Thank You Card....

This card was inspired by a swap card by Wanda Williams who made it as a birthday card and it was in portrait orientation.  At a recent workshop, one of the gals turned it to a landscape orientation and gave it a totally different look.  We all thought it looked great that way too!

Stampin' Up's Artistic Etchings Stamp Set....

This stamp set sure was a hit at Stampin' Up!'s convention this year.  I probably have 15 swaps with this set.  Obviously it is very versatile!  Thanks to Ann Lohmeyer for the inspiration for this card which we made at a recent workshop.  It also uses the Decor Stencils which I hadn't used yet.  Now, if I could just get someone to give me a trip to Paris for my birthday!

More Inspiration from Stampin' Up! Convention...

This gorgeous card was inspired by a swap card that I received at Stampin' Up!'s convention too.  I took Tracy Altemose's basic layout and changed up the stamps.  I didn't have the set that she used and found the Dreams Du Jour stamp set worked perfectly!  What do you think?

Stampin' Up! Punch Caddies Not Available

Stampin' Up! just notified us that, due to quality issues, the Punch Caddies on page 200 will not be for sale.  Here's a Q&A that Stampin' Up! put together regarding the issue:

"We, like you, are disappointed that we cannot offer the Punch Caddies for sale. But because of our ongoing commitment to providing you with the highest quality products, we simply cannot allow this product to go live. If you have additional questions about this matter, we’ve prepared a brief Q&A for your use.

Q: What were the quality issues with the Punch Caddy?
A: Through usability testing we discovered problems with the functionality of the Punch Caddy, as well as issues with materials and aesthetics that did not meet our standards.

Q: Will you offer a Punch Caddy in the future?
A: We have no immediate plans to manufacture the Punch Caddy as it is currently designed. We will possibly look into an equivalent product in the future, but we do not have any firm plans to do so at this time.

Q: Why don’t we get a different vendor to produce the Punch Caddy?
A: The problems with the punch caddy are in the design, molds and materials. Even if we selected another vendor, it would not be possible for them to manufacture a product that would meet our quality standards.

Q: How do you suggest I explain to my customers that the Punch Caddy will not be available?
A: The issue is straightforward. Tell them that we discovered serious quality issues with the product that could not be resolved. Rather than deliver a defective product to demonstrators and customers, we chose to halt production.

Q: Why are items that are not yet for sale included in the Idea Book & Catalog?
A: The timelines of the Idea Book & Catalog and product development sometimes overlap, and some products are still in development when the catalog goes to press. At the time of printing, we have assurances from our vendors that the products will be ready at or shortly after catalog launch. As the Idea Book & Catalog is the Stampin’ Up! storefront, including them in the catalog provides them with the broadest exposure—much more than they would receive if we were to launch those products independent of the Idea Book & Catalog. Unfortunately, in the case of the Punch Caddy, difficulties arose that will prevent it from being offered at all. Future print runs of the 2010–2011 Idea Book & Catalog will not feature the Punch Caddy at all.

Thank You Cards for Breast Cancer....

As you may know, I create and donate cards to the Necessities Bags of Sacramento for mastectomy patients in the Sacramento area.   I try to donate about 100 cards every couple of months.  Going to convention last month has helped because I was able to get so much inspiration from others' card swaps.  This is a card that I made using the retired Buckaroo Blue paper & ink with the Friends 24/7 stamp set.  Thank you Chris Greten for the inspiration!  Perhaps one of my cards on this blog will inspire you.  If so, please let me know.

Stampin' Up! Artists Are So Clever!

This picture is from the Legacy Room at Stampin' Up!'s home office in Riverton, Utah.  It is so hard to believe that everything is made from paper!  The designers are just so clever.  Don't you just want to eat all of it? 

Linda Hansen Dinner during Stampin' Up! Convention

Linda Hansen is a former employee of Stampin' Up! and a favorite of most demonstrators for her sense of humor and kindness.  This year, with the help of a couple of wonderful demonstrators, Linda organized a dinner called "An Evening to Remember".  She had two surprise guests, Jaron and Lori, who are also previous Stampin' Up! employees.  I volunteered to help with the check in process as there were 200 demonstrators who signed up for the dinner.  It was great to see these wonderful - and very funny - people!

Swaps at Stampin' Up! Convention

Here's one of the cards that I took with me to swap at Stampin' Up!'s annual convention.  The card is made using the Very Vintage jumbo wheel and the Elements of Style stamp set.  These cards went fast.  I had several other styles of cards but this one "sold out" on the first day.  Over the next week or so, I will post some of my favorite cards that I received from others.  Perhaps they will inspire you to break out your stamps as they have inspired me.

Back From Stampin' Up! Convention!

I am back from convention and boy, did I have a blast!  Caught up with some friends that I made in past years and made some new friends.  This is a picture of a group of us at the Brazilian Steak House.   If you are a true carnivore, this restaurant is for you.  They had a buffet with salads and side dishes and then the waiters came around with huge skewers with various meats on them.  They had 18 different meats to choose from that evening!  I only made it through about half of them.  Everyone had a great time at convention and I have lots of stories if you are interested.  Just book a workshop and I will be there with pictures and stories!

Stampin' Up!'s 2010/2011 Idea Book & Catalog

The new 2010/2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog is available on July 1st which is just around the corner.  At this time, I cannot pre-sell them yet but I can get an idea of who wants one when they are available.

As I have in the past, I will be selling them for $5 each.  Customers who hosted a workshop from me in the past year will get theirs free.  Even if you are eligible for a free catalog, please send me an email to let me know that you would like a catalog.  I will let you know more details in June when I can begin taking orders for the catalog.  Thanks!

Going, Going... Some Already Gone.....

The response to Stampin' Up!'s announcement of the color renovation has led to a rush to order colors that will no longer be available after June 30th.  There has been such a demand that, although Stampin' Up! tried to anticipate the demand for these colors, they have already run out of Mellow Moss and Only Orange cardstock.  You can still order the ink pads and reinkers in these colors but all cardstock has been depleted.  I understand that you can still get them in the color family packages but I am not sure how long those will last either.  Supplies are dwindling so please let me know if you would like to place an order for any of the retiring colors.  We have also been advised that they will be substituting textured cardstock for smooth cardstock if all of the smooth cardstock is gone.

Little Bit of Magic from Stampin' Up!'s Summer Mini Catalog

Tuesday was Stella's downline meeting and this is the card that I took to swap.  I think the Little Bit of Magic stamp set from Stampin' Up!'s Summer mini catalog is just so cute!  What do you think?  I am having lots of fun using the new Color Renovation colors - I have even rearranged my craft room already so I know what colors are staying around and which are going. 

Making Flowers using Stampin' Up!'s Scallop Punch...

I came across the inspiration for this card on Stampin' Connection and fell in love with the flower.  To make the flower, click here for a video from Dawn Griffith.  For my flower, I used Stampin' Up!'s Scallop Punch  and only used five pieces instead of eight.  Also, instead of just spritzing with water, I dipped them in a mixture of a little bit of water and 3-4 drops from a reinker.  I used Pretty in Pink cardstock and a Rose Red reinker for my flowers to give them a bit of depth. 

Stampin' Up!'s MOTORCYCLE stamp is perfect for Father's Day!!!

For another card at Barbara's workshop last weekend, I took my inspiration from Linda Creech's card on Stampin' Connection, but put a twist on her card by using the lattice embossing folder from Stampin' Up!'s Summer Mini Catalog on heavy duty aluminum foil.  The Motorcycle stamp from the mini catalog is perfect for the men in our lives and a great bargain as well!  This card could be used for any occasion where you need a masculine card.

Diorama Card Using Stampin' Up!'s "Under The Stars" Set...

This week, for my friend Barbara's workshop, I wanted to try a diorama card.  These woodland friends from Stampin' Up!'s Under the Stars stamp set are the perfect way to wish someone a Happy Birthday or even for Father's Day which is just around the corner.  It also reminds me that it is almost time for camping!

What Little Boy Wouldn't Like This Birthday Card?

At a recent workshop, Shelly requested a birthday card for a young boy and what little boy would love these bright colors!  Thank goodness Tempting Turquoise is staying around but I am going to miss Green Galore - it is such a fun color.   I used the "Party Hearty" stamp set for the front of the card and "Crazy for Cupcakes" for the inside of the card.  What a surprise that little boy will get when he opens the card and sees this:

          

Upcoming Class in May - Card Box

Perfect for a hostess, birthday or thank you gift or just to keep for yourself, we will be altering a recipe box into a Card box which will store 12 cards & envelopes that you will be making as well. The cards will be appropriate for any occasion and you will leave with labels for customizing each card for the appropriate event. Gone is the day when you didn't have a card for the occasion! Just go to your Card box and customize a card! 

No previous stamping experience required – Mom and I will both be here to assist you. Light refreshments will also be provided.

Date:   May 15, 2010

Time:  1:00 p.m

Location:  My house

Cost for this event is $25 per person. Space is limited to 8 so RSVP ASAP!  I suspect this will be a popular class!

Stampin' Up!'s Of The Earth Stamp Set...

Don't you just love making cards using items found laying around your house?  I do!   Can you find the household item in this card that we made at a recent workshop?  No?   Give up?  Okay, it is shipping tape!  I punched the three windows on the Certainly Celery cardstock using the Curly Label punch and placed a piece of shipping tape across them from the back.  I then added Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the sticky part of the shipping tape showing through the cardstock.  Using markers, I colored the images on a piece of Whisper White cardstock and placed it behind the windows.  I love the end product!  How about you?

By the way, were you wondering how I made those windows line up so well?  The trick is using another household item - Post-It notes!  Punch out the post-it notes making sure to keep some of the sticky portion.  Then place them where you want on your cardstock and then punch the cardstock.  Perfect alignment every time!

Now what household item are you going to use?????

Stampin' Up! Announces Color Renovation!!!

Some time ago, Stampin' Up! made an announcement that some of the past In Colors may be brought back at some point in the future but I didn't imagine that they would be doing a total revamping of the color families!  Well, today they announced that, beginning July 1, there will be only four color collections:

Brights Collection 

Neutrals Collection             

Regals Collection         

Subtles Collection

Each color collection will have 10 colors in it which you can see below.  There will be 5 new In Colors beginning in July but instead of only being around one year, they will be around for two years.  In July of 2011, Stampin' Up! will add 5 more In Colors which means there will be 10 In Colors which retire in two year increments.

Five New Colors will be added to the collections:  Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler and Marina Mist.

Returning In Colors which will be added to the collections:  Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, River Rock, Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette and Baja Breeze.

Colors that are saying "goodbye" are:  Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pale Plum, Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Lavender Lace, Almost Amethyst, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue, Taken with Teal, Glorious Green, Handsome Hunter, Sage Shadow, Mellow Moss, Green Galore, Gable Green, Barely Banana, YoYo Yellow, Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal, Only Orange, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa and Going Gray.

I will miss some of these colors but really look forward to the new collections.  I hope you do too!  They have announced that they will be offering special bundles to supplement your current collections.  The actual kits and pricing will be available in July.  Contact me if you have any questions! 

Adorable Easter Bunny using Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Treat Cups...

Isn't he adorable?  We had great time making this cute Easter Bunny at a recent workshop.  What a great way to use the Stampin' Up!'s sweet treat cups!  A big thank you to Sandi MacIver who provided the template for the egg-shaped card and bunny's body.  If you want a copy of the templates, just let me know and I will send them to you and you can share your own Easter treat with someone!

Where Have I Been????

Where have I been and why haven't I been blogging?  Well, here's the view from where I was!  First person to email me with the correct guess of where I was will win a prize!  Now, you have to be somewhat specific in your guess - perhaps being as specific as the name of an island, maybe?????  I'll post the answer and the winner's name as soon as I have one!  I had a wonderful time and want to thank my sister Becky for inviting me to come along with her on the trip!  We had a blast and did a ton of shopping - is there a better vacation than that?

Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration sets are so cool!

I am having a lot of fun using the sets that we get free with a $50 order.  Here's a great birthday card using Stampin' Up!'s current "In Colors" and the Happy Moments set from the Sale-A-Bration catalog.  There's still time to get one of these cool stamp sets as Sale-A-Bration continues until March 31.  How cool is that?

Valentine's Day - Stampers for Others...

Last Saturday, Mom and I went over to my upline Stella's house to make Valentine's Day cards for seniors as a part of Stella's Stampers For Others.  Stella had planned on several customers and demonstrators being there but it turned out to just be the three of us.  We had such a great time!  Here is one of four designs that I made while there.  I think we made a total of about 70 cards.  There will be much love shared in a Seniors' Community in town this week!

Stamp-A-Stack on Feb. 21

Join me for a Stamp-A-Stack camp in my home from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Sunday, February 21st!  We will be making eight different designs - some with bright spring colors to chase away the winter blues!

One of the designs will feature the new shimmer paint which was so popular during the holiday mini catalog promotion that Stampin' Up! has continued to make it available for purchase.  We will also be using the Big Shot, heat embossing, a Stampin' Around wheel and loads of punches!  No previous stamping experience required - Mom and I will both be here to assist you.  Light refreshments will also be provided.

Cost for this event is $12 per person.  That's only $1.50 per card.  Space is limited to 8 so RSVP ASAP!

Thank You Lyssa!!!

Back in the fall of 2008 (wow, was it really that long ago?) and just before my mastectomy, I was given a "Necessities Bag" from an organization who puts the bags together for women undergoing mastectomies.  The bags included all kinds of items necessary during your hospital stay and the days after the surgery.   I so appreciated everything that was given to me but noticed that there were no "thank you" cards for the gifts and flowers I received. Now, being a cardmaker myself, it was no problem.  However, those women who are not cardmakers might need some so I decided to give back to the breast cancer community by donating thank you cards for inclusion in the bags.

I then put out a post on Splitcoaststampers to other demonstrators and got several responses.  Three wonderful ladies all sent me cards for donation.  I just received this shipment from Lyssa - can you believe how many cards she and her customers sent to me!!!  Thank you so much Lyssa!

If you are interested in donating cards to this cause, please just let me know!  I accept full cards or just card fronts which I will turn into full cards.

What People Can Do with Punches!

I am always amazed at what stampers do with their punches!  Last July, Mom and I went to Stampin' Up!'s annual convention where we swapped our creations with the creations of thousands of other people.  Okay, we didn't swap thousands but between the two of us we had well over 100 swaps.  One of the ones that Mom was received was an adorable geisha girl made completely from punches.  I love getting inspiration from other people's creations but always like to put my own twist on things.  Here's my geisha girl card.  If you'd like instructions on how to make the fold card or the geisha girl, just email me and I will provide you with the instructions.  I love sharing what I love!!!

Welcome to My New Blog!!!

I never thought I would do it, but here I am - a blogger! I decided this would be the easiest way for me to share my love of stamping with others and to let everyone know about upcoming classes. I plan on posting cards and projects that I have been making for everyone to see. Hopefully they will provide you with some inspiration!