Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

SPECIALS ENDING TODAY...

Today's the last day for the Stampin' Up! specials listed below ... you can take advantage of these deals by:
 
A) Placing an online order on my business website (click on the "SHOP NOW" link at the top of this page to receive home delivery by UPS)

OR

B) Calling or emailing me with your order - I'll be submitting the last of my April orders at 10 pm tonight.

Hey, it's all about the free stuff, so don't miss out!

STAMPIN' UP! SPECIALS ENDING ON APRIL 30TH, 2009:

• GET CONNECTED: For each $50 you order, you can pick one of the items on page 208 of the Spring & Summer Catalogue for FREE!

• FREE CATALOGUE: Place an online order on my business website and receive a FREE copy of the Spring & Summer Catalogue (retail value: $11.95; NO MINIMUM ORDER AMOUNT REQUIRED)

24 HR SCRAP-A-THON IS ALMOST HERE!

OMGosh ... it's almost here ... are you ready?
It's time to celebrate National Scrapbook Day this weekend, at my 24 hr Scrap-a-thon! Dust off your scrapbooks, print out your photos and let's get busy!

FRIDAY MAY 1ST: 6 PM - MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY MAY 2ND: 9 AM - 9 PM
SUNDAY MAY 3RD: 9 AM - 3 PM

For a grand total of 24 HOURS of scrapbooking fun ...WAHOO!

Plan to attend for as many (or as few) hours as you can spare; it's up to you ... I have only 2 spots left for Friday night; 3 for Saturday morning; 5 for Saturday afternoon & evening and 4 for Sunday! Call or email me now to reserve your seats: 519-823-8891 or donna@scrappinwithdonna.com

Here's the card you'll receive when you arrive - notice the pretty little yellow and blue squares? Stay for 3 hours and I'll give you a gift; stay for 6 hrs and you'll receive a second gift, and so on. The longer you stay, the more gifts you'll take home (and the more scrapbook layouts you'll complete, too!)

1	2	3	4	5	6	7
22	NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY					8
21	23 sample		2 0 0 9	24 not valid		9
20						10
19	24 HOUR CROP-A-THON					11
18	17	16	15	14	13	12

See you this weekend!!!!!

SOMETIMES LIFE GETS IN THE WAY...

No particular reason, but life has been getting in the way of my stamping and sharing lately; I really miss my stampin' therapy!

Today I'm sharing some of the sample cards displayed at the Stampin' Up! London ON Regionals held in March - I've marked several of these creations to CASE just as soon as I can get back into my Stampin' Studio ... I hope you find some inspiration in these photos too!

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: CLEARLY THANKS WINDOW SHEETS

Stampin' Up!'s new Occasions Mini catalogue is full of exciting new products, but hands down this is the one that caught the eye of the Frugal Stamper ...

Window Sheets (think: overhead transparencies) are a fantastic accessory that will add a whole new shine, dimension, and style to your projects!

These clear, plastic sheets are available in two thicknesses (medium & heavy weight) and can be cut, punched (use the medium weight only in your punches), or die-cut into fabulous shapes using the Sizzix Big Shot!

And if you've ever priced a package of acetate overheads at your local office supply store, you'll KNOW that Stampin' Up!'s Window Sheets are the better deal for the Frugal Stamper!

Use them for unique card fronts, clear scrapbook pages, overlays, boxes, tags, and more!Add on a Rub-On or a stamped image in StazOn ink for an especially compelling look.

The mini catalogue also offers pre-printed "Clearly Thanks" Window Sheets (item #115122, $8.25) with fantastic polka dots and silhouettes for adding beauty and interest to projects. (It's like getting a transparency/rub on combo without having to buy the rub ons - Wahoo!!)

Drop by my studio to see samples of all three types of Window Sheets, or place your order now using my online shopping cart! Be frugal: order $50 of products and take advantage of April's "Getting Connected" promotion to earn free stuff!

IT'S EARTH DAY!

Today's the day we all give thought and action towards taking better care of our planet; after all it's the only one we have!

Crafters have been Earth Day supporters for  many generations - even if they don't realize it. Every time we find a new use for an existing product or object, we are reducing production in big factories & their pollution, we're reducing the amount we send to landfill sites, and we're saving money while we create a beautiful hand-made card or gift!

Today's tip from the Frugal Stamper is a list of common items that can be given a new life in your craft room:

1) CEREAL BOXES - use cardboard from thin boxes in place of expensive chipboard to make book covers, or to run through your die cutting machine to make letters and shapes.

2) EMBELLISHMENTS - visit your local second-hand thrift shop  or your own closet & drawers to find old necklaces, sweaters, etc with unusual buttons or beads - they can be taken apart and re-used on your cards & layouts for a fraction of the cost you'd pay for brand new!

3) UPHOLSTERERS & PAINT STORES - these places are a gold mine for crafters; ask for discontinued fabric sample books or wallpaper books - even the most outlandish pattern can be used in a small amount to accent your cards or altered items. Cut some fabric flowers with your die cutting machine and sew them onto a pillow! Paint sample cards are another popular accent to use on your cards.(Note: not all papers & fabrics are safe for your scrapbooks - use caution when putting them next to your photos).

4) WOOL GARMENTS - Shrink those old wool sweaters and scarves in the washer & dryer - on purpose! You'll be left with a tightly-woven felt-like material that can be cut to make flowers, dots and other embellishments. The process is called felting, or according to my friend Joy, "Franken-felt" - taking pieces from one garment to make something new.

Ok, just off the top of my head, there's a list to get you started. Now it's your turn - leave a comment on this post to suggest other household or workshop items we can incorporate into our craft creations.

On Friday night I'll randomly choose one commenter to win a bag of die cut shapes made with my scrap card stock and my Big Shot die cutting machine & my newest dies - butterflies & flowers for Spring!

GREETINGS FROM HOLLAND

Hello everyone - hope you are spending this weekend indulging in your favourite pastimes ... I am!!

It's Sunday morning & my gal pals and I are getting ready for the roughly eight hour drive home, pausing along the way for shopping (of course!)

This is an annual trek to Holland Michigan to attend Jackie Bahaus' Stampin' Up! event for demonstrators - this year's theme was "Maximizing Your Dime in 2009" - the Frugal Stamper picked up lots of great tips to implement in my classes so you can all get the most bang for your buck in this "time of economic downturn" (aka recession - let's call it what it is!)

Back to the weekend activities: Friday night we had a card-making marathon: 20 cards at 20 stations in only 3 hours... for me it was a perfect ending to a stressful week of proctoring exams, and it rejeuvinated me after our long drive (with rest stops at Hobby Lobby, Joanne's Crafts, and Karen's Scrapbookingstore in Flint. natch!)

Saturday we heard some excellent advice from Jackie, Dawn Rapsas & others, followed by some kewl demonstrations and then an amazing Make & take project that I can't w ait to show you all!

The girls are ready to hit the road, so for now I'll just share just a couple of the 300 photos I managed to take ... and a note to my hubby: if I don't show up at home tonight, send the search party to TARGET!

24 HOUR CROP TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK MONTH

Do you wish your scrapbooks were up-to-date, but you can never find the time, energy or motivation to get started?  Well here's your chance to REALLY make a dent in that ever-growing pile of photos and layouts ... join me for my 2009

24 HOUR CROP-A-THON
Friday May 1st, between 6 pm & Midnight - only $5.00
Saturday May 2nd, between 9 am & 9 pm - only $5.00
 & Sunday May 3rd, between 9 am & 3 pm - only $5.00

• attend for as many hours as you like each day for only $5.00 per day!
• receive a punch on your 24 HOUR CROP CARD for each hour you attend!
• prizes awarded at 3, 6, 12, 18 & 24 hour marks on your CROP CARD!
• Stampin' Up! specials on Designer Series Paper & Textured Card Stock - buy 3 & get 1 FREE!
• stash your stuff in my Studio when you head home to sleep, and just continue the next day where you left off!
• use my stamp sets, inks and scrap card stock; Big Shot die cutting machine and punches!
• uninterrupted laughs, support, inspiration and snacks!

... LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE ... CALL OR EMAIL NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE ...

HAPPY EASTER - PART DEUX

It's 11 pm on Easter Sunday and the last of my company just left - we had a great weekend visiting & spending time with the family - even if my sister woke me up waayyyyy too early every morning, groan.

Here's my fav Easter project this year - since I've been focusing a lot lately on my Punch Happy club, this little punch art basket was a natural to share at my team meeting and again at last week's "Just Cards" class. The original instructions came from fellow demonstrator Amy Celona, although I made a couple of minor changes during my classes. Here's the link to Amy's original instructions.

I hope you all are enjoying your long weekend, eating lots of chocolate, and getting lots of great pics for your scrapbooks! If you're one of the lucky ones who have another day off tomorrow, ENJOY (and be sure to take some time to create something with your stamps!)

HAPPY EASTER: PART ONE!

HI all, I hope you are enjoying the warm sunny weather on this Good Friday! Since everything is closed today, I figure that we are meant to enjoy our favourite pastimes ... like stamping!

Here's a quick project for your Easter Dinner table - a combination of treats and seating placecards!
I saw it in today's newsletter from Scrapbooks & Cards Today - a Canadian company who will be at the Kitchener Scrapfest next weekend; be sure to check them out.

***************************
Easter Inspiration (from Scrapbook & Cards Today)
How adorable are these Easter gift bags by Lori Tyndall of Markham, ON? Lori will be placing one of these sweet gifts at each person’s seat for Easter dinner!

Here are Lori’s supplies and instructions:

Supplies: cardstock, ribbon, pencils, scallop punch Stampin’Up!, stamp, Rubber Stampede; ink, Tsukineko; bag template, Sizzix Bigz XL Bag with Scallops; circle cutters, Creative Memories; tool, We R Memory Keepers (Crop-a-dile)

Instructions:

1. Die-cut bag from cardstock and adhere with super-adhesive tape.
2. Print individual names on white cardstock; cut out with scalloped circle punch; trim to fit the flap of the bag and adhere.
3. Stamp rabbit on watercolour paper with Staz-On ink; colour in with watercolour pencils; punch out with scalloped circle punch.
4. Adhere stamped scalloped circle to a 2” circle; adhere that circle to a 2.25” circle with foam dots.
5. Using the Crop-a-dile, punch 2 holes through all layers at the top of the bag; thread ribbon through and tie in a bow.

MY LATEST HOME DECOR ATTEMPT

Hi all,

I know, I know, I'm supposed to be posting projects from the Occasions Mini; but...

I finally ordered & received the Decor Elements piece that I've been dieing to put up in my Stampin' Studio's bathroom ...I'm thrilled with how it turned out; what do YOU think?

These photos run from left to right, starting at the edge of the shower, skipping the sink area 'cause we still haven't bought the white framed mirror, turning the corner over the towel bar, and finishing on that wall behind the door. (The walls are painted a VERY pale blue - it looked almost white on the sample swatch)

I was really pleased: one package did roughly 12-14 feet of circles (I'm too lazy to go downstairs to measure the walls). They came in three sheets: one with all the Bashful Blue circles, one for all the Chocolate Chip, and one for all the Certainly Celery. I just cut them apart, taped them up temporarily while I played with the design, then applied them, overlapping as I went.

To see a photo tutorial of this project, look under PAST ARTICLES on the left side of your screen (you may have to scroll up or down)

OK, hubby is working today, so I'm off to the studio to finish some Occasions Mini projects to show you!

"GET CONNECTED" PROMO DETAILS:

    

UNDER $12 ITEMS INCLUDE:

Item	Description	Retail Price
116209	Note of Thanks Mini Note Kit	$11.95
116210	Birthdays Count Mini Note Kit	$11.95
114494	Forever single stamp	$6.95
114492	Beautiful Baby single stamp	$9.50
114486	Birthday Wish single stamp	$8.25
114490	Glad Friends single stamp	$6.95
114498	Flowers in Silhouette single stamp	$9.50
114496	Celebrations single stamp	$9.50
114484	Elegant Thank You single stamp	$8.25
114504	Merci bien single stamp	$8.25
114488	Fun Flowers single stamp	$6.95

THE OCCASIONS MINI BEGINS TODAY!

Stampin' Up! is determined to keep my wish list growing and growing and... well, you get the idea.

The first glimpse I had of the new Occasions Mini Catalogue just about blew me away, and even after having the opportunity as a demonstrator to pre-order some of the new stamp sets and accessories in March, I STILL want so much more from this mini! Good thing we have all of April, May & June to order from this gem!

Check it out for yourself by clicking on the cover. If you are in my Stampers Club, you should have already received a copy in the mail. If you'd like a copy, give me a shout!

Oh, and there's a new promotion in April called "GET CONNECTED" - the final details are yet to be announced, but I can tell you that it involves FREE PRODUCTS! I'll post the details here just as soon as Stampin' Up! does.

Meanwhile, I'm off to my stampin' studio to work on some samples using three of the new stamp sets from the Occasions Mini, so I can post them here tomorrow!

Leave me a comment at the end of this post telling me your top three items from the mini ... the ones with the most votes will likely be featured in my upcoming classes!