Gorgeous Shutter Card

These cards are so amazing and are great to wow your friends because they're actually really easy to make once you know how.    This one was on our demonstrator's website today and was created by Kelly Acheson (wonder if she's a relative - my stepbrother and sister's last name is Acheson)  I love how she made the poinsettia by punching two Five Petal flowers and adding three gold brads!  Visit Craftiblog for a tutorial with pictures on how to make these!

Don't forget to take a break from your Thanksgiving preparations and visit my SU! website to see all of the fantastic bundles and items for sale!  Remember - the sale ends Monday, Nov. 30!!

Snow - how I miss it!

When I see a card like this, it makes me long for cold and snowy weather!  It was created by Annette Jensen, and posted on the demonstrator's website this a.m.  So gorgeous!  I think I'll make my own copy and put it above my worktable so I can have a snow fantasy while it's 81 stinkin' degrees here....YUCK!

Okay, enough complaining.  Don't miss out on the fantaastic Holiday Extravaganza sale, going on now.  There are some SERIOUS deals going on!

HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA SALE!!!

Don't miss out!  Savings of 30%, 40%, and even 50% on great SU! items!  Many items have been bundled together for even greater savings!  Visit my SU! website and place your order today, or visit the website to see the savings and then call or email me.  Remember - if your purchase contains an item or items that will be gifts, you get a gift bag and tag FREE from me.  The sale lasts ONE WEEK  and while there are NO LIMITS to most of the items,  the Ultimate Stamper's Starter kit IS first come, first served.
If you order through my website, you will have your order sent directly to you.  If you order through me, I can either wait and combine orders, to save you s/h - but you'll need to come and pick up the order - OR, you can have the order sent to you.  Have fun shopping!
Merry Christmas early!

What a beauty!

Every so often I come across a card which takes my breath away.  This card, by Michele Reynolds, was posted on our demonstrator website a couple of days ago.  The piece on the left side is made by running a piece of blue cardstock through the Petals of Plenty embossing folder for the Sizzix and then sponging the darker blue on the raised design.  Then it's just simple coloring in with a blender pen and finishing the card.  Simple  - and simply gorgeous.  Also incredibly simple to make in bulk, making it a great choice for a Christmas card, even at this relatively late date.

Did you know that if you buy most of your materials, including a stamp set, from me, I will happily help you create, cut, and complete your stamping project at no charge, so long as you let me know in plenty of time?

new My Digital Studio downloads!

As promised!  Your copy of My Digital Studio will NEVER get stale because SU! will always have great new downloads, like the ones which came out today.  These run from $1.95 - $9.95, very reasonable, and have such great stuff in them which you can use NOT JUST in MDS, but in any application which uses a .jpg format, like Publisher, MS Works, and so on.  If you've taken any classes recently you know how much I LOVE the new red and white flocked paper in the Christmas Cocoa DSP.  Well, now I can play with it online, in the Christmas Cocoa download, for $9.95!  Best of all, it loads immediately, so no waiting and NO shipping/handling charge!!  I made this tag in about five minutes, and I've already printed out several to go with some paper I bought last year.

Get ready for Christmas!

Here's a couple of inexpensive and cute ways to put yourself in the Christmas mood. The first is a Christmas ornament box. It's similar to last year's trinkets kit but much nicer to give as a gift! Here's what you get:

metal box suitable for decorating

approx. 35 shaped chipboard pieces

laser cut double sided paper to cover the pieces front and back (there are a few exceptions, see below**)

Felt Flurries - laser cut felt snowflakes in 3 sizes and 3 colors

silver wire

silver elastic cord

assortment of brads

six sheets of 6 x 6 double sided patterned paper

a finished ornament

sheet of ideas

You can make at least 30 ornaments with your kit - just add glue and glitter! Just $15.00.

** A few of the pieces will have only one piece cut to fit or won't have any. This is because I combined several kits, some of which did not have matching paper. You have plenty of paper in the kit to cover these and more! Just glue the piece face down on the wrong side of the paper ( leaving the paper that you want to show on top), Let dry, then cut out with a craft knife.

Next, try our Pop-Up Christmas Tree kits. These are from the new die in the Holiday Mini-Catalog and can stand alone or can be put inside a card. These come in patterned paper (patterns vary) or in Garden Green with colorful ornaments. This kit is just $5.00. Wouldn't a flock of these look beautiful marching down your holiday table or on a mantle or sideboard?

I have a limited number of both kits, so it's first come, first served. Remember that I no longer can take credit cards, but I do have a PayPal account. Have fun!

So creative!

As I've said before, I'm not good at thinking out of the box, so I'm very impressed by people who do.  This card was created by Alisha Linn.  She used our new Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder for the Sizzix, but, instead of just putting the paper inside and running it through, she got the bright idea to brayer ink on the inside of the embossing folder first!  Then, she put white cardstock in (very quickly, I'm sure, so it didn't dry!) and ran it through the machine.  Et voila, a wonderfully creative card!

39 days...

...'til Christmas!!  If you haven't started your Christmas cards, it's time to get moving!  Here's a darling card to help you with that.  This was from a swap that our Inkin' All Night team did, and, unfortunately, I've lost the little piece of paper that had the gal's name who created it.  What I thought was SO great about this card is the creativity she used.  For one, I wouldn't have thought to combine these colors.  And - I would NEVER have thought to use this particular Designer Series Paper to run through the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.  I just love Dasher, the stamp she used, and have used it myself in a bunch of classes - including today's tag class.

Have a great Sunday!

Holiday Gift Giving Guide promotion

You'll love the convenience of our Holiday Gift-Giving Guide! With gift ideas for kids, teens, neighbors, and more, it's your one-stop shop for all your holiday needs. You can find all kinds of great ideas AND don't miss out on this great offer!  From now until January 4, 2010, when you spend $50 on products in the guide, you'll get a Décor Elements for FREE (up to a $16.95 value)!

If you'd like a copy of the guide, use this link Gift Giving Guide to visit the Stampin' Up! customer website and you can download it.  It has dozens of great ideas for projects you can make and give to everyone on your list!  Then contact me, place your order, and get a beautiful gift bag and tag FREE with any order from the Gift Giving Guide!  You know, everything at Christmas should be this easy....

Oh, man - this just keeps getting BETTER!!!!

Demonstrators get to see the mini catalogs ahead of time, of course, so we can plan ahead - and boy, do the new minis blow me AWAY!!!  I'm only going to give you a few hints at what's coming up, so that when you do get the minis, it will still be exciting.  However, there's ONE new thing that I just CAN'T keep to myself!!  You know how, in Sale-a-Bration, you get something for each $50 you spend?  Well, let's say you want a LOT of stuff, and you have bought so much that you have every free thing in the SAB mini catalog.  Before, you just got multiples of the free items, which is fun but....THIS YEAR, once you have everything free, you can start getting $15.95 or lower sets from the main catalog FOR FREE with each $50 purchase!!!!!  Yes, you heard me right!!  And, since SAB lasts until the end of March, you've got a chance to get TONS of free stuff.  Is this company great or what?!  So, you guys need to start booking workshops, because it's the one time of the year when I have TONS of workshops and it's first come, first served....do I hear the phone ringing?

THE PERFECT GIFT

There are a LOT of wonderful things coming up...
SO - you need to start talking to your hubby, your mom, your kids, or anyone who wants to buy you a COOL gift for Christmas, and have them purchase you a Stampin' Up! gift certificate from me, YOUR Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  Each gift certificate comes in this beautiful holder AND includes a discount coupon good for purchasing SU! products from me. THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER.  All gift certificates must be purchased by Dec. 19!  With this certificate and your coupon you'll be all ready to jump right in to the Sale-a-Bration and Occasions mini catalogs, which will come with the certificate!

Tag Time Class

Many apologies for being away from the blog for so long.  I came back from my trip feeling extremely worn out and am just now getting caught up, in energy and in STUFF left over to do!  One thing I don't want to miss out on is advertising this class.  This class will be SO MUCH FUN!  Like the Christmas 10/10, we'll have music and treats and a door prize.  You'll make both of these adorable containers of tags that you can give as gifts or use yourself!  Here's the class info:  Friday, Nov. 13 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m or Sunday, Nov. 15 from 2:00 - 5:00.  The cost is $15.00.  Let me know ASAP if you're interested!  You can also purchase the tag holders either separately or together.  Each holder is $7.50 and together they are $15.00.  The Christmas season is so wonderful!!

Deal of the Week #4

This week's Deal of the Week is on the Princess and Pirate Party Kits. These packs are a fantastic way to easily prepare for a party, so stock up while supplies last! In our Party Kits, you get everything you need to have fun except for food - invitations, decorations, and fun things to wear and make for eight people. These are a steal at the regular price of $15.95 and this week only you can get them for just $9.99!!! PLUS, since I goofed last week and didn't get the sale items up in time, I am again offering an additional 10% off so you'll get an extra dollar off each kit you order, making them almost half price!  Below is the catalog page that shows what you get with the Princess Party Kit and it also shows how you can use everything.  PLUS, each kit has a coordinating stamp set (on the left) that's just $16.95 AND (it just keeps getting better!) you can purchase a personalized stamp that says either "Princess So-and-So" or "Captain So-and-So" for just $9.95.  Can you imagine how thrilled your child would be with his or her own name stamp! 


Copyright Stampin' Up! 2009

It's time to think outside the box and see what wild and wonderful creations you can punch up using our Stampin' Up! punches, Sizzix, and so on!  These are five of the seven great cards we'll be doing at this week's Punch it Up! classes on Thursday, Oct. 29 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 or Sunday, Nov. 1 from 2:00 - 5:00.  The class is just $17.50 - a real deal, given that I've seen similar classes with fewer cards go for $30 and up around the Valley here!

Third Deal of Week ends today!

OOOPS! I missed letting you know about this week's deal because I was out of town. Today is the last day, darn it, and it's a GREAT deal, so I'm going to sweeten the pot. Get your order to me by no later than 8:00 p.m. tonight and I'll give you an additional 10% off what's already a GREAT deal.




Basic Jumbo Grommets regular price $6.95 special price $4.49 then save 45 cents!



Mini Library Clips regular price $12.95 special price $8.99 then save 90 cents!



Circle Designer Brads regular price $5.95 special price $3.99 then save 40 cents!



1/2" Library Clips regular price $6.95 special price $3.99 then save 40 cents!



(all of these are found on pages 179 of the regular catalog)



Don't miss out!!!

Greetings from Indiana!

It's so cold here that I am in a Christmas frame of mind, so here's a beautiful card for you:

This card uses the Delightful Decorations set and punch, the beautiful and luxurious Christmas Cocoa DSP from the mini catalog, the Modern Label punch and the Modern Label die from the new Movers and Shapers dies in the new catalog, and the stamp set called "Warm Words".  Oh, and it looks like they used the Petals embossing folder, also from the mini!  What a WOW card!  This would be a wonderful card for a very, VERY special person.

Don't miss out on the current Deals of the Week, good until Sunday (tomorrow!).  Get the Perfect Settings Sizzix die from $25.99, the Flower Burst embosslit for $5.99, and the Bigz XL Pop-Up Birthday Cake die for $25.49.  These are substantial savings!

I'm writing to you from Richmond, Indiana, where I am being a kid again with my Dad and my other mother, Pat.  We've been to flea markets, antique malls, an apple orchard (fresh apple cider!), and I've eaten good home cooking that I did NOT have to cook until I'm stuffed.  I've also been sleeping nearly 'round the clock, which is a rare, rare, and precious thing for me.  No Callie waking me up at 4 a.m.!  I miss them all dreadfully, but I am enjoying myself wonderfully.  Here's my dad eating an apple from the orchard and framed by gorgeous leaves.

Tomorrow it's off to Cape Cod to visit my mom and be spoiled some more.  And another flea market!  I'm looking forward to fish and chips, and a lovely time making E's Halloween costume with my mom.

I have internet access, so if you need me, send an email my way.  I hope that you guys are fnishing up your Halloween cards and mailing them out to win that $10 gift certificate!

Blog Challenge #2 - Make a Halloween card!

I got this cute card from the SU! demo'rs website - I just love this witch!  My favorite stamp set for Halloween this year is Trick or Tweet.  I just love this skeleton and dog card by Lilibeth Urea.

So, I thought it would be fun to make this week's blog challenge a card challenge!  This is how it works.  You make a Halloween card (Stampin' Up! sets ONLY but they can be retired) and email it to me as a .jpeg file.  If you don't know how that works, mail me the actual card and I'll take care of it.  I'll post each card as it comes in.  You get five tickets for sending your card in.  Then,after I've posted your card, tell EVERYONE you know about it and where it is, and ask them all to look at the blog, find your card, and send me a comment on it.  It's easy to do - there's a "comment" to click on at the end of each blog.  Or, have them send me an email.  Either way, every comment about your card that I get wins you a ticket!  Then, day after Halloween, I'll put all those tickets in a bucket and pick one.  The winning ticket gets you a $10.00 gift certificate that you can use for merchandise or classes.  Pretty cool, huh?!  Start stamping!!

Christmas 10/10 - don't miss out!

This class is my favorite out of the whole year!  We have so much fun, and it really gets us into the holiday spirit.  Iit's important to show how wonderful hand-crafted things can be, especially this year when money will be tight for so many of us.  Plus, the simple delight of giving something from your hands and your heart - well, it just can't be beat.  Even if you don't usually make your Christmas cards, it's great to have some on hand for those extra special people.  They also make great thank you cards, too.  I didn't hold back on the neat materials - we're using the expensive shimmery white cardstock, brushed gold cardstock, the rhinestone brads, wonderful taffeta ribbon, and so much more.  These cards are WOW cards, but aren't actually difficult.  I've done a lot of the boring stuff for you!  Won't you join us?  We'll be singing along to the carols, eating sinful snacks, exclaiming over neat door prizes, and grabbing up Party Packs, ornament kits, and the new pop-up Christmas trees.  Don't miss out!

Here's the last three cards - I think these are my favorites!

If you can't make the class, you can still have the cards by purchasing Long Distance packets.  The cost for materials plus stamped images (you assemble the cards yourself) is $25 plus shipping.  If you want me to make the cards for you, the cost is $30 plus shipping.  There are a limited number of the competed card packets available, so get your order in early!

October starting out with a BANG!!

Wow!!!! So much to tell you!  October is starting out with FOUR fantastic announcements from Stampin' Up!  First, and best of all (drum roll please.......)

That's right - the most amazing computer crafting program available is now available to YOU!  My Digital Studio is just $79.95, and what you can do with it will blow you away.  The header at the top of my blog?  That's from MDS.  This cute little frog?  Yep, MDS.  You can make scrapbooks, cards, calendars, and much, much more.   I'm still learning so many things I can do.  And the most wonderful thing of all is that the program and its contents won't get stale because you can download new elements throughout the year!

Okay, the second and third cool things includes the FIRST cool thing.  If you host a $400 workshop between now and November 30, you get two wonderful rewards.  You get to chose any item in the Holiday mini (except MDS) for just $10 AND you get My Digital Studio for half price - just $39.95.  Also, if you join Stampin' Up! between now and March 31, 2010, you will receive MDS with your Starter Kit.  Here's what you'll get for $185 (actually worth over $295!!):

My Digital Studio software

Party Hearty and Petal Pizzazz stamp sets

Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

Earth Elements assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, and Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pads

Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Real Red Stampin' Write markers

Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Real Red 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon

Button Latte Designer buttons

Stampin' Dimensionals

Mini Glue Dots

SNAIL Adhesive

Business supplies (product catalogs, order forms, training DVD, and other supplies)
***don't forget, you can usually substitute items so if you already have any of these materials, you can usually substitute something of equal or lesser value.

Last, but definitely not least...

Customers loved our "Deal of the Week" in July, so we decided to do it again!
During the week of October 1 - October 11 you can get these THREE punches on sale:
Trio Flower Punch and Five Petal Flower Punch are just $10.95 and the My Way Punch is just $11.95.  All three are usually $15.95!

Don't miss out!  Call or email me today, or...shop now at my website.  Just click "Shop Now".  Have fun!

Stamp Sampler

Here's the other cards from tomorrow's Stamp Sampler class.  We're doing a set sampler - seven cards from one set!  The set is the Ronald McDonald House set - there's a new one every year from SU!  $2 from the sale of each set goes to RM House charities up to a guaranteed $100,000.  That's a LOT of money!  The class is $10 if you just want to do the cards, or for an additional $12 you can get the set which is a BIG savings, as that cost includes s/h and tax and the set costs $14.95. 

We'll make the seven cards and then you will choose one to donate to our local RM House, along with a bunch of extra cards I'll be sending from my retired cards.  These are for the families who stay there when a child has major medical issues at local hospitals.  As you can imagine, it's a nice thing to have free cards so you can write to people when you're stuck far away from home in a terrible situation.  Won't YOU join us?

Huge Clearance Sale!!

Wow! Stampin' Up! now has a Clearance section on their online website. You can save up to 80% on items ranging from paper to scrap kits to those wonderful felt snowflakes from last year - remember those?!! To begin saving, go to my SU! website, click "Shop Now" and away you go. HAVE FUN!!!