Classes for the 2010 - 2011 Stampin' Year

Dear Friends,


Okay, it's here - the list of my upcoming classes from now until June of next year. I'm hoping to get samples done for every class by Open House so that you can see how great they will be! Modest, ain't I.....

I hope to see lots of you at these classes; as a former teacher, it's great to be "in the classroom" again and I love showing people how easy and versatile stamping can be.

From now until Sept. 30, you earn TEN raffle tickets for every class that you sign up AND PAY FOR. I will be trying something new this year - at the beginning of each month, I will contact you and let you know what classes you have signed up for, in addition to contacting you a day or two before the class as I do now.

I can't wait to teach you!



Open House Extravaganza Friday, September 10 from 6:00 – 10:00, Sunday, September 12 from 1:00 – 6:00; Sunday, Sept. 26 from 1:00 – 6:00 at the East Valley location (TBA) Drop in for creative Make n’ Takes, new sets and accessories, door prizes, and TWO big give-away baskets! FREE but PLEASE RSVP!!!

New Catalog 10/10 Thursday, Sept. 16 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 or Sunday, Sept 19 from 2:00 – 5:00 Ten creative cards for all skill levels showcasing our fantastic new catalog! $20

Friday Fun Five – Treat-tastic! Friday, Sept. 24 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Cute and clever ways to showcase holiday treats. $15
Stamp Sampler – The “New” Old – Vintage Style Thursday, Sept. 30 from 10:00 a.m. – noon or from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 As life gets more complicated and futuristic, we turn to yesteryear for comfort and beauty. This class will showcase wonderful new products from the Holiday Mini, including glass glitter, and unique cards with the charm of days gone by. $15

Christmas 10/10 Sunday, October 3 from 2:00 – 5:00, Thursday, Oct. 7 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30, or Sunday, Oct. 24 from 2:00 – 5:00 My favorite class of the entire year! Join me to get a whopping good dose of Christmas spirit and wonderful ideas for this year’s Christmas card! Music, treats, surprises, give-aways – sign up EARLY as this class always fills up! $20

Saturday Night Special – Birthday Calendar Saturday, Oct. 23 from 6:60 – 9:30 FINALLY! Decorate our classy birthday calendar to create a useful gift for yourself or someone else to keep track of birthdays in every month. $25

Stamp Sampler – Watercolor Wonder Thursday, Oct. 28 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 or 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 Learn to use ink refills, watercolor crayons, and ink pads to create lovely cards. $15

Friday Fun Five – Hidden Treasure Cards Friday, November 5 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 With just a round punch or a heart punch and 30 cent treat cup you can make a delightful surprise with hidden treasure - anything your imagination can dream up – m and m’s, coins, buttons, drink mix, goldfish – the list is creatively endless! $12

Stamp Sampler – Elegant Embossing Friday, Nov. 12 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 Just in time for the holidays! Use this simple and stunning technique to create elegant and shimmering cards. $20

Give Thanks 10/10 Sunday, Nov. 14 from 2:00 – 5:00 Holiday gift giving is right around the corner and gifts mean “thank you” notes! Create ten delightful cards to show how much you appreciate your blessings. Several of the cards can be used for Thanksgiving. $20

Saturday Night Special – Trinkets and Tags Saturday, Nov. 20 from 6:30 – 9:30 We’ll make some of the cutest holiday tags you can imagine plus a delightful holder AND you can choose to embellish a Simply Adorned item and box for yourself or gift giving! $15 plus cost of Simply Adorned item(s) – you’ll save 10% !

Love U Much 10/10 Thursday, January 20 from 9:30 – 12:30 or Sunday, Jan. 23 from 2:00 – 5:00 Ten lovely cards to tell special someones how much you care plus a first look at Sale-a-Bration and Occasions mini-catalog sets and accessories! $20

Friday Fun Five – Paper Patchwork Friday, Jan. 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 Turn all those scraps of patterned paper from trash to treasure! $12

Saturday Night Special – Super Bowl of Stamping Saturday, February 5 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 Enjoy a fun night of stamping with friends, creating five fantastic projects, including a mini scrapbook and a photo frame $25

Sale-a-Bration Mystery Hostess Sunday, Feb. 13 from 1:00 – 5:00 Join me for a great afternoon of stamping – FREE! We’ll do three make n’ takes, and I’ll demonstrate new products and techniques from the SAB and Occasions mini-catalogs. Juice up your stamping, bring home cool projects, and have the chance to earn hostess benefits of free merchandise or free sets! RSVP a MUST!!! Free

Friday Fun Five – Ronald McDonald House Set Sampler Friday, Feb. 18, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 Each year SU! designates one set to benefit RM Houses nationwide. We’ll use this year’s set to create five fun cards with the chance to purchase the set at a discount. You’ll receive your set already mounted and ready to go. $12 for class only, $25 for class plus clear mount set, $30 for class plus wood mount set

Stamp Sampler – Punch Pizzazz Thursday, Feb. 24 from 10:00 a.m. – noon or 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 We’ll use punches and Sizzix to make punch art designs – it’s so amazing what you can make from a collection of shapes and creativity! $12

All Thru the Year 10/10 Sunday, February 27 from 2:00 – 5:00 or Thursday, March 3 from 9:30 – 12:30 Cards for every occasion and season $20

Stamp Sampler – Spring Treatastic! Thursday, March 10 from 10:00 a.m. – noon or 7:00 p.m. – 9:00
Cute, classy, and creative ways to showcase spring treats. $15

Friday Fun Five – Spring Splash Friday, March 25 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 Pretty colors, flowers, beautiful days – that’s what spring means, and these cards will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of it! $12

Stamp Sampler – Bag of Tricks Thursday, March 31 from 10:00 a.m. – noon or 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 Talented stampers are always coming up with cards that make you say, “How did they DO that?” This class will show you how. $15

Saturday Night Special – “That’s Made From WHAT?!” Saturday, April 2 from 7:00 – 9:00 Tin can flowers and more $15

Easter Fun Sunday, April 3 from 2:00 – 4:00 Enjoy bunnies and eggs and baskets with a special child age 6 and up or just enjoy the fun yourself! $15 per person

Saturday Night Special – Stationery Box Saturday, April 30 from 6:30 – 9:30 Create an elegant personalized stationery box for yourself or as a gift (If you are a new stamper, please let me know and arrive 20 mins early for practice) $20

Friday Fun Five – Great Gift Cards Friday, May 6 from 7:00 – 9:00 It’s that time of year! Learn to make wonderful gift card holders for graduation, Father’s Day, and so on. $15

Stamp Sampler – Card Tote Thursday, May 12 from 10:00 a.m. – noon or 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 Create a gift that makes people say “WOW!”. This trendy tote includes six cards and envelopes. $20

Saturday Night Special – Fold Out Fancies Saturday, May 21 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 Learn how to make these amazing cards that are all over the internet and magazines these days. $20

Say Goodbye! 10/10 Sunday, June 5 from 2:00 – 5:00 It’s that time again – time to retire some of this year’s stamp sets and accessories to make way for fantastic new items in next year’s catalog. $20

Oops! Missed a few!

I missed four sets when I posted my retired sets yesterday, plus I decided to go ahead and advertise the retired punches, too. So, without further ado...


Christmas Punch (hostess) $13.77

A Kind Word $13.17

Eat, Drink, and be Merry! $11.37

Itty Bitty Backgrounds (good old friend - one of my first sets!) $8.97

Punches:

Trio Flower $9.57

Large Star $9.57

Boho Blossoms $9.57

Snow Blossom $6.57

Tag Corner $4.17

Call or email me - first come, first served.  And, if you buy five retired items at one time, you'll earn a free 2010 - 2011 catalog or a package of cardstock, including NEW colors!!!

Retired Set Sale!

Here it is at last!  Remember that each set is 40% off the current price PLUS no s/h, no tax, adding another (nearly) 20% discount.  First come, first served!  Bonus - buy any five retired sets (from this list or the ones coming up or any combination) and get a new 2010 catalog FREE.

My original plan was to post pictures, but it is taking FOREVER to do it, so instead, if you don't have a current catalog and don't want to look it up on the website, call or email me and I will send you the picture.  These sets are just the sets that retired in June.  In the next few days,  I will post a bunch of my older retired sets...and when I get to the oldest ones, I am going to make them 50% off plus no s/h, no tax!!

Enjoy Every Moment  $19.17
Garden Whimsy (I hate to lose this one!!!)  $16.17
Good Friend   $17.37
Good Neighbors (SAB)   $10.17
Halloween Frights   $9.57
Happy Everything   $11.37
Happy Moments (SAB)  $10.17
Of The Earth   $9.57
Picture This  (hostess)  $9.57
Stem Sayings  $12.57
True Friend   $13.77
Very Thankful (Ronald McDonald House set)  $8.97
Warm Words  $13.17
Whimsical Words  (SAB)  $10.17

A long, long time ago...

Oh, it's been so long!  My apologies for the state of this blog this spring.  Our twin girls are graduating from high school and leaving home in August, and I have been spending absolutely as much time with them as possible.  Plus, there have been some medical issues.  I probably won't get back to a more timely schedule with this blog until the girls go to NAU at the end of August, but I will try and post a BIT more often! 

Tune in soon for some updates from SU!

Plenty of Peeps

Courtesy of Twila Davis, SU! demo'r!  What a great  project for your kids, church, or club!  Uses the Sizzix Top Note die (an SU! exclusive), several sizes of round punches, both oval punches, and a gray marker.

Blog Project

Here's a cute checkbook cover I made for my mom.  For inspiration, I used a card by Diane Oullette that I saw on our demonstrators' showcase.    Here is her card:

...and here is the checkbook cover:

My mom loved it.  Here's what you need to make it:

Bashful Blue, Whisper White, and Basic Black c/s and ink, plus Brocade Blue ink

Silver cord

Small clear rhinestone brad

C is for Cat and Baroque Motifs stamp sets

Circle cutter (to make moon)

Scissors

Stampin' Dimensionals

Stampin' Sponge

2-Way Glue pen

Dazzling Diamonds glitter

clear checkbook cover

Have fun!

Blog Project

This is a birthday card I created for a dear friend.  It actually started out as a card for the Birthday 10/10 but it quickly got a bit too complicated for a class!  The list of supplies is below.  The top cupcake is actually stamped on one of the tags from the Two Tags Sizzix die and slides into the card. 
Real Red  and Whisper White c/s
Real Red and Close to Cocoa ink
Real Red and Close to Cocoa markers
White chunky glitter and 2-way glue pen
Two Tags Sizzix die and Sizzix Big Shot machine
Scallop Trim corner punch (new in the Occasions Mini)
two Real Red brads
Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon
Glue Dots
Party Hearty (catalog) and Well Scripted (Occasions Mini) stamp sets
Ruler

Updated Class List

I pushed the next two Thursday classes back a week, so the Birthday 10/10 is next Thursday, and Easter Fun is the Thursday after.  Here's the list, followed by two more samples.  Cool, huh?!
Dear Friends,


Birthday 10/10 The cards that most of us need most often! Ten great birthday cards, with several for men - these are hard to find! Sign up fast for this one, as the seats get filled up right away. Sunday, Feb. 28 from 2:00 - 5:00 $20 and Thursday, March 4 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30

Easter Fun This class is for ages 8 and up. Children must be accompanied by at least one adult. We'll make some wonderful projects for Easter, including the new mini milk carton Sizzix die cut. This class is a combination of cards and containers, but is mostly cards. Sunday, March 7 from 2:00 - 5:00 and Thursday, March 11 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 Adults $18.00, children $15.00

All Occasions 10/10 Ten cards for all the special occasions in life - Mother's and Father's Days, wedding, baby, graduation, sympathy, and so on. As always, you are welcome to change the sayings to fit your needs! Sunday, March 21 from 2:00 - 5:00 and Thursday, March 25 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 $20

Friday Fun Five See what fun I have cooked up for this month! Friday, March 26 from 7:00 - 9:00 $12

Friday Fun Five Ah, the infinite creativity of stamping!!! Friday, April 9 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. $12

Pack a Punch Sizzix Fun Can you imagine a chef made out of circle, squares, and other shapes? See what fun stuff you can punch and cut! Seven cards, as these take TIME! Sunday, April 11 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 $20

Summer Fun 10/10 Ten beautiful and useful cards with summer themes. Lots of flowers and fun! Sunday, May 2 from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 and Thursday, May 6 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 $20

Friday Fun Five Mystery of mysteries...what surprised do I have in store for you?! Friday, May 14 from 7::00 - 9:00 $12.00

In the first card below, the cardstock is actually the same color as the ink.  My scanner !!!

The last card is a hybrid card - I printed the bird cardstock from My Digital Studio!!!

Haitian Disaster Relief

Dear Friends,


On January 12, 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, leaving in its wake devastation so overwhelming that the Haitian people and their leaders can only look for help from the outside to cope. You can help make a difference in the lives of those who continue to suffer from the effects of this earthquake by purchasing the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set from the Occasions mini catalog.
From now until February 28, 2010, $2.00 from every I {Heart} Hearts stamp set you purchase will be donated to the American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.
I {Heart} Hearts – clear-mount (block D recommended) 118571 $18.95




I {Heart} Hearts – wood-mount 117010 $26.95

In the past, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers, when a tsunami struck Indonesia, when a hurricane destroyed New Orleans, and when wildfires ravaged Australia, Stampin′ Up! demonstrators have stepped forward and showed their commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. This time is no different. Help us make a difference in Haiti!

To increase the gift, I will also be donating my 20% commission (from $3.80 to $5.40) from these sets to the Red Cross. The need for help doesn't end in these places when the news stops running stories. The rainy season is starting and many of the survivors still have no covered place to sleep. Let's help, okay?!



Sarah

Mystery Hostess Workshop and Open House

All the fun of a workshop and none of the mess in your house!  Plus, two lucky people will win the hostess sets and merchandise from the order.  Join us, won't you, on Sunday, February 21 from 2:00 - 5:00.  We'll do five Make n'Takes, and there will be door prizes and things to purchase, such as retired items.  Here are four of the projects which spotlight new sets and accessories from the Occasions Mini and Sale-a-Bration Mini.  Remember, for each $50 you spend (before s/h and tax), you receive a FREE Sale-a-Bration item...and this year, for the first time, sets from the main catalog are one of your choices!!  Don't miss out!  RSVP PLEASE so that I can cut paper for you.

Friday Fun Five

Dear Friends,


It's appropriate that the first Friday Fun Five - being held right after Valentine's Day - is about kissing! Kissing? Well, KISSing. As in "Keep it Simple & Stunning". You know me - I like my cards to be WOW all the time, but frequently that means that the cards are a bit, well, complicated...am I right?!

THESE cards are WOW but not complicated. We'll talk about several techniques that are surefire ways to make a simple card really pop and we'll make five great samples. Don't miss out! Join me this Friday, February 19, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. to make these beautiful cards. The cost is just $12.

Here's two samples to tempt you! Call or email soon, as this class is likely to fill up FAST.

Stampin' Up! website updated

Visit my SU! website to see the list of classes and camps coming up and to see lots of great project ideas and some wonderful technique videos.  The birdhouse is my favorite project!!

Upcoming Classes

Sorry it has taken so long, but here - finally! - is the list of all upcoming classees through the end of May.

Mystery Hostess Open House- all the fun of a Stampin' Up! workshop and none of the work or mess for you!  I hold a workshop at my house, and you all come and have a good time.  We'll have five FREE Make n' Takes and then you can order and take advantage of the cool free stuff available for SAB.  One lucky person will win the free SAB sets and hostess set(s) and another lucky person will win the hostess dollars to spend.  Also, there will be great door prizes, such as paper, brads, ad so on and things for sale, such as Build-a-Bear sets and retired stuff.  Sunday, February 7 from 2:00 - 5:00  FREE


Friday Fun Five I can't do Thursday nights any more - Fringe and Bones! - so I'm trying something new.  This class will change each month.  We'll do five fun DIFFERENT projects each time, so each month is entirely new.  Friday, Feb. 19 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00  $12

Birthday 10/10  The cards that most of us need most often!  Ten great birthday cards, with several for men - these are hard to find!  Sign up fast for this one, as the seats get filled up right away.  Thursday, Feb. 25 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 and Sunday, Feb. 28 from 2:00 - 5:00  $20

Easter Fun  This class is for ages 8 and up.  Children must be accompanied by at least one adult.  We'll make some wonderful projects for Easter, including the new mini milk carton Sizzix die cut.  This class is a combination of cards and containers, but is mostly cards.  Thursday, March 4 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 and Sunday, March 7 from 2:00 - 5:00  Adults $18.00, children $15.00

All Occasions 10/10  Ten cards for all the special occasions in life - Mother's and Father's Days, wedding, baby, graduation, sympathy, and so on.  As always, you are welcome to change the sayings to fit your needs!  Sunday, March 21 from 2:00 - 5:00 and Thursday, March 25 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30   $20

Friday Fun Five  See what fun I have cooked up for this month!  Friday, March 26 from 7:00 - 9:00 $12

Friday Fun Five  Ah, the infinite creativity of stamping!!! Friday, April 9 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. $12

Pack a Punch Sizzix Fun  Can you imagine a chef made out of circle, squares,  and other shapes?  See what fun stuff you can punch and cut!  Seven cards, as these take TIME!  Sunday, April 11 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, April 15 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30  $20

Summer Fun 10/10  Ten beautiful and useful cards with summer themes.  Lots of flowers and fun!  Sunday, May 2 from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 and Thursday, May 6 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30  $20

Friday Fun Five  Mystery of mysteries...what surprised do I have in store for you?!  Friday, May 14 from 7::00 - 9:00  $12.00

Love You Much class samples

Here's some of the great cards we did this weekend at the Love You Much class.  I'm running this class again on Thursday, January 28 from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30, and if there are at least three people interested, I would also open up a Friday night class.  Ten cards for just $17.50 - you can't beat that!  Just let me know if you're interested.

My scanner is VERY old, so it doesn't do colors really well.  My greens in particular don't turn out, so if something looks like it doesn't match, it's the scanner.  Really!    Also, this first card looks blue, but it's actually Bermuda Bay, which is a new In Color and it's more green than blue.

Happy New Year...Happy Sale-a-Bration!

Welcome to 2010!  Sorry it's been so long between posts.  I've had some medication issues and haven't felt all that great but I think I'm back on track now.  I'm looking forward to a FANTASTIC Sale-a-Bration!  For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, SAB is Stampin' Up!'s annual "Thank You!" to all of our customers.  First, the wonderful designers create new stamp sets, Designer Paper, and other great items to give you FREE when you spend $50 (before s/h and tax).  FREE!!!  This year, they've made it even MORE wonderful by adding an extra MONTH to the promotion and adding an incredible new twist.  You can choose from a big list of $15.95 or less stamp sets if you'd rather have something from the catalog! As if the promotion wasn't awesome enough already...

Don't miss out on some great classes coming up.  Join me this Sunday, January 24 from 2:00 - 5:00 for the Love You Much 10/10 (also Thursday, Jan. 28 from 9:30 - 12:30).  Create 10 great cards to show your loved ones how much you care for just $17.50.  Here are some of the cards we're making!

Merry Christmas

This post was on our SU! website this week, and Shelli has said so well something that I truly believe.

Wishing You Happiness



December 21, 2009


'Tis the season of commercials and advertisements. Recently a billboard along the highway caught our attention. It was large, bright, and straightforward--it showed a woman, larger than life, drinking a popular soda, with the simple message: Drink Happiness.


We live in a world where people want us to believe that if we drink just the right drink, eat just the right food, or wear just the right clothes, we'll be happy. In reality, of course, we know that's not the case. The world is full of people who have plenty of everything they could possibly want, yet who aren't happy, and those who don't appear to have much of anything, yet who are very happy.
Inspiring quotes about happiness abound, and most are rooted in the idea that we experience happiness most when we are not searching for it, when we are reaching out and serving others, and when we are focusing on the good things in our lives rather than the bad.


During this holiday season, we wish you happiness--a happiness that comes from spending time with those you love and celebrating what you value most.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Beautiful!

This card was on our SU! demonstrators' website this a.m. and I just fell in love with it.  It is really simple but looks like a million bucks.  It was designed by Becky Hay de Garcia, and shows a very easy technique called embossing resist.  You emboss the image in either clear or white, depending on the effect you want - I almost always use clear.  Allow it to cool completely, and then ink up a sponge with a coordinating ink - in this case, pale Bashful Blue.  Pounce the sponge up and down over the embossed images until you get the desired effect.  When you have enough ink, take a piece of paper towel or tissue (not the lotion kind!) and rub all over the design.  This will remove the ink from the areas of embossing ONLY, revealing the design in shimmering glory!

A beautiful woman

I have never blogged anything except SU! stuff, but today I will make an exception.  The Republic ran an article about an amazing woman - you may have heard of her.  Her name is Stephanie Nielson, and she was in a terrible plane crash and burned over most of her body.  She has spend over a year in recovery.  Her story is one of incredible strength and through it all is the grace and goodness of Our Lord.

Stephanie was a very pretty girl before the accident, with four young children and a loving husband and large family.  Like me, all she ever wanted was to be a mom. 

Now, she still has four young children, a loving husband, and large family but she's not a pretty girl anymore.  She's a beautiful woman.  Like Mary, our dear Lord's mother, she is full of grace and God's love.

You can read the article at Arizona Republic and you can read her blog at Nie Nie Dialogues.  It is an amazing journey.

Retiring Stamp Sets

As promised, many of the stamp sets currently on our dormant list have been available for a year and now it is time to say goodbye. The following stamp sets will be discontinued on January 4, 2010.



113407 Back Woods


114492 Beautiful Baby


114486 Birthday Wish


113200 Branch Out


114496 Celebrations


113732 Central Park


113206 Classic Sketches


113226 Classy & Fabulous


114498 Flowers in Silhouette


113405 Font of You


113216 For the Bride


114494 Forever


109425 Friend by Definition


114488 Fun Flowers


113716 Garden Greetings


114490 Glad Friends


111580 Grand Soiree


113242 Hit the Road


113710 Lexicon of Leaves


113236 Man's Best Friend


114423 Ocean Commotion


113728 Playful Petals


109276 Polka Dot


111544 Putt Putt


113240 Quilt Quips


113754 Really Retro


113403 Sip by Sip


113726 Sweet Stems


113250 That's Funny


113688 Wonderful Watercolors


114028 Para la novia


114032 Acuarelas Maravillosas






If any of these stamp sets are on your wish list make sure to purchase them before they are gone for good!  To see images of these stamp sets, go to the SU! website, put "dormant list" in the "search" and click on the first thing that comes up.  Have a wonderful December day!

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!!