Christmas Cookie Exchange!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I did a cookie exchange recently with my MOPS group at church! I just took plain sandwich bags that I already had in the kitchen and tied ribbon around them and attached my recipe card. Here is a tip! With the Top Note Sizzix die, if you want a nice layer of designer paper with your card stock, you just need to cut the bottom layer along the dotted edge. That'll give you a nice even layer and a nicer affect to your project. Here are my cookies! If you look closely - there is a yummy recipe for you too. Enjoy!

Halloween Fun

Hi Everyone!

I've been having fun with Halloween projects this month. Here are a few I've done recently. One I demoed at a home party I did recently. The other was a monthly craft project we did at both my monthly stamping groups. Also, a few of us brought goodie bags to fill at this month's get together and did all of our Halloween treat bags while we were there. Pretty cool to have a free project to make and have the time carved out to make our own goodies! Next stop - Halloween scrapbook pages for my boys!! Stay tuned.....

April

Mini Chipboard Scrapbook

This is the Mini Scrapbook/Keepsake that I did for my mother in law's birthday this year. This is the same as the Valentine book I did for my hubby this past February. This is a great gift for anyone and I put it together in one evening! It'll hold 6-8 pictures depending on the size. That is very doable!! This will be one of the projects we'll do at the Gift Giving Stamp Camp this November 22nd. Also, the card holder project I posted in June will be another project for that camp. The point is to create memorable, thoughtful gifts while also saving you money! Sounds good to me!

Scrapbook Club Pages for June

Here are our Scrapbook pages for June. I had two themes in mind - hanging with my girlfriends and being out in nature, which my family loves to do! This rounded out our 6 month Scrapbook club. We each have 24 pages complete now!! WooHoo. That is definitely more than I'd done this time last year. This club is a great way to build scrapbooking supplies, have completed pages - ready to add photos too, and learn great designs and techniques. See my newsletter for the upcoming Holiday Scrapbook club I'm hosting! Don't miss the opportunity to have someone help you design your holiday layouts. This years holiday pages will be done even before the holiday (instead of months or years later!!).

A Great Gift!

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to share my teacher gifts with you. We also did this project at my Stampers' Ten Club meetings this month. This is such a thoughtful, creative yet inexpensive gift for friends, teachers, family and more. I gave each of Nicolas's lovely preschool teachers one of these for their end of the school year gifts! It is an easy template to follow starting with a base sheet of 9 3/4" X 6" paper which is your card holder. You score that piece lengthwise at 4 3/4" and again at 5" and then turn the paper 90 degrees and score at 2 1/2". Fold along your score lines and you'll see the card holder take shape. Decorate some cards for the inside and then decorate the outside and you have a lovely (and useful!) gift! The cards for the inside are 4" X 2 3/4" folded. I used the new scalloped oval punch that matches beautifully with the Oval All stamp set. Try it out! Just let me know if you need some help putting this project together!

Happy Stamping!
April

May Simply Scrappin' Kit - Hoppy Memories

I just love this kit. I've been eying it since the new catalog came out. The colorful patterned paper alone in this kit gives you many possibilities. Again, I used some chocolate chip felt flowers for my lilly pad and a chipboard letter to create 2 simple but really cute layouts. I used my crop-a-dile for the eyelets on the blocks page and it was SUPER easy to set them!! Hoppy Memories is already sold out if you can believe that. These kits go fast - another reason to join my scrappin club so that you get these before they are GONE! We are starting a new club with the new catalog in July! Join us and keep your scrapbooks going throughout the year!

April

April's Simply Scrappin' Kit - Sunshine Garden

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for my lack in posts lately! I have been creating though, just not uploading! Here are the layouts for April's Simply Scrappin' kit. We worked with the Sunshine Garden set which is just so cute! The Doodle This stamp set compliments this Scrappin' kit nicely so you'd better hurry and get it before it retires July 1st!! Our felt flowers and colorful brads added nice touches to this already colorful kit. I made some faux grass by simply chopping up a green cardstock border with my scissors and then ruffling the edges with my finger tips. Top it off with a chipboard sun and you've got a nice clean page to add pictures to! I have one layout with pictures and one without so you can see the possibilities both ways! Enjoy!

April

April's Stampers Ten Project

Here is the card we are making at my April's Stampers Ten clubs. We are using the Sizzix Textured plates to created embossed backgrounds. It's so easy and makes beautiful textured paper! I used the Doodle This stamp set. The middle of the flower has clear chunky glitter that adds a nice touch and finishes off the card well. When you use the TomBow glue, it is super easy to use the glitter. Just squeeze a touch of the glue in the center and sprinkle the glitter in place. It dries quickly and you can just shake off the excess glitter! :)

Daddy's Birthday Gift

Here is something I put together in a frame for my husband's birthday. Just another way to use your stamping supplies to create gifts! Think of a scrapbook page in a frame. Or you could create artwork to decorate your home too...just think of some of the card layouts you've done. Most of the layouts we use on our projects can be turned into art either for your home or for a special gift! I'd be happy to help you with any gift projects! Just give me a call!

April

March Scrapbook club

Hi Guys,

Here are the pages from March's Scrapbook club! I finally uploaded the second layout. This is from the cute Best Ever kit and I used the Party Hearty stamp set with it. Those cupcakes compliment this Scrappin' set very well!! Enjoy!

Easter Basket Project

Here is the cute Easter Basket project we are doing in my Stampers Ten clubs this month. It can fit a few handfuls of Easter treats for that favorite someone you know! :) This project was TOO EASY since I used the Baskets and Blooms Sizzix dies. Pop out 2 quick pieces with your Sizzix and sticky strip them together. Using the Designer paper makes decorating even easier too. This is using the Delicate Dots Sale-a-bration paper and the Polka Dot Punches Sale-a-bration stamp set. I was inspired by my pocket card and used the same type decor! This cute tag with the scalloped edge is also a part of the Baskets and Blooms die along with some other really cute flowers that make great accents for your baskets, cards or scrapbook pages. This Sizzix is the BEST!

Stampers Ten Pocket Card

This is a Pocket card we did at my Stampers Ten club at the end of February. We used the Polka Dot Punches Sale-a-bration set along with the SAB Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper. Just cut your standard card size to 7.5X5.5 (instead of 8.5) and fold at 4.25 as usual, which will give you some room at the top for your insert. I used sticky strip along the edges to create the pocket. Just let me know if you want me to write out directions for you! We used a Faux sewing technique to create the stitching all around the edge of the card. This was just using the paper piercer and the White Gel Pen - Very Easy! The 5 petal punch coordinates nicely with the flower in the Polka Dot Punches set, which is something to consider! It always makes it easier when things come together nicely! I also used the tab punch in created the pull out tab for my pocket insert. It's such a cute card and easy - I promise! Let me know if you are interested!!

Scrapbook Club Pages for February

Hi Everyone,

This is what our Scrapbooking Club is up to! These are the pages you get, along with the entire Tailor Made Scrappin' Kit in February. You can order this kit at any time, we just put them together for February! The total is $25 for everything included, the full Simply Scrappin' kit, all accessories and pictures of the pages put together for you to follow! This month in addition to the kit you'll receive pieces from Button Latte, pre-punched / stamped co-ordinating pieces, and the Sizzix Top Note pre-cut die to match our layouts. You can choose whatever title you want. I am simply scrapping for the themes I want to scrap for but I am making all pages general so that each member can make them what they want! I did a Fun with U pages for my boys and journaled a bunch of ways we have fun together. For my second layout I scrapped and journaled a fun day we had touring Wineries this fall! Let me know if you have any questions or want to join us. Jump in and have a COMPLETE Scrapbook by SUMMER!

Watercoloring Techniques

Hi Everyone,

We are doing 3 different watercoloring techniques at my Stampers Ten clubs this month using a Sale-a-bration set, Botanical Blooms. We are using Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Watercolor Pencils and Stampin' Pastels (chalks). The only additional tools you need are Blender Pens and our Aqua Painter. Here is a picture of the simple card we are making and examples of the same image using all 3 water coloring techniques. All 3 of these techniques are very easy and turn out beautifully on projects. It gives it a painted on, more artistic feel. It's an easy way to try something new!

For the Watercolor Wonder Crayons, you simply color in the rubber directly on your stamp with the crayon of your choice. Make sure the image is fully covered with your crayon color. Use the Aqua Painter to brush water lightly over the rubber so there is a light layer of water over the crayoned image. Then stamp your image on your paper. They recommend Watercolor Paper (also in our catalog) for this technique but it is not absolutely necessary. This gives it a sort of blotchy, painted effect.

Using Watercolor Pencils and Stampin' Pastels is super easy as well. For the pencils, you just choose the color of your choice and color in the edges of your image. Then you take your blender pen and start to drag the color throughout the center of your image. You could also color in darker areas throughout your image, not just on the outer edge, and then pull the color around to fill in the image with your blender pen. For Stampin' Pastels, or our chalks, you simply dip the tip of your Blender pen into the color of your choice and color your image. Keep dipping for lighter or darker areas. These two techniques gives a very nice variation of color on your image.

TIP: If you'd like to get a taste of this technique before purchasing any of the watercoloring supplies, you can also achieve a little bit of a watercolor look by squeezing your stamp pads so that color gets on the back of your pad and then dipping your blender pen into that ink to color in your image. This gives you a softer look and variation in color as well.

For this project we are also using a 2-Step Stamping set, Botanical Blooms, where you have a base image and then a colored-in image on top of that base to create a more 3 dimensional image. You simply stamp your base image in a bolder color and then overlap it with your colored-in image using a contrasting color, usually a lighter color. I use my Color Coach all the time to match colors that will look good together for this.

If you have any questions please email me. If you'd like to do a watercolor project at your house with friends, just let me know and I'll plan the projects for us! Have fun!

April

Congratulations to these Stampers!

Congratulations to Carrie Rodgers, Lisa Rodier, Linda Lee and Corrina Bowers who will receive $10 off their next order for answering the 4 question survey I sent out in my last email newsletter. They are worth reading! Linda already redeemed hers! Thanks you guys!
April

Make this Valentine scrapbook for FREE

Hi Everyone,

Make this cute Valentine book for your Sweetie, child or friend for FREE when you purchase the Love You Much bundle on sale now with Stampin' Up. This bundle comes with the Designer Series Paper, Candy Cane, you see in the pictures, a 3 heart punch and the Love You Much stamp set. You can use this set not only for Valentine's day but for thank you cards, friends cards and of course anniversary cards. Scrapbooking too - you name it. You have to get past the typical theme to see all the uses you can get out of this bundle! I'm suppling all the additional stamp sets, colors and accessories to make your book as well as the sturdy On Board Book Basics (nice chipboard base). Just add your pics and your own sentiments in the open space you see in these pics. I also have different quotes for you to choose from so that it matches the gift (ie. friend, spouse, child, etc.) Email me to day with your order for the bundle and the FREE book. I'm having the class to make it on February 6th from 7-9pm but you can ask to have all the supplies and make it on your own or request another time to come by and put your book together. I'm flexible. Orders for the bundle need to be in by January 31st to get the sale price though. Don't miss out on a perfect gift and great product!
April

Just Buzzin By Goodie Bags!

This is a CUTE new set out of the new Spring-Summer 09 Catalog. I accidentally ordered my catalog supply in Spanish...so it'll be a little longer before I hand out catalogs to those of you placing orders, in clubs and hostesses shows! I apologize as I know you look forward to seeing all the new items and creative projects SU comes up with! I made some goody bags for my Stampers Ten club today that I wanted to share. I used the Top Note Sizzix die as the bag topper. The dots on the circle scallop were made using the White Gel Pen. I just stapled the cellophane bag and then used Stampin' Dimensionals to attached my bag topper to the top of the cellophane bag. We just finished up our 2nd year together and I usually do something special for the group at the end of each year. You guys will be receiving your goodies soon. I had fun making them for you! I also made an extra as a hostess gift to the next person that books a show with me. Sale-a-bration is coming up in February and March. It is a GREAT time to book a show! More for you and your customers! Call or email me today for some dates! Also, check out my latest newsletter/email to see new classes and clubs coming up. A scrapbook club, Stamp a stack is here and a cute Valentine gift for your Sweetie or a great friend - affordable, thoughtful, perfect! Check it out!
April

Scrapbooking Weekend

Happy New Year Everyone,

First, I got my new catalog today!!! Yiiippeee! I will post some sneak peek photos to hold you over until you get your own! Don't forget to email me to request one. All my hostesses, customer orders, and club members will get one automatically! It is adorable! I'd better start figuring a way to afford everything I want! Stay tuned...

Also, I scraped most of Saturday and worked on Noah's 1st Year book. Nicolas has a 1st Year book so, so will Noah! Then we'll do family scrapbooks. I was so excited to scrapbook again because it's been awhile. The Christmas season had me doing mostly cards and gifts! Here are some pages I worked on!

Make sure you check back for more on the New Catty and my upcoming class schedule!

Love,
April