Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Fun with the Kids

Last Saturday I had a Stampin' Kids class, which I think was my favorite to date!  The kids got to decorate a lamp and then make a door knob hanger with some Build-a-Bear stuff and their name on it.  It was a great class and I know the kids had a blast!


The lamps started out as plain square lamps, which I found at Ikea.  These lamps are fantastic...so easy to decorate with our vinyl and when you get sick of it, peel it off and put something different on!  and, because they only have a 40W chandelier bulb in them, they don't get very hot.  I used my Circles #2 die and various colors of our raw vinyl and cut polka dots for the kids.  It was so easy for them to just peel and stick all over their lamps!


They also make a door hanger with their names on it.  The base of these are chipboard coasters, which we covered with cardstock and Designer Papers.


The top coaster had their name on it, which I pre-cut with my Big Shot and the Go Go Boots alphabet dies.


The bottom coaster had a bear which I also pre-cut with my Big Shot and various Build-a-Bear dies.


So fun!  Have an inspired day!


Monday, May 30, 2011

Triple Layer Fun!

Have you ordered the new Triple Layer Punches yet?  These are the best punches...they're like 3 punches in one.  There are two different styles (the Blossom Bouquet and the Doily) which are so easy to use and so much fun!

I recently used my Blossom Bouquet punch to make a new insert for my Simply Adorned charm.


I absolutely love the way this turned out!  I made it to go with a certain green (or should I say, Pear Pizzazz!!!) shirt I have.  I punched a solid flower from Early Espresso cardstock and then a detailed flower from Melon Mambo, layered them together and stuck them on a little piece of Window Sheet.  In the middle of my flower is a Certainly Celery brad.  So cute, and so easy!  And, when I have it on, you can see my shirt through the window sheet because I've placed my flower off to the side.  I also punched out a second solid flower from Early Espresso and used the flower rung that gets punched with the detail flower together on the back of the window sheet so that if my charm flips over it still looks pretty!


You can see that I weaved some Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding through part of the chain and tied some Rose Red and Early Espresso ribbon scraps on the other side of the chain.  For a little more added interest, I added a vanilla pearl bauble and a trinket key.  I have this charm (1"x1 1/4") on one of our 24" chains.

Now that you've seen the punch in action, you definitely need to add it to your "must have" list!!!  Have an inspired day!


Saturday, May 28, 2011

Rum

I bet you're wondering where I'm going with my title today, right?  LOL!!!  I decided that since it's been over a year since we went on the Southern Caribbean Cruise with Stampin' Up!, I should get my scrapbook done. In fact, the last time I did a cruise page was here...yikes, last May! So I dug out my stuff and set a goal to have it done in the next month.  And, I started with the pictures from our tour of the Mount Gay Rum Distillery in Barbados.


The day we were in Barbados happened to be Kevin's birthday, so I asked him (when we were planning excursions) what he wanted to do that day.  And, he chose this!  I mentioned it to my upline and her husband and they were interested too, so we planned an excursion that included a tour and lunch.  It was a GREAT day, and I learned a lot.  The process of making rum reminds me a lot of wine making.  I had no idea!


I took my colors right from the Mount Gay logo and colors...cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Basic Black.  And, I kept my pictures a pretty standard size...just a hair smaller than 4x6 and the two smaller ones are 4x3.

My favorite part of the page is my journalling!  I had this picture of a HUGE bottle of rum that I wanted to include, but didn't want it to stand out.  So, I put my journalling on vellum and stuck it over the picture.


To do this, you want to figure out how big of a journalling area you want.  Then I opened Word, made a text box and sized it to the size I needed.  Then I filled it with my journalling.  I chose a bolder font and kept it black so that it wouldn't be overpowered by the picture underneath it.  **TIP**  Before printing on vellum, go into your printer settings and change your paper type to transparency.  By doing this, your printer will adjust the amount of ink or toner it uses so you get a perfect result.  Then to attach my journalling to the picture I poked two holes through all the layers and stuck the vellum on with one of those fabulous little safety pins from the Vintage Trinkets!  For a little added interest, I tied a small scrap of Daffodil Delight narrow taffeta ribbon on the pin.  I also used some of the little button brads from the Vintage Trinkets to jazz up my pages a little.

That's all for today!  Have an inspired day!


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hope in a Bottle



Did you know that by purchasing the Hope & Strength stamp set in the Summer Mini you will make a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation?  Yep, that's right!  Stampin' Up! will donate $2 from EVERY Strength & Hope set (wood, clear or digital) sold for the duration of the Summer Mini.  Isn't that fantastic?  It's a great cause to support and the stamp set is fantastic...it's a 4 image set that, I think, is pretty versatile.  In fact, I'm working on a Stamp Camp using this set so you'll want to stay tuned for pictures of the projects (I think you're gonna love 'em!).

Today I have a project that my upline made for me using the Strength and Hope set which I loved so much that I completely copied it with my Stamp Clubs this month!

 
The jar is from one of our local dollar stores (I love getting jars for projects from the dollar store!).  Then it's simply decorated with some DSP and ALL of the stamp images from the Hope & Strength set!  Trust me, they're all there...one of them is stamped with Pink Pirouette behind the word image so it's hard to see in the picture.  It's embellished with a little pink punched flower and some fabulous pearls.  Love it!  You'll notice that the jar is full of chocolate covered pretzels.  When I got this, Christy had it full of cute little white chocolate covered pretzels with pastel sprinkles on them...ya, those didn't make it home (it was a 4 1/2 hour drive...girl's gotta eat!!!).  : )  Don't you think these would make a great little something to give to a close friend...a get well thing, a thank you thing, party favour...you get the idea!  And, you could fill your little jar with almost anything!

Christy mentioned that she was inspired by a project in one of our recent Stampin' Success magazines.  I can hear ya..."What's the Stampn' Success Magazine?" and "How can I get one?".  The Stampin' Success Magazine is a wonderful monthly publication for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.  Stampin' Up! fills it with ideas (both creative and business), new techniques, interviews with other demos, contests, info on specials and loads of fun.  Wanna get a copy?  All you have to do is sign up to be a demonstrator, and right now is a great time!  Until the end of May, the Digital+ Starter Kit is on sale for only $150.50...that's 30% off the regular price.  And, it has loads of stampin' stuff in addition to the digital program, My Digital Studio.  In addition to all that, you will get to preorder stuff from the new catalogue in June...that's a FULL month before everyone else can order from the catalogue.  Now, I should add that we can't preorder everything, but Stampin' Up! does a great job of giving us a nice selection of stuff to preorder...including the 5 new In Colors that are coming!  Contact me today (or get started here) for more information or to sign up!  I would love to have you on my team.

Ok, I have to run.  No post tomorrow, but I will be back on Saturday with a scrapbook layout to share.  Have an inspired day!



Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Happy Graduation



Graduation season is upon us, and today I have a great grad card to share.  This one was designed by my good friend and downline member, Tara, for our swap a few weeks ago.


It's a grad hat easel card complete with a Baker's Twine tassel!  So fun!!!!  These cards are actually pretty easy to make and are definitely a WOW!  They also make great table number cards or place cards for weddings or parties.  When folded up, they fit into a regular envelope.  Here are a couple more views...



Have an inspired day!


Monday, May 23, 2011

Mini Catalogue Monday-Birthday Wishes



I have another fun card with the Postage Stamp Punch and Pretty Postage set from the Summer Mini to share today.  I think it's safe to say that these two products are two of my favorites in the Mini!!!

The card I have to share today is the second card that my To Die For class participants made at the beginning of May.


I just love this color combination...Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze and Pear Pizzazz!  I used my Stampin' Write Markers to color just the candle cakes from the stamp in each color.  The greeting is from a Level Three hostess set...which you still have time to earn; contact me to book your workshop before it's too late!

Notice the tag and how nicely it layers with the Modern Label and Word Window punches?  This is one of the things I love most about Stampin' Up! products...many of them coordinate with each other to makes them quick and easy to create with.

Have an inspired day!


Saturday, May 21, 2011

Happy Scrappin'

With the sale on digital printing this month, I was inspired to get my Nashville pictures scrapbooked and printed.  The other day I sat down with my Leadership downloads (the book template, digital kit and pictures) and set out to get 'r done!  I'm happy to report that in one day, I finished my whole album and got it sent off to the printer!

Here are the two pages I did for the Manager's Reception.  Manager's Reception is a hilight of Leadership!  Stampin' Up! takes demonstrators at a certain title and higher and treats us to a special evening.  This year, in Nashville, they took us to the Wildhorse Saloon for a delicious supper, line dancing lessons, special entertainment and loads of fun.  We also all got a cowgirl hat decorated with some Early Espresso ribbon and Antique Brads...a nice touch...as well as a special gift (a stamp set from the Summer Mini catalogue).  The whole place was reserved for demonstrators only...so fun and so many memories!  Stampin' Up! treated us like gold!



I decided to use the book template to make it quick and easy...the Stampin' Up! designers did a fabulous job!  It was so easy...25 pages done in one day...all I had to do was pop my pictures in and do some journalling!  And, I can't wait to get my book in a couple weeks.

Speaking of the digital templates, did you know you can resize them?  The Leadership album template was originally an 8x8 album.  By clicking Edit/Change Product Size, I had the option of changing my album to either 5x5 or 12x12!  I was soooo excited to learn this...and I changed my album to 12x12!

With my demonstrator discount and the sale this month, my book was half price!  You can sign up and get some digital printing done at half price too!  Right now the Digital Starter Kit is only $150.50.  I would love to have you  join my team...contact me today to get signed up and start creating!

Have an inspired day!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Decor Family

Today is a quick, but fun post!  I mentioned a while back that we had bought a trailer.  We've been busy getting it ready for camping season and can't wait to take it out.  Check out what I did to the back window...


It's our whole family...dad, mom, three boys and two dogs!  I even gave Taylor glasses...just like real life!

You can order a selection of All In the Family decor elements to go on your trailer, vehicle or anything else from my online store here.

Have an inspired day!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Good Friends

I am so blessed to have many people that I consider to be good friends.  Maybe that's why I love the Great Friend set so much!  A while back I had my To Die For class, where I showcase a particular Big Shot die.  At this particular class, I showcased the Lots of Tags Sizzlits.


The Lots of Tags Sizzlits is a set of 4 dies that have different tags (you get 5 different tags all together).  They are super versatile dies and layer well with many of our punches.  I can't believe it took me so long to get them!


Along with the Lots of Tags die and the Great Friend set, I used the Sunny Garden DSP...one of my favorites!  My color combination (Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz & Peach Parfait) was taken right out of the DSP.

Have an inspired day!


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Most Wonderful Time of Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  It's time to start counting down to the new catalogue, and we're going to start off with a little contest! 

Guess the Cover Color Contest

If you can guess the main cover color of the new catalogue you will win BIG!!!  The winner gets...
FREE Catalogue Club Membership for 2011-2012
Receive your catalogue early (June 25!)
A Sampler Pack of the 5 new In Colors (2 quarter sheets of each of the new colors)


If you choose the main accent color, you will win...

A Sampler Pack of the 5 new In Colors (2 quarter sheets of each of the new colors)


Here's the fine print!
  • I will take up to 3 names for each color, first come first served.
  • Your guess MUST be a Stampin'  Up! color
  • Contest closes at midnight on May 31.
  • Winners will be announced once I know the colors of the cover.
  • One guess per person
  • Because of the prize being given away, the contest will only be open to Canadians.

Please either comment here or contact me with your guess.  When you send your guess, please send me your top three guesses and I will put you in the first one that isn't already taken.  Also, please be sure to give me both your first and last names.  You can choose from any of the 40 Core Colors and the 5 current In Colors.


Good luck and happy guessing!



Everything That Sparkles

Well, today is Tuesday, which means we're one day closer to a long weekend and I can't wait!

Each month, my stamp clubs learn a technique, and this month I decided to go super sparkly and fun with them.  I also needed a quick and easy technique after the Brick Wall card they made last month.  So, I decided to go with the Dazzling Diamond Dust technique and came up with this fun and happy card.


Isn't it bright and cheery?  That's partially why I chose to make it a Get Well card...I have a certain person in mind to send this one to!

I started with a Daffodil Delight base and then added a layer of Early Espresso.  On top of that is a piece of Daffodil Delight Patterns DSP and then the sparkly, fun stamped piece.


I took a piece of Whisper White cardstock and stamped it with the Fancy Flower stamp using Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Early Espresso inks.  Once I was done stamping, I inked the whole piece with Versamark ink and then embossed it with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder.  The result is a really sparkly element for your card.  The card was finished off with a strip of Early Espresso cardstock punched with a fancy border punch and a piece of Old Olive Satin Ribbon.

I love it!  What do you think?

Have an inspired day!


Monday, May 16, 2011

Mini Catalogue Monday-Sail Away

Happy Monday!  It's been such a busy week for me I'm looking forward to the weekend so I can relax a bit!  Don't worry, I have some posts set up for this week, so I won't be absent all week again. 


So, do you have a copy of the Summer Mini yet?  There are some FABULOUS new stamps and products in there that you have to see!  Today I'm showing one of the cards from the Summer Mini Shoebox Swap I did with my downline at the end of April.  This card was done by Angela and I absolutely love it!


I made the choice to not buy the nautical themed stamps because I'm not sure how much use I would get out of the, but I have to say I have LOVED all the cards I've seen made with them!  And, this one is no exception!  It's all vintagey and nautical and it was so fun to make.

If you would like a copy of the Summer Mini, please contact me and I can get one to you (Canadians only).

Have an inspired day!


Monday, May 9, 2011

Mini Catalogue Monday-Simply Pink

Hello!  It's been a crazy few days for me!  I was at the Diva Show on Friday night, Scrapfest all day on Saturday and baseball yesterday!  It was busy, but a good weekend.  I'm gonna start today with a simple card made with some Summer Mini Catalogue products and finish off with some great Scrapfest pictures.


This was one of the cards I did for my downline swap a couple weeks ago.  It's a super simple birthday card using some of my favorite Summer Mini products...the Pretty Postage set and Postage Stamp punch!

I started with a half sheet of Very Vanilla (I trimmed it a bit smaller than a half sheet) and tied a piece of Pretty In Pink striped ribbon around it.  When I was tying the knot, I added in a little scrap of Crochet Trim.  My tag is pinned to the knot with one of the Vintage Trinket pins...I sure hope those will be in the next catalogue!

The focal point is the birthday cake stamped with Pretty In Pink, Daffodil Delight and Basic Gray (I colored the image with markers).  I then matted it with a Pretty In Pink postage stamp punch and popped it up with some dimensionals.  So fun and so easy!  This card would be great in ANY color!

Now, here are some pictures from Scrapfest...

Busy scrappin'

These girls were busy making their projects...which I shared with you on Saturday's post

We issued challenges throughout the day and these are some of the projects they came up with
Our Excited Door Prize Winner!  We gave away a clear block set with a case that we personalized
Me and Sherri!
We had a blast and were exhausted at the end of the day!  I will say that there's a video of us goofing off on my LA Stamper Facebook page (you can find the link to the right).

Have an inspired day!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Album in a Tin

Today is Scrapfest and right now, I'm scrappin' the day away with some fabulous people!  All the Scrapfest participants get to do a project in addition to the scrapbooking they brought to do and today I'm going to share the project they're making...an album in a tin!


So sparkly and pretty!  We used the Silver Skinny Tins that are available in the online store here...they're on clearance right now and are a super fabulous price!  Here's a closer look at the belly band.


I used a bunch 'o punches and the Printed Petals and Fabulous Phrases sets to create the belly band.  The Printed Petals set is part of the National Scrapbooking Month special and for the month of May you can get it for 30% off!  Check out the details of the special here and you can see an image of the set here (it comes in both wood and clear mount!).  That little white flower is from one of the sizzlits (I can't remember the name right now!).  Check out all those rhinestones!

The inside has accordion style pages...here's a look.




I used a variety of punches, dies and embellishments (ribbon, buttons, rhinestones) in my color scheme (Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Early Espresso & Whisper White).  I'm not going to give more details because this project was part of the registration fee for the Scrapfest participants.

Well, that's all for today!  I will be sure to share some pictures of Scrapfest next week.  Have an inspired day!