~by request, the one-year anniversary sale (50% off!) has been extended until Dec. 2~ 

Happy here making candles, stamping Christmas cards, holiday shopping, and other fun stuff.  Hope you all are doing well~

I don’t recall the exact date that the store opened but I know it was around this time last year…so happy one-year anniversary to the store!  Since this is a very special time, I did a 50% off sale instead of the usual forty percent.    I’ve had many people asking for a sale, so here you go!

Oh my goodness, I can’t believe how fast time flies when I don’t spend it on the computer.  Home decor projects, fall holiday projects, Christmas cards, fall baking, and just enjoying the beautiful outdoors ~ and it’s mid-November already.  So much for the stack of file ideas on the corner of my desk…I need to get on a schedule where I can create files way, way, way in advance of the actual calendar!  So sorry I haven’t been online and updating.  Life is just too danged busy, I never seem to get a chance to sit down (at the computer, anyway).

I have a big something-in-my-life going on but I can’t tell it yet on my blog.   It’s a bittersweet thing.  I’m happy and sad all at the same time.  No, it’s not the New Moon movie premiere, although that is also a big thing around this house.  Yes, we’ve had our tickets for a while!  Not as long as my sister has had hers, though, lol.  I swore I was never going to get into the whole Twilight thing but after 90 million people I know told me to read the books and I did, I have never looked back.  They are as awesome as all the hype about them.  I don’t like vampires, or werewolves, or especially teen-age love stories, but these were some very good books and I am a definite fan of Stephenie Meyer’s writing.  I can’t wait to see the new movie!

I miss you guys.

Lots of pre-holidays to-do going on, am still here and will be back soon! ~Mary

Don’t forget that everything in the store is on sale 40% off until Oct. 18!

Just added two new freebie cutting files to the main website CUT pages.  One is a 5×5 scallop gatefold and the other is a 3×3 reverse scallop gatefold.  (The reverse one can be sized larger if your machine will cut it larger.)  I have freebie 3×3 envelopes on the website that will fit it.  It makes a good gift enclosure card.  I like to tie ribbon around these to keep them closed but I didn’t show it in the pictures.  You don’t have to add the extra pieces that have the holes but they are included if you need them.

Added this deckled autumn leaves card front file to the store last night.  It’s only $1.19 b/c of the 40% off sale

Don’t forget that everything in the store is on sale 40% off until Oct. 18!

Have I told you lately I love this time of year?  I don’t “do” halloween but lots of friends and family do so here’s a new free file I made for them and giving to you   Click on the photo to go to the Cut page on my main website where you can download this file.

I have a whole lot of new customers, so here’s a summary of what I do so they don’t have to go back and read all my old blog posts.  In my zipped files both on my main website (freebies) and the webstore, I always include AI and EPS files for Pazzles and other users, GSD for Wishblade, CraftRobo, and Silhouette users, KNK for Klic N Kut users, SVG for SCAL/Cricut users, PNG for digital scrapbookers like me, and PDF files for those who don’t have cutting machines to use to cut out by hand.  (Sometimes it’s faster for me to cut a file by hand than it is to make room to use a machine!)    I stay out of touch with the rest of the cutting world (on purpose) so I don’t know if there are new machines and file types out there…but these are all I can make at this time.  I have always loved to give away free files…but I have to sell some files to be able to keep my cutting machines up and running.  My KNK is out of order and I’m using my 4yo old blue WB to testcut…I really want a Cricut Expression and the SCAL software but can’t afford it yet.  The free files are always on my website, mamawslegacy.com and the store files are in my store shop.mamawslegacy.com/zencart.  My terms of use are on my main website.  Please do not disrespect those terms of use for any of my files, free or purchased.  

HOWEVER, I very much do appreciate LINKS to my blog/website/webstore if you choose to share them on your blogs, message groups, personal websites.    You can share what you make with my files by showing it online, you can sell what you make with my files anywhere except online, you just can’t share or sell my actual files.  Thanks! 

My email is always on all of my files if you need me and nice comments are always appreciated here. 

~Mary

I’ve been workin’!  First, I have three new files in the store – AND THERE IS A 40% OFF SALE GOING ON!!!  I love working on fall and winter files!  The football player is actually my nephew, star football player, Dalton.  It’s drawn from a photograph taken by my sister and it has taken me almost a year to do it.  I’m very pleased with it, finally, and added it to the store today.

Also in the store today is a cute harvest paper-piecing:

And my pride and joy of the year, a Bethlehem silhouette.  It cuts in two pieces:  a backing mat with the stars cut out and the city silhouette.  It is VERY detailed.  I cut it twice on thin black cardstock and do not recommend using thick cardstock to cut it.  If you want it metallic for your holiday cards (like I do), I suggest using metallic paint/ink/embossing powder to color it after it is cut.  This one took me over a year to finish, too! 

And last but not least, I thought it was time for a good freebie file.  I love this one and I have several more freebies for the next few weeks to give away waiting in the wings.  Hope you can use it!

I feel so anxious to get back to “work” making files…am almost to the point where I can take a few hours a day to play with all the designs I have in my head.  Fall is my favorite season!  Decided to have a sale b/c that always motivates me to make more files.  Going to run it for 3 weeks so I have time to add some new files while it’s ongoing.  Hope some of you can use the sale to get files for your fall and holiday projects ~ keep a check on this blog for when I add new files to the store or the free pages. 

I am almost finished putting together my cardstock shelf…which will allow me to unpack the biggest and heaviest boxes in the studio and get those out of the way.  I am loving our new house and I absolutely love the El Paso area. 

It’s a very happy time of year ~ !

We are finally moved into our new home in El Paso   Once we make a maze through the boxes we can start unpacking!  Just got our internet this afternoon – I have a lot of catching up to do.  We are loving being back here so far.  There is so much to do and see (and places to eat!) but traffic is CRAZY.  Will post more and maybe pix when I get time ~

Miss you guys,

~Mary

A week from today Michael will be here   I haven’t seen him since May so I’m excited!  After that we have a full week of driving all over the state to say goodbyes to family, packing the moving truck, and cleaning the apartment.  Two weeks from today we will be driving towards El Paso.  I’m driving the UHaul and am dreading it.  Wish me luck!  There are still lots of odds and ends to finish up this week. 

Kat is gone today to give Teri the latest monies from the sale (I added an extra amount from me in case any last minute coupons are used today) and to carry her two tv’s.  We decided to give her our older tv’s to use until she gets a new one (her plasma exploded in the fire).  While Kat’s in that area she’s going to go say goodbye to her bio dad, step-mom, and little brothers.  I can’t believe we’re so close to leaving but I’m ready.  We went shopping a few times this week and we’re tired of HERE, we are anxious to be THERE.

I’m really going to miss my family.  It was good to be near them for these 13 months but I am ready to move on to my new life as an officer’s wife.  It’s funny…you all know how much I worried and stressed over transitioning to be the kind of officer’s wife I wanted to be but it isn’t nearly so bad as I thought it would be.   Being around my family has helped a LOT.

 We won’t be living on post – the wait list was too long – so we rented a huge nice house on the west side of El Paso near our church there and UTEP.  I won’t have any stresses of officer wife functions for the first year b/c Michael won’t be in a unit.  He will be going to UTEP as soon as we get there to finish his degree and Kat will start there in January.  It’s exciting to be going back to El Paso – it’s where we started our army life and where I started stamping.  I still have stamping friends there that I can’t wait to see again.  I’m sure a lot has changed in the 10-11 years since we’ve been there.  There were two WalMarts there last time and now there are ten!  That says a lot, lol.  There is also a Target very near our new house which is cool.  I just wish Taria & Chris were moving with us but she’s happy at Austin Peay Univ and I want her to finish there.  We’ll fly them out at Christmas this year which will be fun.  They come down next week to help us load the truck and to say ‘bye.

It shouldn’t take very long to get internet at the new house so I’ll check in with you all when we get there.  Just wanted to let you know today how grateful I am again for your help with Teri’s tragedy.  You guys ROCK!  You helped me to help her more than I could by myself and I love you all for that.

Talk to you again soon,

~Mary