Holy Smokes!

I knew it's been a while since I last updated my blog but I had no idea it has been this long! :o( I'm working on getting a few things in order and then I'll be posting quiet a bit to the blog and hopefully you'll not only like with I post but also the new look of the blog!

Until then, stay tuned.....

Wonderful Decor Elements!

I just LOVE the Decor Elements line from Stampin' Up! I ordered two sets of the Manhattan Flower for my bathroom outside my stampin' room and now I can't wait to order another set!

The first two pictures are obviously "before" I added the flowers to my walls.....

And these two pictures are "after" I added the flowers.

{Supplies}

Manhattan Flower (Chocolate - 114115)

Manhattan Flower (Kraft - 114077)

My bathroom walls ;o)

So, what do you think?

Happy Halloween Bear

How cute is this little guy?! I wanted to make a card of the bear only but when I ran the card stock through the Big Shot, I realized that he's just a little too small to be considered a "full card". I didn't want to abandon my idea so I got the bright idea to put a base layer down and adhere my "bear card" to it. Since you wouldn't be able to open the card if it were a full 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 (because of the pumpkin top), I cut the card stock down to 4 1/2 x 4. I stamped "Happy Halloween" on the inside of the card (the bear's belly).

When I showed this to Gary, he went "ga-ga" over it and really bragged about how cute it was.....the things that makes this man happy! lol! What do you think? I would love to "hear" your comments about it!

{Supplies}
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card stock: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Orange, Summer Sun, Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Big Shot, 1 3/4" circle punch, Build-A-Bear Bigz Bear die, Build-A-Bear Originals Kooky Spooky die

Lollipop, Lollipop, oh Lolli, Lollipop!

I wanted to take something sweet to Brittany when we went for our first official visit and since she doesn't like chocolate (I know.....the horror of it all!!) and is not big on many sweets at all (really....I'm thinking DNA tests are in order to prove she truly is my daughter! LOL!), I came up with this Lollipop Bouquet.

Can I just say this was one of the easiest projects I have ever done!! I purchased the tin at a local $1 store along with that floral Styrofoam stuff to hold the suckers & some artificial leaves. I used my Big Shot and the Flower, Daisies #2 Bigz Die to punch out a bunch of different colors of flowers. I started out using Mini Glue Dots to adhere the flower to the wrapper of the sucker and then realized that was just a waste because they would 1) stay at the bottom of the sucker because of the leaves and 2) the girls were just going to rip them off as soon as possible....so I stopped! ;o)

Brittany may not like a lot of sweets but she does like the occasional sucker. When she saw the "bouquet" I had made for her & her new friends, she "aaaahhhh'd" and "oooohhhhh'd" like the sweet & wonderful daughter and showed it off to her roommate and next-door neighbor. Gotta love it when your kid brags on you!

I would love to hear your comments! What do you think? Have you made one of these before & how long did it take you? Honestly, this was a last-minute project that took me all of about 45 minutes....start to finish!

Be a Hostess & get Sweet Rewards!

I'm excited to bring you this sweet deal for hostesses September through November:

• Host a workshop totaling $250 or more and choose any one item* from the 2009 Holiday Mini Catalog for only $10! *Offer excludes hostess sets and My Digital Studio.
  

On October 1, when My Digital Studio is released to customers, this offer will become even sweeter:

• Host a workshop of at least $400 and get My Digital Studio for 50% off the retail price (retail price: $79.95; promotional price: $39.97)!

Things to Remember:

1. This promotion applies to workshop orders and is intended to reward hostesses for the act of doing a workshop. Online orders are not eligible for this promotion.
2. Hostesses who hold a workshop of $250 can choose any one item from the Holiday Mini catalog for just $10.
3. Items include stamp sets, accessories, Sizzix dies, etc.
4. This includes any products featured in the Holiday Mini Catalog, even if they are also shown in the Idea Book & Catalog (Movers and Shapers Die, Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin', etc.)
5. Items exclude Holiday Mini hostess sets and My Digital Studio.
6. This promotion is not incremental. For example, a $500 workshop is not eligible for two $10 items, and an $800 workshop is not eligible for two copies of My Digital Studio at 50% off.
7. After My Digital Studio is released to customers on October 1, hostesses who hold a $400 workshop will be eligible for both a $10 Holiday Mini item and 50% off My Digital Studio.

Holiday Mini Catalog Special

Everyone should receive your Holiday Mini Catalog any day now and I love this mini so much, I have a special offer for those of you that received a mini catalog from me. I will be calling everyone on my list of mini catalog recipients next week and if you can correctly answer the following question I will pay half of the shipping total on your next order placed by Sept. 30th.*

Where are best friends made?

Hint: Look at pages 33 thru 35.

If you have not received a mini catalog from me but you would like to be able to "play", just send an email to StampinWithAngie@yahoo.com with your name, address and phone number. I will get a mini in the mail immediately and add you to my mailing list so that you can play again in the future.

*Discount applies to workshop, email & phone orders immediately; online orders placed from my Stampin' Up! website will receive a refund in the mail from me once your order has shipped.

Have you ever had one of "those" days?

Today is one of "those" for me! Oh good granny, this day started out wrong. It's not "bad", just not the way I wanted.

I woke up before the alarm and was in such a good mood! I had in mind what I would do today and it was going to be a very productive day for me. I hopped in the shower then got dressed and started downstairs to chat with my hubby before he left for work.....then I remembered it! Umm, hello!.....it's Monday....workout day....in like, 30 minutes! No problem, I have plenty of time to change and get to the gym, so off I go. I'm warming up on the treadmill and one of the other trainers informs me that my trainer will not be there today......after I've worked up a slight sweat! Well, this can be a positive thing.....quick workout, get home, shower (again!), get dressed and get busy on my "productive" day!

I make my "to do" list for today and get to work.....1st on the list - my Stamp-A-Stack reminder invite. I finally get it finished after calling Demo Support for a problem then I send it out to my mailing list. One down, 50 to go. ;o) I go to my Meetup group to add my events to that calendar and can't find where it can be a "recurring" event.....fine, I'll just enter them individually. Then I see it......I put the wrong date on my S-a-S reminder that I sent out to my mailing list! GREAT!! Now I go back to the SU! site & send my mailing list a corrected invite with an apology for giving them the wrong date & having to send two messages back-to-back! Geeze! #2, and now #3 off the list.....day is looking a little better. :o)

I get a text from a friend, "Can you print off a form for me....I'm out of ink." Ummm, sure. I have to meet Brittany in town & can meet this afternoon. I'm then informed that she's NOT WORKING TODAY! Well hello, go buy ink & print out the form yourself!! Of course I don't learn this little tidbit until after I've printed the form (using up my ink!) and am heading out the door. She tells me she'll be there in a bit....she's in the shower!!! O-M-G!! What in the world did I just get "suckered" into?!

Because I messed up the date for my S-a-S, that frees up a LOT of time for me so that worked to my advantage. I've updated a group website that I "own", replied to some messages and completed tasks that were not on my list but definitely needed to be taken care of! My day is on the up-swing (don't read that out loud....I don't want anything "jinxing" me!)! Now to get a few projects photographed, complete some others and get my step-daughter's pictures onto a disc. I have a full plate for today but doggone it, I'm up for the challenge! ;oD

I had actually typed up some posts for y'all while I was out of town last week.....they didn't post (could ya tell?!). I'll fix those so that they'll post over the next few days & you can see what I was up to along with posting pictures from my quick trip to DC with my wonderful hubby! I hope you have a fantastic day and very few of "those" days! :o)

You Rock!

I fell in love with this set last year when it was released and somehow it just kept getting bumped down on my "must have" list. Obviously, I now own it and I have to say it's just so darned cute and versatile! It's not just a guy stamp, girls like it as well.

I couldn't resist giving this little girly skull a "grill" (isn't that what they call the silver accessories put in your mouth?) and a shimmery bow! I think Brittany is really going to get a kick out of this card since we have the same sense of humor. The inside of the card says, "YOU ROCK!"

The DSP I used on the front of the card is from the new "Cast A Spell" DSP and I just can't wait to use it on other things. The scallop circle is not a Sizzix Die.....it's a circle that I scalloped with my slit punch! That is so easy it should be illegal - LOL. All you do is cut a circle - cut a circle out of the inside of that circle, then punch "slits" all the way around the outside of your circle with the slit punch. If that is not clear, leave me a comment and I'll see if I can post a tutorial on how to do it.

Speaking of comments, leave me one telling me how you like this card - I would love to hear from you!

Stamp Set: Just Jawing

Cardstock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Confetti Ivory

Ink: Basic Black, VersaMark, Melon Mambo

Accessories: VersaMark pen, Silver embossing powder, glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds

Things I Love

You'll get to see the cards I send to Brittany before she sees them so y'all have to promise not to share them with her! ;o) She is only 45 minutes up the road from us so it's a lot easier on both of us with her being away at college but I still want to send her paper hugs from home!

This is one of the stamp sets I received when I picked up my bag at Convention. Yes, I said "one of"....we got 4 sets and a wheel this year! I LOVE Convention! You could too and this month is the perfect time to join my team with the $85 Mini Starter Kit AND the welcome gift from me....1/2 the cost of the new "My Digital Studio" when it's released! That is an almost $200 value for only $85!

This card sentiment shows you exactly why I like to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig when stamping sentiments...notice the slight downhill slant. I had already adhered everything to the card before stamping the sentiment so I left it alone and I'm not really freaking out about it because I know Brittany will get a chuckle out of it not only being crooked but also because she knows I LOVE shoes!

I hope you enjoyed today's card and I would love to hear any comments you have!

Stamp Set: Things I Love

Cardstock: Very Vanilla

Ink: Dusty Durango, Soft Suede

Accessories: Square Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Scallop Edge Punch, Sponge Daubers

Growing Up Promotion

Spend $35 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog (pages 74-90) until August 31st and receive a FREE package of Designer buttons--a $7.95 value! Eligible buttons are listed below and can be found on page 181.

Playground Designer Buttons

Sherbet Designer Buttons

Button Latte Designer Buttons

Purchase the brand-new Décor Elements Growth Chart, only available August 1-September 30, and as an added bonus, receive a free applicator tool with your purchase (a $1.95 value).

Brittany's 1st College Card

My beautiful daughter started college today....okay, she started classes today. We had a very busy weekend with her this past weekend. We had a family cookout on Saturday so that family and friends could see her before we moved her into her dorm. Sunday we moved her into her dorm room - wow that room was small!! We had her room pretty much set up and I took a little stroll down the hall to look at a "Pepto & black" room. This room looked like someone got sick off a major binge of Pepto....only brighter pink! I seriously don't know how these girls are going to be able to sleep because their room is SO bright pink....maybe the black accents will help! The good thing about their room was that it was so big because of their layout! I immediately called Brittany, her roommate Jordan & Jordan's mom to see it.....we decided to "CASE" their layout and that really opened up their room as well!

The girls had scheduled activities beginning Sunday afternoon/evening and continuing through yesterday so that they didn't have enough time to get homesick. It worked pretty well although Brittany did say she was a little homesick....just not enough to want to come home - YAY!! Today is the start of her classes and I can't wait to hear from her to see how all two of them went! Yes, you read that correctly....she only has TWO classes today. Actually, she only has two classes Tue. thru Fri. Monday is her "heavy" day where she has THREE classes. LOL!

She got her address yesterday and as soon as she sent it to me, I had to get a card in the mail to her! The colors on this card really don't show up well....it looked so pretty in real life. I used the new stamp, "Medallion" that is the number one seller since the release of the 2009 Fall/Winter catalog! I'm seeing some great things with this set that have really got me excited so don't be surprised if you see it often in my projects! ;o)

Stamp Set: Medallion

Cardstock: Confetti Ivory

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue

Accessories: Button, Stampin' Dimensionals

Exciting News!

I can’t tell you how flippin’ excited I am!! I am currently in Salt Lake City, Utah for our annual Stampin’ Up! Convention and we had a wonderful announcement/challenge this morning: All Demonstrators attending Convention have the opportunity to get the new (and soon to be released!) “My Digital Studio” at half-price or FREE! How? By team building! If we add 1500 team members to the Stampin’ Up! family by August 31st, we will be able to purchase it for 50% off. If we add 3000 team members, we will get a copy of it absolutely FREE!!

Now, my question to you is…..when would you like to discuss joining my team? Seriously! With the Mini-Starter kit special ($85.00!!!!) going on right now (promotion ends August 31st), there is no better time! The great thing is that you decide how much or how little you work YOUR business! You could be someone that only wants to purchase the Standard Starter Kit because of the value (you pay $199 and get over $335 in product!). You could be a “Hobby Demo” that wants to receive the 30% discount on your first $150 order then the normal 20% discount as well as have the occasional purchase from your family and friends. You could be a “Hybrid Demo” that loves the 20% discount, getting together with family & friends for workshops and earning extra money to help out with the bills or to have some “fun money”. Finally, you could be a “Career Demo” that not only loves to receive the 20% discount, but also loves to teach classes, host workshops and receive recognition for your hard work. You look at this opportunity as a way to do what you love, share what you do and inspire others to join you in this journey.

You decide how active you want to be. Once you purchase the Starter Kit, you have no obligation to make another purchase and there is no penalty if you should decide to drop. The minimum to stay an active demonstrator is $300….quarterly! Yes, you read that right – only $300 every 3 months to stay active & keep getting that 20% discount!

Whether you want the discount on your personal purchases, you want to earn enough money to cover your quarterly minimums, you want a part-time job to get you out of the house or you’re looking for a full-time career where YOU’RE in charge, I would love to have you on my team!

Contact me for any questions you may have or if you are as excited about this promotion as I am and you want to sign up online, click here. The required password is 40115.

Happy "Sweet 16" Trevor!

Okay, I know boys don't have "Sweet 16" birthdays but who cares....he's turning 16! Not only does this work for my son's 16th birthday tomorrow but it's also the requirement to enter Shelli's blog challenge. How do you like that....2 birds with one stone! ;o)

I'm not sure why I used the little old lady and little old man for a 16 year old's card but for some reason I just thought they "fit". I think he'll like the inside best.....it holds his BP gift card!

What do you think? I would love to read what you think of his card.

It's a Holiday!!

The state of Georgia is having a sales tax holiday from July 30 – August 2. Because school supply items are included in this sales tax holiday, the below list of items will be tax free during the holiday period. Please note that you must place your order with me during the tax holiday period in order to receive these items tax free.

Uni-ball Signo gel pen, 105021, $3.95
Basic Black Stampin’ Write journaler, 105394, $3.25
Stampin’ Write markers, various, $3.25
Watercolor Pencils, 101879, $19.95
Watercolor Wonder Crayons Bold Brights, 106695, $19.95
Watercolor Wonder Crayons Earth Elements, 106696, $19.95
Watercolor Wonder Crayons Rich Regals, 106698, $19.95
Watercolor Wonder Crayons Soft Subtles, 106697, $19.95
Watercolor Wonder Crayons Neutrals, 106746, $9.95
Stampin’ Pastels, 105542, $24.95
Craft & Rubber scissors, 103179, $19.95
Paper snips, 103579, $9.95
Pencil sharpener, 100745, $4.95
Blender pens, 102845, $9.95
2-Way Glue Pen, 100425, $3.50
SNAIL adhesive, 104332, $6.95
SNAIL refill, 104331, $4.50
Mini Glue Dots, 103683, $4.95
Pop-Up Glue Dots, 104183, $3.95
Stampin’ Dimensionals, 104430, $3.95
Anywhere Glue Stick, 104045, $3.95
Dotto, 103305, $12.95
Dotto refill, 100902, $6.50
Sticky Strip, 104294, $6.95
Tombow Adhesive, 110755, $3.95

You can e-mail me or call me to place your order or you can just hop on over to my website and place your order online! Don't wait.....get your order placed today!

Last Week for Deal of the Week

This Friday is the last day for the current Deal of the Week.....the Heart to Heart Punch!
You get this punch for only $10.99 instead of $15.95! Give me a call today to get yours....or better yet, hope over to my website and order it online! :o)

Mini Starter Kit!!

Become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator with the limited-time $85 Mini Starter Kit. The Mini Starter Kit contains the following products:

For All You Do stamp set
Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad
Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad
Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad
Dusty Durango Classic Stampin' Pad
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad
Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad
Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")

Recruits who purchase the Mini Starter Kit will receive the same business supplies as those who order the standard Starter Kit.

During the promotional period there will also be a standard Starter Kit incentive for new recruits who choose the standard Starter Kit instead of the Mini Starter Kit; new recruits who choose the standard Starter Kit will receive the following, along with the standard Starter Kit supplies:
All six of the new In Color Classic Stampin' Pads
One pack of In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
Incentive items have a $43.65 value and are not substitutable.

If you're interested in starting your own business, contact me today for more information!

Overwhelming

That is what the past 2 months have been! Not even 2 months....more like a month and a half. It began with my baby girl's 18th birthday followed by her graduation just 4 days later (with a b.day/graduation party in between)! That was the beginning of what has become nothing but a blur from that day to today! In a nutshell we've had the birthday & graduation; 3 trips (2 planned & one surprise); moving a close relative from one state to another; a family member in the hospital out of state & just when it looked as if we would be attending his funeral he turned the corner (Thank you God!!); more medical issues with me (this is RIDICULOUS!!!); a shocking death of a dear family member that still isn't "resolved" and I'm sure there is more that I'm forgetting right now! I made it through it all with only one personal setback and I'm ready to put it all behind me and move forward again (what else can we do?)!

This is why you haven't "seen" me for so long but you'll be seeing me more often now! I've got some exciting news to share but it deserves its own post so I'm off this one. Have a wonderful day and enjoy the weather....whatever it is! :o)

The Tour is Over

I hope you enjoyed the Blog Tour. The links are gone for this tour, so I hope you bookmarked all your favorites. Our next tour will be July 27 and 28. It will coincide with the launch of our yearly catalog, so be sure to stop back here in July for updates!

Welcome to the May 15th & 16th Blog Tour

Welcome to

Tour #5

Stop #5

Welcome to Stop #5! This tour features 20 stops featuring projects using stamp sets from the 2009 Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog. Hopefully you've poured yourself a glass of tea, Coke or (in my case) ice cold water, have your feet propped up and are enjoying all the wonderful projects on this tour! Be sure to bookmark your favorite stops as the links that make up this tour will be gone at midnight on Saturday (May 16th)!

I am using the cutest stamp set - Animal Crackers (113395, page 49) and I had so much fun creating projects for this stop on the tour that I had to just stop and walk away so I could work on other projects!

The first card uses the little penguin sitting on an ice cube image. Because penguins are black and white, I wanted to use just those colors for the card...the only color I used is the Bashful Blue Stampin' Write marker for the ice cube. I didn't want the top layer to be totally plain so I used a Texturz Plate to give it a little umph. I punched the Basic Black layer with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch and the Shimmery White layer with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch. Isn't he just the cutest little thing looking out that "window"?

Stamps: Animal Crackers

Paper: Basic Black, Shimmery White

Ink: Basic Black Classic Ink, Bashful Blue Stampin' Write marker

Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Harlequin Texturz Plate

The next project uses the squirrel image. He instantly reminded me of my dad! Not because my dad is "squirrely" or has a big, bushy tail but because my dad LOVES peanuts!! I used the Sizzix Matchbox Bigx XL Die to create a box and its cover. The "belly band" is also cut from a piece of DSP and the tag is one of the tags on the Matchbox Bigx XL Die. As you can see by the second view of this project, the matchbox is filled with peanuts! :o)

Stamps: Animal Crackers

Paper: Riding Hood Red card stock, Whisper White card stock, Candy Lane DSP
Ink: Basic Black & Going Grey Classic Ink

Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Matchbook Bigz XL Die, mini glue dots

The third project is one that I made for my niece. She's a gymnast and the giraffe holding the star was just perfect for her! I love making little treat bags and really can't believe how easy they are! I used black, red and white jelly beans because those are her team colors (as well as her beloved UGA Gym Dawgs!). I couldn't wait to give her this little treat bag and see the big smile on her face....it was priceless!

Stamps: Animal Crackers

Paper: Basic Black, Real Red and Whisper White card stock

Ink: Basic Black Classic Ink

Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Top Note Bigz Die, Small Cellophane Bag

My last project uses the little rabbit image. This one reminds me of my nephew....he's always moving! I just look at this little guy and think, "Donny!" I was blog-surfing one day and saw this color combination as a challenge and just had to try it out for this card. It's not a color combo I would normally put together so I had to challenge myself.....that is why it's called a challenge, right?!

Stamps: Animal Crackers

Paper: Barely Banana, Real Red, Basic Black and Confetti White card stock

Ink: Basic Black & Creamy Caramel Classic Ink

Accessories: Aqua Painters, Scallop Edge Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

That is it for my leg of this tour. I hope you enjoyed your visit and the projects I created. I hope you'll leave me a comment to tell me how you liked my projects and come back to visit often or you'll subscribe to my blog. There are more stops and some great projects for you to see so I'm sending you on your way to Dawn Dickinson at Stop #6. Dawn is showcasing Trendy Trees and I'm sure you love what she's going to show you!

Click on the "Next Blog" icon below to travel to Dawn's blog. This icon will be used throughout the tour to help you find your way to the next stop on the tour.

Mother's Day Cards

This was the first Mother's Day that I got to spend with my grandmother in a long time and I couldn't wait to get to my parent's house to spend the day with my mom and grandmother! Since these two women are a lot alike (don't tell my mom I said that!), I knew that I had to make two cards that were alike only different! My mom's favorite color has always been yellow so I used Summer Sun for her card and my grandmother had a pink rose bush that had grown up her garage wall and over the opening so I used Regal Rose for her card.

They loved the cards...and their gifts. ;o) The day was wonderful...great weather, great company, great time!

At last!!

After my trainer didn't show up for our session this morning, I came home and got started on Brittany's b.day/graduation party invitations. They're not totally finished but I wanted to get the finished version posted. I'm happy with the way they turned out and Brittany really likes them so that makes it even better!

The stamp set I used is the new set "Great Grad". The base card stock is Basic Black and I made the invite a top fold card. I used Whisper White for both the outside layer and the inside sentiment layer. I stamped the "Graduate G" twice - once in Basic Black and once in Brilliant Blue. I punched out the Basic Black one with the 1 3/4" circle punch and sponged the edges with Brilliant Blue. I then punched the Brilliant Blue one with the 1 3/8" circle punch and adhered the blue 'G' over the black 'G'. I used Dimensionals to pop this up. The outside Whisper White layer was run through my Big Shot with the Texturz Flourish plate to give it something extra....it looks great! The ribbon is a royal blue organdy ribbon that I bought at a local craft store....it matches perfectly! What do you think?

Outside view

Outside view with peek to the inside.

Before they were punched.....

after they were punched and put together....

after the Dimensionals were added.
They look like "poker chips" in this view to me. LOL!

I hope the wait was worth it for y'all! I had fun putting everything together and look forward to working on my Mother's Day stuff tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have those cards completed and posted for you to see....at least I know my mom, mother-in-law and grandmother won't see them here! ;o)

Ever have one of those days....or two of those days?

The past couple days have been "those days" for me! I've been taking care of a family emergency since last Wednesday and even though it was supposed to be over Sunday evening for me it has continued until tonight! UGH!

I was able to get the card stock cut for Brittany's birthday/graduation invitations before I got a call and had to run out the door. Tomorrow I'm hoping to actually get one invitation put together, scanned and posted for you all to see! If I'm really lucky I'll get all of them done and in the mail...but I'm not holding my breath! ;o)

I hope you all have a great night....and remember to hug the ones you love....and be good to them!

It's Graduation Season!

I have a Senior! I can't believe it but I do! I haven't been able to stamp much this week because of a family "issue" but I was able to get Brittany's birthday/graduation party invitation samples done for her to choose which one she wants to go out to everyone. I was surprised when she picked my favorite....pleasantly surprised since it's also one of the easiest I did! ;o) I had to change one thing on it and I didn't want to show you until I made one of the "real" ones with the change. I'll post that as soon as I get it done....most likely Sunday.

I really can't believe that not only will Brittany be graduating at the end of this month but she'll also be turning 18! All this within days of each other....She turns 18 on a Friday, we'll have her birthday/graduation party on Saturday and she graduates the following Tuesday! Where did my little preschooler go? I can't believe she'll be going off to college in a few short months....even if she is going to school nearby! ;o) I am SO very proud of Brittany and super excited about this next phase of her life...and mine!

Be sure to check back Sunday evening to see the invitation that will be sent out for Brittany's celebration and tell me what you think about it!

Scrapbooking Starter Kit Promotion

In celebration of National Scrapbooking Month, join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator for only $75 with our limited-time Scrapbooking Starter Kit. The Scrapbooking Starter Kit contains the following:

Schoolbook Serif Alphabet stamp set* - $42.95
Simply Scrappin' Petal Party - $19.95
Earth Elements Assorted textured card stock (12" x 12") - $11.95
Whisper White Craft Stampin' Pad - $7.50

*Substitutable for any stamp set up to $43.95 value.


Please note: Each of the products listed above may be substituted for like items. Please see the Scrapbooking Starter Kit Order Form for details. The Scrapbooking Starter Kit also contains all the business supplies contained in the standard Starter Kit:

Getting Started DVD
Getting Started Guide
Guest Invitation Postcard (100)
Idea Book & Catalog (8)
Occasions Mini Catalog (8)
To My Hostess Envelope (10)
Recruit Folders (5)
Recruit Brochures (20)
Hostess Brochure (20)
Hostess Benefits Form (10)
Customer Order Form (50)

You can either join my team via my website or we can get together to complete the paperwork and mail it in. If you have any questions or need more information, don't hesitate to contact me!

Exciting Scrapbook Promotion!

Did you know that May is National Scrapbooking Month? For many people, scrapbooking has played an important role in their lives. It may have started with something simple: the first time they placed a sticker on a piece of paper or picked up a camera. Perhaps for you, it was the first time you realized you could leave your family story for future generations to read, enjoy and learn from.

During the month of May, we are celebrating National Scrapbooking Month. This is an opportunity for you to create while you save money at the same time....two different ways!

1. Buy three packs of Designer Series paper (including our Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock, and get one FREE! There is no limit to how many free packs of paper you can get, you can mix and match your paper and ALL Designer Series paper, Specialty Designer Series papers, and 12" x 12" textured card stock are eligible for this promotion!

2. Buy a sneak peek stamp set from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog--Jumble Alphabet (set of 52; double-mounted)--at a 20 percent discount. There is no limit to the number of sets you can purchase at 20% off and this special is only available during the month of May.

Contact me if you would like more information.

Happy Birthday Becky!

This past Friday was my friend Becky's birthday (I'll keep her age to myself!). I wanted to take her out to dinner to celebrate and tonight was the day that worked best for her so she came over after school (she's a Para-Pro at a nearby middle school) and we chatted for a bit then headed out to visit TJ Maxx to see if we could find a lamp for her and then to dinner at Chili's followed by Chick-Fil-A for dessert! I can't tell you how GREAT tonight was! I loved getting caught up with Becky and making plans for next week. We've both got some milestone events coming up that we'll be working on.....Brittany's graduation and 18th birthday for me - her son & her mom's weddings for Becky. It's going to be a busy few weeks coming up!

I know that Becky needs some pampering so I made a very simple gift bag to hold the bath gel, body scrub and lotion I got her and a faux alligator skin purse to hold the bath beads. Does the card look familiar? ;o) After I made the card that you can find in the post below this one, I thought, "That card screams BECKY! I need to make one for her!" so I did! LOL! I didn't want to post these projects until after I had given them to her....just in case she visited. I would hate for her to see her gift before she got it so I waited until after we visited tonight. ;o)

Faux Alligator Skin purse, bag & card...notice how the colors coordinate...

AND they're same colors that Jaron challenged us to use?

Sorry for the glare...I had to take a very quick picture & I had already put it in an envelope.

Faux Alligator skin purse

Close-up of purse. How stinkin' cute is this?!

Bag holding bath accessories.

I wanted to keep this VERY simple so I just covered a small paper bag

with some DSP and punched the "handle" with the large oval punch....easy peasy!

What do you think? I would love to hear what you think of Becky's gifts. ;o)

Jaron's Color Combination Challenge #1

One of my very favorite Stampin' Up! employees is Jaron Winder....I should rephrase that to "former Stampin' Up! employees". He is no longer with Stampin' Up! but he's still one of my very favorite people! I would "stalk" him at each Stampin' Up! event I attended, have my picture taken with him and chat a little bit about his family. He has the most adorable little "chickens" (that's what he calls his kids) and his wife is just beautiful! He has a personality that's as big as Utah (they live there) and a heart to match! I was sad to hear that he was no longer with Stampin' Up! but happy that I get to keep track of him through his blog.

When I checked his blog this morning, I saw that he decided to start posting a Color Combination Challenge. Since it's Jaron I couldn't not do it! I mean how bad would it be for me to say that this man creates some amazing work and then not trust his judgement by not participating in his challenge? Just because his first color combination is Old Olive, Taken with Teal and Soft Sky (a retired In-Color, color) doesn't mean he's lost his mind or anything....or at least I hope he hasn't.

After I finished some projects that I had to finish today, I decided to pull out Jaron's colors and see what I could come up with....Holy Smokes - they look GREAT together! I don't think the scan of my card does it justice! Using the stamp set Bird on a Branch, I first stamped the peacock (I don't know if that's what it really is but it's what I'm saying it is!) in Taken with Teal, then I stamped it in Soft Sky and did the "rock-n-roll" technique to outline it in Taken with Teal on a separate piece of Whisper White card stock and cut it out. The sentiment is stamped in Taken with Teal and the tree limb is stamped in Chocolate Chip. I first inked up the blossoms with Soft Sky and then removed the ink off some of the blossoms and colored them in using my Old Olive marker. I "popped-up" the peacock with dimensionals after I did all the stamping. Because I wanted everything to line up in specific places, I used my handy-dandy Stamp-a-ma-jig. There is no way I would have been able to get everything lined up the way I wanted it if I hadn't!

So, tell me what you think. Do you like these colors together? Why don't you give it a try and leave a comment to tell me what you think. Better yet, send me a picture of your creation and I'll post it here and put a link to it on Jaron's blog as well (if you're okay with that). I would love to see what you come up with!

Admin. Assistant's Day

I wanted to make a small gift for Gary to take to the two Admin. Assistants that he works with. I used the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set to make the cards and some DSP to wrap around the bottle of air freshener. I also used the butterfly die to make the butterflies on the bottle. I didn't want to go "overboard" with the gift so I put some "smell good" bath items in the basket along with the reed diffuser air freshener. Gary was pleased with the gifts (although he forgot I was making a gift and was only expecting a card....again with the "man" thing!!!). He said the ladies LOVED their gifts and were pleasantly surprised! I'm a happy stamper! :oD

Close-up view of the basket contents.

View of the two baskets for Gary's Admin. Assistants.

Melissa's 23rd

I sat down to make my older step-daughter a birthday card and knew that I wanted it to be simple and pretty. I had just made Kehley's engagement card (see previous post) and loved the way the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder worked with the vellum and I decided to do it with Melissa's birthday card.

I embossed the vellum and cut it down to 5 1/4" x 4". I stamped "Happy Birthday" on the same size Whisper White card stock and then adhered the vellum to the card stock using mini glue dots on the two upper corners (you couldn't see them through the vellum either!). After I did that, I wanted just a tad bit of color so I gently went over the raised edges of the vellum with my pastels and a sponge dauber. It doesn't really show up, but I used blue to give the rose some color...I didn't want a lot so I barely did it.


I wanted something more than the sentiment on the inside of her card so I stamped the big rose on the inside bottom corner. I *really* liked the way this card turned out!



Now that you saw the card that I created especially for Melissa....this is the card she'll get in the mail! Why? Because when I gave Gary the card to sign I didn't specifically say, "This is Melissa's card." and he signed "Gary" instead of "Love, Dad". I didn't because I told him earlier that I was making cards to get into the mail along with Melissa's birthday card that we would send her and another that we'll give her when we take her to dinner Sunday night.....I thought he would remember that his daughter was the only birthday card I would be making. Yeah, I know what you're thinking...."Are you kidding?! He's a man! Men don't remember things like that!" Oy! It was late last night and I was not going to make another card to get in the mail this morning so I went to my box of cards and grabbed this one. I'll most likely re-make the one above to give her Sunday night because I liked it so much but this is the one she'll be getting in the mail. :o( Oh well, at least she'll be getting one!

So excited!

I got a phone call from our neighbor telling me that her older daughter is engaged! I'm SO excited for Kehley and CJ! They are such a wonderful couple....sooo nice and just exactly what you would want in your own kids! I had to know how he proposed....OMG - he just stole my heart again (our family just loves CJ and Kehley!)!

He hid in Kehley's apartment - she came home from class early (she's attending UGA) and he almost got caught! He asked her if she had made her bed that morning. She went in to check and found a rose & a note. The note told her to go to a friend's apartment....where he had a rose & note waiting to give her. That note told her to go to another friend's apartment....where she had a rose & note waiting to give her. That note told her to go to the balcony....where she found another rose & note. That note told her to look down....where CJ was standing with a rose. She ran down to him and he proposed! How sweet is that?!!

I made the card below using UGA's colors since I have no idea what colors they will use (they're thinking next year) and I don't know what Kehley's favorite colors are. I used the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder and cut out the dress. I saw this idea on a blog one day and knew I had to try it for myself! I really like how it turned out! What do you think?

Happy "Sweet 16" Kimberly!

Yesterday was our youngest daughter's 16th birthday and I really wanted to make a special pop-up 3-tier cake card for her! I knew I wanted to use chocolate and pink and this is what I came up with. I really like the way this one turned out...hope you do to! Let me know what you think of it. :o)

16 candles just for Kimberly

1st Birthday Invites

My Trainer's girlfriend asked if I could make some birthday invitations for her little girl's 1st birthday in June. These are the samples that I made up for her to choose from. Which one do you think she chose? I'll post the one she chose in a few days....she had a question about changing some colors so I did that & sent it to her to see how she liked it. :o)