2011 Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop

Welcome to the 2011 Stampin' Addicts Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop, showcasing the wonderful FREE items you can earn from the Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration catalog!  If you are taking the tour in order, you just arrived from Holly's blog, where she featured the adorable Ornate Blossom.  Starting your hop here?  You can complete the tour of all 21 blogs by clicking on the links at the bottom of each post, but if you get lost, not to worry!  Just click on the banner above for a complete list.

This is stop number 17, featuring the stamp set called A Flower for All Seasons.  It's a very versatile little set, with a stamp for each season, and can be found on the back page of the SAB catalog. Note: you can click on the images below to enlarge them.

I'm going to get the first card out of the way, because....well, because it's Christmas-themed and I am sooo done with Christmas for now! I'm ready for the soft colors of Spring and bright colors of Summer, how about you? The non-traditional colors soften it a bit, but still.....

Up next is another card, but one much more to my liking! Now THIS speaks of Spring, and rebirth and renewal. This card would work equally well for Easter or Mother's Day, too, don't you think? And the Framed Tulips embossing folder was just made for that basket of tulips!

For the final card, I just had to make it "Thinking of You", because that frog has a look of longing in his eyes. Maybe he spies a yummy little bug hiding behind a flower petal. ;-)

And now, for the 3D project! Many of you are in the throes of a very harsh winter, and have to be dreaming of warmer times to come. Nothing says a sunny 'hello' more than cheerful little sunflowers! My local home improvement store has seeds for a dwarf variety that only grows to about 16 inches tall, but has 6" blooms(!) - perfect for bouquets of fresh-cut flowers, without completely overwhelming my small garden space.

I make an effort to "spread a little sunshine" every day, and think this gift would be a good way to do it. The card kind of imitates the stamped image on the row marker (with seeds attached), and the pot imitates the card! Check back on Monday for the "recipe" for this card.

Next stop is Tanya's blog, Tinkerin In Ink With Tanya, where she's gonna wow you with Itty Bitty Bits!

This blog hop is brought to you by the wonderful people over at Stampin' Addicts, where their motto is "Positively Creative! Positively Stampin' Up!" I hope when you finish the hop that you'll hop over and check out the warm, friendly, creative folks there, and sign up (it's free)!

It's Here! It's Here! Free Stuff is Here!!!

What's here, you ask? Only the biggest Stampin' Up! promotion of the year! For a limited time early every year, you get to choose free goodies. And it's unlimited! For every $50 in merchandise you purchase (before tax & S/H), you can choose something from the SAB catalog (which includes over 60 specified stamps from the big catty, too!). Spend $50, get a gift.  Spend $100, get 2 gifts, and so on. Host a party, pool your order with friends, or just splurge on yourself, and for every $300, choose an additional freebie!

And as if that weren't enough, the customizable Starter Kit (valued at more than $310) is discounted to under $149 AND you get an additional product bundle valued up to $50. If you've been considering joining the Stampin' Up family, now is the perfect opportunity. You really have nothing to lose! You have three choices if you decide to join:

1. Be a hobby demo just to get the discount. Stampin’ Up! supports all demonstrators, no matter their goals or the level at which they choose to run their business. You only need to submit $300 in sales per quarter. That is less than an average Stampin’ Up!® workshop! Also, you can submit your sales in any increment you wish and still receive your 20 percent discount and commission.
2. Choose a career path to fit your individual needs. Stampin’ Up! provides dozens of training resources filled with project ideas and tips to help you run every aspect of your business. You can earn money in three ways: instant income (20 percent of each order), monthly volume rebates (5–20 percent
   of total sales), and monthly downline override commissions (2–6 percent of your recruits’ sales).
3. If you decide to drop, just don't place any orders and you will automatically be dropped. You don't even have to return the Starter Kit.

Just some of the benefits:

• The Starter Kit ships FREE!
• Try it out for yourself! Enjoy all the discounts and benefits through June 30th, with NO obligation to do anything else.
• There is no penalty if you decide to drop (but I think you will find you want to stay!).
• Demos get the same benefits as hostesses, too.  Stampin' Up really spoils us!
• Too many more to list here, but I'd love to tell you more about it, if you are interested. Contact me through my Stampin' Up! website.

Ready to join right now? Click HERE, then click on "Join Now" at the bottom left. You shouldn't need a password, but if asked, it's Happy2BStamping.

Matchbox Sweet Treats

These little treat boxes are so quick and easy to put together! Using the Matchbox die, the inner box was cut from regular cardstock and the outer slider was cut from DSP for contrast.  Then all I had to do was add a belly band made from 5/8" satin ribbon and the larger labels.  To make them stand out, they were embossed with hearts cut from the Heart to Heart punch and the edges were inked.  A pearl finishes them off! Well, that and the M&Ms inside. ;-)

Stamps: None!
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette (111351), Regal Rose (105130), Lap of Luxury Designer Series Paper (120436)
Ink: Pretty in Pink Classic (101301)
Accessories: Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon (117289), Basic Pearls (119247), Matchbox Bigz XL Die (114890), Square Lattice embossing folder (119976), Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (113439), Stamping Sponges (101610), adhesive