Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

ABSENT

Due to a death in the family yesterday, I will be out of town for a few days and unable to blog. Watch for my sneak-peek projects next week. Hug the ones you love,

Donna

A DAY FOR DIVAS

I had so much to do in planning and executing my team Diva Day on the weekend that I had to take Sunday AND today to recover .. just kidding!

The truth is that I'm so lucky to know such a great bunch of gals and I enjoy spending time with them so much that it hardly seems like work. The Artful*Inkers rock and I can't wait for the next Diva Day in July!

Thank you everyone who drove all the way to my place just to stamp and visit ... thank you for the great spread at lunchtime (potluck always seems to work out in the end) .. and a special thank you to our two youngest stampers (4 months and almost 1 month) who let their mommies attend and even finish their projects!

For some reason, I can't seem to add in any photos to this post, so I'll call it a night and come back tomorrow to show you our projects and our two little cuties.

cheers

Donna

 

APPARENTLY, MARCH IS BABY MONTH

A year ago this month our family was blessed with our first grandbaby ... it's hard to believe she's already a year old, and at the same time I can't remember what life was like without her being a part of our family... I am in Grandma Heaven!

On the same day our granddaughter arrived last year, my cousin Sherrylee in St. Catherines became a grandmother for the first time too! Her little grandson is quite the handsome dude.

 

And my nephew's little angel celebrated her first birthday this March out in British Columbia with her big brother and sister.

Now fast forward to March of this year ... my cousin Marlene became a grandmother on March 2nd in Guelph, ON; ANOTHER cousin  (yes, I have a lot of cousins, lol) became a first-time daddy about week ago in London, ON (yay Scott!) and today a good friend and member of the Artful*Inkers team, Janessa, gave birth to her second child up in Barrie, ON!

Something tells me I've missed one in there somewhere ... no doubt I will hear about my forgetfulness, pronto.

It's doing me a world of good to hear about all these new little babies ... it reminds me that life goes on, even after someone you love passes away. I look forward to telling little Miss Norah all about her great-grandad someday.

Here's an adorable birth announcement card that I recently received from another friend, neighbour and team-mate, Joanna - celebrating the birth of her precious little girl in December.

This card was made using Stampin' Up! punches, cardstock and embossing folder ... inside is a picture of her sleeping beauty and all the details of her birthday.

Go ahead, click on the photo for a closer look. Now, how cute is that!

SOME STAMPIN' THERAPY

Life is slowly returning to normal after losing my father to Cancer earlier this month. The spring bulbs are blooming this week, which gives us a sense of renewal and a fresh start. I've been edging myself back into my routines, and I thank you all for sticking by me while I find my way back to a creative frame of mind.

Last Monday I got a real boost in the arm when I attended our team's monthly meeting which Samantha Forrest and Diane Hilborn had all planned out (thank you both, and Julie Leblanc too in February for keeping the team going in my absence!) Having friends is always a treasure, but having Crafty Friends just brings an extra special bond and warmth ...  and the Artful*Inkers team are true-blue crafty friends. Thank you all for being there for me on Monday, and over the last few months too.

So, back to getting creative again ... so much has happened while I was absent - I missed sharing my Leadership projects with you in January; Valentines Day has come and gone without a single card from me, and St. Patrick's Day is history too. Now we're all focusing on Spring themes in our creations, along with Easter and Mother's Day - whew! I have a whole pile of cards I received over the last couple of months that I plan to share here with you, as well as some of my Leadership projects. Since the products are still all currently available, I hope you'll bear with me as I play catch-up over the next few weeks with my posts.

For today, I wanted to show you some cards that my team mates and I made for a creative challenge called "white spaces" - which just means keeping the card clean & simple, letting lots of white show through .. you know, the type of stuff we RARELY do when we get out all of our stash and start adding layer after layer of goodness. Well, sometimes CLEAN AND SIMPLE is good too! Enjoy ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1- by Diane Hilborn, featuring SPRINKLED EXPRESSIONS stamp set, EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENT ribbon, & DESIGNER FRAMES embossing folders from the SALE-A-BRATION brochure (expires March 31, 2012)

#2 - by me, Donna Henley, featuring ADORNING ACCENTS embossing folders & Edgelets dies, LARGE PEARL BASIC JEWELS, MIXED BUNCH stamp set, & BLOSSOM punch  - all from the OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE (expires April 30, 2012)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 - by Samantha Forrest, featuring one of the 2011-2012 In Colours, CONCORD CRUSH, as well as the ELEMENTS OF STYLE stamp set from the current Idea Book & Catalogue (expires May 31, 2012 - NOT June 30th, by the way!). Samantha used the SPOTLIGHT technique, one of my faves.

#4 - by Vanessa Manklow, featuring LOVE & LAUGHTER stamp set (from the Occasions Mini), Basic Black 1/8" TAFFETA RIBBON, the FINIAL PRESS embossing folder & Big Shot, and silver embossing powder to really make the stamped image stand out.

I'll have some more team swap cards to share with you all tomorrow...

SAD TIMES

Please excuse my absence from blogging and scheduling classes .. our family is spending as much time as we can with my father as he slowly says goodbye to this world. Cancer is a terrible thing.

Thank you to all who have sent me supportive emails - your kind words have helped to make these few weeks a little more bearable.

I miss all of you and look forward to the day when I can return to my craft room - I've always found it to be a very therapeutic and nurturing place.

Hug your loved ones often,

Donna

Digital Brayering Technique by Julie Leblanc

Hey folks, if you are into digital scrapbooking or card-making at all, and especially if you use Stampin' Up!'s "MY DIGITAL STUDIO" software, please check out my team mate Julie Leblanc's new video on how to achieve a brayered background effect on your computer .. I'm so proud of her and want her to be known as the creator of this technique (at least in the Stampin' Up! world) because I've never seen this method used anywhere else:

 

'TIS THE SEASON...

Just like you, this week I am surrounded by wrapping paper, ribbon, glue, tags, cards, envelopes and stamps ... putting the last details on our family Christmas. I'm trying this year as always to shop locally, support sole entrepreneurs like myself, and keep Christmas simple, symbolic and home-made as much as possible.

I love this quote, which sums up how I feel about homemade gifts .. it comes from Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek:

"The point of handmade is not just that you did it cheaper or better or faster or cuter, or even that YOU had fun doing it. It's that you took a moment--an irretrievable moment that will never come again--out of your life, to make something heartfelt, for someone you care enough about to make sure they have a tangible reminder that you want them, personally, to have a great Christmas"

cheers and Merry Christmas to you and yours!



I can't believe the holidays are almost here! As a thank you gift to everyone on my email newsletter list, I am sending out a special gift - you will be receiving the 2011 Twelve Days of Holiday Helper projects from me - one each day for 12 days, starting on Monday November 21. If you prefer not to receive this gift, just let me know before the start date. If you aren't on my list yet, you can sign up for my newsletters in the upper left corner of this screen. I hope you like these projects and that they help you enjoy your holidays just a little bit more!

6 SECRETS OF PERFECT STAMPING & A CONTEST!

Creating Keepsakes magazine is at the top of the heap when it comes to knowing what's on the market and who has the best products to offer ... I wait every year for the results of their Annual Product Awards to see which categories Stampin' Up! will win .... and this year, our wood-mount and clear-mount stamps are in the TOP TEN TOOLS for 2011!!!

Now, you and I already know all about the high quality of Stampin' Up!'s detailed images, rubber and foam - and the wonderful option of choosing either wood-mount or clear-mount - but it is SO REWARDING to receive acknowledgement and praise from such a highly-esteemed magazine as Creating Keepsakes!! Talk about a validation boost to what I do for a living ... hve I mentioned lately to you just how much I love my job? <wink>

Check out this month's Creative Keepsakes magazine article called: "6 Secrets of Perfect Stamping" and why not enter their sweepstakes to win the top ten tools of 2011 ... INCLUDING some stamps from Stampin' Up! AND a Big Shot die cutting machine from Sizzix!

Enjoy!

WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Tuesdays and Thursdays you'll find me in my little stampin' room/office, working at my business - and today was just one of those warm fuzzy kind of days ... lots of activity, but lots of friends and fun too!

I started off pretty early with some alone time on the 'puter while hubby slept in. (That's the best time to compose blog posts, class descriptions and email replies ... when he isn't staring over my shoulder like he is right now! Hey, whadda-ya know - it worked; hubby has left the building, lol)

Next, I did a couple of scheduled calls with members of my team on Skype. This is a new offering to my downline and it's getting pretty popular, especially with the gals who live too far away to attend our monthly team meetings. I loved having the chance today to talk with them one-on-one, showing them some cards, storage tips, and getting caught up on their lives and businesses too. See ... warm & fuzzy!

Then my demonstrator pal Ruth Millard dropped by for lunch and an afternoon visit ... what a treat! She surprised me with a make & take project from her quilted card class, and she wasn't sure how far along I was in the unpacking stage, so she brought everything with her - punch, dimensionals, ink, EVERYTHING I needed to make this beautiful card:

Based on the Dresden Plate quilt pattern, using retired Designer Series papers and a greeting from the new 'Perfectly Penned" stamp set (pg. 154, IB&C) -this card really does look like it's been quilted once it has been run through the Big Shot using the "Square Lattice" embossing folder!

100% Stampin' Up! supplies were used on this project, as with all the projects I feature on my blog.

 

Right after Ruth left, hubby & I started to put up some much-needed shelves in my little stampin' room ... and we got to talking about moving one or two things around ... and well, by the time we were done, I don't think a single thing stayed in it's original space.

Here's some quick pics of my new layout - my flash didn't work on one, but that's the change I'm most happy about - my desk/stamp table is now facing the window - WAHOO!! Now I can stamp by natural light and get my fill of sunshine all at the same time!

All three photos were snapped from my doorway ... left side of the room (where my desk used to be), centre (window & desk) and then right side of the room). Nothing is sorted yet, but you get the idea. I'm hoping Ruth sees this blog post - she won't believe it's the same room we were huddled in all afternoon - it's much more spacious now! <grin>

cheers

SWAP CARDS TO SHARE

I had an such an awesome time at my team meeting last night in Guelph... I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Artful*Inkers team ROCKS!! I've never met such a bunch of great ladies for sharing ideas, supporting each other and boosting my mojo to the rooftops; after one of our meetings I could stamp all night with the inspiration I get from our team!

Take a look at the cards they brought to swap with each other ... I think all of them are terrific! Can you spot the new products on each card? (As always, you can click on the photos to see a close-up)

 

PHOTO #1: Pink card by Debbie Laine; Yellow butterfly card by Dusty Weber

PHOTO #2: Snowman card by Julie Leblanc; Green card by Samantha Forest

 

PHOTO #3: Flower Heart card by Joanna Johnson-Russwurm; Espresso card by Ruth Hill

PHOTO #4: Sailboat card by Sandra Panio; Red butterfly card by Diane Hilborn

 

 

 I hope you are inspired to make a card and send it to someone this week! Tune in tomorrow to see the make & take card that Julie created for us to try!

cheers,

WOO-HOO, I'M (A)LIVE!

Hubby & I are finally in our new house in our new town of Clifford, Ontario ... and my internet is up and running ... and I'm sitting right now in my new little stamping room (no more grand names like Stampin' Studio for me, lol) ... and you know what? It's really good to be live again; I've missed all of you sooooo much!

I'm a long way from being all set up so I can start creating again, but I'm gradually getting there. I only have a limited amount of hubby's time to help me, as he is also changing the house wiring, making our master bedroom and the main floor bathroom both larger, and hunting for his tools ... and that's just THIS WEEK'S to-do list!

I know he'd really rather be out in his new garage, organizing and building shelves to store all HIS stuff, especially now that the heatwave has moved on and it's tolerably nice outside again. I'm really lucky that he can spare any time at all for me and my stamps, so I don't want to push too much, kwim? <wink>

On the other hand, this Friday is July's Girls Night Out with the Guelph Stampers & Scrapbookers and I need to make some "We've Moved" cards - so the sooner the shelves and punch racks and ribbon holders are installed on my walls, the sooner I can find all the supplies I need to bring on Friday. Somehow I don't think my needs will be a strong motivator for hubby <grin>

If you'd like more info about the Guelph Stampers & Scrapbookers, check us out on www.Meetup.com - we welcome all paper crafters!

cheers

 

THANK YOU AND GOOD BYE?

Today's post is a two-parter.

First, I need to thank everyone  ... the people who helped me get ready for my big sale last Saturday, my friends and long-time customers who came out to support me last Saturday, and my family who puts up with me when I go into a frenzy over big events ... yep, like the one last Saturday (sheepish grin)

 I'd show you some pictures of the happy crowds clutching their new catalogues and bags of retired goodies while munching on my daughter's home baking, but I was just too busy totalling order forms and catching up with folks to remember to use my camera!

Oh, and before I forget, the winner of the $50 Gift Certificate was .... Julie Sambles of Guelph!!

By the way, my daughter says a big thank you too ... she raised $122 for the Weekend to End Womens Cancers through her bake sale!

What can I say, except that stampers are the BEST kind of people!

Now for the good byes. Well, it's more of a "see ya later" than a traditional good bye ... moving day is almost upon us and I have to finally admit that the time has come to pack up the last of my stamping supplies - for a little while. That's not an easy thing to do, what with the new catalogue and all the new goodies I've just started to receive. Who's idea was it to move in July, anyway???

If I'm realistic, it's probably going to take me a month to pack, move, renovate my new stamping space, unpack and start creating again ... yikes, a WHOLE MONTH without stamping? What kind of evil torture is that!

Actually, I hope to have a few of the basics in an accessible place so I can do a bit of "therapeutic stamping" out on the porch during the hottest part of the afternoons, or in front of the tv in the late evenings. Nothing fancy ... just a card or two, now and again.

To that end, Hubby just bought me a SUPER-DUPER expanding toolbox on wheels called FAT MAX - seriously, it's almost as big as our first apartment! So far I've got my Big Shot, my table top paper trimmer, and half of my Sizzix dies to fit in just the bottom section, with lots of room left for my inks, favourite tools & punches, some clear stamps, and a selection of cardstock and designer papers ... so I figure that as long as I can have this monster toolbox nearby, I'll survive the next month or so without going into a creative withdrawl.

And come the end of August, I'll be re-organized, re-energized and rarin' to go with all new Fall classes to offer in Guelph (& hopefully Fergus too - more details to follow later this summer) ... so it isn't really good bye, right? RIGHT!!

Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting pics and reports of my new stamping room as the work progresses ... in the meantime, if you have any organizing tips or have seen a great stamp room online, please let me know! I'm going into a room that's about a quarter of the space I had in the old house, so I'm looking for practical storage ideas where everything's at my fingertips - a tall order, so I need all the inspiration you can send me!

cheers,

 

PS: If you've dropped by Crafters Cupboard this month & things seemed a little empty - no worries; Shelly & the gang are moving to a bigger and better location on Laird Road. They should be up and running again in early August. Until then, if you're looking to buy any of my SCRAP IT paper crafting kits, I have my entire stock here at the house - email me and I'll get you what you need!

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND!

I had a wonderful time at Crafters Cupboard's first every Open House and Cottage Days Sale this past weekend in Guelph .. I met some really interesting crafters and learned so many new things ... some that I think I can incorporate into my paper crafting world (the wheels have been turning ever since I got home, lol)

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth to see all the different objects and materials I've cranked through my Sizzix Big Shot ... I love to experiment!

And a BIG thank you to Shelly who organized and promoted the weekend-long event ... I can't wait til September for your next one!

Don't forget to check out my class schedule for June & July - details & registration links are here on my EVENTS CALENDAR and also on the CRAFTERS CUPBOARD's website.

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful Ontario weather!

cheers

"STAMP & CROP OUT CANCER" RESULTS

This announcement is long overdue, but its hard not letting life get in the way!! Both Samantha and I would like to thank all of those who participated in our Stamp and Crop Out Cancer event, held on May 7th in Guelph. Our event was a great success...and a lot of fun! We had a good time stamping our projects, checking out our vendors' wares and all competing over the items at the silent auction table.

Over all we raised $275 for donation, along with approx. $200 that went to Streak for Cancer who participated as one of our vendors there, AND another $28 will be donated by Stampin' Up! to Breast Cancer Research for the 14 "Strength & Hope" stamp sets we ordered for everyone who attended. We are very proud to be able to make this donation to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and do hope to run this event again in the future!!!

A heartful thanks to all those who lent us a helping hand, donated wonderful prizes, and participated during the day, without you the event could not have been a success!!! Thank you and we will see you all at the next stamping event!!!

Donna & Samantha

ANNOUNCING A NEW REWARD PROGRAM!

 

I love my regular customers – you deserve a reward program, so starting May 15^th, 2011 here's how it's going to work:

• For every $30 you order through me online or in person, you'll receive one point.

• When you have accumulated ten points, I'll give you a free stamp set of YOUR choice!

• There's no time limit … you can accumulate points from one catalogue year to the next … or if you place a $200 + order all at once, you'll also get free Hostess benefits!

• The $30 is calculated BEFORE shipping and taxes are added in.

• Orders cannot be combined to reach the $30 mark (for example if you order $73 you earn two points and the extra amount ($13 in the example) is forfeited and does NOT carry over to your next purchase.

• NOTE: Stamp Club minimum orders, tape dispensers & 2 sided tape orders, Hostess credits, and any specials I may offer through the year do not earn points. Everything else you order (including purchases of Stampin' Up! promotions) will get you one point for every $30 you spend!

• It's up to you to keep track of your purchases and points  - just click on the link below to print off your personal tracking form. When you have reached TEN POINTS, just fill in your information, send me this sheet and I'll order your free stamp set!

Download 2011 REWARD PROGRAM - PERSONAL TRACKING FORM

This offer is solely through Donna Henley, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Questions and completed forms should be directed to donna@scrappinwithdonna.com

 

CHANGE IN FRIDAY'S PLANS

Sorry folks - tomorrow's Open Studio Day is cancelled. We're heading up to my daughter's for the weekend ... looks like they're going to induce her tomorrow. I'll make it up to all of you when I get back!!!

cheers

A LITTLE IRISH DITTY FOR YOU

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We can all pretend to have a little Irish in us today, so think GREEN!

Here's a fun rendition of "Danny Boy" for you to enjoy, and as my friend Carole shared with me today, an Irish Blessing for you and yours:

"May you always have Walls for the winds, A roof for the rain, Tea beside the fire, Laughter to cheer you, Those you love near you, And all your heart might desire!

PS: No grandbaby yet, so you can still save 10% off your orders ... but only until baby makes his/her grand entrance into the world!

THE BIG DAY IS FINALLY HERE!

I've been counting down to March 15th ever since last December on the desk flip calendar that Stampin' Up! sells ... it only has 99 days on it or else I would have started the countdown nine months ago!

And now the BIG DAY is finally here! My baby girl is having a baby!!

Well, we might not see any action for a few more days, but at least her due date has arrived and momma and baby are in good health. Baby probably wants to see some more warm sunny days like we had today in Southern Ontario before he/she agrees to make her/his grand entrance.

So if you think I was suffering with the wait up til now ... you can imagine how tough it's gonna be as we go past the 15th, lol! March Madness, indeed! I need another mad idea to keep me from jumping out of my skin every time the phone rings, so here's what I have in mind for all of you ....

From today (March 15th) until the new little addition arrives, everyone who places an order gets 10% off their total*  - I know, I know ... babies can be up to 2 weeks overdue, but I'm willing to take that chance to let all of you celebrate with me and my family! The question is, are YOU willing to delay putting in your order and risk missing out on the 10% off!! <grin>

Here's one more incentive ... if my daughter gives birth on the same day your order is placed** then I will give you a free card kit of your choice, in ADDITION  to your 10% off!

(Orders can be emailed to me, phoned in or you can shop online through the link to my store at the top of this page. *TOTAL IS before shipping, handling & taxes are added on. **ORDER DATE is the date that I receive payment from you. Payment can be made by credit card, cheque or cash. Just keep in mind that once THE phone call comes, I'll be heading out of town for a few days - so I'll arrange an alternate drop off point if you choose to pay by cheque or cash.)

Let the celebrations begin!!!

 

 

 

IT'S CRAFT-ASTIC!

The March Madness is really starting to get to me ... I saw this YouTube video and couldn't stop laughing!

Just had to share it with all my fellow crafters out there - hey, it's healthy to be able to laugh at ourselves!

 

I hope you see the funny side of this too!

 

2011 ... BLOG CANDY FOR YOUR RESOLUTIONS!

Happy New Year to all my Stampin' & Scrappin' friends ... may your year be FULL of creative opportunities to rejuvenate you and bring you pleasure!

My resolution in 2011 is to take one afternoon every week to stamp and create, just for the fun of it! I think it will be Mondays - can't think of a better way to start off the week!

(Oh, and in case my hubby is reading this, my second resolution is to clear out the stuff in my stampin' studio that I don't use anymore, wink)

... What's your resolution? Post it here in the comments section of this post and next Sunday I'll randomly draw one entry to send you some blog candy from Stampin' Up!'s new Occasions Mini catalogue!

And don't forget that my Boxing Week Sale AND the Holiday Mini catalogue both end tomorrow, January 3rd. Don't miss out on your share of free product - check out the post at the top of the screen for all the details. Offer ends Monday at midnight!

Happy New Year!

 

A MERRY CHRISTMAS CARD

Wishing all of my scrappy friends a wonderful Christmas and all the best in 2011! Here's my MDS card to you:

1) card front  2) inside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Boxing Day I will post the remaining Christmas Countdow swaps for you, as well as a Boxing Week special that you won't want to miss ... just a little holiday something from me to you <wink>

cheers

HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY KWANZA & MERRY CHRISTMAS

... all rolled into one song by some VERY TALENTED singers called 'Straight No Chaser" ... enjoy!

 

DEC 1st: CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

OMGosh, am I ever glad to see the back-side of November ... it was such a horrible month - full of bad news for so many of my friends and family. And in traditional style, I ended it yesterday with a triple header involving cars, neighbours, and computer glitches that ended up costing me $$$.

But it's now December; the bad vibes are gone (BE GONE, I SAY!) and it's time to focus on & celebrate all the goodness in our lives!!!

The Artful*Inkers (my team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators) organized a really fun swap for December. Each one of us make up little goody bags/gifts/surprises for one specific day this month, leading up to the BIG present day on the 25th. How kewl is that?!

And today I get to open my first gift!!!!!!

The photo at the top of this post is just a little teaser ... the first 10 days worth of goodies - don't they look terrific? My gals are sooooo talented (that's who I get a lot of my ideas from; seriously!)

Each day I'm going to post the unwrapping of a little treasure here so that you can enjoy right along with me ... and maybe get some ideas for those little gifts you still have to make this month!

And now it's time for December 1st's treat ... created by Samantha in Carlisle. Check out the cute little paper bags from the Holiday Mini, all stamped with tiny snowflakes in Whisper White craft ink.

And how cute is that snowman - made from punches!! Even the tag is adorable; it is stamped "Do Not Open Until" and the date is handwritten ... too cute!

And inside, I found this beautiful blue sparkly star ornament, which I've already hung on my computer screen to start the month off in a festive light. Wouldn't it be easy to whip up a batch of these little bags with the kids for their teachers, sitters, crossing guards, bus drivers, neighbours & friends? An inexpensive way to teach them this season is about giving as well as receiving, and have some fun quality time with mom or dad, too!

Thank you, Samantha for sharing your creativity with the rest of us!

I'll be back tomorrow with December 2nd's surprise of our Christmas Countdown; see you all then!

12 DAYS OF HOLIDAY HELPERS

I can't believe the holidays are approaching so quickly! As a "THANK YOU" to all my newsletter subscribers, I will be sending out a SPECIAL GIFT ... 12 days of HOLIDAY HELPER PROJECTS on a daily basis, starting on November 1st.

If you would prefer not to receive this gift, please let me know before the start date on Nov. 1st. If you aren't a subscriber yet, just click on the link labelled "SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER" and you will receive the HOLIDAY HELPER PROJECTS too!

I hope you enjoy these projects and that they add some fun to your holiday preparations ... if you have any questions about the projects or would like some help ordering the supplies to make them, just give me a call or email and I'll give you a hand ... that's what I'm here for!

cheers

 

OK, SO I JUMPED THE GUN A LITTLE

Too funny .. I was so eager to send out the October issue of "Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna" newsletter that I let a little typo slip through ..

It's actually my EIGHTH Anniversary with Stampin' Up! - not my ninth. I started on October 8th, 2002 - the same year Stampin' Up! first came to Canada. But my typo doesn't change the fact that I'm offering my ever-loyal and supportive customers a HUGE Anniversary Special ....

BUY FOUR, GET ONE FREE!

FRI OCT 8th to MON OCT 11th

Yes, it's back by popular demand - it's time to stock up on card stock in all of your favourite colours! For every four packages of card stock you order this Thanksgiving weekend, you can choose a 5th package for FREE!

Things to remember:

• all five packages must be the same size (either 8-1/2" x 11" OR 12" x 12" sheets)
• you can order solid colour packs from all four Colour Collections, OR
• you can choose five packs of ASSORTED colours from different colour collections
• if you use my ONLINE ORDERING SERVICE to place your Anniversary order, don't list your free package online or the system will charge you for it. Email me your freebie choice & I'll get it to you PRONTO
• this offer is only available to Canadian residents.

Thanks for coming along on this remarkable ride with me for the last eight years - I treasure all of the friends I've made along the way and I can't wait to see what the NEXT EIGHT YEARS have in store!

cheers

BEST WEEKEND EVER!

I had such a wonderful time this past weekend at the Stampin' Up! Regional event - so many hugs and smiles and laughs and ah-ha moments when we saw the amazing demonstrations onstage and the gorgeous sample boards and over-the-top swaps and ... well, I think you get the idea <grin>

Cyber-hugs and my heartfelt thanks go out today to ...

• Cathy, for driving me to and from Hamilton .. and putting up with my poor sense of direction!
• Eva-Marie, who risked sharing a room with someone she'd never met in person before Friday!
• Heather A, for organizing our lunch-time swap and the evening dinner reservation for 20+ demonstrators; you really added some great memories to our experience!
• Heather S, for holding a Friday night extravaganza that made me laugh, break a stampin' sweat, ooh and aah ... and still left me wanting another chance to do it all again!
• all the Artful*Inkers who came to Regionals and humoured me by wearing the matching t-shirts!

And yes, that IS the founder of Stampin' Up!, Shelli Gardner posing with my team ... she is such a nice person to chat with; really down-to-earth, kwim?

Now, for some stamping .... here are the cards I got to make at Friday night's Shoebox Swap (we could only make five; but I sure wish I could have stayed up all night and made all of the 30+ projects!!)

I wish I had jotted down the names of the creators, but with only 10 minutes on the clock to make each card before we rotated to the next one, I was lucky to remember my own name, lol!

I DO know that the 3 oak leaf card was designed by my Fergus friend, Joanne McTavish. Maybe some of you out there can identify the others - leave me a comment if you can, 'cause I always try to give people credit for their work!

Tomorrow, I'll show you some of the Make & Take projects we did!

cheers

TIME KEEPS ON SLIPPIN' AWAY

I haven't posted since the 17th? Shame on me!

To my credit, I've been doing a lot of New Demonstrator Training Sessions this month, plus all my regular classes and clubs ... oh and I had an EXCELLENT time at a workshop for Josie & Jenny and their family and friends - I  can't wait to do it all again in November with that fun bunch of stampers!

To my DIS-credit, I musn't ever let my live studio stuff get in the way of posting to my cyber friends - that's just not right!

OK, so here's a recap of what's what ...

Hubby & I have decided to sell our big house in the Spring (I mean really, 4 bathrooms for just the two of us? Can you say ... excessive?) We're still staying in the same town, so no worries for my stampin' buddies; I'm not LEAVING you, and I'm definitely NOT quitting Stampin' Up!<grin>

I'm excited about this decision 'cause it gives me the perfect opportunity to pare down my "stuff" - stamping AND otherwise - because we won't have as much space to clutter in a condo or apartment. I'm thinking the housework will be much more manageable in a smaller place, too - giving me more time to stamp!

In the meantime, we keep looking at places for sale in the city, and hubby is searching for a cottage in PEI that we can visit every summer and eventually (maybe) retire to in about a ga-zillion years from now.

Here's another little project that's been keeping me busy this month ...

Hubby & I are silk-screening T-Shirts for all the demonstrators on my team who are going to the Stampin' Up! Regionals this Saturday in Hamilton.

This is the logo I designed with My Digital Studio - but you'll have to imagine a small red maple leaf inside the heart ... Michaels was all out of red ink for my YuDu machine (very sad about that). But I'm very excited that 17 of us will all be there in matching shirts - I must get a picture on Saturday of the whole gang & Stampin' Up!'s founder, Shelli Gardner, to share with all of you here on the blog.

Ohhh, gotta go ... Kathy just got here for an afternoon of stamping - poor thing, all her supplies are packed away while they build their new house and she's in a creative withdrawl!

More tomorrow ...

 

 

AND THE BIG SHOT GOES TO...

Huge hugs to everyone who stopped by my Open House yesterday! The consensus seems to be that the products in Stampin' Up!'s new Holiday Mini are scrumptious - especially the Designer Fabrics, Glass Glitter, Waffle Paper and Tinsel Trim. (It's ALL about the accessories, dontcha know!)

Now to announce the winner of the Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutter - hubby & I drew the lucky ticket at 10 pm last night while we still had some guests here to witness that all was done on the up and up (thanks Diane & Michelle for sticking around that little bit longer!)

Can I have a drum roll, please?

Ticket number: 0195646 - CONGRATULATIONS!

You've won the Big Shot!

Give me a shout and we'll arrange how to get your prize to you.

And for those of you who couldn't make it to my place yesterday, here's a picture of the Make & Take card that everyone got to make:

STAMP SET: Christmas Postcard

INKS & MARKERS: Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand & Soft Suede

PAPERS: Saraha Sand & Very Vanilla card stock, "Deck the Halls" Designer Series Papers

ACCESSORIES: Narrow Crochet Trim, Blender Pen & Signo Uniball White Gel Pen

I love this single stamp set ... well seriously, there isn't anything I DON'T LOVE in the Holiday Mini, lol.

cheers

 

AMAZING FRIENDS

Friday I attended  a fellow demonstrator's daughter's wedding in London - Roxy did a magnificent job of decorating a la Stampin' Up! and I was honoured to be present at such a personal family celebration.

Monday morning saw me stamping with fellow demonstrators Ruth from Waterloo and Lesley from up Barrie-way as we experimented with brayered backgrounds .. I was amazed at all the different results we got - it was an inspiring good time!

Then, last night I attended the Artful*Inkers' Summer potluck picnic - we chatted, shared vacation stories, watched the kids playing together, ate delicious food, and swapped cards.

I am constantly thankful for the number of very dear friends that I've made through my years with Stampin' Up! ... we've laughed and cried together; we've shared our creations and given positive criticism, we've supported each other in our businesses and personal lives ... I can't imagine a life without all of you!

Wilma - we're all thinking of you in this difficult time and I hope you feel our support as we try to hold you up through the miles.

Brenda - heal quickly and be pain-free; in the meantime we're all here to take on some of that pain for you.

And to everyone else who may still be reading this post - take the time today to tell someone just how important they are to your life. Here are some swap cards from last night's get-together .. enjoy!

 

The bird cage card was made by Samantha of Carlisle; our wonderful hostess at last night's dinner. How fun and cheery is this card!!!

 

The owl card was made by the talented Julie of Guelph; in her typical "Julified" style, it is embossed, inked, distressed, and absolutely beautiful!

 

And here's my swap card .. I'm keeping it simple because it's doubling as my card for a much larger Canada-wide demonstrator swap later this month. The stamps and punch are from the upcoming Holiday Mini catalogue (I had to borrow both from another demonstrator ... thanks Julie! .. because I'm trying to be budget-minded and wait til September to order)

The mini is full of wonderous stuff - that order is going to make one big dent in my piggy bank, let me tell ya! Jusst wait 'til you see the mini for yourself on September 1st - you'll be drooling over every page just like I did <grin>

cheers

GREETINGS FROM ANTIGONISH!

Hello Stampers! Just poppin' in from vacation time to let you know that all my crafty photos got left behind on my other computer, so there won't be any cards posted for this week :(

Our holiday is going well, but I sure miss stamping with you all ...

Hey, be sure to watch for a very special post on Sunday August 1st; consider it a little SUMMER HOLIDAY GIFT from me to you  ... and that's all the hint I'm giving away until Sunday's post, no matter HOW much you try to get me to spill the beans! <GRIN>

cheers for now,

 

PS to Joanna .. everything went well in Truro today. <wink>

MORE PROOF THAT MEN ARE FROM MARS

So I got this forwarded email from my cousin today, and for some reason, it just resonates with me ... read it through to the end ... I think all you fellow stampers out there will agree with me <wink>

" Stanford held a lecture on the mind-body connection--the relationship between stress and disease.  The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.  At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences.

Physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin--a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being.  Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going.  Jobs? Yes.   Sports? Yes.  Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf?  Yes.

But their feelings?--rarely.  Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters, and evidently that is very good for our health.

He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged -- not true.  In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!  So every time you hang out to schmooze (or to STAMP & SCRAP - ed.) with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! "

Now, to cut and paste this message & send it off to hubby ... he'll never believe me but he might believe Stanford University!

cheers

IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK ONLINE

Did you miss me? I somehow locked myself out of TypePad, the lovely service that lets me post here on my blog; thankfully their wonderful support team helped me figure out what I had done (and on a beautiful summer weekend, too - TypePad ROCKS!)

OK, back to business .. or pleasure (depends on which side of the computer monitor you're sitting, I guess!)

Here are some photos I wanted to share from my July 1st weekend ..

 

This is the Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 1pm (the crowd started to arrive at 12:30 and by ten to one they were getting pretty restless, so I grabbed my buddy Gabriel, gave him a pair of scissors, and let him do the honours!) I don't think his mom even knows we did this .. she was too busy helping to set up the last of the retired goodies inside the tent! Thanks, Julie!

Things pretty much became a blur after that .. I didn't even get a moment to grab the camera until close to 4 pm! I quickly grabbed a few shots of my WONDERFUL helpers ...

 

Hubby spent the entire time working the Retired Sale Tent - totalling the sales, bagging the goodies and handing out the new 2010-2011 Catalogues. The kids were kept busy at the craft table with Jessica (centre photo, person on the far right) and Scott manned the BBQ all afternoon (he cooks a mean hotdog!) Thanks again guys, for making the whole day run so smoothly; I couldn't have done it without you!

Next post .. some stamping projects; I PROMISE!

And don't forget - I'm accepting names to my next round of the BIG SHOT CLUB - email me for details!

cheers,

Donna

THURSDAY ALREADY? & BIG SHOT NEWS!

Wow, it's already a week since my big CANADA DAY BASH and I don't know where the time has gone! Think I'll blame it on this record heat wave we're having in Ontario <grin>

FIRST THINGS FIRST ... I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who came out and supported my event on July 1st - your enthusiasm,  encouragement, and well, sheer NUMBERS made me and my team feel that all the hours of preparation were worth it.

We cleared out a lot of retired stamps, card stock, ink pads and Designer Series papers, as well as almost 900 retired card samples - WAHOO! I'm glad that so many things found new homes and now I have space to fill those shelves with NEW PRODUCTS for you to enjoy.

Of course, the main reason for our success were the wonderful helpers I had this year .. thank you, thank you, thank you to my brave hubby for set-up, take-down, and especially for spending all afternoon in the freebie tent with all those bargain-hunting ladies; to Leigh-Ann & Dion for spending HOURS bagging up all the make & takes, card stock and sample cards; to Barbara for sewing together the squares of my Big Shot quilt when I ran out of time to do it myself, and to Jessica and Scott for manning the kids table and BBQ all afternoon - you two were a big hit with the younger crowd!

A lot of customers were interested in the BIG SHOT CLUB, judging by all the flyers that were picked up .. now I need you to email or phone me to sign up - as soon as we have four people registered for either OPTION A (if you don't own a Big Shot machine yet) or OPTION B (if you already have a Big Shot), we can start  - it runs for four months, so July or August is our ideal time to start.

For more information about the Big Shot Club, click here.

Now that everything in the Studio is back in order (well, sort of) I'm back in the office and rarin' to post - products from the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue should be arriving soon & I can't wait to show you the stuff people are making!

cheers

Donna

CATCHING UP

Lots of activity in my Stampin' studio these days; just popping in to catch you all up ...

1) Had a great Mystery Hostess workshop last night .. the numbers were small, but the response was overwhelming! A shout out to Lisa and Teresa; loved our time together and I can't wait to stamp with you again!!

2) Just finishing up ten Birthday Party Craft Kits to give to Lynda tonight for her daughter's party next Saturday .. wish I could be there in person to stamp with the girls, but these projects should make them happy!

3) Girls Night Out tonight ... and my complimentary copy of Stampin' Up!'s new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue just arrived about 2 hrs ago (I still haven't managed to get through the whole book yet, lol). Now don't stampede to my front door to see a glimpse - you might scare off my UPS man, who's bringing my pre-order of goodies from the new catalogue sometime today!!!!!

4) Looking forward to "Mom & Me" class with Leigh-Ann and Ben tomorrow - shhh, don't tell Daddy that we're making his Fathers' Day gift and a card. I've added a second Mom & Me for Fathers' Day on Wednesday June 16th - let me know if you and the kids want to come!

5) Sunday will truly need to be a day of rest, 'cause it's non-stop stamping action next week too - right up til the minute we leave for a camping trip/family reunion/Fathers Day celebration with hubby's family.

cheers,

HOME FROM STAMPIN' PALOOZA

This was my third time attending Caroline Lebel's Stampin' Palooza, and once again she hosted a fantastic event! I loved the displays, the demonstrations, and the make & take projects all using "Watercolour Trio" from Stampin' Up!'s Summer Mini catalogue.

This time four of my ARTFUL*INKER teammates were there as well , which just made the weekend even better!

Julie was one of the on-stage demonstrators and she WOWed everyone with her unique sponging technique ...  Sandra won a prize for her chic co-ordinated name tag, tool bag & swap card bag (made with fabric and the Big Shot die cutting machine!)

 Robbyn got stuck on Highway 401 for hours, but she still made it in time for most of the fun ... and Stephanie flew in all the way from Montreal for the weekend! 

The sixth person in our team photo is none other than the fabulous Ronda Wade who gave an inspirational business talk on Friday night.

Good friends, good food, good music, and of course some great stamping projects ... weekends like this one help to remind me just how much I LOVE MY JOB! 

cheers,

ANNOUNCING: A FREE STAMP GIVE-AWAY!

I want to show my appreciation to everyone who places individual orders with me ... who don't qualify for all the freebies and perks of being in one of my clubs or workshops, so

I'M GIVING AWAY A FREE STAMP SET TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

To get your name into the draw, just place an individual online order through my SHOP NOW service, or email me your individual order (i.e. an order that is not part of a club, group order or workshop.)

That's it - no minimums; no strings attached! You'll get one entry for each individual order that you place with me between June 1-30, 2010.

The stamp set is ... (drum roll, please!)  ..."PUNCHED POSIES", the Level Two Hostess Set on page five of the Summer Mini Catalogue!

I'll be making the draw for this set on July 1st, so get those orders in!

cheers,

HOME FROM HOLLAND

Hello everyone; it's good to be back home - only because my gal pals wore me out with all the activities we managed to cram into a single weekend - what a BLAST!!

This morning I'm sorting through my photos, my make & takes, and my purchases - yes, shopping was a MAJOR part of this past weekend in Michigan (did you have any doubt?)

Jackie Bahaus & her KlompenStampers put on an amazing weekend of stamping and business tips for all  us demonstrators - my mind is a'whirlin' with all kinds of fresh ideas!

  Here's a few photos of the crew I travelled with - we're all demonstrators ('cept Linda, but I have hopes she'll join under her daughter Tanya really soon)

(Photo, front: Heather A, Ruth M, Mary Louise H & McKenna M; back: myself, Tanya M, Linda & Lesley P.

My favourite part of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is meeting new people and stamping with them - I've made so many good friends all over North America. The gals I spent this last weekend with are all from different teams in Ontario; even so, we've grown close and love to share our business ideas with each other.

You know, I could never walk away & give up my demonstratorship EVEN if I wanted to (AND I DON'T!!!!) - 'cause I'd miss everyone way too much!!

If you'd like to meet new people who share your passion for paper crafting, you really should consider joining my team of demonstrators (yea, ARTFUL*INKERS!!) - and with my special offer for May recruits, now is a GREAT time to do it!

Give me a shout this week and I'll tell you more about what's involved in being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator! You can reach me at: donna@scrappinwithdonna.com

Tomorrow I want to show you some of the great swap cards I received ... all featuring products from the new Summer Mini catalogue that just started this month ... wait til you see these cards - WOW!

cheers,

SUNSHINE AWARD

Look what I found in my inbox today ... my stampin' buddy Robbyn gave me this Sunshine Award on her blog ... for being an inspiration to her. Thanks, Robbyn!

Recipients are expected to forward the compliment to 10 websites that inspire them, so here are my choices (in alphabetical order, to show no favouritism):

1. Allison Frandle
2. Andrea Walford
3. Angie Kennedy Juda
4. Christina Clarke
5. Diana Gibbs
6. Julie Leblanc
7. Robbyn Sorli
8. Sandra Panio
9. Stephanie Leblanc
10. Wilma Stern-Cavalcante

cheers

AND... SHE'S BACK

Sorry for going AWOL these past three days ... I won't give you the blow-by-blow details; suffice it to say that REAL LIFE took over and my CYBER LIFE had to wait ... sometimes stuff happens that just knocks the wind out of your sail, ya know?

But I'm back on course today ... happy FAMILY DAY to my fellow Canadians and PRESIDENT'S DAY to my American friends - either way, we've all got a day off to relax & enjoy life. Hope your day includes some time in the craft room doin' what you love!

I have to confess to you all that I'm an Olympic junkie ... I have taped every Opening Ceremony since the early 80's, and I can't get enough of all the sports coverage going on this week & next! 'Sides, it's great background activity while I stamp - I love to multi-task!

And I am absolutely IN LOVE with the Olympic colours on all the flags & banners & competitors' bibs - bright blues & greens are my FAVOURITE! I think I almost have hubby convinced to use that colour scheme in our living room ... isn't he the best ever?!!!

There are big changes in my Stampin' Studio today ... new tables & more comfortable chairs means that I can now seat TWELVE stampers at my card classes with room to spare - WAHOO!!

I received a nice bonus cheque from Stampin' Up! this month for reaching the $100,000 milestone in Career Sales, so I'm investing that money back into my business in a big way.

It also means that my original craft table and folding chairs are up for sale, since I no longer need them. I have an ad on kijiji.ca under Guelph-furniture. If you are interested, take a look online - or give me a shout via email or phone.

[EDIT: Table & chairs are now sold ... thanks everyone for your interest!]

cheers

IT'S IN THE MAIL

Well, my Birthday Card contest ends today, and I must say, all of you who mailed or gave me a card are very talented stampers indeed! It was a lot of fun to sift through the mail each day to find your treasures, and I thank you for your thoughtfulness.

In return, all of your cards have been assigned a number and tonight I will choose the winning number through www.random.org - that way everyone has an equal chance, 'cause I could never pick just one card on my own - they're ALL wonderful!

I'll announce the winner tonight ... but for now, here's a photo of each of the cards I received...

(As always, you can click on any photo to see it up close)...

 

  

Thank you again for participating in my contest and for all the wonderful birthday wishes you wrote!

As promised, you will ALL receive a card in return (provided you gave me your snail mail addy) ... the card is in the mail!

cheers,

KEEP THE BIRTHDAY CARDS COMING!

OK, it's sooooo true: it feels TERRIFIC to collect the mail and discover a birthday card mixed in with all the bills and flyers .... it makes my heart do a little flip ... someone remembered me!

It's especially nice when that someone took the time to MAKE the card themselves - no disrespect to printed card companies out there, but really - when it's hand-made, that's a REAL Hallmark moment!

So now that you know what joy it gives me to receive a card, it shouldn't be a surprise to you all that I am blatantly ASKING for cards this month; in fact one could say I'm bribing you to send me a card, since everyone who does is going in a draw at the end of January for some kewl Stampin' Up! stuff!

Hey, I won't make a habit of this kind of behaviour - but a gal only turns 50 once in her lifetime, and I want to be surrounded by things that I love - and by extension, surrounded by the people that I love to be around - crafters like you!

Soooo, please take a few minutes to put together a birthday card and pop it in the mail (scroll up and you'll see that my address is temporarily posted at the top of this blog). Just remember to use only Stampin' Up! images please! (papers, embellishments, ribbon do not have to be Stampin' Up! - use what you have).

In return, I will:

a) post your card here on my blog,

b) send YOU a hand-stamped card in return if you include your address, and

c) enter your name in the draw.

Contest closes Jan 31 ... and for those of you who've asked, my ACTUAL birthday is Jan 29; yep, I'm an Aquarius. (That explains a LOT about me, he-he-he)

I have received some cards already ... tune in tomorrow to see photos of them here!

cheers,

CELEBRITY PHOTO

If you know me irl, you know that I'm not the one who bugs celebs for photos or autographs; I'd rather have a few cherished moments of real conversation. Actually, I don't really buy into the whole celebrity scene - we're all just people, sharing space on the same planet.

When I was asked by a fellow demonstrator to take a pic of her & Shelli Gardner at Stampin' Up!'s Managers' Reception earlier this month, I complied and then stood nearby while they chatted. I really do admire Shelli for what she's accomplished and how she consistently makes all of us demonstrators feel as if we're part of her family, but this was a dinner party and I thought she deserved some down time, kwim?

Well, you should have heard the internal argument I was having with myself ... Ask her, Donna! ... No, I hate that sort of thing ... When will you get another chance? ... Well, maybe .... You're gonna kick yourself later if you don't! ... Yeah, I will regret it ....

So here's the resulting photo (thanks, Laurie for taking it and sending it to me - YOU ROCK!)

When I asked Shelli if she & her daughter Sarah would pose with me, she was so genuine and said "Don't be silly. Of course we will! Why would you even hesitate to ask?"

Seriously, I LOVE working with Stampin' Up!

cheers,

Donna

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I'd like to take the opportunity to wish

all of you out there in the blog-o-sphere

a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And as my Christmas Gift to you,here's an opportunity to save big during my Boxing Week Sale:

Place an order of $60 or more during Boxing Week (Dec 26-31) and receive 30% off your highest-priced item!

• Phone & email orders will have the discount subtracted from the total due. On-line orders must pay full price but will receive a gift certificate equal to the discounted savings.

• Discount is applied to the current catalogue price of the highest-priced item (before taxes & shipping are calculated - saving you even more!)

• Payment must accompany all orders. I accept Visa, MasterCard, personal cheque and cash. This offer is available in Canada only.

cheers,

SEVEN HAPPY YEARS

... as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator! It's my 7th Anniversary, and I'm still having fun at my job! To show my appreciation to everyone who's supported me over the years, I'm running a four day special! Just call or email me to place your order between Thursday Oct 8th, 6pm and Monday Oct 12th, 6pm and choose your free item from the list below:

With any purchase $50 or more*, pick ONE of the following items FREE:

• Classic Stamp Pad
• Pack (24 sheets) single color card stock
• Clear envelopes
• Dazzling diamonds
• Dimensionals
• Stampin' Mist
• Stampin' Write Marker

With any purchase $100 or more*, pick ONE of the following items FREE:

• Gingham Ribbon
• Bone Folder
• Gold or Silver Brads
• Buttons
• Art Journal
• SNAIL
• Taffeta Ribbon
• Stampin' Around Standard Cartridge
• Standard Wheel

With any purchase $200 or more*, receive ALL of the following items:

• Minimum Level 1 Hostess Set
• Minimum $15 FREE merchandise
• Additional $10 FREE merchandise
• FREE catalog

* Before Tax and Shipping

PHOTOS FROM STAMPIN' PALOOZA

Did I mention that Stampin' Palooza (held in Toronto last weekend) was AMAZING!

I had a wonderful time, took lots of photos to upload here, and then realized that I didn't have to go to the trouble 'cause our hostess with the mostest, Caroline Lebel, had a professional photographer at the event - who took over 600 shots and uploaded them all for us to see!

Here's the link; enjoy!

(PS - the next Stampin' Palooza will be in Feb 2010 - Stampin' Up! demonstrators ... be there or be square!)

HOME FROM STAMPIN' PALOOZA!

I've just been to Toronto to attend the first ever Stampin' Palooza event  hosted by the one and only Caroline Lebel - and our guest speaker was none other than Linda Hansen of Salt Lake City - both ladies are very talented stampers, successful businesswomen, and a hoot to spend time with!

Honestly, I haven't laughed out loud (for real!) like this in longer than I can remember ... Linda's SPANX story ... OMG, here come the tears again!

These are just a few of the pics taken by my demo pal Ruth M - I have to recharge my own camera's battery before I can upload my shots - I wore the poor thing right out!

(TOP LEFT: OUTSIDE CARO'S STUDIO; TOP RIGHT: 185 STAMPERS AT PLAY; BOTTOM LEFT: FRIDAY DINNER @ MURPHY'S LAW PUB; BOTTOM RIGHT: LINDA HANSEN & MYSELF - thanks Ruth!)

By tomorrow I should have photos of all the display boards, etc uploaded to my facebook business page, so tune in then for the link ... right now I'm off to stamp the rest of the night away - I'm so pumped after this weekend's event that there's no way I'll sleep for hours yet.

Hope you're having a great weekend too!

Donna

GOOD FRIENDS ARE HARD TO PART WITH

I'm losing a really close friend ... well, not for a few more months ... but the point is that Julie's moving away and I'm not going to see her pop over every day like I'm used to doing. We stamp together, we borrow each other's stuff, and her son is like a grandson to my hubby & I (ok, maybe a nephew; I'm only 49!)

Julie is a talented stamper who hosts a colour challenge on her blog using Stampin' Up! colours - I've participated since day one but I almost missed the boat this time, even though she extended her deadline by another week (Just for me? I hope not!!!)

Anyway, even though the new colour challenge was posted today, I still have until 8 pm tonight to post my entry for the last one, so here goes (my record is still intact, thanks to Julie's patience!)

CHALLENGE:
Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge #5

(Bashful Blue, certainly Celery, Basic Grey & Bermuda Bay)

SUPPLIES:

All four of the above listed inks & card stock, plus black gingham ribbon and black buttons, all from Stampin' Up!

STAMP SETS: Animal Stories (pg 88) & All Holidays (pg 43 - for the Happy Birthday phrase)

cheers,

Donna

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME .. I THINK

Hello Stampers .. I missed you!!!

I'm just popping online to let you all know that hubby & I are home from our road trip vay-cay and that we had a wonderful time visiting family and taking photos of scenic Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Quebec.

Canada sure is a beautiful place to live ... we get caught up in our daily grind and tend to take all that beauty for granted. It was great to leave everything at home for awhile and just go exploring!

Today: clean the bugs off the windshield; tackle the mountain of camping laundry; and pick up my mom from the airport - for some reason she preferred flying to driving with us .. go figure .. GRIN!

Tomorrow: it's back to the studio for some long-overdue stampin' and scrappin' - tune in on Monday to see!

cheers,
Donna

LAST ORDER HAS GONE IN ... NOW WHAT?

Whew, I've just submitted my last order of the 2008-2009 Stampin' Up! year - and what a year it's been!

A huge cyberspace thank you goes out to everyone who has encouraged & supported my blog, my business, and my creative endeavors over the last twelve months. You are my inspiration to continue, my muse, and most importantly, my friends.

Tomorrow will be another busy day .. the new 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! catalogue and business year both officially start tomorrow, July 1st, at 2 pm (Ontario time) when the new catty goes live online, the new promos will be up, and new changes to my business website will take effect....

... but until then, I'm in limbo; time to turn off the computer, put away my stamps for the night, and pick up a good book and a cool drink for the rest of the evening. Heck, I might even sleep in tomorrow!

Good night all, and Happy Canada Day tomorrow!

cheers
Donna