Our Family

Recently we had some new family pictures done. This is a special gift that my husband gives me every year just before Christmas. This is the one and only present that I really want. This is our third year in a row (we started this tradition once our little family was complete.) The truly amazing thing is, even when I think the girls are not cooperating at all, I am always amazed at the great shots our photographer gets. She is amazing!

This year we asked her to come out to one of our favorite places, The Stockton Golf and Country Club so we could get some shots of the girls with their little clubs in hand. The pictures came out amazing. Now I am burying myself into MDS to create some really great Holiday gifts for family. The above two scrapbook pages are for our family album.

I even decided to change up the front and back covers of the scrapbook to incorporate these pictures. Above is the new cover and below is the back.

Now, remember today is the LAST day to order your own copy of My Digital Studio for half off!

And as a side endorsement, if you are in my area and looking for an amazing photographer to capture your beautiful family then give Angela a call......and don't forget to tell her who sent you!

APVisions Photography

Only 2 Days Left!!

Only 2 day left to take part in the amazing saving of our Online Spectacular. Select items up to 50% off. Click here from more info.

Only 2 days left to take part in my Level 3 Stamp set and Ribbon Raffle. All you have to do is email me your full wish list and the email addresses of two or three people that have you on their Christmas shopping list. Click here for more info.

And only 2 days left to RSVP for our Thursday class, Anything But A Card. Come join us for a fun class and learn 4 fun project ideas that are anything but a card. Come and see. Projects also make great gift ideas. Click here for more info.


Now on a side note, I am home from my amazing Thanksgiving weekend and I have tons of cleaning and lots of MDS-ing to do. So I better get to work. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Moments

Ahhhhh, this is one of those moments that melt your heart. We were driving in the car the other morning and Ava kept saying, "Mommy, look at us, look at us." I would look back in my mirror and say, "What?" It wasn't until I turned around and saw them holding hands in their seats that I understood. I snapped this picture with my phone and emailed it to myself. Too sweet!

Now let me just say, I know how messy my car looks and no, it is not always like that (okay, Im lying. Its always like that.) And second I was at a red light, so don't worry about my driving skills. And third the main reason I took the picture was so I could remember this when they are pulling each others hair out when they are teenagers;) Really, they are great little girls and they really are friends. Is there any chance that I can get lucky and they will be like this forever? I hope so. I love those little babes!

Now, if you are interested in MDS now is the time to get it. On sale for 50% off!

Love What You Do

As promised here is my first attempt to play with my new stamp. I don't know that my card does this stamp justice but I promise I will get better. I cant wait to play with this stamp a bit more. This card went to a fellow demonstrator so I thought is was perfect to use.

This card has a lot of distressing and texture to it. I also added one of those fun GIANT buttons from our current mini. I love those.

And here is a close up of the stamp itself. How cute are those little birds. And yes, I do love what I do! Do you?

A Little Gift Just For Me

Look at this cute little gift that my cousin gave to me. I love how she tied the card onto the bag. Yeah, please excuse that bow.She tied it much prettier than that. But I took it off and it is not that easy to retie a bow that has already been tied before, trust me. But that card is awfully cute, huh? And whats inside the bag?

....its this awesome stamp. The Love What You Do stamp set is sold only to demonstrators and she got it for me. Yeah! I love it.

Stay tuned and tomorrow I will show you a little card I made for a fellow demonstrator using this cute little stamp. Thanks for my gift, Lorraine.

Anything But A Card

Join me for our next class
Anything but a Card Class

Thursday, December 2nd

($5 class fee, $10 min order)

At this class we will focus on creations that are anything but a card. Great for gift ideas. We will be making four creations in total. Come and see. Just be sure to email me right away to reserve your spot.

niki176@aol.com

Whoo Hoo, One More!

Yep, Donna is the newest member of my team and the Stampin Up family. Its hard to resist a deal that is so good. Wouldn't you like to get over $300 worth of Stampin Supplies and Business tools for only $87.50!?!

Well, hurry, hurry! There is only one week left to take part in this amazing offer. Email me today so we can get you signed up: niki176@aol.com

Congratulations Donna, you are gonna love being a demonstrator!

Grateful!

These little guys were really hard to get a good pictures of. So, just know that they look a bit better in person. It was the combination of the glare off the cello bags and the shadow of me try to hover over them the get a picture, ugh! Oh well, there they are.

One thing I am truly grateful for is really great preschool teachers for my girls. Well actually, I am grateful for all teachers. But Ava and Sammie are really blessed with an amazing group of ladies that teach and take care of them. So, here is a little goody that the girls can hand out to their teachers and staff today.

These were fairly simple. Just fill a cello bag with a bit of Carmel Popcorn, add a little DSP bag topper, tied on a bit on that gorgeous Satin Ribbon and add a little tag that lets them know exactly how we feel. Happy Thanksgiving!

This is Spectacular!!

Oh.....my......goodness! This is spectacular for sure! For nine days only, select SU! items up to 50% off and FREE Shipping on qualifying orders. Click here to see these great deals.

Now that's not all, I am also raffling off a chance to win the Level 3 Hostess set Occasional Quotes and 1 spool of Taffeta Ribbon. All you have to do is email me your wish list and the emails of two or three people that have you on their Christmas shopping list and your name will be entered. And the best part is, you just might get those items. See yesterdays post for more details.

Remember!! You can always shop online, just be sure to select Niki Toll as your demonstrator to receive preferred pricing. But email your order to me you may be able to qualify for more benefits:

-Preffered pricing always

-save on shipping

-earn hostess benefits of qualifying orders (Online order do not qualify for Hostess Benefits)

-more payment options

Email me today: niki176@aol.com. Happy Shopping!

Dear Santa,

Because Stampin is something I love to do, I'm making this Christmas list especially for you. Pick one...pick two...or maybe three. Paper, embellishments and rubber stamp for me.

I think I've been extra special and nice this year. So I'd really like to have some cool stampin' gear. Just call Niki to place an order from my list. (I really hope you are getting the gist!)

Clothes are nice, and toys are great too; But, is going to the mall what you really want to do? Save yourself the time and hassle of shopping: Niki will do everything, but you better get hopping!

You don't have to go anywhere, you can stay right at home. Just contact Niki, by email or by phone. She even has a website you can order online- You can do it whenever you find the time.

When the goodies arrive at her house for me, She'll wrap them up, pretty as can be. All you have to do is slip them under the tree. And there you will have it- a gift just for me!

Avoid the traffic and interstate ramps. Just sit back, relax......and order me STAMPS!!




Okay, here is the really great part! I am giving away a special gift: One spool of Taffeta Ribbon and the Level 3 Hostess set Occasional Quotes* to one lucky winner. All you need to do is email me your wish list and the email addresses of two or three people that have you on their shopping list. Then your name will go into the drawing for this great stamp set. And the best part is you might get those items on that wish list!!

And spoiler alert!! There is a really exciting promo coming tomorrow that will make this deal even sweeter. Ooooh, I cant wait to tell you...........

*Stamp set is new and unmounted with the exception of one gently used stamp.

Trying Out Fabric

I recently bought some of our gorgeous fabric to try and play around with. I love that Stampin Up has added yet another medium to our product line. One problem: I cant sew a stitch! Seriously. But I figured I better learn because the fabric is stickin' around (that is a little hint about the upcoming Mini that will be here is January.) So, I have been waiting to try out a project easy enough that I could do it. Then the other day I came across this project on one of the blogs I follow, click here to see the original and some instructions on how to make your own, and I thought, "I think I can do that!"

And what was doubly nice about it was my girls help me make it. I started by cutting my fabric into strips (I also cut some of my Tinsel Ribbon too) and placed them in piles. I made my wire hoop and then the girls randomly handed me scraps and I tied them on. Anytime the girls think they are helping me craft they have a ball! So it was a great collective team effort.

I also added on a few of those great coordinating buttons too. Love those! Thanks again to Ashley at all i create for the inspiration!

Whoo Hoo! New Team Members!

Whoo Hoo! Our team is really growing. Thanks to this Simply Amazing Promotion it is just too good of an offer to resist. Congratulations to my new recruit Julie S. She has taken part in receiving her business kit and Stampin Supplies and joining this amazing group of Stampin Up Demonstrators. Julie, you are going to have so much fun. Just wait! Oh and Happy Birthday too;)

I would also like to welcome my two new Level 2 Demonstrator as well, Vanessa and Alyssa.

You have both sighed up under great ladies who are going to make great uplines. Alyssa is a really good friend of mine and I am so excited that you have joined our group. Vanessa, I am really looking forward to meeting you. I know you signed up a bit ago but I still wanted to take the time to welcome you to the family.

If you are interested in joining our group as Julie, Vanessa and Alyssa did then don't hesitate. This amazing offer of over $300 worth of Business and Stampin supplies for only $85 is only good until Nov 30th. So, hurry! Hurry!
Email me today and I will forward all the paperwork to you. Then you are on your way to an exciting new job of stampin!

Yes, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it......Might as well be you!

niki176@aol.com

Grateful

Here is the other make and take that we made at last weekend's workshop. I love the Color Combo that this DSP uses. Doesn't that Old Olive make the whole card pop? This layout was copied from a card my fellow Demo, Lorraine was making. I loved it. Check out more of her creations by clicking here.

On Lorraine's card she used a button but I didn't have any in the right color so I made an embellishment of my own. I used my Birds and Blooms Sizzlet to cut out that perfect little flower. The flower is tied on with a bit of the Linen Thread. I was hapy with how the card came out and it was perfect for both new and experienced Stampers combined.

Gift Ensemble

Last week my mom called on me for a gift for her boss. No problem. "Something she can use at work, maybe a note pad, or some cards, I don't know.....Whatever you come up with" my mom said. Well, how about both, in a cute matching tote? Done.

I think this is what she had in mind. I love this Greenhouse Gala DSP. It kinda has that professional look to it. So the complete gift came with: 1 tote, 5 thank you cards, 1 post-it note holder and pen and a 3X3 gift card.

Hope she likes it.

Punch Art

Okay, first off, sorry about that little shadow trailing across my card. Harvey (the cat) had joined me in my craft room while I was taking pictures. I kept moving his tail out of the way of my snap shots and here he was leaning on me and I though he was safely out of view. Nope! Thanks Harv. Anyway, this is one of the make and takes from last weekend's workshop.

The ladies wanted to learn what Punch Art was. Yea! One of my favorites. Love, love, love punch art. So here we did a little Punch Art Purse and made it into a birthday card. I love this color combo too. Thanks Color Coach: Baja, Saffron, Poppy.

Thankful!

Thanksgiving is truly one of my favorite Holidays. My husband would say that's because I love to eat. Well, that's true. I love food, especially Thanksgiving food. Yummmmmmy. I think I eat about as much as my 6'4" hubby, which he thinks is hilarious! He always tells me he has to "put my food intake on a minimum." What-everrr!!

Any-who. The real reason I love this Holiday so much is because I have so much to be thankful for: my family, our home, our health, our pets, our jobs, and so much more. I also love this Fall weather (well, not this weather, but normal Fall weather.) I love the colors of the trees right now. It's just so beautiful outside.

I am also thankful I finished my Fall Holiday Banner in time to enjoy it a bit. Believe it or not I started this way back when I went to the Stamp-Cabin. Since then it has been sitting on my craft table just begging to get worked on. Well, finally I finished it, and I am happy with the outcome.

I know the blue stripes in it are a bit odd, but to tell you the truth that was a mistake (kinda.) I had cut all my supplies and threw them in a pile. Some of my DSP flipped over by mistake. Then, as I was arranging my pieces I noticed, I kinda liked the extra color. So there you have it. My not so Thanksgiving-ish colored Banner. Just in time!

Thanks Maryanne!

Thank you to my Saturday Hostess, Maryanne. Here we are having a great time and making some cards, my favorite thing to do. The only thing better than making cards is teaching someone to make cards that has never done it before. I love that even more! It was a wonderful mix of ladies, some of my regulars (that I love) and I met some new ladies too. It was great. I hope each guest (even my experienced stampers) learned something new and had a good time.

Here is one of the demos I did yesterday (this card was a case from my cousin, Lorraine.) This was a Express card. Meaning: You have limited time, limited supplies or you just wanted a clean and simple look. With this card I demonstrated both Masking and the faux-bow.

But just so I could dazzle my experienced stampers too, here is the same card in a Step-it-up version. This is the one that my Hostess got to keep.

What do you think? I love that little Penguin. He's so cute!

Simply Amazing

What do you call it when you get over $310 in crafting and business supplies for only $87.50? You can call it an amazing deal, but we’re calling it an amazing opportunity! From November 15-30, you can purchase either our Standard or Digital+ Starter Kits at 50 percent off the regular retail price of $175 (plus free shipping!), and enjoy these great benefits as a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator. Demonstrator Starter Kit for 50% off!


This irresistible offer is only good until Nov 30 so be sure to contact me before it's too late!


Here are just a few of the wonderful benefits you will take part in:
Earn additional income while sharing creativity.
• Make new and lasting friendships.
• Enjoy access to nearly unlimited creative ideas.
• Receive a free subscription to an exclusive
monthly magazine.
• Receive two free months subscription to your
own business website.
• Opportunity to earn free products and
incentive trips.

Just think of it as an early Christmas present to yourself. Come on, you have been good this year and you deserve this!! Let's talk: niki176@aol.com

Merry Christmas

This one is a case but I totally love these warm, happy Christmas colors. This to me just looks fun. There is a lot going on here but it all works together. I am sorry but I cant find the name of the original creator. But when I saw this card it came with the card, a candle and a matching gift bag. The gift set was really adorable. I only used the card as part of my recent Stamp A Stack.

This card has it all. Stamps, DSP, sponging and some fun faux stitching. That faux stitching is right up my alley because I love the look of stitching but can't sew to save my life!! Thank you White Gel Pen for making my life so much easier;)

Blah to Beautiful!

Fun! This was so fun! Have you tried our Decor Elements yet? I love them. I actually think I have five up in my house. Maybe the idea of putting them on your walls makes you a bit nervous, well, try this first: Check out these pretty ceramic dishes I picked up at my local Home Goods store for CHEAP! They are pretty but a bit blah. And you know me I love a blank canvas to create a fun SU! style make-over on. And look at them now.......

Ahhhh. Much better. Wont those be perfect for holding Santa's cookies? They will make great easy, affordable gifts too. This is just a start. Before I give them out as gifts I will decorate them a bit more with some ribbon and Holiday gift tags (oh, speaking of Gift Tags, our Tons of Tags Class is tonight! Don't forget! Another fun night out with the girls, let me know if you would like to join us)

Okay, so I know I am kinda skipping over a Holiday but I promise to get some Thanksgiving creations to you soon. Have a great day!

Verry Merry

Another one of our Holiday Stamp-A-Stack cards. I love this Holiday Lineup set. It is too cute. We used the Reindeer but this set also has really adorable snowmen and elves to play with too. And there is so much you can do with them to: Watercolor them, add some pom-poms (like we did to Rudolf's nose), add some googly eyes, and more.

This card also allowed me to show the ladies a couple of techniques too. We did a little distressing and I showed them the "Spotlight" technique as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Now back to the couch and my Snuggie. Yes, I said my Snuggie! I do have one and I do use it!! Now stop laughing, it's really, really cozy.

Muddy Mud Puddles

After our first really good rain in a long time, the girls were begging to go "Jump in the Muddy Mud Puddles." Now moms help me out, my girls always say "Muddy Mud Puddles" that's from a tv show isn't it? What one? It sounds familiar. I just don't know where they got that from.

Any-who. What the heck. Let's do it! So we bundled up and headed out. They were so stinking cute and excited to get all wet. It was fun! And yep, they talked me into jumpin in a few too. This is exactly why Fall is my favorite time of year. I love this stuff!

Tons of Tags Class

Please join me for another super fun Stampin Class this week:

Tons of Tags Class

Thursday, Nov 11th @ 6:30PM

Borders Bookstore, Trinity Pkwy in Stockton

Class fee is only $2 and a $10 Minimum order

At this class you are free to create on your own. Of course I will have a few examples for you to follow but then choose your favorites or make you own creations. I will supplies the Stamps, Pen, Pads, Ribbon, Card Stock and more to be used during the class.


Don't miss this one. This will be our last November class before a little Holiday break. Come get a jump start on your Holiday creating. This class also makes a great quick and easy gift idea.

Merry Medallion

Another card from our Holiday Stamp-A-Stack. I love, love, love, this Medallion Stamp. And doesn't it look beautiful as a wreath? This one is a case of a card I fell in love with on Split Coast. click here to see the original.

Now, rainy day, nothin' to do, I think I need to go work on this weeks class. What is it? Glad you asked. Gift Tags! Lots of Gift tags, featuring our Tags Till Christmas and Delightful Decorations stamp sets. Be sure to RSVP right away. niki176@aol.com

Holiday Make and Take

Here is one card from a previous party that I forgot to post. This was the make and take we did. The hostess had requested that we do some heat embossing. So that is what we did. The Chocolate Chip Pocket Silhouettes are heat embossed.

While we were at it, I decided to show them the difference between dry embossing and heat embossing. The card base was dry embossed with the Polka Dots embossing folder. So not only did this card give me an opportunity to show them different embossing styles but also I was able to show them the difference between our two inks. The ladies also got a chance to try our a few of our punches and some fancy embellishments too.

Supply list:

Pocket Silhouette Stamp Set

Delightful Decorations Stamp Set

Very Vanilla Card Stock

Garden Green Card Stock

Cherry Cobbler Card Stock

Chocolate Chip Classic Stamp Pad

Chocolate Chip Craft Stamp Pad

Scallop Edge Punch

Ornament Punch

Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon

Linen Thread

Pearls