Last day to Sale-a-Brate!

Good Morning Ladies. I just wanted to remind you that today is the last day to Sale-A-Brate! If you are still eyeing that adorable stamp set, DSP or Ribbon now is the time to get it. Once this wonderful promotion ends so will the wonderful benefits. And we may not see these sets again. Remember for every $50 you spend you will get a FREE item out of the Sale a Bration Catalog. Also if you have been pondering the idea of becoming a new recruit then today is also the last day to earn a FREE stamp set from the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book and Catalog (that's a $47.95 value.) For your last minute shopping click here: Sale A Bration.

A Great Friend

By now you should have received your new Occasions Mini Catalog in the mail. If you have not received yours yet please let me know and I will drop one in the mail to you. This catalog will go live Wednesday April 1. This is exciting because the new Mini is so cute! This also means that Sale A Bration is leaving us. So if you want to take advantage of the wonderful Sale A Bration benefits now is the time to do it. Remember you can shop online through my website 24/7 and have your goodies shipped directly to your home.

This card I made for a good friend's birthday. I used the Great Friend Stamp set, Walk in the Park DSP (Designer Series Paper) and the new 5/8" Satin Ribbon in Whisper White, all of which came from the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned for a new and exciting shopping incentive I will announce on April 1. Have a great day.

Punch Book Class

Please Join me for the Punch Book Class. Thursday night at 6:00. This time the party will be at Lorraine Toll's House (2644 Redbridge Rd in Tracy.) Her house is just down the street from my house. The reservation fee for this class is just $5 and that includes a cute book to put your creations in and then a $15 order the day of the class. Please RSVP via e-mail or phone by Thursday April 9th, and send in your reservation fee to reserve your spot. This class will be the first class in a series of punch classes that you won't want to miss.

If you can not attend the class, you can still participate. You can pick up your punch book and contents anytime after Apr. 16th or I can mail you the class contents for an additional postage cost of $4.80. Just let me know if you would like me to build your book for you.

Attached is a sample of a monkey made using Stampin' Up! Punches (just think how you can make the monkey a girl by adding a small pink ribbon on her head). You will assemble a total of 10 pages. Each page is a different image of course. Everything is punched out for you in advance you just attend and put your images together while visiting with friends.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Trendy Trees

Here is just one of the many cards that were made at our Stamp a Stack on Thursday night. This particular card was inspired by my upline (my manager) Beverlee. This version was a full card 4 1/4 by 5 /12. Beverlee's version as a 3x3. You can check out her original on her blog http://www.stampinalldaywithbev.blogspot.com/. Supplies used for this card were: Kraft Card Card Stock, Kiwi Kiss Card Stock, Whisper White Card Stock, Trendy Trees Stamp Set, Chocolate Chip Classic Ink, Kiwi Kiss Classic Stamp Pad, Heart to Heart Punch w/ Riding Hood Red Card Stock, and to finish some Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon. Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow!

Thank You Stamp-A-Stackers

Thank you to all the ladies who were able to make it to the Stamp a Stack last night. I had a great time and I hope you all did as well. We had a great time Stampin, creating and Chit Chatting. Next class we will all remember our sweat bands and ipods to play the Rocky theme. Just kidding (a little joke from last night) ;) In today's picture you will see the surprise "Thank You" bags that were made for the Stamp a Stackers to take their collection of cards home in.

The bags use one full sheet of 12x12 DSP (I used the Sale a Bration DSP.) Then I added a few of the jumbo brads and a bit of the Sale a Bration ribbon bundle. To finish I added a large scallop circle from Scallop Circle#2 bigz dies and the Daisies from the Flower, Daisies#2 bigz die. I also personalized each bag with my Stamp a Stacker's first initial on a tag that hung from the handle. If you would like to make one of these bags on your own there is a wonderful video that will show you how: http://chicnscratch.typepad.com/stampinacademy/2008/05/12-x-12-box-of.html. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. Stay tuned to see some of the cards we made last night.

Hello Friend

This card is for a very special friend. Hi Kathy! Kathy just bought a new home and is having a house warming party that I sadly won't be able to make it to. I feel awful about it. So I am sending her this card that I made with the new Welcome Home stamp set. I think this set it too cute! The sentiments that come with the set are great for a variety of different neighbor friendly situations.

For this particular card I used Pacific Point Card Stock. I added a bit of the Good Morning Sunshine DSP and then on Whisper White Card Stock I stamped the cute little house in Chocolate Chip twice. Then on scratch paper I stamped the house again in Summer Sun and cut it out. Then I popped it up in the middle using a dimensional. I added the Hello Friend sentiment in white, which is a Rub-on from the Chit Chat packet. To finish I added a lovely leaves branch using my Big Shot and some Whisper White flowers using the Flower Trio Punch. I hope you like the card. See all of you Stamp A Stackers tonight!

Thoughts and Prayers

This is truly the worst kind of card to make. This card I made for the Dunakin Family a few days ago. Though I did not personally have the privilege of knowing Officer Dunakin or his family the story of the tragic events that happened to take his life has impacted me a ton. Living in the same neighborhood as the officer and his family I have seen how the Oakland Police department has taken care of this family. I have in a few instances been able to talk to some of the police officers and though they are doing their best to be strong for the family they are also dealing with the great loss of coworkers and friends. I would like to ask everyone to read the latest article put out by the Tracy Press (http://tracypress.com/content/view/17604/2268/.) At the bottom of the article you will find information on how you can help. I know that I will keep the Dunakin Family in my prayers and I hope that you do too.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. So I made her this simple card to go with her present. A great variation to the standard card is a 3x3 card. They are perfect for gifts, use less paper, you can keep them simple, and yes Stampin Up has the perfect envelopes to go with them. Although you can't send them in the mail (too small) they are a nice way to give a quick handmade card that you can make in a snap!

This card was made with Bashful Blue Card Stock and the Washington Apple DSP. I think this DSP is great for birthday cards and it goes great with the Party Hearty Stamp set, which I used. I stamped the "B is for Birthday" in Pumpkin Pie then stamped it again in Bashful Blue, then using the 3/4 circle punch I punched out the center star and popped it up with a dimensional. I added a So Saffron Round Tab punch and some coordinating ribbon to finish. Because this card is so small I probably could have gotten away with less but sometimes I am having so much fun I just can't stop decorating! For your next card try a 3x3 and let me know how it comes out. And remember if you don't have the 3x3 envelopes you can order online using my website 24/7 and have your order shipped directly to your house. Give me a call for some tips on ordering or if you prefer to save on some shipping I can add it to another order I may already be placing. Have a great day! See you tomorrow.

Pop Top Treat

This cute little creation I learned to make about a year ago in a Super Stampers Group that I was a member of. What is Super Stampers? Super Stampers is a group of ladies (usually 6 ladies) who get together and make projects and cards. Instead of a normal party where the hostess gets all the goodies and everyone else only makes one project, the ladies all make three projects each time and they rotate who will receive the hostess benefits each party. It is a great way to get together with you girlfriends and make projects and have a lot of fun. The minimum order depends on the number of ladies you have in your group as well as how often you meet. If you would like to know more about starting your own Super Stampers Group let me know! They are a lot of fun.

This particular project is much more simple than it looks. The original pop top can was a can of peaches that I gave to my daughter. But instead of opening the can by the top, I used a can opener on the bottom of the can (use a can opener that creates a safety edge if you can) then fill the can with the candy of your choice, add a bit of fake grass then seal the lid back on the bottom using our Crystal Effects. Add a cute belly band around the can and maybe a tag on top and there you have it. This is an easy, inexpensive way to give a treat that will have your recipient saying, "How did you do that?"

For Baby

I have a busy day of shopping tomorrow with my newly prego sis-in-law. I am super excited for her so I am taking her out to see some of my old favorite maternity shops. So this post is coming to you a bit early. This card I made for an upcoming baby shower I will be attending. For this card I used my Bugs and Kisses Stamp set. This stamp set is an oldie but a goodie. It is an easy set for a little boy and it is easy to girlie-up as well. If you are having a hard time finding it in your catalog that's because it is not in there. This particular stamp set is on our dormant list. What's that? The dormant list is a list of stamp sets that are still current but are not in the current publication. Yes, you can still order them. If you would like to see our current dormant list let me know. I will forward the list to you.

For this card I used Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, and Almost Amethyst Card Stock. I also used the Tea Party DSP. The little lady bug and the two dragonflies were stamped in Almost Amethyst on Whisper White Card Stock. It is hard to see in the photo but the dragonflies wings are covered in Dazzling Diamonds for some extra sparkle. I used my Big Shot for a few small flowers and topped them with my Clear Rhinestone Brads. The sentiment is once again my Chit Chat Rub-ons. Thank for staying tuned.

A Good Egg

I just love this stamp set! I have seen so many super cute creations with this set: Cards, Treats, Easter gifts, and Decorations. If you are planning to attend the Stamp A Stack next week we will be using this set on one of our super cute cards. This particular card was a CASed (Copy and Share) card that I made for Caleb and Giada's first Easters. I tried to go back and find the original but I couldn't find it. So please know that with was not my original design, but I was really happy with the way it came out. I used So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White and Certainly Celery for the card. Then I used my Marvelous Markers (and they are Marvelous!) to color in the egg and chick. I hope you like it!

Become a Demonstrator!

I just love being a Stampin Up Demonstrator. Not only do I get to teach what I love and stay home with my girls at the same time but there are also so many other benefits that come along with being a demonstrator. Stampin Up sends me a monthly Stampin Success Magazine that I love to get, I get discounts on supplies, I get sneak peeks at all the new products and I am able to pre-order them, I have met countless new friends with the same passion as me, and Stampin Up does everything they can to help me succeed. They make being a demonstrator so easy and fun that for me it was a simple decision. And can you believe it, Stampin Up just made it even easier for new recruits to start their business. They are now introducing the 3 payment option to get your starter kit. And no, you don't have to wait to get it! They send it to you right away.

Another added bonus to becoming a demonstrator is that you will get to come with me to our IMPRINTS meetings. These are so much fun. They are put on by my up-line Beverlee. She is awesome! The attached picture is one of the projects that we made at our last meeting. It is the perfect little Easter Basket for a special little someone. At our meetings we share ideas that help us with our business, we make multiple projects, and we have a card contest(were you have a chance to win something great!) and you come home with a stack of current, beautful cards that you can use for party examples. I honestly feel that this time I have spent as a demonstrator is the most fun I have ever had with a job! I encourage you to give it a shot. What do you have to loose?

Birds and Blooms

I just love my clear Rhinestone Brads. They were waiting for me along with all of my new supplies I ordered from the new Occasions Mini, when I got back from my trip. I just love these clear Rhinestones they add a really nice touch of bling to any project. For this card I used Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Kiwi Kiss Card Stock. Using my Big Shot, I made two of the Little Leaves dies, a few of the smallest flowers from the Birds and Blooms Set and of course one bird in the Baja Breeze. The Rub-On used on this card is from the new Rub-Ons found in the Occasions Mini. Soooo cute! This particular Rub-On is black but I just love the colored Rub-Ons, which is what the packet includes.

Also, don't forget today is the last day to sign up for the Stamp A Stack Class if you are interested. In this class you will make 10 cards. 5 different designs, 2 of each design. The participants of the Stamp a Stack will also get a up close view of our next upcoming class. The Punch Book Class. That class will be a three part class. And if you like our punches you will love this class! Stay tuned for more details on upcoming classes.

Friend or Faux

Well how about both. This was my faux Coach for a friend. It was inspired by the the attached photo: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/873211?si=Coach%20Purse. I just love this. I wanted to give a friend of mine her birthday gift in a cute bag that could hold her gift as well as a hand made card. This is what it looked like. My friend (and I) both love coach. The purse I made for her was Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery. You can see in the attached link the differences in both of our creations. I really liked the DSP used in the original creation but I didn't have a good DSP I wanted to use. So for my purse I used the letter C from my Defining Alphabet Stamp Set. How cute would it be to use the letter of your friends name? Maybe a G or E. That would be really cute too and personalized for the recipient. These are really much easier than they look. Want to know some tips to make your own? Please don't hesitate to drop me a line, or send me a picture of one of your favorite creations.

A Big Birthday!

While my husband and I were gone on our trip we missed two really big birthdays. Two of our cousins turned one on the same day. Sorry we missed your big parties Caleb and Giada. We were able to see Caleb before we left and his birthday card was my final post before I left. This card was the one left behind for Giada. At least Ava and Sammie got to see Gia on her big day.

This card was made with Whisper White Card Stock, then I ran some Pink Pirouette Card Stock through my Big Shot using my Happy Birthday Cuttle Bug Folder (remember if you already have Cuttle Bug products you can use them with the Big Shot too.) Then I stamped my Simple Birthday Thanks on some Bella Rose DSP. I was careful to omit the birthday message on the inside of the cupcake. This is easier to do if you have our markers. For the bottom half of the cupcake I ran it through my crimper to give it the "paper cupcake wrapper" feel. I stamped the cherry on Ridding Hood Red Card Stock and added some of my Pink Bead Duo to the top of the cupcake for some sprinkles. The beads were held on with Crystal Effects. I also added a bit of Pink Pirouette Ribbon around the card because for some reason I think I have an addiction to Ribbon. I have a hard time finishing a card without ribbon. I know it's a problem, but I am working on it. ;)

Home Again!

Ahhhh! I feels really nice to be home. I missed my girls so much! I have to admit though, I think this was the best vacation my husband and I have ever been on. We were at the Sanctuary Cap Cana in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. That place was truly the most tropical setting I have ever seen. And although the trip was for my husbands work, we met lots of really great people, did a lot of relaxing and had a bit of adventure as well. Mercedes Benz really knows how to throw a party! Not only did we come back with great tans, but we swam with the Bat Rays and Sharks (and these were no little ankle sharks! They were bigger than I am), we went on a wild AVT ride (which I think I got a little too aggressive on) and we ate some amazing food. It was the best time of my life. But I can assure you I am back in work mode now. Thanks for being patient with me while I took a few days off. I will start posting again tomorrow. But to hold you over here are some shots from our trip.

VeggieTales

If you don't have little ones at home you may not recognize these characters. These are my rendition of my girls' favorite "Bob and Larry" from Veggie Tales. I made this card for my special little nephew's first birthday. He is a Veggie Tales fan as well. I hope you have a wonderful first birthday Caleb! Sorry we will miss it.

This card was made with Baja Breeze, and Pacific Point Card Stock. Then I punched a bunch of little circles out of all of this years In Colors. I wanted them to look like Bob and Larry were in a punch of balls. Then I added some Kiwi Kiss Ribbon and a Rub-On from the Chit Chat Packet. Bob was made with a 1 3/8 circle,Boho Blossoms, and a regular Handheld hole punch. Larry was made with the slit punch ( I pushed the Slit as far in as it would go then used my snips to cut it out, twice) Then Larry's eyes and nose covered the seam.

If you have been following my blog I thank you. And I also wanted to let you know not to worry when you don't see any postings the next few days. I am going on a much needed vacation with my husband to the Dominican Republic. So check back with me in a few days and hopefully I will come home inspired, relaxed and ready to wow you with some new ideas. Thanks for stopping by!

Birthdays are the Best

This was a copy of the birthday card I made recently for a friend. I used the ice cream from the Level 3 Hostess set, Goody Goody Gumdrops. I love this set. The ice cream is so cute to me. If you like this set as well you have the opportunity to earn it for free by booking a party. Now is the time! Sale-A-Bration is still going on and with that you earn double benefits, not only would you earn your regular Hostess benefits but you and your guests will earn free Sale-A-Bration merchandise for every $50 spent. If you have been eyeing a big item for a while (The Big Shot, the Color Caddy, Many Marvelous Markers, a color family of Stamp Pads, ect.) Sale-A-Bration is the time to do it!

For the attached card I used Whisper White Card Stock, Chocolate Chip Card Stock and a strip DSP from the Good Morning Sunshine DSP packet. I added the ice cream from the Goody Goody Gumdrops set and I popped the cherry up with a dimensional. The sentiment is from the Chit Chat Rub-Ons. Then I added a bit of the Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette Ribbon. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Happy 30th

Last night we had my husband's 30th birthday party. It was a blast! Karaoke and all. I promised everyone that I would not be singing but as you can see I got hooked as well. I truly apologize to all my friends for the horrible rendition of Tim McGraw's "My best Friend" with my husband. What can I say, it was one of our wedding songs, we just couldn't pass it up. We had a lot of fun!

Attached you will see the invitation I made for the party. The invite was actually a double invitation. On the back side of this card was the invitation to Sammie's first birthday which you saw a few posts ago. On this side of the invite I used the new Jackpot DSP. Then I added the "King for a day" card from the card games stamp set and the beer from the Cheers To You stamp set. I printed the invitation info. on very vanilla card stock using the RGB color codes so the ink would match the DSP paper. Lastly I added some of the So Saffron Ribbon from the Sale-A-Bration Ribbon bundle. In case you aren't familiar will the Color Code List here is the link:http://www.stampjourney.com/Stampin%20Up-RGB%20color%20codes%20(with%202008-. Check it out! I love this site, it makes all card and invitation writing a perfect match every time.

Simply Birthday

Okay, I am posting this card a little early. If you have been following me, you may have noticed a pattern to my postings. I try to post once a day in the morning sometime. However, tomorrow is a busy day for me so you are getting tomorrow's post a bit early.

This card was for my husbands 30th birthday. I know it's really simple but sometimes that is nice. Do you find that sometimes you don't have a ton of time to make cards or maybe you just need a card in a hurry? You should try our Simply Scrappin' Kits. This particular kit is called Best Ever. And I love it! I have made some really cute scrapbook pages, cards and mini scrapbooks with this kit. It's great because it works for anybody: Male or Female, young or......uh,er seasoned! The kit comes with DSP, Textured Card Stock and sheets of self-adhesive die cuts that are supper easy to use because they all coordinate. My favorite feature about the die cuts are: they are super forgiving. If you put one down in the wrong place or even if you put it down and decide you don't like the way it looks, you can peel it right up and try again. You should give them a try. Remember you can place an order anytime just by clicking on one of the catalogs on my blog. Thanks for looking.

Fresh Cut Flowers

I bought the Bloom Die Cuts a while ago. I thought that they were so pretty. But when I got them home, for what ever reason, I had a hard time using them. I don't know why. But last night I needed a thank you card and I was determined to use them. I popped out a few random colors and sizes and threw them in a pile to the side. As I tried to determine the color card stock I wanted to use for the card base I noticed that the pile of flowers looked pretty good the way it was. Maybe I was just over thinking things. I also noticed the pile of Sahara Sand paper I have that I rarely use. I thought because of the bright colors of the flowers that maybe a more neutral background would look nice. Then because I LOVE my Chit Chat Rub-ons I decided to use a thank you sentiment. And if I am being completely honest the placement of the Rub-On was a complete accident. I actually dropped the Rub-On and it got stuck. I was planning the Rub-on to go on the bottom corner of the card and not right through the flowers. Fortunately, I think it worked. I kinda like it. This card is a little out of my element and it pulled me out of my box. However, I am happy with the way it came out. What do you think?

Anything but a Card

This project I used as Christmas presents for the moms in my family. It is a really simple handmade picture holder or frame. All you need is a few of those cardboard coasters. You can buy a packet of them at any beverage store like BevMo or Pier One Imports. You also get them for free at restaurants like Chilli's. In this example I used three pictures (I am the picture on the left, followed by Ava the Sammie). Using my grid paper, I lined up my three coasters on the bottom line then I spaced each coaster by one row on the grid paper. Then I put down a bit of the 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon. I attached it with my glue stick. Then I cut down the(now retired) Junior Varsity DSP to fit the coasters exactly. Using the corner rounder makes it a perfect fit. I then added a strip of the same DSP in a different pattern to each coaster to dress it up a bit. I matted each picture with Chocolate Chip Card Stock then I snailed them down to the coaster. To finish I added each of our initials using my favorite alphabet set: Lovely Letters. The additional ribbon knot was with the Bashful Blue Grosgrain Ribbon. The ribbon holding the coaster together helps the three coasters to stand up on their own. This project looks really cute sitting on my bookshelf.

Sale-A-Bration Card

Can you tell I like Sale-A-Bration? Well I do! This card was used as a thank you for some of my Stamp Campers. I used Bashful Blue for the card then I added a Top Note using Whisper White Card Stock. I then added the decorative swirls from the Yummy Stamp set using So Saffron Classic Stampin Spot (I use a Stampin Spot because like using the markers I have more control and am able to only ink the portion of the stamp I want to use.) I then added a couple of the butterfly cuts from my Beautiful Butterflies Die Cut. I added one brad for the butterfly head and some of the So Saffron Ribbon from the Sale-A-Bration Ribbon Bundle. Hope you like.

Sneak Peek Alert!

Sneak Peek Alert! Did you know that you have the opportunity to pre-order select stamp sets from the upcoming Occasions Mini? This is really exciting because this is a perk that is normally reserved for demonstrators only. Have a look http://www.stampinup.net/uploads/fckeditor/stampinup/File/March%2009/pg11-13_Occasions_09_US.pdf Aren't these sets cute! Remember you can place orders through my web site at any time and have your shipments sent directly to your home. You can also still earn your FREE Idea Book and Catalog as well. I will also send you a special card in the mail to thank you for your order. Have a wonderful day!

Birthday Cards for Sammie

I love this card. And it is a Jenn original! Again off the top of my head I am not sure what DSP was used but the card itself is Certainly Celery. It's perfect for a first birthday! I just love the big 1. Jenn used white grosgrain ribbon around the 1 and the Happy Birthday sentiment was stamped on whisper white then matted on pink DSP with two scallop circles and a dimensional. Really great job Jenn!

Birthday Cards for Sammie

This next card is a real WOW! Can you believe that this was Alyssa's first card she ever made!?! You did such a great job Alyssa! I am not sure of the products used for this card or if it was her original design but it came out really great. I am hoping now that she has one card under her belt that she will now be hooked. It's fun right? I know you can't see it in the picture but this card has a lot of dimension as well. This one is a keeper for sure. Sammie feels really privileged to be the recipient of your first card. Thanks.

Birthday Cards for Sammie

This card is so Cute! Thanks Auntie Rain (Lorraine). I really like that you followed with the theme of the party. It looks to me like she used Almost Amethyst card stock and matted it with Very Vanilla, Sale-a-Bration DSP then a Very Vanilla Top Note. She then added the adorable butterfly with some Dazzling Diamonds for the body (not sure if that shows up in the picture). She added some So Saffron Ribbon and for the tail of the butterfly she used the design from the Season of Joy stamp set. Very creative! I love it.

Butterfly Birthday

Today was my baby's first birthday party. What I love about being a Stampin Up-er is that I can customize my girls' birthdays to be what ever I like(or they like). I had just got the fabulous "Beautiful Butterflies" die cut for my big shot, so that was my theme. Butterflies. I used the Tea Party DSP and the the new So Saffron Ribbon from Sale-a-bration. So Cute! In the attached pictures you will see the invitation I made along with the favors for the little girls (they were butterfly wands and princess crowns). They were a big hit. Some of my fellow Stampin Up moms even asked if they could have one if there were extras. I also decorated the cake with the butterflies and added a paper banner that read "Happy Birthday Sammie." I had so much fun with this theme and with my Big Shot, have you tried it out yet? Trust me all you have to do is try it once and you will be hooked! I waited a while to get my Big Shot but now that I have it I use it all the time. It's worth every penny! Especially during Sale-a-bration. Stay tuned, Sammie received some beautiful handmade cards for her birthday that I just might have to share!

Baby Onsie

I think this card is a really simple wow. I found this great tutorial that I wanted to share with you. http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/02/05/create-your-own-onesie-card-tutorial-and-important-note-please-read/ This blogger did a really great job with her instructions. Check it out. Her onesie is a little different from mine. I used whisper white card stock for the baby onesie itself. I then trimmed the oneies with So Saffron DSP. Then I added the Caterpillar from the bugs and kisses stamp set. Hope you try it out! I think you will be surprised how quick this card is. Stay tuned, I will have some great stuff for you tomorrow. Today is my little Sammie's first birthday party.