Online Spectacular

So, should I admit that I stayed up late last night so I could be one of the 1st to see what goodies would be on sale (and we're talking super-sale) this week? Probably not, but it's true. At 1am I was entering my order. I had to beat the shipping rush, right? ;) As an added bonus, online orders over $150 get FREE shipping! Woohoo!! Visit my website to get your own great deals!

Handmade Holiday 2010

The Holiday season is rapidly approaching. Get ready for it early... at 20% off! You can order these bundles at workshops and online through December 16, 2010.

This bundle makes a GREAT gift for anyone special... including yourself!

If you have ever wanted to try a little homemade decorating, why not try it for 20% off?

These bundles include stamp sets, and are 20% off!

Spooky House

I forgot to post a picture of my Spooky House... oops! This is a cute little kit; very easy to put together with Sticky Strip. The Decor Accents - Design a House (120911 $5.95) ships flat and comes with simple assembly instructions. My husband spray painted the assembled house for me, and I sprinkled the Dazzling Diamonds glitter on while it was still wet. I stamped the bats and spider web images from the Wicked Cool stamp set (120600 $14.95) onto vellum to cover the windows. Two battery operated "candles" inside create a spooktacular effect. BOO!

Halloween Workshops

Well, Friday night I finished my last Halloween workshop. I have had so much fun sharing spooky decorating and project ideas . The card and bookmark were the make-and-take projects guests were able to make. The base of the card is Cajun Craze. We used the "Midnight Raven" a la carte stamp from the Holiday Mini Catalog for the focal point. Then we used the Color Spritzer Tool to spritz Rich Razzleberry ink over the raven. We cut the bookmark from Rich Razzleberry Textured card stock using one of the tags from the "Two Tags" Bigz Die. The Scallop Circle is punched in Old olive, and the 1" circle & 1 3/8" circle punches make a quick and easy focal point with Dracula from the Batty for You set. The Bitty Bat is punched from Basic Black card stock, and for giggles, we punched two tiny holes for a bite mark :)

To quote my little Dracula... Fangs for the memories!

Now it's time to get the Christmas make-and-takes ready!!

More details on my Halloween decorations...

These projects used the "Spooky Things" Decor Elements, the 1/2" "Raven" Lace Trim, and the "Wicked Fun" Specialty Designer Series Paper. Since the sheet of Decor Elements has 10 vinyl images, and there are 10 yards of trim, and 12 sheets of paper come in the package, I was able to make so many handmade decorations. I used 2 packages of the "Black Flourish" Designer Jewels (on the pumpkins) to get all the swirls I needed. These cool rhinestones are connected and already have adhesive on the back. I love how classy my decorations look, and I love knowing that I made them.

This project was super easy. I placed a sheet of "Wicked Fun" Specialty Designer Series Paper in a black 12x12 frame. Then I applied the Decor Elements directly to the glass. I applied the bats to a Window Sheet first, then cut them out with my Craft & Rubber Scissors. They are attached to the frame with Dimensionals. A piece of Raven Lace Trim finishes it off nicely.

I thought I would get some pics posted of my Halloween decorations... before Halloween! (No time like the present, right?)

I used the Spooky Things, Spooky Expressions, and Spooky Spider Decor Elements for my projects. The paper behind the Spooky Expressions faces is from a retired package of Prints in Pumpkin Pie. The rest of the paper comes from the Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper.

I'll get some close-ups posted in the next few days. Happy Haunting!

Halloween treat holder

I had so much fun at Lia's house last night. We stamped for hours and talked about all the great holiday projects we just have to make. This cone (inspired by a fellow demonstrator) was one of the projects we made. You can get 8 cones from 1 sheet of paper. Just cut your paper into 6x6 squares, then cut again along the diagonal of each square. Be sure to use "sticky strip" to adhere your ribbon on and to adhere the cone together. The scrunchy black circle behind the witch's feet is made from the new waffle paper. It adds a really neat touch to cards and other projects.

Technique Tuesday

Well I just had a ton of fun tonight at my Technique Tuesday class. I enjoy spending time with my stampin' sisters. I know it sounds corny, but they bring me so much happiness.

Tonight's technique was using bleach. We made two cards featuring stamping with bleach, and two cards featuring coloring with bleach. When working with bleach, you might want to open the windows, and be aware that the effect bleach will give your card stock also works on your favorite shirt ;)

To stamp with bleach, create a "stamp pad" with folded paper towels saturated with bleach. "Ink" your stamp with bleach and stamp the image onto card stock. It takes a minute for the bleach to pull the color out; you can use a heat tool to speed up the process.

Before coloring with bleach, it is a good idea to emboss your image. This helps you stay-in-the-lines better. You can use an AquaPainter filled with bleach or an old Blender Pen dipped in bleach to "color" in the image. Just be sure to designate these for bleach only.

Another cool technique is to use a spray bottle to mist bleach onto card stock. Each color of card stock will bleach differently, so have fun experimenting with different colors.

I am so happy to announce a new addition to my family... my stamping family ;) Welcome to our team, Heidi!! It's going to be a rowdy team meeting in October ;) I just love all my stamping sisters :)

It's been an exciting week for me with my team. First, Nichole decided she couldn't wait any longer to join the Stampin' Up! family; she just had to have that beautiful tote to keep her stampin' goodies in! Then Cassie promoted to Senior Associate! Way to go Cassie!! So these two super gals gave me a promotion - woohoo!! Now I get a nice little Stampin' Up! shopping spree! I'll have to let you know what I picked later... I'm off to Melissa's workshop. I can't wait for these girls to get their hands on my fun Halloween projects :)

I just want to extend a big welcome to the newest member of my team, Nichole. :) She is very excited about starting her own Stampin' Up! business (and earning a discount on her own stamps)! If you have ever wondered what it's like to be a demonstrator, or have any other questions, please contact me. I would be happy to answer your questions for you.

I had a great time last night teaching my "Technique Tuesday" class. Our technique focus for August was using the Big Shot. If you have a Big Shot and need project ideas or assistance with your machine, I would be happy to help you. If you don't have a Big Shot... well, I'd be happy to help you with that, too ;)

In class we made a Thanksgiving card using leaves die cut from wood sheets, a treat pouch using the movers-and-shapers die, a card using a die-cut from the Top-Note die (cut twice to create a new shape), and a fabric flower.

I just love stamping with my "stampin' sisters." If you would like to join us, you can view my class schedule on my website: stamp_pad.stampinup.net

Happy Stamping!!

I just had to post these pictures of my oldest son. He actually asked me if he could make a card for his friend's birthday. How cute is that?! When I said yes, he asked (very quietly) "can I use your stamps?" My boys have their own stash of art supplies, including their own stamps and ink pads, but today I let my son use some recently retired card stock and ink pads. He was so excited and already knew what he wanted to stamp. I have to say, he did a very good job. I had to help him with the brad, but the rest he did on his own :)

Well, hopefully this is the return to regular postings ;)

I got to stamp "just for fun" today. I thought I'd post one of the cards I made. Other than the card base, I used only scraps from my scrap drawer. The Real Red Top-Note was already die cut from some other project. The Old Olive ribbon was previously cut (too short) for a different project. The only "work" I had to do was to dry emboss the Daffodil Delight card stock and then the stamping. Now I'm off to stamp some cute little tags to tie around some bottles of wine being given as a gift.

What a great day!!!! Opening session was just fabulous! LOVED chatting with Shelli :)

I had a great time hanging out, catching up and stamping with fellow demonstrators.

I hope I am as pumped when I wake up in 4 hours ;) I'm sure I will be as tomorrow will be even more exciting!

Well, Convention 2010 is off to a great start! It has been an amazing day today (check-in day) and I can't wait until tomorrow! Here is a close-up of my swap using the new Level 2 Hostess set "Fast & Fabulous." It's difficult to see in the photo, but the center of each flower is brushed with the new Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink. It was so easy to use and added a nice touch to the card. Contact me so we can set the date for your next workshop so you can have the opportunity to earn this great stamp set while learning new techniques.

Mom and I enjoyed our visit to the Stampin' Up! campus this morning. The displays in the Legacy Museum were so beautiful.

We ended the evening at the Flower Power party - very groovy ;)

I apologize for not posting a project tonight. My van had a little trauma this evening. While driving home after delivering some orders, it did not seem to be driving well, and the brakes didn't seem to be working properly. I pulled to the side of the road only to see tons of smoke rolling out from the tire area. Hopefully the van can be dealt with tomorrow, and I can return to the stamping tasks at hand.

One of my favorite things about this job is how people who start off as customers develop into your friends. A BIG thanks to my friend Jen who came over to help me finish my swaps last night. I feel like I can breathe a little bit, now. It feels good to get 50 card-fronts done in one evening!

I had to try out the new stamp set Cottage Garden and the coordinating Designer Series Paper Sunny Garden. I think the Peach Parfait and Poppy Parade (from the In Color collection) look nice together.

I just love Sock Monkey! He has a new accessory set, which includes a wagon, glasses, a tie, and a beanie cap. I had to make a card with his new stuff right away :)

Supplies: Sock Monkey and More Monkey Accessories stamp sets; Real Red, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, and Crumb Cake card stock; Real Red and Crumb Cake textured card stock; Basic Black classic stampin' pad; Real Red and Bashful Blue markers; 5/16" silver brads.

I thought I was going to explode waiting for the UPS guy to show up today. It was all I could do not to run into the street when I heard the truck rumble into the subdivision. I wasted no time unpacking the boxes! I put away some of my goodies, but many of them are still sitting out, because I just had to start stamping!!

What a great day!! Thanks to everyone who came to the luau; it was sooo much fun! I really enjoyed stamping with all of you :)

You may have noticed some new colors in our new catalog. They are absolutely gorgeous! If you already have many of our colors, there are kits available to fill in the new colors you are missing. Contact me or head on over to my website for more information.

I meet with my team the first Thursday of each month to recognize achievements, review upcoming Stampin' Up! information, and to stamp. This is a card from our July 1st meeting. Supplies: Friends Never Fade stamp set, Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy card stock and ink, and Greenhouse Gala DSP.

Please contact me if you would like more information about joining the Stampin' Up! family.

Happy 4th!

Oopsies- meant to post this yesterday. The neighborhood firework were great, except for the mosquitoes! Hope everyone had a nice weekend :)

Well, today is like Christmas in the stamping world. At 1pm (central) the new Stampin' Up! catalog went live. I had so much fun ordering my new goodies, and it will be like Christmas again when they arrive. Oh, how hard it is to wait!
The new Idea Book & Catalog is the best I have EVER seen. The project samples are BEAUTIFUL! It truly is a great Idea Book. You can get a free copy of this amazing book by joining my Scrapbook Club (which meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month) or by hosting a workshop. Contact me if you would like more information.
In honor of the new Idea Book & Catalog, I am posting 2 card samples using the colors on the front cover: Marina Mist, Pear Pizzaz, Crumb Cake, and Early Espresso. I used the "Friends Never Fade" and "Vintage Vogue" stamp sets. The great texture on the flower card comes from the fabulous new embossing folder "Vintage Wallpaper." It's so easy to run your card stock through the Big Shot with these folders to achieve a deep-embossed image. To stamp the multi-colored flower, I inked the stamp by coloring directly onto the rubber with my "Stampin' Write Markers" in the same 4 colors mentioned above. I also used markers to ink the stamp for the focal point on the vintage friends card.
I hope you find time this week to stamp some new projects. If you need any help, feel free to email me :)

Well, I was worried this would happen... I would tell myself I'll post later... and it doesn't get done. Aah, the life of the busy Mom ;)
Since my last post I have been trying to steal a moment or two here and there to stamp. You see, I finally convinced my husband that moving my office upstairs would be a good idea :) So that's what we have been busy doing. The large furniture is all moved up to what used to be my living room. Now I'm just trying to bring up all the small stuff and find a place for it - easier said than done!
Hopefully I will have some new samples to post soon :)

Day #4 with the blog and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I am learning a little more each day and as long as I'm making progress, all is good :)
The UPS guy brought a very special box to my door today... brand new stamps and supplies from the new Idea Book & Catalog, which goes live July 1st. I have been stamping with my new goodies already and I am in love! Color, color, color! I love the new colors!!! Later this week I will post some pictures of my new projects.
I also finished the 2 projects for tomorrow night's team meeting / Opportunity Night. We always stamp at my team meetings, and tomorrow night we will use some of the items that come in the new mini Starter Kit. This kit is such a great deal for $99. It is only available June 2010, so if you would like to know more about joining the Stampin' Up! family, please contact me so you can join us and get more info :)
Well, time to get back to stamping... I may be up all night! :)

Still trying to figure this blog out- ugh. I did manage to change the layout and add a photo... not too shabby for me. LOL
I ordered my new stamp sets and supplies today - they should be arriving tomorrow. YIPPEE!! Hmmmmmm... learn how to use the blog or stamp with new supplies... not really a tough decision for me!

So everyone tells me how easy it is to keep a blog. Well, that just jinxes it! I've always know that I am technology-challenged (just ask my high school computer teacher). It seems to be no different with my new blog... One of these days I'll have it figured out :)

Soooo... hello "blog world!" Why, at midnight, I finally started my blog is anyone's guess. I might just have to save my posts for tomorrow ;)