Stampin' with Kristin

Stamper's Dozen Blog Hop - Back to School

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  Did you come from Jodi's or BJ's blogs on today's Blog Hop?  If so, you probably know that we're posting projects featuring Back-to-School projects.  I think we have a fun variety of teacher's gifts, cards, journals, and 3D projects.  I decided to make a Project Life by Stampin' Up! scrapbook page.

I REALLY struggled with this month's theme - I don't have kids.  I don't know what kids give their teachers.  To be honest, I don't even really understand all of these gifts!  I don't even remember giving my teacher a Christmas gift!!!  I don't think we did that when I was in school!  But maybe I've forgotten because my mom took care of it for me.

I've really gotten into Project Life lately.  I love how quick & easy it is to get pages put together.  I love that there's no mess.  I love that it all coordinates.  I love that simple is the trend - not tons of layers and embellishments.  So, I decided that a Back-to-School scrapbook page would be perfect for me.  But, I had one problem - because I don't have any "kids", I don't have any cutesy back-to-school photos showing my child with his or her lunch box waiting for the school bus.  I thought about "borrowing" a photo of a friend's child from Facebook.  But, that didn't seem right.  Then it hit me - I DO have back-to-school photos!!!  I have a step-daughter and photos from when we moved her into her college door her freshman year!

I used the Everyday Adventure Project Life Card Collection, the coordinating Everyday Adventure Project Life Accessory Pack, and the clear acrylic stars from the Playground Project Life Accessory Pack.

The "freshman year" title and the three pennants are stickers that come in the Everyday Adventure Accessory Pack.  I used my Melon Mambo and Coastal Cabana Blendabilities to color the clear acrylic stars to add a pop of color to the top card.

My only complaint about this page was the quality of my photos.  I took them with an older model iPhone.  You probably can't tell from the photo, but they're kinda blurry.  Now that I'm scrapbooking again, I'm forcing myself to pay attention when taking photos.  Here are some tips for taking better photos:

- Check your lighting
- Get close to your subject (But, leave some space if you think you want to crop the photo.  If I'm able, I'll take a photo from far away, then take a closer photo.)
- Don't use digital zoom!!!!
- Keep still
- Tap on your subjects - if you're using an iPhone or other smartphone, if you tap the subject, the photo will focus on that area.
- Clean your lens!  When was the last time you cleaned the lens on your phone???  I've never cleaned mine!

I hope you are enjoying today's hop and continue through the rest of the posts!  Click here to move ahead to BJ's blog or click here to go back to Jodi's.

  

Introducing Project Life by Stampin' Up!

For quite awhile now I've been hearing lots about Project Life.  I've actually following Becky Higgins on Facebook for a year or so.  However, I'd never bought any of their products - mostly because it wasn't a Stampin' Up! product.  But, I did admire them - they were so cute!!!  I was secretly envious.

Well, you can imagine my delight when Stampin' Up! announced it had partnered with Becky Higgins to bring Project Life to Stampin' Up!  I was over-the-moon excited.  I know several of you have mentioned you're excited, too! 

Well, the wait is over!  You can now order a small assortment of the Project Life by Stampin' Up! products NOW!  Much more (including binders) will be available in the annual catalog in June. 

I sat down yesterday afternoon and assembled 5 pages in about 2 hours showcasing our trip to California earlier in the week.  Yes, that's right!  In about 2 hours, I'd scrapbooked my ENTIRE trip!  It's done - including JOURNALING!  Jealous, aren't you?  I'm one of those scrapbookers who will spend DAYS on a layout.  Not anymore!

If you're familiar with Project Life, you may know that their corners are all rounded.  I like that look.  However, Stampin' Up! gives you OPTIONS!  None of the products come with rounded corners.  But, a coordinating corner rounder is available!  I chose not to round my corners....for now.  That's the beauty of it!  Every photo and journalling card is in a pocket and can be removed! 

So, in honor of National Scrapbooking Day today, here are the 5 pages I created:

Home Decor Wedding Scrapbook Page

The last project my Stamp Club made earlier this week was this 8x8 frameable scrapbook page.  Annemarie's daughter got married over the summer and so did one of our former stamp club members!  Every few months my stamp club asks for a non-card project.  And, Annemarie wanted one she could use to showcase a wedding photo.  I tried to design something a bit flexible that could also be used for a non-wedding page.  Many of my friends have recently posted fall-related family portraits on Facebook.  And with Halloween just last week (at least it was in NJ), I figured several other club members may have a recent picture to use.  So, I chose fall colors.

Now, I got married in March - not exactly "fall themed".  I always wanted to get married in the fall.  But, we scheduled our wedding to coincide with the Hawaii Incentive trip back in 2009 (it was our honeymoon).  However, I remembered some of our photos were taken out behind the reception hall by a waterfall.  And guess what?  There were still leaves on the ground in the background!  It totally works!  I can't recall what colors Annemarie's daughter chose for her wedding.  But, Meghan chose a Pool Party-like color.  So, I hope this works for everyone.  I have the perfect shadow-box-like frame in which to display mine....until the next club member asks for a non-card project!

The colors are inspired by the Comfort Cafe DSP - Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, and Very Vanilla.  I sponged the edges of the Summer Starfruit with Soft Suede and then spritzed it with some sort of concoction (Soft Suede reinker, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, and rubbing alcohol.  You can't really tell there's Soft Suede in it, though.  I punched 10 circles out of the DSP and coordinating cardstocks.  I then embossed the cardstock circles.  And, to finish of the project, I used one of my favorite buttons from the Holiday Catalog with some crochet trim tied through the holes.

Sailing in Sydney

If you read my last post, you probably knew that I was scrapbooking yesterday.  I couldn't wait to show you what I made!  Inspired by the Stampin' Success magazine, again, I created this page!  Stampin' Up!'s page was titled "Cherish" and featured 2 little kids.  Well, since I'm not really a "kid person", I didn't have any photos!  So, I figured I'd tap into the nautical theme of the stamps and paper.  One problem - I don't sail either.  My family owns a boat, but it's not really the type of boat that works well with the products in the Summer Mini.  However, while in bed last night, I remembered I had some sailboat photos from my trip to Australia back in 2005 - I just had to find them!  Oh what fun it was to dig around an ancient hard drive looking for pictures! 

I've always loved this picture.  Can you read the name of the boat?  It says "Noah's Ark" on the side!  I snapped this picture while riding a ferry from the Sydney Opera House over to Manly Beach my first day in Australia.  I loved riding the ferries.  There were always TONS of sailboats out on the harbor.  I wished I had taken a photo of one in front of the Opera House or under the Harbour Bridge.  So, you'll just have to trust me that this boat is in Australia!

This page uses TONS of sneak peek items out of the Summer Mini Catalog.  This page - along with many other projects - will be on display at my Open House on May 1st!  I advertised that I'd have "hundreds" of projects on display - and without any big Stampin' Up! events this time of year, I don't have any swaps to suplement my projects.  So, I'm making them all!!!  Therefore, you'll probably only see about a tenth of the projects on my blog!

Here are the products that I used on this page:
- Stamps:  The Open Sea (Summer Mini)
- Ink:  Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso
- Paper:  Soft Suede Textured CS, Not Quite Navy CS, Whisper White CS, Sahara Sand CS, Cherry Cobbler CS, and Nautical Expedition DSP (Summer Mini)
- Tools & Accessories:  1/2" Circle Punch, Postage Stamp Punch (Summer Mini), Boho Blossoms Punch, Big Shot, Simple Letters Alphabet Die, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Petal Cone Die, Sanding Block, Cutter Kit
- Embellishments:  Naturals Buttons, Regals Buttons, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (Summer Mini), Early Espresso Baker's Twine (Summer Mini), Log Cabin Smooch Spritz

Have you placed your order to qualify to win my bundle of FREE Stampin' Up! products?  Click here to check it out!

Spring 12-Hour Crop!

I'm so excited to announce another 12-hour crop day coming this Spring!  Do you ever wish you could just get out of the house, hang out with your girlfriends, and scrapbook all day long without any interruption?  Well, maybe you should sign up to attend our next crop day!  They're TONS of fun.

What's a crop day?  It's a 12-hour event where you can scrapbook, craft, visit, sleep, or whatever else you feel like doing!  We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  All attendees who register early receive a goody bag full of Stampin' Up! products.  And, there are door prizes as well!

We have a wonderful well-lit location where you won't feel cramped.  If you want to learn more and register, simply click here to read all about it!

My Stampin' Story - Page 2

So, I don't think I mentioned in yesterday's post that I made these pages to go in an album using all of the products in the Stampin' Memories Add-On.  That's a bundle of scrapbooking products that a new demonstrator can optionally purchase when they sign up.  I encouraged all of the demonstrators at convention to scrapbook their stories.  And, as my customers, I encourage YOU to hold me accountable and to finish this scrapbook!!!

You've seen the photos from this scrapbook page as well.  I highlight of my Stampin' Story was the day that Shelli, the co-founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!, came to Pitman, NJ to stamp with us (mostly Melissa).  But, Melissa invited us to come and hang with Shelli for the afternoon.  It was a fun, relaxed day to get to stamp and chat with Shelli.  You can read more about the event here. I won't bore you again with those details since I've already posted.

My Stampin' Story - Page 1

Since I recently shared my Christmas scrapbook page, I thought I would share with you the scrapbook pages I made for my on-stage presentation at convention!  In my presentation, I talked about the New Demonstrator Starter kit and how to incorporate it into workshops.  Stampin' Up! has also been encouraging us to share our "Stampin' Story".  So, I incorporated this in a couple of ways into my presentation.  In my opening, I shared how I came to learn about Stampin' Up! and why I joined.  Wanna hear the story?  I've shared it so often these days that I can probably tell the story word-for-word as I did on stage a few weeks ago. 

(I'm editing this sentence after finishing the post - I went into FAR more detail than I did on stage.  This is a LONG post - far longer than it was supposed to be.  I hope you'll read the whole thing.)

I started out as a scrapbooker (can't you tell by all of the scrapbook pages I share online).  I used to fly around the country attending classes and conventions.  I flew to Arizona for the day for one class. I've flown to Portland, Oregon and Houston, Texas for others!  But it was while I was at a convention in Valley Forge, PA in July 2006 that I found Stampin' Up!

I had no idea what to do with a rubber stamp.  I saw the stamps staring at me from across the scrapbook aisle at my local craft stores.  They practically called out to me, "Buy me! Buy me!"  But, I didn't!  Mostly because I didn't have the faintest idea what to do with them!  But, while I was at the convention, I overheard a couple of women discussing their rubber stamp collection.  They had hundreds of rubber stamps.  OH MY GOSH!  What was wrong with these women?  Why on earth would anyone need that many stamps?  Later in the day, I saw that a class was being offered on Rubber Stamp Techniques.  Well, that had my name all over it.  I had to solve this mystery.  I signed up!  I feel bad for the woman I sat down next to as I had NO IDEA what I was doing.  The instructor was actually the editor of my favorite paper crafting magazine (another reason I signed up).  The supplies, however, were all Stampin' Up!  I consider myself to be a paper snob.  I love quality.  I love coordination.  And, when I touched that Stampin' Up! card stock for the first time, it was love at first touch!  WOW!  I needed some of this!  I also fell in love with stamping and card making that day.

After the convention, I rushed home and "googled" Stampin' Up!  And, I'll be honest with you, I was disappointed with what I found.  I didn't realize they were one of those Direct Sales Organizations!  I didn't want to have to go through some consultant to order all of my stuff.  I didn't want her to know how much I really wanted to buy!!!  At the time online ordering didn't exist.  If it did, my story might be much different today.  So, I e-mailed the woman.  I requested a catalog and mentioned I wanted to order "a couple" of things.  Well, she NEVER CALLED BACK!  Have you seen my classroom recently?  BIG MISTAKE!

A couple of weeks later, my aunt invited me to a Stampin' Up! workshop.  She told me that I didn't have to buy anything.  Do you tell your guests that when you host a workshop?   But, I quickly told my aunt that I had been trying for a couple of weeks to buy some things!  So, I went to her workshop with my wish list AND my guest list ready - I already knew I'd be hosting a workshop!  I placed a smallish order - only $100 or so.  I was trying to hold back!  But, after MY workshop closed a month or so later, the demonstrator (Claire), mentioned the demonstrator opportunity to me.  I WAS NOT interested.  I didn't want to go to people's homes.  I didn't want to sell.  I wasn't interested in any of that.  But then she told me just how little I had to "buy" and then mentioned the discount.  I was spending that on one trip to the scrapbook store.  I quickly signed up!  (My trips to the scrapbook stores stopped - maybe that's why all of our local stores are now out of business!)

If you were with me in those early days, you may have attended a class.  I did offer a class a month to my friends and family.  I even managed to meet one or two actual non-friend customers (who are now friends and are still with me today).  But, I never did a workshp. 

Eight months later, I attended my first Stampin' Up! convention.  You can actually read about it if you click on the "SU Events" link at the top of this page.  It was in Denver, Colorado in 2007.  Claire and I both attended.  The scrapbook page on this post is from that event as well.  It was a life-changing event.  I was in awe.  I was also envious.  I kept watching all of those demonstrators get up on stage and win gorgeous purses, trips to Bermuda (I think that was the location that year), CASH, jewelry, and the list goes on and on.  Well, I wanted to be one of those demonstrators.  I wasn't aiming for the BIG prizes - I never thought I could do that!  I just wanted to "march" across stage.  So, I aimed to sell $20,000 that first year - the category I thought was most in my control.  So, I went home.  I quit my job (yes, that's a part you didn't hear on stage at convention).  And, I started doing workshops.  Why did I quit my job?  At the time I was a consultant traveling to upstate NY every week.  Right before that convention, a customer called me and said she wanted to host a workshop.  She had 20 of her friends ready and excited, but it had to be a Thursday night.  I couldn't do it.  It was impossible.  I flew home from NY on Thursday nights.  So, I gave the workshop away.  That was a turning point as well.  I knew that I had to make a choice - keep traveling and consulting or find a local job and build my SU business.  So, with nothing lined up, I walked into work the day after convention, and quit my job!  True story!  At this time, I was not married but Mike and I were dating.  I had no job prospects lined up.  I was on my own without an income!  I did find a job relatively quickly a couple of months later - I was very lucky.  But, that wouldn't be the first time I quit my job because of SU.  You'll just have to ask me about that later 'cause this post is LONG!

The scrapbook page I'm showing you today highlights that turning point in my life.  It was there in Denver, that I took that turn.  I DID get on stage that next year.  I not only sold $20,000 in stamps and got to march across the stage, but I also earned the Hawaii Incentive trip - which most of you now know became our honeymoon.  Thank you SU!  And, that's when I started this journey which as led me to become the 30th ranked demonstrator in the United States in just three years.  I'm officially crying now.  I'm excited to see what the future holds.  There are still big changes to come.  I'm excited and VERY nervous!  I hope you'll stick around as the story continues....

More Christmas?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?  Well, so it seems!  I just had a second customer this weekend request a Christmas-themed project.  She's more of a scrapbooker than a card maker.  So, she requested a scrapbook page for her workshop.  She wanted to see how stamps could be incorporated into scrapbooking.  She commented several times that punches make quick, affordable, and easy embellishments!  I asked if she had a theme - Christmas was her answer!  Okay, so here we go!

This is the third scrapbook page I've made this month - that's gotta be a new record for me!!!  I love the way this one turned out.

I knew I wanted to use the new Jolly Holiday DSP.  I only had one pack on hand so I had to figure out a way to get 6 of these scrapbook pages (plus my sample) out of a pack.  No problem!!!  I barely made a dent!  I love using the DSP because it pulls together all of my colors:  Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, and Very Vanilla.  I stamped some "Simple Snowflakes" in Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler and tried my hardest to punch them out with my snowflake punch.  It's getting really hard to use.  Is yours?  Someone at convention this year mentioned that EKSuccess - the company that makes our punches - redesigned the body style to allow for more intricate shapes.  So, I'm anxious to order the snowflake punch in the new body style to see if it makes a difference.  I also used the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon punch and tucked a strip under my journaling box.  I love the more delicate scallop this punch creates.  Finally, I cut out the year (I chose 2009 because I'm SO far behind on my scrapbooking) using thick window sheets.  I love the subtle numbers on the page.  I adhered them to the page using my 2-way glue pen which dries clear.  I added a Cherry Cobbler button.  Voila!  My page is adorable, don't ya think?

Wedding Scrapbook Page

I made this scrapbook page a couple of weeks ago for a workshop.  The guests made a page using different colors, but I'm completely stuck on Kraft and Not Quite Navy and I wanted to show them how you could use the same layout various ways.  Does this layout look familiar?  It should.  It looks a lot like the one on page 26 of the Occasions Mini catalog. 

Mike and I fell in love with the 5x7 photo featured on this page so much that it became the photo we included on all of our wedding thank you cards.  And, yes, if you're wondering, Mike and I sent them out last week....only 351 days after the wedding.  I had a year, right?

Here are the supplies I used to create this page:

• Vintage Vogue Stamp Set (OM)
• Like-O-Meter Stamp Set (OM)
• Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel (OM)
• Jumbo Handle
• Kraft Card Stock
• Night of Navy Card Stock
• Very Vanilla Card Stock
• Soft Suede Card Stock
• Night of Navy Classic Ink
• Versamark Ink
• Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon (OM)
• Latte Designer Buttons
• Vintage Brads
• Big Shot
• 1" Circle Punch
• Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (OM)

Merry Moments Frame

Each year Stampin' Up! selects a handful of demonstrators to win an Artisan Award.  Any demonstrator can enter.  But, only a few are chosen out of hundreds who submit fantastic cards, scrapbook pages, and 3D projects. 

Throughout the year, the Artisan Award winners create projects to inspire us.  I'm always amazed at what they come up with.  Just recently some new projects were posted for demonstrators.  One immediately caught my eye.  It was a framed home decor item made by Fran Sabad.  I immediately set out looking for a similar frame so that I could recreate it.  I failed miserably at locating her exact frame, but I think I like the one I found even better!  Fran's frame had seven openings.  Mine had eight.  I was very uncreative and copied (or at least tried to) her rectangles exactly as she created.  I only had to create one.  No, I won't tell you which one - but it's definitely my least favorite of the eight!  I cannot wait to display this in my home this holiday season!

The majority of the components are from the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit and the Merry Moments DSP.  Other accessories used were:

• Real Red Wide Grosgrain Ribbon
• Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon
• #2 Snowflake Die
• Big Shot
• 1 1/4" Square Punch
• Dimensionals
• Scallop Edge Punch
• Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware

Now, since I CASEd most of this project, it came together quickly.  Would you believe that I made it in under an hour!  My husband couldn't believe it when I carried it out of my classroom this evening.  The hardest part might have been prying open all of those little metal things that hold the glass in place.  By the way, I removed the glass since I used ribbon and hardware.  Besides, I broke one of the panes taking it out of the frame!!!  But, what I love is that I can easily change out the pictures in the frame throughout the year.

Mommy & Me Scrapbook Page

Last week's stamp club hostess requested a "Mommy & Me" page.  She has a son, but others in the stamp club have girls.  So, the challenge was on!  Design a page that was masculine, yet not too masculine.  Of course I also wanted to use products out of the mini catalog.  So, here's what I came up with.

I used one of my favorite stampin' techniques on this page.  I stamped the letters out of the Jumbo Outline Alphabet in Basic Gray then colored them with my Versamarker to give them a slightly darker color than the card stock on which they were stamped.

I also used the new Basic Jumbo Grommets.  Have you seen how you use these?

Step 1:  Punch a hole where you'll want your grommet using a 1/2" Circle Punch
Step 2:  Insert the grommet
Step 3:  Tap the prongs of the grommet down using the hammer in the Crafter's Toolkit

Supplies used in the scrapbook page were:

• Walk in the Park DSP (Mini Catalog)
• Basic Gray Card Stock
• Baja Breeze Card Stock
• So Saffron Card Stock
• Whisper White Card Stock
• 1/2" Circle Punch
• 1 3/8" Circle Punch
• 1 3/4" Circle Punch
• Scallop Edge Punch
• Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
• Jumbo Outline Alphabet
• Stamp-a-Ma-Jig
• Versamarker

Album-in-a-Night Bonus Class!

Did you know that May is National Scrapbooking Month?  I'm offering a special bonus scrapbooking class in May in celebration of scrapbooking month!

In this class you will make 20, 6x6 scrapbook pages featuring some of the supplies from the Sunshine Garden Simply Scrappin' Kit.  This kit is so adorable in colors of Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, and Old Olive.  When you get home, you simply have to add your own photos - and some journaling and you're done!  The photo above shows a sampling of the pages you will make in this class.

Saturday, May 2nd - 6pm - Register Online or e-mail me to reserve your spot!

Materials Fee:  $25  (That's $1.25 per page!)

Long Distance Option

Can't attend the class but want to make your own scrapbook?  Use the PayPal button below to purchase your kit!  Kits will be mailed Saturday, May 2nd via Priority Mail. 

Long Distance Materials Fee (including shipping):  $30

Tea Party - Scrapbook Sessions

Have you read about my upcoming Scrapbook Sessions Series?  I'm offering a scrapbook class every month.  Each month will use a different collection of the Designer Series Paper.  This month's selection is Tea Party.  If you aren't able to attend the class, or would like to purchase a long-distance option, please e-mail me - [email protected] - for details.

In each class, you will make three, two-page scrapbook spreads.  Here is an example of one of them.

 

As I was creating this page, I was wondering - what on earth was I thinking when I selected this particular DSP collection.  If you know me, you know I am not a fan of pastels.  And, you probably realize by now that purple is my least favorite color.  Heck, I couldn't tell you which purple is which in the SU color family if my life depended on it.  How terrible is that?  What kind of demonstrator am I?  Oh well.  I'm sure you'll forgive me.

Anyway, these classes offer you a chance to get caught up on your scrapbooking.  Imagine, if you attend every month, you'll have 36, 2-page spreads complete in a year!  WOW!  Maybe I'll get caught up right along with you. 

Sunshine Garden Mini Scrapbook Class

UPDATE:  This class is closed.  Kits are being mailed on Monday, April 6th.  If you are interested in ordering the kit, please e-mail me at [email protected]

Isn't this little scrapbook adorable?  It's a 5x5 scrapbook with 10 pages - 2 of which are pockets with pull-out tabs.  It's perfect for to capture memories of a special event, person, group of friends, or anything else you heart desires!  (Click on images below to view a larger, clearer image.)

What will you receive in your kit?

• Pre-cut, pre-scored cardstock used to "build" your scrapbook
• Extra coordinating cardstock for layering, mounting photos, or for journaling
• A 6x12 sheet of coordinating die-cut, self-adhesive embellishments from the Sunshine Garden Simply Scrappin' Kit
• A 6x12 sheet of patterned paper with various patterns to layer and embellish your pages
• Step-by-Step instructions with color photos showing you how to assemble your scrapbook

What do you need to supply?

• Your favorite Dry Adhesive - Stampin' Up! SNAIL is my favorite
• Stampin' Up! Sticky Strip - used to build the foundation of your scrapbook
• 12x12 Paper Trimmer - used to crop photos and trim patterned paper
• Scissors

How much does it cost?  $25 - includes shipping to addresses in USA.

When will I receive my kit?  Orders must be placed by Friday, April 3rd.  All Scrapbook Kits will be shipped via First Class Mail on Saturday, April 4th!

Love You Much Bundle

Have you seen the Love You Much Bundle? Time is running out to take advantage of this adorable set.  You can order yours now for 20% off through the end of January.  See the table below for all of the details.

I have a stamp club tonight so I thought I'd use the bundle.  The hostess asked for some Valentine's Day ideas.  She also asked for a frameable scrapbook in a 4x6 or 5x7.  I went with 5x7.  Mike and I just got back our engagement photos - of course I had to use one of them!!!  The colors actually coordinated quite nicely!  We were wearing browns with red berries in the background.  I hope my club likes it as much as I do!

Description	Retail Value
Love You Much stamp set	$25.95
Candy Lane Designer Series paper (Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla)	$9.95
Heart To Heart punch	$15.95
Bundle Retail Value	$51.85
Love You Much Bundle (20% off; item 115405)	$41.48

Halloween Scrapbook

Aren't the two kids in this picture adorable?  Do you know who they are?  Yup, that's me and my brother - dressed as witches!  I'm teaching him to play the piano. 

I designed this page for one of my stamp clubs this month.  I think the page would make a great framed picture to showcase your kids' Halloween costumes each year!  The black piece was sized to fit a 5x7 picture, but as you can see, my picture was only 3.5x4.5 - remember when that was the standard picture size???  So the picture didn't look quite as lost, I matted it on more Kiwi Kiss and Pumpkin Pie Cardstock.

I used the Big Shot and the Serif Essentials Alphabet for the title - I love those letters!  Yes, they're an investment, but they're a great size for all kinds of projects.  I used the 1 inch and 1/2 inch circle punches to make the eyeballs.

Christmas Scrapbook Page

Miss me???  I've had a busy, but great, week!  As of October 1st, I'm officially self-employed.  Whoo hoo!!!  How exciting (and scary) is that???  So, besides getting settled in with my newest and first client, I've found some time for stamping!  We had a fabulous time at this weekend's stamp-a-stack - we made 288 cards!!!  I also stamped with several fun groups of ladies at several workshops.  I'll be sharing the projects with you throughout the week.  I hope you'll check back!

But, first, I want to show you a scrapbook page I made for yesterday's workshop.  Everyone made a 6x6 scrapbook page.  I showed them how they could use it as an element on a larger scrapbook page.  Here's mine.  I added some of the cute felt flowers in the Holiday Mini Catalog and some of the In-Color Buttons from the Button Bouquet.  What do you think?  I made the title using the Stampin' Up! Sizzix Big Shot and the Go-Go Boots Alphabet.

6x6 Scrapbook Pages

Do you remember my post from the September 16th?  Scroll down a little to see what I'm talking about.  I participated in a 6x6 scrapbook page swap with some of the other Philly Inkers on Monday night.  I received fabulous pages in return!  Now, I'd like to give credit to the creators of these projects - and I can guess who made most of them - but no one signed the back (including me).  Swapping is one of our favorite activities - we swap at every downline meeting every month.  But, it's totally optional.  Sound like fun?  Contact me to learn how you can join in the fun!

       

6x6 Scrapbook Page Swap

We also swapped 6x6 scrapbook layouts at last night's downline meeting.  I made this right after the Scrapbooking Brag Book class on Sunday.  Kelly and her mom made two gorgeous 6x6 albums.  Their favorite layout was this layout, so I modified it and used the Hawaii Papaya Designer Series Paper.  I think it would make a cute birthday page.  I guess I have birthdays on the mind since mine is this Saturday!!!

Here are the supplies I used on this layout:

• Hawaii Papaya Designer Series Paper
• Old Olive Card Stock
• Chocolate Chip Card Stock
• Tangerine Tango Card Stock
• Very Vanilla Card Stock
• Celebrate Everything Stamp Set
• Eastern Blooms Stamp Set
• Chocolate Chip Classic Ink
• Tangerine Tango Classic Ink
• 3/4 Inch Circle Punch
• 1 Inch Circle Punch
• 1 1/4 Inch Circle Punch

• Linen Thread

Parisian Summer

So...as with most of my projects lately...I went shopping at lunch the other day and found this fabulous shadow box frame at Crate & Barrel.  It wasn't cheap.  But, I love the depth.  I knew immediately that I wanted some sort of Decor Element on the glass with a scrapbook page and embellishments inside.  So, I ran home and got to work.

I figured I would just make a page of Mike and I and use the word "Love".  But, you know what?  I think I've exausted my collection of photos with Mike and I together.  Brooke and Ed's wedding pictures were still fresh in my mind from the chipboard project the other day.  What a perfect subject - and such fabulous photos.

I actually made this after yesterday's card - you know, the swirly triangle?  Okay, I'll stop being so hard on myself.  Everyone who saw it at the Bella Rose Booklet Class last night loved it.  Anyway, I'm off-topic again.  I still had the pink and gray color combo goin' on in my head.  I was determined to make it work.  If only Stampin' Up! had a collection of paper with pink and gray.  You know what?  They do - and I had it on hand.  Parisian Summer DSP is absolutely gorgeous!!!  It has gray and pink and burgundy in it.  Well, now that I look at the catalog, I guess it's really Sahara Sand - but I just used the Pink Pirouette floral paper for the background.  The Bravo Burgundy was also appropriate because it was their wedding color!  HELLO!?!  It was meant to be.  Oh, and did I mention that the raw vinyl comes in dark gray???  PERFECT!

The "Love" phrase is one of the new Stampin' Up! Exclusive Decorative Strip Dies - Join in the Cheer.  I simply cut out some of my dark gray vinyl the size of the word "Love", laid it on my die, and ran it through my Big Shot!  I was thrilled to see how beautifully the thinner dies cut through the vinyl!  The tricky part was making the "L" in "Love" look right.  I had to hand-trim the left side with my paper snips.  Could you tell?  I think I did a pretty good job.

I then simply layered some Parisian Summer DSP, Bravo Burgundy Card Stock, Very Vanilla Card Stock, and Brushed Silver Card Stock.  I added some of the fabulous wide Pink Pirouette Ribbon and a hat pin from the pretties kit and viola - a gorgeous framed page!

Since I'm on the topic of the raw vinyl, I wanted to answer Sue's question about the Snowflake Jar question the other day.   She asked:

"So the candy jars with the vinyl are pretty cute & you said you can peel them off to make them seasonal. But can you stick them permanently? "

I've been thinking about this one...the beauty of the decor elements and the raw vinyl is that they aren't permanent.  You can apply them to walls or other objects, and they'll peel off without harming most surfaces.  Because the snowflake is a Sizzix Die, you could make the snowflake out of other material that would be permanent.  What that material would be?  I guess I'll just have to do some experimenting.  But, what I can tell you is that the raw vinyl is pretty durable - is that the word I want?  If you're familiar with rub-ons, you really shouldn't get them wet.  They peel off easily.  The Decor Elements vinyl is different.  I just experimented with my cookie jar.  I ran it under water, scrubbed it with a wash cloth, and then not-so-gently dried it off with a towel.    You can't even tell!!!  Now, I don't think I'd go running it through a dishwasher.  But, it's tough enough to withstand some not-so-gentle cleaning/scrubbing.

Okay...I really babbled on and on there.  If you stuck it out this long - thanks!!!

Blog Candy Winner and a New Class

Thank you EVERYONE for such uplifting comments on my blog yesterday!  I have decided that blog comments are better than therapy.  Granted, I've never tried therapy, but your comments were so inspiring and heart-warming - I can't believe anything would be better!

I will try to respond to your comments over the next couple of days.  I'll definitely try to incorporate some, if not all, of your feedback/suggestions over the next weeks and months ahead.  The winner of the blog candy is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

10	

Timestamp: 2008-08-27 10:51:17 UTC

Winning Name:  Allison P.

Allison said:  Hi Kristin, I love your website! Your postings from the convention were really good and I enjoyed checking them out everyday! Keep the new ideas coming!

I was going to say, send me an e-mail with your mailing address, but I can give you the free stamps when I see you next!!!  E-mail me if you'd like them sooner.  Congrats!

I'm also introducing a class that's been on my calendar for awhile.  But, last night I finally sat down and made the sample.  I just love the way it turned out.  What do you think?  I had some excellent pictures to work with - they are of my brother's wedding a few years ago.  They got married in October and the colors worked REALLY well with the Haiku DSP.  And, Brooke, my sister-in-law, even got to experience some of the design phase - and provided lots of helpful feedback.  She came over to scrapbook last night.  I really enjoyed being crafty with her!!!

You can make your own home decor with me in September.  I will also be offering it as an in-the-mail kit!  So, if you're located in another part of the country, you can make one too!!!  If you're attending in person, you'll get to play with the new Sizzix Big Shot...if you're taking it in the mail, I'll be doing the work for you!  The Class Page lists everything that is included in the class.  I am not pre-cutting the paper this time so that you can customize your wallhanging to work with your photos and theme.

But, let me tell you a little about this one - I cut out the leaves with the new Sizzix Big Shot.  I ran a sheet of the Board Basics through the Big Shot to make my own chipboard embellishments!  I then cut the card stock using the same die and got a perfect layer over top!  No more trimming with a hobby blade!!!  I distressed the leaves a bit using my Stipple Brush (boy, am I glad they didn't retire).  I stamped a small sentiment with To Have & To Hold Stamp Set.  I was also excited to play with some of the new ribbon.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the So Saffron Poly Twill!  And, I love that we have Old Olive in Narrow AND Wide Grosgrains now too!!!  You want to make one, don't you???  Well hop on over and register!

Bella Rose Pocket Booklet Class - Last Chance!

What a fabulous gift these Pocket Booklets make!!!  In this class you will make your own Pocket Boolet featuring Stampin' Up!'s new Bella Rose Designer Series Paper.  I fell in love with this collection of patterned paper instantly.  It coordinates perfectly with the 2008/2009 In-Colors:  Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, and Kiwi Kiss.

The booklets measures 5x5 and contains pockets, envelopes, pull-out tabs, and pages where you can capture your memories from a trip, of a family member, or any other occassion.  Personally, I made several of these to give to my convention buddies, Kerin and Donna, so that we could have a place to record our convention adventures together.

Class Details:

I'm offering this class as both an in-person or long distance package.  So the choice is yours!  I'm now offering three sessions of the in-person class since the first date sold out in a week!!!  There is still plenty of room in both September classes!!!

In Person Option

Date/Time: 

Thursday, August 28th - 6:30pm - 9:00pm - Registration Closed

Friday, September 5th - 6:30pm - 9:00pm - Registration Closed

Materials Fee:  $20 (includes adhesive)

Long Distance Option

Your kit will include a step-by-step instruction sheet and pre-cut/pre-punched supplies.  You will only need to supply your own adhesive (Sticky Strip and Snail are recommended).  You can certainly modify and personalize your Pocket Booklet with additional stamped images or embellishments as you'd like!  The stamped sentiment on the front cover is from the Celebrate Everything Stamp Set in Riding Hood Red Classic Ink.  I also added some doodling with a White Gel Pen - also optional.

Cost of the Long Distance option is $20 plus $5 shipping for a total of $25.  Use the PayPal link below to order your kit today!  Registration is now closed.

Note Shipping Times:

I will be shipping the all long distance kits ordered on or before Sunday, August 17th via Priority Mail on or around August 29th.

I will continue to collect orders through Friday, August 22nd.  Any orders received between Monday, August 18th and Friday, August 22nd will ship on or around September 4th.

I can ship to any United States address.   You will be notified via e-mail once your kit ships.

March Scrapbook Kit

March's Scrapbook Kit is here!  This kit features the Spring Fling DSP.  I'm including some flowers pearls, and rhinestone brads from the Pretties Kit plus some assorted chipboard pieces!  It's the perfect assortment to get you ready for Spring or scrapbook your Easter pictures.  Can you believe Easter is only a month away?

Here's how it works - you place your order for the kit by contacting me by March 17th.  Your kit will be ready available for pick up (or shipped for an additional $6) on March 31st!  The monthly kit is $25 and includes all of the supplies you'll need to make 6 - 8 12x12 scrapbook pages. 

You may elect to sign up for a subscription plan as well.  A 3-month scrapbook kit subscription is available at a discount price of $22.50/month.  Contact me for details on how to sign up for a scrapbook kit subscription!  For more information about the kits, click here.

I've created a few samples of pages I made with the supplies included in the kit. 

More Valentine's Day

Is it possible that I've posted more about Valentine's Day than Christmas?  I'm starting to feel like it.  But, I wanted to share with you some things I've made, some things I've altered, and some things I've received this week.  I had a very fun workshop last night at Kim's house.  She requested lots of pink and brown items.  We made a glittery card, an adorable tote box, and the scrapbook page over there on the right!  By the way, let me introduce you to Mike!  Here's a picture of us from a recent trip to the Northern Virginia Wine Country.  I printed the picture in Sepia - that and black & white are the answer to scrapbooking pictures that don't exactly coordinate with the supplies you're using!

Anyway, to make this scrapbook page I used Close to Cocoa CS, Purely Pomegranate CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Whisper White CS, Berry Bliss DSP, the new Boho Blossom Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Slit Punch, Pretties Kit, and Purely Pomegranate Double-Stitched Ribbon.  The frame is a 9x9 frame, so I mounted the finished 6x6 page on Chocolate Chip CS.

Next, I came home tonight to lots of mail and a stack of goodies on my kitchen counter.  My mom runs errands on Tuesdays and drops off mail.  Tuesdays are also women's Bible study.  They love to exchange little gifts around holidays.  I can't attend any longer because of the hour I head to work, but many of the women still think of me!  One of the gifts was a cute, red glass votive holder (filled with home-baked cookies and chocolate).  As soon as I saw it, I thought about RUB-ONs!  So, while enjoying the goodies inside, I rubbed on some of the fabulous Sale-a-Bration Rub-Ons.  These are great, because they come in four colors - white, black, chocolate chip, and old olive.  Anyway, how cute is this little thing!  What a great gift or decoration.

Finally, getting the mail is my favorite part of the day.  This week has been absolutely fabulous.  I thought I'd share some of the Valentine's Day Cards I've received!  The first is from Claire.  The second is from Patty.  And, the third is from Janis.  I love them all!!!

Ribbon Rehab

Wow, what a fun weekend!  I went up to Northern New Jersey with Claire and Tiffany to our quarterly demonstrator event.  There were about 65 women in attendance.  We got TONS of inspiration, watched some fabulous demonstrations, and made some very cool projects.  I took a few pictures and posted them in an album called Winter Gathering.  Check it out for a sampling of some of the fun ideas we saw.

I also wanted to remind you that there is still room in my upcoming Ribbon Rehab class.  I just finished designing the fun projects you'll get to make for $15!  You'll get to play with some brand new poly twill ribbon that won't be available for a few more weeks!  You'll get to play with the new ribbon charms.  You'll alter a tin which holds a small album.  Plus, you'll make a couple of cards that are embellished with ribbon!  Space is limited, so sign up today by registering online for free!

February Scrapbook Kit Reminder

I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the deadline to order February's Scrapbook Kit!  So far I've gotten lots of positive response from people about the kits.  You can sign up for one month, three months, or a full six-month subscription!  February's Kit features Berry Bliss.  And, if scrapbooking isn't your thing, you can use the supplies to make cards and other projects!  Check out some of the projects I've made using Berry Bliss that you can make with the supplies in the kit!  The kits will be assembled and ready to be picked up (or shipped) on Thursday, February 21st.  Click here for additional information.

Contact me today to sign up!!!

Album in a Day Pictures Posted

I'm sure by now you've heard me mention our Album in a Day class last weekend.  Well, I just finished uploading all of the photos of the layouts to my blog!  Click here to view the pictures.

I was also making cards tonight as well!  Look at me being so productive this week. I was inspired by a card I found in the new catty (it's a great source for ideas when you're stuck).

Here are the supplies I used to make this card:

• Wanted Stamp Set
• God's Blessings Stamp Set
• Blue Bayou Classic Ink
• Pumpkin Pie Classic Ink
• Mellow Moss Classic Ink
• Close to Cocoa Classic Ink
• Blue Bayou Cardstock
• Mellow Moss Cardstock
• Pumpkin Pie Cardstock
• Stipple Brush
• Scallop Circle Punch
• Always Artichoke Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon
• Aged Copper Hodgepodge Hardware

And, one final example...here's just another sample of a layout you can make using February's Monthly Scrapbook Kit.  Click here for more info.

Monthly Scrapbooking Kits

Because you've requested more scrapbooking options, I'm introducting monthly scrapbooking kits!  Each kit will contain enough supplies to complete 6-8, 12x12 scrapbook layouts!  You will receive:

• An assortment of Designer Series Paper
• An assortment of coordinating 12x12 cardstock
• An assortment of 8.5x11 cardstock
• Embellishments like buttons, brads, and/or ribbon.
• Sample scrapbook templates to help you design your pages
• Posted samples online

February's kit features Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper.  Below you will find a sample of one of the pages I was able to create using the kit.  You may recognize this first sample - I simply tweaked a couple of the pages from our Album in a Day class from last weekend.

You may purchase a single monthly kit for $25.  Or, you can choose 3-month or 6-month subscriptions for a discounted price.  If you'd like to purchase February's kit, please place your order by Friday, February 8th.  The kits will be available for you to pick up by February's Wacky Wednesday event.  For additional information and to see what paper will be featured for the next six months, please click here.

More Scrapbooking

I'm on a roll now!  I'm making more scrapbook pages than cards these days.  I just finished up this adorable page.  I have to admit, it's not an original design.  Want to see my inspiration?  Check out page 131 of Stampin' Up!'s 2008 Spring/Summer Collection!  The colors are the same, but I changed a few things based upon the stamp sets and accessories I had on-hand.  The page in the catalog is also smaller than 12x12.  I didn't take the time to figure out if it's 6x6 or 8x8.  I enlarged my version to be a 12x12 page.  (Forgive the darkness of my pictures - I'm still trying to figure out how to use all of my photo editing software!)

Here's what I used:

• Warm Words Stamp Set (one of my favorites)
• Baroque Motifs Stamp Set
• Simple Delights Stamp Set
• Write Me a Memory Journaling Fonts CD, Vol. 2
• Old Olive Cardstock
• Blue Bayou Cardstock
• Very Vanilla Cardstock
• So Saffron Cardstock
• So Saffron Designer Series Paper
• Soft Sky Designer Series Paper
• Blue Bayou Classic Ink
• So Saffron Classic Ink
• On Board Chipboard pieces
• Earth Elements Buttons
• Linen Thread
• Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon
• Eastern Elegance Rub-Ons

More Sneak Peeks

I've been designing scrapbook pages for the Album in a Day Class.  You get to make 20 pages in this class, I thought I'd share a sneak peek of a couple more pages.  I really had fun altering the 2-page layout.  I stamped, added pretties, and even altered some ribbon!!!