Today was such a fun day!  Although, any day that I can spend the day with friends and stamps is a good day.  Today kicked off the first of three Christmas Stamp-a-Stacks and there was a whole lot of stampin' goin' on!

(L to R: Keyla, Megan, Jen, Mary, Jen, Alicia and Karen)

I had seven wonderful guests and only a couple had ever stamped before, so to have the majority of the group brand new to the craft was an absolute treat for me.  Everyone did such a fantastic job on all of their cards you would not have believed they had not stamped before.  Everyone made 15 Christmas cards, so I made each guest a special bag to hold all of their goodies.  The Big Shot allowed me to personalize each bag. They were fun to make and super cute!

Here are few photos of the day:

A few more action shots:

Even the dog, Kayla, had to be in the middle of the action!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek into my day!

I had the pleasure of making a congratulatory card today!  I am sending it to my friend and new team member, Cheryl.  Cheryl is my newest team member to join Stampin' Up! and I am very happy to welcome her the SU family.  Cheryl was able to take advantage of the fantastic deal that Stampin' Up! is offering to anyone who joins during the month of October. Not sure what I'm talking about? Check it out:

Click HERE to find out more.

If you, too, would like to join my team and take advantage of this fabulous incentive, contact me today at: [email protected] .  I would love to have you join my team!

So, what about the card?  I used the stamp set Fruit and Flowers and the corresponding designer series paper called Berry Blossoms.  This DSP incorporates some of the new In-Color paper, including Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral.

To add interest to the envelope, I made a paper medallion with the same DSP.  These are so much fun to make and incredibly easy with the help of the Simply Scored Scoring Tool (#122334).  This thing ROCKS! 

If you look close enough, you'll also see that the strawberry has a shine to it.  I added Crystal Effects for added dimension.

Time is running out!  If you would like to enjoy the numerous benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, contact me today!  There are only 5 days left of the promotion!

Have a great day!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers (#122607), Friendly Phrases (#126151); Ink: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, and Soft Suede markers; Paper: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White and Berry Blossom DSP; Accessories: Simply Scored Tool, Crystal Effects, In-Color designer brads, scallop oval punch, 1-3/8" circle punch and circle scissor plus.

A few long days at work have kept me from my craft room, but tonight I was able to finish a birthday card I have had in progress for a long-time friend.  Tomorrow I am celebrating Paula's birthday.  Paula was my college roommate - many, many years ago.  It's only coincidental that we both ended up in Central Florida, nearly 1300 miles from where we grew up.  I'm looking forward to seeing her for lunch.

My card uses a new set in the Holiday Mini catalog called Gently Falling.  This is a great 2-step stamping set that produces such beautiful results.  The various leaves in the set can be used for numerous occasions so it can be used well beyond the Fall season.

To give the variegated color in the leaves, I started by inking the leaf in Pool Party and then used a sponge daubers to add Soft Suede and More Mustard ink.  I then stamped the outline image in Soft Suede ink to accent the leaf.  I love the variegated look.  So pretty...

Of course you can't make a card and not stamp the inside so here's a quick peak of my birthday wishes:

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'm happy to know that I will have time to stamp over the next few days so be sure to stop by again to see what else I've been up to.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Gently Falling, Tiny Tags, Happiest Birthday Wishes; Ink: Pool Party, Soft Suede and More Mustard; Paper:Pool Party, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Spice Cake DSP; Accessories: Spice Cake buttons, Vintage Trinkets, Crochet ribbon, Choc Chip grosgrain ribbon (ret), Jewelry Tag punch Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and Dazzling Details.

Wow...I can't believe how quickly time has slipped by.  I had no intention whatsoever of taking a blogging break, but somehow one day after the other slipped by.  I have a lot of catching up to do!  The good news is that I have not been sitting idle.  I have had several classes, camps and stamping events to attend over the past two weeks.  I've cut a lot of card stock lately...

Speaking of classes and such, if you are in the Orlando area and want to attend my East side Christmas stamp-a-stack, please RSVP no later than Friday, October 28th.  The event will take place on Saturday, Nov 5th from 10a-2p.  Registration and prepayment are required.  Please visit here for more details or contact me directly at: [email protected].

Since I have been preparing so much for Christmas camps and classes, I seem to have Christmas on the brain.  I finally mounted a stamp set that I've had on my shelf for a couple of months now...Beautiful Season (#122682 C, #122680 W).

I love the detail in this set and if you like to color this is perfect!  It lends itself beautifully to water-coloring.

For the complete card recipe, please see below.

If you are interested in getting Christmas ideas from me each week for the next 10 weeks, be sure to sign up for my newsletter in the left side bar.  While 2 weeks have already gone by, there is plenty of time left to enjoy more projects.

Have a great day!

Recipe:

Stamps: Beautiful Season (#122682), Petite Pairs (#122497); Ink:Black Stazon, Real Red, Sahara Sand and Old Olive; Paper: Real Red, Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Neutrals paper stack and Very Vanilla; Accessories: black lace ribbon (clearance rack item), Perfect Pennants Die and 2-1/2" circle punch.

Better late than never, right?  Here is the template I promised back in this post.  This is VERY easy to make, you won't even need my template after the first time. So, just as a reminder, this is what you are making:

This candy holder is perfect to make with Stampin' Up! designer series paper because it is double sided and both prints are visible.

Here is the template and a step-by-step tutorial:

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

 
 
Cut your paper to 7" x 10.5".  Score at 3.5" and 7" along the long side of the paper.

On the first panel, cut off 4" from the top.  On the second panel, cut off 1.5" from the top. The template will now look like this:

Fold the paper "accordian style" to create one mountain fold and one valley fold.  Like this:

If you want to add a trim or border to the pockets, now is the time to do it.  When done, secure each flap and the bottom with Sticky Strip to create pockets.  After adhering the panels together, this is what it should look like:

 
I told you  it was easy!  If you have any questions, please contact me.

I also want to show you an adorable "Boo Banner" my dear friend, Barb made.  How perfect to make for the upcoming holiday and another great way to use the designer paper.  Check this out:

 

Thanks for visiting!

I'm finishing up some Halloween projects this weekend and getting ready for my Fall stamp camp on Tuesday.  With paper medallions being so incredibly popular now, all of my "stamp campers" will learn how to make the medallion on this Halloween card:

 
There are a few products on this card that are retired, but one item that I thought was no longer IS still available.  See that bat on the card?  Well, the bat punch actually retired when the new catalog came out in July, but guess what?  New items are in the Clearance section and the bat punch is there!!  And, oh my, is it every priced right.  Can you guess??  It's only $6.99!!   Click here  to go check out all the fantastic items that have been recently added.  Lots of great product to use for the upcoming holidays too!

I am finishing up the tutorial for the candy holder in my last blog post.  I have just a few edits to make before I get it posted.  I'll have it up by the end of the weekend in addition to an adorable "boo banner" made by a dear friend of mine.  Halloween is always so much fun.

Ok, so you thought the new items in the Clearance was exciting, wait til you see this...

If you have ever considered joining my team and the Stampin' Up! family, THIS MONTH is the time to do it.  Take a look at this:

Free Big Shot Offer

An offer to DIE for!

If you've been looking for an opportunity to do what you love, while getting a 20 discount on your favorite products, now is the perfect time! During October, you'll get a FREE Big Shot when you join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator.*

Use the Big Shot die-cutting machine and Stampin' Up!'s exclusive dies**  to create uniquely beautiful projects in a flash.

In addition, the new-demonstrator Starter Kit--a steal at just $175--contains over $345 worth of stamp sets, card stock, ink, accessories, and business supplies-everything you need to start your new business.

There are so many benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, including

• A 20 percent product discount!
• A free monthly issue of Stampin' Up!'s demonstrator-only magazine, Stampin' Success!
• Sneak peeks at brand-new products!
• Invitations to exclusive Stampin' Up! events!
• Regular get-togethers to stamp!
• Free access to an online community of 30,000+ crafters/stampers and creative artists, as well as 160,000+ project samples!
• Plus, access to an exclusive video and training for your new Big Shot!

Seriously, this is one fantastic offer.  Besides all the great product in the starter kit, to get the Big Shot too?  WOW!

If you have questions or just want to talk a few things over, contact me!  Joining Stampin' Up! will be a rewarding experience you won't regret...and I'll be with you every step of the way.  Call me or email today!

Now GO shop the Clearance Rack!