Busy! Busy!Busy!

I know, I know we are all busy and this makes like the third post in a row with no new pictures....Sorry! There will be lots of pictures when I get home from convention!! I leave in just 3 more days!!! Woohoo!!

So much to do before then though. Today the kids and I are heading up to help Rich move out of his apartment and into a friends house. This will be a big savings every month!!

Tomorrow is laundry day. Everything has to be clean and ready for packing! I already have little piles of things that I need to pack. Packing is always difficult for me...I want to take everything. I guess it is the years of Girl Scout training...Be Prepared! It is also difficult because some things can not go into your carry on luggage namely my papersnips and craft & rubber scissors. There are also things that I won't put in my checked bag, like the nearly 200 swaps I made! Can you just imagine if the airline lost my bag and all those swaps were just gone....or almost worse, showed up when everyone else was "swapped out"?!?!

I leave Tuesday morning for the airport and arrive in Salt Lake City (SLC) around dinner time their time. I am so looking forward to this time with my stamping buddies! It is so fabulous to be with thousands of other people (mostly woman) that love to stamp!! The ideas that get generated are tremendous!!!

I will be updating my blog with pictures and info from convention so be watching and checking in here.

Have a super weekend and stamp something for someone!

Discounted Accessories!

So here is the deal, Stampin' Up! has listened to all of the comments and questions about why don't they offer a discount on retiring items! They are doing a test to see how this works with a select group of retiring items.You can view the flyer here. Even though this promotion lasts through August 10th, supplies usually run out quickly on the retiring accessories so if you see something you want, you should scoop it up now at a discount while you can. The quantities of each item that you can purchase are not limited so you can order as many of each item at the discount that you would like.

So how do you take advantage of this? E-mail me with your order. If you live close by drop by with a check, otherwise I will need credit card or debit card with CC logo (MC/VISA) so I can charge your order. I will have the order shipped directly to you. There will be a minimum shipping charge of $6.95 or 10%, which ever is larger for orders shipped directly to you. This offer is only good on orders shipped to addresses in the US.

Looking forward to some stamping time!

Tomorrow night, maybe by the time I am writing this it is actually later today...I am up waaay to late tonight!!! Anyway, tomorrow is the night Ana is coming to stamp! I am excited! I think I will get out my Powder Pal and Heat Tool so we can do some embossing. I am hoping that she has time to play with some of my stamps...it may help her decide which ones she must have and which she can do without for now.
Not sure why but I am having a difficult time posting a picture right now. Sorry...will try to take some of the cards and projects that Ana and I create tomorrow.

More information

In a recent e-mail I suggested that you go to my Stampin' Up! web site for a video on how to install our new Home Decor vinyl wall accessories. I guess Stampin' Up! took the video off and I was unable to get it back there so if you want to see the video click here. I hope this helps!
Enjoy your Sunday!

Another Convention Swap!

Okay, so I have been AWOL for almost a week....that is what happens when mom comes to visit! It was nice to chat and play some fun games...she loves Rummicub. She also was a big help weeding and hanging out some laundry when I had to go to school.

She usually won't stamp or maybe I won't let her stamp on the stuff I am making for convention...but she is AWESOME at putting the labels on the back!!! She did two sets of cards for me while she was here! She did this one which is my third design for convention. I used the ever popular Itty Bitty backgrounds and the newer Sprinkles sets with VersaMark ink for the color blocking background pieces. I used Wild About You for the giraffe and the grass. The grass is just the little flower stamp upside down and only using the stem! The base is So Saffron as is the piece the giraffe is stamped on. I used More Mustard Classic ink for the giraffe and sage Shadow for the grass. The blocks of card stock are Bordering Blue and Sage Shadow.


Have you noticed the counters on various blogs? Mine has football shapes and is up to 998!!! My husband helped be set the counter so it only counts new hits. I wanted to really get a feel for how many people actually have visited the site...not how many people check it daily to see if I have updated it! :-) So while some people are excited to get to 10,000 hits I am ecstatic to get to 1,000!! I am not sure what the Blog Candy will be...I am sure I can come up with something from my stamp room!! Perhaps a ribbon sampler or card stock sampler... Anyway, leave me a comment about what you like about my blog. I am anxious to see what people like and what they would like to see more of.

Happy Stamping!

Having fun!

Sometimes it is so much fun just to read other stamper's blogs! I get lots of great ideas that way and it is fun to see what kinds of classes other folks are offering and s forth. Well the other night I was reading Tina Rosenkrans' blog. She is several branches up the "family tree" from me in our Stampin' Up! family and she is very funny!!! I love listening to Tina talk and reading her blog is almost like listening to her. Anyway she had an event at her house the other day and her new Decor Elements arrived during the event and so she decided to put hers up immediately....Here is what she says about putting up the Decor Elements...

Friday nite my Stampin' Up! order arrived with the new wall rub-ons we have just released!! I LOVE 'EM!!!
So I utilized the talents and brain power of some of the girls to put one up on the wall immediately!

And, as is my teaching style (and patience level) I will tell you the things NOT to do when you are applying this new and cool product at your own home!!

-Do NOT throw away the directions as soon as you open the package

-After trying on your own and having to retrieve the directions from the garbage do NOT assume that they are only on one side of the paper.

-Do NOT rush the process by whipping the sticky paper off as if you are taking off a band-aid.
After your friends have all jumped in to try and save you, do NOT tell them you know what you are doing if, in fact, you really don't.

-When you are ready to walk over to the wall with the sticky paper and letters all ready to go and holding them so nicely in front of you do NOT walk into a fan blowing on high.

-When the directions clearly state 'Do Not let sticky paper attach onto itself' .... do NOT believe they are lying. (test this theory for yourself with the with the last step....)

-If you find yourself with sticky paper and letters attached to your face because of that stupid fan just consider it like having a mini skin peel.......

After the unintentional laughter died down we did get them up easily and beautifully..... and I am sooooo happy with them!! I can't wait to do the next set- I am just going to ask a few friends over first for backup!!

I do wish I could have been there for this! I think I am going to have Rich help me do mine this coming weekend when he gets home and then I will post a picture here.

For now I am keeping myself busy making card fronts to take to convention to swap. I have done two and am in the middle of the third one. My mom was a big help in getting one set all put together! I will post the one I am working on now soon. I used the In The Wild stamp set and am pleased with the way it came out.

My new downline, Ana, will be coming over to stamp at my house next week. I am looking forward to stamping with her!

Happy 4th!

So I made this card with pieces I stamped at Ana's workshop last Sunday. One of the stamp sets we ordered as part of her customized starter kit was Independence Day. There are images that can be flexible and used for birthdays or celebrations of any kind!I played a bit with Ana's original design and added stars that I punched with the small star punch. The large star is stamped in Versamark on Not Quite Navy card stock and then cut out. The red card stock and ink is Ruby Red.

Enjoy the day and take a moment to remember how lucky we are to live in a country where we have freedoms that others do not!!

Fresh Cuts in Plum

Good Wednesday morning! This pretty card was designed by my daughter. She was there when my Fresh Cuts stamp set arrived and loved that it was die cut so she put it together and off she went on her design plan! I stamped enough parts to make 48 of these to take to convention with me! I am hoping to get about 200 swaps made. I want to have plenty of samples so I can share with my down line who can't be at convention!

So back to the card, Shannon used Mellow Moss for the base and stamped everything in Perfect Plum. She used Perfect Plum and Pale Plum card stock.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Lots of Announcements

Today is a day of big announcements from Stampin' Up!

One announcement that will make many of you VERY happy is that all new stamp sets in the Fall/Winter Idea Book & Catalog will be die cut! We know you enjoy the flexibility of custom mounting your stamps, and with these die-cut sets, all you'll need to do is pop, peel, and place before you begin stamping. Any hold over sets from previous catalogs will NOT be die cut, but there will be a die cut icon so you will have no problems identifying die-cut sets.

Also today you can begin to order the awesome Home Decore vinyl decorating elements. Click here to check out the brochure. You can also check out my web site to watch a video about how easy it is to put these design elements on your wall. Call or e-mail me to get your copy of the brochure!

The final announcement from Stampin' Up! today involves a special discount on the soon to be retired Hodgepodge Hardware. This great kit includes lots of great pieces! One demonstrator went to a national chain craft store and priced what you would have to spend to get all the elements and pieces in our kit and it came to over $50!! Now you can get the Hodgepodge Hardware for 25% off the catalog price!! There is NO minimum purchase required which means you can order only the hardware and still get the discount!!!! This fabulous accessory comes in three finishes, Antique Brass, Antique Copper and Pewter. Contact me today to place your order!! You can see in the picture that just that small hardware element (picture hanger with ribbon) makes a big impact!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!