Ho Ho Ho

A fellow demonstrator made an ornament like this for our ornament swap (see post below).  I decided to recreate it.  I had a red glitter ornament on the tree already so I just added a piece of ribbon and some glitter paper.  It took about 5 minutes.  I wanted to buy more ornaments to make more but Joe says I already have too many unfinished craft projects at home...hopefully I can get a lot done these two weeks off.

Ornament Exchange

Last week I got together with some fellow Stampin Up demonstrators to enjoy dinner together and share Christmas ornaments that we created for one another using Stampin Up products.  My upline, Christie, shared pictures from the event on her blog, check it out here.

Christmas Cards

It's been awhile since I've posted anything.  I'm still stamping.  In November I had a Christmas Stamp-a-Stack.  Everyone made 12 cards, 4 each of 3 designs.  Here are two of the cards we made. 

This card uses a retired stamp set.  This is very similar to the Christmas card I sent last year.  But I just LOVE this stamp set and I wanted to include it in the stamp-a-stack.

I CASEd this card from this blog.  I love this stamp set and wanted to find a great way to use it for my stamp-a-stack.  It is called Festive & Fun, and is from the Holiday Mini.  The set also includes a Halloween stamp and a Valentine's Day stamp.  It provides the perfect opportunity to use the blender pen.

Isn't this reindeer card SUPER CUTE??? I made this at our demonstrator meeting in November.  I'm not sure who designed it but I wanted to share.  Rudolph's face is made using the Owl Punch and the Glimmer Paper adds the perfect touch for his nose!

Stampin Up Cookies : )

Stampin' Up!'s newest product is an "old-fashioned" cookie press!  It comes with 3 different silicone toppers - so you can make cookies for different seasons.  I got mine in the mail yesterday and since today's Saturday I went to work.  It is so easy to use! 

First, you have to make cookies from scratch, which is more than I usually do, but wasn't too bad.  It comes with two basic recipes.  I even had all the ingredients at my house!!!!  If you knew how often I really cook you would know how impressive that is. 

I added a step by using food coloring, and since I wanted 3 different colors for my cookies, I divided the dough into thirds. 

I made the first batch orange for the pumpkins!

Then I made a red batch for the hearts....these are perfect for Valentine's or a wedding shower or just for your special someone.

Finally I did a blue batch for the snowflakes.

All you have to do is divide the dough into 16 equal size balls.  Then you just "stamp" them with the cookie press!  You just push until the cookie starts coming out around all the edges.  Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps go on sale October 1st and they're only $16.95, even if you don't bake they'd make the perfect gift for someone that does!!!

June Card Class

So it has been a long time since I've posted anything....school had a hectic ending and then I've been out of town a few times as soon as school was over.  I'm hoping to post more often - but I'm going to be moving soon too so no gurantee anything will slow down.

We are having Card Class June 30th at McAlister's Deli in Tyler at 6:30.  It is just $7 (we'll make 3 cards) and if you bring a friend it is 2 for $10.

Here are samples of the cards we'll make:

 This one is a sympathy card and has a few options for wording (on the outside and inside).  I really love the tree that comes with this set.

This one is inspired by 4th of July colors.  The petals are all from the Build A Blossom punch set...and then the red is sponged.

This is my FAVORITE one - it is made with a set that is retiring at the end of the month called "Puns from the Past."  It is hard to see but it's a cheese grater and it says "grateful for you." : )

If you're interested in coming to my card class, hosting a workshop or placing an order just call me - or leave a comment.

Chocolate Card!!!

Wouldn't this be a fun token of appreciation for a friend!  It holds a regular size Hershey's bar.  Come make it at my card class next Thursday.

I got inspiration for this card from this blog.


The sentiment says, "All you need in life is a friend who has chocolate...I'm that friend."

Cards for Class

Here are a couple of cards I have been working on for my card class coming up next week:

 This card was designed with Mother's Day in mind.  It says, "Happy Mother's Day," on the inside, or you can choose from other sentiments.

Just a simple birthday card too!  I love the button embellishments : )

The other card is still TBD (to be designed)....look for it Friday, I am off that day!!!

Card Creations - New Class

I am going to have a card class NEXT week!!!  The class will be at McAlister's Deli (in Tyler) on Thursday, April 28th at 6:30 pm.  You can come early to eat but we will get started right at 6:30.  The class is $7 to make 3 cards (I will post pictures of the cards we will make soon) or if you come with a friend it is $5 each!  You may also place an order and with any order of $25 or more the class is FREE!!!

Please bring your own adhesive and scissors.  Please RSVP by April 26th so I can have enough supplies for everyone!

Let me know if you have any questions!

50 Years

I am working on making an invitation for a small get together we will be having this summer to celebrate my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary.  Here are some pictures I am working with to put on the invitation.  I thought they were really cute so I wanted to share.

 This is at their rehearsal dinner.

This was taken in December after they were married in June of 1961.

I am planning on CASEing this card, with a few alterations.  CASE stands for Copy And Share Everything - stampers are very good at this.

Welcome Baby Cards!!!

It seems like everyone I know is having babies!!!!  Here are some baby cards I have made recently:

 I have shared this card before, but I love the onesies - they are from Slice of Life - but the only way to get that set is to host a workshop between now and April 30th - sign up now!!!

I LOVE this card!  Change up the colors and it works for a baby boy too!  The stamp set is called Fun & Fast Notes- it comes in the starter kit, it has 8 stamps that are perfect for most occasions.  I also used glimmer brads (Occasions mini - $4.95) for the wheels!!!  So fun and so easy!

And now - my new favorite!!!!  It is a diaper....with ruffles on the back!!!

I CASE'd this from my upline - click here to see her version (with a template)!

I used the Eyelet Border a lot on this one - I love that punch!!!  I also used the Top Note Die as the insert for the card - that die is so versatile!!!

If you are interested in making or buying baby cards, I would love to help!

Personalized Luggage Tags

Look at this fabulous luggage tag I made at a class my upline offered!  I love it....and it was soooo easy too!  Here are directions from her blog. 

Here is the back side - I had to use pink somewhere!!

Starter Kit on SALE - GREAT TIME to Join!!!

If you have ever been interested in stamping and creating cards or scrapbooking this is a FABULOUS deal!  It is pretty much like getting some of the best supplies for HALF OFF!!!  This special price is only available until the end of the month....so act fast and spread the word!!! 

You get ALL of this (over $300 worth of stuff) - for only $148.75 (FREE SHIPPING). PLUS a special bonus bundle worth over $50 (a Simply Sent kit and stamp set, Color Coach, AND a punch valued at $16.95 or less).

Pretty much everything is cutsomizable too!  You get to choose stamp sets, ink colors, etc.

Here are just a few of the perks and benefits you would receive by joining Stampin' Up!:

-Participation in the Summer Mini pre-order which starts April 1st (and all other pre-orders a month or more before the customer sales period, often with additional discounts)

- A special birthday discount, an extra 15% off one item! 

-20% off Stampin' Up! products

-Earn additional income (called a volume rebate) on your monthly sales of $400 or more...if you decide to host parties!



-Receive Stampin' Success magazine, an exclusive for demonstrators, which publishes monthly

-Earn free stamps with Stampin' Start, Sale-A-Bration and other promotions

 -Receive 30% off your first $150 order if placed within 45 days from your start date. - great time to invest in Big Shot

-Earn free hostess sets, and be able to purchase selected Hostess Sets with the release of the new catalog


- Get great ideas from our local demonstrator meetings (once a month), they also have great door prizes!! 
 -

-Access to Stampin' Connection...Stampin' Up!'s official blog site where you can share ideas with thousands of other Stampin' Up! demonstrators, as well as benefit from video tutorials and projects!

You can also buy the starter kit just for ALL of the GREAT stuff!!!  That was my original reason for purchasing - but then I decided I wanted to continue to get ALL of the great BENEFITS!!!

Easy Steps to Sign Up:

1. Go to my website, click here.

2. Click "Start Your Own Business" in the top, right corner.

3. Click "Join Now" on the left side of the page.

4. Complete the agreement and make your choices!!! If you have any problems or questions, please contact me 903-521-4776.  It may be easier to choose your products with a hard copy of the catalog (I just used online version), so let me know if you are in my area and would like to borrow a catalog.

5. Welcome!!!

March Demonstrator Meeting

Since I am still building my arsenal of Stampin' supplies I LOVE our monthly demonstrator meetings because I get to make stuff using other people's stamps!  This month we were focusing on My Digital Studio (MDS), the digital component to Stampin' Up! The cards we made are considered 'hybrid' cards - parts of the cards were created with MDS and then printed on photo paper (many people use Walgreens for that step).

The purple post it note holder was created with cardstock - and then instead of using regular Designer Series Paper - they were able to adjust the size and print it using MDS (notice how it is glossy?) - the rest of the post it holder uses traditional stamping supplies.  I gave this to Christa, as a hostess gift, at her workshop this past weekend.

The Happy Birthday Bingo card was also created using MDS.  The BINGO card itself was created with MDS and then printed, it is the perfect size to add to the front of a card.  The "traditional" elements of this card are the ruched seam binding and, it is hard to see in this picture but, the bottom right corner has an actual button adhered to  it.

If you are in the Tyler area and interested in attending one of our Demonstrator meetings EVERYONE is welcome!  We meet the 2nd Tuesday each month and it is $5...let me know if you would like more details.

Getting Started with Sale-A-Bration

Are you interested in creating cards but not sure where to start?  Sale-A-Bration is a great time to get started - every $50 spent gives you a FREE stamp set (or paper/accessory).  To help you get started I've created a wonderful "Getting Started Pack." This card is an example of something you could create with the Getting Started Pack (colors are a little different and so is the ribbon - but it gives you A LOT more options).  The Getting Started Pack includes a FREE stamp set from SAB. The So Happy for You stamp set (see below) is great because it has a stamp for almost ALL occasions!         

Getting Started Pack

Getting Started Smooth Cardstock (2 each of 12 colors)  $6.95  120954

Getting Started Classic Stampin' Spots (11 'mini' inkpads) $21.95  119979

1" Circle Punch     $10.95    119868

1/4" Whisper White Ribbon (15 yards)  $4.95  109025

SNAIL adhesive $6.95 104332

Dimensionals (300) $3.95  104430

SAB So Happy For You (see pic below) FREE 121853

Total = $55.70    Click here to place your order now!

Of course you can get started for less, but this will give you a good stock of supplies and lets you take advantage of the Sale-A-Bration promotion!            

Open House

Yesterday I had my first Stampin Up! Open House.  I thought it went well for my first try.  I had about 10 people come and they all got to make a card - they were able to choose between the Build A Blossom card and this card to make:

Neither card outshined the other - about half the people made each one.  I added the sentiment later because now I need to sent this card to someone else : )

Now I am looking to start a card class, if you are in the East Texas area and would be interested in a card class please participate in my online survey.

More Valentine's Day

I forgot to show you these fun cards I made for people at school on Valentine's.  The first card I made for the administration at my campus and people that work in the office.  The inside says, "At least you'll get one thing done today."  Then I wrote, "Thanks for ALL you do."

I also made this card for a few of the teachers that I am good friends with, the inside of this one says, "I am that friend."  I attached each of the cards to a Hershey's bar.

These were created from the stamp set Eat Chocolate, it is available in our Occasions Mini catalog.  I loved this set but didn't want to invest in a set that I would only be able to "sell" for two more months.  This set was a door prize at my demonstrator meeting earlier this month and I won!!! I was so exicted I went home and created these cards!!! 

Valentine's cupcakes

It has been so long since I have posted - I am trying to catch up today!!!  School is getting so busy and I am a coach for Maps, Graphs & Charts for UIL.  So last Satuday I was at a UIL meet ALL DAY!!!  Yesterday I had an Open House to share a little bit about Stampin Up! with a few friends.  And next Saturday I have another UIL meet ALL DAY!!!   I just wanted to share a baking trick I learned for Valentine's day this year - you could use it for other occasions too! 

I copied the idea from this website: http://bakeitinacake.com/recipes/heartinacupcake

I used a cake mix though - I was only able to get 12 cupcakes out of it.  But it was perfect for my family dinner, a few family members were unable to attend and I was left with the perfect number to share with my friends at lunch the next day!!!

Decor Elements

Look what I made today:

I made this using Stampin' Up decor elements.  I received this T in my starter kit and have been waiting to use it.  I live in an apartment so I didn't want to put it on my wall.  I have had this idea for a little while but just had not gotten around to it.  It took less than an hour to make, including a trip to Wal-Mart for supplies.  I got this frame, fabric and ribbon from Wal-Mart all for less than $12.  I cut the fabric to cover the back part of the frame.  I just used packing tape to tape it back.  Once I had the fabric situated with no bubbles, I applied to T using the decor elements applicator tool.  It was pretty easy to apply - some parts I had to spend a little more time on - and I think applying it to fabric made it a little more difficult to apply.  They suggest pretty much any smooth, nontextured surface (painted walls, wallpaper, glass, metal, finished wood surfaces).  I just nailed the piece of ribbon to the back of the frame and hung it in our bathroom.  I was very pleased with the final results.

How could you use decor elements in your home?

Shop now and see what all is available.

A Slice of Life

As I mentioned in previous post - I won a door prize at the Shoebox Swap - I chose the stamp set "A Slice of Life".  This set is a hostess set in the Occasions Mini.  After I got home I remembered that I needed some cards for this week - and this set was perfect. 

This set comes with a cake stamp, candles stamp and a heart topper stamp.  Since they are all seperate you can use the cake to make a birthday card OR wedding OR anniversary card.  I like to find stamp sets that I can use for a variety of things. I stamped the cake on a few different pieces of cardstock and Designer Series Paper. Then I cut these apart and put them back together to make the cake multi colored.  After I finished the card I realized that I wish I had run the yellow cardstock through my Perfect Polka dots embossing folder.

I absolutely LOVE this card.  I used a new (to me) fold that I learned at the shoebox swap.  I just love the onsies - I stamped them and then colored the stripes using my inks and blender pen.  After I cut them out I ran them through my Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  Inside the card I stamped the sentiment, "One little baby...many happy hearts!", it is from the Curvy Verses set.

Shoebox Swap

 I am so glad that Christie (my upline) encouraged me to participate in the Shoebox Swap last night.  It was so much fun and I got to make gorgeous cards with different stamp sets and tools I don't have yet. 

I am still new to my stamping group and so I don't know who to give credit to for these cards.

I LOVE this cupcake card.  It uses the Build A Cupcake set and coordinating punch from our Occassions Mini Catalog.  I loved using DSP for the cupcake tops.

 I also LOVE this Valentine's card.  The Be My Valentine stamp is also from the Occassions mini as well as the fun red glitter cardstock.  I also love the bow - I can't explain it without showing - but you use the brad to hold it together instead of a knot.

This is just a sampling to show you some of the fun stuff that is available with Stampin' Up!

 This is a hybrid card - that means it uses elements from traditional stamping AND from My Digital Studio (computer designed elements).  I had never done anything with MDS before.  The panel that says Bliss is printed onto photo paper (reason for the glare) but I added rhinestones to the center of the butterfly and then attached it to a card with DSP and a border punch.





This is a set I WON as a door prize.  I absolutely LOVE it.  It can be used for so many different occasions.  It is called A Slice of Life and is only available as a hostess set in the Occasions Mini catalog (ends April 30th).  I am working on cards from this set right now....hopefully I can show you soon.

Busy, Busy

School is definitely back into full swing, and I haven't been stamping as much.  Here are some pictures of a couple of things I have done over the past week.  The first card is 3x3 I made using rub-ons - they are so versatile and you can even use them on other things such as ribbon.

This is another card using the Build-A-Blossom stamp set and punch.  I also used the Elegant Lines embossing folder for the background.

Hope I to get time to stamp more soon.

Birthday Bakery

This card was CASE'd, I watched Diana Gibbs' tutorial video and made changes based on the supplies I had. It isn't perfect but I thought I did ok for my first try.  I used my blender pen to color in the cakes - the blender pen allows you to use your ink pads to color in images you've stamped.  Since I am still building my stock of inks I combined Pumpkin Pie with Rich Razzleberry to make the brown(ish). 

I really like this stamp set - it is a hostess set that is only available if you host a workshop (with at least $150 in sales) OR place a $150 order.

i LOVE build-a-blossom

A local non-profit asked if I could make some gift tags for them to put on small gifts for their donors.  My new package with my Build-a-blossom stamps and punch came today so I was very eager to play.  I have 3 made and have 17 to go.

I had so much fun using the build-a-blossom stamp set - and then the punch makes it so easy to "cut out" the petals to build great looking flowers.  Build-a-blossom stamp set is available in the clear mount which makes it so easy to do two step stamping.  I also got my personalized stamp tonight....and my Big Shot - I used the polka dots embossing folder on the white piece of cardstock.  I have A LOT of other projects I want to try with my new supplies BUT today I volunteered to coach UIL Maps, Graphs & Charts and I have a meeting tomorrow morning that I need to get ready for.

Supplies:
Old Olive Cardstock
Whisper White Cardstock
Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
Build-A-Blossom Stamp Set - Occasions Mini - Clear 18.95
Build-A-Blossom Punch - Occasions Mini - $16.95
Melon Mambo Ink
Daffodil Delight Marker
For Everything Stamp Set (Thanks)

Order now on my website.

Wallet for Sale

Here is Joe's latest creation:

Let me know if you are interested in buying it...$10 (negotiable) + shipping if necessary.

Text, e-mail, facebook, or leave a comment if you are interested.

More will be coming.