Expedited excitement!

For the very first time since becoming a demonstrator 3 years ago, I splurged and paid for expedited shipping. Wow, I could get really spoiled with that! :) Sitting on my doorstep today was my new Big Shot (!) machine and goodies from the new Holiday Mini Catalog that will mail later this month! After playing around with the Big Shot, I focused on the new Create-a-Calendar '09 kit. Included in the kit is:

• 1 sheet of exclusive, self-adhesive die cuts
• 12 pre-printed calendar pages with coordinating designer series paper pattern on the reverse side
• 1 Bashful Blue printed die-cut pocket
• 36" of Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon

And here's my finished project:

I wasn't too adventurous with the design - I pretty much copied the sample on the kit cover. Then I took at 4-1/2" x 9" chipboard clipboard (say THAT fast 5 times!!!) and covered it with a sheet of Washington Apple designer series paper in So Saffron. I applied So Saffron craft ink to the top of the clipboard, adhered some of the grosgrain ribbon and tied some to the top loop.

On the calender pages, I marked the big holidays with the "Mark the Date" stamp set and Riding Hood Red ink.

I think it turned out adorable! And for the small price tag, this makes such a wonderful gift item. You can keep the months in the folder and switch them out on the clipboard each month. Enjoy!

Breaking out the DSPs!

Woohoo, it's party time with the designer series papers!! :-) Here are two projects I made yesterday with the new Ghostly Greetings and Urban Garden DSPs.

I think the white and orange skeleton paper is so cute! It works perfectly with the Bad to the Bone guy in the Batty for You stamp set. I love this fun color combination!


I absolutely adore the soft, muted colors of the Urban Garden DSP. The center panel on this card comes from one of the sheets with this great design based on the Upsy Daisy stamp set. A little layering, a simple sentiment, one punch and that's it. This literally took me no more than 2 minutes!

{{Bad to the Bone}}

Stamps: Batty for You

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Versamark

Accessories: Ghostly Greetings designer series paper, white embossing powder, heat tool, 1" circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, scallop circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

{{Sorry for your Loss}}

Stamps: Always in my Thoughts

Cardstock: Baja Breeze

Ink: Basic Grey

Accessories: Urban Garden designer series paper, curly label punch

Accessories challenge

I have a problem. For some reason, I seem to hoard new accessories. They're always so bright and shiny in the catalog and I buy them up, but then they just sit on my craft room shelves. I decided to challenge myself to use some of my newest goodies. On this card, 4 out of the 7 accessories I used were new to the Fall-Winter catalog!

So, are you also guilty of hoarding accessories? If so, I hope you'll accept my challenge to free those beauties and show me your fabulous creations! Just post a link to your project on a blog, on SCS, or anywhere else you store your projects. Have fun and remember, admitting your problem is the first step....

Stamps: Cute & Curly
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Bella Rose designer series paper, Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, Button Bouquet, curly label punch, boho blossom punch, mini glue dots, stampin' dimensionals

Cupcake birthday

Ok, I'll admit it...I'm hopelessly addicted to cupcakes. I've been to both coasts in 12 months and found the ultimate cupcake creations in New York City AND Portland (Magnolia Bakery and Saint Cupcake respectively)! Been there, done that, and even own the t-shirts. :) There's just something about those little mini baked goods that make my mouth water at the mere mention of the word. So when I spied the "Crazy for Cupcakes" stamp set in the new Stampin' Up! catalog, it was the first thing to go on my order! Here's my first creation, kind of a "Happy Birthday to Me" card (I'm turning the big 4-0 next month!)

Cupcake, anyone?! ;)

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red, Bashful Blue, Watercolor Paper
Ink: Stazon Black, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: aquapainter, Washington Apple designer series paper, scallop edge punch, stamp-a-ma-jig, stampin' dimensionals

Stamping with a friend

I got some play time today! While my husband and son are out of town, my friend {{hi Diana!!!}} and I had some stamping fun. We designed and created 50 gift tags for a special event coming up (which I totally forgot to get pictures of-DOH!). Then Diana wanted to re-learn the waterfall technique that I did in one of my stamp clubs about a year ago. Here's what we came up with:


The hockey stick is stamped on alternating sides of the panels to make it look like the stick moves the hockey puck back and forth. Way too cute!

Stamps: Just Hockey
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Ruby Red, Basic Black
Accessories: silver brads, oval punch, 1-3/8" square punch

It finally arrived!!!

After much anticipation, my first order from the new catalog arrived yesterday...along with a business supply order, a marker club order and a stamp club order! I was like a kid in a candy store looking at that big pile of Stampin' Up! boxes sitting on my front porch. Unfortunately, after unpacking everything, packaging all the club orders, mounting my 8 new stamp sets and taking care of those annoying little household tasks like cooking dinner, when I finally had time to sit down for some stamping, I felt completely and utterly overwhelmed. I froze. I couldn't think of where to even start!! {{yikes}}

So finally today, I was feeling a little less anxious and dug into my new goodies. What resulted was a simple, but elegant, Christmas card design. I was trying for more of a vintage feel and wanted to keep it very subtle. Did I succeed??

Stamps: A Wish for Peace, Snow Swirled

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke, Kraft

Ink: White craft, Basic Black

Accessories: kraft taffeta ribbon, white watercolor pencil, versamarker, stampin' dimensionals

Shoebox Swap

Wow, what a fun day I had! My generous upline threw a big shin-dig today with reports from some of her downline that attended Stampin' Up!'s annual convention, make and take projects with new goodies from the Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog, and a shoebox swap with 20 of her downline! I can't wait to share all the fabulous projects we made with my customers!! Here's the card I designed and prepped for the swap:

In addition, we threw a little surprise celebration for Sherrie in recognition of her 10th anniversary with Stampin' Up! She wasn't able to attend convention this year and enjoy a walk across the main stage in honor of this achievement, so we showered her with all kinds of fun stuff! Congratulations Sherrie!

Stamps: Happiness Always, Heard from the Heart
Cardstock: Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: large oval punch, scallop edge punch, sponges, stampin' dimensionals

And the nominees for cutest couple are....

Frankie and Pinkie!

I totally CASEd Frankie from Dawn Griffith (check out her vast library of video tutorials!) and then created Pinkie so he wouldn't be so lonely!

Stamps: none
Cardstock: Frankie - Always Artichokie, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White, Basic Black; Pinkie - Mellow Moss, Pink Passion, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Frankie - Always Artichoke, Basic Black; Pinkie - Mellow Moss, Basic Black
Accessories: 1" circle punch 3/4" circle punch, white gel pen, sponges, Basic Black grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Funky Flowers

I am patiently waiting (yeah, right!) for all my goodies from the new catalog which are not scheduled to arrive until next Tuesday - boo hoo. The last 2 weeks have been a blur....returning from vacation, having 2 stamp club meetings, my son starting school in a new building, feeling totally unmotivated to clean my craft room. I had today off so I spent the morning designing and preparing materials for a shoebox swap this weekend that my fabulous upline, Sherrie, is hosting. I won't post that card until after the swap just in case any of my sidelines see this before then (but be sure to check back Sunday evening!!).

I started playing with this new stamp set, Wow Flowers, and came up with a funky color combo using some of the new In Colors. I don't know how well you can see it in the photo, but the Whisper White cardbase is finished off with the new scallop edge punch (man, I LOVE that thing!). Enjoy!

Stamps: Wow Flowers, A Little Birdie Told Me

Cardstock: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: oval punch, large oval punch, scallop edge punch, stampin' dimensionals

I'm back, but...

We've returned from our extensive California vacation, only to face a week FULL of activities (stamp club, tour my son's new school, meet-the-teachers night, Stampin' Up garage sale...). I haven't had much opportunity to pour over the new Fall-Winter Idea Book & Catalog other than to quickly pull together my first order. My house is in dire need of cleaning, especially my craft room (see below) so I probably won't be posting any new projects until Tuesday (have another stamp club on Monday).

The explosion that is my craft room: