Saturday, February 25, 2012

For a Special Friend....

....who just joined my Stampin' Up! family, and I'm so happy to have her aboard (welcome, Natalie)! In addition to the wonderful perks offered by Stampin' Up! (see below), all my girls get a monthly project from me, which consists of a completed sample and illustrated instruction sheet (with measurements) for the project, which they can use for classes or workshops, if they want. Some of my "family" aren't local, so I keep them in the loop by sending notes from the monthly team meeting, plus any updates from the home office, in addition to the monthly project.

If you are thinking about becoming a demonstrator, whether as a hobby demo (for the discount), or as a business (to add to the family income), now is the perfect time to join. Not only is the customizable Starter Kit discounted right now, anyone who signs up during Sale-A-Bration can choose either a pack of Designer Series Paper or a Digital Download EVERY MONTH for the rest of 2012! 

I'd love to have you join my team! If you've been thinking about it, please contact me with your phone number, and I'll call you and answer any questions you have. And, there's an added bonus from me if you sign up before February 29th! But I'm not telling, unless I talk to you personally. Heh heh!

Stamps: Up, Up & Away
Cardstock: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Nursery Nest DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Soft Suede, and Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pads, plus Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Navy Brads (Regals Collection), Scallop Circle Punch, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Just a few of the benefits of becoming a demonstrator:
  1. Being the hostess of an order/party anytime you want – you get your discount, commission and hostess benefits.
  2. With Stampin’ Up!, personal purchases count towards monthly overrides, quarterly minimums, incentives, contests, promotions and more. 
  3. A beautiful full color monthly idea magazine – Stampin’ Success – filled with TONS of samples and ideas. 
  4. A free copy of new catalogs when they are released. 
  5. Flexibility – you decide what you want your involvement to be. 
  6. No commitment – you can decide to quit anytime, and no set number of bookings are required to join. No penalties, nothing to pay back. 
  7. A chance to earn free Stamp sets as part of our Stampin’ Start program.
  8. Online ordering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  9. Accept customer credit cards with no fees /costs to the demonstrator.
  10. Preorder periods of new and upcoming products.
  11. Access to convention, regionals, and other great training venues.
  12. Stampin’ Up! handles the sales tax payments to the state. No need for a resale number!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Small, But Sincere!

I like to tuck a little something into my customers' bags when they place an order, as a token of my appreciation for their business. It might be a ribbon sample, or some buttons, or a card. Some cards are full size, and some are little 3 x 3 "love note" size. This is one of the little cards, and I'm so excited because I made that little matching envelope in the background!

Yep, I received the Diagonal Insert for my Simply Scored scoring tool today, and I whipped out a bunch of little envelopes in no time! It is SO EASY to make envelopes in a variety of sizes. The score lines are precise, so the envelope folds together perfectly. (Unlike my previous attempts at envelope construction.)

Anyhoo, I can see me and my Diagonal Insert are in for a long, happy, and fruitful relationship.
Stamp: Tiny Tags
Cardstock: Blushing Bride Textured, Soft Suede, Blushing Bride DSP (In Colors Pack), Attic Boutique DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic
Accessories: Simply Scored, Diagonal Insert, Mat PAck, Paper piercing Tool, Linen Thread

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Masculine Need for Speed

Here is one of the cards we made in the Masculine Cards class yesterday.  Wendy Weixler's card gave me the idea, but somehow I didn't think flowers would be appropriate for a guy card. And what guy wouldn't like a zoomy, sporty, fast car for his birthday MUCH more than flowers?

I've used this image several times, and always colored it, but I think the black and white just somehow seemed right in this instance.


Stamps: Need For Speed, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Letters to Santa DSP
Ink: Basic Black Clasic
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots embossing folder, Basic Black 5/8" Satin Ribbon, adhesive silver half-spheres (non-SU)

Happy Birthday, Sinister

That is what my sister and I call each other - I'm the big sinister, she's my little sinister. Today's the day she can order from the Senior menu at Denny's, lol!  (It's also National Margarita Day, but I digress....) Welcome to the senior club, seester!!!

This was the card that inspired her birthday card today. I loved the elegant simplicity of it, and the color as well, but my sini...I mean sister, being a red head, is more of an autumn-hues loving gal, so I grabbed the Cajun Craze and went from there.

And, in honor of her birthday, and N.M.D., and also in honor of my 'rita loving friend, Deb, I enjoyed a margarita tonight. Yes, just A margarita. It would have been two, but DH beat me to the leftovers in the pitcher.
Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.net

Stamps: Elementary Elegance (Sale-A-Bration free set)
Cardstock: Cajun Craze, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango
Ink: VersaMark, Soft Suede and Cajun Craze Classic
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots embossing folder, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Heat Tool, Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Sponge Dauber, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Boho Blossoms Punch, Early Espresso 3/8" Quilted Satin Ribbon, Early Espresso 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Fresh Favorites 1 Buttons (retired), waxed linen thread (non-SU)

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Happy Birthday SUO Challenge #39

As some of you long-time visitors are aware, February is the month for an extraordinary number of birthdays in my family, so this SUO Challenge was really right up my alley!

The color inspiration for this card came by accident.....I had scraps of Blushing Bride paper laying on my very messy desk (left overs from the Birthday card class last week), when I accidentally knocked a dowel holding some spools of ribbon loose, and they all came crashing down on the desk and floor. The Bravo Burgundy 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired) just happened to land on the Blushing Bride paper, and I really liked the combination, so I grabbed some cardstock and got to work. Since that ribbon is retired, and we're encouraged to use current items if we can, I opted for the pleated Blushing Bride ribbon. It's a lot easier to work with, anyway!

Stamps: Fresh Vintage, On Your Birthday
Cardstock: Blushing Bride Textured, Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla, Twitterpated DSP
Ink: Bravo Burgundy Classic Stampin' Pad, plus Bravo Burgundy, Blushing Bride, Wild Wasabi, and Early Espresso Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Big Shot, Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, 1" Square Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, Blushing Bride 1/2" Pleated Satin Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Happy Birthday to My Honey

Tomorrow is my sweetie's birthday, and it's one of those milestone birthdays, so I tried to have a little surprise party for him today. It didn't turn out quite as planned (the majority of the invitees had the flu), so it was just a quiet gathering with our two kids, and son-in-law, and plenty o' margaritas.

His comment on the card: "Well, at least it doesn't say anything about being over the hill."  Um, honeybunch, yeah, it does.... just not in so many words. (I'm sneaky that way, heh heh.)

Then he said, "That bird looks like it's about to take a big crap on me, though."

Men.....can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em.
Stamp: On Your Birthday
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz DSP, Bashful Blue DSP, Lucky Limeade DSP
Ink: VersaMark, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, and Basic Black Classic
Accessories: Big Shot, Merry Details Sizzlit, On Board Chipboard Numbers, Heat Tool, Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Emboss Powder, Early Espresso 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Cupcake Builder Punch, Stampin' Sponges

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Another Get Well

The old salt (my father) is back in the hospital, this time with a staph infection.  He's going to be in there for two weeks, getting pumped full of antibiotics, so he won't be doing any stamping in the near future. I feel so badly for him....he was doing so well after the last hospital stay, and putting on some much-needed weight. At least this time he sounds much better, and his appetite is still good.

There were a few images left over from my Stampin' Addicts swaps, so this card went together really quickly. I know he's going to love it!

Stamps: Lovely As a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: River Rock, Basic Black, Shimmery White, Mocha Morning DSP
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, and Marina Mist Classic
Accessories: Metallic Brads Pack, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Tough Card

This was a tough card to make, because the circumstances behind it were so tragic. You may have heard about Susan Powell who disappeared a couple years ago, supposedly when her husband took their two small boys camping (in sub-freezing weather).  And then the devastating news last week about her husband killing himself and their boys in an unbelievably horrific way.

One of my online stamping friends, another Stampin' Up! demonstrator, knew Susan, and asked our stamping community to send sympathy cards to Susan's parents, who had been trying to gain custody of their grandsons. Her favorite color was purple, so this is the card I sent.  It's such a small gesture on my part, but maybe they were flooded with cards, and it helped them to know people they've never met care.


Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers
Cardstock: Concord Crush, Whisper White, Flirtatious Specialty DSP
Ink: Concord Crush
Accessories: Purple adhesive nailheads (non-SU), Stampin' Dimensionals

Quietly, and Without Fanfare.....

....a milestone was passed today on my blog - over 100,000 hits. What a nice Valentine's Day present! It still amazes me that people take time from their busy lives to stop by here. I wonder if that amazement will ever diminish? Hope not!

Today's card was sent to an online stamping friend's husband, who just underwent grueling back surgery. The manly color combination would have worked for a birthday or thinking of you card, as well. I hope it makes him feel a wee bit better, knowing someone he's never met is praying for him and sending get well wishes his way!

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Twitterpated DSP
Ink: Basic Black Classic
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Brads (Regals Brads Collection)

Sunday, February 12, 2012

General Birthday

This card would work for a male or a female birthday celebrant.  Or if you aren't sure. (Reminds me of "It's Pat" on Saturday Night Live, lol.)

The colors are neutral enough; no pink or blue, and the image is as well....I mean, who doesn't love a nice juicy pear? No monster trucks or florals on this card!

Stamps: Faith in Nature (hostess set), On Your Birthday
Cardstock: So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral, Watercolor Paper, Just Add Cake DSP
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral, and Lucky Limeade Classic Stampin' Pads
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots embossing folder, Bleander Pens, Pear Pizzazz 1/2" Stitched Poly Ribbon, Calypso Coral 1/8" Organdy Ribbon (free SAB item), Old Olive Brads (Brights Brad Pack), Stampin Dimensionals

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Now for the Birthday Boy

The Dinoroar stamp set is just so stinkin' cute to me. I like it a lot, and I'm not even a little boy! This card uses a lot of punches (yes, I am a punch junkie!) and was so quick to put together.  The part that took the longest was cutting out the T-Rex. He was stamped in Early Espresso on So Saffron cardstock, and colored with a Pear Pizzazz marker, leaving his belly untouched.

Stamps: Dinoroar, On Your Birthday
Cardstock: Whisper White, So Saffron, Early Espresso, Sahara Sand and Old Olive DSP (from the Paper Stacks)
Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, and Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pads, Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker
Accessories: 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, Cupcake Builder Punch (clouds), Stampin' Sponges, Early Espresso 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, So Saffron Brads (Subtles Brad Pack), Stampin' Dimensionals

Having fun at the Stampin' Up! Regional in Phoenix today!!!

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Masculine Swap

Here is the masculine card for the Stampin' Addicts birthday card swap. This uses a quick and easy technique called Faux Wood. I didn't add the lines, because I wanted it to look like one piece of wood, not planks, and to keep it really simple, I just used a Soft Suede ink pad on the Crumb Cake cardstock. That way the focus is more on the image, and not on the technique in the background.

This one is very similar to the one I'm taking to swap at the Stampin' Up! Regional event on Saturday. The main difference is the embossed panel. I didn't have time to emboss 50 of those suckers, so the plain panel with sponged edges will have to do. 


Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Bring on the Cake
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Gold Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponges, sticky notes for masking

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Swappin' Again

The swapping bug done bit me again, and I signed up for four groups in a birthday-theme swap at Stampin' Addicts. Originally it was only two groups, but FOMS (fear of missing something) took over, and somehow my name ended up in all four groups. I don't know how that happened, really.
I had to come up with a feminine, masculine, boy child, and general birthday design. This one is the feminine one. Could you tell? *grin*

This lovely image from the Bordering on Romance set is so much fun to color! The Shimmery White cardstock is a great alternative to the Watercolor Paper when using blender pens, and it looks awesome with it's shimmeriness (is that a word?).

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Shimmery White, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Pocketful of Posies DSP
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Rich Razzleberry, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, and Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pads
Accessories: Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Blushing Bride pleated Satin Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels, Blender Pens, Word Window Punch

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

SUO Challenge #38 - Valentine's Colors!

Wow, I nearly forgot! I've been so busy making cards for Stampin' Addicts swaps, Valentine mailboxes (commissioned work), and starting my swaps for the Stampin' Up! Regional in Phoenix this Saturday, that this post nearly slipped my mind.

The theme this week at SU-Only Challenges is a Valentine with two colors, plus a neutral or two. I've always liked red, pink, and white together, or red, black, and white together, so I decided to combine them on this card. The DSP is Real Red with pink stripes, so there's the two colors, and the black and white are the two neutrals.

The ruffle around the large Framelits heart is made from the new White Waffle Paper (pg. 28 in the Occasions Mini).  Love that stuff! I want to try stamping on it and maybe embossing it, too.  Oh! And maybe the Faux Silk technique would work, too! (Hmmmm, the wheels are turning in my head...too many ideas and not enough time!)

Stamps: Take It to Heart, Loving Thoughts
Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red DSP (Brights Collection Paper Stack)
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Hearts Collection Framelits, Pearls Basic Jewels, Large Pearl Basic Jewels, Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, White Waffle Paper, Stampin' Dimensionals

Yesterday was the best birthday! I stamped ALL day, and then my sweet husband took me out to dinner. Life doesn't get much better than that!