Halloween Classes for Kids and Adults

What: Halloween Stamping Class - come and make 3 cool projects (a card, a treat holder and something else)
When: Adult Class is Monday October 19th at 4:15 or 6:00
Kids Class Thursday October 22nd at 6:30 (adults are welcome to stamp at this class, too, but be advised there will be
lots of kids there!)
Cost: $5 for adults. For families: $5 for one child and $3 for each additional child
Where: Adult class is at my house. Kids class is at East Duluth Church of Christ
Kids can wear their costumes and there will be candy and cider for everyone. Must have an adult supervising them. Please bring your own adhesive if possible.
Let me know by Sunday October 4th if you are coming so I can order and cut supplies!!

Christmas Class Info

Just wanted to get the dates out as soon as possible for my Christmas Card Class so people can put it on their calendar. I will be offering one class on Saturday December 5th from 1:30 - 5:00 and one on Monday December 7th from 5 - 8:30.
This is my favorite class of the year because it is always a great time. You get to make 15 cards with matching envelopes (5 each of 3 designs) for $25. I make lots of homeade cookies and treats and there is cocoa, cider and Christmas music. It is always a great time to get together with friends and do a little stamping and a great way to get a head start on your Christmas cards. I will be putting out more info soon to let you know when to register. Thanks!

A Cute Box

I love making cute little boxes. I like to give them out at birthday parties and other fun events and this is one of my favorite patterns for a box. To find the instructions for this box you can go to www.splitcoaststampers.com in the resources section and find the 2, 5, 7, 10 box.
I used the Just Jawing stamp set and Scary Skulls wheel on this one. The colors are basic Black and Melon Mambo and I also used the new Melon Mambo polka dot ribbon which is my favorite. It is a really easy box to make, Enjoy!

Stamping Up a Storm

Finally I have found some time to get down to my stamping room and make some cards! Here a couple that I recently made for a workshop.
The "You Rock" card uses the Friends Rock stamp set which is so cute! I used Real Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White and Old Olive ink and cardstock and the Spiral, Circle and Scallop Circle punches. I love this card! It would be great for a tween girls birthday or for any reason, I guess.
The "Cherish" card is one I made for a wedding I am going to this weekend. It uses the Warm Words and One of a Kind stamp sets, Basic Black, Basic Gray and Whisper White card stock and ink and Black embossing powder. I also added a filigree brad and used the Word Window punch for the greeting. It is a super easy but beautiful card.
Well, my new goal is to post something on here at least once a week, so here's to hoping! Thanks for checking this out!

Pony Party!

I can't believe it has been so long since I have updated this! I have not even been in my stamping room in 2 months, it is so depressing!
Anyways, I just received some new stamps and I couldn't wait to try them out. These cards are made with a set in the new catalog called Pony Party. This is probably the cutest set I've seen in a long time and it makes some super awesome cards. I just wanted to post a couple of examples of what you can do with this set.
The first picture is an example of a really quick and easy card and the second is stepped up a little with some glitter and coloring. There are so many things you can do with this set and it is not just for kids. I'm sure some of you guys loved My Little Pony when you were little ; ) The cards were also made with the new In Colors which I absolutely love this year.
The new catalog is great and everyone should check it out. If you are interested in hosting a party or attending a class please let me know. I will have info on my next class up soon and info on my Christmas Card Class in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for checking this out!

July Class

Hello everyone! I know this is early but I will be having class early next month so I had to get this out so you all have time to sign up.
Class for July will be using Twill Tape. Twill tape is a special ribbon that you can stamp on and dye. It comes packaged with 3 yards each of 3 different sizes ranging from 3/8" to 1 1/2". This is truly a great accessory and I use it all the time in my scrapbooks and also in my cardmaking. I know a lot of people have been asking about ways to use it, so here is your chance.
Class will be on Tuesday July 14th at 4:15 and 6:00. You will come and make 3 cards. The cost is $10 and includes the Twill Tape for you to take home. If you already have some and don't need anymore you can order a stamp pad instead (they are the same price) but you will need to bring your own Twill Tape to class. Please let me know by Sunday June 28th if you are interested in taking this class so I can get my order in on time. Thanks!

New In Colors!!!

I received my pre order from the new catalog that starts on July 1st and most of my order was stuff from the new In Colors. Here is a card that I made today using just one of the new colors and 1 of the new ribbons.
The new color is called Melon Mambo and I love it!! I also love the matching polka dot ribbon. All of the new In Colrs are great, but this is my favorite. I used the Heard From the Heart stamp set and the Love you Much stamp set on this card. I also used the scallop edge and full heart punches and filigree brads. I hope this gets you all excited about the new catalog and gives you a little inspiration. Happy Stamping!

The long awaited Waterfall Card Tutorial!

Well, I know I promised the directions for this card ages ago, but hey, better late than never, right?
Here are the dimensions for the card stock:
Neutral Card Stock - 4 pieces cut to 1 7/8" x 1 7/8"
Black Card Stock - 4 pieces cut to 2" x2", 1 piece cut to 3/4" x 4 1/4", and 1 piece cut to 9" x 2"
Red Card Stock - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
*Note* You can use whatever colors you want to, I am just labeling them with the colors I used so you can compare to the picture :)
Score the largest piece of black card stock at 2", 2 3/4", 3 1/2" and 4 1/4" and fold on the score lines.
Stamp images on your 1 7/8" square pieces (I used the Sock Monkey and S.M. Accessories sets. Sports sets also are very cute). Then layer on the 2" square pieces.
Attach the 2" square pieces to the large scored black piece starting with the bottom image on the part of the piece that is scored to a 2" square. Be sure to use Sticky Strip when you adhere these pieces or they may fall off when the card is pulled a lot. Continue attaching the tops of the 2" squares to the small scored parts.
Now attach the 3/4" x 4 1/4" piece of black card stock to your card using only brads or eyelets. Do not use adhesive in the middle or your card will not work.
Now attach the long scored black piece to the 3/4" x 4 1/4" pice using sticky strip. You will put the adhesive on the bottom back of the lowest image.
Now all that's left is to add an eyelet to the bottom of the pull part and tie some ribbon through it.
I know these instructions sound very confusing but if you walk through while looking at the picturesw it is actually surprisingly easy. These cards are so impressive and people just love to receive them. Be sure to show me if you make one of your own, I love to see your work!! Happy Stamping!

Melissa's Birthday Invitations

Melissa and I spent the morning making invitations to her 7th birthday party. Now if you know Melissa you know that she is ALL girl. She loves all things girly like pink, butterflies, and sparkles. She also loves my Big Shot machine. These are the perfect invitations for her.
They are cut from the Top Note die. They are also textured using the texture plates with the Big Shot. The butterflies are die cut, also and they are stamped and embossed with irridescent ice embossing powder for a little bit of sparkle. The colors we used were Pink Pirouhette, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red.
Happy Stamping!

June Class, Retiring List and June's Special

Hey everyone, I hope you are all well!
Well, the retired list is here and there are a lot of great items on it. Be sure to let me know right away if there is anything you want. You have until the last day of June to order any items on the list and then they are gone.
The promotion for this month is if you hold a workshop that has $250 - $400 in sales you get 20 additional dollars in free hostess merchandise. This is an incredible deal. But that's not all... if you have a workshop with $250 - $400 in sales you can also pick out something from my special box (it has former hostess sets, former sell-a-bration sets and other cool items). This is a great time to have a workshop, so please let me know right away if you are interested so we can get your party scheduled for this month.
Well, for class this month we will be learning how to use the Build-A-Brads. Build-A-Brads are a really great accessory for cards and scrapbooks. They are a little bigger than a regular brad and you get to decide what they look like. You can punch out Designer Series Paper or a small stamped image and apply it to the brad then cover it with the clear plastic bubble. I love these things. You get 24 brads in a package for $9.95. The cost of class will be $13. You will be making 3 beautiful cards and you get a whole package (minus the 3 you use for class) of Build-A-Brads to take home with you when you are done. Class day is Tuesday June 30th and I will have class at 4:15 and 6:00. Let me know by Monday June 8th if you are interested so I can order my supplies. I will be posting a picture soon of what the Build-A-Brads look like.
Thanks guys and Happy Stamping!!!

Picture for Journal Class

As promised here is the picture of the journal we will be making for class this month.  The dimensions are 7" x 9 1/2".  It is a very cute journal and if you don't need one for yourself they make great gifts (it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas).  All  the info for class is in my previous post.  Thanks!

May Class and Specials

Hey everybody, I hope your May is going well so far. 

Well, May is National Scrapbooking month, so Stampin' Up! has a special going on until the end of the month. If you order 3 packs of Designer Series Paper or 3 packs of 12 x 12 textured card stock you get one free. This is a great time to stock up on paper for all your scrapbooking needs.  

For class for this month we will be making journals again. The cost will be $10 for one journal or $15 for 2 journals (and bring your own adhesive). It will be on Tuesday May 26th at either 4:15 or 6:00, you choose which time works best for you. I am looking for your input on this class. I was thinking if people were interested we could make a more masculine journal for Father's Day, or if you don't think men would like a journal we could do feminine ones. Let me know as soon as possible if you have an opinion so I can start planning. Please let me know by next Monday May 11th if you would like to take this class so I can order supplies and let me know if you have a preference for what kind of journal you would like to make.

I will post some pictures as soon as I decide what we will be doing. Have a great week!

My Stamping Room

I've been doing a lot of organizing this week and not a lot of stamping, so I thought I would post some pictures of my stamping room so you could see some of my storage solutions.  I know I am very lucky to have a dedicated room just for my stamping and not all of you can have that but some of these things might make it easier to keep your stuff organized even if you just have a small space.  

As you can see I have a 6 foot long table instead of a desk.  If you are a scrapbooker this is so nice to have so you can have all of your supplies spread out in  front of you while you are working.  Above my table I have shelves with all of my current stamp sets and boxes with accessories, ribbon, and wheels.  I also have a small set of drawers that holds all of my adhesive, dimensionals, scissors, etc., things that I use a lot.  Everything is within reach which is very convenient.

To store my punches I have a kitchen rail system that I got at Ikea.  These rails are only $1.95 each and the baskets that hang below are the same I think.  I bought the whole system for under $20.   It is very nice to have the punches like this so you can just reach for the one you need and not have to dig around in a box and try to find the one you are looking for.  In the baskets I store brads, eyelets, glitter, embossing powder, ink refills, smaller punches and sizzlit dies for my Big Shot.

I have had a lot of people ask me for a good way to store paper, and up until this week I have not had a good answer.  However I spent the last week working on this.  I bought two large storage baskets that hold file folders at Walmart, they are $5.88 each and then filled them with hanging file folders (they were $5.88 for 25).  I have one folder for each color and I also store all the paper scraps in with the full paper so it is very easy to find a scrap of the color I am looking for.  Now I don't have to dig through my drawer of paper scraps to see if I have what I need.  I snipped a small pice of each color and put it in the tab for each folder so I can easily see what color is in each one.  I think this is my favorite storage solution!  I keep the baskets right under the table so they are in arm's reach to save precious stamping time :)  

Well I hope you can use some of these ideas to organize your stamping space.  Remember, it's so much easier to make the most of your time if your stuff is organized!

I had a couple of people request to see the cards we did at last month's class for a stamp-a-stack, so here they are.  I generally only do stamp-a-stacks twice a year as they are a lot of work to prepare for, one in the spring and one a Christmas time.  This time we did 3 copies each of 5 different cards.  We did a baby, a feminine birthday, masculine birthday, sympathy and children's birthday.  All had matching envelopes.  If you are interested in knowing which supplies were used on a certain card feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to let you know.  I hope these samples will inspire you to get stamping.  Thanks!

Here is a sample of what we will be making for my April stamp class next week.  It is a mini chipboard scrapbook.  I used the Longboard Chipboard and cut it with the Top Note die in my Big Shot die cutting machine.  I then punched a hole in the corner with my Crop-a-Dile and bound the whisper white card stock (also cut with the Top Note die) with the cover using a small ring clip.  Then you just decorate, add your pictures and add your journaling.  This makes a fabulous Mother's Day gift.

The card stock and stamp pads used are Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, and Pacific Point.  I also used the Tangerine Tango striped ribbon and some Flower Fusion felt flowers.  The stamp sets used are Define Your Life, Defining Alphabet and Itty Bitty Backgrounds.  

Be sure to contact me to place an order, book a workshop or if you have any questions about any of my projects.  Thanks for checking out my blog :) 

For my post for today I wanted to shoe you how you can make 2 very different cards with a very similar layout.  Both of these cards have ribbon on one side,  a stamped focal point with 3 layers of card stock, a metal embellishment and a greeting, but by using different colors, images and ribbons you get a very different look.   You don't always have to have a lot of creativity to get a lot of different cards!  I could have made many more different cards with this same layout.  So the next time you sit down to make some cards try just picking out one layout and then mixing up the elements you add to it.  You'll be surprised how many great ideas you can get without stretching your brain too much.  

If you are wondering about the supplies used here they are.  For the thank you card I used the Eastern Blooms stamp set, a clip from the clips assortment and the kiwi kiss satin ribbon.  The card stock and ink are elegant eggplant, kiwi kiss and so saffron.  For the heart card I used the Best Wishes and More stamp set, chocolate chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon and a flower brad.  The card stock and ink are chocolate chip, rose red, and pink pirouette.

Thanks for checking out my blog today, and have a great weekend!!

I thought I would post some more ideas that I got from my trip to the Stampin' Up! Regional meetings.  These are a couple of different treat boxes that I got patterns for.  They are perfect size to use for a baby showers or even for wedding favors.  I decorated the orange box using some cute little die-cuts I made with my Big Shot machine.  To make the square box you need a piece of Card stock cut to 3" x 5 1/2" (you can make 8 boxes out of one 12" x 12" piece of cardstock) .  Score it lengthwise at 1 1/4" rotate and score at 1 1/4", 2 1/2", 3 3/4" and 5".  Cut the score marks under the 1 1/4" lengthwise score mark and fold and adhere.  If you would like the pattern for the triangle box please email me and I will get it to you.  I hope you enjoy making these cute little boxes.  Happy Spring!!

Today is my Dad's birthday and the kids made him a DVD of each of them sharing one of their many special talents.  We needed something to put the DVD in so I decided to stamp a DVD sleeve for it.  These are so easy to make I could not believe it.  You need a piece of card stock 10" x 5 1/2".  Score it the long way at 5" (halfway) then rotate and score at 1/4" and 5 1/4".  You only need the 1/4" scored parts on half of it so you can adhere it together, so clip off one half with a pair of scissors (the top half will be 5 1/2" wide and the bottom half will now be 5"wide).  Fold and adhere with sticky strip and use a circle punch to punch out the notches.  I used the All in the Family set with some of the In Color cardstock and ribbon to decorate.  Try this at home the next time you make a DVD or CD for someone.  They are much cuter than the plain old jewel cases you buy at the store!

Minneapolis Regionals Sample

As some of you know I spent Friday in the cities at a Stampin' Up! regional meeting for demonstrators.  I wanted to show you one of my favorite projects that I got to make down there.  This is a gift card holder.  While you could use it to hold a gift card from a store this one is holding some of our beautiful Scallop Notes.  What a great gift idea for a teacher or for some one as a thank you.  The Scallop notes are found in the Idea Book and Catalog on page 157 and sell for $11.95.  You get 30 of these small notes (10 each of 3 different colors) with 30 Very Vanilla envelopes.  For the card holder use a piece of neutral card stock 9 3/4 x 6 inches.  Score lengthwise at 4 3/4 and 5 inches rotate and score at 2 1/2 inches.  Then just fold and decorate.  Mine is decorated with the Best Wishes and More stamp set, some chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, Flower Fusion Too felt flowers and some Metal Edge Tags.  Also decorate the scallop notes and envelope to match.  I hope to show this at a class sometime in the coming months, so be sure to watch for it!

April Stamp Class

Just wanted to post on here what my April Stamp Class is going to be.  We will be making a mini chipboard scrapbook.  This makes a great gift for Mother's Day.  It will be made using a chipboard cover cut with the Top Note die in the Big shot machine.  The dimensions are about 

3 3/4   x 4 1/2 inches. It will have 10 pages decorated with room for 10 pictures and journaling and will be bound together using a round binder clip.  These are super cute and will make a great gift for Mother's Day or are great to keep for yourself!  If you are interested in taking this class let me know by Monday April 13th and I will email you all the details.  Class will cost $18 and includes a journaler or marker for you to take home with you.  Classes will be held on Tuesday April 28th at either 4:15 or 6:00.  Thanks everyone, and have a great day!!

Hey everyone!  I thought it was a good time to start a blog for my Stampin' Up! business.  I plan to use this space to make announcements about current sales and specials, classes, and to display pictures of any samples and new things I have been working on.  Check back often, I hope you find something to inspire you!