Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

YOU GOTTA LOVE A GOOD DEAL

During FEBRUARY & MARCH, 2013 purchase my "Love is in the Air" product bundle for just $75 (includes shipping and taxes) and you'll not only get a FREE Sale-a-Bration item of your choice, but you'll also receive full instruction sheets with colour photos to make:

• 5 different cards, suitable for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays or just to say hello
• 8 scrapbook pages, 8"x8", use as 4 double page layouts, or frame individually as gifts
• 1 cute & frilly gift box, 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" high

All the projects are made using the products in my featured bundle, and after you've made them all, you'll STILL have supplies left to play with! All you need to provide is your favourite adhesives, a paper trimmer and some scissors.

Email me today to join the club & I'll have your product bundle shipped directly to your door via UPS!

cheers,

 

 

EMAIL: [email protected]

PS: Watch for my next online club with product bundle  ... starting in April!

NEW, NEW, NEW!!

It's a NEW year, with a NEW catalogue and 2 NEW specials from Stampin' Up!

VALENTINE TREAT BUNDLE: Jan 3-21, 2013
Just in time for your valentine creating, we're bringing you the Valentine Treat Bundle. This sweet bundle contains the all-new single stamp, Happy Valentine Heart, as well as a package of 1" x 8" cellophane bags. Use it to make treats for your child's classroom or for each of your 50 bestest friends. The possibilities are endless!

MY LITTLE VALENTINE PROMOTION: JAN 3-21
What? A second new stamp set? That's right! From January 3-21, purchase the brand-new My Little Valentine Stamp Set, and you'll get the Sealed with Love Simply Sent kit FREE! That's a $9.95 value for FREE just for buying a new stamp set that you'll definitely want to have anyway. Use the stamp set with the Simply Sent Kit to quickly create gorgeous love notes, or go out on your own and create something new and crazy-it's up to you!


2013 SPRING CATALOGUE: JAN 3-MAR 31
As if two new stamp sets weren't enough to go absolutely gaga over, the 2013 spring catalogue is now available! You can finally see the sensational new products that grace its 40 fabulous pages online through the link below, or contact me to get your own copy. Let the Spring ordering frenzy begin!

To view the new SPRING CATALOGUE online, click here!

To order now, click here!

cheers,

OLD MEETS NEW

I need a 50th Anniversary card for a very special couple's party next weekend and a store-bought card just won't do, kwim? (Hey, if you know this couple too, keep this post under your hat until next Saturday, ok?)

It's been a long time since I sat in my craft room and just played, but today I gingerly picked my way around the piles of retiring stuff slated for my crafty yard sale later this month, relocated the wobbly pile of UFOs from my chair, and rummaged around my desk for the last cards I had worked on before the dry spell hit me.

Lo and behold, I found a bunch of black & gold cards I had started, with the intention of using up some retiring Designer Series Papers - a good beginning, I thought. Next, I pulled out my still unused framelits and coordinating stamp sets from the new 2012-2013 Catalogue that I've been dying to play with ... added some gold embossing powder and a jumbo half pearl and voila!

The picture doesn't do this justice as the paper really shimmers irl, but you get the idea.

I like this layout because it's easy to change the feel and occasion without having to rethink the whole card - just swap for a different pkg of Designer Series Papers, change the sentiment and you're done.

Inside I added a second white medalion with the phrase "Happy Anniversary" and room to sign our names.

SUPPLIES USED (100% STAMPIN' UP! PRODUCTS):

• card stock: basic black, whisper white
• Designer Series Papers: Mocha Morning Specialty (retired May 31, 2012)
• stamp sets: Memorable Moments (#126682, clear mount, NEW*) & Itty Bitty Banners (#126257, clear mount, NEW*)
• Big Shot die cutting machine
• Sizzix Framelits: Bitty Banners (#129267, NEW*) & Labels Collection (#125598)
• Gold embossing powder
• Jumbo Pearls
• Soft Suede ink pad
• Stampin' Dimensionals

It sure felt good to be creating again ... especially when I had the recipients in mind as I was stamping!

Until next time,

MARCH 31st IS APPROACHING AT WARP SPEED

For all you frugal paper crafters out there (like me)  - who's hobby sometimes takes a hit when the family budget won't budge - take a minute to assess your stash and buy what you need now while SALE-A-BRATION freebies can boost your limited dollars to a whole new level.

Even if you aren't stamping or scrapping right now, the time will come when you have an hour to yourself and it'll be soooo much easier to pick up where you left off if you have the necessary supplies at hand.

SALE-A-BRATION (SAB) works like this:

• Place an order of $60 CAN or more and get a FREE item from the SAB Brochure. Order $120 and get TWO FREE items, and so on.
• If your order is $200 or more, you also get FREE Hostess Benefits of your choice AND a FREE tote.
• If your order is $525 or more, you also get a FREE SAB Hostess Bundle AND one item from the catalogue @ 50% off.
• If you buy either of the Demonstrator Starter Kits (Standard or Digital+) during SAB, you save a bundle of cash (pay $150 instead of the regular $215 AND you'll also receive a FREE pkg of Designer Series Paper OR a FREE Digital Download each month in 2012 that you remain active, PLUS all the regular Demonstrator Benefits from Stampin' Up! and from my team, the Artful*Inkers. You don't have to sell a thing if that's not your thing - just enjoy the Starter Kit and save money on your own purchases from here on in.

So, why the warp speed reference in today's title?

Well, all this SAB goodness ends at midnight, March 31st, 2012 - yep, that's just 3 short days, or roughly 84 hours (as I'm typing this) left to place your order and MAXIMIZE your hard-earned money.

Hey, it's springtime, and you know what's coming up in the next few months: Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, teacher gifts, maybe even a few showers and weddings ... here's your chance to replenish your stash, give your cards and gifts a more personal touch, and S-T-R-E-T-C-H the dollar.

Sounds good to this Frugal Stamper.

HEARTS & CLOVERS

Ok, the actual holidays may have passed me by this year, but I was still thinking of all of you on the day and I still received some very kewl cards for Valentines Day and St. Patrick's Day this year ... both of the cards shown here are by a very talented member of the Artful*Inkers team, Robbyn Sorli. (Not to say that the rest of my team has no talent .. no, no! They are ALL very gifted and very creative stampers!! ... removing my foot from my mouth now)

BAck to the topic of today's post ... I love how Robbyn created her own unique background on this Valentine, using a variety of romantic stamps & ink colours. Almost all of the stamps shown came from P.S. I LOVE YOU stamp set on page 8 of the OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE ..  the only exception (I think) is the dotted pink heart in the upper right corner ... I'm not sure which set that belongs to)

Robbyn "aged" her Valentine by roughing the edges of the card, sponging some light brown ink (possibly she used Stampin' Up!'s DISTRESSING ESSENTIALS KIT, pg 203 of the current Idea Book & Catalogue) and topped it all off with a few squirts of BLUSHING BRIDE SMOOCH SPRITZ from the OCCASIONS MINI.

 

 

 

Robbyn made this all-green card both for St. Patrick's Day and for a team challenge to "Think Green". Not an easy task to make a card using only one colour, but I think she pulled it off brilliantly!

The banner is from TAKE IT TO HEART stamp set and the greeting is from TEENY TINY WISHES stamp set.

Unfortunately, Stampin' Up! doesn't have a shamrock punch, so Robbyn created it using the new HEARTS COLLECTION FRAMELITS DIES from the OCCASIONS MINI ... pretty clever, eh?

 

 

 

Tomorrow I'll show you the card & envelope we made at last Monday's team meeting - featuring a kewl technique with acrylic paint and the new DIAGONAL INSERT for the SIMPLY SCORING TOOL.

 

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...

GOODIES FROM LEADERSHIP

I have a confession to make - there are sooo many brand new products sitting here on my desk that I don't know what to play with first! What a terrible predicament to be in, eh?

I blame it all on Stampin' Up! - they really spoiled us at the Leadership Conference last week .. just look at this list of loot I brought home with me:

• Totally A-maze-ing stamp set (Occasions Mini)
• pkg of Maze Games (Occasions Mini)
• Sale-a-Bration MDS Downloads CD (SAB)
• Fresh Vintage stamp set (SAB)
• Mixed Bunch stamp set (Occasions Mini)
• Loving Thoughts stamp set (Occasions Mini)
• pkg of Jumbo Pearls (Occasions Mini)
• pkg of regular Pearls (IB&C)
• pkg of Rhinestones (IB&C)
• roll of Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon
• pkg of Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper (SAB)
• Blossom Builders designer Printed Kit
• On Board Art Journal (IB&C)

PLUS two sneak peek stamp sets that I can't even talk about until they come out in the new Idea Book & Catalogue - what a great haul, right? Stampin' Up! is the most generous and supportive Direct Sales company I have ever come across and I will always be glad I joined their ranks, that's for sure!

I still have to finish the five make & take projects that we were given - I was too busy talking with folk to get them done in the allotted time; big surprise there!) .. I'll post pics once they're done.

In the meantime, here are some of my favourite swap cards from Leadership ... enjoy! (I neglected to get the creators' names so if you see your work here, let me know and I'll give proper credit!)

And if you'd like to join the fun as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator so you can go to the events and get the freebies too - I'd be honoured to have you on my team, the Artful*Inkers. Now, during Sale-a-Bration you can purchase either of the Demonstrator Starter Kits for only $150 and you'll also receive a free pkg of Designer Series Paper or free My Digital Studio downloads every month for the rest of 2012! YOu can read all about it (and sign up online as an Artful*Inker) by clicking HERE

 

NEW OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE IS HERE!

I've had my hands on a single copy of the new Occasions Mini catalogue from Stampin' Up! since before Christmas, but of course I couldn't share it here online with you all until it actually started ..... and thank goodness, today's the day I get to spill the beans (I'm so terrible at keeping secrets when they're REALLY GOOD ONES like this, lol)

 

There are sooooo many new tools for the Big Shot in this mini ... including new thin dies that nest together so you can cut and mat with ease (just like Nestabilities, but these are designed FOR the Sizzix Big Shot!) Then there's the new Large Sizzlit die ... it cuts a 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" paper doily in any patterned paper or coloured cardstock you want!

Oooh, and we now carry Sizzix Edgelet dies and co-ordinating embossing folders to really make the edges of your cards, tags and pages POP!

Then there's all the very kewl stuff for Valentines Day ... Blushing Bride smooch spritz, scratch & sniff embossing powder, ready-to-stamp cards with intricate laser-cut hears on the front, Dazzling Diamonds in Cherry Cobbler, and BEAUTIFUL new Valentine stamp sets!

Several pages have been devoted to the new "Twitterpated" theme, with Designer Series Papers, fabric, buttons, and - hold onto your hat - pleated satin ribbon! (No more trying to tape down or sew through multiple folds of flat ribbon!) There are two new Bigz dies that work really well with the Twitterpated line, too .. "Elegant Bird" and "Dresden Designs".

There's a new floral stamp set to go with the extra large "Blossoms" punch (I can't remember if the punch is new too?) and on page 19 you'll find the most amazing stamp set called "Tea Shoppe".

OK, I could go on forever here ... new Cookie Press designs, the "Attic Boutique" themed goodies, the Maze Games, new digital downloads, and new stamps for Easter, Mothers' Day & Fathers' Day, weddings, and soooo much more; all in all, 44 pages of crafting goodness ... but I think you'd rather see for yourself, so if you haven't received your own personal copy in the mail yet, just click on the cover photo above and peruse online at your leisure - then swing on over to my online store and place your orders (or email me and I'll do the ordering for you) ... I can't wait to see what you create with your new goodies!

cheers

40% OFF THIS VALENTINE BUNDLE

Here's just one of the exclusive bundles offered during ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA this week ... this one's at 40% OFF regular catalogue prices if you were to buy the stamp set & wheel separately ... what a great gift for the crafty person on your list - or for yourself! Check out the flyer HERE to see the rest of the bundles, plus lots of stamps, embellishments, fabric, Big Shot dies, and much more - all at 20% to 60% off! Sale ends Nov 30th! - Donna

I {Heart} Hearts Clear-Mount Stamp & I {Love} Love Wheel Bundle	129033
Catalogue Price: $33.45
Sale Price: $20.07 The I {Heart} Hearts Stamp Set/Wheel Bundle contains the I {Heart} Heart Stamp Set in clear- or wood-mount and the I {Love} Love Jumbo Stampin’ Around Wheel. Only available during Online Extravaganza, this exclusive bundle is 40 percent off the retail price November 21-30!

BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

Just popping in on a supper break during today's OPEN STUDIO DAY, which continues until 10 pm tonight - R U COMING OVER?

I'm sending in one last order for April, so if you want to take advantage of the promotions ending April 30th, now's your chance. Also, Stampin' Up! announced today that their May promotion is starting early ... like NOW - wahoo!!

Here is everything that's ending and beginning this weekend.. call me ASAP with your orders!

OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE - ends April 30th. Have you got everything from your wishlist yet?

SPRING IS BLOSSOMING PROMO - ends April 30th; spend just $25 and you can buy 2 great new products that won't be released to the general public until July 1st!

NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK MONTH SALES PROMO - starts today, April 29th; get 30% off select scrapbooking stamp sets and select digital download bundles

NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK MONTH RECRUITING PROMO - purchase the Digital+ Starter Kit valued at $375 for only $150.50 Canadian! Plus, you can also get the Stampers Memories Add-On Kit valued at more than $95 for only $42 Canadian! Offer ends May 31st - join my team of Artful*Inkers and I'll get you started on your digital journey!

 

VALENTINE'S DAY IS COMING!

FINAL FIVE SHOEBOX CARDS

Here we go, folks ... the last five projects that I got to make with my demonstrator team & friends at last Saturday's STAMP-4-FUN event .. and to give everyone credit for their wonderfully creative talents, here's a list of ALL seventeen artists:

DION PACHECO, DUSTY WEBER, SANDRA PANIO, BRENDA, CAROLYN HELDER, SAMANTHA FORREST, VANESSA LEAPER, DEB LAINE, DIANE HILBORN, JULIE LEBLANC, PAM LAMONT, RUTH HILL, JOANNA JOHNSON, HEATHER ARSENAULT, CAROLE MOORE, JANESSA BOTT, (and yours truly, DONNA HENLEY).

Thank you ladies for making this quarter's STAMP-4-FUN one of the best ever! (A special thanks to Carolyn Helder and Ruth Millard for their enthusiastic Leadership presentation; we all want to go with you next year in San Antonio!)

Enjoy these cards! (You can see the other twelve by going to my blog posts on Sunday Jan 23 and Monday Jan 24, 2011)

 

 

 

QUICK AND EASY VALENTINES

Busy, busy, busy ... why is that phrase always on our lips? Before I tell you WHY I'm so busy, I wanted to share some QUICK AND EASY Valentines I made yesterday - all four of these 3"x3" cards took about 20 minutes total ... which is about all the time I could spare, lol. (PS - I LOVE Stampin' Up!'s new GLIMMER PAPER ... it's so red and sparkly!)

I try to stamp something every day, but this week I've been occupied with getting ready for this Saturday's STAMP-4-FUN day with my team of demonstrators - I LOVE getting together with these gals ... Artful*Inkers, you ROCK!

And of course, there are a lot of details to iron out for the SALE-A-BRATION TECHNIQUE STAMP CAMPS - my team is putting on this event on four different Saturdays in four different towns - how's that for ambitious! What can I say; we just love creating and we want to share the fun with everyone!

Have you registered yet?

• GUELPH: EVENT DAY: Sat Feb 5th, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Jan 26th
• CAMBRIDGE: EVENT DAY: Sat Feb 26th, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Feb 16th
• CARLISLE: EVENT DAY: Sat Mar 5th, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Feb 23rd
• WATERLOO: EVENT DAY: Sat Apr 2nd, REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wed Mar 23rd

You can check out this blog post to see what we'll be making - it's gonna be a FULL day of stamping!

And you can click on this link to register for Guelph's event, or contact me to register for one of the other three events ... I'll be participating at all of them!

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

 

SAY GOODBYE

... to Stampin' Up!'s HOLIDAY MINI catalogue; the last day to order is January 3rd (gasp, that's coming up fast!)

Why not take advantage of my ongoing BOXING WEEK SALE to get the last of your favourites from the best HOLIDAY MINI we've had to date - hey, it's a frugal-good time to stock up for next Christmas!

cheers

FILLED WITH LOVE!

Stampin' Up! has launched a new promotion today ... it's time to think of (gasp) Valentine's Day!

Promotion dates: December 17, 2010 - January 24, 2011

Valentine's Day is the second biggest holiday for sending cards, and during the Filled with Love promotion, you can get an exclusive package of Designer Series Paper perfect for creating cards for family, friends, classmates, and more!

Wait, there's more!

From December 17, 2010 through January 24, 2011, get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons (a $6.50 value) when you purchase an exclusive Filled with Love Bundle!

Description	Wood-Mount Item	Wood-Mount Price	Clear-Mount Item	Clear-Mount Price
Filled with Love Bundle Contains the Filled with Love Set* and Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack	124380	$40.45	124381	$33.45
Lleno de Amor Bundle Contains the Lleno de Amor Set* and Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack	124382	$40.45	124383	$33.45
Plein d'amour Bundle Contains the Plein d'amour Set* and Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack	124384	$40.45	124385	$33.45
Love Patterns Designer Series Paper Pack (non-bundled) 12 sheets total: three 12" x 12" sheets of two double-sided designs in Real Red and Pretty in Pink	124156	$12.50	---	---

*Featured on p. 43 of the 2010 Holiday Mini Catalogue

Order it now and tuck it away until after Christmas ... that way you'll have lots of time to create those special Valentines and gifts in January! Don't get caught in a rush for Valentines Day again this year!

cheers

DAY SIXTEEN: CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Better late than never ... here's today's surprise in the Artful*Inkers' Countdown to Christmas swap ... made by my team mate Kimberly H from Alma, Ontario:

Purple, blue and white .. how fun is this colour combo?! I love non-traditional Christmas colours, Kimberly!

This folder is cheerful and mysterious .. I couldn't wait to rip it open (I'm not kidding!) to see what was tucked inside ..

.. and look what I found: a yummy packet of gourmet hot chocolate!!

Here's a closer look at how Kimberly made the slot to hold the hot chocolate in place:

She punched two small holes with her hand-held circle punch on either side of the folder, then cut two straight lines from each hole on the left to its counterpart on the right. Easy-peasy!

I can see making something like this to hold one of those chocolate covered marshmallow hearts for Valentines Day .. or how about a package of flower seeds for Mothers Day or Easter! Hmmm, I must keep that ideas stored away for later ...

See you tomorrow with Dec 17th's surprise!

cheers

KEWL GIFT FOR GRANDMA

... or teachers, aunties, seniors, hostesses, co-workers, sitter, or even the boss - add a personalized address stamp and it's the perfect house-warming or shower gift! Check out what we made at this month's STEP-IT-UP Class:

OK, so the Bravo Burgundy Stationery box kinda clashes with my Cherry Cobbler box, but I just wanted to show you how versatile  this gift can be - the one on the left contains cards with a Christmas theme, using "Tree Trimmings" while the open box on the right is an any-occasion set featuring "For All You Do".

The box is designed to hold 8 cards with envelopes, a pen, postage stamps, and a personalized address stamp in the two upper compartments - here's a close-up:  

Want the instructions to make the box and cards? Just purchase any personalized address stamp from me between now and the end of October and I'll give you the full set of step-by-step instructions (with colour photos and templates) for FREE!

cheers,

THE FRUGAL STAMPER STRIKES AGAIN

Hey, remember these sheets of Valentine Boxes that Stampin' Up! sold in last Winter's Occasions Mini Catalogue?

The back-side of all these sheets are covered with pretty pink polka-dots and baby blue plaid, so after I punched out the Valentine pieces last February,I tucked away the sheets for "future use" ...

And today's the day.

I used my "Full Heart" punch and squeezed as many pink and baby blue hearts out of those scrap sheets as I could manage to fit. 

There's still room in the leftover scraps to punch some smaller hearts, so I guess I can't throw away the scraps just yet.

What am I going to do with all these pink and blue hearts? I don't know yet, but I'm sure I can come up with something ... <wink>

cheers

 

PS: I have about 15 full sheets of the Valentine Boxes for sale; let me know if you're interested!

NEW BLOGGING FEATURE & MORE STAMPIN' PALOOZA

I have so much to share, so where do I start?  [deep breath] ...

First, before I forget - you now have the option of following these blog posts on my BUSINESS WEBSITE as well as on my original blog. Why is that a good thing? Well,if you (the reader) usually start out on my blog and then use the links to take you to my business site to see my EVENTS CALENDAR, PROMOTIONS, etc ... then nothing has changed; carry on with your routine.

But if you usually start out on my business site checking out calendar or promotions first, you've had to then switch over to my blog to read my new posts ... well, no longer my friends! Every word I post on my blog is now posted to my business site automatically, so you can stay on one site for all the info ... isn't modern technology wonderful? To find the blog on my business site, click on the blog link under the ABOUT ME tab at the top of the home page. Oh, and while you're there, check out the PROJECT IDEAS .. there are some kewl ideas there that don't appear on my original blog.

OK, I've wanted to share with you the projects we made at my friend Caroline's Stampin' Palooza event a couple of weekends ago in Toronto; check 'em out!

All six projects used the same Designer Series paper pack (Sending Love) and the same stamp set (With All My Heart) - both of which were included in our registration fee & we received as we arrived.

These are the three cards that we made - all designed for us, with paper cut to size and everything ... just like I do for you in my classes! It sure was fun being catered to for a day, let me tell you!

I love the idea of making a shaker card with cupcake sprinkles .. I always seem to have leftovers in my baking cupboard; now I know what to do with them!

Gotta love that glittery designer paper too ... have you got yours yet? The Occasions mini ends on April 30th and then this paper is GONE!

This second picture is of the treat box and DVD tin we decorated at 'Palooza.

These papers all mix and match - making the projects go together super fast ... gotta love 'em for that!

The little box is a Sizzix Big Shot die called "Fancy Favour" - very versatile and I love the card stock & ribbon handle that Caroline added, too.

I haven't decided what I'll use my tin for yet, but I was glad to have the chance to personalize it with my initial on the front ... we made that with Serif Essentials alphabet dies, also on the Big Shot.

Now I've only shown you five of the six projects ... because I haven't finished the sixth one yet [hanging my head in shame]. It's a little scrapbook, you see, and I want to print off some special pictures and embellish the pages before I share it with you. I CAN tell you that the pages are made from Stampin' up!'s "On Board Scallop Circle Book" from the Occasions Mini - very sturdy chipboard pages will make for a very durable & fun album! I promise to share as soon as it's done.

cheers

FEB 11: A VALENTINE A DAY & BIG SHOT CLUB

We're coming down to the wire ... Valentine's Day is almost here. Don't cave in at the last minute and rush out to buy some meaningless factory-produced card this year - make it yourself!

It doesn't have to be an elaborate work of art -  a few stamps, paper doilies, punches ... whatever you have on hand will do. You can call it retro, nostalgic, whimsical or frugal - but a hand-crafted card means so much more to the person on the receiving end!

Here's today's idea ...

I made this card with the folks out at Guelph Lake Commons earlier this month, and again at my "Quick & Easy" card class on Tuesday night. The Big Shot die cutter sure can save time; especially when you need to make a lot of cards at once!

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Old Olive & Whisper White card stock

Stamps - "Love You Much"

Inks - Chocolate Chip Classic ink, Pretty in Pink & Old Olive Markers

Accessories - Big Shot machine, Beautiful Wings Embosslet die, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Scallop Trim Border punch (FREE Sale-a-Bration product!)

Wish you had a Big Shot machine, but can't afford the expense all at once? Good news! I have room for one more person in my new Big Shot Club - our first meeting is Tuesday Feb 23rd ... pay for your machine in four easy installments while you get 4 free classes, 4 free Sizzlet dies, and one month of free level one hostess benefits! Contact me for more details - that last spot could be yours!

cheers

FEB 10: A VALENTINE A DAY

I'm back with another Valentine for you ... thanks for tuning in daily to help me in the count down to February 14th!

Today's card has been well-loved already ... once at a class I held at my friend's retirement lodgings (stamping is for ALL ages, ya know!) and again last night at my "Quick & Easy" card class. Although it's hard to see in the photo, the banner is 3D - we curled it around our scissor handles, then tacked it down with Mono adhesive just in one little spot.

SUPPLIES: (100% Stampin' Up!)

Papers - Kraft, Real Red & Whisper White card stock

Stamps - "I [heart] Hearts" and "Love Bandit" (both from the Occasions Mini catalogue)

Inks - Chocolate Chip & Real Red Classic inks

Accessories - 1-3/4" circle punch, Full Heart punch, paper snips.

It's too late to order Valentine stamps through me in time for Sunday, but you can still create a hand-stamped card for that someone special by coming to my Girls Night Out this Friday ... bring your own card stock & adhesive and use any of my stamps, inks, punches & Big Shot! ($5 cost; RSVP to reserve your seat)

cheers

FEB 9: A VALENTINE A DAY

Sunday will be here before you know it ... it's time to make your Valentines!

Here's another idea for you to try ...

This sweet card is one I cased from the sample boards at Leadership - it's so quick & easy that you could have a dozen whipped up in no time!

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Pretty in Pink & Whisper White card stock, "Tea Party" Designer Series papers

Stamps - "Well Scripted" (from the Occasions Mini catalogue)

Inks - Chocolate Chip Classic ink

Accessories - 5/8" Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon & "Sweet Pea" Stitched Felt (both from the Occasions Mini)

Come back tomorrow for another Valentine idea!

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,

FEB 7: A VALENTINE A DAY

Although it's Sunday and I'm not really working - I pre-scheduled this post to appear today so that we can continue our fourteen day series of hand-crafted Valentines. I didn't want to disappoint you all! <grin>

I'm really lovin' Stampin' Up!'s new "Sending Love Notes" in the Occasions Mini catalogue - I have to admit I skipped over them on my first viewing, but once I saw all the kewl things you can do with them, I was hooked! And they come 20 to a package (Hugs for $6.95; Kisses for $5.95) - that REALLY appeals to my frugal side!

I made this little Valentine with the "Hugs" sized note, which fits perfectly into the Rectangle Glassine Envelopes sold on the same page of the mini. See the kewl scalloped edges on the card? They come that way! All I did to accent the scallops was drag each of the four sides across my Chocolate Chip Classic ink pad.

After I wheeled "Very Vintage" across the card with Cameo Coral Classic ink I stamped the Friends image in Chocolate Chip Craft ink and heat embossed it with Iridescent Ice embossing powder, just to add a little bling.

The friends stamp, the bottom border stamp (in Ruby Red ink) and the phrase (in Chocolate Chip and yes, I stamped it both crooked & off-centre, grin) are all from the new Vintage Vogue stamp set. To finish off in true vintage style, I used my Chocolate Chip marker and Stampin' Up!'s Colour Spritz Tool to create that speckled look.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow and every day until the 14th for more Valentine projects!

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,

FEB 5: A VALENTINE A DAY

Thanks for coming by .. I'm posting a Valentine a day from now til the big day on Feb 14th - of course, the lovin' shouldn't ever stop ... we can send cards that say I Love You all 365 days of the year!

I fell in love with today's card the moment I saw it on Tracey Parrot's blog, StampForJoy ... so much so, that I sat down to make it on the spot!

(It helps to have a stash of stuff handy, just for these OMG-I-WANT-TO-MAKE-THAT-NOW! moments)

Sorry about the poor picture quality - my little camera is having a tantrum, so I ran upstairs to take this on hubby's office floor, using his super-camera (think I need a few more lessons). Click on the photo for a closer look, plus you can always see the original on Tracey's blog - the only thing I changed was the ribbon - I wanted to use Stampin' Up!'s awesome new Satin ribbon - yummy!

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Pretty in Pink & Whisper White card stock; Night & Day Designer Series paper

Inks - Basic Black & Pretty in Pink Classic ink

Stamps - Holiday Best (available to Workshop Hostesses only)

Accessories - corduroy button, "Heart-to-heart" punch, Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon (from the Occasions Mini catalogue), Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Big Shot machine, sponge, Circle Scissors Plus.

I'll be back tomorrow with another Valentine for you ... have a great weekend!

cheers

FEB 4: A VALENTINE A DAY

Here's the fourth Valentine card in a series of fourteen ... one a day until Valentine's Day ... enjoy!

I love square cards. Maybe because I started out as a scrapbooker, used to a 12 x 12 square canvas on which to create. Or maybe I love 'em just because we don't see as many square cards as the more traditional 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" A2 sized card.

Whatever the reason, my team-mate and friend Samantha Forrest has made the most of this smaller 4x4 surface - isn't it adorable?

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Basic Black & Whisper White card stock; "Sending Love" Designer Series paper (from the new Occasions Mini Catalogue)

Stamps - "Well Scripted" (also from the Occasions Mini - I LOVE these fonts paired together!)

Inks - Real Red Classic ink

Accessories -White satin ribbon, Scalloped Circle punch, Small Heart punch (in Stampin' Up!'s new easy-to-use style of punches)

cheers,

FEB 3: A VALENTINE A DAY

It's day three of my plan to deliver a Valentine each day until Feb 14th ... enjoy!

Today's card is another that I swapped for at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference in January; it's also one of my favourites.

Made by fellow demonstrator Laura Hoffman, it has the right amount of detail, balance & bling to look great without overdoing it, don't you think?

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Pretty in Pink, Real Red & Whisper White card stock

Inks - Basic Black, Real Red & Pretty in Pink Classic inks

Stamps - Holiday Best (only available to workshop hostesses)

Accessories - "Perfect Polka Dots" embossing folder, "Heart of Hearts" embosslit die, Big Shot machine, Real Red satin ribbon, "Full Heart" punch

My favourite new discovery is how a Full Heart punchie fits exactly over a Heart of Hearts die cut, with only the scallop edges peeking out from behind. In case you're wondering, Laura punched a red heart, then ran the punchie through the Heart of Hearts embosslit to create the tiny dotted heart pattern, then she mounted it on a Whisper White Heart of Heart embosslit ... too kewl!

Have you given any thought to making Valentines for the special someones in your life? You know, a hand-crafted card shows just how much you care! If you want any help, give me a call!

cheers

FEB 2nd: A VALENTINE A DAY

Just for you ... a Valentine a day for fourteen days ... together we'll count down the days til February 14th ... WHY? Because "Love is in the Air!"

Feb 2nd's card was created by fellow demonstrator Yapha Mason. Yapha & I swapped cards at Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference last month.

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White card stock

Inks - Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst &barely Banana Classic Inks

Stamps - I {heart} Hearts (from the new Occasions Mini Catalogue)

Accessories - Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Big Shot machine & Pinking Hearts Border punch

Technique: masking, dry embossing

cheers

FEB 1st: A VALENTINE A DAY

Just for you ... a Valentine a day for the next fourteen days ... together we'll count down the days til February 14th ... WHY? Because "Love is in the Air!"

 

FEB 1st's card was made by a fellow demonstrator and I received it in a swap ... unfortunately she or he didn't put their name on the back, so I can't give proper credit to the creator  :(

SUPPLIES:

Papers - Real Red, Basic Black & Whisper White cards stock; Sending Love Designer Series Papers

Stamps - "I {heart} Hearts" & "Well Scripted" (both from the new Occasions Mini catalogue)

Accessories - Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Build-a-Brads, Pretty in Pink 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Have you hand-stamped your Valentine cards yet? If you need any ideas or supplies, I can help!

cheers