Rose Summer

This card was made with one of the new stamp sets from the upcoming mini catalog, Soft Summer. It is a beautiful two step stamp set. You can see another sample of it here. So, I was preparing cards for my class next week and I decided I wanted to use this stamp set for the class. The class will be 5 quick, simple, but pretty cards. This card has a Rose Red base that was punched with the Ticket Corner Punch. I then added a strip of Basic Black card stock across the card. I stamped the solid image from Soft Summer in Rose Red, then the outline image over it in Basic Black on Very Vanilla. I punched the corners with the Ticket Corner Punch and adhered it to the card. Lastly I stamped my sentiment in Basic Black.

If you are interested in coming to my class, check out my calendar for the details.

Stripes & Tree

I just got some of the beautiful Always Designer Series Paper and although I don't use DSP very often I had to play with this gorgeous paper! I cut some of the striped paper and adhered it to the bottom of a Chocolate Chip card and tied a piece of Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon around the upper edge of the DSP. I then stamped the tree trunk from Trendy Trees in Chocolate Chip and the tree top in Pumpkin Pie on Whisper White. I punched it out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch and layered it on a 1 3/8" Circle. I then layered a Pretty in Pink Scallop Circle behind it. I adhered my tree to my card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

So Simple

Sometimes I really love a card with just one layer. And that's what I'm sharing with you today. I realized the other day that I have had a white StazOn pad for several months and I've never used it. So I thought I'd give it a go! I started with an Old Olive card and I stamped the daisy image from Upsy Daisy along the bottom of the card with the Cotton White StazOn. I then stamped my sentiment in Jet Black StazOn. I tied a little Basic Black 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon around the edge and voila!

Pastel Dogwood

This card is a little more frilly then my usual style, but I love the dogwood branch from the new set Soft Summer. This stamp set is in the Occasions Mini catalog that will debut on April 1st. It is a two step stamp set. I stamped the solid image in Versamark on Very Vanilla and added color with my Stampin' Pastels. I then used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the outline image in Chocolate Chip over the pastel image. I punched the corners with the Ticket Corner punch. I then took a strip of Pretty in Pink and punched down both edges with the Scallop Edge punch and adhered a strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock over it. I added some Certainly Celery 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon and adhered it to my card. I adhered my dogwood image over it. I then found a scrap of Very Vanilla and stamped my sentiment in Chocolate Chip. I punched it out with the Word Window punch and adhered it to my card. I trimmed off the excess and I was done. I love how it turned out and I'm excited to play with this new stamp set a little more.

Spiral Pop Up Card

I love this card! The outside is cute, but the inside is even cuter! I made it a spiral pop up card. If you want to learn how to make a spiral pop up card then watch the video. It's so easy.

For the outside of the card I used a Taken with Teal card base. I stamped a piece of Old Olive with the star image from Classic Backgrounds and wrapped a piece of So Saffron 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon and attached it to my card. I then stamped the sentiment from Hugs & Wishes in Taken with Teal on Whisper White and adhered it to my card. I then punched a Large Star from So Saffron and attached it with a Stampin' Dimensional. Fun! Now watch the video to see the inside!

Woo Hoo!

New stamps!! Mounting mini alphabets = not fun.

Stalking UPS

I'm getting new stamps today!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blue Bird

I absolutely love the images in the Always stamp set, but for some reason I find myself having a hard time coming up with designs with it. I don't know what it is about it that I find so challenging, but I was determined to make a card with it. So, I stamped the bird in Bashful Blue on Whisper White. I then layered it on Basic Black. I stamped the leaf image repeatedly along the bottom of my Mellow Moss card. I then cut a small slit in the side of the card to slip my Basic Black 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon through. I tied it in a knot. I then adhered the bird image to my card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I stamped the "always" stamp in Basic Black on Bashful Blue and punched it with my 1 1/4" Circle Punch. I layered it on a piece of Basic Black that was punched with my 1 3/8" Circle Punch. I adhered it to the bird layer. I was thinking I needed a little more Mellow Moss in the card, so I stamped the small flower in Mellow Moss on a scrap of Whisper White and punched it out with my 3/4" Circle Punch. I then adhered it with Stampin' Dimensionals. And I don't know if you can tell in the photo, but I covered my blue bird with Crystal Effects. All in all I'm pleased with the way this one turned out. I hope you like it, too.

Happy St. Patty's Day

I didn't do any St. Patrick's Day stamping, but I did do some baking! I made these yummy Hi Hat cupcakes! I used the recipe from the book Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans but I modified it to make mini cupcakes. It's hard to tell in the picture, but I dyed the cream frosting green for St. Patty's Day! I took these to my bowling potluck last night. I had to wait until yesterday to make them, otherwise I would've eaten them all before the potluck! Chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow creme frosting, dipped in chocolate! They're so yummy!

Pink Butterfly

Butterflies also remind me of spring. So, again, with Shelli's Creative Challenge in mind I had to play with Flight of the Butterfly. I stamped the solid butterfly image in Pretty in Pink on Whisper White. I then stamped the body and dotted wings in Rose Red (lining it up with my Stamp-a-ma-jig). I then layered it on a piece of Rose Red, which was sponged on the edges, using Stampin' Dimensionals. I sponged the edges of my Certainly Celery card and sponged a strip of Pretty in Pink, which had been punched with the Scallop Edge punch. I adhered the Pretty in Pink strip to my card and tied a piece of 5/8" Certainly Celery ribbon from the Sale-a-bration ribbon bundle. I adhered the butterfly image over my ribbon. I couldn't decide on a sentiment, so I just left the front blank and will add a sentiment when I decide on a purpose for the card. Thanks for looking!

Spring Tree

One of my favorite things about spring is watching all the flowering trees bloom. I have a tree in my front yard that flowers and it makes me so happy when it is in full bloom. So, when I saw Shelli's Creative Challenge theme for the month I immediately thought of Season of Friendship. I love this stamp set. It was in the 2008 Holiday Mini and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will appear in the next Stampin' Up! IB&C.

I stamped the tree trunk in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White. I then stamped the Mellow Moss leaves. On a scrap piece of Whisper White I stamped some flowers in Pretty in Pink and Perfect Plum. I then painstakingly cut them all out and adhered them to my tree. I took a strip of Perfect Plum cardstock and punched it with the Scallop Edge Punch. I adhered it behind my Whisper White layer. I then attached it to a piece of Pretty in Pink. I adhered some Chocolate Chip Polytwill Ribbon around it and adhered it to my Mellow Moss card. I then stamped my sentiment from Warm Words in Mellow Moss and punched it out with my 1 1/4" Circle Punch. I then stamped the flower in Pretty in Pink. I layered it on a 1 3/8" Circle and then on a Scallop Circle punched from Chocolate Chip. Lastly I adhered it to my card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

This card is a little more labor intensive than most cards I make, but it was fun! I might have to try to get fancy more often. :o)

3 Easy Payments

Have you been thinking about becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, but are hesitant due to the up-front cost? Well, it's just been announced that you can become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator by purchasing your starter kit with 3 easy payments. And this includes the Sale-a-bration promotion price of $169 if you sign up before March 31st. This offer is not available online, so contact me to get the paper work started!

Here's how it works:

Promotional price

Starter Kit Payment	Payment Charged*	Payment with Stampin' Memories Add-On*
Payment 1 (charged at time kit is entered)	$56.34 (+ sales tax)	$106.34 (+ sales tax)
Payment 2 (charged around April 15th)	$56.33	$56.33
Payment 3 (charged around May 15th)	$56.33	$56.33
Total Payment	$169.00	$219.00

April price

Starter Kit Payment	Payment Charged*	Payment with Stampin' Memories Add-On*
Payment 1 (charged at time kit is entered)	$66.34 (+ sales tax)	$116.34 (+ sales tax)
Payment 2 (charged around May 15th)	$66.33	$66.33
Payment 3 (charged around June 15th)	$66.33	$66.33
Total Payment	$199.00	$249.00

This offer is only good through April 30th, so don't delay!

Monochromatic Again

So, again, I made two cards for Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration challenge. Here's number 2. This time I started with a Basic Gray card. I stamped the image from Upsy Daisy in Versamark twice along the bottom. I embossed it with black embossing powder. I then tied a piece of Basic Black 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon around the card. I stamped my sentiment from Short & Sweet on Whisper White in Basic Black. I then punched it out with my Word Window punch. I layered it on a Large Scallop that was punched from Basic Black. I adhered it to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

And there you have it. Two thank you cards, two days in a row, using the same monochromatic color scheme. Next time I promise more color.....and a different theme.

Here I am again!

I told you tomorrow, but how about today? Kristina Werner posted her Color Inspiration for the week, so I thought I'd play. I'm hiding in the basement from all the racket of the construction crew, so there will be lots of stamping going on. So I decided to dig through my stamps for a set that doesn't get any love. I pulled out Wow Flowers. I think I've only used it twice before. I started with a Basic Black card base. I stamped the flower in Versamark and heat embossed it in black. I then added a strip of Basic Gray across the card and tied some Ric Rac ribbon around it. The ribbon is from the retired Beachfront Ribbon Originals. I stamped my sentiment in Basic Gray on Whisper White and punched it out with my 1 1/4" Circle Punch. I then layered it on a piece of Basic Black that I punched with my 1 3/8" Circle Punch. I then adhered it to my card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I think the monochromatic color combo is perfect for this stamp set. I just need to use it more!

Where am I?

I've been slacking on the blog. I don't mean to, but it's my second week back from Florida and the first week of my hubby being gone, so I've really been trying to get stuff done. I've been spending a lot of time working out and hanging out with my bestie, who I missed like crazy while I was gone. I've also had bowling league, my network group meeeting, and my sorority alum chapter meeting 3 consecutive nights, so that's been a little overwhelming. I did stamp the other day, though. I just haven't taken any pictures. Some of it was for contest entries so I can't share and other is business stuff so you probably wouldn't be interested. I will try my darndest to share tomorrow. I'm stuck in the house all day today and tomorrow because I'll have contractors coming in and out (finally finishing up the work from the damage we suffered back in Sept.).

For now, allow me to make a few public service announcements. Sale-a-bration is almost over! You only have about 2 weeks left to get your freebies! I can still squeeze some workshops in if you'd like to earn a Sale-a-bration item for free with a $300 show. But if you'd rather wait, I can book your workshop in April, where you can pick an item from p. 208 in the IB&C for free with a $150 show. Let me know ASAP so I can reserve your date!

Winner!!!!!

We have a winner! A blog candy winner!! I used random.org to draw a random number last night after the entries were due. Drum roll please...............











Linda Wise!!!! You are lucky #7!!! Please send me an email with your address, so I can send those goodies to you!

Thanks for all the comments. Hopefully I can offer some candy again soon!

Scallop Tree

I am having a Sale-a-bration Spectacular event today and this is the make & take. I wanted to give my guests the opportunity to play with a new stamp set, so of course I picked Trendy Trees!

The card is Certainly Celery and I scalloped the bottom front of the card with the Scallop Edge punch. I then stamped the tree trunk in Chocolate Chip and the top of the tree with Certainly Celery on Whisper White. I then punched it out with my 1 3/8" Circle Punch. The tree was then adhered to a So Saffron Scallop Circle. I then added a strip of Chocolate Chip across the card and adhered the scallop on top. Lastly I stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip. I hope the guests love their card!!!

Border Punch Tutorial

Here is a quick tutorial that shows how to use a border punch.

How Much is that Scotty in the Window?

This is another card I made using the Recessed Window technique. Actually this is the first one I made. It was my practice run. I started by making the recessed window in the piece of Basic Black cardstock. I then stamped the dog in Jet Black StazOn on Whisper White. I masked him to stamp the fire hydrant in Real Red. I then colored in the dog's color with my Real Red marker. Also using the Real Red marker I stamped the sentiment in the top corner of the Whisper White. I then placed that piece inside my window. I took a strip of Basic Gray and added it across a Real Red card. I adhered my Basic Black window to it and then added a pewter brad underneath. It's hard to see in the picture, but I love the dimension of the card. I think I need to make more recessed window cards!!!!!

Sale-a-Bration Spectacular

I am hostessing a Sale-a-bration Spectacular event this Sunday, March 8th at 2 pm. So if you are in the Dayton or Cincinnati area send me an email and I'll give you directions. There will be product demonstrations, a make & take, door prizes, and snacks! And when I say snacks I mean I will bake something. And everyone loves when I bake. Please RSVP to the event by sending me an email. If you haven't gotten the chance to look through the Spring/Summer IB&C now is the time!!! And you will receive a copy of the Sale-a-bration brochure. There is only a few weeks left of SAB, so take advantage of the offer before it's gone!

Color Inspiration #44

I actually have two cards for Kristina Werner's color inspiration challenge this week because I loved the color combo!!! I did change it up to use Pretty in Pink instead of Pink Pirouette.

My first thought when I saw the colors was that I wanted to use a butterfly, so I reached for Flight of the Butterfly. I stamped the solid butterfly wings in Pretty in Pink on Whisper White, then the polka dot wings over it in Chocolate Chip. I stamped the sentiment in Close to Cocoa. I layered it on a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock. I then tied a piece of Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon around it. Then I took a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and punched it with the Scallop Edge punch and layered it behind the Pretty in Pink. I adhered this to a Close to Cocoa card.

My second card is Easter inspired. I stamped Sock Monkey on a piece of Whisper White with Jet Black StazOn. And then stamped the bunny ears from the accessories set over his head. I colored the ears and his mouth with Pretty in Pink and a blender pen. I then colored the monkey with Close to Cocoa and a blender pen and a Chocolate Chip marker. I then used my Signo White Gel pen to color his eye, because they tend to disappear under the Chocolate Chip marker. I then used my Basic Black Stampin' Write marker over the white of the eyes. I adhered a strip of Pretty in Pink along the bottom of a Close to Cocoa card and adhered my monkey bunny on top. I then stamped the sentiment from Loads of Love Accessories in Close to Cocoa. On a scrap of Whisper White I stamped the basket from Sock Monkey Accessories in Jet Black StazOn and again colored with Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa and a blender pen and a Chocolate Chip marker. I punched it out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch and layered it on a piece of Chocolate Chip that was punched out with a 1 3/8" Circle Punch. I then adhered it to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I easily could've made 10 more cards using this color combination, but I refrained. I look forward to seeing what everyone else did for the challenge.

p.s. Don't forget to check out the post below for a chance at some blog candy!

Do you like candy?

How about some blog candy? It has been a long time since I have given away blog candy and now that I'm back home in Ohio I want to get back into more frequent blogging and more interactive blogging. So, I'm starting with some candy!

Here is what is up for grabs. Approx. 9 yards of Wild Wasabi Double Stitched Ribbon, a Chocolate flower Decor Elements, and approx. 180 Soft Subtles flower eyelets.

So what do you have to do? Just leave a comment, of course. Comments must be left before 8 pm on Sunday, March 8th. At that time I will draw a winner by using random.org. I will post the winner on Monday. US residents only, please. And please make sure I have a way of contacting you in case you are the winner.

Happy to be Friends

I made a friend while down in Florida. With one of my husband's co-workers. She lived in the same place as us and also had a dog. She was on her own, so we invited her along to a lot of the places we went. We spent a good amount of time together. She's the sentimental type and likes Valentine's Day, so I wanted to give her a Valentine. Unfortunately I didn't have any Valentine stamps, but I did have Man's Best Friend. So I stamped the large dog in Jet Black StazOn (she has a larger black and white dog) on Whisper White and the fire hydrant in Real Red. I layered it on a piece of Basic Black. I then punched the bottom of a Tempting Turquoise card with my Scallop Border punch and adhered a Real Red layer above it. I adhered my stamped images. I then stamped my sentiment in Tempting Turquoise on Whisper White and punched it out with my 1 3/8" Circle punch and layered it on a Real Red Scallop circle. I then pierced the scallops and adhered it to my card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Sneak Peek

Starting today you can order a few items out of the Occasions Mini Catalog! The catalog doesn't begin until April 1st, but starting today you can order a the stamp sets that have an Easter theme. To view the stamp sets click here. And don't forget that Sale-a-bration is still going on. You can even earn SAB items with a $50 purchase through my demonstrator website.

Thinking Trees

Time for more cute trees. I love them! I stamped the trees from Trendy Trees in So Saffron, Ruby Red, and Chocolate Chip on Whisper White. I then stamped the "hills" in Certainly Celery. I layered it on a piece of Chocolate Chip. I then took a piece of So Saffron Prints DSP and added a strip of Ruby Red. I then adhered my layer with the trees. I took a Certainly Celery card and wrapped some So Saffron 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (SAB ribbon) around it. I then adhered my So Saffron piece to the card. Lastly I stamped my sentiment on my card in Ruby Red. Oh, so cute!!!

All my stamps are packed.....

I'm ready to go...... I'll save you from my wonderful singing voice. I packed up all the stamps, ink, paper, and accessories that I brought down to Florida with me because tomorrow we are heading back to Ohio. I'm reflecting on how I felt about leaving my stamping supplies and how I debated for weeks about what to bring with me. It was so hard to narrow it down. In the end I did a horrible job! I printed a bunch of pictures with the intent to scrapbook them, but so many times I sat down to start the pages and thought of what I had at home that I could use on the page. Those pictures didn't get scrapbooked. Like the Martha Stewart pictures. She's wearing an argyle sweater in the pictures, but I didn't bring Classic Backgrounds with me, so I didn't scrapbook those pages. And I feel bad about some of the stuff I did bring and didn't use. I didn't use the HPH I brought, or the Flower Fusion felt flowers, or some colors of ink or cardstock. Oh, and I brought Jumbo Eyelets, but didn't bring my Crop-a-dile so those didn't get used either! And what was I thinking not bringing a sentiment stamp set? I knew I had 5 birthdays to make cards for while we were down here!

I can't wait until Sunday, which is probably when I'll head down to my stamping studio and unpack what I brought and look at all those wonderful items that I sadly left behind. Yay! for going home!!!!!!!!

Now if someone will talk to Mother Nature about the weather........I don't want any snow upon my arrival!!!!

Clean and Simple Challenge

Over on Splitcoast Stampers there is a new weekly challenge. The clean and simple challenge. And if you've been following this blog you know that I'm a clean and simple stamper, so you know I was excited about this new challenge. This week's challenge was a sketch. And here is what I came up with based on the sketch. I started with a piece of Whisper White cardstock and stamped the dog from Man's Best Friend in Close to Cocoa and the fire hydrant in More Mustard. I then adhered a strip of Old Olive along the bottom edge. I punched the Old Olive piece with my Spiral Punch. I took a piece of More Mustard 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon and made a knot in it and wrapped the edges around the corner of my Whisper White piece. I then tied a piece of Hemp Twine around the ribbon. I adhered the image to my Close to Cocoa card and I'm done. Clean and Simple.

Stampin' Up! News

If you haven't heard, yet, Stampin' Up! is going back to one catalog a year. It was just announced on a demonstrator teleconference call that starting with the July catalog it will go back to one year, so it will be good through June 2010. So, the current catalog ends June 30 of this year and then July 1 a new catalog will begin and will stick around until June 30 of the next year.

Also, there will be 3 mini catalogs, each lasting 4 months, so there will always be a mini. Right now we only have two minis and they run for 3 months each. The new minis will have new products as well as new hostess options in addition to those in the main catalog. There will also be 2 Decor Elements catalogs per year.

Personally I'm excited about this change as I just felt that there wasn't enough time to get everything you wanted out of the catalog before it was gone! And an additional mini will ensure that we get to see some new stuff throughout the year.

I hope you are as excited, too!

Recessed Window

This is the card my hubby got for his birthday yesterday! I had to try the recessed window technique and I thought it would be a good time to make a tutorial as well, so here it is! I used the stamp set, Man's Best Friend. The cardstock is Real Red, Basic Black, Basic Gray, and Whisper White. Ink is Jet Black StazOn, Real Red, and Basic Black marker. I also used the Photo Corner Punch.

Rusty Mustard Tree Flower

When I saw Kristina's color challenge this week I knew I had to participate! I love these colors. The colors are More Mustard, Really Rust, Kiwi Kiss (I used Old Olive) and Whisper White. The hardest part was deciding what stamp set I wanted to use. I wanted a flower card, but wasn't in the mood for Garden Whimsy. So I improvised.
I decided to use the tall tree from Trendy Trees as a flower petal. I stamped 4 Really Rust and 4 More Mustard "tree tops" on Whisper White and cut them out. I then stamped the swirly tree top in More Mustard and punched it out with my 1" Circle Punch. I found a scrap of More Mustard cardstock and adhered a strip of Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon to it with glue dots. including the "leaves." I then adhered the More Mustard "tree tops" and the Really Rust "tree tops" on top. I then added my flower center using Stampin' Dimensionals. I adhered a strip of Old Olive cardstock to the bottom of my card and adhered my piece of More Mustard on top. So there you have it, a Rusty Mustard Tree Flower. Enjoy!

And again........

I made the Showcase again! Two days in a row. Talk about a surprise. This card is a simple one, but I love it. I started with a piece of Whisper White and stamped the ladybug from Garden Whimsy in Real Red. I then stamped the sentiment in Basic Black. I layered the Whisper White piece on Basic Black and using Stampin' Dimensionals I adhered it to a Basic Gray card. Lastly I tied a piece of Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon around the card. This might be the end of my Stamper's Showcase run as I don't think I have any more submitted cards. I guess I should get working on some!

Ego Boost

Yesterday was a great day! I got such an ego boost from the wonderful ladies on SCS and from Stampin' Up! Another one of my cards was featured on Stamper's Showcase and two wonderful ladies listed me in the favorites thread on SCS.

Here's my card from Stamper's Showcase. I used Inspired by Nature and colored the flower stamp with my Old Olive, Rose Red, and Chocolate Chip markers. I stamped the sentiment in Certainly Celery. I layered it on a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and punched a slot in it to thread through my Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon. I then stamped the grass image in Certainly Celery on a Certainly Celery card and adhered my flower layers. It's pretty simple, but I love the way these flowers look when they're colored in. But I'm sure you've noticed that since this is the third card that I've used this color combo on this stamp.

Stamp-a-ma-jig Tutorial

I actually made a SAMJ tutorial probably over a year ago, but I was having computer issues and unable to process the video. So, I taped a new tutorial, used a new video editing program, and have finally managed to make a SAMJ tutorial for you! I hope you enjoy the video.....and I hope you'll start using those SAMJs!!!!!!

Trendy Trees!

My new stamps arrived yesterday and I had to play right away. I fell in love with Trendy Trees the minute I laid eyes on it in the catalog, but it's so much better than I though. Seeing the images in color confirms why I love this set! This card is super simple, but I was just so excited to play! I stamped the tree trunks with Close to Cocoa on Whisper White. Then using my Stamp-a-ma-jig I stamped the leaves in Old Olive. I used the swirly image to create clouds along the top of the piece of Whisper White using Bashful Blue that I stamped off. I adhered my Whisper White cardstock to a piece of Bashful Blue and stamped the sentiment in Close to Cocoa. I adhered a strip of Close to Cocoa across an Old Olive card and adhered the Bashful Blue piece on top. Simple, but cute.

And there will be plenty more to come!

Swap Card

While down here in Miami I met a lovely, fellow demo named Karen Riska who lives in Ft. Lauderdale. She was so kind as to meet me half way to give me one of her extra catalogs since I was unable to receive mail at the condo. My hubby thought it was funny that I brought her a card I made as a thank you for being so kind. That was until she gave me a swap. He apparently didn't know how us stampers think! So here is the beautiful card that she gave me.

Allow me to try to describe the card. I believe the card is Brushed Gold cardstock, punched with the Scallop Edge. The middle layer is Brushed Silver cardstock that has been run through the Big Shot with a Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texture Plate. The heart is from A Happy Heart. It was stamped and embossed with Gold Embossing Powder, cut out and adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals. The word Love was cut out with the Big Shot using Stampin' Up! Join in the Cheer. And the small heart was stamped with a "u" I believe from Ticker Tape Alphabet and embossed in Silver. It was punched out the the Heart to Heart punch and adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals. Isn't it pretty? It's making me really want the Big Shot!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for a Few Good Women (or Men)!!!

If you've ever thought about becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator now is the perfect time! During Sale-a-bration you can receive 15% off the regular price of the starter kit AND you can pick an additional stamp set for FREE (up to $47.95 value)!!! This offer is good through the end of March, but don't delay as SAB is also a good time to get your business off the ground. If you sign up now you can have your starter kit in time to hold workshops in March!!! As a demonstrator you can earn additional free products during the SAB promotion. AND you get an additional 10% off your first workshop order during the first 45 days of your demonstratorship!!! Contact me today to learn more!!!!

Dibs!!!!!

After being in Miami for two months, hubby and me decided to move out of the condo we were renting and into a Marriott. There were several deciding factors. The condo was great because it was on the beach, but it also had flaws. The bed was uncomfortable, there was no internet, and there wasn't much space. So we decided not to renew our lease there and give the Marriott a try. It is closer to hubby's work, has internet, and we were able to get a one-bedroom suite. As soon as we got into the unit I called dibs on the big work station. There are two tables. One small and one big. I was happy as a clam!!! This is me calling dibs on the table............And I unpacked quickly!!! Something I was not able to do in the condo. I think this will suffice for the next three weeks until we head back home!!! Oh, and another bonus of the Marriott...we can get mail!! So I have two new stamp sets heading my way. They should be here Wednesday and I know I won't be able to resist them!!!!!!!!! I'll have something new to share!!!!

Congrats Butterfly

Butterflies seem to be the theme for every occasion for me these days. This time it’s congratulations! I stamped the large butterfly from Garden Whimsy in Taken with Teal on Whisper White. I then stamped the sentiment in Rose Red. Then I used my Mono Multi to dot some of the dots on the butterfly and adhered some Rose glitter. Nothing says "congratulations and happy and all that fun stuff" like glitter, right? I adhered a piece of So Saffron to my Taken with Teal card and adhered a strip of Rose Red down the side, overlapping the So Saffron piece. I adhered my butterfly image to my card. As a finishing touch I added a Pewter brad to the Rose Red strip.

Stamper's Showcase

I've mentioned before that on the demonstrator side of Stampin' Up!'s website there is a Stamper's Showcase that features cards that have been submitted by demonstrators. Today one of my cards is featured!!! This is a card I submitted for a spring theme contest. Although I didn't win the contest it's still pretty exciting to have my card featured on the Showcase as there are thousands of cards to choose from.

I took the flower stamp from Garden Whimsy and inked up the flower head with Pretty in Pink and then used my Old Olive marker to ink up the stem. I stamped the image 3 times across my piece of Whisper White. I then stamped the butterfly using Rose Red. And I was thinking that spring needed some bling, so I spread some Mono Multi on the flower heads and butterfly and drenched them in Dazzling Diamonds. I then stamped my sentiment in Rose Red on Pretty in Pink and punched it out with the Large Oval punch and adhered it to my Very Vanilla Piece. I found a scrap of Rose Red and trimmed it to size and then tore the top edge of the layer. I adhered it to a Pretty in Pink card and tied a piece of Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon around the card. Once my Dazzling Diamonds dried I adhered my Very Vanilla piece of cardstock to my card.

Although the prize (free stamps!) for winning the contest would've been great a shout on the Showcase is pretty exciting, too!

Sale-a-bration is HERE!!!!!!!!

Sale-a-bration is officially here! Click on the catalog image to the right to view the wonderful offerings that you can earn for free!!! As explained here, you can earn a free item for every $50 you spend or for every $300 in workshop totals between Feb 1 and March 31. This offer is available through online ordering on my website at heatherhawkins.stampinup.net. In addition starting Feb 1 if you order online you can receive a free Spring/Summer IB&C! Catalogs are limited so be sure to get your order in ASAP!


ETA: Just announced - in addition to the free stamp set for signing up to become a demonstrator you can also receive 15% off the starter kit during the SAB period. That's $335 worth of product for only $169!!!!

Sympathy Butterfly

This is one of those cards that you never want to have to make, but unfortunately life happens and sympathy cards are needed. With my limited supplies I felt that Garden Whimsy provided the most appropriate stamps for the card. I think butterflies are a beautiful symbol of remembrance. I stamped the butterfly with So Saffron on Whisper White and punched it out with my 1 3/8” Circle Punch. I then punched a 1 3/8” Circle in a scrap of Rose Red and then punched it out with my Scallop Circle Punch. I then found a scrap of So Saffron Prints DSP and distressed the edges with my distressing tool from the Cutter Kit. I then adhered my butterfly circle to it and adhered the Scallop Circle over it with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I then took a scrap of Old Olive and stamped the grass image from Inspired by Nature in Old Olive. I wrapped a piece of Old Olive ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon around it and adhered the So Saffron square to it. Lastly I adhered the Old Olive layer to a Basic Gray card.

Sale-a-bration is coming!!

Since I'm not on my computer and the blog post I have prepared for you is I'm going to just talk to you about Sale-a-bration. SAB starts in 5 days!!!! What does that mean for you?

Well, as a customer if you order $50 of Stampin' Up! merchandise you get to choose 1 SAB item. If you purchase $100 you get your choice of two, and so on and so forth.

This year SU! is offering you the choice of 4 stamp sets, 1 ribbon bundle, and 1 pack of Designer Series Paper.

In addition to that great offer, as a hostess between Feb. 1 and March 31 you can earn a SAB item for every $300 in product of workshop sales. So, if you have a $600 workshop you earn two and so on! You'll also still receive the typical hostess benefits! I am not currently booking any workshops for February. But, ff you are in the Southwest OH area and would like to hostess a workshop in March I can accommodate you! Also I will be holding a SAB Open House in my home in Miamisburg on March 8th at 2 pm, so RSVP for that as well!!!

And lastly, if you sign up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator during SAB you can choose an additional stamp set from the Spring/Summer IB&C up to $47.95 in value to add to your Starter Kit. So if you've ever thought of becoming a demonstrator SAB is a great time to do so!

Be sure to check back here on Feb. 1st to view the SAB catalog (if you didn't already get one in the mail from me!) and pick our your free sets!

So whatcha' gettin'?

Now that you've had some time to check out the new Stampin' Up! Catalog, what is on your wish list??


I think I might get the Big Shot!!! I want a ton of dies and the Texture plates!!
As far as stamps go I'm loving Cheep Talk. And how cute is Goody Goody Gumdrops (Level 3 hostess)? And Central Park! And Fifth Avenue Floral!! Hoppy for You is cute....and I love frogs! And I have to have Man's Best Friend because of the dachshund! And Thoughts & Prayers is beautiful! And Trendy Trees is too cute!!! I love the Retro Fresh Style Watch!

I need some Button Latte!!! And have you seen the Corduroy Buttons?!?! And Clear Rhinestone Brads! More glitter!!! And Jumbo Brads!!!

How pretty is the Raspberry Tart DSP? And the To The Nines Specialty DSP is textured!!

OK, now I'm on new product overload!!! Now it's your turn to share with me all the fun stuff you want!

And don't forget if you place an online order through my website by Jan. 31st you'll be entered to win a $20 gift certificate from me!

Boatin'

One of our favorite things to do when we go to the family cabin is to take a ride on the pontoon boat. Oscar loves it! So I finally got around to scrapping some pictures of us boatin'! I was inspired by a page in the Fall/Winter IB&C, but I don't have it handy so I can't tell you what page it was. I used Big Deal Alphabet for my title and used my Brilliant Blue, Certainly Celery, Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, and So Saffron inks. For my paper I used Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery and Creamy Caramel cardstock and So Saffron Patterns DSP. I stamped several images from Life's a Breeze, many of which I cut out and adhered to my page. I also used a silver brad in the corner of the piece of Creamy Caramel. And I used my Basic Brown Journaler to add that these pictures were from Memorial Day Weekend 2006. Man, I have some catching up to do!!!!!!!

Blog Award

Thanks to Stampin' Tracy for nominating me for a Lovely Blog Award. You can view her blog here. The award rules are:

• Add the logo to your blog
• Link the person from whom you receive the award from
• Nominate several people
• Leave a message on their blog

So, on to nominating some blogs........

Embellished Dreams
Elaine's Creations
Stampin' On the Mountain

Downloadable Catalog

If you'd like a downloadable version of the new catalog just click the picture on the right. It will take you to a .pdf version that you can save to your computer. Please note that the file is rather large and will take a while to download.

And don't forget that if you place an online order through my website between now and Jan. 31st you will be entered in a drawing to win a $20 gift certificate from me!

New Catalog Day!!!

Happy new catalog day, everyone! Today is the start of the Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog. You can view the great new items Stampin' Up! has to offer on my Stampin' Up! Website at heatherhawkins.stampinup.net. Once you get there click "store" and have fun browsing!! If you just can't resist all the great new products, simply place your order from there! Online orders are eligible to receive hostess benefits!!!! Everyone who places an online order through my website between now and Jan. 31st will be entered into a drawing to win a $20 gift certificate!!!!

Time to be Happy

When my sister-in-law called two weeks ago with good news I of course had to send a card. I found Garden Whimsy to have an appropriate saying so that's what I chose. I stamped the butterfly in So Saffron on a piece of Whisper White and the sentiment in Taken with Teal. I then pierced a hole in one of the "dots" on the butterfly and put a silver brad through it. I then layered it on a piece of So Saffron that I had punched with my Slot punch. I had to use my piercing tool to make a hole to thread my ribbon through since I forgot to bring my Crop-a-dile with me (makes it hard to set those Jumbo Eyelets I brought). I threaded a piece of Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon through and tied it in a knot. I then took a piece of Certainly Celery and cut it with my cutter in the Cutter Kit and layered it on my Taken with Teal card and added my butterfly layer over top.

H heart J

Here’s a great example for you of what to do when you need a Valentine’s Day card and have no Valentine themed stamps. Over on Shelli Gardner’s blog the Creative Challenge this month is Valentine’s cards. Well, I’ve kind of been slacking on working on challenges due to my lack of supplies and space, but I thought I’d give this one a go. I could’ve possibly used Crab & Co. for my card, but if you recall I used it to make an anniversary card for my hubby (not to mention he saw all those Christmas cards) so I thought he might like to see something different. So I was looking at my supplies and I realized I had some chipboard on hand, which has this handy dandy heart shape. So, I popped the heart shape out and colored it with my Real Red marker. I let it dry, then smeared some Mono Multi glue all over the top and covered it with Dazzling Diamonds. While it dried I found a scrap of Real Red and stamped it with my Classic Stripes background stamp in Real Red and tied some hemp twine around it. I then found a scrap of Bashful Blue and stamped mine and hubby’s first initials on it in Chocolate Chip using Big Deal Alphabet leaving enough room to put my chipboard heart in. Once the glitter was dry I added the heart. I then assembled my card. I used a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock for the card, added my Real Red layer and adhered my Bashful Blue layer with Stampin’ Dimensionals. And that’s how you make a manly, untraditional Valentine’s card. Now hopefully my hubby doesn’t decide to peek in on the blog and ruin the surprise.

Eleanor's Birthday

Today is my grandmother-in-law's birthday. She loves getting mail, especially hand made cards. She has a thing for crafts, so of course I made her a card. I used Inspired by Nature and the Spotlighting Technique. I stamped the flowers in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White. I then inked up a section of the flowers with my Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, and Old Olive markers and punched it out with my 1 1/4" Circle punch. I then punched a Rose Red circle in 1 3/8" and layered them. I lined my circle image up over the solid image and glued it down. I then took a piece of Rose Red cardstock and punched the edge with my Scalloped Edge punch. I used my piercing tool to pierce each scallop. I adhered some Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon around it and adhered it behind the bottom section of my flower layer. I then took a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock to layer behind the top before adhering it to my Old Olive card. I made my husband write out the inside of the card and he was upset that I didn't stamp anything in the inside, but silly me didn't bring any sentiment stamps with me. Hopefully in February you'll start seeing some projects with new stuff!!! The new catalog comes out on Jan. 19th, but I can't order anything until at least Feb. 1st as we won't be able to receive mail until then. Thanks for bearing with me during this difficult time without my stamps!!

My Stamping Helper

Well, maybe he's not so much help after all. This is what Oscar does while I stamp. Occasionally he'll get down off the couch and nose around in my supplies, maybe grab a scrap off the floor. He also thinks that since I'm on the floor it's a good time to place fetch, so he'll often bring me his ball. Then he'll trample through the pile that has been made by me and knock stuff over. And then he ends up right back on the couch. What a strange dog! But he is cute!!!

My Poor Butt

So, due to the lack of stamping space in this apartment (and lack of smooth surfaces) I am forced to stamp at the coffee table and sit on the floor. My poor butt hurts after a while. So my new practice is to gather all the pillows from the couch and my mini pillow from the car and pile them up to sit on. It make the booty less sore, it raises me up a bit so I can see what I'm doing better and it dusts all at the same time. Here's my pillow pile ready for my butt to rest on it!

Inventory Blowout!!!!!!!!!!

Stampin' Up! is having a never before heard of inventory blowout of retired items, retiring items and current items. You can get some of these items at up to 50% off!!! Click on the image to the right to see what items are available at a discount. Quantities are limited, so be sure to place your order ASAP so you don't miss out. Orders can be placed 24/7 at my SU! demo website.

Retiring Accessories!!!!

The following accessories and wheels are retiring with the Fall/Winter IB&C, so if you have to have anything on this list I recommend heading over to my SU! demo website and order as soon as possible. Supplies are limited.

Item #	Product Description	Availability
111377	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS ROOF GARDEN
112012	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS SEASON TO SHARE
112088	ACCENTS & ELEMENTS TRUE ELEGANCE
102782	ALBUM LEATHER BLACK 12X12	Not Available
104188	ALBUM LEATHER BLACK 6X6
105384	ALBUM LINEN POST MELLOW MOSS 6X6*
104516	ALBUM LINEN POST NAVY 6X6
105381	ALBUM LINEN POST REAL RED 6X6*	Not Available
103977	BUTTONS BOLD BRIGHTS*
103978	BUTTONS EARTH ELEMENTS
103981	BUTTONS EARTH ELEMENTS & NEUTRALS
105446	BUTTONS RICH REGALS
105445	BUTTONS SOFT SUBTLES
103604	DAYS-TO-REMEMBER CALENDAR 12X12
102174	DAYS-TO-REMEMBER CALENDAR 8 1/2X11
112465	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER BANBURY
112462	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GEORGIA PEACH
112463	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GHOSTLY GREETINGS
112040	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER GREEN TEA
112470	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER HAIKU
112460	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER HAWAII PAPAYA
112469	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER HOLIDAY TREASURES
112458	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER JUNIOR VARSITY
112459	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER MAINE BLUEBERRY
112466	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER MUIRFIELD
112149	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PARISIAN SUMMER
112467	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER PRESTWICK
111355	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER SUMMER PICNIC
112039	DESIGNER SERIES PAPER WINDSOR KNOT
112963	ELEMENTOS PARA TARJETAS DIAS FESTIVOS HECHOS A MANO SIMPLY SENT
106523	ENVELOPE TEMPLATE FIVE-IN-ONE CARD COVER
104104	ENVELOPE TEMPLATE MINI
107298	ENVELOPES CONFETTI WHITE MEDIUM
110695	ENVELOPES OPEN END KRAFT SMALL
109115	ENVELOPES OPEN END VERY VANILLA SMALL
103372	METAL EDGE TAGS ALUMINUM WHITE SQUARE
107925	ON BOARD BITTY BOOK*
109190	ON BOARD CLIPBOARD 9X9*
109180	ON BOARD SIMON UPPER
112086	ON BOARD SOMETHING SEASONAL
107923	PAGE PROTECTORS RING 3.25 X 3.25
104942	PUNCH 1/4 INCH CIRCLE	Not Available
104943	PUNCH 1/4 INCH SQUARE
107273	PUNCH 3/4 INCH SQUARE
104389	PUNCH DOUBLE CIRCLE*
100391	PUNCH HANDHELD 1/8 INCH CIRCLE	Not Available
104830	RIBBON GINGHAM CARAMEL
104829	RIBBON GINGHAM LIGHT BLUE
104828	RIBBON GINGHAM LIGHT PINK
104831	RIBBON GINGHAM MOSS
109037	RIBBON GROSGRAIN MORE MUSTARD 1/4 INCH
110282	RUB ON ANCHORED
111806	RUB ON CHILLS & THRILLS
111805	RUB ON SCHOOL DAYS
111417	RUB ON WORD FLURRIES
110283	RUB ONS TAKE NOTE
112193	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN I WISH
112186	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN PINA COLADA
112068	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN SUMMER HOME	Not Available
112043	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN U R SWEET
112061	SIMPLY SCRAPPIN WINTER RETREAT	Not Available
112016	SIMPLY SENT CARD ELEMENTS HANDMADE HOLIDAY
109868	SIMPLY SENT CARD KIT LIFELONG NOTES
103647	STAMPIN STORE MINI
105813	WRITE ME A MEMORY FONT CD VOL II
	Retiring Wheels
107212	MATEYS MAP
106749	BRIGHT BULBS
109672	BRONCO	Not Available
104100	MAKING TRACKS
108978	SANDY SHELLS
110332	SNOW
101233	SNOWFLAKE
109694	SWEET STARS
111249	TAKE A NUMBER

Sneak Peak

Here is a great new sneak peak for you all. There are new additions to the Decor Elements line that will be coming out with the new Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog on January 19th. You can view these beautiful new DE's by click on the picture to the right. Be sure to check out the Level 1 Hostess options and schedule your workshop with me to earn these fabulous items.