Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

IT'S THE MOST BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR!

A little change to the well-known lyrics of a certain holiday song ... but so appropriate!! (I hope I didn't just get that tune stuck in your head for the rest of the day; he,he,he)

Last Saturday's Craft Sale & Open House at ARC Industries in Guelph was a great day - thank you so much to everyone who stopped by! My sister, who many of you know has Downs Syndrome, works at ARC and she loves crafts so we made some gift tags and rustic wooden stars (my, she really liked the hammering part - who knew!) and a few other trinkets and we set up a booth together. It was a real joy to meet all the people from her workplace and to see her excitement each time we sold one of "her'" items - the money went into a separate tin and she happily went off to spend it at the other booths during lunch. We made some good memories that day!

I'm holding another Paper Medallion Wreath class this Thursday, this time at the Clifford Library. I've also been working on a wreath kit for my SCRAP IT paper crafting line ... it should be available to purchase next week.

Saturday the 19th is our 35th wedding anniversary; hubby will be spending the day sleeping and the night working, while I will be setting up a booth with my down-line Joanna at "Christmas in Clifford" to intice you all to buy our ready-made holiday cards, gifts and decorations. It's at the Community Centre from 10 am - 3 pm.

Sunday the 20th I'll be at the "Baby & Bump" show at Bingeman's in Kitchener ... this one's a really great show for moms, prospective moms, grandmas, aunties, babies & toddlers! All the vendors have baby/toddler related products and services, plus there's live entertainment, demonstrations, and a crawling baby race! Being a new grandma myself, I can't wait to do some Christmas shopping when I'm not busy teaching the sweet little mom & me project that I'm prepping today. I got into this show at the last minute; (it's not even on my events calendar yet!) so if you can spread the word to family and friends, I sure would appreciate it! Here's the Baby & Bump link for more information; hope to see you there!

And on Monday November 28 I'll be running my annual 20 Christmas Card Marathon class - make 20 different cards for the holidays using 1/2 a Simply Scrappin' kit - envelopes included; all for only $25. I've booked us lots of space at Crafters Cupboard in Guelph so we won't feel crowded like last year, lol. RSVP quick so I have time to order enough kits for you and your friends!

There are more shows and more classes in November, but I'd better get back to cutting and packaging cardstock right now, lol. Check out my calendar of events - hope to create something with you this month!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN COOKIE SLEEVE

Here's a kewl project using our new cookie stamps (they're so much fun I can't stop baking, lol)

Product Highlight:
Stamp Set Sweet Pressed Cookie (#125152)

Take your love of stamping into the kitchen! Create fun and tasty stamped cookies for any occasion. Fit a silicone stamp over the bottom of wooden handle and press into dough—it’s that easy! Let the kids help! Food-safe, easy-to-clean (dishwasher safe). Suggested cookie recipes included. Each includes set of 3 silicone stamps (jack'o'lantern, snowflake & heart) and 1 handle.

For More Details: Visit My Gallery

cheers,

HOW MANY PROJECTS CAN ONE STAMPER HAVE ON THE GO?

Sounds like the start of a bad joke, like ... how many stampers does it take to ... never mind.

I'm one of those gals who can't finish anything in one sitting ... as a result, I have TOO MANY unfinished projects on the go on any given day (week, month, even year!)

Funny thing, but In the last six days (coincidently the same length of time my dear daughter has gone past her due date to deliver my precious grandbaby) ... I've had the urge to pick up several half finished projects and as they say, "get 'er done"

So I thought I'd share what I've managed to finish this past week or so ... and I'd love to hear your comments: are you a multi-tasker like me, or one of those "must-finish-this-before-I-start-that" type of crafter? (I can't imagine what that lifestyle would even feel like!)

 

First, a quick card I made for my son-in-law's birthday earlier in March ... with a retired set from Stampin' Up! that fits our family's activities so well that I kept it in my stash. SiL is an avid canoer, camper & fisherman ... I tied the bike onto the back of the jeep to represent all the kiddy stuff he's gonna have to start taking along on their camping trips <grin>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next - here's a super fun and easy pop-up card that I found online and used as one of the make & take projects at my team's March meeting.

It starts with an 8x8" piece of card stock, add some scoring, glue one corner, and decorate to your heart's content - couldn't be easier! We used the "Ice Cream Parlor" designer series papers, self-adhesive die cuts, printed ribbon and buttons - all of which are FREE with purchase during SALE-A-BRATION this month - gotta love the free stuff!!

Next up is a personal favourite .. this bookmark was our second make & take project at March's Artful*Inkers Team meeting .. designed and presented by Joanna.

I love the bright colours that Joanna used - this also looks great in Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, and Melon Mambo - all from the Brights Collection, which coordinated perfectly with the stack of Brights Patterned Designer Series Papers ... clever girl, our Joanna!

 

We used five different Stampin' Up! punches to make this - can you name them all?

I loved the bookmark project so much that I added it to the roster for my "Mom & Me" March Break class, held last Wednesday afternoon. We all wore hats (for the Mad Hatter Tea Party theme) and decorated them with these flowers, made on the Sizzix Big Shot die-cutting machine:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our final project at the "Mom & Me" class was a Friendship Book .. a mini scrapbook made from plain drink coasters bound together using my little sprial binding machine.

The girls had a grand old time choosing their papers, ink colours and chipboard embellishments to give each book it's own special touches.

Of course, we had to leave room inside to add photos of our best friends later, along with lists of our favourite movies this year, books we've read, and anything else we wanted to remember about 2011!

Then we wrapped up the afternoon with a tea party upstairs in my dining room .. I wish I had gotten photos of everyone who came; but here's one of the person who travelled the farthest to attend!

Thank you all for sharing part of your March Break vacation crafting with me!

Ok, more projects to share tomorrow ... for now, make sure you've ordered all the freebies you want out of the Sale-a-Bration brochure 'cause it ends March 31st.

Also, this Wednesday is the last day to register for our final session of the Techniques Stamp Camp - this time to be held in Waterloo on Sat April 2nd.

And I'm still offering 10% off orders placed before my grandbaby arrives .. something tells me you shouldn't dawdle on this one! <grin>

cheers

 

 

MORE MARCH MADNESS

I'm posting late today ... due to a night of insomnia followed by a day of cat-napping between phone calls and emails ... utter madness, I tell ya!

Sooo, here's my next idea to get me through this MAD MONTH OF MARCH: a Mad Hatter's Tea Party!!

Well, it's actually going to be a very kewl "MOM & ME" crafty class during March Break here in southwestern Ontario ... complete with projects, refreshments, and of course everyone is encouraged to bring their favourite hat!

DATE: WED  MARCH 16TH

TIME: 1 - 4 PM

WHO: CRAFTY KIDS BETWEEN 4-12 (ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT)

COST: $10 PER CHILD (ADULT IS FREE)

SPECIAL NOTES:

• Please pre-register you and your child or children by March 13th at the latest.
• Please provide names and ages of your kids, plus any food allergies I should know about.
• Register by phone or email: [email protected]
• If my grandbaby arrives on time & I have to cancel - the make-up class will tenatively be on Sun March 27th.

I'm tied up the next few days with preparations for this Saturday's Techniques Stamp Camp in Carlisle, but tune in early next week for more installments of my MARCH MADNESS plans!

PS: Stampin' Up! announced two great new promotions for April ... as soon as my pre-order arrives and I get a minute to play with those goodies, I'll be sharing some sneak peek projects here with you too!!

cheers,

BRILLIANT IDEA FOR VALENTINE TREATS

Good morning! I'm here in my studio for a 12 hour marathon session today .. it's one of my three OPEN STUDIO DAYS that I've scheduled for January. If you're in the neighbourhood, drop by for coffee and a card ($2), or to work on your own projects - you can use my stamps and tools while you're here!

I thought I'd start my day with a quick inspirational blog hop through my downlines' blogs to see what Valentine ideas they've come up with. Here's one I had to share with all of you right away - it's perfect to make for inexpensive class valentines, especially if you want to include a treat but you hate to think of the kids ripping your creation apart in a frenzy to get to the sugar (how's that for a visual image? LOL)

My downline ANDREA WALFORD spotted this project by Susan on the Scrapyland blog, then modified it to make it her own design - I LOVE IT! If you follow my link to Andrea's blog, she has a video tutorial and a PDF instruction sheet that you can download too! Oh, and if you decide to join her brand new Paper Crafters' Library - tell her Donna sent you <grin>

cheers

 

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!

OK, this is a little SCARY, isn't it?  As of today, there are:

Days Till Christmas: 104, Days Till Hanukkah: 80, Days Till Kwanzaa: 105

*****       *****       ******       *****       *****       *****       *****

If you plan to SAVE MONEY this year by MAKING YOUR OWN holiday cards (and maybe even gifts, too!) then NOW is time to plan your projects and order your supplies so that you have plenty of time to design, stamp, create, cut, and play without leaving everything to the last minute.

Don't know where to start? I can help you narrow down your choices and find your own style ... that's what I'm here for!

First of all, check out Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Mini for ideas - do you like the fun & bright look of "Candy Cane Christmas" ... or maybe you prefer the retro, vintage look of "Deck the Halls"?

Do you LOVE embellishments? Then check out the jumbo buttons, the big glittery brads, the tinsel trim and glass glitter - all available in the Holiday Mini!

Want to get the kids involved more this year? Try the Candy Countdown Calendar Kit or the Design-a-House - both offer a great opportunity for some Mom-and-Me crafting time.

And for some fresh new Christmas home decor, there are new vinyl Decor Elements called "Candy Cane Christmas" and a beautiful new Decor Stencil called "Vintage Frames".

Oh, and did you see the new SOUND Cards on page 15? One of them even lets you record your own Holiday message! 

Here are a couple of Swap Cards I received, using products from the Holiday Mini ..

 

 

Yep, there's lots of inspiration in the Holiday Mini Catalogue ... click on the cover to view it online, or contact me to get your own copy for free!

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

JUNE 30: LAST CHANCE TO ORDER!

TODAY is the LAST DAY we can place orders from Stampin' Up!'s out-going 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue ... I'll be putting in one final order later this evening, so if you NEED anything from the retiring stamp list, retiring Home Decor list or the retiring Accessories list, let me know by 8 pm tonight.

Then at 2 PM Eastern Time tomorrow, come back here to find the on-line link to the brand spankin' new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue!!

Better yet, drop in at my place tomorrow between 1-5 PM, place an order and you'll go home with your very own copy! That way you can read it in the tub, bend the page corners, draw big circles around your wish list items...whatever you want to do with it 'cause it'll be YOURS!

Come celebrate Canada Day with us ... and bring the kids!!

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,

FEB 6: A VALENTINE A DAY

I'm having a lot of fun with this 14-day series of Valentine posts ... the hardest part is deciding which cards to share!

This one appeals to the whole chocolate side of Valentines Day, don't you think? It was created by fellow Leadership attendee Lisa Ziebarth. Easy to re-create and with just the right amount of detail to step it up a notch ... glad I swapped with her!

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Rose Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White & Old Olive card stock

Stamps - Teeny Tiny Wishes & the "I Love Love" Jumbo Wheel

Inks - Chocolate Chip Classic ink

Accessories - Old  Olive 5/8' grosgrain ribbon, gold brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, and the new-style Small Heart punch (the last one is from the Occasions Mini catalogue)

Last night I got to stamp with five great kids and their moms - it was a Valentine-making frenzy as they stamped 3x3 cards for their classmates, made 'Love Bot" treat boxes for their Special Valentine friends and family, and decorated tin mailboxes to hold all their Valentine treasures. All they have left to do is fill the treat boxes and deliver - definitely a great event that I will repeat next year!

cheers,

BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS MORNING

I LOVE this time of year ... it's SALE-A-BRATION time, and the goodies are starting to arrive!! 

You should have seen my poor UPS man struggling at my front door today, trying to balance three very heavy boxes while he rang the bell. Of course I rushed to help him, purely out of concern for his well-being ... really!

Once unpacked, my dining room table looked something like the Stampin' Up! warehouse in Utah - what a rush! No wonder the boxes come with a warning ... 

Just look at all this stuff - free punches, free stamp sets, free designer series paper ... you gotta love the free stuff, and during Sale-a-Bration, it's all about FREE!

Can you spot YOUR order amongst all these goodies?

Yes? Then come on over and pick it up; it's all sorted & ready to go to new homes.

No? Then give me a shout & get in on my next order - with a $65 purchase, you too can have your choice of free Sale-a-Bration products.

But don't wait too long - Sale-a-Bration won't last forever, you know.

cheers,

NEW: HEART-SHAPED SWEET TREAT CUPS

Creating Valentines just got a whole lot easier with Stampin' Up!'s new heart-shaped Sweet Treat Cups and coordinating stamp set called "Sweetheart".

I've included a quick Valentine treat idea designed by Stampin' Up! - just scroll down to the bottom of this post for the instructions. And click HERE to see a close up of the stamps included in the "Sweetheart" set.

While these new products do not appear in the new Occassions Mini catalogue, they ARE available for purchase starting January 5th ... and Stampin' Up! expects the first shipment to sell out quickly!

So, if you want them in time for Valentines' Day, better call or email me to place your order pronto!

• Heart Treat Cups (#120435) (pkg of 12)
• Sweetheart stamp set (#120415) (set of 5 stamps)

Coordinating products for the project shown below:

• Sweet Treat Padded Envelopes (#116802) (pkg of 3 - Occasions Mini, page 21))
• Full Heart punch (#113693) (2009-2010 Catalogue, pg 186)
• Scallop Edge punch (#112091) (2009-2010 Catalogue, pg 186)

BE MINE CARD (Stampin' Up!©)

Stamps
Sweetheart stamp set

Paper
Bashful Blue textured card stock
Old Olive textured card stock
Real Red textured card stock
Whisper White card stock

Ink
Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

Accessories
Heart Treat Cup
Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon
Full Heart punch
Scallop Edge punch

Instructions

1. Adhere strip of Bashful Blue textured card stock to center of card.
2. Adhere to Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon to card.
3. Stamp Be Mine in Old olive ink on square of Whisper White card stock.
4. Punch out center of heart image with Full Heart punch. Insert Heart Treat Cup and fill.
5. Peel off adhesive cover and adhere Heart Treat Cup to a second square of Whisper White card stock to seal the cup.
6. Punch scallops from Real Red textured card stock with Scallop Edge punch. Adhere scallops to back of Whisper White square.
7. Adhere Whisper White square to card.

cheers,

HOME MADE ORNAMENTS

Now that the last of my Christmas Bazaar appearances is over for this year, I'm focusing on holiday decorating ideas, specifically hand made ornaments.

I'm prepping for my ORNAMENTS & TAGS class coming up next week, plus my team is doing an ORNAMENT SWAP at our Christmas Dinner on the 17th. And I like to make an ornament for each of my family every year - now that they all have their own trees, it's nice to send a little bit of me home with them. I just tie it onto their present instead of a bow!

So today I'm just surfing the web for new ornament ideas to add to my binder & I found some kewl sites with lots of ideas, so I thought I'd just share with all of you. (Of course, I KNOW that you'll be using your Stampin' Up! supplies to make these, right?)

Enjoy!

• http://familycrafts.about.com/od/treeornaments/Christmas_Tree_Ornaments.htm

• http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/christmas/christmas-crafts.html

• http://www.dotcomwomen.com/crafts/christmas_ornaments.shtml

• http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/christmas-decorations/christmas-ornaments/

HALLOWE'EN SPIDER TREATS

One of my club members Amanda showed me these adorable and easy-to-make Hallowe'en treats, using Stampin' Up!'s "Sweet Treat Cups" - check them out!

Punches used: 1-3/4" circle for the body, 1" circle, 3/4" circle and 1/4" circle for the eyes (googly eyes would be fun to use too) and the photo corners punch for the legs.

I thought they'd be a perfect project to make tomorrow (Saturday) at my "Mom & Me" Hallowe'en classes ... there's still room in both the 9-11am group and the 1-3pm group. Roy will have the yard all decorated early tomorrow so the kids can see, I have a couple of fun crafts lined up (including these spiders!), and of course there will be treats, too.

This is a good way to burn off some of the kids' energy while they wait for the main event tomorrow night! Call or email me today to reserve your spot - $25 for mom & one child; second child is only $5 more.

cheers,

Donna

FINAL DEALS OF THE WEEK: OCT 26 - 31

Ahoy there!

Are you planning a party for the little pirates or princesses in your castle?

Here's a real time saver to help make it a festive occasion:

This is the final week of Stampin' Up!'s Deals of the Week promotion; contact me or use my online shopping service to order your deals ... but do it before Oct 31!

PIRATE PARTY KIT (item # 116213, pg 175) regularly $21.95; this week: $13.99!

PRINCESS PARTY KIT (item #116214, pg 174) regularly $21.95; this week: $13.99

cheers,

Donna

BEARS ON PARADE

Stampin' Up!'s Build-A-Bear dies are really addictive - I can't put them down!

Here's a couple that I came up with over the weekend ...

You've seen these two Hallowe'en bears, but the one on the left is new:  a Team Canada bear for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC

I made the scarf and hat from the two jacket pieces on the "Beary Essentials" clothing die, and the tiny maple leaf stamp is an old purchase I made when I was in Scouting (company unknown). I couldn't decide whether to make him some boots or skates - but isn't he cute?

****************************

My second attempt took a little more time - this couple are from the 50's (she's wearing his sweater, 'cause they're going steady - aah, the good old days .. why don't kids like using that phrase anymore?)

I made the pants from Night of Navy card stock to look like a pair of jeans, and I cut the LP record with the Circle Cutter.

*****************************

And finally, here are the projects we made at Sunday's Mom & Me class. It was so cute: the kids showed up with their stuffed friends from the Build-a-Bear store.

They had a lot of fun making and dressing their paper bears using the Big Shot die cutter. 

cheers

Donna

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: GROWTH CHART

This just in from Stampin' Up!: "Demonstrators and customers alike love the Décor Elements Growth Chart special offer so much, it is now the top selling Décor Elements item for the month of August! Lucky for you, this offer is still available until September 30, during the Just for Kids campaign."

Stampin' Up! has received a lot of great photos and tips from demonstrators who have been selling and using this new, limited-time Décor Elements item; let me share a few of them with you...

Ideas for Marking Heights

Alana, a demonstrator from Alberta, uses the Décor Elements sheets (page 158 of the Idea Book & Catalog), the My Way punch (item #110709), and the White Gel pen (item # 105021)to create height markers for her Growth Chart.

Julienne, a demonstrator from Illinois, put her Growth Chart up in her playroom, and uses the cute birds made with the Birds & Blooms Sizzlit die (item #113485) to track her kids' growth. "Since my growth markers are movable," she says, "I plan to take photos of the children at various milestones and then record the date and measurement in a 'Watch me Grow' mini book."

And here's my personal favourite ... all you teachers out there, take note:

Dale, a demonstrator and second-grade teacher from Louisiana reports, "Everyone at my school decorates their classroom doors, so I decided to use the growth chart on mine. This was the first Décor Element I had put up . . . and I'm hooked!"

Here's how Dale plans to use the growth chart at her school:

"On the first day of school, I always take a picture of each student . . . so I will take it in front of the grow chart. At the end of the year, I'll take a second picture and send both of them home with our last writing project which will be a book about how they have grown to be better students during the year. I also plan to use the growth chart during Math and let the students compare the length and height of various objects. I'm going to invite other classes to send their tallest and shortest students to be measured on our door, and we'll compare the differences to the tallest and shortest in our room."

"Since my main focus is getting my students to be better readers, I also plan to use the chart to graph the number of books they have read at home . . . so I will be putting other numbers where the metric ones were and adding student names and small punched shapes to the door to show how many books they read."

"Last but not least, my new door decoration has already had lots of comments and questions about where I got it. It's a great conversation starter!"

Remember, the Décor Elements Growth Chart is only available through September 30, so order yours today!

cheers,

STAMPIN' UP! PARTNERS WITH BUILD-A-BEAR©

A note from Donna before you read the press release below: I've been waiting for weeks to share this news ... this new product line will be featured in Stampin' Up!'s Holiday Mini Catalogue, which starts on September 1st, and it is ADORABLE!

Register early for a very special "Mom & Me" workshop featuring our new Build-a-Bear products to be held on Sunday September 20th

PRESS RELEASE:

Stampin’ Up! ^® has partnered with Build-A-Bear Workshop^® to produce the first-ever paper-crafting products featuring the beloved Build-A-Bear Workshop mascot Bearemy^® and other furry friends. The exclusively designed product offering includes stamp sets, Designer Series papers and Sizzix dies, providing young and young-at-heart Build-A-Bear Workshop enthusiast endless hand crafted possibilities for scrapbook pages, cards, invitations, home décor and more. 

 

“I’m excited about the opportunity we have to partner with Build-A-Bear Workshop,” said Shelli Gardner, Stampin’ Up! cofounder and CEO. “The company has a strong reputation for inspiring creativity and encouraging imagination with its products, which is what we have done at Stampin’ Up! for more than 20 years. This is a great partnership that will provide unlimited opportunities for creativity—I know I will be spending hours playing with my grandchildren, making all kinds of Build-A-Bear creations.”

Transforming Build-A-Bear Workshop characters into a crafting line is one of the many ways Stampin’ Up! and its demonstrators plan to excite the next generation of crafters while revitalizing the art of creating and giving handcrafted items. 

 

“Like Build-A-Bear Workshop, Stampin’ Up! is a company that offers a variety of ways to express creativity. We are excited to partner with them to inspire the imagination in kids of all ages and to encourage this great hands-on activity.” said Maxine Clark, founder, chairman, and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

 

AUG: JUST FOR KIDS (AND THE KID IN YOU)

From August 1st - 31st, Stampin' Up! has two great offers for the kid in all of us ...



• FREE DESIGNER BUTTONS: Spend $45 on stamp sets from the Growing Up section of the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue (Pages 74-90) and receive a FREE package of Designer buttons, a $10.95 value! (Choose from: Playground Designer buttons, Sherbet Designer buttons, Button Latte Designer buttons)


• GROWTH CHART SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase the brand-new Décor Elements Growth Chart, only available August 1-September 30, and as an added bonus, receive a free applicator tool with your purchase (a $2.25 value).

To see photos & details, click here: AUGUST PROMOTION FLYER

COME SEE US AT BINGEMANS' IN KITCHENER!

If you're around town on May 23 & 24, be sure to drop by
the Stampin' Up! booth at Bingeman's Convention Centre
to say hi to Wilma, Samantha & myself - we're participating in:

the Kitchener-Waterloo Baby & Toddler Show!

2009 Show dates....
Saturday May 23rd 10am to 5pm
&
Sunday May 24th 10am to 4pm

Oh, and bring the kids (or borrow someone's) - there's lots of fun stuff going on and it's only $5 to get in (kids are free) ...

Show Features...

• Elmo meet & greets Saturday 10-4, this year we have a special backdrop and area

TVO Kids "Don't Sit Still" Tour Sunday at 11am, admission is free till 11am Sunday so everyone in the community can enjoy the show

Regular admission is $5, kids are free

Kids play area by The Little Gym of Guelph

Feeding and changing area by Diapers N More

Breastfeeding Buddies lounge by Oh Baby Fitness

Art area sponsored by Toons for Toddlers

I HAD A BLAST ON SATURDAY!

I held my annual "Mom & Me" Christmas class yesterday and we had sooo much fun! It was a full house with 9 kids and 4 moms, plus baby Davin who wanted so much to be a part of it all ... maybe next year!

I really look forward to this event every year - some of these stampin' kids I've known since they were born, like Sean and Emily pictured left. They give the best hugs!

It's great to see the moms spending quality time & sharing their hobby with the next generation of stampers. Here's Lynda with her children Connor & Ryley, pictured right.

I also got to spend time stampin' with cousins Cassandra, Kaylee & Jacob; and brothers Johnathan & Thomas.

Even my own family got involved this year - my grown kids Mel & Jay helped decorated my basement studio ... "kid style" with their favourite childhood ornaments on the tree, and hubby Roy strung multi-coloured lights everywhere, inside and out. (He had to leave half-way through the party to go to work, poor guy - I could tell that he wanted to stay!)

As for the stamping, we made three projects: a treat bag, a jar full of tags, and a fridge magnet calendar for 2009. These are really simple projects that you can duplicate at home, with a couple of purchases from the dollar store.

Here's a close-up of the calendar (PHOTO TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE) - the kids started with a white piece of card stock cut to fit the acrylic frame. They adhered a strip of black card stock approximately an inch up from the bottom of the white piece, then stamped their own personalized family portrait using Stampin' Up!'s "All in the Family" stamp set and black ink.

What a hoot it was watching them choose (oh so carefully) from the assorted heads, bodies and feet in the set, discussing which features best matched their own siblings, parents & pets ... very serious work, lol.

The last step was to slip the card stock inside the frame, then tape the calendar to the outside, centred on the black mat.

NOTE: The decorated strips along the top & bottom of the frames were already in place (my dollar store had 2 designs: sun, clouds, stars & moon embossed in black, and hearts & zig zags embossed in pink) but this project would also work just as well with plain frames.

All in all, a great afternoon ... I can't believe I have to wait until Valentine's Day to do it all again!!!