope you are having a great week!

Remember the hostess promotion is in effect only until August 31. Get an EXTRA $25 in Hostess Dollars when you host a $350 workshop! WOW. You will get at least $65 in Free Products, PLUS a wonderful selection of hostess only stamp sets. If you've seen that new catalog, I know you have items on you wish list! Let me help you get them for FREE - - - it's the best price in town!

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Watercolor Trio

The Summer Mini Catalog comes to an end at the end of this month. That means you only have a few weeks to purchase those items on your list. Once they are gone, there is no guarantee they will be back.

One set I adore, and actually haven't inked up in awhile is Watercolor Trio. It's such a fun set to use our Stampin' Write Markers on. And it seems no matter what you do with it, it's gorgeous.

Here is one I whipped up today using some new product.

The cardstock base is Poppy Parade and the layer is Pear Pizzazz. Both of these are NEW In-Colors. The background stamp I used is the new TeaHouse Background Stamp. As soon as I saw that stamp, I knew I had to have it. It is beautiful, like elegant wallpaper. I inked the stamp with Pear Pizzazz ink to give it a tone on tone look.

I used Pear and Poppy Markers and colored directly on the stamp with the brush tip and stamped twice (without reinking) so you get the different intensity of the ink.

Down the side is a piece of Pear Pizzaz Ribbon.

The greeting is punch out with the Modern Label Punch. To get the layered Poppy behind the white - simply punch a Poppy piece using the Modern Label Punch. Cut it in 1/2 and adhere it underneath the white pieces on the ends. Easy Peasy!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a great week!

To place your Stampin' Up! Order, please CLICK HERE and select SHOP NOW in the upper right corner.

Baby Tee's Card

So today I thought I would share something BESIDES a floral card. LOL. We sure love our florals! But there are so many other wonderful occasions to make cards...like a new BABY!

I just purchased the new Baby Tee's Jumbo Wheel from the new catalog. I didn't even own anything current for a baby. Imagine that! I guess it's been a long time since I needed a baby card.

I love the hand drawn look of this design, and it's a perfect set for watercoloring. It was so much fun to color these in.

I inked the jumbo wheel in Jet Black Stazon ink, and rolled it across a piece of watercolor paper. I then used our Stampin' Write Markers in Blush Blossom and Pear Pizzazz to color them in.

What I did was use the brush tip of the marker, and scribbled it on the top of one of our plastic stamp cases to make a palette of color. Then I picked up the color with my Aqua Painter, and painted the tee's. Such fun!

When they were dry, I cut out the tee's and threaded them with a piece of our rope (retired from last year...I was out of linen thread). I popped each tee up on a dimensional, and used brads to anchor the "clothes line". Cute, eh?

The center tee with the star has some glitter on it. These are obviously for a baby girl, and I figure you can never start a girl off too soon with some bling. :)

The cardstock is Blushing Bride (one of the new In Colors) and the designer paper layer is from the Pattern Pack that is a Hostess Level 1. The tee's are mounted on Very Vanilla (that has been embossed with the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder) and backed with a piece of Pear Pizzazz Cardstock.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you had a great weekend.

Click HERE to place your Stampin' Up! order. Click SHOP NOW in the upper right corner.

Just Believe Card and Tote Class

A New Class Announcement today!

Join me to make this awesome tote and coordinating 4 cards featuring the New Stamp Set, Just Believe.

Here are the 4 cards.

Tote with the 4 cards inside.

And finally, here is the complete ensemble.

This class features the deep, rich colors of Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler. The images are stamped with White Craft Ink and finished off with Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon. You will also use 2 new Embossing Folders for the Big Shot on these projects. They add a touch of elegance and texture to any project.

The just believe stamp set contains beautiful images, and is a large set with 4 greetings. There are 9 stamps in this set. This is one of the MOST popular new sets in the new catalog!

Here is the class information:

Date: Saturday, August 28th 2:00 PM

FEE: Class fee includes the stamp set for you to keep. You choose wood mount, or clear mount.

Wood Mount: $45.oo

Clear Mount: $38.00 (note: you must bring your own acrylic blocks or contact me for ordering information if you don't own one).

Please being adhesive and scissors to class.

Class is limited to 6 participants.

Class kits to go are available if you cannot make this class date. Contact me for more information.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great week,

Terri

Owl & Penguin Love

If you have your copy of the New Catalog, you've probably noticed the adorable new Owl Punch. We used this at our event last weekend to make a really cute card. Now, I am not really an owl person, but once I made this little dude, I was smitten with him .;-)

Here is the card that we made at the Stamp Camp:

The cardstock is Vanilla, and we used the new Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper for the layers. Isn't this little guy sweet?

So after playing around with it for a bit, I noticed some other demonstrators were making Penguins with it. SO CUTE.

So here is my version of the cute little owl made into a penguin.

All I really had to do was trim the ears off the head, and add a couple of flippers (which I did free hand). They aren't even the same size. But I figure flippers are like feet, they come in different sizes. :0)

The cardstock I used on this one is Basic Black, Marina Mist and Whisper White.

To make the snow, I simply hand tore whisper white cardstock, and ran 2 way glue along the edge and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. A piece of 1/8" Marina Mist ribbon finishes it off.

So there go you, another reason to add that owl punch to your next order. The possibilities are truly endless!

Thanks for stopping by today!

FALL CARD AND SCRAPBOOK CLUBS STARTING SOON!

Hey, Stampers!

Need an excuse to stamp each a month?

Join my Monthly Card/Scrap Club…

and get a night out once a month!

Here’s how it works:

- Clubs have 5 members each and run for 5 months.

- As a member of the club, you get to come to exclusive club workshops once a month to stamp, use my supplies and make free projects! It is a lot of fun!

- As a member of the club, you agree to purchase just $30 per month in stamping merchandise. The club will go from August 2010 – December 2010. I will provide snacks, beverages. :-)

- By the end of the club, you will have a wonderful assortment of stamps, inks and accessories by making gradual monthly purchase. And better yet, you will be a pro at how to use all your new supplies!

- Each month, one club member will get a change to be the “hostess”! You will get at least one Hostess Stamp Set and $15.00 in free product (You could get a lot more!).

- When it is your month to be hostess, you have the option of inviting more guests to the club meeting, thus increasing your hostess benefits!

Club Beginning in August:

Card Club – Every month you will make 4 cards (2 designs, 2 of each) based on a certain theme (birthday, thank you, get well, etc.). This is a great way to stock up on cards every month. Card clubs include envelopes, so you are ready to go!

Scrapbook Club - Each month we meet to make one 2 page, 12 x 12 layout. Themes will be seasonal and general so they can be used by all. Customization is available to suit your needs. Pictures not required to bring to class. When we are done with our classes, you will have wonderful layouts just waiting for you to add your cherished photographs! Each month a 2nd set of pages will be available for an additional $10 material fee.

Contact me to reserve your space!

Once the members are in place, we will work out a monthly meeting time that is convenient for everyone's schedule.

Terri Mongeon – (860) 404- 1860

Stamp4joy@comcast.net

Just Believe

Hello Stampers!

Thanks for stopping by today.

I have a card to share today that we made at my New Catalog Stamp Camp over the weekend. It was such a fun event. We had about 45 ladies in attendance, and they got to make 4 cards with all new stamps, inks, papers and accessories. FUN!

Here is one of the cards they got to make.

This stamp set is Just Believe. I just love the images in this set. The background is Old Olive that has been embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. It adds such wonderful texture to the card.

The main image was inked using Old Olive and Concord Crush (a new In Color) markers.

The ribbon is the Concord Crush stitched ribbon and it is glorious!

If you love all this new ribbon like I do, make sure to check out the all new Ribbon Shares! It's an affordable way to get lots of ribbon at a fraction of the cost of buying the whole roll!

This is a simple card that only takes a few minutes to make, but is so pretty. Simple and pretty cards are my favorite! So easy that anyone can make them, and it doesn't take a lot of time. Win-win!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Click HERE to place your Stampin' Up! Order Online. Click the SHOP NOW link in the upper right corner.

A Top 10 Day with the Goo Goo Dolls

Hello All!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had a great weekend! I have been pretty busy over the last week. Lots of good stuff going on in the Mongeon house.

So, after today's post you will think I am a freak, but that's ok. I am comfortable with it.

Something that some of you may not know about me is that I am an OBSESSIVE Goo Goo Dolls Fan. I actually think it's bordering on unhealthy. LOL.

They came to town last week, and of course, I had my tickets a long time ago. But then, they announced they were doing an Acoustic Cafe in Hartford for about 50 people before the concert. Well, you can imagine my delight, and excitement as I dialed my little fingers off for the past few weeks trying desperately to win tickets to this event. And I never got through. Ugh! Talk about panic. I was freaking out thinking I wouldn't get to attend.

So, after weeks of trying and not getting anywhere, I called on an old pal who I thought might be able to help. I can't give names, but he totally hooked me up. Now, he wasn't able to get tickets through the radio station. Nope. No dice. But he was able to get me in through a contact at the Bands Record Label. Can you believe that? WOW!

So I didn't find this out until about 2 days before the event. I just started to prepare myself for the fact that I might not get to go. I was in a panic. But then Monday afternoon when I checked my email, there was the message saying that we would be escorted in. I went BALLISTIC. I was jumping all around and screaming, and freaking out. Oh my! It was a glorious moment. :)

So, fast forward to the day of the event. We got to the location of the event and I called my contact on his cell, and he came right out of the bar, and in we went. Just like that! How cool is that? I owe these folks BIG TIME!

So - we had a couple of drinks in the upstairs bar before the band arrived. They were about 30 minutes late. Might have been Hartford traffic, since this was at 5 PM. They arrived about 5:30 and they brought us downstairs. It was VERY cool that their tour bus was parked right in front of the bar. They introduced the band, and in they came. AWESOME. Let me just say, there was nothing ACOUSTIC about it. They had the FULL set up - guitars, drums, keyboards, everything. It was a ROCK concert for 50 people in this little bar in Hartford. I died and went to heaven!

Here are a couple pics so you can see how close I was.

This is Robby Takac - the bass player.

And this is my man, my next husband, John Rzeznik. We have joked about it for years in my house. Ed even says to the kid when we hear a Goo Song "hey kids, listen! It's your next Daddy!" LOL. My Edju, such a good sport to put up with my obsession.

So anyway, there is usually an autograph session and a meet and greet. But they were late and time was at a premium. So they axed the autographs, and had to do the Meet in Greet in groups. I did get to talk to Johnny and Robby for a few seconds, and I was lucky enough to be right next to Johnny in the group picture - so I figure I can crop out everyone else and use it as my Christmas Card picture this year. ;-)

I haven't gotten that picture yet...still waiting on it from the photographer. But you can be sure I will post it when I get it!

The concert was amazing! And what was even more amazing is that the ticket prices were only $40. That in itself is awesome in this day and age. There were 2 opening acts, too. So that is A LOT of music for $40. One thing for sure, is the Dolls know a lot of people are going through hard times and they keep their prices low for that reason.

They also collect food at every concert for USA Harvest. The food they collect stays in the city they are playing in. I love that they are helping out wherever they go. A band with social conscience. Very cool.

So if you made it this far, thank for listening to me go on and on. You are a good person to put up with my ranting on about the Dolls. It truly was a top 10 day.

I do promise the next post will be stamping related. ;-)