Heart Tree

It's day one of my Countdown to Valentine's and I have a great, simple card to share with you today!  My upline got a card similar to this in a swap last year and she shared it with me!  I took a mental snapshot and filed it away for future use...and what do you know, now's the time to bring it out!  I tweaked it a bit (from what I remember).  Have a look.

Supplies:  Season of Friendship & I {Heart} Hearts stamp sets; Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose & Soft Suede classic ink; Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose & Whisper White cardstock; Heart to Heart punch; Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon; Linen Thread; Sherbet Designer Buttons

I stamped the three hearts stamp from I {Heart} Hearts on each color of pink cardstock, then punched them out and stuck them to the branches of the tree.  Remember, if you order the I {Heart} Hearts set before February 28, Stampin' Up! will donate $2 from the sale of the set to the American Red Cross for Disaster Relief in Haiti!

Would you look at that bow!  Isn't it awesome...I don't usually do bows on projects because they're hard to do and have end up looking nice, but tonight was my night people!  I tied a fabulous bow!  *wink*

Well, that's all for today!  I'm super excited about the project I have for you tomorrow...so be sure to check back!

Hot Date

I had a hot date tonight with two of my sons and two of their friends!  Tuesday my oldest son, Taylor, will turn 8 (and just for the record, I can't believe he's 8!).  Since Kevin just had his surgery, we thought it would be best for Tay to have an "out of the house" party.  The last thing Kevin needed was a bunch of 7 year old boys bouncing off the walls in our house...and quite frankly I wasn't really looking forward to that either!!!  Well, it just so happened that the Hurricanes were playing tonight.  So we told Tay that he could invite two of his very best friends for pizza and cake, and I would take him, his friends and Carter to the game.

In true Taylor fashion, he hollered down to ther mascot Twister until he came up to our seats for a visit!  Of course, the first thing Taylor told Twister was that today was his birthday party, so Twister gave him a high five and posed with him.  And, being the good scrapbooking mom that I am, I whipped out my camera to capture the memory!

Well, we had a blast and the kids told me it was the best birthday ever!  The only bad part was the 'Canes lost...but at the start of the third period the boys started cheering for the other team becuase they were the ones who were scoring!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the start of my Countdown to Valentine's!

Channeling My Inner Gramma...

Today I'm going to share a scrapbook project with you rather than a layout!  This is the project I did with my clubs this month and they loved it!  I used the new Vintage Vogue set from the Occasions Mini.  I have to admit it's not a set that I would have ordered, but I got it FREE when I went to the REgional Seminar after Leadership in Phoenix.  Since it was FREE, I decided that it should get some love, so I pulled it out for this project and I'm pleased with the way it turned out.  It's so soft looking and vintagy!  And, when I was making up my sample, I couldn't help but feel like I was channeling my inner gramma...as Sherri would say!  Anyway, enough chit chat..here's the project!

It's a little brag book with pages made from Clear Envelopes.  The only thing I had my clubs do differently was to stamp the En Francais background stamp with Chocolate Chip ink over their other stamping.  It added a whole new dimension to the project which I wish I would have done before I stuck the flower and Real Red strip to my book.  I *heart* this project and can see so many different ways to make it for a number of different occasions.  Here's a look at some of the pages inside.

Each of the books used 5 Clear Envelopes to make the page protectors and a quarter sheet of cardstock was decorated and inserted in each envelope to form the pages to put pictures and journaling on.

Here's an example of another one I made.  I had my scrapbook club do this one at their last workshop right before Christmas.

So, there you have it!  A fun scrapbooking project that would make a great gift for new parents, grandparents or to celebrate a special event.  I think these would also make great guest books for weddings...just add as many envelopes as you need for the pages, and the best part is that it can be decorated to fit any occasion or style.

Have a wonderful day!

Countdown...

I want to invite you to join me for a countdown to Valentine's Day beginning Sunday, January 31!  I will have Valentine's projects posted everyday for the 2 weeks leading up to Valentine's Day to inspire you and celebrate love!

Tomorrow I will still post the regular Scrapbook Saturday project, but watch for some exciting changes and projects to begin on Sunday!

See you tomorrow!

Thank You Hug

Well, life is slowly getting back to normal in our house.  All three boys are sick with a cold and I think they're sharing it with me, but we have all been pretty healthy thus far this cold and flu season so I guess it's our turn!  Sometimes it's kind of nice when all three of them are sick at the same time...they're mellow when they're sick!  Which means it's quieter around the house!

Anyway, after the amount of help we have received from my parents this month, especially my mom, I figured she needed something special.  So, I took Carter shopping and he picked out some body wash, body butter and a bath puff for her as a thank you for taking such good care of them while I was in Phoenix and then away with Kevin for his surgery.

I kept the gift packaging really simple for this special gift.  Here's a look at the card.

Supplies:  With All My Heart stamp set; Stampin' Write Markers-Chocolate Chip, Real Red & Pretty in Pink; Hug Notes; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Real Red Cardstock

I used one of the new Hugs Notes in the Occasions Mini.  I've gotta say, I totally wasn't going to get any...until I attended Leadership!  I saw so many cute ideas I couldn't help myself when I got home.  *grin*  I used a piece of Real Red cardstock and mounted a Hug on top of it.  On the Hug I used some of the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt pieces...LOVE THOSE...and then stamped a thank you from the "With All My Heart" stamp set I got FREE in Phoenix!  Stampin' Up! treats its demonstrators good...we always get free stamps at events!  I colored the stamp with markers to get the different parts of the image to be different colors.

Here's another view so you can see the dimension that those stitched felt pieces have.  Did I mention how much I LOVE those stitched felt pieces?!?!  I hope, hope, hope we will see more in different colors and shapes in the catalogue in July!

And, here's the card with the gift bag.

I was given a gift in this bag at Christmas and loved it.  I left it as is and tied it shut at the handles with some Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (a "must have" in your ribbon collection!).

My mom loved the gift and left telling me she still had LOTS of holidays to use up this year so anytime we need help to let her know.  I just wish she lived closer!

That's all for today my friends!

Surgery Update

Hi everyone!  Just a quick update today to let you know how the surgery went.  Kevin went in yesterday afternoon and we are back home already!  He's feeling great and has feeling back in his leg (he hasn't had feeling in his leg or been able to feel his one foot for more than a year!).  It's a really good sign that he got that feeling back so quickly.

The surgery went well and he's on his way to being able to play with the kids, and enjoy a pain free life!

I'll be back tomorrow with some stampin' stuff to share!

Rock On!

Happy Sunday!  I spent my morning coughing (and depserately trying to not give it to Kevin so his surgery won't be cancelled again) and shovelling more snow!  At least the snow isn't heavy and wet...it's kind of grainy, but easy to push around.  And, joy of all joys, as I look out my window it has started snowing again!

Those of you who know me well, know I'm a rock and roll kind of girl!  And, my kids are rock and roll kids too!  When we go places, we rock out in the van and have a blast.  So, when I saw the Extreme Guitar stamp in the catalogue I knew it would end up in my collection.  And, it did just recently when I got it FREE with Sale-A-Bration rewards.

My oldest son is turning 8 next week and his party is on Saturday.  He's having a small, out of the house party since Kevin will be just home from surgery, but I'm sure he will have a blast with his friends.  He's kind of at that age where most of my stamps are a bit too babyish or little kidish for his tastes.  So, here's what I came up with for his inviataions...

I kept it super simple becuase, well, I'm a busy girl!  I chose Creamy Caramel and Basic Black as the colors.  They're so striking together, don't you think?  The card itself measures 3x6 and the fold is along the top.  I did the Direct-To-Paper technique around the edges of the card with my ink pad.  The rock star is stamped with Basic Black craft ink and embossed.  And it's finished off by stamping a "You're Invited" along the bottom with black ink.  I love the way the invitations turned out and Taylor was suitable impressed!

This card is so versatile!  I can see myself using it again in the future for birthday cards.  You could also make a little pocket inside and have it hold concert tickets for someone.

That's all for today!

Super Stah!

Happy Scrapbook Saturday to you!  My oldest son participated in a volleyball camp last Easter and my layout today showcases the pictures I took of him at the camp.  The camp ran for the mornings for the week of Easter holidays.  He started the week knowing NOTHING about volleyball, other than he wanted to go to the camp, and finished up the week a little Super Stah! (hello Wednesday Stamper 10 Super Stahs!!!)  When he was done the camp he had a knowledge of the game and how it's played and was starting to get the moves down!  It was a great experience for him!

So, on to the layout (click on the picture for a closer look...not sure how I got it to do that, but I did!)...

Supplies:  Seeing Stars, Sporting Goods (retired) & Newsprint Alphabet (retired) sets; Classic Stars Jumbo Stampin' Arond Wheel; Always Artichoke, More Mustard & Basic Black classic ink; Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Basic Black & Whisper White cardstock; Big Shot; SU SImple Alphabet dies; Star & Large Star punches; Basic Black Wide Grosgrain Ribbon; Stampin' Sponges

I chose Always Artichoke, More Mustard and Basic Black for this layout because those were the colors of the T-shirts the kids and coaches wore.  It also matched the school colors of the school the camp was held at!  It worked perfectly!

Here's a closer look at the title.

I used a combination of chipboard (cut out with the Big Shot) and stamping (with the retired Newsprint Alphabet).

The chipboard letters were covered with Always Artichoke cardstock and stamped with a small star image in Basic Black.  I also sponged around the edges of the letters with Basic Black.

I used the Seeing Stars set and the Star and Large Star punches to accent the pages.  In this picture you also get a good look at the background I did on the More Mustard cardstock.  I used the Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel and More Mustard ink to do the background.

I ran a piece of Basic Black Wide Grosgrain ribbon across both pages where the Always Artichoke and More Mustard cardstock meets.  On the right page of the layout I tied a knot in the ribbon before sticking it to the page to create some texture and visual interest.  You also get a closer look at the patterned paper I created for this layout.  I used the retired Sporting Goods set with More Mustard and Always Artichoke ink on Whisper White cardstock.  I also sponged Always Artichoke ink on the edges of this paper.

Have a wonderful evening!  I will be back tomorrow with a rockin' simple card for you!

So Funny, but So True!

A little while ago, my doorbell rang and it was the Purolator guy delivering a Stampin' Up! package for me. He was laughing at the box.  Check out why he was laughing...

Ha, ha, ha!!!  So funny because it's so true!  Stampin' Up! had this printed on the tops of the Sale-A-Bration boxes along with a Sale-A-Bration logo on the sides.  I think they should have it on ALL their boxes..although Sale-A-Bration is the most wonderful time of the year!!  Who can reisit FREE stamps!!

Have a great day!

Bugging Me...

Do you ever make a card and there's something about it that isn't quite right?  One of the cards I posted yesterday has been bugging me since I posted it!  There's something that wasn't quite right with it.  I stared at it all day as it sat in my display thingy (yes, it's a thingy...it's very technical!).  It bugged me while we were watching TV last night and while we were watching The Big Bang Theory (seriously funny show people!) it came to me!  My poor husband...I made him pause the show while I fixed my card!  Don't feel too sorry for him...it only took me a couple minutes to fix it!  But, I'm happy to report that I feel much better about the card and I slept well last night knowing it was fixed!!!  So, you wanna see what I was talking about?

Version 1...

I know, it's a pretty nice looking card.  But, the square with the So Saffron heart and the square with the Elegant Eggplant heart weren't quite right.  They just didn't do it for me.  These are the things that keep me up at night people!  I know, I have issues!!!!  *grin*

And, Version 2.0

See how I changed those two hearts?  Don't they look MUCH better now? *wink*

Now, I know you didn't come here to see the same card again (even though it's better today!), so without further adieu, on to the original post I was gong to do today!

This morning I was looking through my pictures from Phoenix and came across some funny ones!  My middle son, Carter, is obsessed with Palm Trees and vegetation that is different from what we have here.  Whenever I go somewhere far away, he always asks if there's palm trees there and wants me to take a picture for him.  Well, you can imagine how excited he was when I said I would see lots of cactus and promised to take a picture for him.  Here's the result of us playing tacky tourist taking pictures by the cactus in downtown Phoenix!

We had a blast at our little photo shoot, and I'm sure the people driving past us as we were posing and taking waaaay too many pictures thought we were nuts!  One lady warned us not to get too close or it would hurt for a long time!  It was nice that she was looking out for us.  Most of the people driving by just laughed!

Anyway, the reason I was looking through my pictures was to find some of the I {Heart} Hearts samples that were shown in Phoenix.  Please excuse the quality of some of the photos...they were taken off the HUGE screen that the demonstrations are shown on so that everyone can see things up close.

This one was demoed by Lynsay Mahon...the top demonstrator in Canada!

This one was demoed by Shelli Gardner...the Co-Founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!.

And, this one was demoed by Carrie Cudney...one of the awesome Stampin' Up! employees!  Again, sorry about the quality of this picture...but it gives you an idea of what you can do with those hearts!  Carrie did a different technique on each of the hearts...the green one was Rock & Roll, the yellow one was Kissing, the blue one was crinkled cardstock with ink rubbed on it and I can't remember what she did with the pink one...maybe embossed?  I will have to look back at the notes I took.

Remember, when you purchase the I {Heart} Hearts set (in either clear or wood mount) Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to the American Red Cross for disaster releif in Haiti.  Canadians can order your set through my website or by contacting me.  Non-Canadians can go onto the Stampin' Up! website and find a demonstrator in their country.

Have a great day!

Disaster Releif

In true Stampin' Up! fashion, they have announced that from now until February 28 they will donate $2 from the sale of every I {Heart} Hearts set to the American Red Cross to help with disaster relief in Haiti.

You can click on the above flyer to go to the Stampin' Up! website for more information. You can order online through my website or by contacting me. If you order through my website, be sure to choose me as your demonstrator so you get preferred pricing!

And here are some great project ideas done with this awesome set to inspire you!

And another view of that one...

And one more! You can't really see it in the picture, but I stamped all over the cardstock with a couple images from the I {Heart} Hearts set. This cute little project holds 3 Hershey's Kisses (or Hugs!).

Have a great day!

Sharing

Good morning! Last summer Stampin' Up! introduced a new tag line that you may have noticed under the logo on many Stampin' Up! items in the last little while. The tag line is "inspire. create. share.", and I think it's really what Stampin' Up! is all about...which is probably one of the big reasons why they chose it! So, today, I want to share some sharing with you!

Throughout the year I do frequent swaps with the girls in my downline as well as swap with other demonstrators at Stampin' Up! events! The Leadership conference I attended at the beginning of the month was no exception! I got lots of gorgeous cards from other demonstrators and when I get the chance, I will photograph and share my favorites. But, today I want to share the swaps I got from my downline last week.

Here's my card...

This was also my other swap card for Leadership (remember the first one I shared here). It's quick and easy to mass produce...which is important when you're making 50!!!

Here's Sherri's card...

Sherri is so creative! Did you notice how she made the birds into robins!!! She did that by inking up her stamp, then taking some of the ink off with a Blender Pen and coloring the uninked areas with a marker. Ca-ute!

Here's Heather's...

I always love Heather's cards. She has such a clean style of stamping using great color combinations that are always pleasing to the eye! And, she frequently uses pink...so I get my dose of pink and girly from her!

Here's Tara's...

I love the way Tara used the spotlighting technique with the Heart Punch and the I {Love} Love Jumbo Wheel from the Occasions Mini. It's a great way to show off a word or two from that wheel image. And, the Build-A-Brad! I think I need to get my neglected Build-A-Brads out and show them some love! *wink*

And, here's Cheryl's...

See how she used the Curly Label Punch to have an image peeking out from behind the Friends image? I love it! The colors of this card are fabulous and I love how she colored the F to give it a bit more dimension.

I am thrilled with the swaps this time around; the girls did a fantastic job! Stampin' Up! has given me the opportunity to meet so many people during the last 7 years, and I can truly say that these girls, along with the rest of my downline, have become great friends.

Would you like to join us in our next swap? Have you ever thought about doing what I do? Now is a great time to get started and join Stampin' Up!. With a 15% discount on the Starter Kit in addition to an extra stamp set of your choice added to it, you can't go wrong. I LOVE what I do and I love SHARING what I do! You can too...contact me to ask me how!

Until next time my friends!

Simple Thanks

Hi! I have a great, simple thank you card to show you today.

Once again, I did a 3x6 card! I did this card when I was making prototypes for my Leadership swaps. This one was a variation of one of the ones that made the cut!

I used some of my favorite new products from the Occasions Mini and Sale-A-Bration on this card...Sweet Pea DSP, the Scallop Trim Border Punch (SAB), Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon and the Think Happy Thoughts stamp set!

I took my colors right out of the DSP and used So Saffron, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and a touch of Taken with Teal. I think this pattern is my favorite in the package!

Supplies: Think Happy Thoughts stamp set; Chocolate Chip & So Saffron classic ink; So Saffron, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal & Whisper White cardstock; Sweet Pea DSP; Chocolate Chip Satin & Rose Red Narrow Grosgrain ribbon; Rich Regals Brads; Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle & 1 1/4" Circle punches; Stampin' Dimensionals


Here's a different view so you can see the Scallop Circle popped up a bit. It adds just the right touch of dimension to go with the layers of ribbon and the punched pieces.


I love this card...so simple and so cute!


Have a great day!