Stampin' and Scrappin' With Kristin

Haunted Forest

Here's a cute and easy card that you can make for Halloween!  It features the Haunted Forest stamp set from the Holiday Mini Catalog.  This stamp is one of the "A la Carte" stamps that are sold separately.  I used some of the Frightful Sight DSP that's on sale - Buy 3 Get 1 Free - just until the end of August!  The card measures 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" and still fits inside of one of the Medium Envelopes.  The squares of DSP are 1-3/4" x 1-3/4".  I then added some color to my stamped image with some of the Stampin' Write Markers.

Give Thanks!

Well, I'm thrilled to report that we survived the hurricane this weekend.  It got scary at points, but we made it through unharmed.  I know not everyone can say the same thing.  Many of my friends have flooded basements, downed trees, and a young girl even lost her life when her car was washed away in a neighboring town.  So, I'm definitely counting myself lucky. 

It was certainly an interesting week here in NJ.  We had an earthquake on Tuesday afternoon.  I was at the office at my part-time consulting job.  I figured I was just dizzy from drinking too much Diet Coke then quickly realized it wasn't in my head!  Then there was the hurricane - during which we had some tornado warnings.  Following the hurricane we have some extreme flooding.  Many roads and bridges are washed out.  I've seen pictures all over Facebook.  I haven't been out yet.  At one point during the evening, there was a tornado warning for our little town of Elmer.  We quickly rushed to the basement where we actually HEARD the streams of water pouring into our basement!  I looked down and saw a small river of water flowing into the drain in the middle of my basement floor.  Then I realized there was a similar sound coming from my left.  There was a pinhole leak through the concrete blocks and you could see a stream of water!  It was too low to the ground for a bucket, but we found a pot.  Then we had to identify the source of the stream into the drain.  We had some leaks at the front of the house.  So, for about an hour we were taking turns vaccuming, emptying pots, and using our utility pump to get rid of the water.  But, we soon realized that the water was no longer coming in!  The hurricane hadn't officially hit our area yet, so we took turns checking the basement every 30 minutes.  By morning, not one additional drop of water came in.  I don't know why it stopped, but I'm grateful.  We actually had far more water in our basement several weeks ago.  And, because of the work we did to clean that up and get damaged junk out of the basement, this seemed like a walk in the park!  But, because of the tornado warnings, we now know where our problem spots are.  Things happen for a reason!

What an adventure - not one I wish to repeat any time soon.  So, I'm Giving Thanks today because God is great and protected us!  The sentiment is a brand new stamp from the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog - Hand-Penned Holidays.  The leaves are from French Foliage.  The colors were inspired by a card that I made for my In-Color Club - Pool Party, River Rock, Cajun Craze, and Whisper White.  LOVE these colors together!!!

More Mail!

In a few months, Claire and I are going to be holding our next semi-annual demonstrator event, Fall Fest.  One of my responsibilities is to gather and keep track of registrations.  The best part?  I'm getting lots of beautiful cards in the mail!  Chris sent me this card.  It features the Strenth and Hope Stamp Set out of the Summer Mini.  Have you picked up this stamp set?  It's only available until the end of this month!!!

I love the color combo Chris chose:  Marina Mist, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, and Cajun Craze.  It's not a color combo I've used but I LOVE it and will be using it!!!  Most of the cards I've seen made with this set used pinks.

Note:  I'm not sure when I'll be posting next.  I'm posting this on Saturday evening as I'm listening to the weather reports about Irene.  We are right in her path.  We've received phone calls from the power company telling us we should expect to be without power for 3-4 days.  Yikes!  So, we'll see how we make out.

Simple Birthday

I stamped with Nancy and a big group of her friends and family earlier this week.  Most of them were new stampers so I designed a relatively simple card for them to make.  The colors were inspired by the Domestic Goddess DSP - Pool Party, So Saffron, and Calypso Coral.  The stamp set is from the Easy Events stamp set.  We stamped it in Jet Black Stazon and colored the cupcake with markers.  We added a little bling with the Two-Way Glue Pen/Dazzling Diamonds and rhinestones.

Heather's Card

I received this card in the mail from Heather Yates, a demonstrator friend of mine, the other day.  I LOVE this card!!!  And for those of you who live in Woodstown, would you believe that this card only took a regular First Class Stamp to mail?!?!?!?  YES!  Even with that button!

Heather used the Nature Walk stamp set on this card.  She colored the stamp with Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green.  I LOVE how she used the pearls!  I never would have thought to do that.  I love those little extra touches - the scrunchy seam binding, the spritzing to make the card look distressed, the rounded corners.

Thanks Heather!!!

 

Founder's Circle 2011 - Travel Docs Are Here!!!

I was SO excited yesterday afternoon when I spotted one of my friends on Facebook posting about receiving her Founder's Circle Travel documents.  Typically, the travel documents come in a "wallet" that coordinates with the bag we received at convention.  This year was no different!  The wallet had a black ribbon wrapped around it that matches the bow on our purses!  Inside were GORGEOUS luggage tags, information, and travel documents that we'll need to get to St George in under three weeks!!!  And, as usual, I've posted all of the pictures - including the UPS envelope - of the fun package!

What is the Founder's Circle Retreat?  It's an exclusive benefit for the Top 100 demonstrators in the US and some of the top demonstrators in Canada.  So, THANK YOU for helping me earn this wonderful trip for the second year in a row.  We will be heading to St George, Utah for 5 days of pampering, relaxing, stamping, and other fun surprises.  Want to see what we did last year?  Click here for all of the details and photos.

Stitched Stocking Swaps

I recently signed up for a Holiday Mini Swap with some fellow demonstrators.  It sounds like 17 of us participated.  I can't wait to see everyone else's cards.  BUT, I have to wait until the Founder's Circle retreat in a few weeks to see the others. 

I signed up to use the Stitched Stockings Stamp Set.  It was definitely an immediate favorite of mine because it has a coordinating punch.  BUT, I really struggled to make a card with it. 

The colors are Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, and Cherry Cobbler.  I used some of the Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Series Paper (also in the Holiday Mini Catalog).  I also layered some Cherry Cobbler Dots Ribbon and some lace.  I simply flipped the dotted ribbon over so that the white dots were hidden - since the card uses Very Vanilla.  And, yes, if you know me, you can easily tell I'm not a fan of this card.  Why?  It has...count them....nine layers if you count the stocking!!!  And, if you've ever stamped with me you know that my "fix" for any card I don't like - additional layers.  Hope you guys like it!

Wedding Favors!

Today is a wonderful day for our family!  My sister-in-law, Kathy, is getting married!  I helped out by making the invitations, response cards, favors, and escort cards.  I don't think I ever actually posted the invitations I made!  But, here's a photo of the favors and the escort cards.  Don't worry.  I shouldn't be spoiling any surprises.  When this posts, everyone should be seated at their tables and the ceremony should be starting any moment!  Congrats!!!  And, welcome to the family Rob!!!

The favors were made using the Petal Cone Die and the Big Shot.  I altered the petal cone by scoring it 2" down from the top to make a box.  I had to cut off the points and part of the flap.  I stamped the boxes with the Manhattan Floral Stamp Set and some Pool Party Classic Ink.

The toppers were made using 7, 2-3/8" Scallop Circles punched from Pool Party and Whisper White.  I moistened the scallops in a bowl of water, crumpled them up, flattened them out, piled them up, put a rhinestone brad through the middle, fluffed the layers, and let them dry overnight.  Whew!  To close the boxes, I wrapped ribbon around the box and adhered the scallop rose topper thing on top.  The ribbon isn't actually glued to the box so it can be easily slid on and off!  The boxes are filled with Hershey's Kisses!  How appropriate for a wedding!  We'll be seeing lots of kisses from the bride and groom!

The escort cards were easy.  I typed all of the names and tables into a spreadsheet and did a mail merge into a document set up for the size of the card I wanted.  I then easily printed all of the cards, stamped the Manhattan Floral rose, and layered them with Pool Party and Early Espresso Card Stock.

Hello Pool Party!

Last night was the first gathering of my In Color Club.  Do you remember reading about it?  Each month members of the In Color Club purchase the Ink, Reinker, Card Stock, Ribbon, and the Marker in the Color-of-the-Month.  They chose to get together for a FREE class instead of receiving pre-made projects from me!  Each month they get to make three free projects featuring a variety of color combos including the Color-of-the-Month.  AND, each month one of the members will be the "hostess" and will get to pick out a minimum of $25 in free hostess merchandise!

This month's color is Pool Party.  The layout for the card on the left was inspired by Mary Fish.  I used the Domestic Goddess DSP (on sale this month for Buy 3 Get 1 Free).  The colors are Pool Party, Whisper White, and Basic Gray.

The card in the middle was inspired by a card in the catalog.  The colors in this card are Cajun Craze, Pool Party, River Rock, and Whisper White.  The stamp sets used are French Foliage and Grateful Greetings.  I embellished with a little linen thread and Regals Brads.

The card on the right was inspired by a card designed by Gail Guenther at last month's Philly Inkers Shoebox Swap.  I think it came together nicely.  As I was using this color combo (found in the Color Coach), it started to look like a baby card to me.  AND, when I used the baby stamp from the Easy Events Stamp Set, I realized the waves matched the scallop border perfectly!  Oh, and the polka dots on the duck's umbrella coordinates nicely with the Polka Dot Ribbon!

Thanks Divas!

I received a couple of hand-stamped cards from some of my Divas over the past few days.  This first card was stamped by Hallie.  She used one of my favorite stamp sets - Delicate Doilies.  But she changed up the colors - and I love them!  She used So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, and Perfect Plum.  Hallie even dyed some of the satin ribbon to coordinate with the card.  I love that she overlapped the doilies.  I always stress about making sure they're perfectly spaced.  But, obviously I don't need to stress!!!  Thank you, Hallie, for this gorgeous card!

The second card was stamped by Darlene.  She used an interesting technique that I absolutely LOVE.  She punched the branches using the Bird Builder Punch.  You probably can't tell from the photo, but the branches are cut out of the Bravo Burgundy.  They are not glued on top!!  I'm still trying to figure out how she did that without getting any parts of the bird!!!   What a fun use for that punch.  She also used some of the DSP that's on sale for Buy 3 Get 1 Free for the month of August!

Claire's Diva Night

Do you remember my posts from last week?  The Italian Feast that I cooked for my top performing demonstrators?  Well, my upline, Claire Lawrence, also holds a similar event quarterly (that's where I got my idea)!

Claire had us over several weeks ago for a Mexican Fiesta.  She made guacamole, salsa, and a yummy taco bar!  She also made a fantastic peach crumble/cobbler thing.  It was yummy - and I don't even like peaches!!!

I wanted to share with you the cards that we made!  They've been on display in my classroom for a few weeks, but I realized that they haven't been posted!  I love that she used the same stamp set on all three but came up with three very different looks!  The stamp set is Fabulous Florets.

Convention Make-and-Takes: Part 2

As promised, I'm posting the remainder of the Make and Take Projects from Convention.  Yesterday I posted pictures of my fellow demonstrators and the card box.  Today I'm going to show you the card banner we made!

Hanging from the banner are three different cards.  Granted, the banner has some fun elements on it as well!  There's the pinwheel, fabric flower, and other fun elements.  Some of you have already seen the banner hanging on my bulletin board in my classroom.  But, I wanted to share with you the photos of the cards!  Want to check it out in person?  Stop by my classroom for a closer look.

Convention Make-and-Takes: Part 1

Last Friday my downline members who attended convention got together to finish our Make-and-Takes.  Stamping in a large group is just too stressful for me.  I've learned that grabbing the kit to take home is MUCH better for me.  Thanks to my persistent downline, we finally sat down to make them.  AND, I completed them ALL!!! 

This year's projects were a bit complex (and that's probably an understatement).  We got together, chowed down on pizza, listened to some upbeat music, and stamped.  My favorite project is this card box.  It was really time consuming.  Mostly the flower topper.  It's gorgeous and held together with an entire sheet of dimensionals!!!

The top of the box is covered in fabric.  This photo just doesn't do the box justice.  I guess you'll just have to stop by my classroom and check it out in person.  Want to make your own?  The card box will be available in the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog!

Here are some more photos from our fun stamping night!  Check back tomorrow for the rest of the convention projects.

Here's a photo of Lynn in the early assembly stage of the box topper.

Gail's also still smiling while she starts to assemble her box-topping-flower.

Below Dawn is working on one of the cards you'll see tomorrow.

Diva Night Cards

Have you wondered where I disappeared to?  I was on such a blogging streak there.  I haven't missed a day in weeks.  Well, this week turned upside down for me.  Not necessarily bad things, just unplanned things.  I feel like I'm playing catch up and am just now starting to surface.  I'm sure you can all relate to that!

However, I haven't forgotten that I promised to post the cards that we made at my Diva Night earlier this week.  You have already seen one of them in this post.  The other two were Halloween and Christmas-themed projects.  I wanted to give the Divas a card for each of the major holidays in the Holiday Mini Catalog.  And, of course, I wanted to use some sets that I thought they might not have had on their shopping lists.  My intent wasn't to make them want them (but I knew that would probably happen).  My intent was to give them samples they could take to workshops using sets they didn't own.

The first card is the Halloween Card.  You'll find three Halloween-themed stamp sets in the new mini.  This one was used with the new set called Out on a Limb.  It's such a cute set.  It features 2-Step Stampin' because you "build" your stamped images by using multiple stamps.  There are pumpkins, bats, an owl, a cat, and this adorable witch.  The images can be hanging from/sitting on a branch, flying through the clouds on a broom, or any combination really!  However, it doesn't include a sentiment!!!  The sentiment on this card is from one of my favorites from the big catalog - Wicked Cool.  I also got a little carried away with ribbon.  For the last couple of weeks I've been layering my ribbon.  I layered some of the Basic Black Scalloped Dots Ribbon under some of the brand new (LOVE IT) 3/8" Very Vanilla Velvet Stitched Ribbon.  Everyone LOVES the way this ribbon feels.  I also included a bit of the new Pick Your Poison DSP from the Holiday Mini.  The card stock colors are Peach Parfait and Basic Black.  I kinda like the brighter orange.  What do you think?

The second card is the Christmas Card which features the new Christmas Lodge Stamp Set, the new Frostwood Lodge DSP, and the new Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon.  This ribbon will also be available in Cherry Cobbler.  It's gorgeous in person!!!  The colors on this card are Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, and Crumb Cake.  The lodge is stamped in Crumb Cake and the sentiment is stamped in Cherry Cobbler.  There are SO many possibilities with this set.  Some people were talking about embossing it to make it look like snow.  And the set has a GORGEOUS evergreen tree.  I can't wait for you to see it in person.  And, if you know me, you can easily tell that I wasn't entirely happy with this card.  Why?  It has SEVEN layers.  If I don't like a card, I just add a layer.

Diva Night - Part 1

Last night was my quarterly Diva Night.  If you don't know what Diva Night is, I'll quickly explain!  It's a night for me to spoil, pamper, and FEED my top-performing demonstrators on my team.  This month I had 10 demonstrators qualify.  I'm thrilled that 9 of them could attend. 

I spent all afternoon cooking up a storm.  I promised them an Italian Feast.  And, I think I delivered!  As they arrived, they were greeted with Fresh (homemade) Bruschetta and beverages.  I'd never made bruschetta before and I think I pulled it off!  Next was just a plain ol' tossed salad.  Ya gotta have a salad, right??? 

For the main course, I prepared not one, not two, but three entrees!  First, I experimented with an Extra Cheesy Lasagna recipe I grabbed off of the Williams-Sonoma website.  I mean seriously, how bad can Extra Cheesy Lasagna be?  Now, because I was feeding 11 people, I cooked mine in a 9x13 baking dish instead of the suggested 9x9.  So, I kinda doubled up on some ingredients and added others.  For example, the recipe is technically a meatless lasagna.  I wanted meat.  So, I added a pound of lean ground turkey.  I guess I was trying to be healthy - but why, it has 10 tons of cheese!!!  I also increased the Ricotta to 5 cups and the Mozzarella to 1-1/4 pounds.  Yes, I'm serious!  I think those are the only changes I made.  Oh, and apparently I got a bit heavy-handed on the garlic.  I didn't notice (or even taste it) but some people made comments!  I think it had 5 cloves.  Is that a lot???

The next entree was Stuffed Shells.  I used to have a spinach and chicken stuffed shell recipe from Weight Watchers but I couldn't find it.  So, I altered another new recipe - Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells from Epicurious.  This one I altered a lot.  First, I only used 1 package of Spinach - 'cause I don't like a lot of spinach.  Second, I added an entire package of Perdue Shortcuts Italian Chicken (cubed).  Third, because I added chicken that was already seasoned, I skipped the fresh basil, fennel seeds, and garlic (I think).  I wasn't sure how they would work with the seasoned chicken.  I also threw in some fresh Mozzarella cheese for good measure (because I remember my old recipe including it).  I'm not entirely sure how much I added.  Maybe 1/2 cup?  I grated it until I was bored of grating.  I also used significantly more sauce than called for.

The final entree was my favorite - Penne with Vodka Sauce.  This one I made as-is.  No substitutions or anything.  It's just plain unhealthy!!!  I did double it and there was very little left.  This seemed to be everyone's favorite.

After our bellies were full, we turned to stamping.  You'll have to tune in tomorrow to see the cards because it's too late for me to get a good photo of them.  Although, you may be able to catch a peek at them in the photos below.  I'm sure you'll recognize one of them from my blog post from a few days ago.

BUT, there was more food!!!  Dessert was up next.  I didn't make any of the desserts.  Instead, I picked up Cannoli from our local market, some bakery-style cookies, a peanut butter pie, and some fresh watermelon.

Let's see...how about some of the photos that I did take!  The picture at the top of this post is of Judy dishing out the cheesy lasagna.  To Judy's left are Hilary, Kristin v2, Darlene, and Hallie.

Here's a photo of the other side of the table (Hallie, Megan, Lynn, Tanya, and Gail).

The rest of the photos are of everyone stamping.  HOWEVER, we were using ALL brand new Holiday Mini Products.  AND, Stampin' Up! says that I cannot post photos of the products.  So, I've whited them out!  Don't laugh at them - I use a high-tech photo editing software package - Paint.  Hey, it's keeping me compliant!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow Much Fun

Today's card is the second card we made at Mary's workshop.  Just like yesterday's project, I wanted to highlight the DSP that's on sale now - Buy 3 Get 1 Free.  This card uses the new Holiday DSP - Letters to Santa.  I specifically used it because she told me she didn't like it!!!  Now, I'm not generally a mean person, but I wanted to show that this paper could be so much fun!

I stamped the snowman (from the Snow Much Fun Stamp Set) in Versamark and then Stazon and heat embossed him with Clear Embossing Powder.  Why didn't I use Black Embossing Powder?  I don't know.  I then bleached the entire snowman using an old blender pen and bleach.  I learned this trick from one of my downline members at our downline meeting last month.  It's so much fun!  Two of my demonstrators show us a fun technique each month.  This one was taught by Hallie!

After he was dry, I took Stampin' Up!s markers and added some color to my snowman in Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Gray, and Early Espresso.  I stamped the sentiment from the Merry & Type Stamp Set in Marina Mist Classic Ink.  I went a little overboard with the layering.  The colors are Pear Pizzaz, Early Espresso, Whisper White, and Marina Mist - the same colors used in the DSP.  I then teased them a bit with some of the new quilted Early Espresso Quilted Ribbon that will be coming out in the Holiday Mini Catalog.

Jack of All Trades

Here's one of the cards I designed for a workshop last week.  It highlights the new Frightful Sight Halloween DSP in the Idea Book & Catalog.  You know, the DSP that's on sale for Buy 3 Get 1 Free???  I wasn't quite sure what to do with this stamp set, so I turned to Stampin' Connection - an online resource for demonstrators - for some inspiration.  I immediately fell in love with a card made by Janella Sibert Clough.

I used the brand new Simply Scored Tool to make this card.  Normally at workshops I'd prescore everything, but because I can so easily mark where everyone should score, I let them do it themselves!!!  I started with a 5"x12" sheet of card stock.  I scored at 3", 6", 8", 10", and 11".  I then adhered a variety of strips of the DSP to the various steps.  I punched a strip of Cajun Craze with the scallop border punch - just like Janella.  I hand cut the pumpkins from the Jack of All Trades stamp set and punched out the candy from the Sweets for the Sweet Stamp Set.  The sentiment comes from one of my favorite fall sentiment stamp sets - Grateful Greetings.

Christmas Door Prizes

I wanted to share with you a couple of door prizes I made the other day for a workshop.  I'm not sure I'll be making them quite like this again, but they sure were cute!  They were inspired by some things I saw/received at convention.  First, the belly band around the door prize was inspired by the gift I received from Mary Ellen.  However, I made it glittery because I saw a glittery strip somewhere else at convention.  And, I don't remember where.  It just stuck with me.

The box was made using the Matchbox Die in the Big Shot.  The card stock is Garden Green and I used window sheets to make the sleeve.  The belly band is Real Red Glimmer Paper.  And, to hold it all together ('cause I didn't trust the adhesive with the glitter), I tied around some Garden Green Narrow Grosgrain ribbon.  I'm THRILLED we now have Garden Green ribbon! 

And did you see those cute little bells?  They're a sneak peek from the Holiday Mini Catalog.  You're gonna love them.  I actually took some Baker's Twine, separated the fibers and used a single strand to tie them onto the box.  Um.  Not again.  I'll find regular thread!

Fun With Big Shot Backgrounds

The new Idea Book & Catalog had several fun, new ways to add texture to your projects.  This month my Die Cut Divas got to play with each of them and learn a few new twists.  Did you know that the "Die Cut Divas" are a group of my customers who get to attend a FREE class EVERY MONTH???  Yup!  Any customer of mine who has purchased a Big Shot from me automatically becomes a Die Cut Diva and can attend these classes.  How cool is that?  Want to be a Die Cut Diva too?  Click here to purchase your Big Shot now!

Fancy Fan Letterpress

First, I designed a vintage card that uses the new Fancy Fan letterpress plate that was inspired by some of Mary Ellen's convention cards.  I inked up the letterpress plate using Very Vanilla Craft Ink and ran it through my Big Shot with some Wisteria Wonder Card Stock.  The letterpress doesn't really press into the card stock like it would Stampin' Up!s watercolor paper, but it still makes a nice background!  I also used the Designer Frames to emboss the Concord Crush layer.  The stamps are from the Kindness Matters and Tiny Tags Stamp Sets.  I layered up some Wisteria Wonder and lace ribbons.  I attached the tag with a Vintage Trinket.  To add an extra special finishing touch, I sprayed some Champagne Mist shimmer paint (mixed with rubbing alcohol) over the entire card.

Houndstooth Embossing Folder

The next card was inspired by two things:  Lady Gaga on The View on Monday and a conversation I had with one of my customers on Monday evening.  Suzie was explaining to me how a local college came to have their colors!  Apparently Rowan University was built on an old sunflower field!  So, between the sunflowers and the colors and Lady Gaga's houndstooth outfit, this card came to be!

I ran Whisper White Card Stock through the Big Shot with the Houndstooth Embossing Folder.  I then gently brayered Early Espresso Classic Ink over the raised design.  The flower was made using the Flower, Daisies #2 Die and the Blossom Petals Builder Punch.  The sentiment is from the Tagtastic Hostess Stamp Set.

Stripes Embossing Folder

The final card my Die Cut Divas made this week used the Stripes Embossing Folder.  I don't think you can really tell in this photo, but I ran it through the Big Shot twice.  I ran it through to make the stripes then I turned the card stock a 1/4 of a turn and ran it through again.  This made a woven look in the background.  You probably can guess where the inspiration came from on this card - my shoebox swap card.  I used Pool Party, Island Indigo, and Lucky Limeade on the card with the Raining Flowers and Petite Pairs Stamp Sets.

Experimenting With The Holiday Mini

I sat down yesterday afternoon and decided to experiment a little.  Here's the card that I created.  The jury is still out on what I think of the entire card, but here's a little of what I did while playing with the new products.

First, I started with a layout that I'm caseing off of one of my customers (Suzie).  You'll hear more about her inspiration in tomorrow's post.  She made a card using this layout for a friend of hers.  I thought it was fun!  It uses the clear Scallop Square Big Shot die.  (Oh, and I scored it using the BEST scoring tool on the market - The Simply Scored Tool by Stampin' Up!)

Second, I just signed up to participate in a swap and I'm using the new stamp set Stitched Stockings from the Holiday Mini.  I figured I should start playing with it if I have to make some swaps.  This stamp set is awesome because it has its own coordinating Stocking Builder Punch!!!  While I'm talking about the stocking, I'll explain what I did to it.  I'm not sure you can tell in the photo, but I also hand-cut the toe, heel, and cuff and glued a second layer on top to add dimension.  I'm not sure the effect is worth the effort!!!  I then added a bit of glitter to the stocking using the new Dazzling Details.  It's CHEAP (as in affordable not bad quality) and easy to use!  It's like a little tube of glitter glue.  You need it.  Seriously.  It's like $2.50 or something like that!  Really.  Buy a half dozen!!!  You're gonna love it.  So, that's the stocking.

Third, I wanted to check out more of the DSP.  I'd completely forgotten that the new Holly Berry Bouquet is SPECIALTY paper!!!  Two of the patterns are GLITTERY!!!  And its the kind of GLITTERY that doesn't make a mess!!!  There's this Real Red Polka Dot glittery sheet and there's a Real Red Stripe that's also glittery.  While we're talking about paper, I'd been wondering how Lucky Limeade would work for Christmas.  What do you think?  I've paired it here with the Real Red.  It's a brighter version of Old Olive.  I think I'd prefer Old Olive.  But, I won't give up on it quite yet.

Fourth, as I was putting the card together, I realized the background looked boring.  So, I walked back over to my stamp set shelves and discovered the holly from the new Dear Santa stamp set.  It worked perfectly in the corners stamped in Versamark.

Fifth....Ugh...my hands are cramping.  I needed to do something with the inside.  When making the card base, I cut a strip of the card base off because I thought I'd like it.  Well, I didn't like the fact that you could see the Real Red layer that's on the inside.  So, I took some Very Vanilla Card Stock and cut a scallop border using my Big Shot and Tasteful Trim Die.  But, I wasn't done.  It needed more.  I took another strip of Real Red Card Stock and adhered it next to my Very Vanilla Scallop strip.  BUT, that wasn't enough.  I decided to draw some faux stitching down both sides using my White Gel Pen to make it look like....well, stitching.  I figured if the name of the Stocking Stamp Set is Stitched Stockings, it should have stitching!!!

Sixth, it needed a "latch".  I found a Real Red Button, tied on some Whisper White Baker's Twine, and glued the guy on the front of the card using Glue Dots to hold it closed.

OH...where'd the sentiment come from - Petite Pairs.  Are you surprised?  OH...and are you wondering if I drew the hanger from the stocking?  NO!  It's part of the Stitched Stockings Stamp Set.  When I was putting it together I couldn't figure out what it was.  THEN when I was trying to make my stocking NOT look like it was floating in mid-air, I remembered the loop!  Stampin' Up! thought of everything!!!

So there you have it - my use of an embellishment, two new Stamp Sets, two new tools, and new DSP all from the Holiday Mini (not to mention the large assortment of regular catalog stuff I used).

Gently Falling - SNEAK PEEK!

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of all of the Holiday Mini products.  My wait was over yesterday morning with UPS dropped off TWO packages of goodies!  However, I didn't get to play until today!  Why not?  Because I had to finish my work (designing tonight's projects) before I could dig in.  I rolled out of bed bright and early this morning ready to create!

Today's card is actually the second project I made today.  I'll post the first eventually - it was a card organizer box.  Or, maybe I won't post it!  I've got to keep some surprises for my Holiday Mini Open House next month!!!

Okay...back to today's card.  Many of you have told me that you could never be a demonstrator because you can't come up with the ideas.  NEITHER CAN I!!!!  So, there I sat this morning, surrounded by hundreds of dollars of brand new products and I didn't know where to begin.  Finally I decided to use my favorite stamp set (at least after looking at them) - Gently Falling.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this stamp set.  I even have a class penciled into my calendar for this fall that features this stamp set.  But, I still didn't know what to do with it.  This often happens when I sit down to create.  So, I start by caseing something.  What's caseing?  "CASE" stands for Copy And Share Everything.  Well, when you overnight all of the supplies, there are little to no samples posted online because no one else has had a chance to play yet, either.  The next place to look?  The catalog!  So, I CASED this card from Page 16 of the Holiday Mini Catalog - I know, you don't have yours yet and I'm not allowed to post it.  So, you're going to have to trust me on this one.  I changed a few items on this card, but it's essentially the same project.

I started by stamping the more solid maple leaf (it's a 2-step stampin' set) in More Mustard Classic Ink.  I stamped the outline image in Cajun Craze/Versamark and heat embossed it with clear powder on Watercolor Paper.  Why Watercolor Paper?  I don't know.  I guess I thought it was more sturdy for cutting it out.  I used some scraps of my favorite Designer Series Paper of all time - Spice Cake!!!  Yes, I said scraps!  My first project of the day used Spice Cake DSP as well.  I can tell that I'm going to blow through this stuff this fall!!!  I embellished with an Antique Brad, wrapped some linen thread around the card, and stamped the "Give Thanks" sentiment from another new stamp set - Hand-Penned Holidays - in Soft Suede/Versamark on Watercolor Paper, heat embossed it with clear powder, and cut it out.  Now that my creative juices are flowing, I can start creating original creations!!!

What do you think?  Want to see it up close and personal?  No problem!  You can see it in my classroom.  Want these supplies this month???  No problem!  Any demonstrator can order the products in the Holiday Mini Catalog this month - and you can join today and place your order today!!!

Thanks Gail!

One of my friends and downline members stamped this card for me a couple of weeks ago.  Gail joined my group of demonstrators last fall and has been on fire ever since!  She recently attended convention with me last month.  I know she's already planning her trip next year!

I love the details on this card!  I love that she tucked the designer label punch under the sentiment.  It didn't need to be there, but it just adds a little somethin'.

The flowers are COOL!  She used the faux suede technique on them.  I've never actually tried that technique for myself, but keep meaning to.  Gail is actually going to demonstrate that technique at my next demonstrator gathering.  Thanks Gail!!!

Cards from Stampin' Up!

I realized the other day that I never shared a couple of cards that I received from Stampin' Up! recently.  This first card was a Thank You card from the Special Events group after the Alaska Cruise.  Isn't it GORGEOUS!?!?!?  They stamped the Hello Doily in Whisper White Craft Ink on Basic Black Card Stock.  SO elegant!

You may be wondering how they did the ribbon.  Well, I can only guess.  But, I made a similar card last week with one of my stamp clubs.  We punched a hole in the center of the stamped doily.  We then knotted our ribbon and laced the ends through the hole and adhered them to the card.  It worked well.

The second card was one that my former SAM handed me as I walked off of stage during Awards Night. I love the little details - the linen thread tied through the bitty button that's adhered to the embossed butterfly.  The variety of embossing, the speckling, the strip of newsprint.  It looks SO simple at first glance, but the closer you look, the more steps pop out!

You can check out both of these fabulous cards in person in my classroom!

But 3 Get 1 Free Designer Series Paper

For the entire month of August, when you purchase any three of the following packs of Designer Series Paper, you can choose one absolutely free - with NO limits!!!  Click here to shop online now!

Page #	Item Number	Description
8	122343	Nautical Expedition (Summer Mini)
185	122367	Paisley Petals
185	122357	Beau Château
185	122354	Pocketful of Posies
185	122355	Domestic Goddess
185	124339	Just Add Cake
185	122351	Frightful Sight
185	122352	Timeless Portrait
185	122350	Berry Blossoms
185	122342	Beyond the Garden
185	122359	Well Worn
186	122347	Nursery Nest
186	122349	Letters to Santa
186	122348	Big Top Birthday

Note: Specialty DSP, DSP Stacks, and Hostess DSP does not qualify for this promotion.

Retreat and Crop!!!

I'm thrilled to announce my first ever weekend scrapbooking/stamping retreat!  I've created a separate website that contains all of the information, pricing, and registration forms.  Many of you have already expressed an interest in attending.  Space is very limited (only 20 spots).  If you're interested, please don't wait too long to register!

Willow Valley Papercrafting Retreat

Enjoy three days of scrapbooking, stamping, card making - whatever your heart desires!  Packages include hotel accomodations, a resort gift card to use towards food, a Stampin' Up! product gift card, goody bag, and hours of papercrafting time!  Packages start as low as $220 per person for the entire weekend!  Click here to learn more and to register!

Fall 2011 Woodstown High School Crop for Seniors

Can't get away for the weekend?  I'm pleased to officially announce our next all day crop event!  The next all day crop will be held October 15, 2011.  You can scrapbook, stamp, or visit for 12 hours!  Three meals are included in the cost of your registration!  Click here to learn more and to register.