Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

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!

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'S YOUR FAVOURITE?

The new SUMMER MINI CATALOGUE from Stampin' Up! just came out on May 1st ... have you seen it yet?

I want to know what your favourites are ... leave me a comment on this blog post and let's see if we can predict what the most popular item will be! And everyone who leaves me a comment between now and May 15th will go into a draw for a free stamp from page 11 of the Summer Mini - your choice!

  Here's the online Mini ... just click on the photo to open it up on your computer screen ... or if you're like me and you need the real thing in your own two hands, give me a shout and I'll get a copy to you, pronto! (anywhere in Canada)

PS - don't forget to drop by the STAMP & CROP OUT CANCER event this SATURDAY MAY 7th between 10 am - 4 pm. For a $5 donation at the door, you can shop our crafty clearance table, bid at the Silent Auction, do a FREE Make & Take project, check out our Vendors' tables, and if you're there between 12:30 & 1:30 you can even STREAK FOR CANCER! All proceeds are for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Ontario Division.

cheers

 

WINNER: CRAFTY RESOLUTIONS

Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my blog post last week with your New Year's crafting resolution - good luck; I know you can do it!!

I chose the winning comment using a random number generator at www.random.com - didn't want to be accused of favouritism, lol!

And the winner of the blog candy is .... Commenter #1: REITA!!

Congratulations, girl! Email me and we'll arrange to get you your goodies from the new Occasions Mini catalogue, ok?

Thanks again, everyone. Giving away stuff is fun ... I think I'll have to do it again, real soon. <wink>

cheers

 

 

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 NEW HOME, AND A CONTEST!

Wowzers - Stampin' Up! never ceases to amaze me!

They've just announced that they have designed and launched a free on-line community specifically for everyone who crafts with their digital software called "My Digital Studio"

I just joined and I gotta tell you, this is really kewl! Already I've seen lots of great ideas that members have shared in the photo gallery, and I've noted some discussion topics that I want to go back and participate in - tips for making certain special effects on your digital creations, and some questions along the line of  "How Do I..."

The My Digital Studio community is open to everyone - you don't have to be a demonstrator; heck, you don't even have to OWN the My Digital Studio software to join; it's a great way to check out what you can do with this baby BEFORE you buy, too! And did I mention that joining the My Digital Studio community is FREE?!

To celebrate the launch, Stampin' Up! is hosting a contest - here's the scoop:

Date: October 1-November 15, 2010

Stampin' Up!  invites YOU to participate in its first ever digital design contest using My Digital Studio and Stampin' Up!'s digital downloads! The My Digital Studio Design contest was created to recognize the amazing digital design skills of our talented, creative customers and demonstrators!

The contest is open to all customers and demonstrators who have access to My Digital Studio in the US and Canada; five customers and five demonstrators will be selected to win. 

To enter the contest you will need to design one digital card and two single-page layouts using ONLY My Digital Studio product and Stampin' Up downloads.  Submit all samples along with an official entry form and photo release form (if applicable) to [email protected].

Winners will receive free My Digital Studio digital downloads from Stampin' Up valued at approximately $500! You will also receive a digital pin for your personal blog.

Don't own My Digital Studio or want to purchase new Stampin' Up! digital downloads? Click here to visit my ONLINE STORE

The Stampin' Up! panel of judges can't wait to see your digital artistry on display, so submit your project today!

Ready, Set, Create!

1. Read the complete official rules.
2. Read the My Digital Studio Designing contest FAQ.
3. Download an official entry form and photo release (if applicable).

 

cheers

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

 

NOTE: THIS POST IS STAYING AT THE TOP OF THE LIST UNTIL JULY 15th; JUST SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE MORE RECENT POSTS.

IN JUNE, EVERYONE WHO PLACED AN "INDIVIDUAL" ORDER WITH ME WAS ENTERED INTO A DRAW FOR A FREE STAMP SET & THE WINNER WAS DRAWN ON JULY 1st ...

CONGRATULATIONS TO ... (drum roll, please!)  .. RACHEL BEITZ! 

You've won "PUNCHED POSIES", the Level Two Hostess Set from the Summer Mini Catalogue!

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,

CHECKLIST 4 TUESDAY'S OPEN HOUSE!

Today's Checklist:

1. Clean the house from top to bottom (I LOVE MY HUBBY!)
2. Set up my "Stampin' Clearance Sale" in the main-floor dining room
3. Prepare supplies for tomorrow's "Make & Take" projects
4. Print up lots of Bingo Cards and the Winners' Board
5. Set up my collection of class samples from the past 8 yrs so they can go to new homes
6. Stop by the grocery store for lots of snacks and drinks

AND .. at the crack of dawn Tuesday when Stampin' Up! posts their Retiring Stamps & Accessories List, I'll be up and at the computer, printing lots copies of the list for everyone.

We will be tired but definitely ready for you when you drop by on Tues. See you either between 1-4 pm or 7-10 pm, and please bring your friends!!

cheers

FEB 8: A VALENTINE A DAY, AND A CONTEST

Only six more days until one of the biggest card-giving events of the year is here ... Valentine's Day! Have you decided what your hand-crafted Valentines will look like yet? If you need some help, I've got two card classes and a Girls Night out scheduled this week and there's still room to join in! Check out all the details on my Event Calendar, then call or email me to reserve your spot - and remember, if you are in my Stampers Club you can attend one class a month for only $5.00, which leaves you $20 to spend on more Stampin' Up! supplies for your stash! <grin>

On to today's Valentine (if you're just tuning in, I've been posting one Valentine a day since Feb 1st; just scroll down to see all earlier ones) ...

Today's card was created by Tami White, who swapped with me at Stampin' up!'s Leadership Conference last month in Phoenix (boy, I sure could use some of that warm sunny weather today!)

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Blush Blossom, Basic Black & Shimmery White card stock

Inks - Basic Black & Blush Blossom

Accessories - Finial Press embossing folder, Big Shot machine & Stampin' Dimensionals

Stamps - "I [heart] Hearts" & ??? (I've been through the catalogue & I can't find this greeting - who can tell me which stamp set it comes from? I'll send you a card if you're the first to answer in the comments section of this post!)

cheers,

ONE MORE CARD ... AND THEN THE WINNER

Ever notice how some creative folk work best when they're up against a deadline? Come to think of it, I'm that way myself ... and so is the creator of this last entry in my birthday card contest.

This pretty card was hand-delivered tonight; well within the time allotment to qualify for a contest entry, lol. Thanks, Amanda!

(You can see the rest of the entries in my last post)

Please excuse the poor lighting of this photo - I wasn't in my studio when I took this shot.

And now, to announce the winner .....

I received 13 birthday cards in total, but three were from one person, so although she has a heart of gold, she only gets one entry in the contest (gotta be fair!) ... which brings us down to ten entries.

I numbered all of the cards from one to ten (as they appeared here on my blog post) then I used www.random.org to choose one number at random (hence the name random.org, duh) .... so our winner of Stampin' Up! product is:

List Randomizer

There were 10 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. 4
2. 9
3. 7
4. 3
5. 2
6. 1
7. 5
8. 6
9. 8
10. 10

Timestamp: 2010-02-01 05:19:28 UTC

CARD NUMBER FOUR!!!

Hand-stamped by Leigh-Ann M!

Congratulations Leigh-Ann; I'll be in touch to give you your prize!

*****

Thank you to everyone who took the time to make me a birthday card - turning fifty was actually enjoyable, because of all your kind thoughts and beautiful stamping!

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,

A MONTH OF BIRTHDAYS

January is filled with birthdays in our immediate (and extended) family - the cards, presents, balloons & cakes just keep on coming...how's a girl supposed to keep to her healthy eating plan (read: diet) with so much temptation all around?

My life partner & best friend, known to all on my blog as "HUBBY" had his birthday last Thursday & I actually made him a card this year! I'm pretty proud of it ... there's a bit of an inside joke to this card; see if you can figure out the significance to the wording and the colours of the hats...

SUPPLIES:

• Card Stock: Ballet Blue, Real Red and Whisper White
• Stamp sets: All Holidays, Rough Edges Alphabet (retired), the cute penguin set from the last Holiday Mini (retired), and a maple leaf stamp from my stash (non-stampin' Up!)
• Techniques: masking, water colouring, layering
• inks & Markers: Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Real Red, More Mustard, Handsome Hunter

Have you guessed the riddle? Post your answer under comments ... the first person to post with the correct answer will get a hand-stamped card 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,

CARDS FOR ANY OCCASION ~ AND A REAL WINNER!

Got an occasion coming up?

Then you definitely want to check out Stampin' Up!'s new OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE ... 44 pages of new stamps, papers, dies, embellishments, stencils, chipboard, and a lot more that I'm probably forgetting right now 'cause I don't have the book in front of me.

(It's actually on my night table - I drift off to sleep each night dreaming of all the wonderful things I'm going to make; don'tcha know)

If you missed the FREE SHIPPING offer at my Open House/Occasions Mini Kick Off yesterday, no worries - you can still get a great deal with Stampin' Up!'s biggest promotion of the year: SALE-A-BRATION is here! Order $65 of product and you can pick a free item from the SALE-A-BRATION brochure, or from selected stamp sets in the 2009 - 2010 IDEA BOOK & CATALOGUE.

More news from my Open House: the winner of this cute Designer Shopping Bag AND the brand new stamp set "With All My Heart" ( from the Occasions Mini, page 12) is

.........

 DANA H. - WAHOO! Congratulations Dana, and thank you to EVERYONE who came out yesterday!

.........

Finally, don't forget to mail me a hand-stamped birthday card this month ... you could be the lucky winner drawn on Jan 31st!

cheers,

Donna

I'M TURNING 50 THIS MONTH!

Send me a hand-stamped birthday card during the month of January and your name will be entered into my "HALF-A-CENTURY" contest ... you could win some fabulous Stampin' Up! products, just for dropping a card in the mail!

I plan to post photos of all the cards I receive here on my blog so please use Stampin' Up! images only on your creation (non-Stampin' Up! papers, card stock, and embellishments are acceptable)

CHRISTMAS CARD MARATHON UPDATE

Whew - what a rush this Saturday was ... and I mean that in a GOOD way!

Over three sessions we had 15 stampers come to the studio to make 20 cards each - and for a first attempt at the marathon format, I have to say it went pretty well. I have noted a few changes I'll make for the next one (which btw will be a Birthday card Marathon sometime in February).

A big thank you to everyone who came out, and for keeping it upbeat despite the (sometimes) crowded conditions. Next time I'll add some "buffer time" to the schedule between sessions, so that no one feels rushed to give up their seat!

I've got five more gals who want to make these popular"Christmas Jingle" cards, so I've scheduled one more session for Sunday Nov 29th, starting at 7pm. If you couldn't attend last Saturday, email me quick to reserve a seat for the 29th! I'll be ordering the kits very soon, so don't delay!

And for the final announcement, the winner of Saturday's draw for a Stampin' Up! Simply Scrappin' Kit of her choice is:

-

-

-

MICHELLE W!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Michelle - I'll be emailing you for your choice of SS Kits.

cheers

Donna

3 QUICK PROJECTS AND A WINNER!

Despite the torrential rain storm, the street yard sale & the lack of parking spaces all competing with my New Catalogue Launch Party last Saturday, I think my event went rather well. <grin>

A big thank you to everyone who came out on the weekend - it was great to see some new and some familiar faces & I appreciate you spending part of your day with me. Judging by how tightly you were gripping your copies of Stampin' Up!'s new catalogue as you went home, I'd say it was a good day for you too ... and the free shipping I offered to all attendees really helped make a dent in your wish lists!

For those who couldn't make it, here are the three quick make & take projects that we did - all 3 featured one or more of the new IN-COLOURS, plus some new stamp sets and Designer Series Papers...

First up, a really simple bookmark - I received one from Mary Mennie of Fergus at our team meeting last week (she used the cute new robot set from Stampin' Up!) and I borrowed her idea for Saturday's event. This sample says happy birthday & is perched on the corner of my new Definitely Decorative brochure) This bookmark is so easy to make - I'll post the instructions here on the blog tomorrow for everyone. Thanks, Mary for sharing the idea!

SUPPLIES: Rich Raspberry & Melon Mambo textured card stock, Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, and Word Window Punch, Oval Punch, & Eyelet Border Punch.

Second, a quick 3x3 note card & envelope to introduce two more new colours: Crushed Curry & Dusty Durango (sorry, my Crushed Curry sample didn't make it into the picture.) I pre-cut the mat behind the stamped image for everyone on my Big Shot with the Movers & Shapers die ... I love that those dies are just a smitch bigger than the coordinating punches, making a perfect mat every time!

ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES: Choclolate Chip textured card stock, Scalloped Edge punch, Curly Label punch, and retired stamp set "Cute & Curly" - I discovered that I don't have any current stamps to fit the Curly Label punch - I'll rectify that on my next order for sure!

And our final make & take quicky was a photo frame using a 4x4 chipboard coaster as the base. We covered it with Tale Tales Designer Series paper and added a 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 square of the new Soft Suede card stock as a future photo mat.

Then people chose an animal stamp from the new "Animal Stories" stamp set, stamped it in Soft Suede and matted it in Old Olive card stock. I used the owl, but other folk tried it with the whale, elephant and giraffe - they all turned out great!

The final touch was to add a 3D easel to the back, made from Whisper White card stock. It folds flat to mail or store, and pops right up when you want to display your photo! I made up a whole bunch of these in one sitting so I'll have them handy .. I'll post the measurements here on my blog later this week.

One final thing to share ... of course everyone who attended on Saturday got to fill out a ballot for my draw; the prize being a $25 Stampin' Up! Gift Certificate! I'm happy to announce that our winner (drawn by my impartial hubby while he was re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) ... IS

(insert drum roll here)

... Phyllis Connell - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

MONDAY MORNING UPDATE:

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who dropped by my Retirement Party on Saturday - I told you there would be great bargains, lol!

The winner of the door prize was drawn by my little friend Emily around 3 pm Saturday (thanks, Em!):
and the winner is ......

Kerry S!!!! (Hey, for once your daughter didn't win - Yeah for You!!!!)  <grin>

This week is full of Stampin' Up! events at my Studio ... there's still room in some, so RSVP ASAP and come on out for some stampin' fun:

TONIGHT (MONDAY): Designer Desk Set - 7:30 to 9:30 pm
THURSDAY NIGHT: "Just Cards" - Masculine Birthdays & Fathers Day cards - 7:30 to 9:30 pm
FRIDAY NIGHT: "Mom & Me" for Fathers Day - 6:30 to 8 pm
SATURDAY AFT: "Mom & Me" for Fathers Day - SORRY THIS CLASS IS FULL
SUNDAY: HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!!

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!

AND THE WINNER IS ...

Thanks to everyone who left a comment on my New Catalogue post last week, telling me your favourite new sets in Stampin' Up!'s Spring & Summer catalogue. Now I have some ideas of products to feature in my upcoming classes - aren't I sneaky?

The contest is now closed and I put all your names in a hat & my dh covered his eyes, reached in and pulled out one name .....

Congratulations, Michelle! You've won a package of hand-cut dies from the Sizzix Big Shot!

Stay tuned ... you never know when I'll throw another contest up on my blog!

LINK TO NEW SPRING & SUMMER CATTY& A GIVE-AWAY

All is well and you can now view Stampin' Up!'s new Spring & Summer Catalogue here

FYI: a popular part of the catalogue has always been the "recipe" section at the back of the book - a list of every project shown and a supply list for each one. To make more room for more stamps and accessories, Stampin' Up! has removed the "recipe" pages and instead has made them available online - you can see the Stampin' Supplies by clicking here

So what's your favourite new stamp set? New embellishment? New die for the Big Shot? new Decor Elements piece? Post a list of your favs here so we can compare notes and share our excitement!

On Jan 31 I'll randomly draw one name from all the posters - that lucky person will win a package of hand-cut dies from Stampin' Up!'s exclusive card stock!

WE HAVE A WCMD WINNER!

Hello everyone out there in stamp land; I hope you had a fun & glorious time making cards on World Card Making Day last Saturday - I know I had a ton of fun with some new stampers here at my stampin' pad - I have pics of all their creations to share with you, but first.....

Thank you to everyone who took a moment to leave a comment telling me what you were doing to celebrate World Card Making Day - it's good to know that all over the world people were sharing our passion for creating out of paper & ink (and whatever else happens to be within our reach - here, kitty, kitty!)

Using Random.org to select a winner, I am happy to announce that the Simply Sent Card Kit goes to....

(insert drum roll here)

Sandra Panio!

While Sandra only had time to stamp one card on Saturday, it was a VERY SPECIAL card to take to her Bishop's Anniversary Party! Do you think he'll catch the stampin' bug, Sandra?

cheers
Donna

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SATURDAY?

This Saturday is World Card-Making Day  - I hope you have plans to stamp a card or two, joining people all over the world in celebrating this great hobby of ours!

I have 3 quick items to share with you regarding WCMD ....

1) YOU'RE INVITED:
I'm hosting a drop-in card-making session on Saturday between 1-4 pm. Come by to make some cards using Stampin' Up!'s Card Kits on page 176-177 of the F&W Catalogue - choose the ones you want to make, and make as many as you need, all for only $2 per card/envelope! Hope you'll drop by!

2) 20% SAVINGS:
Stampin' Up! is celebrating WCMD by offering you all of the five Card Kits on pages 176-177 at 20% off! This sale runs from Oct 4th - Oct 11th, 2008

and 3) BLOG CANDY:
I have an unopened, brand new SIMPLY SENT CARD ELEMENTS KIT to give away to one lucky reader ... all you have to do to enter the contest is leave me a comment, answering the question, "What are you doing this Saturday?" (Just click on the word "comments" below this post and write in the spaces provided). Contest closes Saturday October 4th at midnight.

AND THE WINNER IS ...

Last week I shared with you that my favourite stamp set in Stampin' Up!'s new Fall & Winter catalogue is "Inspired by Nature" ... and I also invited you to leave a comment on that post to tell me what YOUR favourite new set is .... REMEMBER?

Well, as promised I have drawn one name from all the people who left a comment and the winner is....

Jennifer!!!

Jennifer wins a set of hand stamped cards & envelopes using "Inspired by Nature". I'll give you your prize the next time I see you, Jenn!

And thank you so much to everyone who took the time to leave a comment - I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who will be buying new stamps from this catalogue, lol!

cheers
Donna

AND THE WINNER IS.....

First off, I'm sending huge stampin' hugs to every one of you who stopped by my Stampin' Up! booth this past weekend at the Guelph Lions Home & Leisure Show. It was great to see you and chat for a bit!

As you all know I'm always giving something away, <grin> and this weekend the prize was a "Forget-Me-Not Keeper" with 40 hand-stamped cards and "Whisper White" envelopes! Even the "non-crafty" folk who visited my booth liked this prize 'cause all the work is done for them, lol.

Which brings us to the winning ballot.......

CONGRATULATIONS TO ........... Jacqueline L. of Guelph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jacqueline visited my booth on Sunday afternoon and chatted with two of my team-mates, Tania & Sandra. (I took Sunday off <sheepish grin> so I didn't get to meet our winner in person). Jacqueline - Tania will be contacting you soon to arrange delivery of your prize - ENJOY!!

cheers,
Donna

HOW TO WATERCOLOUR WITH STAMPIN' UP! MARKERS

I've dabbled in watercolouring with my Stampin' Up! markers, but every time I show the technique at my workshops & classes, I give a warning that I'm no artist.

In fact, taking honest-to-goodness watercolour painting lessons from a pro is way up there on my "Bucket List" ...someday I will.

Until then, let me direct you to the best stamping tutorial I've ever seen - Sophia Landry explains the steps to her system so clearly that I think even I can manage it! Sophia is a very talented artist (long before her sister Andrea signed her up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - wink) and it shows in all of her creations.

Check out Sophia's watercolouring tutorial on her blog (this link will take you to Part A, be sure to read Part B too!) and then get out your markers and give it a try! Post a link to your results in the comments section of this post and I'll randomly draw one winner on  April 30th! The prize?  A $10 Stampin' Up! Gift Certificate through yours truly, Donna Henley.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with ... I'm off to try Sophia's tutorial myself!

cheers,
Donna

REAL MEN STAMP TOO!

I was just checking out a few of my favourite blogs this morning over a steamy cuppa tea & just had to share this post by Patty Bennett...she & her husband are BOTH making swap cards for their Stampin' Up! cruise at the end of the month (which Patty earned as a demonstrator - WAHOO!)

Here is her hubby's creation for the Husband Swap; isn't it great?

For the full story & a tutorial to make this gift card holder, visit Patty's blog here.

So the next time you pull out your Stampin' stuff, why not invite YOUR hubby to play too?  And to give us all a smile, post a comment below to predict what your hubby's reaction would be if you invited him to stamp with you.... <grin>

On March 31st, I'll give a free Sale-a-Bration stamp set to a randomly-chosen name from all the posts!

VALENTINES GALORE!!

Well, my Valentine Card Contest is officially closed ... here are all of the entries as promised:

by Tara S: a shadowbox card!

by Brenda S: (inside was stamped with hearts on the left, and white card stock was adhered on the right - but since it contained a message to Brenda's Valentine, we don't get to see it here <grin>)

made by Dana H & her daughter for her classmates:

by Lizette S: a cute purse wrapped around chocolate! 

****** AND THE WINNER (DRAWN RANDOMLY) OF A SALE-A-BRATION STAMP SET IS....................

Tara S! CONGRATULATIONS, Tara and thank you to everyone for playing.

cheers,
Donna

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Have you hugged your hunny today? Mine is sleeping all day & working tonight, so I'm comforting myself with some stamping, lol. (He DID bring me flowers this morning - apparently there were a lot of guys buying flowers at 8 am at Zehrs in Guelph today - go figure!!! <grin>

2 things to share with you all today .... first, a CONTEST!!!

Send me a Valentine .. well, a photo of your hand-stamped Valentine & you may win a free Sale-a-Bration stamp set!

This contest ends at midnight on February 16, 2008. The winner's name will be drawn & announced on my blog on Sunday February 17th along with photos of all entries received.

So come on everyone ... share the love!!!!!

Secondly, here are some projects I've done over the last several weeks with my classes .. or given away to friends... ENJOY!  (All products & images are © Stampin' Up! (Sorry that the photos are all out of alignment; I give up trying to make this page pretty - so here you go!)

A quick thank you card - same principle as the popular flap fold card, except I sealed up the flap on the right side to make a pocket to hold money or a gift card.

Stamp set: Happy Heart Day
Designer Paper: Flowers for You
Accessories: 1-3/8" circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, scallop circle punch, markers & Crystal Effects (on the flower & heart)

This is a baby announcement tag I designed for a friend - she made home made chocolates that said "It's a Girl!" & wanted something to tie on the bags to hand out when her granddaughter arrived earlier this month.

And here's a photo of the other 39 that I made for her! Barb simply added computer printed stickers to the tags with birth date & name - in pink, I hope!

Now this is MY idea of a Valentine!!
I get all tingly whenever I see the Man in Brown coming down my street, lol.

Here's a recent delivery - I just LOVE Stampin' Up!'s Berry Bliss Designer paper, don't you?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

THE WINNER OF 40 HAND-STAMPED CARDS...

Hi all,
I'm a day late, but I CAN now tell you that the winner of the door prize at our TOTAL WOMEN'S SHOW booth last weekend is .........

SHANNON from KITCHENER!!!!

Congratulations Shannon - you win the 40 hand-stamped cards that were on the display board at our Stampin' Up! booth (click on the photo for a close-up view). One of us will be in touch very soon to arrange delivery of your prize!!!

Thanks again to everyone who entered - you can expect an email or phone call with details of a BONUS Stamping 101 class we'll be running exclusively for people who visited our Stampin' Up! booth on Feb 9 & 10.

THE WINNERS OF FREE PASSES ARE ...

Dana Hauck and Maria Grupp, come on down!! You've just won 2 day passes for you and a friend to attend this weekend's Total Women's Show in Kitchener - WAHOO!!!

Thanks for your kind comments about the Make & Take project we'll be doing at our booth (#25 - I hope everyone who plans to attend will drop by and say hi!!!)

Dana & Maria: please contact me on my cell phone: 519-546-3849 and I will meet you at the ADVANCE TICKET SALES door at Bingeman Park to give you your passes. Enjoy the Show!!!

cheers,
Donna

AND THE WINNER IS...

Last Tuesday (Jan 29/08) I posted a photo of this Valentine project as part of my January Stamp-of-the-Month class, using the stamp set "Happy Heart Day" from Stampin' Up!

I also invited all of you good people to post a comment to that post & promised to draw one person's name to win my sample - candy hearts & all! Remember???

Well, the contest is now closed, and we have a winner (The name was drawn by my impartial hubby while he was watching TV, so you know he didn't peek!)

And the winner is....... (insert drumroll here)....... Brenda Scott!!
Congratulations, Brenda! Maybe the candy hearts will help pass the time until your new Demonstrator Starter Kit arrives! <wink>

Thanks to everyone who left a comment. You can read all the comments here.

cheers,
Donna

AND THE CONTEST WINNER IS...

I announced a Retiring Stamp List Contest in my newsletter a while back ... I asked subscribers to email me a list of 10 stamp sets they thought would appear on the Retirement List from Stampin' Up!

Unless you are nowhere near a computer today, you all know that the official list was released this morning, so it's time to reveal the winner...................

CONGRATUALTIONS TO TARA SIGNORELLI!!!

SEVEN out of TEN stamps sets on Tara's list actually appeared on the official list today - the next closest guess was five out of ten, so good on you, Tara! For your efforts you win one of retiring stamp sets that will be coming down off my shelf at the end of December. I'll be in touch by email to give you your choices!

Thanks everyone for playing - it's always fun to try for free stuff, isn't it? Don't forget to check your wishlist & order your favourite sets from the retiring list this month...after January 1st, they're gone FOREVER.

cheers,
Donna

CAST YOUR VOTE...

I've added something new today - a BuzzDash poll  to determine which of my top 5 selling stamp sets YOU think make the best cards. Cast your vote & let's see which set is NUMBER ONE!!

Due to a technical glitch, the entire poll isn't showing on the screen ... so here's a way around that little problem: first step: cast your vote (by clicking on the stamp set name) - second step: click on the little box that says "View Voter Comments" which will take you to my poll to see the whole thing.

cheers,
Donna

AND THE WINNER IS...

Thank you to everyone who entered a Hallowe'en photo in my contest! Since my "impartial judges" actually knew some of the entrants and therefore could have been biased (wink) we decided to put everyone's name into a hat & draw a winner that way.

So, the winner of a package of Creepy Crawly Designer Series paper & 2 rolls of narrow grosgrain ribbon (in black & orange, naturally) is......................................................................................

JULIE LEBLANC!!!!! Congrats, Julie; your prize is on its way. To see all the entrants' photos, check out my Hallowe'en album on the sidebar of this blog.