Sweet Scallops - January 2008

So I finally got around to posting a picture of my first Sale-a-bration card. I love the So Many Scallops set and am working on making some more cards with different layouts and such. So far this one is definitely my favorite though. Not only do I love this stamp set but I also love this berry bliss paper. It seems to coordinate perfectly with the stamp set.

The card is very easy to make and I'm working on trying to provide more details in my blogs with directions and such so forgive me if this gets wordy.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: So Many Scallops
Paper: Berry Bliss DP, Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate
Ink: Purely Pomegranate
Accessories: Large Brass Eyelets, Soft Subtle Brads, Crop-a-dile, & Paper Piercer

To make the card I started out with a piece of 5 1/2 x 11 piece of pretty in pink paper. I then folded that in half and used the bone folder to smooth out the fold. For the next layer I cut a piece of purely pomegranate that was 5-1/4 x 4. I then cut the berry bliss designer paper which is (I'll have to look it up and let you know). Then I went onto the center pieces. I stamped the so many scallops image on whisper white and then used the SU Scallop Punch to punch out the image. Then you use the crop-o-dile to punch a large circle in the center of the stamped image & insert the eyelet. I didn't set the eyelet completely and then punched a hole in the pretty in pink square. I then attached the image to the pretty in pink square and set the eyelet the rest of the way. The crop-o-dile I have doesn’t quite have a long enough reach to do it all in one step. So the easiest way to do it would actually be to use the eyelet setter in the crafter's tool kit, which I ended up doing after the first card. The pretty in pink squares are both the same size and they are (I'll look it up and let you know) and the purely pomegranate square is just 1/8 smaller then the pretty in pink layer. I then poked wholes in the corners and inserted the brads.

I hope you enjoy the card and feel free to case it.

February Challenge - 2008

Sorry that I am so late in posting this challenge but after no one participated in January's challenge and some personal issues I've finally gotten time and made the decision to go ahead and post a challenge anyway.

The challenge for this month is to come up with a 2 - 12x12 page using the 2 - 6x6 pages attached shown at this link http://tinyurl.com/29rhgk without losing the simple elegance that the original designer has came up with. The purpose of this challenge is to help me come up with a way to CASE stinkerbell's design but in the 12x12 page format that I personally use. Any and all help & suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

For all those who provide a sample of their ideas by the 29th of February you will be entered in a drawing to win a free set of cards w/matching envelopes, so go get creative now and thank you in advance for all your help.

EXTRA EXTRA HOSTESS BENEFITS

Hostess Promotion

Dates: March 18 - April 30, 2008

Promotion Details:
Host a $350 workshop between March 18 and April 30, and earn an EXTRA $25 in hostess awards!

Things to Remember:

Qualifying orders must be at least $350 before tax and shipping; workshops totaling more than $350 are not eligible for additional hostess awards.

Hostesses can use their additional $25 on any regular catalog/mini-catalog merchandise.

Birthday Smiles - April 2007

I love this card design and how versitle it is. I made a whole bunch of them. Of course part of why I love it so much is because it uses Tempting Turquoise which has to be one of my absolute favorite colors. You could defiantely do this card using the other coordinating colors in the flowers and put different wording in the middle as well.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Smile, Petals & Paisley
Paper: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, DP Petals & Paisley
Ink: Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Tempting Turquoise Grosgrain

A New Twist on Photo Holders - November 2007

I made a bunch of these binder clip photo holders for the gals who attended my first workshop. It was a small group and it was a last minute thing but I wanted to show them that you could make things other then cards. Although they were very simple, I think they were a big hit. In the second picture you can see where I put a bag topper to illustrate how the clip would hold a photo.

RECIPE:
Paper: DP Rose Red
Accessories: Large Binder Clip, White Taffeta Ribbon

January Technique Class - 2008

I made these items at my upline's January technique class. I love the the different ideas she comes up with and really hope that I can get a class going similiar to hers. I like the different card layout we used this month to make the first card, but my favorite project was the little lantern we made. These would be perfect for home decor or even decorations for an outdoor wedding. All that would need to be added would be some christmas lights or a flameless candle and it would be "WOW"

Card 1 Recipe:
Stamps: Sweet Celebrations, All in a Row
Paper: Going Grey
Ink: Basic Grey, Real Red, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Scallop Punch, Circle Punch, Red Gingham Ribbon, Heart Chipboard, Chunky Glitter, Crystal Effects, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Lantern Recipe: (I will create and post a tutorial on how to make this lantern at a later date)
Stamps: stitched exotics
Paper: bali breeze DP, Whisper White
Ink: Purely Promgerate
Accessories: brads, 5 petal punch

Card 2 Recipe:
Stamps: Time Well Spent, Baroque Motifs, Make it Count
Paper: Going Grey, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla
Ink: Basic Grey, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Turquoise Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Scoring Blade

Welcome Baby - March 2007

I made this card along with several others to send out in some "This is for You" packets in order to drum up some business. I'm not sure that I had any luck with the packets but I at least had fun making the cards and now have a sample I can use in making some more baby cards in the future.

CARD RECIPE:
Stamps: Riveting
Paper: Cool Caribbean, Loves Me DP, Whisper White, and one of the SU pink papers can't remember which one now
Ink: one of the SU Pinks
Accessories: pink gingham ribbon, variety of circle punches, tearing edge

December's Challenge Prize

These are the cards I made for the winner of the December montly challenge. Colleen received 5 of the birthday cards and 5 of the thank you cards shown here. I think they turned out great and plan on making a bunch more of them. They're very elegant but really simple to make. I love the colors though the apricot appeal isn't a color I typically use. Although I've made birthday and thank you cards using here they could very easily be changed to another subject/theme.

Card #1 Recipe:

Stamps: Embrace Life, Spring Solitude Bundle Set
Paper: Bali Breeze, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White, pumpkin pie
Ink: basic black, certainly celery
Accessories: brads, dimensionals, white gel pen, wild wasbi double stitched ribbon, SU Markers, Three For You Punch

Card #2 Recipe:

Stamps: embrace life, it's your birthday
Paper: bali breeze DP, Certainly Celery DP, Taken with Teal, Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Basic Black
Accessories: Brads, Wild Wasbi Double Stitched Ribbon, Three for You punch, SU Markers, white gel pen, dimensionals

More Birthdays - August 2007

I made several of this card because I noticed most of my birthday cards in stock were more girly then masculine so I came up with this one. I thought it could work for both girls & boys but was definately more masculine. I also liked t he idea that it could very easily work for a Halloween Card. I guess that's what I get for using halloween themed designer paper but it's okay. I have alot of birthdays in October so the cards should go over really well.

Happy Birthday Girls - August 2007

I made these two cards to stock up on some girly birthday cards. They didn't turn out quite as I planned but they're not terrible so I'm not going to complain. I definately will use the layout again. I'll just need to tweek them a bit.

Card #1 Recipe:
Stamps: Circle of Friendship
Paper: DP Flowers For You, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White
Ink: Lovely Lilac
Accessories: Ribbon (non-SU), Scallop Punch

Card #2 Recipe:
Stamps: It's Your Birthday
Paper: DP Flowers for You, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White
Ink: Lovely Lilac
Accessories: Ribbon (Non-SU), Scallop Punch

Wedding Album - December 2007

I finally got the wedding album and surprise completed for my cousin & his wife done. They got married in a wonderful and beautiful ceremony in April 2007 down in the hills of Kentucky. I was lucky enough to be able to attend and had a blast. I wish they lived closer because even though they're distant cousins in relation they are so close in family ties & love. Anyway... after having such a wonderful time in Kentucky visiting and partying I decided I needed to make a surprise for the newlyweds and this album is what I came up with. It took me several months to get it all put together and make the final decisions on what I should do on each page but I think it turned out wonderful and the new bride absolutely loved it.

BOOK RECIPE:

I have bought a bunch of the 7 gypsies board books that I used to make this album. I have found them at several online stories and ebay for reasonable prices. I'm sure some of the local craft stores carry them as well but at the time I bought them I hadn't found the ones I wanted at the local stores I have, so I went online.

To make the book I used a combination of current and retired Stampin’ Up stamp sets including but not limited to doodle alphabet, butterfly of happiness, world tour, in the spotlight, sidekick sayings, perennial friendship, that’s nice, and define your life. The paper and inks used were Petals & Paisley DP, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Almost Amethyst, and whisper white. I used mainly craft ink because of the embossing but some classic was used. To add the sparkle I used both Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. Last but not least I used a wide variety of Stampin’ Up paper punches.

Sale-A-Bration Recruiting Promotion

Sale-A-Bration Recruiting Promotion
Dates: February 1 - March 17, 2008

Promotion Details:
New demonstrators who join Stampin' Up! during the promotional period will pay only $159 for the demonstrator Starter Kit. That's 20% off the regular price. You'll get $330 worth of business & stamping supplies.

And if that’s not reason enough to celebrate, when you become
a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration, you’ll also receive
any Free stamp set of your choice from the new Spring-Summer
Collection—up to a $47.95 value!

That’s right—become a demonstrator today, and you’ll start out with
up to $375 of Stampin’ Up!’s high quality, one-of-a-kind stamping
products for just $159! Now that’s reason to Sale-A-Brate!

Additional Benefits for new Recruits during Sale-A-Bration!!!

February 1, 2008

Don't forget that there is an added recruiting incentive for Sale-A-Bration this year--all new recruits will get 20 percent off the Starter Kit in addition to the regular Sale-A-Bration benefit of a free stamp set from the Spring-Summer 2008 Collection! So please contact me or your local demo and get signed up.