Blog Candy Alert !!!!

I just realized I hit over 10,000 hits on my blog!!! To thank all who come and visit, I am giving away one package of Stampin Up designer paper. Located on page 168-172 in our new Idea book and catalog. And many thanks to Jana who helped me link it on my blog sidebar. The nice thing about it in PDF is that you can click on search function and look up anything you want. So, if you don't have one yet, take a peek :}

I love designer series paper, trouble is can't decide which ones I need first! Yes, I want them all. So, to win blog candy, leave me a post of your favorite new designer series paper and how you like to use it. And for bonus if you like, I need some help staying organized in my craft room. You can tell me your favorite organizational item you use.

winner will be picked on September 1st. make sure you leave name and number post you are! Good luck !!!

pop up fun

Here are a few cards I demonstrated at our demo meeting last night.

I can't take credit for the idea, at convention there was a class called demonstrator theater. I need to look at my notes to see which demo presented this idea .

a few more, cased layout from new cattie, just changed color scheme.

remake of one I showed earlier.

To make all you do is punch out a circle about 1 3/4 - 2 inch. Then just cut it in spiral fashion to make a spring. The only tip here is to attach them on opposite opening sides to each other so the card will close. As for adhesive tomboy mulipurpose works the best!

Summer Scrapbooking

My son got a note from his teacher before school started that they were to bring something in from the summer to share with the class for first week of school. "Mom, make me a scrapbook page", he said. I said we should do one together. Thankfully, I still have tons of leftover simply scrappin kits, this one was a hostess one called creative license. My favorite for boys!

He picked photos and his favorite things and wrote out his top 10 summer memories in his own handwriting. I helped with stamping and cutting. But he does love to use the snail, it is my kids choice to use for all their school projects.

gifts for guests

I gave my open house guest little gifts for attending. I got this idea from Librarygirl on SCS. She post 3-D projects on the demo challenges section. So does my blogroll friend Jana. I keep saying I am going to try to do some of these great demo challenges- demonstrable cards, WOW technique, 3-D. My boys go back to school tomorrow, so hoping to have more time to stamp and do challenges. If you notice inside there is a piece of Ghiradelli chocolate tucked inside using word window punch. I used the diecut blooms and rhinestone brads to decorate the front.

And of course a little post-it note holder. You can get tutorial on how to do these on Angie's blog.

another 3-D project

This is another project we got at UStamp. This uses ginormous pieces chipboard. I bought these almost a year ago and have only done one project so far. You may remember my chipboard memo board that I did back in May.

I used the cardboard piece that comes in the designer series paper to reinforce the back.

I got my first order out of new catalog, so hope to play with my new bigshot and stamp sets to post some fun new stuff!

Off to Water Wizz today (a local water park), to get the last of summer in with the boys as we start school next week.

U Stamp fun

Marilyn beat me to doing this project first, but got around to trying some things yesterday.

We are both enrolled in UStamp, you can also link it from my sidebar just hit on blinkie. Wow, can I tell you it is the best $ I spent. Great projects for whole month of September, with bonus projects. The templates, photos, directions are all done for you and then you can use it to show your customers or just show off for yourself!

This is a bag made out of 2 pieces of designer paper and gift tag. I am going to use for my bags and tags class I will be offering in September.

stuck on a set

Okay, I can't get away from this set. In my attempt to get rid of some precut cs stash, I ended up grabbing this set again.

My poor shelves of unused stamps, must feel so left out. In my defense, I was making cards for customers that ordered at my open house. So, I thought the new catalog sets would be better fit.

I also cased the idea of using flight of the butterfly with the inspired by nature set. And of course my favorite product- SU markers.

colors: appricot appeal, coral cameo, chocolate chip, kiwi kiss and old olive.

Now my card that I am not that thrilled with.... We also got eastern blooms at convention and I am still a little stumped for inspiration. I again pulled through my pre-cut cs stash and found a bunch of mellow moss card size ready. Based on color chart (pirouette pink, ruby red, close to cocoa and mellow moss).

Too blah for me, but maybe a customer might appreciate it.

Catching up

I finally got to do a sketch challenge and play with a new set I won at convention.

This is sketch challenge 189, from last week on scs.

The color combo is from SU site: kiwi kiss, pale plum and perfect plum.

Stamp set: organic outlines

It is a 2 step stampin set, I thought the images will line up but they are not made to as you can see the bottom swirls go in different directions.

I choose to use Craft ink, to make the larger bold image stand out more.

This is take 2:

I just used a random pattern with same color combo.

Other business of catching up. Trying to organize my craft room. I signed up for challenge at SCS to do something every week to get organized even if it is just 15 minutes per day of attacking one project.

I am trying to use up some of the pre-cut cs, from class projects workshops I have left in this big box of stuff.

There will be my challenge in itself to use that box for my stamping needs vs. cutting new stuff.

Best intentions

I had the best intentions of posting more this week, but life got in the way. My son is playing Pop Warner football, along with both doing golf camp, karate, guitar and my swim lessons I teach- I don' t think I have been home a solid hour during the day. We only have one more week, before they go back to school. Although I will be sad that summer is almost over, it will be nice to have some time to do some challenges and create.

Anyways, I had my customer appreciation and new catalog open house last night. So, here are two of the cards (along with the one posted last time) we did last night.

It was fun hanging out and socializing with all the girls who came last night.

I can not take credit for sock monkey, I got a great swap from Cindy Newell from NJ at convention and I cased her idea. Great reason for swapping, great ideas and less work for you to recreate. She actually water colored, I chose to feature the markers for time and trying to up sell joining my marker club.

If anyone is interested in participating for $45.35 for four months, receive color family and assorted card stock pack per month and one of the months receive hostess benefits. Also, learn the 25 different ways to use markers with some projects. Contact me at sacwhite@comcast.net.

Make over Monday

In case you haven't heard... Stampin UP's new idea and catalog is released today at noon (MT). Don't forget to check it out Here
This is another card using new set inspired by nature. We made it at convention.

We used sponge dauber to make some images on the stamp darker. Cool technique to get more mileage out of ink pads you have.

You will also notice the wide oval punch which is new to the fall-winter IB & C. I just used my finger nail to rough up around the edges. Also, we used one of the clips from clip assortment, this one is like a mini paper clip. Also, returning to catalog is 1/4 inch chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon. So, happy about this one.






So, how did I make this one over? Well, really just cased it to be a standard card size, vs. 3 x 6. I also simplified it to do at my customer appreciation party I am having this Thursday.



card recipe:
stamps: inspired by nature
ink: kiwi, choc chip
cs: kiwi, very vanilla
access: label punch, dimesionals, 1/4 gros cc ribbon

I used the kiwi kiss ink vs. versamark. I did not have the wide oval punch so went with the label punch. This card took about 5 minutes to make, super simple.

Quote to live by:
"There are no mistakes in stamping, just opportunities to use more embellishments."

This is a big stamp, and I did not press evenly and my petals did not ink all the way onto cardstock. So, it is covered with the sentiment.

catching up

I was told it takes you about a week to recover from convention. I am still catching up. However, I think that is more of a mom being away and no chores being done by little fairies while I was gone.

I don't have much new projects to show you, as I spent yesterday cleaning and reorganizing my craft room. I am trying to get ready for new catalog transition. Oh and laundry, house cleaning, getting kids to their activities, etc..

I was making up my hostess and recruit folders and pulled out a new set we got at convention.

This is "inspired by nature" set. I used versamark for grass and then clear embossing powder for "live with passion" sentiment. I used white craft for the flower image. This is just a gray folder I picked up for 5 cents at Staples. (Marge and Gwen would be proud of my bargain shopping). Silhouette images look to be huge for upcoming season.

convention photos

This is waiting in line for memento mall after check in (see my catalog). Having cattie to go through made the line much more fun. Tizz and Judi (both first timers like me).

This is me at the Riverton tour, the legacy room. The picture has the statement of the heart.

I wished I paid more attention going through I might have realized some of new sets and announcements.

This is us in front of Stampin Up Riverton tour. Tizz, me, Barbara, Judi and Jen F.

This is the last day, too much excitement. They did all the commercials submitted for regionals, convention, leadership. I won organic outlines stamp set. Nothing like FREE RUBBER! They did one about convention Barbie and the UPS man comes at end. Next thing we know a UPS man is next to Shelli, a UPS truck drives out, there is smoke and confetti and we all got the Ronald McDonald set for FREE from UPS. It was crazy, screaming, mayhem. At the end we saw Jaron with a UPS shirt. That man does everything!!!

Convention chatter

I am baaaccckkk! I was told if you can go, you need to go to convention. Boy, were they right... a truly amazing experience.



I tried to post some pictures of all my bootie, but blogger was not cooperating with me today.



BTW-congrats to my SU blog roll sister Tiffany Bauer, she won # 1 rising star and was in the top 100 for sales for Stampin Up.



News from Stampin UP (in case you have not heard it from anyone else yet)



1) Big Shot- Sissix and SU are teaming up to bring this great die cutting to all our custumers with exclusive dies for SU but other dies will be compatiable with the system.



2) Home decor elements expanded- phase 2 is coming this fall of more decorative patterns and SU color families to this great product.



3) So Shelli- Shelli is blogging now! http://www.soshelli.com/

4) die cut stamps! All new sets are die cut and in the Spring catalog they all the sets will be die cut.

I love the new idea book and catalog, so many great things from stamps, accessories, and my favorite designer papers. When I get caught up from being away and blogger decides to cooperate with me, I will be posting some new pics and ideas.