Join the Stampin' Up! Family Now!

While anytime is a great time to join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator, joining during July and August is especially sweet!
Starting your own Stampin' Up! business means free and discounted products, plus a little extra cash--and who couldn't use that? Plus, from July 15 - August 31, you can become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for only $85!
The special, limited-time Mini Starter Kit contains many of the items you need to get started in your new business, including:
For All You Do stamp set
In Color Classic Stampin' Pads (6)
Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
Catalogs, business forms and tools

Or if you want to buy the standard $199 Starter Kit, in addition to the supplies listed below, you'll get all six of the new In Color Classic Stampin' Pads and one pack of In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")--a $43 value! The standard Starter Kit includes:
Five stamp sets
A Stampin' Around wheel, handle, and ink cartridge
Stampin' Pastels
Card stock
Eastern Blooms Décor Elements and applicator tool
Five Classic Stampin' Pads
VersaMark Pad
Stampin' Scrub and Mist
Blender pens
SNAIL
Catalogs, business forms and tools
These special offers--the Mini Starter Kit and the In Color add-on to the standard Starter Kit--are only available for a limited time, so you must act fast!
Benefits of Becoming a Demonstrator:
Whether you just love to stamp, or you want to grow a successful, thriving business, the Stampin' Up! opportunity is the right fit for you. Stampin' Up! demonstrators enjoy many benefits, with just a few listed below:
Product discount. Demonstrators get a 20 percent discount on all Stampin' Up! products, including stamp sets, paper, and accessories. It's a great way to support your love of stamping and paper crafting.
Extra income. You'll earn extra income based on your sales and recruiting--how much extra income is up to you. Maybe you just want enough income to pay the electric bill every month, or maybe your goal is bigger--the monthly payment for your new car--it's your decision!
Flexible schedule. This is your business, so you can put in as much (or as little) time as you'd like.
Support from Stampin' Up! We love our demonstrators and it shows through our demonstrator support materials, including a monthly magazine, workshop ideas, and audio and video trainings on all kinds of topics available on our Demonstrator Web Site.

You can click here to go to my Stampin' Up! website and click the Join Now button. You will need my password which is lpstamp03 (that is a zero). If you would like to do this together we can meet and fill the forms out together.

Happy Stamping

Punch cards

We had so much fun making our most recent punch cards at our class!! Lisa and I do lots of blog searching and such for inspiration...not sure I remember where these all came from but thanks to all the bloggers ad such for the awesome inspiration!!!

The hippo card was one of the favorites...I found a hippo in a group of animals someone had made with punches and did my best to choose punches and recreate it. I got it all made in Bordering Blue and my son said, "You know hippos aren't really gray but more of a pinkish purple." Okay, so I made one with the new In Color Rich Razzleberry and asked him about the color. "Yeah, that's better", was the reply! The balloons are Crushed Curry and Old Olive. We used a sponge dauber and White Craft ink to make the cloud. So very cute!

Another favorite was the guy in his "Speedo" on his inner tube. We made the tube a bit bigger perhaps and so did not add the words on the front. Very inventive way to use the photo corner punch, don't you think?! I love how he is just so relaxed and laid back...that is how summer should be right?

I hope you enjoy these. I will try to photograph the other three we made at class ad add them soon.

Lisa and I just found the inspiration for the 10 card Occasions Card Class we will be offering at the end of this month. If you are local to the Monadnock Region or Brattleboro, VT e-mail me and I can get class information right out to you. It would be great to have you come stamp with us!!

Deal Of The Week!

Deal of the Week: Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware!!!
The Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware (#112454) adds class to any project. Get it for just $18.99 (over 30% off the regular price of $29.95)—only July 20-26!

Each hardware set contains the following (note that number of pieces is approximate):
Raised Dot Oval holders: 10
Small Rectangle holders: 10
Raised dot designer holder: 10
1" Circle holders: 10
Square holders: 10
1/2" Genuine holders: 10
3/8" Flower brads: 10
3/8" Star brads: 10
1/2" Flower brads: 10
Flowers ribbon slides: 10
3/16" brads: 100

Click here to visit my Stampin' Up! website. You can click on the order now button and the sale price will show up at checkout. Happy shopping!

More Great Samples!

Janis Cox a friend and member of Dorene's InkAway team designed this as an option for the make and take project she was working on. She ended up simplifying the design to make it more workshop friendly.

This was another version she designed. I will have to share the final one with you at a later date as I didn't take a picture of the final make and take project card. Ooops...sorry.

Dorene Decibus created this pretty card using Pretty in Pink and Chocolate Chip. She used the polka dot texture plate on the background piece. A hint from the new catalog is to lightly mist your card stock before running it through the Big Shot using the texture plates. Doing this helps define the texture and create a beautiful design. I hope you enjoy these samples and I will try to post a few more very soon.

Happy Stamping!

More Fun Samples

Here I am back again with a few more great samples created by my stamping buddies!

This beautiful one was stamped by my friend Janis using Circle Circus and Crushed Curry ink. The Bermuda Bay card stock accents really make this card pop! Can you see that the Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon is plain on the opposite side?

Jessica used some Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper to accent the top of her card. The Soft Suede ink looks like chocolate frosting...yummy enough to eat! Since markers are available in the In Colors this year adding accent color is so much easier!!

Time to go soak up some vitamin D!! It has been lovely to have the sun shining so much these last couple of days!! I think summer is finally here!

Happy Stamping!

New In Color Samples

Several stamping friends of mine and I got together yesterday for a "Convention Meeting". None of us are able to attend Stampin' Up! Convention this year so we decided to do a mini convention for ourselves. We had a lot of fun doing 3 make and take projects and dicussing business topics.

We did two separate swaps and one was using the new In Colors. Here are a couple of the great cards I got in the swap.

This one done by Dorene Decibus is a great monochromatic card using Soft Suede and the Circle Circus stamp set! The top panel almost looks like Designer Series Paper, doesn't it?

This one was created by Irina O'Brien using Soft Suede, Dusty Durango and Kraft card stocks. It is a "shaker" card and the little washers in the window really add authenticy to the robot! What a great kid birthday card!!

I will have a couple more tomorrow. Stop back by!

Happy Stamping!

Bling on sale!!

Today begins the new Deal of the Week from Stampin' Up! Yippee it is a sparkly deal at that!!

The rhinestone brads are a super deal at more than 30% off! When you order online the discount will be applied at checkout...don't worry that it doesn't show up right away.

Some other exciting news to share...The Holiday Mini Catalog is almost 40 pages of terrific new stuff including dies and stamp sets using Build-A-Bear Workshop designs!! The digital scrapbooking and card making software will also be available when the Mini Catalog goes live on September 1, 2009! Wahoo!!! I can hardly wait! In the mean time though there are lots of things I can share with you and friends so book your workshop today!!

I will have a couple of samples for you a bit later. Right now I have to get going and run a few errands.

Happy Stamping!

Deal Of The Week!

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend with the ones you love best! I know mine was spent visiting my brother and his family along with my mom and dad who were here from Florida. We shared some small fireworks with neighbors on our street and enjoyed some delightful down time on Sunday.




So now it is Monday and Stampin' Up! has announced a new deal for this week! This deal is only available through your Stampin' Up! demonstrator and only good through Monday, July 13 at 11:50 AM Eastern Time. It is the Sizzix Doctor's Bag! If you need a way to tote your Big Shot with you, you cant' beat this stylish & roomy bag! This marvelous bag can haul other crafting supplies too, so even if you don't have a Big Shot yet (what are you waiting for?) you will love this bag!! Normally priced at $69.95, it's a deal at $49.99!

Just click over to my Stampin' Up! website and click on the shop now button. The discount will display at the end.

High School Graduate!

Well as of last Friday, June 19th I am the mother of a high school graduate!!! Stephen did a great job! As some of you may know Stephen was correctly diagnossed(after a few mis diagnossses) with Asperger Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder). He sat with the other 370 graduates in his class and walked across the stage when his name was read!!! It was a very proud moment for Rich and I! Here he is with his diploma standing next to the van.
We had lots of family here and it made for a fun but chaotic time. I still had several days of school t finish and Shannon was off to England as part of the KHS York England Exchange trip. She returns on July 7th.

I have received my 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalogs and will have them bound and ready for all those folks attending the New Catalog Open House in Hinsdale on July 7th. If you are planning to attend please let me know (RSVP) so that I will be sure to have your make and take project materials ready for you!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Leslie

Last Chance Lists

Okay so you have probably found the lists in a hundred places or more by now but....better late than never is what I've heard!

I have been busy getting ready for the Retirement party my upline Lisa and I are having on Sunday. If you are local to the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire send me an e-mail and I will send you details so you can join in the fun!!!







So Stampin' Up! has a few lists going and I will list links to them. I generally prefer the numerical list that is organized by catalog page number. I find that this is the easiest way for me to mark my catalog (I go through and highlight all the retiring sets).

• Last Chance List (Numerical)


• Last Chance List (Alphabetical)
• Decor Elements Last Chance List

I have chosen not to post the Last Chance Accessories List here as it changes so quickly. The best way to check on those products is to CLICK HERE and head over to my SU! website and order online. The last chance items are turned off when they run out so it is easy to know if you can get a product or not.

Have a Fabulous Friday! I know I am planning on having a fantastic day!

Summer Fun on the Way!

Wow, Stampin' Up! is offering a fabulous special for the month of June!

Promotion Details:
The Summer Fun Hostess Bonus Promotion has two parts:

Hostesses who hold a $250-$399.99 workshop will receive an additional $20 in hostess free merchandise dollars.

Hostesses who hold a $400 or more workshop will receive an additional $40 in hostess free merchandise dollars.
This applies to parties, clubs and single customer orders!

Keep your eyes peeled, first thing tomorrow a.m. for the Last Chance Stamp Sets & Accessories List!!!

Card for my mom

I think it is safe to share the card I sent to my mom in Florida. She should have gotten her card by now so it is okay if I share it with all of you!

Actually I mailed hers before I took a picture of it but I made a few that were very similar and did take pictures of those. I used the Manhattan Flowers Textured Impressions Die in my Big Shot. Before I put the paper in I put Pretty in Pink Classic ink on both sides of the folder then I put two pieces of Whisper White card stock in and put it through the Big Shot. After I took it out I used a sponge dauber to add Regal Rose to the centers of the flowers. I was very pleased with how they came out! I used the second one to make a card for my mother-in-law.

As you can see when you send two pieces of paper through one has the impressed design and one has the raised design. On this one I used the sponge dauber to add ink to the raised parts of the flower. This adds dimension to the edges of the petals.

Enjoy!

More Birthday Cards

I have few more birthday cards to share with you from the Birthday Card Class from a few weeks back.

This one uses the All Star and Just Baseball sets. So cute for a little boy or even for a big guy that loves the sport or plays in a summer rec league! This could very easily be converted to a scrapbook page for all you scrapbookers out there!

This beautiful card uses the Branch Out set. I love the simplicity and serenity of this card!!! The greeting is from Sincere Salutations which is a set I use a lot because it has words for nearly every occasion.

I hope you enjoy these cards and hopefully I can continue posting at least a few times every week. Thanks for stopping by today! Enjoy your day whatever it may bring your way!

Happy Mother's Day

So I wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!! Today is a day for you to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labors the other 364 days a year!! I hope that each of you gets to spend some time today doing what you love best and that you get to feel pampered and special for at least some part of today!

I am very sorry for going MIA for so long! I have been working on a couple of personal projects. Our son is graduating from Keene High in just over a month. I have been working on a scrapbook for him and I also stamped the graduation announcements.

If you are one of the people that don't like Sock Monkey you may want to skip down a bit and check out the birthday cards below.

A few weeks ago we had a birthday card class where the participants created 10 birthday cards for all types of birthday recipients including kids, men, and ladies. I shared a couple of the cards the last time I posted. We made a couple cards using the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set. We also used Eastern Blooms, Embrace Life and Branch Out to create other cards for this class.

This is the card we made using Embrace Life. It was stamped in Stazon ink on vellum and then we used the stylus on the back of the image to rub the flowers which turns the vellum white.

I love this card! What a great guy card, right? We used the Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP. This month Stampin' UP! has a great special on all the Designer Series Paper including the Specialty Paper and also the textured cardstock.

You can click HERE to see the flyer that has information on all three promotions that Stampin' Up! is offering this month in honor of National Scrapbooking Month. In addition to the Buy 3 get 1 FREE promotion on the DSP and textured cardstock you also have the opportunity to pre-order an alphabet that will be in the upcoming 2009-2010 Idea Book and Catalog. The third special is an opportunity for you to start your own business for just $75!! This is a special Scrapbooking Starter Kit that includes all the business materials that are in the Standard Starter Kit.

Have a marvelous Mother's Day! Call or e-mail me today to book a workshop for you and your friends before my calendar is full!! You can order by clicking here to go to my Stampin' Up! website where you can click Shop Now and order products that you need for your projects!

Thanks for stopping by! I will try to get better about posting more regularly!

Crazy for Cupcakes!

This cute card was on one of the display boards at a demonstrator only event I went to last month. It features the Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set from Stampin' Up! I have found lots of ways to use this really cute stamp set. In fact Lisa and I had two cards in our recent Birthday Card Class that used different parts of the set.

The So Saffron card used the cupcake stack on the tray. We also used several different designer papers from the Sweet Slumber specialty paper pack. Yes, and if you look carefully there is glitter on those cupcakes! Those of you who know me know that for me to create a card using glitter is most unusual, as I have an intense dislike (gasp) of glitter! These cupcakes just cried out for it though!


This card used the fun balloon image from Crazy For Cupcakes and two pieces of the Sweet Slumber specialty DSP. We paper pieced the balloons by first stamping the image on the Whisper White CS and then stamping them again on scraps of coordinating CS and cutting them out. Perhaps I should have made one of my balloons with the red polka dotted paper. Oh well, next time!!

I will try to post more of the birthday cards we made in class soon.
Thanks for checking in today! Leave me a comment about your favorite part of having a birthday!

Hey stampers!

I think everyone that came to the yard sale yesterday had a good time and was happy with the bargin-priced goodies they went home with! I was very happy to arrive with 3 boxes and go home with just 1!!! Yippee!!

We did not end up doing the "Amazing Dozen" card class as we did not have enough sign-ups. The good news is we had lots of interest and so we will be offering it as part of the Spring/Summer Class List. Lisa and I need to finalize a few dates and will get you more information soon! Lisa, Janis and I did stamp up the cards and I will share a couple of the with you. I have not added the sentiments as I want to do that as I need them.

This new Promotion from Stampin Up! would make a terrific gift to give to someone that wants to try their hand at stamping. The mini note kits are perfect for beginners. The individual stamps, are the best! You can get some great phrases without having to buy a whole stamp set.
Here’s how it works! From now through April 30, 2009, you can choose a free “Under $10″ item on page (p.208) from the Spring & Summer Catalog, for every $40 you spend on products in the Occasions Mini (e.g., If you orders $80 from the Occasions Mini Catalog, you can choose two “Under $10″ items for free). Start connecting today! Contact me to schedule your workshop or simply place your order online at my SU! website. Hurry! sale ends April 30, 2009.

YARD SALE!

Retired Stampin’ Up! Yard Sale

Yahoo! It is finally here!!! We have a date, time and location!!!

Date: Saturday, April 4th

Time: 8:30 am – 11am (no early birds please)

Location: Marlborough Community House, Marlborough, NH

This is your chance to pick up some great bargains!! Stamp sets start at only $3 and no set will be priced higher than $10. There will also be retired accessories including Designer Series Paper.
Several demonstrators will have merchandise there for you to choose from. This is always a popular event!

If you want to make a day of it, we are also offering a class at 1:00! The class should not take us very long to complete. I am estimating about an hour to an hour and a half. That leaves plenty of time for a walk or some other activity later in the afternoon!! We will use the Fifth Avenue Floral set which I have fallen in love with! Email me to save your spot. The class fee will be $18 for the 12 cards! This class will only be offered in Marlborough at the Marlborough Community House on April 4th.

So here is the info in invitation form

What: "Amazing Dozen" Card Class
Where: Marlborough Community House
When: Saturday, April 4th at 1:00
Class Fee: $18
Things to bring: Scissors, Adhesive & a paper trimmer/paper cutter

Register today so you have a spot!

Please register early so you won’t be disappointed! Your spot in the class is not reserved until I have your registration fee. Class fees can be paid by check and dropped off to me or by PayPal, whichever you prefer.

Children under the age of 14 are not allowed.

Marvelous Monday

A Marvelous Monday? Many people don't like Mondays but this Monday is one I am very happy about because it is my birthday!! I got to celebrate with stamping friends and my family yesterday. Today I will have fun at school and get to have dinner with a very good friend of mine. Some people don't like getting older and celebrating their birthday but I LOVE it!! The getting older part isn't too bad because I feel that I am so much smarter and more relaxed and confidant than I was 20 years ago! Besides if you didn't have a birthday it would mean you were dead and I sure don't want that!

Anyway, onto some great stamping news!

Over the weekend Stampin' Up! announced a great new way to become a demonstrator...
The 3 Easy Payment Plan!
Fabulous idea if you ask me, since we are all feeling the crunch of the current economic times and REALLY NEED our discount on our stamping supplies!!!
This limited time offer allows you to make a partial initial payment and still receive the Starter Kit right away.
3 PAYMENT DETAIL:
· Payment #1 (charged when you order) -$56.34 (+ sales tax)
· Payment #2 (charged April 15) - $56.33
· Payment #3 (charged May 15) -$56.33
JOIN BEFORE MARCH 31 AND YOU WILL:
· Save 15% OFF the Starter Kit (regular price is $199)
· Choose a FREE stamp set - valued up to $47.95 (get a huge alphabet set or something really cool!)
SIGN UP IS EASY:
· Start by printing the order form and customize your started kit.
· Fill out the 3 Easy Payment form
· Contact Me -paperwork must be mailed to Stampin' Up!. You cannot join online if you want to take advantage of the payment plan.
It's the perfect time to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator! You can simply enjoy the discount for yourself or start a club by stamping with a few friends each month or make it a full time business. In my nearly 7 years as a demonstrator, I have never had a day where I hated my boss or worried about getting laid off!
Do I look like I'm having fun??? I LOVE this job!
I would love to have you join my team!
If you have any questions please e-mail me. I'm here to help you benefit from doing what you LOVE!

Also over the weekend I went to a demonstrator event in Massachusetts that was offered by Barbara Lash. It was fabulous!!! We stamped 4 great projects and I learned about a wonderful fun and easy class to create 12 cards in about an hour!!! They had some really awesome displays up and I took tons of pictures! Here is a picture of one of the projects we created. We used several Big Shot dies and SU! punches to create the shapes used to put this together. So cute and springy!!

One of the demonstrations was by the very talented Amy Czuba. She showed us how to create 12 cards with just 7 sheets of cardstock and some Designer Series Paper and ribbon! I will be running this class after the yard sale on April 4th at 1:00. Plan to make a girls day of it! Come for the yard sale, have some lunch and come back for class!! The class should not take us very long to complete. I am estimating about an hour to an hour and a half. That leaves plenty of time for a walk or some other activity later in the afternoon!! Here is a sneak peek at what the cards will look like. We will use the Fifth Avenue Floral set which I have fallen in love with! Email me to save your spot. The class fee will be $18 for the 12 cards! This class will only be offered in Marlborough at the Marlborough Community House on April 4th.

I hope you have a Marvelous Monday. It will be what you make it and I plan to make mine Mucho Marvelous!!!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Spring is coming!!

Well it sure feels like spring out there today! It was more than 50 degrees at 10 o'clock this morning!! Yippee!

A couple things you may want to know. Before the end of Sale-A-Bration Stampin' Up! is going to offer a 3-payment option for the Starter Kit!! If you have been thinking about it this makes the deal to good to pass up!! They did not release details yet but as soon as I get them you will get them!!!

Also, Lisa and I have set the date for our BIG yard sale!! This is when we sell the retired stamp sets and accessories that we can do longer demonstrate. If you are local to the Monadnock Region this is a NOT TO BE MISSED event!! If you need directions to the Marlborough Community House in Marlborough, NH then please e-mail me. The date is Saturday, April 4th from 8-noon. We sure hope to see you there!!

Now how about the last two samples from the watercolor class?

This darling little whale comes from the Pun Fun set. We used the pastels to color him. You can apply the pastels directly to the image and then blend with the aquapainter or you can pick up the color from the pastel with the aquapainter and add color that way. This next one used the Stampin' Write markers to apply the color. You may want to use the writing tip to get a nice fine line of color right where you want it and then carefully blend with the aquapainter. I will hopefully have pictures of some of the Sale-A-Bration card class samples soon.

Enjoy the spring-y weather!

Terrific Tuesday

Well the new snow that fell yesterday has everything looking clean and fresh! I really dislike the yucky brown/gray icy mounds along the side of the roads and such!


So I shared a couple of the cute love note cards we made at the Watercolor Class in my previous post. Here are a couple more.





This one used the Fast & Fun notes set and the watercolor pencils. There is a flower as part of the stamp but we used a small flower from the Pretties Kit and also colored it with watercolor pencils and blended the color with the Aquapainter.






This next image is also part of Fast & Fun Notes. We used the Classic Ink Pads for this one. Did you know that if you give your stamp pads a squeeze while they are closed you will get a small amount of ink on the inside cover. You can pick this ink up using a Blender Pen or Aquapainter. We used So Saffron, Regal Rose and Tangerine Tango. I wasn't to sure about pink and orange together but it worked really well!!

Off to school. Take care and stop back again soon!

Great Preorder Opportunity!

Happy March! Well they say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb and it certainly seems true here in the northeast! We are preparing for a major Nor'ester tonight and tomorrow.

Stampin' Up! revealed an awesome added promotion for the month of March. Sale-A-Bration will continue through the end of the month and you will be able to order a select group of stamp sets from the Occasions Mini Catalog which has dates from April 1st through June 30th. Usually only demonstrators get to "preorder" sets but for the month of March you get that opportunity! Click on the link above to see the sets that are available for preorder.

I do want to share some exciting news with you. I had two ladies join my team in February! I would like to welcome Sandra and Sarah to my team! If you are looking for a way to pay a bill or two or you just want to pay for your hobby supplies check out the opportunity that Stampin' Up! offers. E-mail me if you live it the United States and would like information about the Starter Kit. Right now during Sale-A-Bration the Starter Kit is 15% off, that's just $169 to start your own business and work when and how much YOU want! You also get to add any stamp set from the Spring/Summer Idea Book & Catalog to the Starter Kit which brings the product value to over $350 dollars!!! This is really a great opportunity!!

Okay so how about a few samples from our recent Watercolor Class? A couple weeks ago my upline Lisa and I offered a class in watercolor techniques. We gave class participants the opportunity to use six (6) different mediums to color in outline images. We used the images from Pun Fun and Fast and Fun Notes. This one is from Pun Fun and used Bashful Blue and Real Red Craft Pads to color this very cute sheep.

This cute hippo is also from Pun Fun and used Watercolor Wonder Crayons to color it. So very cute!!

I will show you a couple more tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in!

Big News from Stampin' Up!

So by now you may have heard about the changes Stampin' Up! is planning for the upcoming catalog in July. Beginning with the release of the Idea Book and Catalog in July 2009 the catalog will be an annual publication once more! That's right we are going back to just one catalog per year!! There will also be 3 mini catalogs each having order dates of 4 months! The mini catalogs will include new hostess sets as well as awesome seasonal stamp sets and new accessories. The Decor Elements catalog will come out twice a year.


I'm very pleased with Stampin' Up!. I like that they are constantly trying new things, but that they are reflective with everything they do and if it's just not working out, they have no problems changing it again or going back to the "old" way. I like that they listen to demonstrator and customer comments as well. So many times they "hear" what we're saying, whether we're emailing in or giving input via surveys, or speaking to them at events.



I'll be excited to hear more details on this change as the summer draws nearer, and I'll be sure to post updates as I get them!






This is a cute swap I got at convention this summer. The kids in stamp club love to use this fun stamp set called Bugs and Kisses. It is currently on the Dormant List but is still available to order. It is just not featured in the current catalog.

Hope you have a good day! If you live in the Northeast part of the country you may want to get your errands done early today as the weatherman is calling for heavy snow later today. Where I live we are expecting periods of snow with accumulations of 2-3 inches per hour!! Perfect weather for a fire in the fireplace and lots of stamping!!

Thursday Thoughts

This week has been all about Valentines. A handmade valentine is such a terrific way to let your family and friends know just how much you love them! I have a few more samples to show you.

These two use a stamp set called Happy Heart Day. It is a fun stamp set to color and is great for kids to use for making their valentines. There are also images of a mouse and butterfly, a tag and two word stamps as well.

I have been doing Valentines with my stamp club kids for the last few weeks. They have made some really great cards! Come back tomorrow and check out some of the great cards made by the 6,7 and 8 year olds in my stamp club!

Keep creating!

Leslie

Valentines again!

Good Wednesday morning!

I told you I would be back! I know you have heard that before and then nothing new for days!! I am trying hard to be better about that! So as promised a couple more Valentine samples.

I like that these two samples are not your typical valentines but they convey the sentiment so nicely! Baroque Motifs is a very versatile stamp set. I have seen it used on cards for many different occasions and though I am not sure the creators of these cards had valentines Day in mind the colors and sentiments worked for me!

This one is by Irina O'Brien, one of my stampin' cousins! We attend the same downline meetings and she is a very talented stamper!

This next one is by Lorna Deloach and I am pretty sure I got it at convention. I like the added scallop for the focal point. Another slightly non-traditional kind of card but it expresses the appropriate feelings so well!

Let me know what you think about these pretty cards by leaving me a comment.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Valentines Day is almost here!

So, it is only a few short days until Valentines Day...have created something from the heart for those people who are important in your life? It does not have to be fancy or elaborate but it should convey the feelings of caring and love you have for that person. I tell my darling husband, Rich, that I sometimes wish everyday could be Valentines Day. I really do try to let him know often how very important he is in my life.

So here are a couple Valentine samples to jump start your creativity.

This one is a swap I got at Convention this year from Erin Lopez. It uses the One of a Kind stamp set. The Basic Gray and Pretty in Pink look great together!

This next one is one that I created for a swap with some of the demonstrators in our group. This stamp set called A Happy heart was originally seen in the Holiday Mini Catalog and is now in the Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalog.

I will share a few more valentine ideas each day this week. Please leave a comment and let me know which ones you like best. Also feel free to leave a link to your creations in your comment!

Have a happy day!

It has been a long time!

Well it has been quite awhile since I last posted. One reason is that my computer died. Well perhaps it didn't die but it was really sick and had to be repaired. It was gone to the repair shop for almost two weeks! The happy thing is that I now have it back and I didn't lose any files!!! I will be creating a back-up system though as this has taught me a valuable lesson!!

This darling chick was one of the cards we made at the last punch class. It is so cute and easy! Just 3 circles 1 3/8", 1 1/4" and 1". We did use the small star punch and cut off one point for the beak and the horizontal slot punch makes the legs.

I will try to get pictures of the other cards as well as the ones we did at the open house.

Have a happy day...it is a choice we all get to make at the start of each day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalog!!

Yipee!! Today is the day! We can order from the brand new Spring/Summer Idea Book and Catalog!! I showed it off to several customers yesterday at my New Catalog Open House and it was a big hit! There were lots of new stamp sets that got noticed including the Animal Crackers, Hoppy For You and Thoughts & Prayers.

I will be back later with a couple of samples from yesterdays open house.

Remember that today is a day for remembering the great effort and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His dream is coming true through continued work by lots of caring people!!!
Thanks for stopping by.

Happy New Year - a bit late

Wow...It seems like forever since I posted last. We had some very lovely days between Christmas and New Years. Rich was home and the four of us were able to just be together in a very relaxed way!

Then we were back at school and I was preparing for my new session of stamp club. I offer an after school stamp club for first and second grade students. I have 8 students for 4 weeks and then start a new session with 8 more students. I will photograph some of our projects and share them with you. The kids really seem to enjoy it and I have received lots of positive comments from the teachers at school as well.

Another exciting event of the past couple of weeks is there is a new baby on our street! We had a baby shower for the mommy at the beginning of December. I chose to make her 30 thank you notes as one of my gifts. I found these notes at Michaels for $1.00 per package of 10 notes! Such a deal!! Combine with that the colors they chose are red, black and white and they were a have to buy item!! I liked the size and the shiny red stripe at the bottom but hated the presents in the middle! So it was off to my Stampin' Up! suppies to figure out how to "fix them up". I found Basic Black and Whisper White card stock and my Zoofari stamp set. My daughter helped me color the zebras and then I found the smallest red bows I could and put one on just the center zebra. This is what we ended up with. I was very pleased with the results and so was the mom-to-be! I received a thank you note from her (which I had told her was unnecessary) and so I used the note to create a scrapbook page for her. I did not tape down the bottom edge of the note so that a list of the gifts she received can be centered on the red paper. Shannon got into the scrabooking mood as well and created this cute page for some of the many pictures they have of the new baby sleeping...remember those days?!

I am off to my New Catalog Open House. I will post pictures of the make and take projects soon. Remember that today is the last day to order from the Fall/Winter Idea Book and Catalog! Tomorrow at Noon Mountain Time the Spring/Summer Catalog goes live!! It is lovely and FILLED with Terrific stuff! The accessories section is HUGE because they have added all the Sizzix dies and added some great new ones as well as showing of a selection of the Decor Elements in lots of great shapes and colors!

Sale-A-Bration starts in just a couple short weeks!

Here are the details:
Sale-A-Bration runs from Sunday, February 1st to Tuesday, March 31st.
Customers: Choose 1 FREE Sale-A-Bration product for EVERY $50 you spend on Stampin' Up!® products!
Hostesses: Choose 1 FREE Sale-A-Bration product for hostessing a $300 or more workshop, in addition to the normal hostess benefits!
If you are interested in signing up to become a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator this would be a great time to do it! Recruits get to choose any retail stamp set (a value up to $47.95) from the current catalog when signing up during the promotion!

Happy Sunday! Enjoy this great stamping day...we are getting snow here in the northeast so not much else to do besides watch the NFL Divisional Championship games and stamp!!!