Stamping Around the Clock

Are You Pinch Proof?

I am!  I love St. Patrick's Day!  It's always good to be Irish, but it's even better when everyone wants to be Irish with you.  LOL!  Green is one of my favorite colors too, so there's another good reason to love St. Patty's Day. 

So, the other night, I wanted to design a fun, quick Irish card; and, Tah-Dah! 

What do you think?  It's so easy.  Just a little stamping, a tiny strip of pattern paper and some fun punching.  All of the stamped images are from Pinch Proof.  The card itself is one of our Note Cards.  I love these little guys because they are pre-cut, pre-scored, come with their own envelopes, and are smaller than a standard card but can still be mailed.  Whew!  That's a lot of a little card.   

This happy leprechaun is so fun. He makes great kids' cards, and would be fun on any March birthday card. 

Schedule a March Workshop to make this or any other project and I will make you and your friends a batch of IRISH POTATOES!  Not mashed or baked, these mini bites of candy Heaven are sweet as can be! 

Contact me today to reserve your March workshop dates and claim your sweets!

Happy Stampin'!

Save the Date!

Mark your calendar for my Chipboard Coaster Class on March 26th @ 6:30pm or on March 28th @ 2pm.  Class fee is $25.00.  You will make 3 projects: a coaster box, a mini die cut album and mini chipboard clipboard. 

Look for more information on this event soon!

Let Me Answer Your Questions About the Stampin' Up! Business Opportunity

Q: Should I become a Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator?

A: Yes!  Now is the perfect time to join my Stampin' Up! team.  During Sale-A-Bration, the Starter Kit is just $169!  That's 15% off.  Stampin' Up! will also give you a FREE stamp set of your choice (a value up to $47.99). 

Q: What if my area is saturated with Stampin' Up! Demos? 

A: No worries.  Even if there are other Stampin' Up! Demonstrators in your area (or consultants from another stamp/scrapbook company), you can set yourself apart and enjoy being your own boss.  Contact me today to find out how to make Stampin' Up! work for you!

Q: How will the economy affect my new business? 

A: Now is a great time to start your own business with minimal investment.  Be your own boss and guarantee your job security!  Handcrafted items are hot right now.  Everyone wants to give special gifts from the heart.  With Stampin' Up!, you can teach them how to do it.  Stampin' Up! is a very solid, multi-million dollar corporation that operates with ZERO debt!  Shelli and her team have made very smart decisions over the last 20 years, which makes Stampin' Up! a very smart choice for you.  

Q: How can I fit a Stampin' Up! business into my busy schedule?

A: If you set goals and schedule your time accordingly, you can do it all!  Contact me to get some ideas on how to spread your time between your business, your family, and all the other commitments in your life. 

Q: Can I really make money selling rubber stamps and scrapbooking supplies?

A: Absolutely!  There are many, many Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who make money doing what they love!  Some demos make enough to pay a few household bills, some make a substantial second or third income, and still others make enough money selling rubber stamps that their spouses have retired!  Personally, it has been a very short time since I started focusing on my hobby as a true business, but I'm already beginning to see it as a profitable endeavor!

Email me today to learn more about my story and other successful Stampin' Up! Demonstrators, and how you can turn your hobby into a profitable business!

Patriotic Easter Wishes + My First Challenge for You!

This card was inspired by Mary (the best MIL ever!).  Mary's favorite color is blue, and she loves a little red with it ~ She's a very proud & patriotic military mom!  So, when thinking about an Easter card for Mary and Eddie, I thought it would be fun to try a "red, white & blue" Easter card.  This was definitely a first for me, but I love the results!  I even managed to add a little So Saffron to represent yellow ribbons.

I used Bloomin' Beautiful (focal image), All Holidays (sentiment) and Candy Lane Paper.  The bouquet was stamped on Water Color Paper and colored using an Aqua Painter and Classic Ink Pads in the following colors:  Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue & Lovely Lilac. 

What do you think?  I would love to see your version of a Patriotic Easter Card!

So, here is my challenge to you:

Make a Patriotic Easter Card, using any combination of the Patriotic and Easter themes, and submit it to me via e-mail or snail mail by March 15th.  ETA: Entry Deadline has been extended to March 31st.  Contact me if you have questions about  the Easter Patriotic Theme.  I can't wait to see what you create!

I will post all the entries, and pick one random winner to receive a Patriotic Card Kit! 

Email or call today to schedule your Patriotic Easter Workshop!  Schedule one in March and you'll be able to enjoy the benefits of our Sale-A-Bration promotion.  Remember, you'll get a FREE item from the SAB mini catalog for every $50 in product orders, plus as a hostess you can earn an extra FREE SAB item with a workshop totaling $300.  Spaces are filling up fast, so contact me today to reserve your date!

Scallop Ovals On My Mind

Our new Sizzix Oval Die is so fun!  It's a little large for cards, but does fit.  I used it on this card last week~  

It was super easy to incorporate this large die cut into my card.  You just need to KISS it, Keep It Simple Stampers!

I simply ran the die through the Big Shot once with Whisper White and once with the skinny striped paper from our gorgeous new Parisian Breeze Specialty paper, then stamped the image and sentiment from Upsy Daisy in Chocolate Chip.  With such a large focal point, I did not try to stamp anything else on the card.  I also kept the embellishing to the barest minimum that I could.  The Chocolate Chip background was run through the Big Shot with one of our SU! Exclusive Texturz Plates.  And, the Whisper White card base was quickly sponged with Baja Breeze to match the Specialty paper.  So, the background is not completely plain, but it is very subtle.    

I can't wait to play with this die in my scrapbooking.  I'll post photos as soon as I do.

Contact me today to schedule a workshop where you can make a card just like this one! 

Happy Stampin'!

Unique Valentine from My Hubby...

I normally don't post personal items here, but I thought this was just too fun and had to share.  It is Keith Urban's "Sweet Thing" video that Tom modified online for me.  There are 12 things in the video that he was able to personalize.   Can you find them?  Enjoy! 

SU! Big Shot Video Tutorial

Check out a new video tutorial with Jaron, as he shows you a couple of our great new dies for the Sizzix Big Shot.  The Movers & Shapers XL die will help you make quick, perfectly cut cards; and the Bag with Scallop XL die cuts and scores pieces to make the cutest little gift bag! 

You can view this video on my Stampin' Up Website by clicking here or click the Catalog Button in my sidebar.  The video is in the small screen in the bottom left corner of the page.  Just click the play button, and enlarge the video screen by clicking the screen icon next to the volume slide.  Let me know if you have any trouble getting to the video.

I hope you enjoy Jaron's tutorial!

Happy Stampin'!

Valentine's Day Is This Week!

Do you need to make a Valentine's Day card for your sweetheart?  Here is one of the cards I made with the Love You Much stamp set. 

I also used the Always stamp set, Top Note Die, circle punches, scallop circle punch, and Urban Garden Designer Series Paper.

All of these items are available for purchase here.

And, remember, this is Sale-A-Bration time!  Contact me today to learn more about the Sale-A-Bration items you can earn by purchasing Stampin' Up products, hosting a workshop or joining my Stampin' Up team!

Valentine's Day is this Saturday, so get stampin' for your honey!

February Club Card

I wanted to share this month's Club Card with you.  I recently altered the way we meet each month, to make it more flexible for club members and help everyone use their supplies more often.  I'm also going to start a club challenge next month.

If you are interested in joining my Stampin' Clubs, please contact me today to get started! 

This month's Hostess Choice hostess requested that we make a card using Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue along with the Sizzix Big Shot, particularly our new Texturz Embossing Plates.  Dry Embossing has never been easier!

Here is the card:

 

All club members will receive the supply list, so if they own any of the supplies/stamps, they can bring them and use what they purchase. 

In addition to the Club Challenge that I will add in March, I also plan to host a Secret Sister Swap in the near future.  If you would like to sign up for the swap or a club, or just need more information, please contact me today.

Happy Stampin'!

 

Frosting for a Friend

The other day I was browsing the Splitcoast Stampers Gallery for some inspiration.  My friend Nicole had announced that last week was the 1st Anniversary of her local bakery, The Sweet Boutique, and I wanted to make a really fun card for her.  Well, I found what I was looking for here, designed by Donna Centamore.  I followed the link to her blog and tracked down her great video tutorial, which can be viewed here.  Thanks, Donna!  This is such a fun and creative idea!

Here is the card I made with my homemade "frosting."

I used the Crazy for Cupcakes (cupcake image) and On Board Lots of Letters (the 1).  The fun polka dot paper is from our Always Double Sided Designer Paper pack.  I also punched an oval (with the Wide Oval Punch) from a piece of pink polka dot paper that is in our new Tea Time Double Sided Designer Paper pack.  That yummy Chocolate satin ribbon is from the new Valet Ribbon set.  And, I added a few pearl half-backs from the Pretties Kit.  The card base is Whisper White.  I inked the edges of the card and the polka dot paper with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink.  The only non-SU tool I used was the scallop oval punch, which made the Chocolate (textured cardstock) background on which I mounted the cupcake.

Here is a close-up of the cupcake:

 

I didn't have a Happy Anniversary stamp, and didn't want to stamp all those letters.  So, I christened my brand new Billboard Sizzlets Alphabet in the Big Shot.  I used some Chocolate pattern paper from the Always pack, and ran the die through the Big Shot twice plus a couple of individual letters. 

Here's a peek at the inside of the card:

 

This card was SO fun to make!  Check out Donna's tutorial above or contact me to learn how to make one!

Happy Stampin'!

 

I Love My New Toys!

I received my first shipment from the new Spring-Summer catalog last week!  Here is what I made with my favorite new stampin' toys:

So, what did I use? 

pattern paper - Parisian Breeze Specialty Paper is our brand new Double Sided Pattern Paper that is textured, cover-weight cardstock.  I LOVE this paper! 

ribbon - Valet Ribbon is one of our new ribbon multi-packs.  This one has the satin polka dot ribbon you see here, plus a Baja Breeze satin ribbon and a black velvet ribbon. 

stamps - Friends 24-7 is a brand new stamp set.  There is also a jumbo wheel stamp to match, called Friendly Words.  These stamps so fun to play with, and arevery versatile.  There is a tall flower stamp, which is stamped in Chocolate Chip on the Whisper White card base.  Then, I stamped the bird in Close to Cocoa and masked it to stamp the flourish.  The flourish was stamped in Baja Breeze, then I used the Rock'n'Roll technique to get the Chocolate Chip around the edges.  "24-7" was also inked with Baja Breeze.  I simply swiped my Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker randomly over the image to give it the brown accents.  This set also contains two (2) sentiment stamps that are not shown here.  

die cut - By far and away, the most versatile Sizzix die for the Big Shot is the Top Note die.  I have used this die on at least 80% of my cards and projects in the last several months.  It is definitely a favorite of mine!  I ran a piece of Whisper White through the Big Shot with the Top Note die, then I cut a small strip of the blue flower paper from the Parisian Breeze Specialty pack and adhered it to the white die cut piece.  I also inked all around the Top Note with Chocolate Chip ink 

extra embellishment - Flower Fusion Too is one of our felt flower packs.  It includes Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette felt flowers.  There is a vintage brad in the middle of my flowers. 

Contact me today to schedule a workshop, and you can make a card just like this one with your friends!  Hold your workshop during Sale-A-Bration (now through March 31), and you'll earn extra FREE stamps and accessories! 

Order online and Stampin' Up! will send you a FREE Idea Book & Catalog!  Free Idea Book/Catalog offer ends February 28th.

Happy Stampin'!

Let's Sale-A-Brate!

Sale-A-Bration begins today!  Click the image on the right to view a .pdf of the Sale-A-Bration Mini Catalog.

Earn FREE items for every $50 you purchase in Stampin' Up products! 

Host a workshop of $300 and earn an extra FREE SAB item! 

This is also a great time to join my Stampin' Up team!  You'll get 15% off the Starter Kit, plus a FREE retail stamp set (value up to $47.95)!

Contact me today to schedule your workshop or for more information on joining my team.

Happy Stampin'!